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Abstract

rogen. I don’t even know why I’m saying this… You have access to all my sensors; you see the percentage of gases in real-time.— No real-time… In our current orbital configuration, it takes almost forty minutes for the raw data to get here.— Yes, that’s true. I wanted to understand why they created me like this, vulnerable to human humor… After all, I know that the only way we can talk in real-time is through pairing and that raw data travels at the speed of light. I wish I can understand you, humans…— Hehehehe! Yes, we are a curious race. Do we speak in a century?— I’ll be looking forward to it!— Dex, let there be light?— Now yes! The heat fractured the rock blocks… I’m still inside the chamber, but thirty percent of my body is already exposed to sunlight during the day. Hieroglyphs that were not removed for display at the Callisto museum have disappeared, melted, and turned to dust. Outside temperature above two thousand degrees Celsius!— Can your inner camera aim at the Nile?— The Nile has been close to the orbit of Mars for centuries…— Yes, of course, Dex! I want to see the riverbed, is it possible?— Not from the angle I’m in.” But you will find it interesting to see this…— Gold? Is it gold you’re showing me?— Yes! There was a hidden chamber, which has never been found for all these millennia! It was full of riches, too bad that when the stones dissolved the temperature was already so high that everything liquefied!— A pity indeed. Another century then?— If I hold out until then…— Dex, my friend, how’s Indiana Jones’ life?— You and your early Earth references… I’d say I’m more Mister

Options

Spock than Doctor Jones… After all, I’m living “inside a Vulcan”…— Your jokes are great for artificial intelligence! But is what you tell me true? Is there lava around you?— Yes, the crust on which Egypt used to be is gone for decades. I sank thirty-four years ago; I’m a hundred and fourteen meters deep! It was a beautiful job; I am proud to have been one of the sentients monitoring the melting of the Pyramid of Giza! Should I start the shutdown protocol?— No… We have a surprise for you…— I’m going up… How is this possible?— New technology… Inspired exactly by the series you mentioned today!— A tractor beam?— That’s not the official name… But we can call it that!— And what happens to me now, Cestimo?— You’ll be hoisted up, cleaned, and for a few centuries on display in the Callisto museum, next to the hieroglyphs taken from the pyramid. Then… You must go to another system. Maybe Sirius. We haven’t decided yet. It was a pleasure working with you, Dex! We barely notice the centuries passing by!— I liked it a lot too. And as for Sirius… Thank you, Cestimo!— Why?— I may not be an organic being like you… But it’s great to continue to be useful.In two or three billion years, the sun will increase in size and temperature, starting the phase that will culminate in its transformation into a red giant. When this happens, the Earth will most likely be swallowed up by its outermost layers. Long before that, however, life on the planet will cease, the oceans will evaporate, and the atmosphere will be blown away.Yes, the Earth will end one day.If we’re smart enough, we won’t have to end up with it.</article></body>

Is This How It All Ends?

A short apocalyptic tale

— How are things over there, Dex?

— Temperature at one hundred and eighty-seven degrees Celsius. Still unable to see anything in here, but the wind noise would deafen you.

— I have no doubt… Good luck there, buddy! We speak a century from now.

— Dex, is everything in order?

— It’s only been ninety-two years; any particular reason for contacting me so soon?

— The solar storms increased faster than we expected. We were afraid we had lost contact.

— No, the pairing remained. There was no significant change, the temperature at two hundred and ten degrees Celsius, still unable to see the chamber where I am. The wind noise, however, subsided.

— It was to be expected. New contact in a century! Best luck!

— Thanks!

— Dex, are you there?

— Where else could I be?

— At this point, close to the orbit of Mars, along with the rest of the atmosphere…

— No, I’m still inside the chamber. I can see it, though! There is light coming in through a crack on my left side, in the ceiling. I think some blocks shifted as the atmosphere was being ripped out.

— Is there still air out there?

— It doesn’t look much like the air you’re used to breathing, but yes. There is a very tenuous atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. I don’t even know why I’m saying this… You have access to all my sensors; you see the percentage of gases in real-time.

— No real-time… In our current orbital configuration, it takes almost forty minutes for the raw data to get here.

— Yes, that’s true. I wanted to understand why they created me like this, vulnerable to human humor… After all, I know that the only way we can talk in real-time is through pairing and that raw data travels at the speed of light. I wish I can understand you, humans…

— Hehehehe! Yes, we are a curious race. Do we speak in a century?

— I’ll be looking forward to it!

— Dex, let there be light?

— Now yes! The heat fractured the rock blocks… I’m still inside the chamber, but thirty percent of my body is already exposed to sunlight during the day. Hieroglyphs that were not removed for display at the Callisto museum have disappeared, melted, and turned to dust. Outside temperature above two thousand degrees Celsius!

— Can your inner camera aim at the Nile?

— The Nile has been close to the orbit of Mars for centuries…

— Yes, of course, Dex! I want to see the riverbed, is it possible?

— Not from the angle I’m in.” But you will find it interesting to see this…

— Gold? Is it gold you’re showing me?

— Yes! There was a hidden chamber, which has never been found for all these millennia! It was full of riches, too bad that when the stones dissolved the temperature was already so high that everything liquefied!

— A pity indeed. Another century then?

— If I hold out until then…

— Dex, my friend, how’s Indiana Jones’ life?

— You and your early Earth references… I’d say I’m more Mister Spock than Doctor Jones… After all, I’m living “inside a Vulcan”…

— Your jokes are great for artificial intelligence! But is what you tell me true? Is there lava around you?

— Yes, the crust on which Egypt used to be is gone for decades. I sank thirty-four years ago; I’m a hundred and fourteen meters deep! It was a beautiful job; I am proud to have been one of the sentients monitoring the melting of the Pyramid of Giza! Should I start the shutdown protocol?

— No… We have a surprise for you…

— I’m going up… How is this possible?

— New technology… Inspired exactly by the series you mentioned today!

— A tractor beam?

— That’s not the official name… But we can call it that!

— And what happens to me now, Cestimo?

— You’ll be hoisted up, cleaned, and for a few centuries on display in the Callisto museum, next to the hieroglyphs taken from the pyramid. Then… You must go to another system. Maybe Sirius. We haven’t decided yet. It was a pleasure working with you, Dex! We barely notice the centuries passing by!

— I liked it a lot too. And as for Sirius… Thank you, Cestimo!

— Why?

— I may not be an organic being like you… But it’s great to continue to be useful.

In two or three billion years, the sun will increase in size and temperature, starting the phase that will culminate in its transformation into a red giant. When this happens, the Earth will most likely be swallowed up by its outermost layers. Long before that, however, life on the planet will cease, the oceans will evaporate, and the atmosphere will be blown away.

Yes, the Earth will end one day.

If we’re smart enough, we won’t have to end up with it.