This 1500 word opening chapter is a rehash of something I started years ago.
The idea that a generational starship is the exact wrong way to send humanity (and its supporting environment of plants and animals and bacteria and fungus) out into the stars, is why I started this story. Generational ships are just plain stupid. Nobody wants to live and die traveling in a tin can. And cryogenic preservation of grown humans will probably never work.
So, how does humanity infect the galaxy with its ilk? With a starship designed to travel, arrive, and then grow humans, as well as all other fauna and flora, from zygotes and seeds; with android “Mother” and “Father” figures to raise children (Raised by Wolves’esque) once orbit around a distant candidate planet was attained.
The problem with such a system is that the ship itself must be the primary caretaker. But how can an intellect survive, sane, the hundreds of years necessary to travel to the target system? I propose the ship be equipped with a duality of intellects. Janus-like.
Read the story in a new tab here.
(I’ll get my editor to review and correct obvious mistakes. She, however, hesitates when tasked with serious wordgery. So, no doubt this piece will suffer from the lack of stronger skills than my own.)
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
Love it! Are you going to submit?
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If I ever create a piece worth submitting, you betcha.
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When I was reading, the questions that went through my head were about what sort of development the AI personalities will undergo, will they remain static, or become philosophical, or evil. I worried if they were paying attention to the embryos and if they weren’t, what if, on the new planet, they grew up into truly hideous fucked up examples of humanity?
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What if indeed.
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Ok, I read the chapter. Sci-fi is not my favorite, but this was a very pleasant read. Did you mean for certain passages to be funny? I chuckled a few times during their interactions. The different ‘characters’ are so perfectly designed – they leap off the page! I can totally see/hear them as if they were people.
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Well, thank you, Goldie. Writing dialog for characters who have no corporeal bodies is challenging. They can’t lift an eyebrow, scowl, stare vacantly out the window…
Typically, I refrain from using dialog tags other than said. But I figured in this case they were necessary.
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I’ve been told to use other tags than said, and then I was told to use nothing but said. I feel writing advice is like any other – very arbitrary.
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The theory behind only said focuses on making the characters’ behavior elicit the readers understanding of the dialog context — the Show Me premise. “A non-said dialog tag generally comes with emotion or behavior embedded,” he blurted.
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For me sometimes, it becomes a practical issue of my time. I just do a “tell” and move on with my life.
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So much easier.
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Actual research on Dark Matter
https://news.mit.edu/2021/kerstin-perez-dark-matter-0102?fbclid=IwAR0xdt2MAK4nWzNu_2hFPzJuC8a0aHao2bX1ffVjPkqT0uLdKJpnPgiVLlw
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Okay, finished the story…Asimov-esque I must say. Two AI intellects can’t even get along…annoy the hell out of each other. Are we better off alone? 16million zygotes…enough to populate a world and enough for some to die from random chance. Perhaps your two AIs started that game, created those virtual worlds and we’re still in them…still traveling through space…living in our own delusions…
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Clever! Hadn’t thought of that.
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..you did think of it on a subliminal level. It was right there. That’s the type of genius you are. If I didn’t point it out first, someone else would have. PH? I dunno.
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Cat Stevens definitely came to my mind, too.
The idea seems interesting. I will read it shortly.
Wouldn’t you want to live and die in a tin can? For humanity! To be read and spoken about for years to come. The glory and honor.
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One of my WIPs involves a “generational starship” saving humanity. We’ll see if I can make it work. 😉
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KS Robinson’s Aurora was the ultimate nonsense generational.
Good luck.
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Thanks.
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Mine’s gonna be a bit of nonsense. Huge spaceship that essentially flies itself with a bio some type atmosphere on board. Humans are in a state of suspension during the flight.
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Passengers’esque then?
Isaac Arthur’s Youtube channel is my go-to for all things futuristic.
An O’Neill Cylinder, traveling across star-gaps, might be a fun idea, too. It’s a generational concept, but at least it “feels” like planet-side living.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox_csXWOSMg A recent video on the problems of life in space.
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If you’re sending this to your mom, don’t. Give the lady a break and become your own wordeater. Interesting, almost autobiographical characterization.
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There you are.
She likes the abuse.
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Hi A. Mole,
I’m afraid it’s game, set, and match. Too bad. It’s a hardwire problem to the bitter end. Good luck to all of us. Duke
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Fragments of humanity’s dreams of the future will linger in the airless gaps between galaxies until the End of all Ends.
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I need to finish reading the story, but I like the beginning!
The problem I see with growing humans or anything else at the destination is that assumes the destination has a compatible biosphere, probably a rarity. I fear the stars belong to our AI progeny. (Not that the seed ship idea can’t still make for a fun story.)
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Story only. Utterly implausible. But if actual biological humans are to spread, this is the way to do it
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Check out “Don’t Look Down” on Netflix. On point satire.
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Dr. Strangelove for our time. Duke
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Agree. Degrasse Tyson called it a documentary
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Yeah, well…that’s depressing as hell…
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The cat’s in the cradle in the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon…
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When ya comin’ home I don’t know when…but we’ll get together then…
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Good way to start the year. Imma gonna comment on your story a bit later.
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