Alien Hybrids

discovery of hierions in the Final Reality

This is the last of the three blog posts that contain the fan fiction story "Terminus Planet". The beginning of the story is here.

In the middle part of the story, Isaac Asimov and his two new friends, Marcia Greenberg and Ariel Adler spent an evening at the Adler mansion, attending a meeting of the Futuria collective, a film industry group that was trying to prepare Earth for the anticipated arrival of space aliens: the Fru'wu. Isaac and Marcia shared an interest in resisting Futuria.

In parts 7 & 8 of the story (below), they work together on a project designed to repair the damage done to Earth by advanced technology obtained from the aliens and too eagerly adopted by the people of Earth.
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 7. Hierion Entertainment (read parts 1 - 4 here) (read parts 5 - 6 here)
A weak later, Asimov was in his office at the research laboratory, working late. It had been a busy week. He and his wife had agreed to the terms of their separation. This evening he was trying to catch up on work after weeks of conferring with lawyers. A few members of his research lab team were still at their benches. He was hoping to get back into a rhythm of simple day-to-day living and forget about his failed marriage as quickly as possible.

A woman walked into his office. Asimov looked up, puzzled. Then he recognized his visitor. "Marcia!" He got out of his chair and threw his arms around her, applying a bear hug. "I did not expect to hear from you." Two days previously he had mailed Marcia the script for Terminus Planet and a long list of demands for changes to the script. Unless those demands were met, he would not approve the film for production.

Marcia explained, "I meant it when I told you that we want to get everything right. Ariel and I went through your suggestions for the script and they are all good."

Asimov pressed the point. "Those were not suggestions. Not mincing words, they were my demands. I won't have Foundation butchered by Hollywood."

Marcia nodded. "We accept your demands. The only issue that I keep having to argue with Ariel about is the benefits of movies over television."

Asimov moaned. "Television. I'm not sure I could lower my standards that far."

"Try to keep an open mind, Isaac. One of these says Ariel will contact you and discuss her plans for a science fiction television show that you can control and turn into something special."

in the Ekcolir Reality

Asimov shrugged, "It sounds like Ariel has become my biggest fan. I never would have guessed, given the way we used to argue."

"She respected your ideas, so she had to argue the details. However, I prefer to think that it is you and I who have always been linked... even the first time I spoke to you, I could sense our deep connection."

Asimov could well remember the first time he had heard Marcia speak. Dr. Sollar had asked for an example of a fictional technology. Marcia had replied, "Hafren Wells invented cavorite and went to the Moon."

Marcia reached into the large bag that she wore slung over her shoulder and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a contract for the filming of Terminus Planet. She handed the contract to Asimov.

He was surprised how short the contract was. It named him as a producer with story element veto powers. The funding source was listed as Hierion Entertainment. The film would be made by Gnome Films. Marcia had already put her signature on the contract. Asimov complained, "The money for this project is coming from those UFO nuts at Hierion?"

Ariel's spoof of the Futuria Movement
and the alien abduction
hysteria of the 1930s.

Marcia smiled a brittle little smile. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Isaac. They are the world's largest funding source for speculative fiction projects."

"That's fine, as long as they don't try to force any of their Fru'wu fantasies into the Foundation saga."

"I'm a bit surprised to see that you are still hostile towards the Futuria Movement." Two years previously, the Fru'wu had arrived on Earth. Contact with the aliens had gone almost exactly as predicted by the Futuria Movement and technology transfer from the Fru'wu to the people of Earth had begun.

"Ten years ago I complained that I'd never seen a UFO. Well, now I've seen the Fru'wu spaceship, but I'm still skeptical about the Futuria Movement."

Marcia shrugged. "Unimportant. Let's take their money and make Terminus Planet."

Asimov set the contract on his desk and signed it. He made a copy of it using the copy machine in the corner of the outer office next to his secretary's desk. Handing the original copy of the contract to Marcia, he said, "We have a deal."

At the edge of the galaxy...
the most important planet of the Empire

Marcia smiled and tucked the contract into her bag. She held out her hand to Asimov and he took it in both of his. "I'm so glad you are willing to humor Ariel and I." With her free hand, she pulled out from her bag a small box. "This means a lot to us."

Watching Marcia pull something from her bag, Asimov quickly recognized it as a video cassette box. The cover said, Terminus Planet. He released her hand and took the box. When he opened the box he saw that it was empty. Marcia said, "This is just a mock-up. If we can stay on schedule, the film will be ready for distribution in about 18 months."

Asimov was staring at the video box. "This is it."

Marcia asked, "What?"

Asimov pressed a hand to his forehead and he sat on the edge of the desk. "Do you remember..." He thought back to the day when he had first attended a meeting of the Futuria collective. On that day, he'd had a vision of Marcia giving him a book. He muttered, "Now I realize, it wasn't a book. It was this movie." He looked at Marcia and asked, "Would you like to go someplace and celebrate?"

Marcia was also thinking about the day of the Futuria meeting she had attended with Ariel and Asimov and the vision she's had of Dr. Sollar with an infant in her arms. "It is late. Your wife must be waiting-"

Asimov shook his head. "We're separated."

"Oh, I had not heard."

"I still love her, but it was the clash of our careers... She's an important materials engineer and has moved to the build site for the first of the planned space elevators."

Marcia asked, "She's working for the Fru'wu?"

Asimov nodded. Marcia took his hand, "Come on. I know the perfect place for celebrations." Ten years before she'd invited Asimov to her apartment and he never showed up. Now she held his hand firmly and took him back to her home.

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8. Birth of a Notion

Two years later, Marcia again visited the lab and stepped into Isaac's office. He was with one of his research students, going over the results of an experiment. Asimov jumped to his feet and guided Marcia to a chair. This was their one year anniversary of moving in together and now Marcia was very pregnant. After a few minutes the student went off to the lab and Asimov kissed the top of Marcia's head. He asked, "What's the news?"

"My doctor says Sven can come at any time now." She'd already decided that her son would be named Sven.

"Then you should be at home."

Marcia opened her handbag and pulled out a video tape box. Handing it to Isaac, she said, "I wanted to show you something. This one is not empty." During the past few months, Marcia had imagined herself in a race. Would Terminus Planet be released before she gave birth? On the spine of the video tape box was printed "Gnome Films #1"

Isaac shook the plastic box and heard the video cassette rattling inside. He pulled Marcia to her feet, kissed her again and said, "Congratulations darling. Thank you for bringing this to me. Somehow I never imagined that Foundation could be translated from print to video. You did it. Now, I'll take you home. We can celebrate." He began gathering together some papers that he could work on at home. He tossed papers and the video into his briefcase.

Marcia asked, "Do you remember the first time you took me home to celebrate?"

Asimov took her by the hand and they walked out of his office and down the corridor. "I didn't take you anywhere. You took me back to your place and ravished me."

"Thought and Space"

Marcia laughed. "I knew that you were the one who would give me Sven."

Asimov was well aware of Marcia's belief that she'd had a vision of Sven more than ten years ago. His own strange dreams about the importance of positrons had guided his research, first towards biochemistry and then into the field of chemical neurotransmission.

At the end of the corridor, Asimov pressed the elevator call button. Marcia leaned against him and endured a strong uterine contraction. The elevator arrived and they got into the car. "For a time, all I had was Rayann to assure me that I was not crazy."

Isaac asked, "Rayann?"

"One of my favorite writers. She also has visions of the future." The elevator stopped and opened.

They walked out onto the roof and hailed one of the new anti-gravity air-taxis. This was one of the first applications of Fru'wu technology. Ground cars could easily be retrofitted with a hierion-based anti-gravity modulator and converted into flying machines. Soon they were high up in the sky-stream on their way to Marcia's comfortable home out in Tabbs. Although Asimov still kept an apartment near the research lab and he slept there a couple of nights each week, he had long since moved into Marcia's home and he spent as much time there as possible.

Marcia leaned back in the seat of the aircar and put a hand on her abdomen for the duration of a powerful contraction. The contraction finally passed and she said, "That was a good one."

Asimov knew that by the best calculations, Marcia was a month past the expected due date. He asked, "How many copies of the video have been made?"

"We paid for a run of 50,000 but the distributor is a fan of yours, so she is making 100,000." Marcia did not mention that it was the the deep pockets of Ariel she was referring to. She added, "It's hard to forecast sales of videos now that the new Fru'wu digital computers are rushing to market. Everything in the world of film is shifting from analog to digital video."

The driver of the aircar said, "Don't worry. Take a long view. Copies of GF#1 will be prized collectors items in the next century."

Marcia giggled then gasped and put a hand between her legs. She told Asimov, "I think this is it. Sven finally wants out." Amniotic fluid was flowing out of her.

The driver handed a big fluffy towel over her shoulder to Asimov. Without being asked to do so, the driver altered their course, sending them into a steep dive. Pulling her baseball cap firmly into place, she said, "We'll be at the hospital in just a minute."

Two hours later, Sven had arrived. Asimov sat in chair holding the baby and Marcia was dozing off. Suddenly she sat up in the hospital bed, her eyes wide open. "The driver!"

Both Asimov and the baby were startled by Marcia's sudden outburst. Sven began to fuss and Isaac handed him to Marcia. She let the baby snuggle against her chest. Without really thinking, Asimov had thanked the driver for having towels on-hand in the aircar and for quickly diverting to the hospital. Marcia spoke quietly now, her voice tinged with awe, "I should have recognized her! She hasn't changed a bit."

Isaac asked, "What do you mean, dear?"

Marcia pointed across the room towards a closet. "Get my bag."

Asimov retrieved her bag from the closet and set it on the bed next to Marcia. He sat down beside her and placed a hand on Sven's skinny bottom. The baby was in no danger of falling; he seemed to be instinctively clinging to Marcia who was rummaging through the contents of the bag. She pulled out her wallet and sorted through a small set of photographs that were crammed in her over-stuffed folding leather billfold. She handed Asimov a photograph.

It was an image taken at Marcia's graduation from N.Y.U. A group of students stood in front. Asimov recognized nobody in the picture except Marcia. Then, towards the back... "Is that Dr. Sollar?"

"She was at the graduation ceremony. And..." Marcia fell silent, staring off towards the window. A late afternoon thunderstorm had blown in and the sky outside was dark. She muttered, "How could I have forgotten?"

Asimov squinted at the image, thinking about Dr. Sollar. He had not thought about her much at all for the past ten years. He tried to remember the aircar driver, but from the moment when Marcia's water had broken, he had not been thinking about anything but their mad rush into the hospital. He recalled that as they dropped down onto the roof of the hospital, the driver had said quietly, "You'd be surprised how many baby's are born in taxis."

The door to Marcia's hospital room opened and in walked the aircar driver. She took off her cap and her long dark hair fell to her shoulders. She set her cap on a shelf. Asimov looked at the photograph in his hand and now he realized that this was Dr. Sollar and Marcia was right; the Professor looked little changed from when Asimov had first seen her back at N.Y.U., more than ten years in the past. She came to the side of the bed and gently plucked Sven off of Marcia. "Good work you two. He's perfect."

Marcia was the first to regain her ability to speak. She realized that this was her vision from long ago: Dr. Sollar holding an infant. "Who are you?"

"You might as well continue to think of me as Sollar, although I completely stopped playing that role as soon as you graduated. I just could not keep it up with all my other duties. I'd successfully set you two, and Ariel, on the paths of your careers and I was needed elsewhere. But I simply had to be here today."

Svahr the Interventionist

Asimov thought back to the day when he had firmly decided that writing would be just a hobby and that he would build a career as a research scientist. It had been the day when he'd read Dr. Sollar's final discouraging comments on his positronic robot story. He asked, "Who are you? Really?"

"I've used many names during my time on Earth in this Reality... they are all equally good. I'm a fixer... trying to repair this awful mess of a Reality. My operational code name is Svahr."

Marcia complained, "Do you mean that all..." She fell silent and then tried again, "When you talked about imagining alternative worlds..."

Svahr nodded, "That's what we do. We Interventionists are trying to make a better Reality for Earth, but it is very hard to counter the momentum of the Fru'wu. Still, we have high hopes for Sven. He'll be able to make a difference."

Marcia held out her arms and Svahr handed over the baby. Marcia looked at Sven as if for the first time then looked back at Svahr in horror. "A hybrid!"

Svahr nodded. "Ariel was the first to see it in a vision that reached her from her replicoid in the Hierion Domain. Sven is one of the human-fain hybrids who will be able to save Earth from the damage done by Fru'wu technology."

Asimov cried out, "Wait a minute! What are you saying? Sven is..." Words failed him.

Replicoids

Svahr did not bother trying to explain the details. Sven had been carefully designed with genes from many sources only two of which were Isaac and Marcia. Svahr explained briefly, "Sven is a hybrid; even now he is in two-way communication with his replicoid in the Hierion Domain. But don't be alarmed. Sven will be like your childhood friend Richella, knowing exactly what must be done without a need for schooling or training."

Asimov asked, "Richella? You mean..."

"Richella is one of the many fain-human hybrids that we have deployed on Earth." Svahr told Asimov, "Your Gertrude is another of our agents. She did her job quite well for ten years, then stepped out of the way. Nothing could stand in the way of Sven."

Marcia said, "Svahr, Sven... did you pick his name or did I?"

Svahr laughed. "Why ask such a question, Marcia? We Interventionists have been guiding your thoughts and behavior since the day you were born. Where is the boundary between you and I?"

Asimov asked, "Why are you telling us this now?"

"With the Fru'wu providing new hierion-based technologies, Earth is soon going to slip into a technological catastrophe. I don't want you two feeling bad about that and making Sven feel that there is no hope for the future. I want him optimistic and ready to help repair the damage done by the Fru'wu. You see, I feel guilt because of my own role in working to bring the Fru'wu to Earth. We Interventionists made a big mistake and now I must help correct the problems that I caused."

Marcia said, "Everyone is so excited to have Fru'wu technology available now. What are the problems?"

Svahr explained, "The main problem is that Earth will slip into an environmental catastrophe: global warming and sea level rise, acidification of the oceans and mass extinction of sea life."

"How do you know the future?"

Engineering a Reality Change

"I've viewed the future. Not only the future of this Reality, but also the new Reality that will come into existence."

Marcia asked, "You travel through time?"

"Not often. However, I have seen the future and I want you to know that things will be better in the Reality that is to come." Svahr turned, went to the shelf, put her baseball cap back on and tucked her hair up into the cap.

Marcia called out, "Wait? You can't just leave us. What is a replicoid?" Svahr looked at herself in a mirror and adjusted her neatly tailored driver's uniform to perfection. Marcia gaze at little Sven and lamented, "I have so many questions..."

Asimov asked Svahr, "You told us your name, but... what are you? A time traveler who never ages?"

Svahr asked, "Why do you ask such a question, Isaac? I'm going to have to deprive you of these memories..."

Marcia found it impossible to contain her curiosity. "Will we see you again?"

cover art

"I will check in with you after Sven has grown up. Teach him well. Don't puzzle over the fact that I never age. I was once a biological, but I now exist as an artificial lifeform." She turned towards the door then spoke over her shoulder to Isaac and Marcia, "All that really means is that my work never ends." She opened the door and departed.

Marcia and Isaac looked at each-other as if to confirm that the strange visitation from Svhar had actually occurred. Then they both gazed at 'their' son, knowing that he was a special creation. Almost at once their memories of Svahr began to rapidly fade, but they never again doubted that the future was bright and they raised Sven with confidence that he would help make a better world.

After giving birth to Sven and spending almost a year with him, Marcia was back at work full time. After another two years of hard work, she shepherded to completion the Gnome Films sequel to Terminus Planet.

Asimov took a sabbatical year break from directing his research lab to stay at home and care for baby Sven. As his memories of Svahr faded away, so did his aversion to writing stories about positronic robots with telepathic powers. He dug out his old draft of "Giskard" and began trying to expand it into a sequel to Stars End, the third film in Ariel's Foundation movie trilogy.

Mentalics in the Ekcolir Reality

Mirroring the plot of his expanded Giskard story on his own life, Asimov soon realized that he did not want to write a sequel. Now, in his mind was the notion that he had to go back to the beginning and account for the origins of the two Foundations. Thus, he found himself creating a prequel to Terminus Planet in which the telepathic robot Giskard guided Hari Seldon towards locating the First Foundation on Terminus.

Terminus, located beyond the rim of the galaxy, was chosen because it was the forward operations base of the alien fain, a humanoid species from the Large Magellanic Cloud. The positronic robots such as Giskard had been created in the far past by the technologically advanced fain. Positronic robots could be given human form and infiltrated into human society, but only up until the time when scientists of the First Foundation invented the technological means to disrupt the function of positronic brain circuits. However, the fain had also long been at work on a project aimed at creating a telepathic human-fain hybrid. It was those human-alien hybrids with mentalic powers who came to found the Second Foundation.

Related Reading: another alternative

Next: the continuing adventures of Ariel Adler.

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