Third Foundation: Galaxia

Chapter One

Golan Trevize paces about the Far Star.   He imagines how history might go if either option is chosen.  Golan looks at Fallom.  He turns his attention to Daneel.

Daneel says, "What is your choice?"

Golan replies, "The Second Foundation has become static, stagnant, and very bureaucratic.  Our future is not there."

Daneel replies, "So it must be Gaia, then."

Golan replies, "No. Gaia cannot be implemented without taking away the free will and identity of mankind.  It is just as tyrannical as the current Second Foundation.  If the First Foundation knew the Second existed, there would be chaos."

Daneel replies, "But we are not looking for what is fair, or what is the best for individual people.  We are not looking to preserve the ultimate freedoms of all involved.  We are looking to save Mankind from itself." 

Golan looks at Daneel and replies, "Why can't we have both?  Why can't we protect Mankind from destruction and give each person the ability and right to choose their own path?"

Daneel coldly says, "Because Mankind is self-destructive, and over the thousands of years that I have watched Mankind, I have had to modify the Seldon Plan so many times in order to keep it in order. Seldon didn't predict the future, he sculpted it.  And I am the tool he sculpts with, long after he is gone."

Golan things about this for a little while and then replies, "I have made my decision. I want to protect Mankind while protecting freedom of choice as well. I choose both."

Daneel looks puzzled. "How can you choose both?"

Golan replies, "First tell me, how would Gaia be implemented?"

Daneel says, coldly, "Each living planet is Gaia, subconsciously.  The main difference between Gaia and Terminus is that the humans on Gaia tapped into the world consciousness that every planet has, and brought it to a conscious level in themselves, so that they became aware of it in the rest of the planet."

Golan asks, "So how would Gaia be spread to other planets?"

Daneel responds, "The most efficient way to spread Gaia would be to have a special team of psionicists bring Gaia into conscious awareness of a new planet, link that connection to Gaia itself, and then have the conscious collective of both engulf the consciousness of the inhabitants."

Golan says, "This is why I cannot choose Gaia. People would be joined to the Gaia consciousness against their will."

Daneel replies, "We could evacuate a planet, form the Gaia consciousness and then allow back only those who choose to join with Gaia.  We could create a planet that is not of Gaia, and have all those who refused colonize there."

"That is preposterous! Do you only have the end result in mind?"

Daneel looked puzzled. "Does anything else matter?"

Golan takes a deep breath and says, "The process is the most important thing. Neither of those ways will work."

Daneel replies, "Then what do you suggest?"

Golan looks to Daneel, and at Fallom, who fell asleep amidst the talk of the fate of the Galaxy. "I intend that we use the Second Foundation to help create Galaxia.  I also intend that Galaxia not make itself known to anyone who does not sense its existence.  Therefore we can, with the help of the Second Foundation, quickly bring all of the planets in the Galaxy to Gaia consciousness, help them to link into one, and those who do not perceive this will merely not know it exists.  Galaxia will have instructions to appear normal for those not joined. If one becomes aware of Galaxia, then they would be invited to join."

Daneel thinks about this for a moment.   "With the help of the Second Foundation, we could accomplish this much faster.   And this does give people the ability to choose between the two. Yet there are many in the Second Foundation who will not go along with this."

Golan nods. "That is why we must meet with them, and persuade as many of them as we can.  We will need all of the help we can get.  Those that do not join us will fight against us, and will rally others to stop us. That is why we must form a Third Foundation.

To be continued...

©1997 Jason M Collins