K. All Systems Go

In the immense underground maze of well lit tunnels and interconnected scientific lab workshops, Zarkus led the small group briskly down a final corridor and into a gigantic room with smooth polished concrete floors and a very high ceiling.  Just as they entered the room, Dax saw something immense wheeling slowly toward them from around a distant corner.

The object was vastly large - and at first it defied description.  But is it rounded the corner immediately in front of them it became clear to Dax what this was a gleamingly dark space ship.  On the lower right front panel against the shiny blackness of the outer hull, there were bright characters reading "The Heir Of Space".

Now it all began to come clear to Dax, even as Zarkus began to hastily explain:

Zarkus: "The man walking in front of the vessel as it is being towed is my chief engineer - Valerny"

The man in a white lab coat waved as they stared when his name was mentioned, but he never stopped motioning the towing process and observing the every move of the giant hulking object.

Zarkus: "You see, we had to appear harmless enough in our meetings on the surface to not arouse a deeper inspection beneath the valley.  We have a few we concealed entrances, but it takes some time to seal them off.   By having the concerts we have a mob of people that can make an obstacle to slow down the enforcers on the rare occasions that they might be coming to inspect."

Dax was silent, his brain whirling to recalculate everything.

Zarkus, continues: "On the night of the full  moon is the only time the entrances are opened, and then we have the loud concerts to drown out the noise of certain activities that are noisy and might otherwise evoke suspicions.  Building an interstellar vessal is not the always something that can be done as quiet as a mouse, you know."

Dax interjects: "And the people all mulling around with their trench-coats - they were smuggling in concealed parts and technology right?"

Zarkus: "Yes, you are a quick study aren't you? The smaller more technical parts were smuggled in, but some of the larger parts were fabricated beneath the mountain.  You'd be amazed - there are wealth of minerals down here. "

Dax: "So how would you know when the Enforcers were coming?"

Zarkus: "They have their tech, we have ours. Basically facial recognition is wired in all around the valley, and we've hacked the main database of their agents.  It's pretty easy for the computers to match them up and shut down the entrances while the agents get stranded in the noisy concert crowds."

Zarkus, glances at his timepiece: "But anyway...no time for that... time is running short - most people going have already been loaded. Ship's leaving any minute now. You'll see there is a waiting line around the corner where the craft will pause before launch.  And, uh - we have room for one more." 

Zarkus grinned again.

After some typical internal vacillating, Dax was convinced to take the journey of a lifetime with this strange crew - away from his home and onward to a proposed new colony on a planet near the star cluster of Alpha Centauri.  The scientist explained that it would take 20 years to get there at about 1/2 light speed - and using a few other space-time tricks that Dax didn't fully understand. Once there, they would have to set up a new colony, but they were bringing almost everything needed to do so quickly.  Prefabricated everything.  It was believed that the target planet was very earth-like but had no advanced civilizations.

Dax waited impatiently in the queue line of people waiting to board.  Many of the people he had seen over the previous months were there - some of the Outsiders were there, and a few people he barely remembered from the Pulsetron night club.   Lot's of people complimented Dax on his performance and said nice things like "glad you could make it".  Dax was actually the last to board.

Dax's seat afforded him a partial view out one of the side windows - if he leaned and peered past a portly gentleman who was seated next to it.

Soon after he strapped in, a large side section of the mountain wall in front of them seemed to just crumble away - exposing the open night sky before them.  As they were about to launch Dax remembered hearing someone say "All Systems Go", and he thought to himself about the many rigid social systems that he would soon be happy to say 'goodbye' to.  For Dax, "All Systems Go" truly had some dual or alternate meanings as he reflected upon the phrase.  For all systems truly do perish if they can't stand the test of time.

The ship launched so quickly, that Dax felt he was becoming 'one with his chair'. Just about as soon as the acceleration slowed when they entered the space above earth, Dax felt a new sensation as if he were rapidly and erratically spinning - and he was about to throw up.  The ship was spinning and jolting wildly - perhaps it was careening out of control? 

Dax looked palely at the odd fellow sitting beside him, "What's happening?"

"Oh, didn't they tell you?  We have to fight our way through the planetary defense network first".

Dax appeared a shade or two paler.

Odd Fellow: "Dr. Valerny says we have about a 68% chance of getting through though, so nothing to worry about."

Dax turned another shade paler.

The space battle was indeed epic, but very short lived.  The "Heir of Space" was triumphant. It had no trouble as it spun and hurtled wildly, automatically targeting each of the space defense network's various armed satellites and vessels in turn.  Apparently the whole battle had been pre-simulated and programmed into her computers. Since the planetary defensive vessels were relatively static, targetting them was quite elementary.   It just required a lot of rotation and pivoting while accelerating rapidly. After she punched through, none of the remaining vessels could keep up with her anyway.

[Time Passes]

[See song lyrics here]

The journey of 20 years passed without incident, and earth - while it grew ever further way - also evolved significantly during that time as well.  The 'Heir of Space' not only knocked a hole in the very real planetary defenses, but also it knocked a figurative hole in the hard theory of rigid control and dogmatic thought processes that had gripped the planet.  From top to bottom, everything began to change - as truly, all systems do.  This time for the better it seems.

By the time Dax had reached the colony site, earth had transformed from the drab dark world it had been into a bright and vibrant place.  And if seen in a time-lapse from space, this transition would be quite evident.  But who knows what might have happened if the rebels had never ventured out?   

For it sometimes takes something quite dramatic to break down the hardened ways that can become somehow so entrenched.  Even when these systems somehow serve no one in any meaningful way.

THE END

 Words and Music written by David Denton

Male vocals performed by David Denton

Female vocals performed by Cat Denton

Male Spoken vocals by Lars Osley and David Denton

Bass Guitar performed by Cat Denton
All other instruments performed by David Denton
Recorded and Produced by David Denton

I guess the dual meaning is pretty obvious in the title of this song, but there are a lot of those double meanings throughout some of the songs within the album.

I think the guitar solo in this one is one of my better ones in this album as it portrays the ship hurtling and spinning to take out the ships of the oppressor.

The long fade out is supposed to represent the ship as it fades slowly away along its long journey, and also of the changing view of earth as it too fades away in the distance.

I sincerely hope people have truly enjoyed the music of the "All Systems Go" album. Maybe a song or two will have tickled something deeper within for a few. - David Denton (Atlas Before)