Remembering The Future

REMEMBERING THE FUTURE

 

Tiberias Cylinder – remembering the future.

 

   This is fiction and the names and places are used fictitiously.  The people and events are "real" to the author.   

   Writers reach into the depths of their psyche to speak of a reality by which to communicate an idea.   What would the "Church of Christ" look like in a different setting?  Say, a Space City of half a million people?  People are still people everywhere.  Problems and situations occur over and over again.  We are hard-wired by our culture and experience.  We react to life and act out our faith and hope.  Look with me.  Rhoderick D. Ice    All rights reserved  © 1999

http://tiberiascylinder.blogspot.com/

 

 

SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE     

Rhoderick D. Ice ©

 

 

VISITORS FROM EARTH  chapter 1

  

   People streamed out of the large Church on the edge of Nashville.  The morning worship was over and people were going to their cars.  One of the church-elders hurried to catch up with a worshiper.

 

   "Carl!  Carl Sandor!  Wait up!  I want to talk with you!"

 

   Carl stopped and turned.  "Brother Steadman, what can I do for you?"

 

   "Come into the office a moment."  When they were comfortably seated, Everett Steadman spoke.

 

   "Carl, we elders have talked this over, and we think you are the man we need.  How would you feel about leading a group to visit Tiberias Cylinder?"

 

   "Tiberias Cylinder?  One of those cities out in space?"

 

   "Let me refresh your memory.  Back in 1991, a magazine of space exploration, Final Frontier, ran an article about using abandoned fuel cylinders from the Shuttle Missions as 'homesteads in space.'  This idea has now produced a number of Cylinders - huge steel and alloy 'cans' that hold an entire city.  Tiberias Cylinder is the equivalent of Manhattan in New York City - it is home to half a million people.  Some of our relatives live there.  And we have a Church meeting there, with several thousand members.  We need personal contact with them and a report on what they are doing.  We have helped to fund this work and we are interested in their progress.  We want you to choose nine others and go to Tiberias, give them our greetings, stay a month or so, and come back to tell us what good things they are doing.  What do you think?"

 

   "Well, this is a surprise.  I'll have to talk with my wife.  She couldn't go, of course, what with the children in school.  But I'll give it some thought.  My cousin, Eddie, would jump at such a chance.  How soon would you need to know?"

 

   "Take your time.  It would be the first of the month."

 

   "Thank you for this opportunity.  I will certainly get back to you.” shortly."

 

   They shook hands and went toward the parking lot.

 

 

 

   ARRIVAL ON TIBERIAS  chapter 2

 

   It seemed only a short time since we had left the spaceport.

 

   The intercom beeped.  "This is Captain Stevens speaking.  We dock at Tiberias Cylinder at 1000 hours.  Prepared to debark.  Our stopover will be one solar day."

 

   We hurried to gather our carry-on things.  Thanks to disposable paper clothing and personal items, plus the miracle of recycling, we are able to travel very minimally.  What baggage we had would be off-loaded by the ship's personnel.  We are a group of ten from Earth, going to Tiberias Cylinder, to visit relatives and friends.  My name is Carl Sandor.  I am writing this report to tell you about Tiberias and our experiences there.

 

   The docking signal sounded.  We picked up our carry-on things, stepped into the airlock, and waited for it to cycle.  Then we walked through into Customs.

 

   "Look into the opticon eye-identifier."

 

   A senior citizen, very military in appearance, was sitting at the desk.   As we each stared into the opticon, he read the view screen to check our names and destination.  He gave us temporary resident cards and breathings permits. 

 

   "Enjoy your stay," he said, and waved us on.

 

 

   We stepped through the doorway into Tiberias City.  It took our breath away.  Green things everywhere!  Plants and flowers and potted trees and bushes and vines climbing all over.  The artificial sunlight filtered through fresh green masses of vegetation tumbling from huge hanging baskets, tiers and balconies.

 

   "Eddie!  Just look at all these green things!  These must be air purifiers!  It's part of the ecology here!"

 

   "Yeah!' said Eddie.  "Ain't this all impressive!"

 

   "Back on Earth we don't even give it a thought.  But out here they would have to use every available inch of space to work for the common good.  I'll bet everything out here is like that."

 

   "And I can feel currents of air, a steady breeze.  That must be from the Recirculators.  The green is essential, but Atmospheric Recirculators would have to do their part too.  This is a closed system of ecology."

 

   "Yeah!"

  

   We stood at the edge of a broad street that seemed to be the floor of a deep slot.  Shops and buildings formed its walls.  Some of the angles didn't seem just right.  And we could not see very far because of the curvature.  There were people everywhere!  Just like a shopping mall at Christmas time.  I couldn't believe the crowds!

 

   “Look at all the people!” said Eddie.  “And what a variety of people!  There’s one dressed in an all white Punjab costume.” 

 

   I could see a girl with rings in her nose and ears.  Some seemed to have their faces painted in some kind of secret code to identify them.  We have ethnic minorities in Nashville, but this was amazing for us.  We felt out of place in our "suit and tie" clothes.

 

   We were afraid we would get lost in the crowds.  So we waited patiently for a short time (I looked at my watch).

 

   "Over there," said Fred.  "I think I see a man working his way through the crowd."

 

   An older man, huge, in his late 60's, approached from the right.

  

   "Saluton!  You must be the group from Earth.  I'm Rod Glacio, one of the Church elders."

 

   He gave each of us a big hug.  "Welcome to Tiberias!  We praise God for you brothers and sisters in Christ!"