Tiny Galaxies
“Take a seat, Dr. Hammond,” General Murray said, though he himself remained standing. “I want you to tell me about this revolutionary theory of yours.”
“Why? Is there a problem?” Dr. Hammond asked, a slight bitterness in his voice at the General’s attempt to be intimidating.
“No, I’m just curious about this proposal.”
“Well, the lab developed a microscope that magnifies such a small molecular level that we can examine quarks in detail. We found that these particles were made up of smaller particles within vacuous space and the formation of these particles are similar to what we see in our own universe. In fact, quarks are actually made up of stars—extremely tiny stars and we believe that the small specks we see in the microscopic pictures are actually planets revolving around these suns. The theory is that if our atoms are really made up of a collection of galaxies, then who’s to say that there is no life in our own cells?”
“Dr., …you don’t possibly believe this, do you?”
“I’m willing to suspend my disbelief enough to create a stronger microscope. But if we find a little planet Earth, then I refuse to admit there is opposition.”
The General moved to glance out his window at the world below his office. He sighed. “I suppose I should admit that my motivations for asking you here are not from pure curiosity. I was given orders to prevent you from publishing your theory. Now, I respect you and your work, but if this information was given to the public, someone somewhere would turn it into fuel for panic. What if we are just a small part of a larger being? We could be part of something else’s quark—as you put it.”
“I thought the same thing. And it really puts humanity into perspective, doesn’t it?”
“I think you’re missing the point, Dr. Hammond. This whole thing could scale into a global catastrophe.”
“I disagree,” Dr. Hammond said standing. “But who am I to exercise my right of free speech?” He bowed ever so slightly and then exited from the General’s office.
Author’s comment on post 377: I originally wanted this longer, but I couldn’t find a plot long enough to fit the premise. It works much better in this shorter format. I had the idea for a while, and I’m glad it’s out on virtual paper. Hope you enjoy it!
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