Member Poem

The latest excuse

I would have visited you this time,

I had saved enough for the jump ticket,

but a brand-new bubble universe

popped into existence between

your star and mine.

(Surely you heard about it.)

It expanded so fast that just since

last Wednesday you have

moved about 300 billion light years

farther away, and there is no way

I can take off work long enough

to get there before Christmas.

By which time you will probably

have moved so far that light

from Sol can never reach you again.

So this is me waving one last time.

I guess this is it.

Attached please find copies of

the rest of the 3D snapshots

and a multivid of the dogs; oh,

and say goodbye to the kids

                                           for me.

* * *

(GAP)—RefFrām Sol3.  The apparent rate of expansion of the new bubblvers has declined to 1.2 parsecs per second, and the asymptote has been recalculated at 36,599 km per standard day. Transportation across the bubblvers has thus far proven impossible, and travel around the rapidly expanding bubble is so time consuming as to be prohibitive for all but the most overriding needs. Remote investigation has revealed … [more]

* * *

[Msg delivered to the former address of the transmigrated Cher Huminlovr 2.6 standard kiloyears after formation of the anomaly. The msg is unsigned.]

Cher

Not sure when you will get this message. I have decided to join an expedition to explore the anomaly. I understand that space is being generated inside the bubble at a very great rate. We will have to travel at translight speeds for some years even to reach the central part of the anomaly where matter exists. It appears that time passes much more quickly in there, and so intelligent life may evolve by the time we reach matter concentrations. Because of the time differential it will be at least tens of millennia out here before we can return, so I am afraid this is goodbye.

* * *

Position available: Deneb system sensu lato, transmit tuner, local monetary units, quadrant 2 translator available, term 2-12 megayears, possibility for translocation after 0.5 megayears.