Mankind's last gasp

In the year 3000 the computers decided that the inhabitants of the planet Sol 3 were now ready for the next step forward in their evolution.

Robert Smith was one of 100 babies chosen for a role in the programme. By the time he was 22 he was the sole representative of the original 100. He had been brought up and instructed by the finest teaching computers available.

He had been given an all round education in every subject known to man, in fact in the eyes of the general population he knew nearly as much as the computers themselves.

Earth’s population was bursting at the seams and now the computers had found a planet within reach of current technology that had a 99% chance of replicating conditions on the earth. Bob was to visit the planet as an Ambassador/explorer and try to persuade any natives of his peaceful intentions and ask them to allow colonisers to go there.

At last the day came when all his training was to be put to the test. People all over the planet watched their holo-clouds as he walked confidently towards the space ship that was to take him to the new planet.

The whole of earth’s resources had been poured into the construction of a spaceship capable of reaching the newly discovered planet. The people of the world accepted the fact that the discovery of the new planet was the last chance for the overburdened Earth. Bob was the only hope for the continuation of his species.

The ‘chosen one’ settled into the pilot’s chair on the space ship, glanced round all the instruments that had become familiar during his training and spoke to the onboard computer in true hero fashion.

“OK, I’m ready now, lets’ go”

The chair initiated the suspended animation system and the ship took off, increasing it’s velocity to near light speed by the time it left the solar system.

To Bob it only seemed a moment later that he woke up. “Entering planetary orbit” announced the computer, “all systems green”.

Bob stayed in orbit for 3 days checking the planet for signs of life. There were none detectable, but as supposed, the planet had water in plenty, lush vegetation and no dangerously large animals. So he put on his shining white space suit as a precaution and ordered the ship to land.

The ship put down with a minimum of fuss, hovering for a moment on its anti grav units before landing in a clearing near one of the rivers.

Bob opened the airlock and checked the atmosphere. All was as promised; none of the sensors showed any problems, so he took off his helmet and had a good sniff of the air.

To a man from the third millennium on earth, nothing had ever smelt so good. He couldn’t wait to go down on the ground and explore.

“Wait here until I get back” he instructed the computer, then lowering the ladder, he climbed down onto the planet’s surface.

A splash of bright blue flowers was just visible on the ground amongst a nearby stand of trees, so he walked over carefully, taking in all the marvels of plant life as he went.

He recognised the flowers immediately from his training. They were bluebells, an extinct species on his home planet. He bent over to have a closer look and gasped as he collapsed on his face among the flowers with a heavy hunting spear protruding from his back.

Yoho walked over to the dead ghost. It had been a superb throw and fully justified the two days he’d spent making sure that the spear flew truly.

Meanwhile the computer on Robert’s spacecraft waited for his next order.