NOBODYSSEY Cosmic journeys of Commander Nobody Principium

By franco vanucci

Nobodyssey: The cosmic journey of Commander Nobody-Principium is a literary work of entertainment and it should be read as such.
All the characters, places and events described in the book are the product of the author’s imagination.
Any resemblance to real people, places or events is purely coincidental.
The book is the first volume of a literary project which includes a second part with the title Nobodyssey: The cosmic journey of Commander Nobody-Homecoming (Nostos).
The book was written during the lockdown imposed by the Italian government between 2019 and 2020, due to the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781329651043

Book preview

FRANCO VANUCCI

NOBODYSSEY

Cosmic journeys of Commander Nobody

Principium

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978-1-329-12076-1

Marchio editoriale: Lulu.com

  My soul comes from better worlds and I have an incurable homesickness of the stars. (Nikos Kazantzakis)

Commander Nobody

A.D. 5960

A few clouds, moving across the sky, were reflected on the windows of the palace of the Confederation of Earth Nations as pictures towards space. Their movement and their deep yellow color during the sunrise resembled a kind of dance. The glass palace was built in a postmodern style with organic and eclectic architectural forms and was in the center of the city’s central park.

The building was made of ten floors, which hosted offices of all kinds. There were offices to administer the territories of the Confederation, to manage political activities, for cultural and social mediation, for scientific and technological research.

Admiral Noah’s office was on the fifth floor and it was a spacious and bright room with a double-sided window supported by a central wall that overlooked outward.

Noah was a man in his seventies, he was a tall man with large strong shoulders (like the ones of a dockworker). Despite his age, he was still active and energetic on his job and, because of his physical appearance, still intimidated every person he met. He looked more like a big friendly giant and was considered by the members of the Council of the Confederation of Earth Nations as a wise and compassionate person.

During his career as astronaut, Noah collected several successful achievements on his various space missions. He was the first astronaut who set foot on planet Pluto, the first explorer of the   Oort cloud and, eventually, the first man who landed on Planet B of the star Proxima Centauri of the Centaurus constellation.

At the end of his astronaut career, he started to dedicate himself to the professional training of the new generation of astronauts, scientists and engineers in order to introduce them to space exploration.

After his 61st birthday, Noah was charged with the task of organizing space travels for the Federal Earth Council of Science and Technique.

His office was a furnished room with an old desk positioned near the glass window. On the left side of his desk there was his family picture showing his wife and their three children. On the right side of the desk there was a big holographic screen with the moving picture of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Near the walls in the office there were two bookshelves full of books, ancient objects and pictures of friends and colleagues who worked with him during his space missions. Behind the desk, on the wall next to the Confederation Flag, there was the picture of his most important mission, his first landing on Planet B of Proxima Centauri.

The Admiral waited, pacing nervously around the room and leaning on his cane, for the arrival of Commander Nobody who had sent for him.

During the waiting, Noah, walking with a limp because of the arthritis in his left leg, fixed his hair and his white beard, as if he were getting ready for a very important appointment.

Sometimes, he would almost shout at his secretary: «Is he here? ».

The woman would always answer calmly. « No, Admiral. Not yet! ».

At last, Nobody arrived at the office: he entered and met Noah as one usually meets an old friend, with a serene attitude and without any ceremony, quickly greeting the secretary.

They greeted each other with a long friendly hug.

Then, Admiral Noah sat down slowly, leaning his cane on the desk and inviting the Commander to take a seat in front of him.

«Dear Commander Nobody, I asked for you to give you a very important task. I have chosen you because I believe that you are the most suitable person to take a long journey with a very delicate objective. I think that your professional skills, to communicate and mediate with people of different cultures, without prejudices and stereotypes in a fair, honest and kind way make you the best candidate for this mission. »

After saying that, Noah’s voice became more informal.

«I met your parents before they died tragically during the mission on Mars and your grandparents, who raised you after that accident. I know your Christian upbringing that passed on to you the principles, the duties and the rights belonging to every living being with a conscience, even if now, you pretend to be a secular scientist.

This mission, my dear friend, is very delicate: the real objective must remain secret and known only to you and your trusted officers.

When you leave for space on this quest with your crew, I will send you the mission data, but only when you are in the space dock on Planet B of Proxima Centaury to fuel the spaceship.

And remember, my friend, the principles of the charter of the Confederation of the Nations of Planet Earth which, over centuries, with extreme sacrifices and bloody useless wars, were written on April the 25th in the year 4020 with the agreement of all the representatives of the cultures and religions of the peoples of Planet Earth. Use weapons only in self-defense and to ensure the safety of your crew. »

The old admiral, while speaking, looked for a moment at the holographic watch of Commander Nobody.

«I see that you have Rachel’s holographic picture in your watch, are you going to bring her clone with you? » said the Admiral.

«I don’t think so! » answered the Commander. «I will never be able to see her deep green eyes in a clone. It would be humiliating for me to receive love and companionship from a biological robot …»

«Then I would choose a real companion! » said the Admiral with an ironic smile.

«Later, my friend, you will soon find out that this journey requires great sacrifices. There is a real possibility that this space mission could be a one- way journey. You could lose your loved ones and your friends perhaps forever, but the work you will do and the data you will give us could be useful to all people on Earth and they will contribute to the research of the existence of intelligent life forms in the Milky Way in the future!

During your journey you will have many questions, like   Why do we exist as living beings with consciousness on Earth? »Who are human beings, after all? »How did it all begin? »Does God or a sort of Creator exist? »If not, who created our planet? ».

Commander Nobody was perturbed and perplexed by the old admiral's words; he perceived his speech as a possibility to start a space journey with no return, a mission in search of a principle of all things in the present reality on planet Earth.

«Enough philosophical talking! I know that, lately, you have been studying transhumanist philosophy… How come? A Catholic like you… » exclaimed suddenly Admiral Noah.

«I am trying to keep myself up-to-date of new cultural trends in human thought. By the way, I am going to give a lecture on that very subject in an hour at the   Saint John Bosco Catholic College » answered Commander Nobody. The Admiral smiled at his answer and embraced the Commander as if saying the last goodbye to his favorite son.

«I wish you all the best on your journey! Oh, I almost forgot that there is a last meeting with all the members of the Federal Council of Science and Technology before the departure. At 11 a.m., in the Council Hall. » said Admiral Noah, before leaving the office and saying goodbye again to Commander Nobody, knowing that it could be the last time he saw his friend. 

Nobody walked out of the office rapidly, ignoring the secretary. He walked thoughtfully to the palace exit, heading towards   Saint John Bosco Catholic College for his philosophy class.

The Commander was the second child in a family who consisted of his father, his mother and his two sisters. His parents were of Italian origin; in the past, his great-grandparents emigrated to the United States of America from the Marches State of Italy. At the age of ten he lost his parents, becoming an orphan. Then he was adopted by his grandparents, while his sisters were placed with their maternal uncles.

Nobody received a Christian education. He attended elementary school, then middle school and later scientific high school in the private Catholic schools   Saint John Bosco in New York City.

After this, he was admitted to the astronaut five-year training at the Academy of Science and Technology.

At the Academy, Commander Nobody, in addition to the astronaut training, also studied physics, astronomy and philosophy. He was one of the few favorite pupils of Admiral Noah who was his mentor during his academic career.

Nobody walked into the philosophy classroom in the college. He was fifteen minutes late. His students, sitting silently in their desks, were waiting for their professor.

After getting into the classroom, the Commander greeted his students:

«Hello everyone. I am sorry, I am late! ».

His students, in his presence, stood up and greeted the Commander simultaneously.

Commander Nobody was highly appreciated by both his students and his colleagues for his mediation skills during conflicts between teachers and pupils inside the college.

Nobody, physically looked like a man in his thirties, tall with curly black hair. He had brown eyes and well-marked eyebrows. His physical stature was that of an athlete with large shoulders. He was a jovial and ironic man in his relationship with his colleagues and his students, but if someone was disrespectful to any person, then he turned in a standing angry bear who was able to whip into line the unlucky person in front of him with his roaring and powerful voice. 

Standing in front of his desk, Professor Nobody began to discuss transhumanist philosophy.

«Dear students, do you know the meaning of the word   Transhumanism? That word means: human beings who always remain human but who obtain new biological, mechanical, digital, computer skills with the purpose to improve their existence to reach immortality.

Transhumanism differs from