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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

That Which Divides

Science Fiction often posits scenarios in the future to examine current social issues.  In section four of Dr. Gregory Benford and Gordon Eklund’s novel If the Stars are Gods, we meet a character who feels she has been mistreated by others due to the circumstances of her birth.  Today, most of us view ourselves as enlightened, and try our best to see past others’ differences.  Yet differences due to race, culture and beliefs still prove potent enough to provoke discord and hatred.  What prompts such conflict?  What can we do to sap the disharmony that divides us?

In the novel’s future year of 2060, Mara’s life journey has led her to the Orb, a space station in orbit around Jupiter.  When her air hose snaps, she must react quickly to repair it before she asphyxiates in the vacuum of space.  Once she makes it safely inside, she asserts that someone has tried to kill her.  Bradley, who is in overall charge of the Orb, is not so quick to leap to this conclusion.  He reminds her that such equipment failures are the reason she should have obeyed the safety regulations against working outside alone.  Still, he cannot rule out the possibility of sabotage.

It is understandable that Mara should suspect others of trying to kill her.  For some time now, scientists have been exploring the potentials of biologically-engineering human.  While another of the augmented humans on the station, Corey, is a shapeless body confined to a metal box, Mara looks and acts like a typical human.  Her “improvements” were minor.  Yet her augmented origin has separated her from the rest of humanity.  Born in a laboratory and raised by foster parents, she found herself constantly regarded as too different to be befriended or loved.  Even on the Orb, which is largely inhabited by scientists, there are those who view augmented humans as dangerous aberrations.  Is it any wonder she concludes that someone has tried to kill her?

Mara has learned to use augmented status to her advantage.  She smokes cigars in meetings, knowing it will distract the other participants.  She uses argument, emotional ploys, even her body to manipulate others into giving her what she desires.  When Earth’s government caves into pressure and strips all augmented humans of their citizenship rights, she vows to demonstrate the value of her augmented brothers and sisters to the rest of humanity, and throws herself into solving the Alpha Libra puzzle.  In order to think like the aliens who sent the as-yet-undeciphered message, she attempts to isolate herself from everyone else.  Ironically, her efforts force her into working more closely with the station’s unaugmented humans.  She is surprised to learn from one woman that many on the Orb like and admire her, but have never had the opportunity to talk with her before now.

Reporters remind us daily of those who kill in the name of racial and cultural differences.  We live in fear that one day government agents will fail to prevent a terrorist plot.  People of Faith pursue agendas knowing their actions will offend their fellow believers’ opposing beliefs. When will we examine our motives to ensure that our actions draw us into closer harmony with everyone, and not merely benefit those we like or agree with?  Perhaps, if we could learn to do this, like Mara, we might learn that we are not so isolated or as disliked as we previous believed.

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