The planet of the Ai Chun is never named. The planet will be revolutionized. The company will establish a commercial base there - to trade with the Yonderfolk on the neighboring planet? - and a scientific mission, operating from the base, will study the unique Ai Chun culture before it dies out. That species is expected to adapt to reality and to become "...just another race..." (p. 122) - unless the species itself dies out?
On the planet, the men were of necessity in each other's company enough to cause friction but, being immortal, were able to "...set the years in perspective..." (p. 121) Valland intends to revisit old places and to explore new places. Regularly editing memories ensures that even old places will seem new.
This concluding chapter is extremely rich. See:
Earth Abides
Earth In World Without Stars
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Chapter XVII of WORLD WITHOUT STARS was POSTHUMOUSLY added to Captawin Argens memoirs? By, whom? When? And just how did the editor obtain the information in it? That "posthumous" was another hint that the antithanatic does not forever prevents death. Mysteries abounds!
Could an entire race die out from sheer despondency? Is that what might happen to the Ai Chun after hundreds of millions of years believing themselves to be gods? I can see that happening, altho I hope not!
I see your point about how regularly editing one's memories can make even old, long familiar places look new. But I also recall Valland stressing that he makes a point of going to entirely new places, new worlds.
Sean
Sean
,
Argens published his biography. The "redactor" of the posthumous edition found an additional tape among his effects.
Valland says that he has a universeful of places to see again and then new places where no one has been yet.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Dang! I forgot, or overlooked, those details about Argens and his memoirs, esp. the posthumously added tape.
And what you said about Valland fits in with what I recall of how he lived.
Sean
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