ARRIVAL ON TIBERIAS chapter 2

ARRIVAL ON TIBERIAS chapter 2

It seemed only a short time since we had left the spaceport.

The intercom beeped. "This is Captain Stevens speaking. We dock at Tiberias Cylinder at 1000 hours. Prepared to debark. Our stopover will be one solar day."

We hurried to gather our carry-on things. Thanks to disposable paper clothing and personal items, plus the miracle of recycling, we are able to travel very minimally. What baggage we had would be off-loaded by the ship's personnel. We are a group of ten from Earth, going to Tiberias Cylinder, to visit relatives and friends. My name is Carl Sandor. I am writing this report to tell you about Tiberias and our experiences there.

The docking signal sounded. We picked up our carry-on things, stepped into the airlock, and waited for it to cycle. Then we walked through into Customs.

"Look into the opticon eye-identifier."

A senior citizen, very military in appearance, was sitting at the desk. As we each stared into the opticon, he read the view screen to check our names and destination. He gave us temporary resident cards and breathings permits.

"Enjoy your stay," he said, and waved us on.


We stepped through the doorway into Tiberias City. It took our breath away. Green things everywhere! Plants and flowers and potted trees and bushes and vines climbing all over. The artificial sunlight filtered through fresh green masses of vegetation tumbling from huge hanging baskets, tiers and balconies.

"Eddie! Just look at all these green things! These must be air purifiers! It's part of the ecology here!"

"Yeah!' said Eddie. "Ain't this all impressive!"

"Back on Earth we don't even give it a thought. But out here they would have to use every available inch of space to work for the common good. I'll bet everything out here is like that."

"And I can feel currents of air, a steady breeze. That must be from the Recirculators. The green is essential, but Atmospheric Recirculators would have to do their part too. This is a closed system of ecology."

"Yeah!"

We stood at the edge of a broad street that seemed to be the floor of a deep slot. Shops and buildings formed its walls. Some of the angles didn't seem just right. And we could not see very far because of the curvature. There were people everywhere! Just like a shopping mall at Christmas time. I couldn't believe the crowds!

“Look at all the people!” said Eddie. “And what a variety of people! There’s one dressed in an all white Punjab costume.”

I could see a girl with rings in her nose and ears. Some seemed to have their faces painted in some kind of secret code to identify them. We have ethnic minorities in Nashville, but this was amazing for us. We felt out of place in our "suit and tie" clothes.

We were afraid we would get lost in the crowds. So we waited patiently for a short time (I looked at my watch).

"Over there," said Fred. "I think I see a man working his way through the crowd."

An older man, huge, in his late 60's, approached from the right.

"Saluton! You must be the group from Earth. I'm Rod Glacio, one of the Church elders."

He gave each of us a big hug. "Welcome to Tiberias! We praise God for you brothers and sisters in Christ!"


I should explain that we Church people think of each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord's Family. Certainly it was that way in the church of the First Century. I grew up in a very conservative church home. We honored Jesus Christ, and also some of the Pioneers of our Movement. That was our tradition, our life style. We didn't even think about it consciously. When our family moved from State to State or even another Country, we were exposed to other people and other thinking - all within our beloved Church. Each did the same things in the same way - but it all turned out different, somehow. Perhaps you already know that. I was eager to see just how they did things here on Tiberias.

I need to say also that we had heard of Rod’s surgery and we were amazed by his speedy recovery. All of us in Nashville had been praying for him to recover quickly.


We surrounded Rod and all began talking at once. He hugged us all in his huge arms. We each gave him the holy kiss!

"Saluton!" I said. "I am Carl Sandor. I bring you greetings from the Church on Earth in Usono [USA]."

"Please give our greetings to the brothers and sisters in Usono when you return. It's so good to see faces from back home. We don't get enough visitors like you. But you must be tired. Let's get you to your quarters in Spaceport Hotel. We can talk later."

Rod led the way through the crowds to the hotel. It wasn’t that far.

There are no free standing buildings on Tiberias. Everything is built into the Cylinder itself. The hotel fronted the street and was an integral part of the structure.


A young woman sat at a computer terminal in the lobby. She looked up and gave us a bright smile.

"Rod! These must be your friends from Earth! Welcome to Tiberias. Any friend of Rod is a friend of ours!"

"This is Rhoda," Rod said. "She is a sister in Christ. If you need any help, just ask her."

Rhoda came around to hug each of us. I introduced each one. Church people are Family.

"You will need this time to freshen up," Rod said. "I'll come back in about an hour." He walked out to the street and got on a floater.

"Carl Sandor?" Rhoda said. "Are you related to the Sandors in Parkersburg, Usono? I might be your relative. Do you know Fred Sandor?"

"Fred is a distant relative."

"It really is a small universe," she said.

Rhoda assigned us to cubicles (you couldn't call them rooms), small, very compact, efficient. They were about 7 feet by 3 feet (I still can't think in metric). A single bed folded out of the wall, storage space, foldout wash basin, even room for a shower (with everything else folded up). The Videos would have you believe that the Space Stations have lots of wide open areas. But I have not found this to be true. Everything is at a premium out here. Compact is the word.

After freshening up, we felt more "human." We gathered in the lobby where we were to meet Rod.

“Rhoda,” I said, “we’re so happy to see Rod has recovered from his surgery.”

“So are we! It’s been two years now, and he is still cancer free. We thank the Lord for his recovery!”

While we waited we stood and watched a news broadcast on the video wall-screen.

Rod came through the entrance at 1130 hours.

"Let's go eat!" he said. "We can talk better around a table."

He led the way through the ever-present crowds down the street to the Cafeteria. We queued up with the line at the entrance. As we entered, he put his thumb on the scanner and touched the proper keys to record the charges. Then he led the way to the food.

"When I was last on Earth," Rod said, "they called this an 'unlimited food bar.' It's certainly the most efficient way. Take all you want - eat all you take. Plenty for everyone. Lots of variety."

"This is just like back home," Fred said. "Fast Food has been a booming business for years. Many people eat outside their homes these days."

"Everyone here eats in public places," Rod said. "No one cooks at home. What else could they do? We are cramped for space. Notice the paper containers. Paper recycles. Plastic doesn't out here. Being out in space forces us to conserve resources. It you think about it, it is impossible to grow air and water. These must be brought in from Earth or somewhere."

It did make sense. We hadn't thought of such a thing.

Rod spoke again. "Before we fill our trays, let's thank our God. Brother Ed Guthrie, will you lead our prayer of thanks."

We all formed a circle.

"We praise You, O Lord, for this bounty, this feast to nourish our bodies. We thank You for the love we have found here, for the brothers and sisters in Christ on Tiberias, and the fellowship of all whose faith is as precious as our own! We thank You for making it all possible. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

We picked up our trays and followed as Rod led the way. We were amazed by the variety. Fruits and vegetables in abundance, some of which I thought were exotic. Tomatoes, of course, peppers, and other things with short growing periods. We could identify Mexican and Cajun cuisine, plus some other styles we had not seen before. Ham, pork roast, beef, cold cuts, salad greens of all kinds, deserts, pies and cakes and many other goodies.

"All that delicious meat," said Fred Frye, "and I have to watch my cholesterol."

"Not to worry," Rod said. "All the 'meat' you see here comes out of the hydroponics tank. Shipping things in from Earth costs an arm and a leg. It is a blessing, though, because we eat a healthy diet. It is really amazing what you can grow in a hydroponics tank with yeast and whatever else they use!"

The food was excellent! What variety and what flavor, even if a little unusual. But I wondered to myself what "whatever else" included, but was afraid to ask. Rod might tell me and I might not want to know. This was a closed system. It had to be that way.

We followed Rod to a table where we could all sit together.

"What is it like back on Earth these days?" Rod asked. "My children are all live near Cleveland in Usono. They once called that part 'Ohio'. 'Little' Rod writes Westerns - you know, Cowboys and Indians. Did you ever read them?"

"Yes," said Edna. "'Hard Hand,' isn't that the latest?"

"Right" said Rod. "You would be surprised how many preachers read Western Fiction to relax. The good guys always win in the end! Those are morality plays. They hit the problems head on. No matter how impossible things seem to be, there is always hope."

"Just like the Book of Revelation," I said. "God has it under control. Jesus has already won! History is running straight toward the goal of God's Great Plan."

We talked on for some time, then took our trays to put in the disposal chute. People crowded in behind us to take our places.

"Come over into the solarium," Rod said. He led the way through more crowds. I never could get used to all those people! I thought Manhattan was crowded. But half a million people lived here on Tiberias Cylinder. Crowded surely wasn't the word for it.

We followed Rod along the street, turned into a side corridor, and then into a large room.

We could see more of those green growing things. We found them everywhere we went on Tiberias. And there were more people already here. This must be a popular place. Rod led us to a few empty spaces. Some others were just leaving, and so there was room after all.

Fred looked all around, then pointed to the ceiling. "You did say solarium?"

"That's what we call them," said Rod. "No sunlight, of course. Too much UV and things like that out here in Space. But it is a convenient name. These are good places to meet, to relax, and to hold Bible Studies. We will go to one of the Bible Study groups later."

I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked up just as a man came furtively into the solarium. He had bushy black hair and was wearing blue coveralls which identified him as a technician. He hid behind a potted tree, and was watching the corridor.

A floater from Peace & Safety stopped at a cubicle across the passageway. Two men went into the cubicle and came out wrestling a woman. Two children followed, biting, kicking and scratching. The Consto calmly dropped her with his stunner. He did the same to the children. The others placed them on the floater, none too gently, and they sped down the corridor.

"Rod, what was that?"

"Unfortunately," Rod said," this is not a perfect society. We have some problem malcontents. Life on Tiberias has to be very structured. Not everyone can deal with this lifestyle. We'll go talk with Ford Morris later. He is a Consto in Peace & Safety. He'll fill us in on the details. Sometimes people must be deported to Earth. It's sad. But it's best for them in the long run."