#Sciencefiction. It is 2075

 

#Sciencefiction. It is 2075

“Wherever he might be, find him and bring him to me. It is urgent. If you are not able to find him, do not return, because you will find nothing here. Except the rubble, heaps of dust and mangled steel bars that shall lie bare once the concrete that it supported has been shattered, and it collapses into itself. 

So, do not return, in case you are not able to find him. 

May your journey be safe and fulfilling, and may your visions lead you to him. The only one, who can prevent hell from unleashing its despicable and merciless invasion of our cities. 

Now go and find him as soon as you can!”

They looked at the wise man and left. And the wise man turned right and vanished behind the buildings and the lanes. 

I stood there, still watching them. They rode their magnetic propulsion enhanced bikes and sped past me and the long stretch of buildings and lanes. As they reached the edge of the city, they turned right too, but into the tunnel. Then I could not see them anymore. So, I rubbed my eyes, removed the dust from my eyelids and walked the same lanes and roads that I have been accustomed to for almost 43 years now.

Sometimes I thought about the two men and their conversation with the wise man. And I wondered how could hell be prevented from seeking its revenge. That too by someone who is just a human? This thought accompanied me wherever I went, and it was so, for almost a week. 

My room was located on the top of a hill and I went there and ventured into its mildness. A mildness of every sort, with a spell of stillness that separated it from the main city. And in 2075, this is where the privileged few live. And I believe I am one of them. Not in any other sense, but just for one reason; that I live on the top of the hill where there is greenery and trees. So, I am the privileged one in 2075! If you are someone reading this in 2023, it is something you will struggle to understand.

Nevertheless, by now you should know who I am:

A- a 43 year old someone 

B- living on a hill

C- considers himself privileged merely because he lives on a hill

D- lives in one room

E- overheard a conversation between the wise man and two men

F- wondering how can one man prevent hell from being hellish

Well, if this is your impression about me, you are right and this is almost everything about me. But let me add something that you might still not know about me. I am an extremely curious person, and science and logic fascinate me. That is why I have been trying to settle this thought in my mind, that somehow hell can be prevented from acting based on its nature by one person. That too a human being! 

This thought has proven to be extremely unsettling for me and I am yet to draw logical conclusions from the conversation between the wise man and two men, about whose identity I am not sure. I have never seen them in this city before, especially in our area. And they looked different from the rest of us who live here. There was something very robotic about their body language, especially the way they shook their heads in agreement whenever the wise man said something. Even when they rode their bikes, their demeanour was relaxed and without any signs of stiffness. And they held themselves upright as they sat on the bikes and rode like the wind.

Their confidence was like wind, unafraid of falling and not scared of being caught. Just like the wind. No, it was exactly like the wind! 

As for the wise man, he lives nearby and we all refer to him as “the wise man!” Not that he is wise, or maybe he is extremely wise, I would not know that because I have never interacted with him. I have always overheard him or heard of him from other people. But I can tell you one thing for certain, he looks wise. About that there is no doubt! 

He looks like Mr. Leo Tolstoy, with the sternness of Mr. Sigmund Freud bearing the gravity of Mr. Karl Jung. And you can imagine the rest. I am sure, anybody with the look of three stalwarts of psychology and philosophy, would look wise, and if nothing, be easily mistaken for a wise man. 

And the wise man I know of, he looks like a wise man, how wise he is in reality, I have no clue about it. 

In the meantime the conversation he was having with two men, has given birth to a new curiosity within me, that of knowing more about how hell will befall upon us all in 2075, and how one man can prevent it from being so.

Being a slave of my curiosity ( not to mention my imaginings about my beautiful girlfriend ) I have been on a self defined vigil, where my goal is to follow the two men whenever they enter the city gate. So these days, I spend almost the entire day and part of the night ambling around the city gate area. Yesterday, I heard a few people talking about the hell that is bound to consume everything and everyone in 2075, and lately conversations around this topic have gained a lot of attention from everyone in this city. At least I can say this with surety, because near the City gate, there is a tea stall, and whoever comes there to drink tea, always refers to Hell and the wise man who is seeking someone to undo the destiny, that otherwise is inevitable.

Now I am extra curious and extra vigilant as well!

It was late evening on Saturday last week, when I saw dust plumes rising in the distance. It was as if casper had turned into a dust ogre and was chasing somebody. And this somebody was two black blobs that seemed to get bigger with every passing minute, and suddenly resembled the shape of two black, fat, not very high, compact and sophisticated, magnetic propulsion driven bikes. And I instantly paid for my tea because I knew who they were. From the routine conversations and facial expressions of everyone around the city gate, they appeared to be clueless about their identity. For them they were just two bikers. But for me, they were the harbingers of the wise man, and today I shall know about the identity of the one they seek and also know if the one who looks very wise, is wise indeed!

I mounted my bike, wore my helmet and as soon as they passed the city gate, I began following them. Blending myself in the traffic that plied on this road almost 24 hours and 7 days a week. For now I was a part of the road, the traffic and the city. And it was good this way.

They stopped near an art gallery and the wise man had been waiting for them. I stopped, got down and pretended to unlock my helmet. And they only spoke these words, “Tonight. Hill top. Near the old Deodar tree. At 02:00 am.” The wise man nodded his head, and like last time took a right turn and vanished in the gullies. Whereas the two men rode towards the hill. To be exact towards my room, because my room and the old Deodar tree are separated by an insignificant distance of 15 to 20 meters. 

But during the night, especially at 02:00 am nobody dares to go there. Because it is near a ridge and there is something strange and unusually weird about this place. Few people in the city believe that right below the Deodar tree, from where the ridge actually drops downwards, there is a den that leads somewhere. But the drop is intimidating and nobody has ever tried to explore the credibility of this rumour.

Anyway, I shall see what happens, when it is 02:00 am, right now it is 02:00 pm and there is a lot of time. So I decided to take it easy on me and on my curiosity as well. Because we both needed some refreshment. And I parked my bike next to an old and non flashy restaurant and ate my lunch. Which at this hour was less of lunch and more of a meal. I ate it slowly, and I decided to chew it and masticate it like a cow. Why? Obviously, I had a lot of time at hand and I had visited the art gallery more than 100 times and since two years there has been no new painting on display.

Here I was eating food, but actually with it I was taking a bite on boredom and hoping it would be midnight soon. It felt like waiting for a girlfriend, when she is about to arrive in 2 minutes, and the 2 minutes seem like two eternities. And if you are wearing a wrist watch, it makes the eternity tread lethargically. That is how I was feeling right now. Born in a moment and then thrown from one eternity into another. And this scuttling ended, when the clock that hung on the wall struck 04:00 pm. And I realised I had been occupying the table for 2 hours now. It was the courtesy of the restaurant owner that he did not ask me to vacate the table. Which I should have vacated after finishing my meal, maybe after 5 or 10 minutes. But I had been occupying the table for almost 120 minutes.

Before he lost his patience, I decided to rescue my own pride and I got up, settled the bill at the counter and mounted my bike. And I rode, upto the Lovers' Point. Yes, that is correct. There is a place named Lovers' Point here, and young lovers come here. It is on the windward side of the hill and it leads to the peak, and there it connects with the main highway. From the base to the top of the hill there are almost 250 steps, I guess twice as much- Ah, I am not sure exactly how many. And on every step you will find lovers sitting and doing what young lovers do the best. 

It is a very humbling experience because it expresses human feelings in such rawness, that it reminds you of your own young days, when you too held someone's hands and walked in the meadows and climbed the hills. 

But this city is socially evolved, and I was surprised when I first realised this fact. That nobody aged above 60 ever walks or crosses this area. To me it means, that they still remember that they too had loved, they too had done the same in their youth, they too had let human feelings express themselves, because they too had been young and youthful humans once. So they let this Lovers' Point be the stair way reserved for young and young lovers. If you understand what I mean!

And being 43, I felt slightly odd walking past these young love birds, each of them hit by the arrows of blind cupid. So I walked hurriedly, to reach the top of the Lovers' Point and look at the valley below. 

To these young lovers aged not more than 19 to 20, that is most of them. They existed, the eyes in which they had fallen head over heels existed, the lover they loved existed, the Lovers' Point existed. And nothing else existed, nothing at all.

Maybe Cupid did too, but I for sure did not exist. But given our age difference I got a little uncomfortable, because I did not want to bother them. So I walked quickly, I walked as fast as I could, because every step that was occupied by these lovers, reminded me of my girlfriend. So, I was being chased away to the top of the Lovers’ Point by two forces over which I seemingly had no control at all. And it was good, because I quickly managed to reach the top of the hill!

I looked at the valley below and the meandering river that flowed like a serpent hurrying towards something, towards somewhere. To keep a secret meeting. Perhaps it was rushing towards its own Lovers’ Point! 

And I stood there looking at the river that was far away. I stood there silently looking at the valley till 11:00 pm and then I began descending the steps one at a time, because now the steps bore just the shadows of the lovers, these shadows just wore their scent, and air bore a mysterious blend of scents. It had evolved into a perfumery. With its own original essences of cold air, pine leaves, grass blades, wild ferns, with layers of lovers’ perfumes, that equaled the number of steps that led to the top most step on Lovers’ Point. I cannot explain this cocktail of aromas, because it also bore emotions, warm feelings and so many kisses. It was as if walking through the cloud of mystical air of love and lovers’ perfumes. While being shot at by the Cupid at every next step. The true joy of being in love and walking through the cloud of love. Oh my God!

And with these emotional and aromatic markers, I reached the base of the hill and mounted my bike. That had been expecting me for a very long time now. I did not disappoint it, and I rode it fast, infact very fast- Many who know me say I am obsessed with speed. And it is true, it has taken me 43 years to control speed.

The first time I drove a machine that could attain speed of upto 180 kms per hour, on the second day, I sped past 65 kms per hour, and the obvious happened. The speeding machine along with me on the second day fell off a small ridge. All because of a child who appeared in the middle of the road almost from nowhere. And after that I decided to put it under some restraint. I was not scared for myself, but for the child and those who loved him. Yes, that is true!

Therefore, I have every reason to believe it is in your genes, more than anything it is in you. If nobody, the great and legendary French writer; late Mr. Albert Camus would agree. He too could not resist the lure of speed. ( RIP comrade, you shall be missed by all speed lovers! Me in particular, because you are so straightforward, whether you are addressing the president of the universe or just an ordinary person like me. A remarkable quality to possess and a rarity in 2075. )

I still love speed, I sometimes feel I can go faster than the speed of light. It may sound insane to the sane world, but in the world where you love something or someone unconditionally, it somehow makes you believe anything is possible. I guess late Mr. Albert Einstein felt the same love for Physics. And my love for speed arises from my childhood obsession with logic and science. A love affair only paralleled by my human love affair with the one I love!

Anyway, I managed to limit the speed finally and calmed down the engine, and before it could cool down, I pacified myself and my thrill seeking personality. Now both were calm, the engine of the machine and the organic engine of my body i.e. my mind!

But that does not mean my obsession with speed has ended, it has only begun, but now in a different form. Because one cannot live without some element of thrill in life. To me that will be like assuming the patience of a dead person!

So, around 12:00 midnight I entered my room and prepared my dinner. Settled in my chair and ate it slowly. When it comes to food that I like, I tend to eat it slowly, the only time when I do not like speed. Then I washed the dishes, mopped the floor, and wiped the balustrade glass, preventing the cooking area from getting stained by oil or curries, whenever I am cooking.

With all kitchen related tasks fulfilled I read a book for almost an hour and gazed out of the window, and stared at the moon for some time. And suddenly my smartphone alarm beeped at 01:55 am. And my curiosity and my speed driven instincts took charge and I locked my room and hid myself in the thick growth of bushes next to the old Deodar tree.

Exactly at 02:00 am all three of them arrived. They all were so exact that it was difficult to tell who was late or who was early. Because they all arrived exactly at 02:00 am. I wonder from where they had learned so much respect for time. It was commendable! And due to this, I now had a lot of respect for them. Which might change, based on the conversation they have now.

And the wise man spoke, “where is the one we seek?”

The two men looked at the wise man and answered, “In our midst wise man!”

“Where?” enquired the wise man.

“Right here!” again answered the two men.

I was now beginning to get worried. I felt they had sensed my presence and that is why they were not speaking the truth. But fortunately it was not so. 

One of them took out a small rope and tied it across the Deodar tree. And the other one asked the wise man if he could climb down with them. He immediately agreed and they all descended and perhaps went into the cave.

I stood there thinking and assuming. Because that is all I could do!

Finally after 20 minutes or so, they all climbed back and stood there, next to the Deodar tree. And after a minute, I saw someone with a brightly lit body and face, appear in their midst. It was bright but the light did not scatter around, it was just there concentrated on him/her. And he/she whispered this, “someone is listening to whatever we talk. But that person means no harm. So let him be. Do as I said, and hell shall be avoided in 2075!”

They all bowed and the person vanished.

The men, and the wise man appeared relieved, and they went their respective ways.

I came out from the bushes and wondered what he could have told them. Again, curiosity took over, and instead of thinking about it and taking guesses, I wrote my own #sciencefiction novel, They Loved in 2075. It too talks about the dangers and threats humans will face in 2075, and it elaborately explains how to avoid them. Now you might be thinking, I actually did hear what the person who bore the light told them, and the #scifi novel, They Loved in 2075, is actually the secret shared by the person who was covered in divine light. 

Hnnmm, if you think so I think it is a good reason to explore the #scifi novel titled: They Loved in 2075! Please read it and maybe you will know what the person bearing the divine light whispered to them that night. And maybe you can then share it with the world so that the world in 2075 is a better place for all humans to live in. A world that future human generations shall be proud of!

#Scifibooks amaze us, but the scifi book, They Loved in 2075 would provide you with a #scifi nostrum that shall help future generations of humans to survive in 2075.

Science fiction : Birds in 2075

 

#Sciencefiction : Birds in 2075

Hazy, and gilded in the hue of shimmering steel that is bright but at the same time translucent. This is the air and visibility in 2075. 

In 2075 one can be selective only in a few proceedings of life, whereas most of them have acquired a definite form that is like the laws of the Universe, never bending and never changing. And you are offered only one choice, take it or just place it in the already yoked fate of yours! Because nature has assumed the role of a tyrannical apostle who has forgotten the ways of the Universe that once favoured and fostered the human race. An infliction self begotten by humans due to their negligence and triviality, when it came to the utilisation of natural resources. 

Humans mostly degraded and ravaged nature’s every asset, leading to its destabilisation and complete ruin. As a result, it has turned barren and discriminatory towards every human endeavour in 2075. 

However, it has not given up on life all together, because in this ruinous state as well, it has supported the evolution of birds. And in 2075, there are new species of birds that dominate the skies and the land as well. The surviving men and women in 2075 call them “Aerial Invaders!”

It was in early 2070 when air quality deteriorated further and trees in some areas adapted to these changes. Whereas many plant and tree species were slow to evolve and went extinct. As a result air quality was declared noxious in certain areas, because the trees in these areas had re-engineered their energy generation mechanism. They consumed less CO2, because there was less rainfall, and in some areas where there was rainfall it contained toxins. So, they evolved a way to consume less CO2 and yet generate sufficient energy, leading to less Oxygen release.

In these areas, where trees are still evolving to adapt to the changing climate and weather patterns, CO2 concentration is increasing because trees are generating less Oxygen and consuming less CO2.

And in these areas, the population of birds that depended on these trees for their shelter and food have evolved too. Because now these trees produce seeds with a new compound that is laced with toxins. Simply because they are conserving energy and produce very less seeds, and to ensure the survival and germination of these seeds they have infused these seeds with compounds which are highly toxic and any animal or bird that consumes them, would certainly be sealing its own fate.

It is the same with their leaves as well. It is as if trees have developed a self communication network that ensures their survival by allowing them to learn new strategies to cope with this extremely vicious environment. Few trees have become shorter and stouter, whereas many trees have gained height but their diameter of the main trunk has reduced. And the quality of the wood is very different. 

The trees that are shorter and stouter have strong and durable wood, whereas trees that tend to gain height are fragile and the wood is less fibrous. It is as if they are learning to gain height and re-adjust their mitochondrial mechanisms to generate energy and then transfer its benefits to the overall growth of the tree. 

As of today, they appear to be relying mostly on a single vein that acts as Xylem and Phloem as well. It is just that they have developed a new function that helps them to regulate alternating the upward and downward movement of fluids. Unlike in earlier generations of trees, where Xylem and Phylum were separate channels, because the trees could afford investing so much energy to sustain two mechanisms with two separate channels. But in the present scenario, they have learned to bypass this need by using a single channel, simply by introducing a trigger point that works like a valve, which facilitates the upward and downward movements of fluids. Almost like the neck of the giraffe, which has a similar valve, to maintain blood pressure levels in the giraffe, especially when it lowers its head to drink water and then lifts it up when it has had its fill. Shooting blood to such a height ( upright head ) all of a sudden would result in immediate pressure failure in giraffes without this valve. But nature has offered giraffes a gift of evolution, that enables them to overcome this handicap easily, while maintaining its pressure.

So, the trees are evolving and they are coping well with lower concentration of oxygen. But how has this led to the evolution of birds?

In Birds, it is the male birds that wear flashy colours and sparkling plumes, all to please the females. And imparting colour to feathers requires a lot of energy, and to generate energy every living organism requires a nutritious food source. 

Well, if anybody is least happy with this strange evolution, it is the female birds, because they now have less flamboyant male birds to win their interest. 

But evolution is a great master, it balances everything perfectly. The female birds have developed a rare colour based abrasion where they now do not focus on the attractive colours of the feathers, but on the ability of the male to survive in the harsh climate and be a dependable parent. And most of the birds raise the chicks together. 

In 2075, even among bird species, where male birds had no role to play in raising the chicks, they have now evolved to participate equally in the chick raising process. Many may look at this as a development that has been necessitated by the existing ecosystem, but to an expert this too is evolution because evolution is not only about physical changes, it is also about traits and behavioural changes.

These are minor adaptations developed by the birds, but there are birds that have transformed completely. In ancient times there used to be giant birds, because oxygen concentration was way too high. But now it is just the opposite, the CO2 levels are increasing and this also means the planet is turning warmer and in few places, hotter!

As a result, there is a new species of birds that dominates the skies. Their wings are very unique and support glide mode, it further results in burning less energy/fat reserves. The wings in birds usually have two bones that join the left wing to the left side of the main body and the right wing to the right side of the body. In 2075, there is a small hump-like point on the upper body of these birds, and a single bone grows horizontally outwards, and in a few birds it can grow as long as 4 feet and more. Then a thin and elastic like skin joins these bones towards the tail end of the bird. Almost like hand gliders.

These birds during the initial flight, burn a lot of energy to gain height, but once they are airborne, they can rely on glide mode to cover long distances, and these wings have one vein-like growth with rubbery feathers growing on them. It is used by them to change direction. Simply by moving their muscles. This evolutionary development has helped these species of birds to conserve 60% energy, compared to birds that ruled the skies before 2050.

It is a remarkable development and it proves how nature supports the species that it feels are necessary for its own conservation. And it is not so in the case of humans in 2075.

But there is another bird species that has taken evolution to the next level. And the evolution is not at all noticeable if not observed carefully, but once noticed, it leaves you in complete awe!

The beaks of Skimmers are flat towards the end, so that when they swoop on the water surface and skim through it, their beaks trap the fish, and then the beak clamps against the fish like a pair of flat tongs. A simple evolution that enables skimmers to retrieve fish from lakes and other water bodies.

And that is a problem in 2075. Because all fish do not have the fins and body structure that can allow them to swim near the surface of the water. Only a few fish can do this. Due to global warming, the number of these fish has declined and it poses a direct threat to the survival of skimmers. Once again nature came to their rescue.

Their flat ended beaks have undergone some design changes. Their beak tips have become triangular but the triangle-like shape is extremely refined because it has not lost its skimming purpose, instead it has enhanced it. And it comes with another advantage, the beak can pick worms and insects from the shores and forest areas, which it could not do earlier due to its flat orientation of the beak. In addition to this, their webbed feet have developed nails that are strong and sharp. It helps them to loosen the moist soil and look for worms. This is evolution at its best, because it displays the details evolution can consider to aid a species in its survival. It is a very slow process, but it is always at work and seeks control when it knows it is the right time to manifest itself. 

Almost like humans, who learned to stand upright on their feet, once they left trees and walked on the ground, and started using tools. At this stage their thumb got shorter and slightly bent, it was an evolutionary need to help them become better tool makers. However, our direct ancestors, the chimps, do not possess this evolution in their design of the hands and fingers. That is why their grip is different compared to human hands. This proves evolution indeed is very selective.

I am sure you must have watched Mountain Snow Leopards, especially a Himalayan Mountain Snow  Leopard. It has an unusually fat and long tail. It is almost longer than its body. Any guesses why?

It chases its prey on craggy slopes, on rocky surfaces, and to maintain its balance, nature has gifted it a tail that is unlike any other animal. It also has specially padded feet. Softer than the softest but strongest rubber, with a non slippery surface. Again it is an adaptation for the Mountain Snow Leopards. But due to global warming they find the heat unbearable. However, they are adapting and hopefully they will not go extinct. They are simply magnificent and so regal, it will be such a loss to nature and humanity alike!

The birds in 2075 are adapting fast and you see evolution revealing itself in different ways. In a few birds, their wings have changed, in few their feathers have changed, in a few their beaks have changed, and in a few the entire anatomy has undergone change and they are the species of birds with every body part that has evolved to meet the requirements of 2075. And in their case the trees that produce toxins in their seeds and leaves, have developed no defence mechanism yet. Because these birds can consume the seeds of these trees and plants, because they have toxin neutralising compounds that help them feed on these seeds without causing any harm to them.

Sadly, these birds are still evolving and they do not survive for long. And in these birds too, there are a few that tend to be exceptional cases. And it is via them evolution will achieve its ultimate goal. To make these birds resistant to all naturally occuring toxins in 2075 and offer them the advantage over the rest of the bird species. Imagine a bird with qualities of vultures, falcons, skimmers, woodpeckers and bull finches. Definitely a bird that will survive anywhere and in the harshest climate. A bird that is about to rule the skies in 2075.

While these birds are caught in the vortex of evolution and they are still in the cradle of evolution’s vivarium, it is only a matter of time, when they shall bear flights of freedom and claim their part of the skies in 2075. 

As for us humans, we are yet to evolve. Because in our case evolution was faster than usual, and it loved us so much that it offered us the best gifts evolution has to offer. However, its best and most priced creation turned against it, and today it is repenting. So, humans have to self evolve. Less physically and more in terms of feelings and emotions, because that is where evolution allowed us to be our own masters. And if we do it right, I have no doubt that with our new tools of evolution like AI and IA, we can renew our ties of amity with nature and then together, claim what is rightfully ours. The entire Universe. Because it evolved just to make us the masters of it- Only when it feels we have evolved all the needed and right qualities. And in 2075 we certainly are not ready yet!

With this belief and faith in human evolution, I wrote my #sciencefiction novel, They Loved in 2075. It is about human evolution at an emotional level, because in 2075, humans are facing an emotional crisis, and this is damaging every building block of human societies. And in this reality, there is a boy who falls in love with a beautiful female in 2075.

This romance #scifi is about his struggles and that of his love interest, to remain human, and feel and experience love, like humans do. A reality of 2075, where love is in crisis because humans have forgotten to feel. All due to their exceedingly high interactions with self aware and intelligent machines. Yet in 2075 these lovers manage to vivify their lives somehow. Somehow that is!

To know how, explore the #scifi novel, They Loved in 2075! I know you might be thinking it is not a best selling #scifibook yet. But all best selling #scifibooks embark on the journey of being the best selling scifi book via that first reader i.e. one reader. And then the journey continues, until the long list of fan like readers makes it the best selling #scifibook.

Science Fiction. The shadow people

 

Science Fiction. The shadow people

It has been condemnable as far as her plight at the hands of her persecutors is to be dealt with by anybody with a rational mindset and logical premise of thought. That perceives her first as a human being, then as a female and after that anybody else. But they did not care about any of this when they accused her of being an alien who had insurmountable powers residing in her, and they had no clue about this lamentable force that she wielded at will. ( For the ignorant ones, it was lamentable ) And since they had no explanation, mostly due to their poor knowledge and understanding of planets that exist in this cosmos, they decreed this in her favour: To be banished and relinquished of all her powers. 

“But how?” Asked someone from the crowd.

“How will you uncouple the powers from her? Because you do not even understand what her powers are. It might turn the universe upside down. Do you know that? So, how will you do it?”

And with this question, there was a relay of murmurs spreading throughout the crowd, and everyone's lips appeared to be pouted in a subconscious act of alignment to seek some sort of unanimity in pattern- That is how it felt to me. And all of them were trying to figure out how the clergymen would solve this puzzle. The mild dissonance of murmurs and whispers was vibrating throughout the crowd, when I saw a few men marching towards us. They looked very different from anybody that was present there.

They were dressed in blue, black and white combinations, and most of them wore a stern look. With bodies that were very stiff. Except for one, whose look was that of a person who had known decency and maybe felt a few beautiful emotions as well. As for the rest of them, they were flat with expressions that of a white Peace Lily, that opens up to anything and everything, unlike roses and pansies that have a character and a personality of a flower that greets you both visually and emotionally. Whereas there are a few flowers, like Peace Lilies, that only greet you visually and never emotionally. ( Maybe that is why they are called Peace Lilies because that is the only visual impression they offer ) And most of them were these lilies only that they did not bear any expression of peace, whereas one of them had some character of a flower that was not a lily. 

But the characteristics of his decency also had been battered and tampered with, that is to some extent. Maybe it was a professional incentive that represented itself or it was something that was an inheritance that they could not rid themselves from. But as far as my guess is concerned, I think it had something to do with their profession. Because the moment they arrived, the whispers ended immediately. Everyone in the crowd now looked at the girl who had been tied to a post.

Then these men, untied her, and ushered her away in their chariot. And in a matter of few seconds, there was neither the girl, nor these men. Just me, and the crowd that had resumed murmuring, but this time it was a choir like whispering that sounded like, “The Shadow People took her away. The Shadow People were here and now her fate is in their hands. The Shadow People!”

We must have walked a few steps, when we heard a loud sound. As if something had been smashed against the rocks or as if something that was a combination of wood and steel had raptured from inside and got fragmented. And we all expeditiously revolved our eyeballs to find out the source of this sound. And in a moment there were black wooden planks, leather strips, hooves, steel doors and steel rims flung into the air and instantly they landed on the ground right in front of us.

“It is the chariot of the Shadow People, their horses and the Shadow People themselves who have been blown into pieces by the witch. It is this alien girl who has done this and she has kidnapped the leader of Shadow People.” 

As we heard these words, and began making sense of these hurriedly uttered lines, commotion set in and everyone ran in every direction they could perceive in the frenzy of the moment. Few took refuge in godowns, few under roof tops, and I was left there alone wondering where to hide. 

I decided whatever happens, I shall let it be the resolve of fate and my argument of prudence to encourage me to take these steps of courage towards my room. Because hiding from someone as powerful and gifted as her, would have been like hiding from the rain drops when you have neither an umbrella nor anywhere to seek shelter, because you are in the middle of a huge field. And that too in an area where it almost rains everyday and very heavily.

With this feeling of bravado, I finally reached my room and without thinking or doing anything, I tried to create a sequence of events that unfolded today; and my goal was to make sense of everything I witnessed. Because it was like magic. Magic where the Universe had intervened and bent many rules. Rules that defied every logical thinking because it was unimaginable how someone could possess so much power, and the ability to control immeasurable amounts of energy. And it was not fake, because it happened right before my eyes and that of the crowd that stood there, completely stunned.

It was a thoughtful night, a night where I was preoccupied with so many things, except sleep. And it was after continuous thinking that I realised something, that perhaps nobody had understood so far. And it was this ability that she was using to manipulate energy and bend the cosmic rules. And she had mastered it with such perfection, that nobody stood a chance, but when I was there in the crowd, I saw her lifting a few grains of sand which whirled around her fingertips and she played with them at will. Tossing them in every direction and summoning them back. It was something I had noticed, but when the crowd started whispering I forgot about it. Maybe I had become a victim of the crowd that only whispers and keeps guessing forever.

And the question that started marching to and fro in my mind was whether I should side with the innocent girl who had never caused anybody any harm, until that fateful day when she was provoked and flogged merciless and left to die in the searing heat. I remember that day, I remember the marks on her body, I remember her sighs for water, and I saw her lips glued to the dirt, in total desperation and maybe highest form of discipline. Discipline to not use the powers until provoked. And it was then she was infuriated and the town had suffered famines and plagues that have not ended ever since.

Or

Should I favour the crowd that I am a part of. The society I mean. Although I know they have always mutilated the innocence in the girl, and always deprived her of her rights as a citizen. Citizen of our so-called just and civil society. If I favour the society I should tell them about the secret she uses to control so much power. And if I do so there is no guarantee, they will spare her after that and let her be the individual she is.

Therefore, I shall side with the girl and help her find her destiny. Her planet of origin. 

But, where shall I find her? Because like the Shadow People, she moves like the wind, paces like the storm, and sometimes when you look at her, it seems she lives in the past as well as in the present. And she exists everywhere, yet nowhere. And for me to be able to help her, I should first be able to find her.

I was thinking about it when the window of my room started clattering and then after a minute it stopped. I ignored it because I had the windy night to blame for it. And as I occupied my chair, I literally fell off my chair because she was sitting right in front of me and so was the leader of the Shadow People. He was the same person who wore few signs of decency, unlike the rest of the Shadow People I had seen along with the crowd.

“Do not be scared and please do not panic! I know you know my secret. And I know you want to help me. And this is why I have come here.” Said the girl.

I did not utter a word, because I was in a state of complete shock. As much as the leader of the Shadow People who had been living in a state of shock for many hours now. This mutual feeling made me seek company beside him, because the girl was busy staring at the mirror. And she had left the leader beside me. He was not tied or fettered, but it was as if he was bound by her unseen power and it had transfixed him. She was so sure of her abilities, that she left him there without bothering to turn and check on him, or me as well!

This definitely scared me a lot because it meant she had an enormous amount of power at her command. The room turned quiet, everything seemed more still than usual, and the silence was hijacked by her when she approached me and said, “Well I want to find my planet. I have never meant any harm to anybody. And I know you think so as well and I know you will be able to locate my planet. Because we share something in common. The Shadow men and women are actually from our planet, who landed here millions of years ago. They retained some powers but as time passed by they lost most of these powers and gradually they also forgot the lifestyle of our race and became utterly corrupt. And I was sent here to show them the righteous path, but they are so obsessed with their beliefs that they are unwilling to accept the truth. And about you. You too are from the same planet, but somehow you have replaced the old powers with new gifts and it is amazing how you have evolved and developed. On our planet we see these mutations as absolute gifts and if you use it and concentrate on it you shall unlock great mysteries of the Universe. 

I shall share a few coordinates with you, and then, you can, I am sure you can summon the energy of my planet. Necessary for me to launch myself into its actual orbit. It has many pseudo orbits as well, I need to locate the actual orbit. Will you please do this for me?”

“Yes, I will try to. Although I have no clue about what you are referring to. But I will try to locate it. Please share the coordinates. And before you do that, what about him?” This was my slow but willing response.

She looked at the leader, then she thought for a moment and responded, “Hnmmm. He shall have two options: Either join the crowd or become a better, original, worthy, honest shadow man, and I shall find him a few people who have what it takes to be Shadow men and Shadow women. And then he can again do what he was born to do. Like always it shall be his choice. Neither you nor I can choose for him.”

She shared the coordinates with me. And I worked on them for more than 3 hours and then as instructed by her I began focusing on some energy. And no matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to happen. I was still who I was and the world outside was still the world it had always been. There was no change.

She smiled. As though she had read my mind she said, “So it seems. But it is not so. A lot has already changed and the Universe has responded. I can sense it.”

I was still trying to understand what she meant, that I saw her walking towards the leader. She did something and the leader behaved as if he was reborn into this world. He thanked her and bowed before her and promised that he would lead a life of true and honest Shadow People and identify men and women worthy of being called “The Shadow People!”

She smiled and asked him to leave. And he obeyed!

Then, she sat next to me and asked me something that had no contextual relation with what had transpired in this room so far, “Will you enter the energy and disappear with me? That is for this world. I want to show you a world where everything is in perfect balance. An epitome of perfection. 

When I enter the energy stream, you will have to think that you want to be with me and touch my finger and that shall be it. You can accomplish amazing things there and help us solve new and higher mysteries of the universe. Choose well, and choose you must!”

And after 15 minutes a strange stream of blue light entered my room and she walked right into it. She looked at me, kept looking at me, with her finger stretched out. I thought of the crowd and my society, and the fact that now the real and worthy Shadow men and women shall help them seek their destiny and establish order. I was convinced about it. So, I extended my hand and touched her finger, and we both vanished to be never found again.

The crowd still visits the room, to find a trace. About her, about me, but all they find is whispers and echoes from the past. And sometimes the leader of Shadow People, visits the room as well, and he does not come here to find anything, he just comes here to whisper his prayers and leaves to fulfil his mission with a new found purpose and devotion.

It was this coincidental meeting with the Shadow People that I got inspired to write the science fiction novel, titled: They Loved in 2075. In this science fiction novel, you will find a whisper of different kind, a struggle of totally different kind, but there is intense science fiction romance that will make you believe in love once again. And hope that the world in 2075, will still believe in the sanctity and beauty of love and true human emotions. Which many believe that it might be a rarity in 2075, because humans will be interacting with self aware and intelligent machines. 

They Loved in 2075 is not just a science fiction novel, it is a reminder that human values, and feelings like love count, and we shall not let them be diluted at any cost. Especially when humans will be interacting with intelligent machines on a daily basis.

So it will be correct to say that They Loved in 2075, is the reality of love and human feelings in 2075. And in order to understand it, you as a reader should first feel it.

Science fiction: The fact

 

#Sciencefiction: The fact

"Whizz, whizzzz, whizz. Whoooosssshhhhhhh!

Wow!” 

Exclaimed a young boy. I guess he was 10 or 12 years old and as I turned to see what was so fascinating and what actually drove him to such an excited reaction. I could not see anything, then I joined the angle of his eyes and I tilted my eyes in the same direction, aligning with his glance that looked right above his head, and pierced the sky that spread over him. And there it was. His Whizz, whizzzz, whizz. Whoooosssshhhhhhh!

He had spotted a falling object from the sky and along with him I was the second witness to this cosmic spectacle. Or should I say a tragedy. Who knows!

It was evening and I resumed my journey; and as I was about to cross the stream, where the bridge had been washed away. I had to carefully tread over a huge log of Deodar tree that was laid across the stream. Its upper surface had been chipped off carefully to make it flat. But it was extremely slippery because Deodar trees have natural wax in them, and crossing it meant being extra cautious. Had the person cut small wedges over the flat surface that would have offered a better grip. But whoever did it, we all owe a gracious amount of gratitude to him. Because he/she did it out of social goodwill and no personal interest, or profit. A true social service.

Anyway, as I was balancing my feet on the Deodar log, I heard loud and frantic splashing in the water. And on my right side I saw the same boy, who was crossing the stream barefooted, with the laces of his shoes tied together and dangling across his neck. I must have taken my fifth step, whereas the lad had already crossed the stream and was on the other side trying to dry his feet and force them into the shoes. There was a sense of hurry, a sense of pervading rush in his body language. And as he wore his shoes he dashed through the fields. While I somehow managed to cross the log of Deodar and reached the other end of the stream. I paused and wondered where the boy was headed.

Nevertheless, I Ieft the log behind and the thoughts of the young boy too, and I moved ahead. I had a few important things to accomplish at my room where I was staying. I had shifted to this place a year ago and was yet to make new acquaintances. So I often went to my room early and allowed myself to be occupied by the novels that I was working on. And today I had a brilliant idea that I could add as a new twist to the plot of the story that I had been working on for almost 4 years now. 

If you are wondering, that I have taken very long to write it, you are right and I would not object to this. But if you are thinking I want it to be a bestseller, well I would not object to that either, afterall, 4 years is a lot of time and when you invest so much time into something, it becomes a part of you. Almost like your child, whom you would not share with anyone, except that special someone you truly and madly are in love with.

But as of now, I am neither an accomplished writer, nor an accomplished poet. But as a child I always believed in one of the lines from the school anthem that all students, including me would sing every morning. I think we all sang it with a lot of passion. I took it a bit too seriously than others I guess. Both the passion and every word in the school anthem.

And here is the line that influenced me the most:

“We shall overcome someday,

I do believe we shall overcome someday!”

Now it is possible that this someday can be any day, and it may even take a lifetime or eternity, for this someday to find me. And especially with my passions still intact and the purpose of quest as well!

To a few that shall be the reason to give up and discard their dreams. But to a few, so called the mad few, haaa haaa! The desire is so strong that they are willing to pursue it and strive for it till eternity, and even seek it in the darkness and silence of their graves. Maybe these few are built that way. Maybe they believe in destiny, but they also want destiny to believe in them as well. Otherwise it will be a debt that they shall carry, and to them it shall beget neither pleasure nor satisfaction.

So without being philosophical and being straightforward. If these few believe in something, they tend to seek it even at the cost of their own lives. Because dreams and passions are worth dying for, as much as they are worth being alive for! 

The only thing that mellows this intense passion and steals a bit of the fire from it, is when you miss the one you love. And when that special one is not with you, it becomes a struggle of a different kind. Because then you have to wage dual wars at the same time, and balancing them in parallel can be extremely demanding: mentally, physically; and emotionally it is like a tsunami that has your address written on it.

But all of a sudden you realise that you have come too far and there is no turning back now. And you imagine the day when you will get to share this joy with her. And it keeps you on track. Because it adds a new and renewed purpose to the entire phenomenon of this passionate strife.

Ah, I think I got too personal and carried away. Well well! I have finally reached my room. And I almost immediately commenced working on the novel. At 08:00 PM I felt hungry, so I left my chair, and went to cook something. I was still thinking about what to prepare for dinner, when I heard someone knocking at the door. 

I went to open the door and there was no one. I thought maybe it was just my imagination and returned to the kitchen; and to the thought about the menu for the dinner. I again struggled to decide what to cook for dinner and then I again heard someone knocking at the door. I raced to open the door and again there was nobody.

And now I was certain it was not my imagination but it was someone playing an unwelcome and rude prank. If at all it was a prank. I locked the door from outside and went out to investigate the surroundings. Only to find out that there was nobody.

Now I had completely forgotten about the dinner and this thought occupied my mind. I opened the door, dragged my chair and placed it next to the door, and I sat there. Hoping that this anonymous and unseen force will again knock the door, and the moment it did so, I will open it. And hopefully, the anonymity of this person will be revealed.

I must have waited for nearly an hour, but there was no knocking. So. I cooked my dinner and ate it. Then I returned to writing and I was fully concentrating on re-writing the climax of the story. When I dropped my pen on the table, I tried to think of something that would add a more complex twist to the plot of the novel. I usually do it every night, And I have been doing it for many nights now. I write it down, and when I read it as a neutral reader and not as a writer, I tend to exclude it. 

Then somehow I convince myself that tomorrow I will work on a new climax. And it was no different tonight as well. While I was dealing with this thought, like most of my nights. Almost 45 nights now. I felt the need to find out the actual cause of the knocking, because it could not be merely my imagination.

So, I went out and this time instead of the surroundings, I examined the door. Again there was nothing. And I felt deeply disappointed! Then as I was about to lock the door and go out for my evening run, I saw a couple of burn marks on the door.

And this was strange. They could be caused by cigarette butts, but there was no ash on them. So, I wondered what might have caused them. I was feeling one of the burn marks with my finger tip when I heard something hitting the pillar at the entrance of the door. I quickly rushed to check it, and the pillar too bore burn marks, it was white in colour, and it had more than 100 burn marks. As of now I was clueless about their cause.

I began gazing at the horizon, and there I saw a fountain of fireflies spewing in the distance. It looked like fireflies, but actually it was amber. Strange amber like grains shooting into the sky and many of them. In all directions. And it seemed, tonight my room, especially the door and pillar of my compound, were the favourite target of this strange firework.

It was almost 12:00 in the midnight and I wanted to sleep, but right now only one thing seemed urgent, to look for the source of this shooting amber. I grabbed a 7 feet long and stout stick, and began walking in the direction of the source of this night time and unknown firework.

In 45 minutes I was there. Looking at a huge crater, as big as 15 football fields. There was black powder and amber everywhere, and most of it was crackling like popcorn, and whenever it crackled, it flung upwards, and in all other directions too. And over the black powder were small footsteps. Human footsteps, not too big. From the size of the marks left in the black powder, they could easily belong to a child, not more than 9 to 12 years old.

When I arrived at this conclusion, I realised that the boy too had rushed in the same direction and the celestial body that fell from the sky, could have crashed here, leaving behind this crater. And with this thought, I cried, “Oh my God! What became of the boy, if he walked into the center of this crater?”

And his footsteps that originated at the edge of the crater led right to the center of the crater. And there were no steps that would confirm his return. This began to worry me, it actually began to worry me a lot, because he was a young and energetic boy.

I stood at the edge of the crater thinking what could I do.

Finally, I too followed the footsteps of the boy and arrived at the center. Being careful to avoid the still hot and burning amber. Every step was like the first day experience of a person learning to use the keyboard. very much like the way he/she struggles to find the exact letters, mostly and instinctively via his/her index finger. I too placed my steps carefully so as not to land on hot amber.

When I reached there. I only saw shoes. Just his shoes. The boy had disappeared, but his shoes still told his story, still echoing in my ears as he ran through the stream and then raced towards this place. 

And whenever I cross the stream, I think of the boy. The crater is still there, the ambers have long died out. His shoes are there too, but, with a layer of black ash that has solidified as if to immortalise the will and passion of the boy. I often visit the crater and stare at the shoes, which have become a part of the crater. To all those who visit this place, it is a crater where the celestial body crashed and where the boy disappeared. But for me, it is where the boy became immortal, and he confirmed my belief that phoenix is in fact not a myth. It is true. Very true, only if we look at it with the mind and passion of the young and carefree boy. Who always followed his imagination and gazed at the sky, with a strong belief that Heaven and the One who made the Heaven is there somewhere waiting to be discovered. Because the universe was willing to reveal it all to him alone! So he believed! And he ran, and he crossed the stream in desperation. 

Tonight, I have completed my #sciencefiction novel, and I have titled it, They Loved in 2075. Because the shoes of the boy will outlive time in that crater. And in 2075, when humans will have forgotten to love and feel like humans, in the growing presence of self aware machines. The shoes in the crater, shall remind them of true and bonafide human passion, human emotions and human love. 

Those small shoes of the boy, the same shoes that he had strung around his neck while crossing the stream. 

Explore the #scifi novel, They Loved in 2075, and experience the intensity of romance, rekindled in every word and every line of this romance #scifi: They Loved in 2075!

All #scifibooks create a deep feeling of romance. I call it scifi romance that is unlike other forms of romance. To experience it at its new peak, please read the #scifibook, They Loved in 2075.

Science fiction. Tragedy of blessings

 

Science fiction. Tragedy of blessings

It is 2075, and space travel is very common. People travel to space with ease and there are many companies that have established their offices in space because their chief business preoccupation is mining asteroids and other celestial bodies for rare metals and earths. 

The world in 2075 presents a picture of extreme and absolute technological advancements where the world is woven into a network of self aware nodes that serve many purposes. Right from communication, health checkups, transportation, computer interface, virtual offices and a lot more. In 2075 everyone is part of the smart network and the smart network knows everything about everybody. The experts in 2075 call it legal and permitted profiling of citizens to offer them easy access to facilities offered by the government e.g. health care, accommodation etc.

It appears to be a world that is modern and super advanced. A world where a new working class has emerged. That of the Risk Takers. They are the ones who land on the asteroids and mine for the rare metals. They are very highly paid because extracting precious metals from asteroids is a very risky job that requires only one qualification: fearlessness!

And today on May 09th, 2075, a company called “Star Titans” is launching a crew of 15 men and women to mine an asteroid that has been spotted by its space probe, and according to their data it bears extremely rare metals worth trillions of dollars. However, there is a problem.

The asteroid is moving at an incredibly high speed, and given its speed and trajectory, it will be impossible for the Star Titans’ spaceship to land on the asteroid. Therefore, the company is left with only one option: To land the team of specialists called “Extreme Risk Takers” on the asteroid. For this assignment each one will be paid 15 million USD. But in lieu of 15 million USD they have pawned their lives to the business mission worth trillions of dollars.

Here is why!

The space ship will gain proximity with the asteroid and then these men and women will be launched on the asteroid via two capsules. And it may happen that the capsules do not land on the asteroid or are hit by the asteroid. And that shall be the end of their story. But to a few this is a thrill worth experiencing. Even if that means risking their lives.

Finally, the spaceship is ready and the men and women are placed in two capsules. The asteroid can be heard thundering in the distance. The spaceship enters its hyperdrive mode and places itself at a spot predetermined by the smart navigation and detection system that is tracking the movement of the asteroid. And in 20 seconds it ejects the capsules, which move at incredible speed and as soon as their sensors detect the solid surface of the asteroid they activate upward thrusters and then land on the asteroid with some shaking and tremors. And from the capsules emerge the “Extreme Risk Takers!” Who are unlike the ordinary Risk Takers. They are elite and considered to be the specialists in their job.

They thrust antennas on the surface of the asteroid and launch aerial drones to generate a 3D map of the asteroid. Then they share the exact coordinates with the mother spaceship. Based on these coordinates, now it can track it, and when the men and women are ready it will launch the equipment needed for digging, extraction and transportation of the rare metals. Along with this it will also lower a buggy like vehicle with a food and oxygen chamber large enough to accommodate 20 people. The mission will last 6 months and during this time the Extreme Risk Takers will be calling this freely moving asteroid their home. 

In the 7th  month it is estimated that the asteroid will head in the direction of another asteroid and when they collide there will be a supernova-like explosion. And that is one reason the men and women have to work fast and 18 hours every day. Well for them it is always night or day, depending upon the trajectory of the asteroid.

The Extreme Risk Takers receive the equipment along with the buggy that will support them in terms of food and shelter. Via their drones they have located the right mining spots where there are maximum deposits of the rare metals. 

They split into three groups and begin mining the asteroid. Everything proceeds as planned for 4 months and the owners of the company are excited about the endless wealth they will gain from this venture. Their future prospects look bright and very promising.

It must have been 05:00 PM on Earth when the headquarters of the company received this correspondence from the space probe, “asteroid collision that was expected in the 7th month can now happen any time. The astray asteroid has for some reason doubled its speed and it will hit our asteroid any time. Please take action!”

Panic sets in the boardrooms of Star Titans, and they call an emergency meeting to initiate urgent evacuation of the Extreme Risk Takers. And the chief engineer of the project disappoints them all when she says it will be impossible to evacuate them because the spaceship capable of carrying such a  mission is under maintenance and will take 5 days to be ready for such a high risk mission.

At this input the boardroom is filled with a deep feeling of helplessness and dismay. Then the chief engineer comes up with a brave solution.

“The digging/excavation equipment, capsules and the buggy have a self lift off mechanism. And they can remain in space without drifting freely in space for 20 days. But the buggy cannot lift off with 15 people onboard. For it to be able to achieve maximum lift off, it should have 10 people onboard.

And the two capsules are also capable of self liftoff, but their oxygen supply will not last more than 6 days.

So, our men and women will have to decide who boards the buggy and who boards the capsule. then our spaceship will rescue the capsule first followed by the buggy.”

The board members relay this communication to the team working on the asteroid. And when they receive the information, none of them panics, infact all of them volunteer to enter the capsule. Then one of them selects the 10 who shall board the buggy and the 5 men and women who will be boarding the capsule, including him.

They initiate the lift off mode in the digging equipment and the spare capsule as well. And make sure they have attained sufficient lift off and are safe. Then they shake hands and enter the buggy and 5 of them enter the capsule. They achieve the required lift off and then retain it in stationary mode. 

The Extreme Risk Takers dislike waiting, and here they are now, caught in the uncertainty of waiting and watching the endless universe.

Then one of them realises the blunder committed by them. The men and women in the capsule had forgotten to carry any food with them. 

On learning this, all 10 members in the buggy look a little sadder and now certainly concerned about their team members. And as they were caught in this sadness, they received a message from the men and women in the capsule, “Do not worry about the food. We have Humpty with us. The compulsive food stealer. He had stacked some energy bars in his backpack and that shall be enough for 6 days. So relax and do not worry! And in future trips, we shall always let Humpty steal food and eat extra. Haa haaa!”

I think this message explains why they are called the Extreme Risk Takers. Because managing to smile in this extreme crisis is a talent that everyone does not possess. Although, people on Earth say that these men and women have just one qualification; that of being fearless. The fact is, they are more qualified than a lot of them, because being patient and using one's mind to its maximum capacity without panicking in a situation like this requires more than fearlessness. It takes a real Man and a real Woman to achieve this sort of equanimity!

But there is only one thing they cannot control, and in the Universe its potency is overwhelming. The factors popularly known as, “Mood of the universe” in the space exploration industry. It is very unpredictable and there is no known mathematics or formula to guess it right always!”

And this is what appears to be working against them as of now. The following message confirms it, “Gentlemen and Gentlewomen. There is a huge asteroid hurtling your way and there are 98% chances it will hit you in a few minutes. We are helpless as of now and we can only hope for the best. But that is what makes you and us: The Extreme Risk Takers!”

They receive the trajectory coordinates of the hurtling asteroid and then one of them from the capsule proposes to switch off the lift off stationary mode and allow the free fall to move away from the trajectory of the advancing asteroid. And the rest shall be managed once the asteroid has passed. But the question that seems to worry them is  the fuel left to achieve navigation with the rendezvous point post the free fall. But obeying the tradition of true Extreme Risk Takers, they agree to decide on that part later.

And in a few seconds they are many miles away from their rendezvous points. And they can hear and see the asteroid whizz past them. And its size and speed caused the tremors in space that shook the buggy and capsule for almost a minute. But luckily without causing any damage to the engines.

As far as the buggy was concerned it had enough fuel to realign with the rendezvous point. But if the capsule uses the fuel to place itself at the rendezvous point, it will lose one day worth of fuel to stay in lift off stationary mode at the rendezvous point. And that might be too risky!

They run some calculations and then they communicate with the men and women on board the buggy. They ask them to activate their magnetic pulse mode and focus it on the capsule where the magnetic pulse reception plate will already be activate. And via the magnetic pull generated by the buggy’s magnetic pulse emitter, they can then reach the rendezvous point without using fuel. And with weightlessness in the space it shall be possible. They readily accept the instruction and roughly in 30 minutes both are at the rendezvous point.

It must have been their 3rd day when they received this communication, “Be ready for evacuation, we have achieved the necessary fine tuning in the spaceship and we are coming to get you home. We will be at the capsule’s rendezvous point in 2 minutes. 

In two minutes, the spaceship arrives, and using its lower duct-like projection, it lifts the capsule and then aligns it with its entry point. And secures all 5 men and women.

It returns to the 2nd rendezvous point in 2 hours and passes on instructions to set the buggy in autopilot mode with destination set as mother ship. Then it descends on the top of the buggy, almost like two dragonflies in love embrace. And the remaining Extreme Risk Takers too are flown back to the mothership. The moment they enter the mother ship, the two asteroids collide and there is a huge explosion. So powerful that its vibrations could be felt 500 miles across. 

But the Extreme Risk Takers had extracted rare metals worth 15 trillion USD and they had every reason to be happy and alive, because the company had decided to pay each one of them a bonus of 5 million USD, and transport them back to Earth on the same day to unite them with their loved ones. The waiting ones. That is a more appropriate phrase for 2075. The waiting ones!

Seeking inspiration from the Extreme Risk Takers, I also wrote a science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. Which is about 2075, but there are no Extreme Risk Takers.

It is an intense romance science fiction, where the world in 2075 is facing a different kind of crisis. In 2075 they call it psychological and emotional breathlessness, and it is destroying the social structure and native human feelings. Because as humans interact more and more with self aware machines, they have lost the ability to feel and love like a true and real human. In 2075, there are a lot of men and women who emote and act like machines, because they cannot tell the difference. And in the midst of this, the male protagonist falls in love with the female protagonist of this science fiction, and the romantic plot unfolds. 

It is a very different kind of romance, because the female feels and emotes more like machines, and this is an emotional struggle for the male lover who loves her a lot and wants her to feel human. Because she is a human!

To discover the romantic excitement that would define 2075, read the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075!

Science fiction : The mountain

 

Science fiction : The mountain

We all undertake journeys to find our tryst with our destiny, and often with our wanderings, where the destination often resides in the paragon moments of self realisation. It is then we find ourselves standing in front of an endless mountain openly challenging our valour. More than teasing us by its stature that is glorious and tall, it intimidates us by its very presence. Because when we look at ourselves and compare our physical stature with that of this mountain, we indeed appear insignificant and minute. And out of nowhere a falcon appears in the sky and flies higher than the highest peak of the mountain. Few of us seek inspiration from the falcon and begin our ascent of the mountain, while most of us blame our evolution for not granting us wings like falcon, and choose to wait for evolution to work its magic to make us a winged race of men and women. 

But we do not realise that if men and women had wings, then the Wright Brothers would never have developed an aeroplane that could fly higher and attain speeds much, much faster than the falcon. 

Modern day planes fly so fast that they can travel faster than the speed of sound. So, there is no doubt that the Wright Brothers belonged to the category of men and women who always choose to move ahead with their ascent of the mountain that challenges them and also teases them. Because its peak kisses the clouds and its hardiness and sheer size is very much like a giant that keeps growing in size and strength. Nevertheless, Wright Brothers decided to not let evolution take charge, instead they applied their imagination and sought inspiration from the falcon, that flew over the mountain peak almost effortlessly. 

With this motivation the Wright Brothers undertook a journey that would lead humanity to heights that exceeded that of clouds, and even the known limits of the blue sky. 

Their courage and valiant determination inspired many of us to take their journey forward, this time setting even higher limits. To land among the stars, and then look at the mountain from above, that now would appear very small and tiny, lying there in complete piety and veneration of human determination. Inspired by the majestic flight of the falcon, many humans have tread on the trail left by the Wright Brothers and reached beyond the stars, to soon be the Martians or the residents of the red planet. Now that is what will amaze the mountain on Earth always, and force it to wonder forever about the real stature of humans, that is extremely defiant and defined by their minds and by their self respect and honour. Because without these ingredients, everything is a hoax, a cry into the oblivion where there is endless vacuum. Unfortunately a few of us still believe that our real audience lies there. But it is not true. There is nothing in the oblivion, it only offers permanent residence to nothingness and virtuousness that is of no use.

I think the Wright Brothers knew the parallax of reality that offers different views and representations based on one's position, both physical and mental. What makes me think so?

It is obvious. They developed their dream flying machine many times, and everytime it crashed and proved humans cannot leave the grip of gravity, and only birds have the evolutionary advantage to do so. The Wright Brothers worked with more intensity and did not give up, because from every crash they gained a better understanding of parallax of reality, and eventually one day, they tested their flying machine and reality was left with no option but to let the flying machine of Wright Brothers bear flight and encourage them, and through them the entire humanity. Also proving that evolution has gifted humans, one special gift that capacitates them to match, and gain superlative form of superiority over every gift offered to other living things on this planet. 

And Wright Brothers made the best use of this gift. The gift of imagination, the gift to be daring and scale the highest peaks of mountains that scare us, that mock at us, that challenge us. But sometimes we all need a guide; a trail blazer, who prods our determination and courage to take the right course and thrust our flag of courage in the hearts of these tall and high mountains. The Wright Brothers did just that and inspired a generation of men and women to seek higher mountain peaks, so high that we are about to land on Mars now. And a mountain on Earth cannot grow that tall, even if it were a mountain growing a foot every month. But we also must not forget the contribution made by the falcon, because without it, we perhaps would never have known that it takes wings to fly. And who has seen angels or fairies. As long as we are willing to observe and look around, we will always find a falcon-like motivation to tell us that it takes wings to fly.

And those who still want to wait for the angels and fairies, the base of the mountain is not going anywhere, and so is not the peak of the mountain going anywhere either. But the distance between them is what matters and few of us dare to scale it and challenge it as well. And those of us who prefer to stay at the base and wait for angels and fairies, here is an opportunity for them too. The aeroplane always lands at the base and never at the peak, so it is evolution offering them a chance to realise that sometimes boarding the flight and not waiting for evolution to do the job, is the best option and the only way out. Now it is upto them, whether or not they want to board the flight and fly above the peaks and reach for the stars along with the men and women who dared to climb the peak. Because glory is for all to share, even for those who sometimes prefer to wait at the base of the mountain, because waiting too demands courage, at times a lot of courage. 

But there are many who would qualify as nonconformists when it comes to this belief and this approach to scientific thinking. Because they believe in the parallax of reality that is of a different kind. For them the base can be a peak and a peak can be a base as well. It all depends on where you are and how you are looking at things. However, while it has some validity, this belief is smashed completely when one brings the sky into perspective. 

Because the peak, which according to a few is the base, especially when one looks from this peak at the real base of the mountain, the base would appear to be a peak as well, because it is far and distant, but then where is the sky if it is the peak?

So, it is important that while examining the parallax of reality one takes into consideration all facts that create the original dimensions of reality and then assess the parallax of reality. Without it, one would tend to enter an endless array of realities, where the real dimension of reality will always be involved in a masquerading act. Almost an illusion that can never be caught in the actual dimension of reality. A loud shout into the oblivion from where only silence will return, because oblivion has no bottom, it is where eternity sinks too and keeps sinking forever. And those who want to ascend the peaks of mountains of life, they should avoid being victims of the expectation that oblivion returns echoes. Which it never does!

In the matinee of reality, the show is always about facts and objectives, and in maintaining this tradition of climbing the highest peaks of mountains and seeking inspiration from the Wright Brothers, I wrote my science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. It is an intense science fiction romance novel, where the two lovers are meant to climb different peaks and embark on totally different journeys, unlike the ones undertaken by humans till date. Because in 2075, the world is dominated by self aware machines, and humans are unable to emote and feel. Now, with this inability to feel an emotion as strong as love, how will the two main characters in this scifi novel, eventually ascend the peak of love, is an interesting journey that you can be a part of via the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075.

Whether you are someone who likes climbing the mountain peaks, or you are someone who likes staying at the base, this romance science fiction, They loved in 2075, is meant for you and for the lover in you. Because it is written by someone who is just like anyone of you!