Science fiction. The crossing

 

Science fiction. The crossing

I saw two of them, yes it was two of them. At least that is what I saw in the vagueness of the night, when the Moon was completely hidden behind the clouds. And on the Earth, where I was right now and where I saw these two persons, it was dark. 

But the dim light of a few glow worms made them faintly stand out  in the darkness, where they were nothing more than two columns of black smoke moving in the darkness of the night. From this you could tell how identifiable they must have been. Anyway, there were two of them and they were walking with an unease of doubtful hurriedness. I could not tell this from the rate at which these two figures were moving away from me, but from the sound their footsteps made when they crushed the crisp and dry grass blades.

For some reason the glow worms followed them and made it possible for me to guess their location, which indeed was very far now, and if I followed them, they would not know. At least that was my guess. But I did not have any reason yet to follow the two strangers who were nothing more than two columns of smoke moving in the darkness of the night, with just a few glow worms that followed them to reveal their position. 

So, I thought for a while to find the right reason to follow them, something that would justify my ambition like desire to follow them. However, there was something very strange about both of them and it had partially motivated me to follow them, I just needed the remaining motivation to pursue them in the darkness of the night. And when I looked at the glow worms swirling around their heads. And the pace at which they were moving with a demeanour that was unearthly and yet serenaded anybody who looked at them. I felt so at this moment. 

Finally, after having stood there for almost 2 minutes or more, I too followed the trail of their steps. I was somehow convinced that tonight I was destined to know or see something very splendid and I felt deeply buoyant about it. So, I took every step carefully not to disturb the fireflies, because if they would fly away, I would lose their track, and then it was almost certain that they too would realise that someone is following them. And it shall be the end of the uncertain adventure and the desire to see something very exciting tonight. So, I was very careful with my every step and I tried my best not to disturb them.

I must have followed them for more than an hour when they reached a river. There both of them had a brief conversation, and they frequently moved their heads. As if they were trying to arrive at a consensus on whether or not to cross the river. Then one of them took out a baton-like thing and pressed it a couple of times, and it spread like a small and flat raft, then both of them stood on it, and it carried them across the river. Where the same person spread his hand over it and the raft rolled back into a baton like thing, and then as if by some magnetic energy, it left the surface of the water and before I could wink my eyes, I saw him holding it in his hand. And I am sure, he did not bend to pick it up, but something made it act against the gravity and in a moment it was in this person’s hand.

Now their forms were more perceivable because the moon was no more behind the clouds and the glow worms were still circling their heads. Then they looked around to make sure nobody saw or knew the secret of their raft that was more buoyant than a fish and it carried both of them across the river although it was not thicker than paper. And now I was more drawn towards them and I wanted to know everything about them.

Alas, now there was not the darkness of the night that was separating us, but it was the river that was separating me from them and the glow worms, still following them. As if they too were keen to know about these two interesting persons, who now seemed less strange and more interesting to me, and I guess to the glow worms as well.

But right now, I needed to figure out how to cross the river. And I did not have anything at my disposal that would match the technological superiority of their baton raft. That perhaps floated with some particle based pulses being discharged by the raft that acted against the surface tension of the water and the surface of the raft, and managed to keep them afloat. And from the moonlight that sparkled its surface I could easily tell that it did not touch the surface of water, it was floating above it, and it could not be possible without the raft being able to generate some sort of particle based pulses that created this phenomenon that to me was a symbiosis of principles of levitation and buoyancy. And yes, they stood one after another and this had something to do with balancing the surface tension, and when they stood at their spots, their shoes seemed to get latched onto its surface. And I am sure, even if they would have flipped, the raft would have regained its position, and with it the two persons as well.

I had no access to anything like this, so I thought of getting a bit too adventurous, Because inadventurousness is where boredom and monotony incubate. For a few, even during the night. A dark night like this one!

Luckily there were two trees on opposite sides of the river. Their branches did not touch each other, but the topmost and the nearest ones were not farther than 4 feet. But jumping 4 feet without being able to take some run up before arriving at the point where I would jump off the branch to grab the branch of the tree that stood on the opposite side of the river, and without making too much noise, was highly challenging and at the same time worrying. Eventually the eagerness won and I leapt from the branch with all my might and held on to the branch of the tree that stood there as a mascot of hope on the other side of the river. It would not have been possible without some help of my will and some moonlight too.  

Then I gradually climbed down from the tree and before my feet could touch the ground I made sure to locate the fireflies, and they were still there circling around their heads. And I had managed not to make them conscious about my presence. Thanks to the sound of crickets who had for whatever reason assembled near the tree, my mascot of hope, and their sharp shrills, and the noise of the running water of the river, were enough to drown my landing in the tree, where a few small branches snapped and they did make some sound. But their creaking sound could not travel far because the crickets seemed overjoyed and too loud tonight.

Now I stood on the ground, and rolled down my sleeves to avoid being bitten by mosquitos. And I began following them again. And I excitedly wondered what next!

It was a vast grassland in the middle of this forest. Although I had travelled through this forest many times, I had never seen this plain grassland. Never before. So, I was surprised and now a bit scared too. They stood beside a huge oak tree, and pulled the same baton again. This time instead of spreading like a rectangle, it took the form of a triangle that mimicked the shape of an American Stealth Bomber Jet. And again the same person pressed something and this time it levitated and then flew ahead.

Now it was clear, its bottom surface was emitting streams of pulses, and these streams of pulses had two formations. One of the formations comprised of three nozzles. One at the tip, two at the rear that were releasing streams of pulses, flowing downwards. And then, there were 6 with adjustable nozzles that were flowing backwards. The three points offered it upward thrust just like the British Harrier fighter plane that mimics dragon flies and then moves ahead with incredible speed. And the six nozzles offered it speed and direction. 

(I am not too sure about the nature of these pulses but they could be neutron pulses)

Then this raft, which was now a craft, hovered at a point and gradually began losing its height and touched the ground. Then something incredible happened, what appeared to be a vast grassland started moving and I could see the grass blades shaking, and the whole area echoed with the noise of engines and the entire area was now airborne. The grassland was a huge spaceship.

The two persons looked around, and the fireflies then aligned like the steps of stairs that connected with the door of the spaceship. And the two men climbed these steps and entered the spaceship. As the door closed, the steps again assumed the shape of fireflies and then vanished into a small vent.

When I reached the spot. The two strangers and the spaceship had disappeared in the night sky somewhere in the midst of the stars, I smiled and reassured myself, “Anyway you learned to jump like your ancestors today and you saw what nobody would believe!” 

As I was turning back, a firefly stood in front of me, and I ignored it, thinking it was just an ordinary firefly that had come to mock me. But then, it landed on my upper hand and it formed these letters in fluorescent light, “We knew you were following us. But we let you, because we wanted you to. So this is your gift and use it well. We will visit you soon again!”

It was a wonderful experience and seeking inspiration from it, I wrote my science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. It is a romance science fiction, which awakens our conscience, the scientist and the restless seeker in all of us. And the romantic plot of the science fiction, They Loved in 2075, is what makes it exceptionally interesting. But sometimes, as a reader we have to dare to jump 4 feet without taking the run up and still manage to land at the exact point. In the science fiction, They Loved in 2075, you will come across many such moments, as far as the innovator, the thinker, the scientists and the lover inside you is concerned.

Jump well and may you always land on the exact spot! It is my earnest wish for all those who read the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. Whereas for those who do not find time or reason to read it, I wish them the guidance similar to what was offered to me by the fire flies and may they always manage to cross the river of life with the ease and deaftness of two strangers. Whom I saw on that dark night!