Chapter Ten: Anyone home?

*************

God Of A Man

Infinity Confined

“Contentment and greed can neither co-exist, nor is either a panacea of societal health.”

Chapter Ten: Anybody home?

Dated: 9^th October, 2460

There is never enough of anything that would satisfy greed, for greed is always instigated by the thought of consumption. However, it is not about how much can one consume something, but rather the fear of depletion of what has been accumulated that fuels the desire for more. Contentment on the contrary is about enjoying what has already been achieved, and then learning to live without it, or perhaps, just learning to live without it anyway. But what drives the future better; a content peaceful existence or a greed driven mad race?

Perhaps neither of the two answers the needs of an intelligent and evolving community, for while contentment would hinder advancement, greed would eat itself up. A content society will not strive for development, and would never be prepared for eventualities. But a greedy race, where dog eats dog, the society would implode on account of its’ own unsatisfied greed. There will be few left who would hold all the opportunity, and there would be a sea of those seeking it. Clash of greed would be inevitable!

While greed drives invention, contentment develops understanding and appreciation of mutual interests. The two need to be balanced to achieve optimum performance by a society.

The small artificial nursery onboard the spaceship “Maa” was never meant to provide a stomach full of food to the bare minimum awake. Its sole purpose was always only to keep the limited food seeds that humanity still had excess to since their re-settlement in New Saisho, propagating. That the little yield that it produced under the simulated lighting and artificial gravity, could actually give those awake a bit of the worldly taste once in a while, was more of a bonus. Their major needs could only be fulfilled by artificial preparations. And even those stocks were limited and strictly rationed. No wonder Anne wasn’t keen on having any person woken up from their induced sleep, unless they were needed for some operation. But the Defence Core Committee rightly voted in favour of having one extra person up for two days, so that their muscles and bones didn’t degenerate beyond usability, under the effect of artificial gravity and continuous sleep. Besides, once those waking up came over their grief, it also brought about a much needed change of atmosphere in the cabin, which was otherwise becoming too monotonous and tiring. However, while most people would come with their baggage of past, one person was a baggage in himself, for everyone.

“If God didn’t want us to be alive, we would have all died on earth,” Norman was really getting under everybody’s nerves with his lengthy monologues on God. But everybody was not totally disinterested!

“I don’t understand, but how do you know it is God who saved us?” Chief flight officer asked from him, as he finally got up to have a break.

“Who else would it be?” Norman asked in return, “Tell me; why you and not some other person in your place?”

“Would you please shut up?” Anne however wasn’t impressed, and finally decided to intervene, “There is no such thing as God!”

“How do you know there is no God?” Norman immediately asked.

“And how do you know that there is one?” Anne shot back.

“That’s what everybody believed, for thousands of years,” Norman replied.

“And how do you know what everybody believed in was true?” Anne implored further, “Everybody also believed that the earth was flat, and that it was at the centre of the universe, and that everything revolved around it, and all this for thousands of years too.”

“That’s just a meaningless argument from a non-believer,” Norman quipped.

“It is a valid reason that I am waiting for you to reply to,” Anne continued her argument, “No one ever saw God, heaven or hell, yet everybody kept propagating the myth generation after generation, telling their kids how everything that they or even their great grandparents had never seen, was true. It was all a belief, the only way to test which was to die and find out. And nobody comes back after death to confirm. Yet humanity fought and killed each other under various names of God, for those very thousands of years.”

“Well, God is not about what I say or what anyone else says about him,” Norman continued his argument, “It is about what you believe in. You need to have firm faith in him, and he will reveal himself to you when the time is right.”

“But why should I believe in him in the first place,” Anne asked, “Why should I be superstitious?”

“Because he will give you everything,” Norman replied.

“But I already have everything that I need,” Anne argued back.

“And that’s because he gave it to you,” Norman stated emphatically.

“Nobody gave anything to me,” Anne replied, “I earned it through my efforts, and there is no reason why I should think someone would have given it to me.”

“Well, I can’t make you believe in him,” Norman exclaimed shrugging his shoulders, “You just have to accept it for yourself.”

“I have no reason to accept it,” Anne replied equally emphatically. “Captain Ahluwalia, put this man back to sleep,” Anne turned around and asked Captain Aman Ahluwalia, before realizing how he wouldn’t take her orders, so added, “please, will you?”

“As you wish Chief,” Captain Ahluwalia quipped as he immediately sprung to his feet and grabbed Norman from his arm.

“And could you please make sure we never wake him up again?” Anne vengefully asked as she glared at Norman, who had been taken by surprise, “The last thing I want is my crew being crippled by superstition.”

The one intent on having the last laugh, Norman quipped, “As God wishes!”

Wishes are dreams of an open eye, although one doesn’t need to have a physical vision for them. It is the vision of the heart which sees them, and it is the brain of the heart which wants them. The brain in the head is nothing more than an accomplice.

“What are we looking for Jenny?” little Jack asked as the duo meticulously searched another house in the neighbourhood.

“Anything that looks like a medicine, cream, shampoo or soap sweetheart,” Jenny quipped as she carefully searched through a wardrobe.

“But haven’t we got enough already?” Jack asked.

“I just want to know how much in total do we have, so we can ration accordingly,” Jenny exclaimed with a sigh.

One can prepare for the unknown, but that in no way guarantees that the preparations would be enough. Probabilities are only suggestive, not determinative. The ultimate result often lies in the intuitiveness and resourcefulness of the protagonist caught in a storm.

Their hard-work had finally culminated into another brilliant masterpiece of human engineering. The NSS “Full Bloom” had finally been upgraded into NSSS “Full Bloom”, and it looked every bit the craft that belonged to the new space age. There is no room for error, and there was no time for experimentation. This was going to be a single full and final shot at the future.

“Gentlemen,” Rear Admiral Gurubaan Ahluwalia began his address, “Today I feel proud standing here, onboard New Saisho Space Ship ‘Full Bloom’, ready to lead you glorious sons of the soil, on a mission that will determine our existence beyond these few moments that we are left with on this planet. We may not have come here on our free will, but we certainly will leave this place on it. This might be the first step towards a great journey, or the final step of our lives. But I have no regrets! I have lived my life well, and I shall be proud to die alongside you. Glory be to the sons and daughters of New Saisho!”

The entire crew burst into applause. They were ready to take off on their new journey. Having left the shell of the nearly dismantled NSS “Full Bloom” at the bottom of the ocean right where it had been anchored for the last six months, and much of their unneeded cargo, they were ready to take an aerial tour of the planet that had hosted them all this while. It was going to be a goodbye and a thank you, both at once. It was going to be quick, for they didn’t know if a friend or a foe lived there. But they all felt it would be a shame if they didn’t pay their respect to what had now almost become their second home.

When the host is unknown, it is prudent for the guest to be benevolent in the gifts they bring. It is goodwill that generates goodwill, and goodwill that warms up relationships. But when the host is missing, there is only so much the goodwill will do.

“Shit, we are locked,” Jack exclaimed as he tried to open the door of the room he and Jenny had been searching through. The door had an automatic locking mechanism, and unfortunately for them, the key was lying somewhere beyond the thick wooden block that stood in their way now.

“Damn, we should have checked it earlier,” a shocked Jenny exclaimed, “But don’t worry! We are not going to panic! Relax! We are going to think of something.” Her palpitations however betrayed her words, and Jack just looked back at her face, wondering how he should actually react.

Panic is often the first thing that afflicts a victim of a shock. The physical damage however may never happen. And that’s probably because panic travels at the speed of light.

“Planet, right ahead,” a terrified Aslam shrieked hoarse.

“Where, I can’t see it?” Margaret asked.

“Two hundred miles, dead ahead,” Aslam exclaimed.

“I see it,” Christina replied as she turned on the radio telescope, “Adjust ascent by fifteen degrees.”

“Adjusting ascent now,” Margaret immediately followed the suggestion.

“It looks like an Icy planet,” Aslam quipped as he used his own resources to analyse the upcoming body, “But how come it is here in starless space?”

“Could have been lost by our universe,” Christina quipped.

“Take its’ pictures Christina, once we are flying past it,” Charles issued her some instructions.

“Should I get some data from the planet for research,” Aslam asked, “Might not be a bad idea to check its’ composition. Besides, there is nothing much to do otherwise. And you never know when the research could come in handy.”

Charles weighed in on his question for a brief moment before quipping, “Go ahead!”

It never hurts to keep an eye out for new knowledge, but closing one’s eyes to it might. Probability has a strange way of affecting lives. Something that happens once can often happen again. It is this recurrence of events that makes learning an invaluable task to accomplish.

“Sir, we see development,” an excited Reginald yelled out just as NSSS Full Bloom approached another beach front.

“Could be alien settlement,” Rear Admiral however was more concerned than excited, “Give me a quick zoom in!”

Marcus, who was manning the telescopic vision immediately set on to the task, “Magnified images coming to the screens now sir.”

“That looks like human houses,” Jake quipped, before another image showed the block the settlement was on.

“That looks like a chip of a block from our own earth,” Rear Admiral quipped after giving one look, “Looks like we might not be the only ones sent out on this planet.”

“Sir, should we send someone down to have a look?” Jake asked.

“That’s a good idea,” Rear Admiral quipped, “Get ready to go down with two men, while we will wait airborne.”

“Sir, what if there are many people,” Marcus asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Rear Admiral replied back, “We will save all of them, no matter how hard it makes the things for us.”

“Sir, do you want us to go house to house,” Jake asked.

“That won’t be necessary,” Rear Admiral replied, “Just a quick patrol through the streets, and use a megaphone to make announcement. If there is anyone in there, they will come out on their own. We have no time to waste.”

*************

Chapter Nine: The dark of the light

*************

God Of A Man

Infinity Confined

“None is perfect; some are just better at hiding their flaws.”

Chapter Nine: The dark of the light

Dated: 19^th July, 2460

Life can be planned and controlled, but emotions will always be free. And emotions will invariably lead an individual to indiscretions. However life is also about learning, including about self. Each indiscretion is also a revelation, of both the low points a life can hit, and of the consequences it might entail. The more learning a person has had from their life, the better adept they would be in dealing with unplanned circumstances, as and when they may unfold.

No one who lives a real life, experiences real emotions, and entertains real relationships, can stay perfect. The more passionate a person, the more error prone would be their life. And to find a good leader amongst such a lot, one has to overlook some imperfections, for as much everyone is error prone, that much is everyone well versed in hiding their injudiciousness. The better a person is in hiding their dark; the brighter they appear overall.

But this does not mean the adjustment has to continue limitless, for at some stage the quality would become so diluted that it would defeat the advantage coming from all the learning of the past. Some errors can be forgiven, some are unforgiveable, but sometimes it is the accumulation of errors which renders further forgiveness a folly.

Nothing had changed much about how Captain Bradley Connors looked from the outside, except that he had now turned into a person of black descent. Nothing had changed about his body internally as well, as long as it was possible to peep inside using an X-ray machine. But now not only was his body impervious to X-rays, as much as it was immune from physical scratching, the scrapings of his dead skin cells had really puzzled the scientists on board the spaceship Maa.

“Doctor Dawson, Doctor Harvey; what are your findings,” Anne asked them the first thing as she entered their laboratory, accompanied by Aman, Bradley and Suzanne.

“It is really interesting Commander, as to what is really happening over here to our friend’s cellular chemistry,” Doctor Keith Harvey, the Chemist, started off his reply in his usual lethargic tone, “Now we already knew from our study on the specimen recovered by Doctor Suzanne Dillon, from the underground site in Middle-East, the one that our friend Captain Connors was idiot enough to mess with using his bare hands; that the atomic structures of the other universe are electrically reversed, with their nuclei being negative charged, and their outer shells carrying ultra light positive charge. But this specimen that we have now recovered from our friend’s dead cell scrapings, simply blows our mind away.” Doctor Harvey finally managed to finish his statement, and let his companion, Doctor Shelly Dawson, the physicist, pick up the thread of communication from there.

“What surprised us was, that the atomic structures making up Captain Connors cells,” Doctor Dawson continued from where her peer had left, “They have lost all their charge all together. There is no longer a charge differentiation between the atomic nuclei, and the charge clouds surrounding them.”

“Could you please explain this in English,” Aman finally couldn’t bear it any longer and interrupted.

“Like in case of nuclear energy, where atoms break up to release energy, or combine to release it,” Doctor Dawson took a deep breath and continued, only this time in not too technical terms, supposedly, “It appears the contents of Captain Connors atomic structures are releasing radiations, and losing their charge in the process. These radiations are further propagating this chain reaction, and slowly but surely, converting the entire mass making up Captain Connors, into a charge-less mass.”

“Does this mean good or bad for the rest of us,” was Anne’s simple and relevant query.

“The good thing is, and we are guessing it to be so,” Doctor Harvey qualified his positive words as soon as they escaped his lips, “That this change is happening only when atoms are involved in a chemical reaction. So technically, unless you mix Captain Connors’ fluids or tissues with the rest of us, we are all safe.”

“Tell me about that,” Anne shook her head as she reminisced the last couple of months, “It was really quick thinking on part of Doctor Dillon to inform us, and we were plain lucky that we had extra reclamation equipment and other arrangements available, to quarantine Captain Connors. This has been such a drain on our resources.”

“Sorry to interrupt Commander-in-Chief Miss De Villiers,” Aman however interjected immediately, “But Captain Connors is still serving his role efficiently, and is only using what he would have used anyway. Yes we had to use one of the spare equipment sets, but I don’t think that’s really a drain on our resources, given the wealth of experience and expertise that Captain Connors brings to this mission. The most important part of this situation is; thanks to Captain Connors, we now know exactly how interaction with the matter belonging to the other universe can actually affect us.”

“You are talking just like my idiot friend Doctor Xavier Adams,” an incensed Suzanne however confronted Captain Ahluwalia on his assertions, “Do you even realize how catastrophic it could have been for the entire mission?”

“I absolutely understand your point of view Doctor Dillon,” Aman however calmly replied, “But the problem is; Captain Connors is not responsible for Doctor Adams decision. Besides, he is carrying his weight around pretty well. You cannot castigate him for what is not his fault.”

“No one’s castigating anyone here Captain Ahluwalia,” Anne however intervened before the discussion turned argumentative, “We are only trying to find out a best possible outcome for a situation that is neither any of ours in making, nor in any of our hands.”

“Thanks Commander,” Aman replied with a nod as he stepped away to leave, “And hopefully I won’t remember this conversation about reclamation sets when I’ll drink the water next time.”

Knowledge is both found and imbibed in layers. The first impression of any new knowledge is generally a holistic picture of what is there at disposal. Finer details often miss the first glance. The second look starts the identification of distinct layers, and then each subsequent look reveals new dimensions of the same learning. Thus knowledge is both disentangled and absorbed in layers.

“I love breaking into houses,” full of childish enthusiasm, Jack quipped as he lent a hand to Jenny, in ramming a locked garage door with a thick log of wood.

“We are not breaking into houses,” Jenny however corrected him immediately, “We are only borrowing things from our neighbours, and we will return them as soon as we won’t need them anymore, or as soon as they will ask them back. Remember, we are good people; not thieves.” And Jenny gave him a light hearted glare.

“But who’ll ask for them?” innocent Jack however had a point.

“Still, we are not stealing,” Jenny however was insistent too, “We are only borrowing. There’s a difference! We need them badly, and there is no one here to give them to us.”

“But we haven’t asked anyone?” Jack however questioned her, much like he was her conscience for the moment.

“Because we can’t, and we need help,” Jenny pleaded on in defence before ending the conversation, “Never mind the labelling for the moment, and just give the log a big push.”

And the duo gave one more mighty push to the log, finally cracking the locks of the shutter. Jenny quickly lifted the shutter up, to reveal another hidden treasure.

“Look at that,” and Jenny’s eyes immediately dilated at the sight of what lay inside, “Now what kind of an idiot would stack solar panels in his garage instead of putting them on his roof? We should have done this a lot earlier.”

Opportunity presents itself so that it could be adequately availed, by anyone who has the guts to grab it. Brave decisions are made mostly on the spur of the moment, and yet their glory cherished for ages.

“How are we going with the schedule?” a concerned Rear Admiral Gurubaan Ahluwalia asked Engineer Gurio Wallace, who had been busy working day and night with his team, perfecting the new design of the ship, as well as getting the alloy ready to be cast into the shape. No single pair of hands was available to scratch the Rear Admiral’s back, for he was himself keenly involved in the physical work taking up everyone’s time, as they burned the full time oil, to upgrade their ship.

“Sir, we are running one month behind our original schedule, because of the prototype that we had to test in between,” Gurio replied, “But the good thing is; this craft will save us a day on top of a month, in travelling time. So not only will we still easily make the trip to the first space tear that we are targeting, but we will have a spare day to scavenge this planet.”

“Sir, if you don’t mind, can I ask; why are we building nukes?” Lieutenant Reginald, who was standing by his side, asked from his senior.

“We cannot carry too much unwanted weight, so we can only carry a limited amount of ammunition with us on this journey young man,” Rear Admiral replied patting him on his shoulder, “But in the light of the fate of the craft that we have reverse engineered, it is important that whatever we carry with us, it is deadly enough.”

Sometimes knowing too much could prove to be the undoing of a cause. Over cautiousness can stifle the natural flair, and thus diminish the abilities of a protagonist, thus fatally flawing the performance. Some risks are indeed worth taking!

“Feels like a flower has been stripped off its fragrance?” Bradley quipped to Mishansa, whom he was tasked to accompany, in the sighting cabin on the left side of the space ship.

“A flower detached from its plant, and captured in a glass box, is but destined to whither,” Mishansa’s pain was apparent in her words that registered more of her resignation to her fate, than a complaint about her social seclusion.

“When you can see through the thick folds of skin and bones, those who hold secrets behind them are bound to either hide their selves from you, or hide you from them,” Bradley however thought she was unhappy that Anne had severely restricted her movement in the ship, confining her sojourns between her cabin, and this sighting room, that too under constant surveillance of either Captain Ahluwalia, or Bradley.

“And isn’t it ironic, that the one who holds no evil, is not to be trusted by those who know exactly what evil really is?” Mishansa however questioned in reply.

“Maybe it’s not their knowledge of the evil, but rather sharing of that knowledge of the evil, which they strive to contain,” Bradley calmly replied.

“But such an evil would not be a collective evil, rather only an individual evil, isn’t it?” Mishansa however asked.

“And perhaps then it is an evil that better be left with the one who bears the burden, for then it cannot afflict others anyway,” Bradley reasoned.

“But what if that evil is the source of evil for others?” Mishansa asked.

“Then others will eventually find out about it anyway, won’t they?” Bradley asked in reply.

Mishansa took a deep breath, and stepped closer to the window, to peer deep down in space. Finally she commented, “Bradley, I cannot hear your thoughts anymore.”

*************

Chapter Eight: Dead to tell a tale

*************

God Of A Man

Infinity Confined

“If silence could settle arguments, there would never have been wars.”

Chapter Eight: Dead to tell a tale

Dated: 28^th April – 1^st May, 2460

Words are golden when they make up a reason, and light when sung in glory. Words are a curse when they humiliate, and a boon when they mend hearts. Rich are those who never run out of words, and dumb are those who don’t know how to use them. Evil are those who abuse their mastery, and treacherous are those who feign silence when there is plenty left to be said.

Arguments are good when both sides are listening, for that’s when either or both of them would end up with a better understanding of what was discussed. Without a discussion, nothing new emerges. Evolution of species is a biological act, while evolution of society is a linguistic. Thoughts cannot propagate without dialogue, and dialogue not only spreads what is good, it can often fix what was broken in the original idea.

Nothing can be proved by staying silent when something definitely needed to be said, either in contrast or in approval. But if nothing is said, it is the society which loses out, for without those words an effort lies wasted. And in a life where time is one thing no one knows how much they have, futility of efforts is a bane of progress.

Captain Aman Ahluwalia knew the importance of the job at hand, but he was also aware of the unchecked power that vested in the Commander-in-Chief by virtue of her position. It was too arbitrary to be handed even more control, especially when matters to be dealt with were unknown, and no one knew what the best approach to any new evolving situation might be; whether a calling from the heart, or a decision bereft of all emotions. Of course having had his way wasn’t going to be enough, especially in the light of the feared threat that was taking on monstrous proportions, in the light of the resources and technical abilities at disposal.

“So what do you reckon are our chances of survival?” Charles Harrison asked off Aman when the newly constituted Defence Core Committee met, the first thing on another pitch black morning.

“First of all, we shouldn’t fear catastrophe right at the outset,” Aman informed them, “It is not like the so called Space Pirates are ready and waiting to massacre us. They don’t even know us, and might never so!”

“What makes you so confident?” Anne asked as everybody looked on.

“Firstly, if Mishansa’s information is correct, that the space pirates indeed travel at the speed of light, then we might be safe anyway,” Aman’s response however surprised them, “And the reason is; and I may not be a scientist, but I am pretty sure I’m on my money on this one; when you travel at the speed of light, or faster, everything around you would itself appear only like specs of lights. And our one single spaceship might not even make a spec.”

“Then how come Mishansa’s people got butchered?” a surprised Anne asked.

“Probably because they had a much bigger fleet, of around two thousand ships, that all travelled close to the speed of light,” Aman was equally forthcoming in his reasoning too, “So they might have caught the enemy’s attention due to their relative movement, and for all we know, their numbers might have been a cause of alarm for the enemy to launch a pre-emptive strike, fearing that they were facing an invasion.”

“And you reckon neither should be the case in our situation,” Chris asked.

“We might not even get anywhere near their world ever,” Aman replied, “Mishansa’s folks were unlucky in that they probably ran too close to their world, in a region of space they rule. I mean; they had travelled for twenty five years without an incident, didn’t they?”

“That is true,” Anne quipped shaking her head, but she was still concerned, like everybody else, “But what if we do run into them?”

“Now that would be really unfortunate,” Bradley joined in the conversation this time, “For we stand no chance, and this is not because we don’t have much more capable weapons with us. The best of our technology would stand outclassed in this battle of un-equals. Our best missiles barely travel at some multiple of supersonic speeds, while we have an enemy that travels way faster than the speed of light. They would have easily run an entire fleet of ours out of ammunition, before taking us out like sitting ducks.”

“So we are doomed to die in case we meet them?” Chris asked half-heartedly, as if he didn’t know the answer.

“We are travellers on a journey, at the mercy of those whose kingdoms we cross, and not an army on a war path,” Bradley replied, “Even if we were faced with an enemy much less accomplished then ourselves, we would have never stood a chance, for we haven’t marched out to conquer. Only an army led with a dedicated aim to lay waste all that lies in its’ path is ever equipped, or prepared to re-equip at a short notice when mobile.”

“So what do we do? Just die,” an exasperated Anne threw her hands up in frustration.

“We can die,” Aman quipped in response, “Or we can play dead!”

Improvisation is the key to success for any venture. Doesn’t matter how detailed the initiating design is, unexpected issues may always crop up, throwing the best laid plans into jeopardy. It is about how quickly and efficiently can those hick-ups be addressed, that determine the levels of success for a venture.

“Sir we have retrieved as much wreckage from the downed craft as we could have,” Lieutenant Sage Ward informed the Rear Admiral as soon as his team arrived back at the shores, having just finished a long and stretched wreckage salvage mission at the high seas.

“Good work boys,” Rear Admiral patted his man before turning around to address his Engineer, Gurio Wallace, “Have a look at what more has been recovered, and see if that can assist us in deciphering the strange technology used in this craft.”

“Now I may be just imagining sir,” Gurio replied, “But I firmly believe; there is someone with even better technology out there than this one.”

“How much have you been able to decipher of this one so far?” the Rear Admiral asked.

“Sir, the alloy and design used by this civilization is way stronger that any used by us, and lighter too,” Gurio replied, “I am just not sure how the strange micro exhaust valves lining the previously recovered wreckage perform aerodynamically. I suspect their craft had a lot more thrust than what is provided by our current technology.”

“What are the chances of our developing a similar design, should we manage to decode their technology?” Rear Admiral asked.

“Sir, without any change in engine or body design, if we manage to fit in these new elements into our design, it might improve our craft’s performance, but I must add that any such improvement would not make our craft as capable as what this downed craft seems to be,” Gurio was cautious in his expectations, “Computer assisted modelling suggests it could be done, and should result in a marked improvement in performance. But then of course, we’ll have to test a prototype first before making any big commitment. We are on course for a quick prototype test in four weeks time.”

“Let’s stick with that schedule,” Rear Admiral quipped before turning around to Lieutenant Jake Reginald, “You and your team heads out tomorrow morning. Let us get to the drawing board.”

Relationships are similar to going to a war in quite a few senses. Each bond, howsoever slight, brings with it expectations that have to be met for it to last any meaningful length of time. It is like reinforcements that have always to be kept ready and regularly supplied, if any hopes of victory are to be entertained. It is not the initial skirmishes, but sustained efforts that yield result in a battle. In a relationship it is not the initial commitment, but consistent pandering that determines its survival.

“So how are you?” Suzanne asked Bradley just as she made a coffee for herself.

“How do I look?” Bradley however asked as he took a sip from his own.

“Perhaps my question goes beyond the looks,” Suzanne asked, “It is not an easy situation to be in for anyone, more so for you; for your troubles are possibly the biggest.”

“Are you concerned or scared?” Bradley asked.

Suzanne took a deep breath, turned around and looked Bradley square in his eyes, “There are a hundred and twenty lives on board this spaceship, and I have no expertise to assist you. Should I be more concerned for you as someone I appreciate, or should I be more scared of what it could mean for those others who are under my care, dependent upon my expertise?”

Her question left Bradley speechless and uncomfortable. A handful of moments trickled away in uncomfortable silence, as Suzanne looked keenly at Bradley’s face, searching for an answer in the lines that sculpted his forehead. Finally she turned around to leave when Bradley stopped her, “Wait, I have something to show you.” Suzanne turned around, and Bradley put his coffee cup away, removed his jacket first, and then his gloves, revealing one completely greyed out hand. A shell shocked Suzanne stood there in horror, but that was just the beginning. He removed his shirt to reveal how one half of his torso had turned the same grey shade, with the shade headed up both North and West.

Suzanne mumbled a few words that made no sense, before finally managing to say, “Into my clinic, right now!”

Dark is not the night, for night is nothing more than the clear image of what exists beyond the limits of any heavenly body; the space. It is day which has many myriads of shades, all of them confined by the same bounds that keep the space out. Same is the story with troubles and triumphs, with the former being a part of the wider existence and latter being an achievement of the determined.

Little Jack opened his eyes one more time, much to the relief of Jenny. Last night had been really tough, with him falling in and out of consciousness, and Jenny helpless. But the young lad fought out well. It was hard to tell when he was merely asleep, and when he was unconscious, but with his body temperature finally settling down, the trouble now seemed to have been overcome.

“Good morning Jenny,” the little champ exclaimed as he rubbed his eyes, trying hard to adjust to the bright day outside.

“Good morning sweetie pie,” Jenny chirped with a smile, as she softly tweaked his nose. She then paused to reflect for a moment, before exclaiming, “I’m glad it was you and not me, for I might not have survived in all this hopelessness.” And tears rolled down her eyes yet again.

When hope is lost, the burden of life is the heaviest. And sometimes this fear is all that is needed to ensure the hope lives on.

Three helicopters had been dispatched for ore retrieval; one with men to man the location, other with men to milk it, and yet another to retrieve the load. The task was cut out for Lieutenant Reginald and men under his command; first secure the area, then keep the beasts at way while men are digging and retrieving, finally make the rear of the departing party.

“Stan, you are going to be the watch,” Jake gave last set of instructions, “I want two gunners each on eight corners, one firing their weapon, and the other reloading in the meantime. Remember, grenades are to be the last resort when all else will fail.”

“How tough are the beasts?” Lieutenant Ward, who was going out with them for the first time, wasn’t yet aware of what he was up against.

“They are weird,” Jake replied, “The problem is not how tough they are. The problem is that they have many tentacle-like arms, with each arm having a mouth of its own, and they can shoot out in a flash. The tricky part is that their bodies may appear to be far, but their arms have a really long reach.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun,” Sage quipped, “Seems more like reusable projectiles.”

“Exactly,” Jake confirmed it for him.

With the direction and location known, the journey to the site was quicker than their last turn. The descent was quick, but the outlook surprising. While the open mine and the hillock in its middle were clear, there was thick vegetation extending right from its edge. The first time they didn’t have the largesse to look ahead or behind, but could only run for their lives. This time the stillness felt haunting. Stanley perched himself firmly on the top of the hillock to keep an eye out for trouble from any direction.

“Do you see any movement?” Jake asked him on his shoulder mounted radio.

“Negative,” Stanley replied as he strained around.

Jake thought for a quick second before issuing next set of instructions, this time to the pilot of the second chopper, “We see no movement yet, but we have work to do. Bring the men in! We’ll deal with the trouble whenever it shows up.”

One by one more men were dropped into the zone, with shovels and spades, ready to dig up matter and load it into crates dangling from the third helicopter.

“Any movement,” Jake asked Stanley again.

“Negative,” was again the answer.

The top seemed soft to shovel. Cautiously at first, the men started to dig, building speed as they progressed, until one man’s shriek caught everyone’s attention. Another kind of organism had emerged from underground, wrapping its’ tentacles around the legs of the man digging. The gunner closest started to shoot, but more organisms emerged from underneath attacking almost all of them.

“The beasts are out,” was a loud yell from Stanley as the beasts in the field emerged out too.

“Left man in, right man out,” was the cry from Jake, and everybody understood what he meant. The man on the left turned to shoot the animals inside the mining area, while the right one shot the intruders coming from outside. But things were looking bleak.

Heavily outnumbered and out resourced, Jake finally made the call, “Fire the grenades Stan.” Stan obliged, but before he could have done much damage, an opportunist bird swooped down to grab its meal perched atop the hillock. Luckily for Stan it failed to grab a hold of him, but toppled him off the top. Antonio, flying the first chopper however didn’t miss his shot and brought the flying predator down. Stan quickly regained his position and went on the long range assault. His efforts soon started to yield result. The bloodbath lasted for about forty five minutes, but the ground was finally secured, with only two men injured, thanks to the safety provided by their heavily padded suits.

“Let’s get on with the digging,” Jake commented after overseeing the evacuation of the two injured men, dispatched to their makeshift clinic, set up just outside the forested area.

*************