The Choice ( FICTION )

The Choice…
(My 1st attempt at writing a short story ).

The stagnant ceiling fan greeted him as he woke up - sweating… “ Damn – another power cut! ” he cursed… his mind then shifted to the recent pleasant event that had taken place his life. He smiled, he was happy – very happy in fact. His childhood dream had come true… very soon the world would know – they would know about the most enduring mysteries of all of our times… Something that even Einstein had failed to answer…

He looked around the house… the house was bathed in utter darkness…he was alone – that’s the way he had been since a good amount of time now. Normally he never missed company, for his research kept him more than busy. However, now in his elation he missed some one to talk to. He missed his parents – who stayed in another city… Very soon they would know about the success of his mission. They would be proud of him!

He had always welcomed power cuts when he stayed with his parents. That was when ever one was free at the same time. He played the guitar, and sung, as Mom , Dad and sisters applauded . Dad narrated his stories … he winced as pangs of loneliness pricked into his being…

He looked outside, the trees and their leaves seemed dead still ( he could judge from the sounds – lack of them), as though they had been stuck to that position – it felt pretty odd … He looked at his wall clock to figure the time out – the glowing wall clock showed 10.30 PM.. “that’s odd” he thought, he had slept at around 12Midnight… the battery might have run out, he said to himself, and groped his way to his study and found a candle… He then went to the kitchen to look for a match box… cocooned in the darkness, he couldn’t see a think – he noticed that no light what so ever creeped in from the outside through the windows – there must have been a major power outrage he thought…

He fixed himself a pot of coffee, and went into his balcony… the wind, the breeze, the sounds produced by the trees, the howling dogs and the purring cats – all were conspicuous by their apparent absence…

His cell phone beeped –some light at last! He looked at it – nothing ( no sms, no call, no alarm)… he wondered why and how it beeped… he was about to put it down when he noticed the time on the cell – 10.30.00 PM… Strange he thought… He turned on the cell phone torch and… he couldn’t see a thing – the neighboring buildings, the ground, the trees – there was nothing there – the light didn’t hit anything at all – it kept travelling in a void! While he turned to go back into the house, the light from the torch fell on his building – rather the place where the building had been! There was no building… his flat was floating on the 18th floor…

He fell back and pinched himself – again and again – on his wrist, to be sure this wasn’t one of his adventurous dreams, his wrist started bleeding…

“Are you afraid doc” a voice boomed out of no where… He felt a spine chilling fear … cold adrenalin started flowing through his nerves…“ Yes yes yes” he wanted to yell – but somehow he could not… he shut the balcony door and ran to the little Mandir in his house… Profuse tears of fright filled his scared face as he looked at Hanumanji’s photo…

The voice again boomed in his mind, with no apparent physical origin “ don’t worry Doctor, you will not be harmed in the least ”, the voice seemed tender – almost a feminine one… “ Who is it ”, he asked in his mind , firmly perched near Hanumanji – the protector - as he felt the kind of fear that he never had … whatever this creature was, it could converse with him thought thought.

“ I am here to discuss your latest break-through, Doctor.”
“But who are you?”
“ You have already heard about me, my son..”
“But you are a myth!”
“You are interacting with me now.. aren’t you? ” the voice said, with a certain amount of mirth “Shall we discuss your breakthrough now?” came the thought, was it growing impatient?
“ But if you can speak into my mind, you already know about my work.. why ask me again?”
“ I want to give you the pleasure of speaking about YOUR work with me. Now, speak up pls”.

“ Ok”, he said still fearful… he thought that it would be better to tell the voice as SHE knew already… would she steal his invention and claim it as her own… he did not know, but the sheer fright of death made him talk , “my work revolves around the theory of ‘Quantum Leap’ of electrons. The basic structure of an atom is analogues to that of the solar system. The nucleus is formed out of protons and neutrons ; and the electrons revolve around the nucleus in a number of rings ( again –just like the solar system). The position of each electron around the nucleus is determined by the strength of its charge. The electrons with lower charge revolve closer to the nucleus, and the ones with the higher charge revolve away from the same.

It sounds pretty simple till this point, however things get complicated when we take cognizance of the fact that the charge of a particular electron is subject to change – both ways ( i.e – it can get higher and lower). The change in the charge of an electron affects its position around the nucleus, and the electron ‘leaps’ into its appropriate place around the nucleus. It leaps – meaning it vanishes from its former position and re-appears into its new position – there is no ‘in between state’.

This process( the Quantum leap ) causes all changes/randomness of the universe. We say that ‘Nothing but CHANGE is permanent’ and it’s the quantum leap that is responsible for keeping the universe in the steady state of change.

Also, we are aware that the Physics Laws of time and space don’t apply to subatomic particles, i.e they can move freely between past, present and future. The Quantum leap is also responsible for the time variability of the sub-atomic particles.

Scientists around the world, including Einstein, have tried to decipher the patterns of the quantum leap. But till date none were successful. Now, for the 1st time Humanity will know how the Quantum Leap works – because I have figured out the formula for the same! Now, we will be able to predict the future - we will be able to go into the future; into the past - Correct the errors, and create the perfect world!” he said beaming with energy, in the dark pooja room. He hadn’t moved an inch from the mandir.

“ Well done, my son. You indeed have done the unthinkable. But however, let me tell you this, you aren’t the 1st one to have figured out this formula … There were others before you”

“ What?” he said, scandalized, “ You lie! No! I am the 1st, I am the creator of this formula! You can take my life if want to, but you cannot deny me my work!” he yelled at the top of his voice. Yelling at the top of his voice might wake the neighbors up, he thought for a moment, but then he realized that he seemed to be the only person in this weird world – his house was hanging in the air…

“ Calm down. I am not denying your genius. Hear me out – please” said the voice.

“Ok” he said, trying to keep his nerves in check. An outburst of an anger could prove fatal here…

“There have been others who have come across this realization. Right from the Sage Vishmitra, to King Ashoka’s Scientists, to Einstein. They discerned and discovered this formula.”

“Then why did they not publicize it? Why not it put to service of Humanity”

“ I talked them out of publicizing it”. The voice said coolly. Still communicating through thought.

“ Why?”

“Do you understand, Doctor , that time is one of the fundamental pillars of this world. If people come into possession of tools that make time meaningless, then this world itself will get destroyed. All the people that I just mentioned understood this fact, and they co-operated with Us in maintaining the balance of this world.”

“ You are denying me the rightful recognition that I deserve”.

“ You will no doubt earn the accolades, but your invention will become the curse for humanity. The way a similar invention by an Atlantian Scientist cost the Atlantis dear… This formula destroyed the Atlantis…”

"Atlantis existed?" He asked, bewildered...

"Yes, and a scientist there refused to heed me..."

“But this is my childhood dream… I will not give up on it. I deserve my recognition. I deserve popularity for my hard work, I deserve a Nobel prize..”

“Over thousands of years, greatest people of your species have kept this a secret. If you abide by me, you will gain THEIR recognition ( which I believe will be much more valuable )– for they still live – in another world – another place in the space-time continuum. Their scarifies in this world have earned them the right to understand greater mysteries of greater worlds. Your childhood dream was never to win a Nobel price, but to know the mysteries of the universe. A very select and secretive club of highly refined individuals awaits you. The Choice, my son, is yours. I will take your leave now...."

He woke up with a start! “Phew! was that a dream?”, he thought , he checked his wall clock, his cell phone, the trees and dogs outside, and smiled. It had been a dream… He smiled again.

He started readying himself for his presentation that was to be given to the scientific community of the world. History was about to be made in the matter of a few hours…When he was just about to leave, he saw the news paper – a UFO had been sighted the last night in his area… he noticed the pain his wrist (where he has pinched himself) and the blood clots there … All of a sudden, the haunting voice came back to him one last time, “The Choice is yours”... he left for the hotel where the presentation was to be made – now unsure whether to make the announcement…

The Ocen Conveyor and the effect of Global Warming.

Life on Earth is supported by a complex web of differing, but intergated mechanisms. One such mechanism is that of the Ocean Conveyor (also known as the Thermohaline circulation). The Ocen Conveyor is a mechanism whereby the ocenic water circulates through various parts of the Earth. This circulation is influenced by the density of water (in turn determined by the temperature and salt content of the water), the fresh water fluxes and the wind driven surface currents.

How does the Ocean Conveyor Work?

Let’s visualize the Earth as one big containor. In this container, waters of different temperatures exist at different places (thanks to the presence of the ice caps at the Polar Regions at one place, and that of the Equator at the other). This difference in temperatures (along with other factors – salt content and Air currents) triggers certain movements:
– The cold water dives to the ocean floor and the hot water comes to the surface
– The cold water is then propelled toward the hotter regions (near the Equator), there it becomes hot and rises to the surface;
- The hot water is, in its turn, propolled toward the colder areas – in the process it gets cold and dives to the ocean floor.
This cycle keeps repeating itself. The result is that every drop of water in the ocean completes a world tour once in every 5000 years!

Why is the Ocean Conveyor Important to Life on Earth?

1. It aids temperature management across the planet. It brings heat to the colder regions ( and vice versa)

2. It supports the life of more than 5000 species of marine Phytoplanktons.

Phytoplanktons are responsible for about 50% of the Photosynthetic activity that takes places on the Earth; thus, around 50% of all oxygen generated on Earth is produced by the Phyto Planktons. The Phytoplanktons depent to a great extent on minerals found near the ocean bed. The Ocean Conveyor (through its alternate diving and rising motions) performs the crucial role of supplying minerals to the phytoplanktons;

3. It circulares Oxygen, generated by the phytoplankton, throughout the planet.

What will happen if the Ocean Conveyor Stops?

Biologists opine that stoppage of the Ocean Conveyor was one of the biggest factors resonsible for the Permian Mass extintion (PME). The PME, which took place 251.4 Million years ago, is one of the 20 known mass extinctions to have occurred on Earth – infact, the biggest of them all. 96 % of all marine life, 70% of the terrestiral vertebrate life became extinct.

This occurred, among the others, because of the dramatic decrease in the amount of ice on Earth. Decreased ice slowed down the ocean conveyor significantly. A slowed ocean conveyor couldn’t generate enough oxygen and couldn’t circulate minerals – phytoplanktons died and the ocean food chain took a massive hit as a result of this; the level of photosynthesis and oxygen in the ocen reduced drastically – as a result – 96% of marine life came to an end.

Stangating water, reduced oxygen, huge amount of dead marine matter lead to a mass secretion of Hydrogen Sulphite – which took a huge toll on the terrestrial life – wiping 70% of it off.

What effect does Global Warming have on the Ocen conveyor?

Consumption of fossil fuels (emission of Greenhouse Gases) and deforestration have lead to a steadily increasing Global temperature. Increased temperature, among the other things, leads to a reduction of the volume of ice on Earth – in from of glacial retreat, shrinkage of the Greenland Ice sheet, Arctic shrinkage. This is a viscious cycle – Ice radiates a good amount of heat away from the Earth – The Albedo Effect; Reduced Ice, thus, in its turn, leads to higher temperatures.




What can we do?

Studies by the Climate commission indicate that even if the Greenhouse gases were to be retained at the year 2000 level, temperatures shall still continue to rise, as a result of thermal inertia of the oceans. Thus, there are two things that we need to control immediately: deforestration and emission of greenhouse gases.

Efforts are on throughout the globe to create awareness amongst people. To start using cleaner fuels, to plant trees, to reduce usage of paper, reduce reliance of fossil fuels, to create alternative greener fuels – fuels that will stem the greenhouse effect and promote sustainability. The International community; the Governments, the scientists and the Courts across the world have started actively promoting the green culture.

To Conclude:

Around 97 to 99% of all the species that have ever lived on Earth have become extinct – for some reason or the other. Global warming has the potential to have a major disruptive effect on the Ocean conveyor and thus become a reason for extinction of Humans from the Earth.

The Green wave has started to flow across our planet, but, all said and done, we do rely heavily on fossil fuels, and may continue to do so in the near future. What the Earth awaits is the one major technological breakthrough… and the onus of bringing about that breakthrough rests on our civilization.

The Planet of Swines.

It was September 2009. Now those were the days when Swine Flu had wrenched havoc in Pune. Ironically, I was reading a book called ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell. This was a story wherein Pigs, after having had enough of the human atrocities, fight the humans off the farm. They then take over the farm and run it by themselves! It was a wonderful story – to say the least, and eerily relevant to the present situation.

I was at my parent's during that week. Dad switched the TV on to check out the latest news…. “The swine flu count in Pune is over 100… Stampede at the Naidu hospital… wear masks… don’t sneeze or cough in public…” said the beautiful reporter with as much seriousness as her cute face could muster. “At last some animal has decided to get back at the Homo Sapien” I thought! It bought a smile to my face.

“What are you smiling about, weirdo? You are so very insensitive!” Said my sister, and gave me an exasperated look….I looked at her sheepishly…

The word insensitive lead to a flurry of thoughts…. the Human race seems to be the most insensitive one to have walked the face of the earth… we are insensitive toward the fellow animals, toward the plants and vegetation, toward the Environment, toward the Earth itself. We dump, we pollute, we de-forest, we kill and do all sorts of pathetic and irresponsible things.

Through my window I looked at the street below, all people were wearing masks. Masks of various shapes and colors. Right from the traditional ‘Hospital green’, to the aqua blue to yellow. Irrespective of the colour, I noticed an unmistakable pattern: on wearing the masks, the humans in the street looked, undeniably, like swines! How weird!

It seemed to be a scene right out of some Steven Speilberg ( or Mithun Da ) movie, wherein the Swines decide to attack and conquer the Earth. The smart swines are aware that they won’t be able to beat the Homo Sapien at fire power. So, they attack humans through the H1N1 Virus (Technically a Bio Warefare!  Hey did they steal it from Saddam??!!). Now, the H1N1 is just like the common Type A influenza virus, with the exception that it contains unique ‘swine & bird strains’ ( genetically formed from Pigs in Euratia, North America and Asia) that makes it immune to the traditional influenza vaccinations, while retaining ( in fact magnifying) the contagiousness.

The H1N1 attacks America 1st ( is that the country where Swines are ill treated the most?) then spreads to the rest of the world. The WHO officially recognizes it as a world wide epidemic. Governments across the world are put on high alert, clinical cures are attempted but to no avail!

The H1N1 ,in the meantime , continues to vandalize the humans across the world. The treatment facilities are very few and the suspects numerous. The toll rises day by day, even as little ailments (like coughing and sneezing) start getting un-precedented attention! The innocent coughers and sneezers suddenly start getting treated like criminals! Pigs start inspiring a certain amount of awe and fear! Riots break loose at testing centers, which in turn become the centers for spreading the H1N1!

6 months from the date of the attack on America, the king of Swines sends a video taped address to the Humans through the Al Jazeera TV ( I wonder where they get all that footage from!). The Swine King emphatically says “Very soon all humans will be dead. You have ill treated us , exploited us for far too long. The Earth will once again be ruled by 4 legged animals in general and Swines in particular. The Earth will again become a place where all the life forms will live in harmony. Green will prevail – the Homo Sapien – the most destructive species to have walked the Earth will be wiped out… But you are an intelligent race…So, only those of you who are ready to eat the Humble pie, by becoming one (by wearing that silly ‘swine look alike mask’) of us will survive. All others die. Today onwards we proclaim the Earth to be the Planet of Swines! Hehhahahhahahha!!” ( laugh like a typical Hindi film kidnapper).

The governments across the world meet in light of the Video Tape, even as it is learnt that the Al Jazeera reporter has contracted H1N1! Some decide to give into the demands of the Swine King. Others decide to fight…. Violent protests start across the globe. The communists start various animated rallies against the stands taken by their governments ( irrespective of what the stands were – it doesn’t matter anyway!). The Left front pitches in for making subsidized masks for poor. The HR ministry ( lead by Arjun Singh) propose regulations for caste based reservations in mask provision….

“ Where is the Curd that I had asked you to get from the Grocery”, Mom yelled, interrupting my chain of thoughts… “Shucks, I forgot” I said (the 2nd sheepish expression in 1 hour). “ Then, go get it! We need it for Lunch! Get going NOW…and don’t forget to wear your mask”…. The Mask… gosh… I look at my mask, its another one of the ‘Swine look alike” ones. I wear my mask and become one of the Swines, as I walk into the Planet of Swines….

Monsoon Magic.

It was 31^st August, I was walking toward my home, deeply lost in my thoughts, when I saw two men in the corner of a farm. “The clouds are here” said one farmer to another. Both of them looked toward the sky, one of them drew a fistful of mud from the ground below, raised his fist high above his head and released the mud. Both curiously studied the shape created by the falling mud, “it will start raining in 20 minutes” the second farmer said to the 1^st. They smiled triumphantly, looked toward the ground and said a silent prayer of gratitude.

I always thought that prayers are said looking toward the sky, this deviation made me very curious. Acknowledging my presence and curiosity, the older one said “We all look toward the sky and believe that beyond all those beautiful clouds lies an all powerful intelligence that guides our lives and determines our fate. But why do we, especially the city bred people, prefer to believe in something that far away? Why not look at something that’s right before our eyes, the very manifestation of the miracle?”

Saying this, the wise old farmer walked away, and I was left wondering …“Why not look at something right before our eyes… what was he exactly referring to…?”

I recalled having read the Gaia Theory which postulates that the Earth is a self directing, self regulating living organism. I also recalled that a lot of Pagan societies are known to have worshipped the Earth as the Goddess of Life & Fertility. The Earth was revered as the Mother, a living throbbing deity who attracted all good things to her children – Rain, Water, Sun, Soil and life – a Miracle. Similarly, the Upanishads also place the Earth on the pedestal of a Goddess. It is remarked that time is a horizontal concept, and that all that has happened and will happen – has already occurred. The passage of time stands for nothing but our movement through the space. This movement is regulated and controlled by the Earth (more on this in the next article J). It is remarked that the Earth, like a true mother, guides her children through the cosmic soup called the universe.

“Mother Earth”, I mused even as it started to rain. I took out my umbrella (which in itself was a manifestation of a miracle that I had remembered to carry it!! J) … “Our mother bears us in her womb for 9 months…. There is another Mother – Mother Earth. Who never lets us out of her womb… she uses gravitation to keep all her children close to her warm heart. We were connected to our mother through our navel; we are connected to this mother through our feet. She gives energy to the very people walking right across her body, and gets them to sleep on her lap when they need rest. She attracts all good things to her children; she conspires with the universal intelligence to create the illusion of time lending meaning and substance to our life…”

“There is, beyond those big heavy clouds, the all powerful God. But, down here we are in physical contact with a magical reality… Earth, the manifestation of the Holy Mother…” . I become conscious of the sublime and silent presence of the Mother below my feet, and get overwhelmed… Looking down toward the Mother, I throw my umbrella away, close my eyes and bask in the warmth of the cold rain…

Left or Right...

“Should I take a left or a right”? I wondered, having gotten myself lost for the n’th time in Pune City. It had started to rain, I needed to decide quickly. That was when a thought came to mind,

“What determines our decisions?” - All our decisions are governed ‘Thought’ (which may manifest itself in from of Rationality or emotion etc.) Our thoughts define us.

“But where do the thoughts come from?” - Science doesnt have an answer yet; Spirituality says that thoughts mainly come from the karmic conditioning – they come from the God.

Coming back, both Left and Right would lead me to different places, different possibilities and perhaps, different outcomes – different destinies.

This, now, brings me to a more fundamental question. “Is destiny Fixed and Pre-determined?” (There is a difference between the two!!) - I admit to being a firm believer in Destiny being Pre determined (otherwise how do we explain the ‘de-ja-vu’ dreams that we keep having from time to time).

So now the question remains “Is destiny Fixed”? The fact that I am free to take a left or a right, and the possibility of a unique outcome in each instance, leads me to believe that destiny is not fixed. A Fixed destiny, further, seems to be repugnant to the Laws of the Universe as it renders important virtues like hard work, nobility, philanthropy meaningless. (If destiny is fixed and non changeable there is no incentive to work hard, stay away from bad habits, help people etc.). Also, a fixed destiny would bore the hell out of the God!! J

So, Destiny isn’t fixed but it’s predetermined. This means that there already exist two unique worlds: one in which I have taken a left, and the other in which I taken a right!! J Worlds with their own unique outcomes and unique ( but predetermined) destinies!! Quantum Physicists call this phenomenon as ‘Alternative Universes’, i.e the Universes that exist parallely with each other. Thus, every decision that we take, creates an alternative universe.

The Bhagwat Gita says that the God is the Sum total of the all the stuff comprising the Universe. On juxtaposing this wisdom with the theory of Alternative universes, it becomes clear God is the Sum total of all the alternative universes…Decisions of ours lead to alternative universes. The alternative universes define the God.

All this leads to a startling conclusion…. God defines us through thought, we define God through Action…. J “Whoa!!” I exclaim, still unsure whether to take a left or to take a right…

The Irony Of Recession

I met with an accident recently, on the Holi day…  Certain individuals were, merrily, playing away with Engine oil right in the middle of one of the busiest roads in Pune. The slight drizzle completed the lethal combo; an accident prone spot was, thereby, created.

My bike slipped, I fell to my left. Got a couple of bruises on my left knee , shoulder  and elbow. Not too much of damage – strangely…Dozens of other people also slipped; the sight would have been hilarious, had I myself not been one of the victims. J ( How I envy the awestruck spectators who were trying hard to suppress their laughter !!)

 

As I tried to gather myself, I heard a gentleman, a fellow victim, murmur abuses in the general direction of  “ the lack of civic sense amongst “gaonthi” ( country side) people, the inability of infrastructure to measure up to the  demands of  our huge population” blah blah blah…

 

I had engine oil all over my body-  on my shirt, my pants, my helmet – “Yuks –what a mess”, I thought. As I picked my bike up and resumed by journey home, I noticed that neither I nor my bike  had suffered any significant damage ( I mean Injury that would be sufficient for me to get a leave the next day!! J)… strange I thought, I had slipped pretty bad, my bike had got thrown a good 15 meters away from  me…. “How come I am not hurt?” I asked myself… It was then that it occurred to me that “The oil that had caused me to fall, saved me from the injury…. It acted as an insulator for my skin, and avoided friction with the ground…. “Gosh” I thought “ Life, they say, isn’t without a sense of Irony…”

 

My thoughts then shifted to the guy who had fallen beside me…” India’s biggest problem… too many people, too high a population…. Too many un-sophisticated rural people… rural people… no access to the world, people still happy living in “self supporting” village. Rural population… makes it impossible for the country to take off, get developed….”

 

I reached home… my newspaper told me that the Indian Economy is still the 2^nd fastest growing in the world ( the suspicions of falling growth notwithstanding)… My news paper also told me that US , despite all the illustrious bail outs attempts, will record a negative growth;  that most of the developed countries, especially European, are tottering under the recessionary pressure – that Countries, let alone banks, are on verge of bankruptcy. I wondered how My country is doing much better than its “developed counter parts”… It was then that it struck me that:

 

1.      The huge population, the so called “No.1 problem of the country”, ensures that the demand ( especially for basic goods) never falls below a bare minimum ( which, again ,because of the sheer size of the population, would be significant);

 

2.      That the fact that exports are an  insignificant contributor to the GNP, thus a reduction in overseas demand , from a central perspective, doesn’t affect India, as much as it would affect a country like Japan or a UK;

 

3.      That most of the population lives in Villages ( about 65% );Most of the Villages are “self sustaining”; Making it difficult for Mr. Recession to create a similar  impact, on India, as he has done in developed countries;

 

 

Huge population… self supporting, disconnected villages… the factors that supposedly would never allow the nation to get developed, the biggest stumbling blocks in the development path are , now, the ones arresting the fall, insulating the Economy against the pains of recession. This is the irony of recession, a new food for thought that has forced me to think “  is the big population good or bad”… waqt waqt ki baat hai. Life, they say, isn’t without a sense of irony. J