Noah’s frozen face relaxed. He looked directly at Richard and allowed an ear-to-ear smile to crease his face.
‘Do not be so naïve Richard. Smiling is simply a muscular function, very easy to assume and very, very persuasive in its effect. Tell me, what is more productive than a smile to persuade someone to accept a particular point of view? The other emotions you refer to are unnecessary, outmoded and inevitably lead to those destructive problems I have already referred to.’
Richard ignored the explanation, deliberately holding his own emotions in check.
‘Talking about explaining,’ he said quietly. ‘How about explaining this “forecast” you made of me? You still haven’t explained what, how or why.’
Noah allowed himself a brief, mnemonic pause before continuing.
‘Dreams Richard, dreams. You must be aware of the extraordinary dreams you have been experiencing in recent months?’
Noah waited until Richard nodded a confirming response.
‘They were the result of our psychologists delving into your deep subconscious.’
Another pause from Noah allowed time for a further nodded response from Richard.
‘We were trying to determine, to confirm, whether you were now the appropriate person to help us implement our objective of saving your version of Earth from a similar catastrophe as that which destroyed ours. You must agree Richard that the objective, saving Earth from destruction, is a noble premise and surely you are flattered that you may become the chosen one?’
Richard’s mind was now in absolute turmoil. Yes, he remembered a multitude of recent dreams that were enacted with amazing clarity such as he had never previously experienced. They were delivered at hyper-speed, the images flashing past in a blur and yet he understood and could recall every single frame. He felt it was akin to viewing a DVD on the most modern of equipment. The dreams were consecutive in that one sequence was followed historically by another over a period of weeks. The dreams chronicled Earth’s history, the history of his understanding of Creation but intertwined with that which Noah had explained was from mankind’s previous existence. Then, on reflection, he realised that this was the only way it could be because, until meeting Noah, he knew nothing of Noah’s astonishing story. The dreams opened with the Great Flood when not only the biblical Noah and the occupants of the Ark survived but also thousands of similar groups throughout the world who sought safety on higher ground. Following this were wonderful scenes of the birth and development of the ancient Egyptian civilisation including breathtaking descriptive showing how the pyramids were constructed, ancient Greek culture was next with amazing illustrations of Knossos in Crete where a Bronze Age civilization, The Minoans, thrived from 2600-1100 BC, and reached the height of its prosperity in the 18th - 16th centuries BC. The scripts of Linear B discovered at Mycenae, Sanskrit literature, the Andean civilisation, Alexander the Great, Moses, the birth and life of Jesus Christ and of Mohammed, the mighty empires created by the Greeks, the Romans, The Moors, the Aztecs, the Ottomans, the Austrians and the British. All were laid out in incredibly fine detail. The horrors of wars fought across the ages and across the world. The carnage of World Wars 1 and 11, the atomic bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Holocaust, the Cold War between the East and the West, the Korean War, the Yom Kippur war, the space race, American astronauts landing on the Moon, the war in Vietnam, the troubles in Northern Ireland, unending violence and strife between Israel and Palestine, the two Iraqi wars, the sequence of wars in Afghanistan, a never ending, hopeless, purposeless, struggle to bring democracy to a nation in perpetual turmoil. Hunger, deprivation and the curse of AIDS in Africa; the world’s insatiable thirst for oil and the resulting pollution caused by the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, violent changes in the weather, the beginnings of global warming and global dimming. Then a terrifying tsunami in the Indian Ocean, caused by an undersea earthquake, which triggered massive sea surges and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Destructive earthquakes in China, Iran, India, Indonesia and Pakistan coincided with one of the most powerful hurricanes ever experienced in New Orleans and throughout south eastern Florida. Scenes of worldwide terrorism, including the horror of bombs planted in a nightclub in Bali and on trains in and around Spain’s capital Madrid. The sequence culminated in the horrifying destruction of the two towers comprising the World Trade Centre in New York’s Manhattan on September 11, 2001 and the events of July 7, 2005 when bombs were exploded on London’s underground and on a bus in the heart of London, causing widespread death and destruction.
Every dream ended with a harsh warning and included the issuance of a strange order.
Many of these events also happened on our version of Earth, they could have been avoided. Your task is to use the powers you will be given to bring the world to its senses and to stop this insane headlong rush to another disaster.
Chapter Five
‘You mean those dreams were your doing,’ asked Richard. ‘How can that be?’
Noah smiled. Richard ignored it, remembering his companion’s dismissal of this particular emotion as simply the function of a number of face muscles.
‘Noah,’ he continued testily, ‘Do not mess with me. You stand there grinning like a Cheshire cat and expect me to be persuaded by your false smile. You’ve already told me it means nothing, so wipe it off your stupid face!’
A huge guffaw from Noah caused the rest of the crew in the cabin to turn and stare in shocked surprise. He held up a hand to indicate that things were under control. They acquiescently turned around and carried on with their duties.
‘Richard,’ said Noah followed by a continual tut-tut ting. ‘Richard. You must explain what is the Cheshire cat that I so resemble when I smile. And, by the way, we still continue to laugh on Terra Nova. It is one emotion that has been allowed to remain although few use it, hence the reason my crew glanced around when they heard me so doing.’
Richard shook his head.
‘Noah, forget about laughing, it’s really not that important. What I want are explanations. I know we aren’t on Earth, so where are we? And what’s all this about me having a task and receiving powers to bring the world to its senses? It’s beyond bizarre. What does it mean and who’s behind it?’
The rising anger apparent in Richard’s voice caused the crew’s heads to turn once again. Their stares were quickly suppressed by a fierce look of reproach from Noah.
‘Questions, questions, Richard. Nevertheless I have to concede you are entitled to answers.’
Noah paused and looked pensive.
‘You asked where we are and I promised to show you on a celestial map.’
He pointed to a tiny dot on the massive screen, a tiny dot among millions, looking like a grain of sand on an endless, deserted beach.
‘There, that dot there is Terra Nova. We are closing in at speeds you cannot possibly comprehend and are scheduled to enter Terra Nova’s orbit within the next Earth hour. I say “Earth hour” because that will give you an idea as to how close we are. However the way we on Terra Nova count time is vastly different. Time as a constantly passing notion had to be slowed down dramatically otherwise we would never have escaped from the confines of the galaxy you refer to as the Milky Way. How can I explain this clearly so that you are able to understand? Let me see - hmmm - do you understand the term quantum tunnelling?’
Although Richard nodded, his face portrayed great uncertainty. Noah, however, looked under-impressed.
‘I detect from your reaction that you are not familiar with it! Well let me try to explain. Quantum tunnelling, in its very basic, original form was a violation of special relativity but, surprisingly, it appeared to work. It is a condition during which particles summon up the energy to cross an apparently impregnable barrier. Scientists during the final 100 years of our time on Earth conducted experiments fo
cussed on the travel of microwave photons - energetic packets of light - through two prisms. When the prisms were moved apart most photons reflected off the first prism they encountered and were recorded by a detector. But a few appeared to tunnel through the gap separating them as if the prisms were still held together. Although these photons had travelled a longer distance they arrived at their detector at the same time as the reflected photons. This suggested to those early scientists that the transit time between the two prisms was faster than the speed of light. Those initial experiments led subsequent scientists to develop and enlarge the experiment until it became proven and sustainable. It was as a direct result of these experiments that we were able to travel immense distances between constellations while not suffering the consequences of real time. Are you following me?’
Another uncertain shake of Richard’s head was acknowledged by Noah. Nevertheless he continued:
‘Imagine a million Earth years dilated, compressed into a century, imagine travelling at the speed of light multiplied by ten thousand! That is a measure of what our ancestors achieved prior to and upon leaving Earth, before it was swamped by the Great Flood. Since then we have discarded the constraints imposed by time to such an extent that we can now travel throughout our constellation without the crews of our space ships succumbing to old age. Quantum tunnelling is really a simple concept that you will learn quite readily once you have been schooled by the Magus, the most learned scientists on Terra Nova.’
Noah noticed how Richard’s closely bunched eyebrows were posing an unasked question.
‘Yes, schooled Richard. You are most fortunate in being accepted by the Magus for a most unusual experiment in hyper brain expansion. You will be plugged in, to use a most appropriate and descriptive Earth phrase, directly to the innermost secrets of the Universe by means of - an organic connection to The Creator.’
Noah paused as he saw Richard’s reaction to his words. To his credit Richard understood something about the limitless possibilities of organic computers and was convinced organic was the way they would develop in the not too distant future. His personal research had led him to think deeply about biological nano technology and how it could be developed. The interface between man and technology would become much more symbiotic as future technology became organic so that intelligence and physical ability increased exponentially. And now, surprise, surprise, Noah was speaking of an organic connection that was much as Richard had imagined and envisaged.
‘It is so Richard. You are about to take a quantum leap over the millennia and acquire vast reams of knowledge that has not only transformed the way we on Terra Nova understand time but also that of life itself. The Creator wishes it so and therefore it will be done.’
Noah raised an open hand before Richard’s face. He clicked his fingers and, for a bemused, confused, bewildered Richard, limitless darkness descended as if a heavy black cloak had been suddenly strewn around his entire body.
Chapter Six
The view from one of the several large windows in the space craft was spectacular. Yes there were windows but they were revealed only when the beautiful craft was preparing for landing. Richard stood by the window and marvelled at the sight that greeted him upon awakening. An indescribably beautiful revolving orb overwhelmed his insatiated senses. He was very aware of the mind-blowing, spectacular views of Earth from space but nothing, nothing had prepared him for this - the vibrant blues, greens, browns and greys that characterised Earth’s beauty were humbled before that which he was now witnessing. Terra Nova, for that was what he was staring at in open-mouthed awe, had an astonishing beauty that must have been how Earth appeared before the accumulated pollution of a wasteful 20th century took its dreadful toll. The colours were all-consuming as if Vincent Van Gogh had taken his most vivacious palette and splashed unadulterated oil paint straight onto a welcoming and seductive canvas. He could see the dark browns of land masses, interspersed with greys and greens and all shades in between. Blue seas, for that was what he assumed them to be, were spread comfortingly around the land masses, caressing the edges with delicate, white ribbons. Half of the graciously-moving orb was in semi darkness, although he could discern more land masses and seas throughout the beginnings of the dusky half. The everlasting night of endless intergalactic space, spattered with the huge pinwheel of stars, gas and dust that comprises the M31 galaxy, added an awesome backdrop to the magnificent vista.
‘We are now two million light years from Earth. What are your thoughts Richard? Are you impressed by your first sight of Terra Nova?’
Noah was standing aside, quietly amused but delighted by Richard’s awestruck demeanour. He placed a friendly arm around Richard’s shoulder and patted the other shoulder reassuringly. He pointed towards an area at the centre of Terra Nova.
‘We will land here in a country known as Canaan,’ he said. ‘and within the city named after its founder, Leviticus. Imagine how those early settlers felt when they saw Terra Nova for the first time! Imagine the task facing them. But they had no choice, there was no going back. A space craft commanded by Leviticus was the first to touch down. Coordinated landings then followed with hundreds of similar craft travelling back and forth until in excess of one hundred thousand courageous souls were finally settled upon Terra Nova. They represented the pick of the most outstanding and accomplished engineers, architects, builders, scientists, artisans, musicians, artists and a multitude of other skilled and talented people. Special emphasis was placed upon future procreation. Only those whose family histories showed no signs of degeneracy in both personality and physicality were brought from Earth. Cloning was then introduced to ensure only perfect specimens, physically and mentally perfect that is, were allowed to be born. The immutable objective was to start afresh, making sure that all the destructive factors that had led to the demise of our Earth were not allowed to emerge again. Evil was cast aside. Crime was all but eliminated. At birth everyone’s DNA was registered upon computers, thereby ensuring those of potentially criminal bent could be positively identified, quickly treated and then rehabilitated. Competing religions were not permitted. Complete deference to The Creator and his commandments was a fundamental requirement of each and everyone inhabiting the new world and anyone who deviated was made Immaculate. Within the first one thousand years on Terra Nova all traces of disruptive thought had been completely eradicated from the minds of the early settlers and their descendents. One government ruled the entire planet, elected only by those who had earned the right to cast their votes. There were no divisive elements such as those created by race, colour and creed. Now, five millennia later, we have a perfect world - exactly as originally conceived by The Creator.’
Noah halted momentarily and looked expectantly at Richard whose face reflected the turmoil he was experiencing. Worry lines etched his brow, dark circles underlined his eyes, his cheeks were sunken and the corners of his mouth were turned down: he looked as if he was suffering a grievous loss.
‘Richard, what is it?’ asked Noah. ‘You look extremely worried. I realise all of this must be a tremendous shock to you - perhaps you require more rest.’
The now familiar blank look crossed Noah’s face. He began to raise his hand and moved as if to click his fingers once again.
‘No, no, NO!’ shouted Richard, raising his own hand defensively. ‘No more putting me to sleep you b-b-b-blockhead.’
Richard’s eyes widened with surprise.
‘Hey, that’s not what I wanted to say. Blockhead? Who says blockhead these days? Are you still putting words into my head you... ’
Noah smiled patiently, raised clasped hands to his lips as if about to pray, closed his eyes briefly and waited until he saw the signs of anger gradually depart from Richard’s face.
‘That’s better,’ he said calmly. ‘Your emotions are affecting your actions Richard. We have already discussed the negativity imposed by allowing uncontrolled emotions t
o run amok. Anger is one of the most damaging and, if we are to succeed in our joint mission, we have to eliminate that particular emotion without trace and also cast out any other negative emotions that may surface and reveal themselves in the future.’
Richard stood his ground.
‘Mind games,’ he said. ‘All you do is play mind games... ’
A callous click of Noah’s fingers interrupted Richard’s words and he immediately lapsed unconscious, once again, into a hole as black and deep as the farthest reaches of the Universe.
Chapter Seven
The face confronting him as he awoke was heart-wrenchingly beautiful - probably the most beautiful he had ever seen in his entire life. Cornflower blue eyes, milky-white flawless skin, eyebrows and eyelashes the colour of coal, graceful bone structure, full rosebud-shaped lips, long flowing blonde wavy hair cascading from a classically shaped head with some highlighted strands being teased around her face by the onset of a gentle breeze wafting through a nearby open window. He raised himself up onto both elbows, unable to believe his eyes.
‘Where did you come from?’ Richard asked, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.
The young woman’s lips parted to reveal teeth that looked as faultless as those of any Hollywood actor. They were straight, pearly-white - perfect in every way. Her clothing was bizarrely familiar and looked as if it had been plucked out of the 1970’s. Her pale-blue shell suit, similar to those worn by racing car drivers, was in a shiny, lightweight material. A silver zip ran its full length at the front. On her feet were very flattering platform shoes with white laces and thick white “marshmallow” heels. Although too young to have actually witnessed the fashions worn at the time of his birth, Richard recalled photographs of his mother wearing almost exactly those now worn so bewitchingly by his lovely companion.
‘You are in my safekeeping,’ she answered in a voice as sweet, soft and seductive as the most refined of honeys. ‘I am Esther - Esther Pius Oppius to give you my full name - and you Richard are now on Terra Nova in the city of Leviticus. It is my task and that of my assistants over there to attend to your every need during your stay. ‘
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