by Divya Singh
I said: “Now there is what? Am I a captive now?”
ZA-vi: “It is not exactly a restricted area to venture to, but there are some disturbing things, on this ship, in this era which may come as a shock to you. For that matter of risk assessed, you are too important to us. Indeed you are too precious to be lost to some cheap object of curiosity.”
I thought for the first time, that this machine could actually care for me. What ZA-vi said this time meant something of value to me.
I said: “If you are really concerned with my significance and safety, why wouldn’t you get straight to it? Why not tell me about what exactly is going on here? Or, leave that for now, drop the topic itself. Tell me, can something be done about this?” I said pointing towards my face then, panning it all downwards to the neck with my spread palm.
ZA-vi: “Look! I am trying to explain this in a simpler way; I am your personal record keeper. I know everything about you. I even have psychological access to your mind in broader sense; telepathy essentially. But my limits were fixed by my programmers. About aesthetic aspect, I certainly understand that such procedures are carried out by people but what is not beautiful, is beyond my understanding. So you have to ask KEAH or Dr. VON about this concern you have.”
I said: “Ok. But if you really care about my importance, let me go out and check this ship.”
ZA-vi: “I know that you have wandered far enough on this ship tonight and……”
I said: “I want to see the whole ship, but cannot go beyond the elevator. It asks me to enter a ‘Passkey’, which I don’t know.., which I don’t have.”
ZA-vi: “Sorry but machines are not required a passkey to enter so I can’t help you. You must ask this of a human. But I am sure that none of them will give you one before they believe that you are actually one hundred percent fine, which might take months.”
I said: “So why don’t you do that for me? Accompany any doctor to the elevator and give his passkey to me.”
ZA-vi: “I am sorry Case! Robots and human doctors use different elevators; we cannot go together with any doctors but we can accompany our cases only, that too, with prior approval of a human doctor.”
I said: “will KEAH give me that prior approval?”
ZA-vi: “But she is not authorized to approve. Doctors with a ‘Blue Badge’ only can approve by ‘uplinking their retinal scans to The Navigator’.”
I said: “You are not trying to help!” I said in desperation. “Just tell me the way to crack an entry into the elevator’”
ZA-vi: “I help you all that I can but I have my limits. I think I can’t help you in this regard. Please ask someone else.”
I said: “ZA-vi! Stop!” I held him by the collar of his overcoat. “You know what? It is frustrating like this. I am asking you to help me right now, or I will find a switch to shut you down forever! I am not going to concede to being a captive. Now, just tell me the way to use one of those lifts!”
ZA-vi: “Alright! OK! Allow me time to think……….I think you have to chisel your sneaking skills a little more. Follow a doctor and try and overhear his passkey. May be this idea is worthy of trying?”
I said: “Maybe!” I smiled. Now I know what to do! Why not do it right now?
ZA-vi: “No Case! You cannot apply that thought or your will be questioned and I will be discharged off my duties. We have to wait for 23 more hours, till the time you chose tonight comes back tomorrow night. I will even, if someone notices report it as a security breach, coupled with lack of information on your behalf. This will save us both. The doctors only act as good on outside, but in fact they also have protocols to follow. In 480 years, I have seen many difficult times and this is also one of them.”
Okay, so now I am assured, that this pre-programmed machine guy is my most faithful although irritating accomplice. Though most of the times he makes me grit my teeth but perhaps he is the only one who has remained by my side through my death and this life. May be he is serving some kind of sinister purpose or reporting it to some privacy hacker. But then, he for sure is the only trustworthy friend figure. One day I will have to learn to programme him to better suit my purposes. Till then I have to keep administering the threat dosage, because, he had been programmed to consider me significant somehow, to my advantage. He has spent the largest portion of his ‘Life’ on me, that is at least now clear to me. But doesn’t that then make me somebody of some importance?
Has the Earth and life, undergone really serious changes in these years that I had been dead for? I was curious about scientific advancement in their era. But I know it must be very difficult to understand this new world.
ZA-vi: “Yes! But I don’t record such things and it’s not my concern. But from the conversation I have overheard and got recorded they think that there are more bad things than good. But my processors are set to ‘Auto Delete’ the irrelevant information and specifics. I don’t store minute details and I don’t have essential levels of Artificial Intelligence. Processors delete recorded information in precise 72 hours. But wait! I have some records…..In the last 48 hours log; I have recorded a conversation between Dr. SHELLY and Dr. VON. Let me go through it first. I will filter it for any unacceptable points of concern and then will show it to you if it is still meaningful.”
I observed ZA-vi close his eyes for about 10 seconds, took his right hand pointer finger to a socket in his temple. Then he said-
ZA-vi: “My intelligence doesn’t seem to find anything disturbing at all. I will show you all of it. Now close your eyes please.”
Chapter 5: The Vision shared by ZA-vi: Conversation between SHELLY and VON
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I did as he said. He brought his right hand pointer over my left temple. I saw a vision created by ZA-vi from his recordings. I saw Shelly’s back and Von’s face towering over his head.
VON: “Rick (Shelly’s nickname)! I have received reports from 23-Artemesia (A sister ship) geneticists have recorded genetic mutations there too. The experiments were never thought of producing such heinous results. The last testing on their own brought forth atrocious results.”
SHELLY: “No Lex (Von’s nickname)! It is not about what we are facing today, it is what some people chose earlier. The worst point is that they do not learn from mistakes but are sick to the level of getting them repeated till date. I have always been an antagonist to such kinds of experiments, especially when we don’t get enough bodies and volunteers these days. One must not choose something which has shown only negative results. And replicating human race in-vitro scares me. Even if all goes well corruption seeks in to play spoilsport. Not good in the times such as now!”
VON:”Yes, you are probably right. It is about the same as playing with fire. But since they have got monopoly over all the available technical knowhow, we only have ashes in our hands.”
SHELLY: “Nobody believed me then, nobody does now. They don’t believe in giving time to ourselves. They just want to create a race which doesn’t know where they have been born, as quickly as could be. But I say real evolutions and discoveries happen in ships deficient in technology as this. We work with more traditional technology here and we don’t put to risk what we have. We try to rinse, salvage and resuscitate whatever little we can from what we have. I am proud to be a small unknown doctor trying here rather than play doctor Doom on the land.”
VON: “But it’s really sad that the constant ‘Contamination’ is taking away whatever is left. They will now focus on feasting upon the leftovers. They won’t leave one little chunk for anyone.”
SHELLY: “(Sighs)! We hold on to the mast of hope and confidence. We never say it’s over because it’s over only when we have given up.”
Then after hearing beep sounds,
VON: “It’s ready!”
ZA-vi: “It’s all for now Case. Also these talks are also not allowed much in here. They are under strict surveillance. So what you saw was conversation
only in code words.” ZA-vi then removed his finger from my temple and the vision was gone.
I said: “They were mentioning Contamination………..No, you are right. If I waited dead for 431 years I still can and must wait for one month more. I am certainly curious but I will keep patience from now on. It’s really hard world to understand.”
Though, I had understood how to tackle with the robot guy. I had learnt that he wasn’t impossible. He will only take some emotional drama and will yield information. Important were the others, yet to be confronted. And who is ‘The Navigator’? A newly introduced filthy character, unsuited to the story? Let us just keep sneaking in with the help of ZA-vi and find as much vital information on my own as possible. Then when I will be passed by a mark of 100% in fitness and medical tests then I will have my knowledge brushed up and upgraded. But I knew before being smart I have to disconnect ZA-vi from accessing my mind through this telepathy thing. It is awkward that he is still listening to my thoughts.
Soon enough ZA-vi left and I was left alone free to chalk out my next strategy.
Chapter 6: The next day of adventure: Sneaking into the ship
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I waited eagerly for clock to strike 2 am, come the other night. I woke up. ZA-vi was the ‘record officer’ so he deliberately fled the place on right time gesturing a thumbs-up to me. I almost ran, though I thought ZA-vi would buy me time at any cost, but the more I put the effort into it the better I get the opportunity to be able to reach the highly sought after information.
“101, 5th from the last alley”; I ran till I reached near the elevator. There I hid at the left side of the lift corridor. I waited for someone to come and open one lift.
After waiting just for 10-15 minutes I got both poles of luck. The lucky part was that two women doctors seemed to be stepping towards the elevator corridor from the other corridor, running parallel to which I lived in. the unlucky part was, that one of them was KEAH, the other being an unknown new looking apprentice whom I have never seen before.
“Arghh!” I swallowed the desperation. They are nearing my hiding position and I am fixed in the situation of whether to use this chance or chart a returning course back to the room. If the novice apprentice was alone I could have even used force of my masculine body, to snatch the passkey, but alas! There was KEAH too. I couldn’t turn my back on this chance and put the turmoil in my mind on wait for a month or more. I was swinging between alternatives, then suddenly-
KEAH: “Sharine! I am sorry! I forgot my room keys in the surgical ward. You go ahead I will catch up with you in your room soon. Then, she turned back.
Sharine: “OK, Don’t be late for sleep you know how tough it’s going to be tomorrow morning? See ya!” I heard the new woman saying this. I sneaked a peek, to assess my chances against her in the brawl ahead. Oh she was a short woman making barely out of 5 feet frame, without heels. She looked feeble. She must have been just 25 feet away from my hideout. Earlier my strategy was to employ force as the ultimate resort, but just then it occurred to me that may be up there somewhere somebody would be keeping an eye on the number of times the elevators go up and down so why not go with the apprentice? Plus it will buy me more time. But the new Sharine wouldn’t allow a ‘Horrible’ me to share the lift with her. May be she will scream and alarm everyone who will have me grounded forever. So I figured out that going back wasn’t an option at all. So I chalked out a quick plan. I will turn my face away from hers, let her call the passkey, and then I will hit her head and get in the lift with her and get off the same level she was headed to and chalk out the rest of the plan later.
She was about 6-7 steps away from left corridor; I could hear her 2” stiletto heels tap on the floor as she walked nearer. OK, here she comes, I buzzed; she stopped startled.
Sharine: “Hey? Those lifts outta order there? Can I help ya?”
I said: “Yeah let me look if this one here works, you try yours by the time, and if mine doesn’t work I will come with you.” I was pretending as if I really was an expert in lifts’ psychological responses! She is careless and musical. I perceive her tapping the floor and humming. Her elevator arrives before mine. Well, mine was never intended to. The voice prompts her to put in the Passkey.
Sharine: “SULTRYSHARINE467”
What the heck of a key to have? I whispered to self. Then I saw her entering the door. She asked, “You Coming?”
I said: “Yes, please wait!” And I turned my face towards her and ran towards her with my right fist ready to hit her head. She gasped looking at my horrifying face, she looked terrified instantly; I took the chance to grin. She fell fainted before the impact of my fist could knock her out. Argh! She fell on the ground, unconscious! My beauty was instantly confirmed. The elevator’s voice thanks me!
LEVEL 0: The Navigation Chambers
I learnt that the elevator had picked me up from -13 and was headed for -7. When it opened there and I pushed her out and decided to go on to ‘0’. The elevator opened at 0. I was really curious about this floor because I had somehow figured it out that The Navigator must be here. I stepped into an enclosure as I closed in the translucent walls ahead, they slit opened. From a dim lit area I was now stepping into a brightly lit corridor. There was light all over the place and the corridor headed towards a large glass door. I could see people around, inside the rooms with transparent walls at both the sides of the corridor. Though I had covered my face below the eyes with the mask I took from Sulty Sharine, but the forehead and ugly bald head were totally exposed. People could have easily seen me through the only thing standing between, the transparent glass. But nobody was actually facing towards the corridor and sat far from it. I was safe but to ward off any suspicion, I took my hands up and placed over my head. They must have covered my bald ugly head and forehead given the oversized sleeves of the light blue patient robe I wore.
I headed straight towards the hall with big glass gates. As I neared it, I could see 4 large sized screens in the front. Above the screens were enormous sized glass panes through which I could see a calm dark ocean, and clear skies. There was one person inside the hall, at extreme left, he was seemingly working with a machine, I didn’t know of. There was no possibility that he could have spotted me. But I felt that the first real view of the era I was reborn into wasn’t all that stirring.
It was just the ocean’s view at night, the pitch black sky studded with stars. If what I think about the perception I have about the ocean and the sky is my memory from previous life, then nothing seems to have changed. It’s all the same. Now I felt that what they said back there, that the world has changed a lot since my death, doesn’t stand with much of a value to me now, at least for this moment right now.
I wanted to see what data the screens showed, but it was a little too far off for me to be legible other than some diagrams and charts and the technical stuff, which wasn’t my thing. I thought; let’s just see what machines they have got these days. I went up a few steps to the right to get a closer look at the structures and fixtures placed at my right, away from the person working inside. Except what seemed to me like the computer screens and electronic information projected on glass panels, none of them were recognizable to me. Seemed like there were numerous boxes of different light colors and shapes and sizes, some slender robotic arms, few levers up and down all moving. I wondered, “Is this how we navigate these days?”
Then, suddenly, the guy at left turned towards the second left screen prompted by a beep or alarm. I thought that I should better leave this place before he sees me and causes trouble. I was about to turn back, but stopped because I heard footsteps at my back. They halted for a couple of seconds, but then resumed towards the right side alley in the split of a second. May be people of my kind kept frequenting this place a lot, so that the sense of familiarity won over curiosity. It could be that I must have looked ‘Acceptable’ to the person at my back. May be my back
looked more human than my front.
Anyway, the guy inside the big glass chamber stepped towards the screen towards right; he earlier turned to look at earlier. It was about 5 feet away from him, so I thought it was appropriate time for me to go.
I turned back with an aroused sense of caution, placed my arms properly above my head and passed through the corridor with light footsteps.
8Th floor: Agricultural research facility
When I reached the elevator, I chose the same elevator I got off from, assuming that it was the one Sharine or people of her class or cadre used. The lift voice asks me for the key.
I said, “SULTRYSHARINE467” and it thanked me again. So now for some time, I was officially sultry Sharine on the elevators till I got to be the real me.
I chose the highest floor this time, it was number 8. I hope not to be interrupted this time by overcrowded rooms and alleys so the highest floor was the best option. As the door opened I looked out in excitement. Most of the lifts didn’t come this far up, so seemingly there are 3 elevators used for coming up to this floor. The first on my left and the next to me on my right were the only others.
It opened in a big room with various cabins. There were shelves full of digital books. I reached out to one shelf, picked up a book whose title read as ‘Revival of extinct plant species’. So what, they are doing something with plant life now?
Why would they have to bring a plant/tree digital book on a ship? I picked up another which read, ‘Flora’, the other again about maximizing the crop produce, growing miniature trees with minimum resources, plant that could be grown just on water and synthetic minerals, plants and trees compatible with saline water……….so on.
Enough with the books, I moved out of this library place and entered a laboratory on the right side. Many beakers were filled up with mud and dirt. Many drums and tanks were kept locked. I slammed my foot against them all and felt that they all were full, up to the brim.
