431 YEAS OF DEATH: The origin

by Divya Singh

  I said: “Where did you exactly come from?”

  She did not say a thing. Rather she now looked scared and coy in ample light.

  I said: “Thank you for saving me!”

  She nodded but said nothing. She stared towards me hard and steady, reminding me of the strange ugly creature I was.

  I object: “Do you understand what I am saying?”

  She replied then: “Yes!”

  I reclined against the back of the bed saying: “Oh thank goodness! So reply when you can.”

  I asked: “What is your name?”

  She replied: “I don’t know!”

  I was surprised: “You don’t know your name?”

  She said: “I don’t have a name.”

  I was startled now!

  I asked in disbelief: “You say you do not have a name. Where are your parents? What is your age?”

  She replied: “I don’t know!”

  I paused in disbelief. I waited a minute staring at her with her staring back at me. I did not understand what to think of such a ship, on which there are people they don’t know of. To me this girl looked like 13 years old, seeing her height and all. But I could not date her existence.

  I said: “You are beautiful little girl, you know? Would you take a name if I gave you one?”

  She said: “Yes.” Slow and low voice, feeble body, just smarter survival instincts, I thought.

  I said: “I would like to call you, um, Lois? Is it good name Lo?”

  She said: “Yes!” She smiled a little and I raised my right hand to fondle her pink cheeks, but suddenly-

  “Careful! Do not touch her! We do not know what she is and how she came into being. We do not have her in our records. She could be dangerous madam!” Shelly rushed in shouting in reprimand.

  I was puzzled by his surprise visit-

  I yelled back: “Careful! She is Lois! She is not a thing on the ship Shelly!”

  Shelly: “But madam! No offence, but she could be dangerous. You know that.”

  I said: “Why is she on this ship, in the first place, Shelly? She exists because of you. You have an unclear mindset. First you keep people with genetic diseases on this ship then you make them quarantined and untouchable. What kind of wretched life do you wish to give them? I am sorry but I am tormented by your thought process.”

  Shelly: “…and I am sorry but I cannot be a part of reckless killing of the innocent. Just because they are suffering from diseases created by the tantrums of some madmen doesn’t make them deserve the Capital Punishment. I am sorry but I will never agree to the inhumanity Despondra and others expect of me. I have a cause to fight for and I will live my life protecting it. Being quarantined and given a chance of human life is enough a good cause. In the face of extinction, it is the best that we can do to these infected people. But denying the right to human life altogether to them is going two miles further than acceptable. It is equitable to give them a chance of life and letting them know that they might not make it, given the present day technologies and the world war. Most of them I have met are at peace with it. Wouldn’t it be inhuman to kill them at first instant miss? Have you thought about that?”

  There was point in Shelly’s defense too.

  I said: “Um, yes it would be cruel. But I also agree with Despondra. What if we risked the others too, the healthy ones? Are you not risking everybody Shelly? Will you be willing to have the blood of innocent people on your hands, killed by your decisions?”

  Shelly: “But that’s why I have quarantined them. Now, if the security systems and law and order of the ship fail, who am I to be blamed?”

  I replied: “Yeah, it is not you to be blamed that’s right. I am confused a hell lot! I do not know anything. I think I need some rest. Now, better not bother me.” I almost scratched my head in frustration.

  Shelly: “Yes! So we are taking the girl for further analysis. Don’t worry she will be safe in our hands! Take care madam!”

  Saying that, Shelly ordered two masked men in space suit like outfits; who came in and took Lois away with them. Shelly still was there, and then a fat young man came up to my bed-

  Young man: “Hello Danielle Spearhead! I am Gavin Trample, the security head of the ship. Please tell me the whole incident in detail.”

  I replied: “Oh yeah? You really must be Trample! Now just tell me, the only thing that you are charged with on this ship is security, and with all the staff and equipments you have here, you can’t deliver your duty well? Your leaving important investigation session, to chomp on a burger is putting the lives of people on this whole ship at stake? Do you have a slightest understanding of that Trample?” I was in mood to trample on him really, frustrated with all that had happened there before.

  Trample: “Err….I understand! We were engaged somewhat in analyzing a security breach that time. Don’t worry; we have contained the creature in the bottom floor. Soon our incinerating team will reach there and will terminate that thing, ma’am!” He tried to loosen up the collar buttons on the overly buttoned up shirt he was wearing, freeing his thick neck. Shelly was leaving, but he fled quickly seeing my fury.

  I chuckled: “…..and you will lead the team upfront?”

  Trample: “Yes, I will. Um…..I think we have all that we must know to start the investigation. Thank you ma’am!” He hurriedly left the place.

  I yelled: “I want that thing killed right now!” He looked back and nodded.

  I said to myself ‘unworthy recruits’ and drifted into sleep.

  Chapter 28: Another Ripple; The going down of the ship

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  The next two days, were almost eventless. I got to read nothing. I had to eat nothing. I had not needed to drink a thing, since I was on the IV drip. I just turned back and forth to pass time. I got the news that the creature at the bottom floor was killed. He was a mutated person, who had been incorrectly termed as deceased and coffined. While he woke up, he ate other corpses and kept alive, growing rather stronger. While ZA-vi kept sitting by my side. Devon, Despondra and KEAH, kept coming here regularly and Devon used to show his anger over my going down to the bottom floors without informing him. Though he was just worried as a friend and he was not being a rude ruler.

  11:00 am, 15th April 2461

  The 3rd day of being hospitalized I was being discharged, though still I could not eat anything like raw food or solids, but just juices and liquids, though somehow peeled fruits could be eaten. Then Devon entered this eventful day, he was buzzing some song, which felt really funny to me. He would make for the worst singer of the contemporary world. Despondra, standing at my left, was removing the patient tag from my wrist; she joined me in bursting out into laughter directed at Devon.

  Despondra: “Your Romeo is happy today, Dani!”

  Devon: “Yes! Mr. Juliet is being discharged today!” said he keeping a basket full of fruits on my lap.

  I replied: “Careful Dev! You wouldn’t to want antagonize Mr. Juliet and yet keep some bombs with him to throw at you.” I said rolling an apple in my right hand fingers and thumb and pointing towards him. Devon would bend down, and move sideways; trying to avoid any apples I would throw at him. He had not grown up! Old little fellow! I thought.

  Then entered ZA-vi another character, he had Lois with him!

  I shouted in joy! :”Lois! Where have you been sweet pea?”

  ZA-vi: “Hi madam! I have brought Lo, to you today. She has been declared completely fit and genetically pure by Dr Von and Shelly, see this testimonial and their message to you.”

  He extended the device which he held in his hand. The screen read

  ‘The girl named Lois, age 11 years and 5 months 2 days, biological parents unknown is found to be having pure DNA and is free of any contagious diseases. She is given proper authorization to roam about on the deck and whole ship. Her passkey is LOISPRP01. Next routine check up to renew passkey due six months hence.
’

  I read it out loud, and smiles flew across the room.

  Despondra: “Welcome aboard Lois! Dani keeps on talking and talking about you. We are happy to have you here.”

  Lois smiled and said: “Thank you!” Dressed in white top and denim hot pants, neat blond hair she looked very pretty wearing the smile. She thanked! How civilized? Where would she have learned it? I thought smiling to myself.

  ZA-vi: “Von and Shelly have sent you their congratulation message to you. It says, ‘Congratulations madam! Your girl Lois is free to roam about with you. We have one more girl to the healthy human squad. Have faith!”

  Soon, KEAH entered with a smile. Today seemed to be a happy day. I was freed from the patient bed. I got up and was feeling healthy.

  All of a sudden there was a shudder followed by a loud bang, I had just stood up on my feet and immediately fell off on to the floor. It shook us all, and I saw that everybody was trying to balance themselves.

  Then alarm went off; it was a very shrill and loud sound like a blast. A monotonic voiceover started announcing-

  “Emergency! Emergency! Emergency! Everyone on the ship is required to reach the muster station in the Navigation Chambers. Immediately drop what you are doing. Do not carry anything with you, except oxygen masks. Pick up the Emergency manual from the elevators. The stairs are opened for the first time. Please do not panic. It’s Emergency……..” It kept repeating over and over again.

  All the others except me and Devon rushed towards the Navigation Chambers. I had begun changing to a white T shirt, leather jacket and denims. I had almost no time now. I asked everyone else to go. But Devon did not leave my side. He put the black leather jacket on me. All the time I tried not to panic.

  Devon: “Hurry up Dani! It seems like the ship is going down.” He said putting my left hand into the jacket.

  I replied: “Yeah! I hope it is not so!” I was a little worried. All kinds of horrific thoughts kept crossing my mind. As soon as I was done Devon pulled me out of the room and we ran in full speed on an unstable jerky ground. We ran till we made it to the elevators. There wasn’t much rush as I had expected. The elevators were almost empty. We entered in the one on which there was no one aboard. There we saw a basket hanging from the roof of elevators. I put my right hand inside and pulled out a manual.

  It was shaking so badly that it was hard to term the small letterss of the manual as legible. We rushed to the Navigation floor. I handed it over to Devon, he tried to read it, and shook his head as if had understood it letter by letter. I knew he still was playing the clown.

  The doors slid open on the Navigation floor. We rushed to The Navigator’s chamber. Hardly 50 people must have gathered there, in the chambers, i.e. muster station for now. Despondra, ZA-vi, KEAH, Von and Shelly, Albert, Dr. Parker, Dr. Jain, Taner, and many others whom I failed to recognize. The Navigator announced on the mike-

  There were a couple of massive and ginormous earthquakes and aftershocks. Doctor Gary Williamson, our chief geophysicist will tell you more about it.

  Dr. Williamson: “We have detected three earthquakes. The first one and the weakest of these was, situated 120 miles, north east of New Guinea islands, an Mw 6.8 on the Moment Magnitude Scale. The shudder you have just felt was from the impact of Tsunami colliding with Perpetua. The Australian major plate has subducted the Pacific plate by about 50 meters.”

  The tall old man, Dr. Williamson was pointing on the projected map of today’s world which looked different to me; he pointed towards the epicenter of the tremor. All of the faces in the hall looked terrified and pale with fear. Devon held my left arm, yes he considered me superior in handling pressure situations, however recently I have discovered he was more practical when dealing when them.

  Dr. Williamson: “The other reports of two major earthquakes are being received. The first one is being received from the Kamchatka Peninsula with epicenter almost on the Cape Lopatka, Mw 9.2 magnitude on the Moment Magnitude Scale. The Kamchatka peninsula is a part of what once was known as the Russian Federation. Frequent volcanic and seismic activities are always frequently registered from the peninsula. The Cape Lopatka is often washed out by Frequent Tsunamis. The Megathrust Earthquake caused under the water with a focus 67 kilometers under the water directly below the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench has produced a massive Tsunami. This Tsunami will cross our way in precisely half an hour. It is being predicted that given all the conditions, it is going to be a maximum of a 61 meter high, but at the minimum, 23 meters; still massive for a big ship in the sea, like us.”

  The animations were playing clearly on the screen and the look I observed on the faces was of terror and fright. My eyes were searching for the little girl Lois who I have not even got a proper chance to talk to. Suddenly right then I felt soft little fingers curling onto my right palm, I looked back and saw a pleasant sight. Lois stood clinging onto me. I gestured her, about where she was, and she pointed towards the waiting room on the right of the corridor.

  Dr. Williamson continued: “The third and the most terrifying megathrust recorded 9.6 on Moment Magnitude Scale has occurred in the Northern Pacific Ocean, 11 kilometers under the ocean, epicenter being somewhere in the Japan Trench, off north east of once known Japan, following the one at Kamchatka, 46 minutes after that one. The Pacific Plate has subducted a good 47 kilometers beneath the Okhotsk Plate, concluded as being the cause of this massive megathrust. Now the real problem facing us is the resultant series of Trans-Oceanic Tsunamis.”

  He paused to show the animations appropriately on the screen, but mostly probably because he wanted to think over again, about what he was going to say to all these frightened faces before him staring straight into his spectacled eyes.

  Dr. Williamson: “The real problem is that all these events will be causing high Trans-Oceanic Tsunamis, considering the drawback magnitudes, Tsunamis capable of transmitting their energies to far off places. The enormity of Trans Oceanic Tsunamis is also determined by many local factors, related to the areas they travel to. So they could dissipate till they hit us.”

  “But on the contrary they might also accentuate their energies and hit us harder. Now I am concerned with, whether we should try to sail out of this peril or lay dormant, at the will of nature. The reality is that we cannot escape this onslaught by outsmarting it, even if we chart a course backwards towards the Southern Pacific Ocean, out of the Pacific Ring of Fire. But it is really really long way to go, as we are heading towards the Philippines a long way from the Ring. Trying to get out of the western edge of Ring of Fire, by going in it first by taking the U-turn is a dangerous route not even promising us a secure escape. We also cannot dock at any land form, in a period of time given, 37 minutes; the time we have calculated for the Tsunamis to hit us. By the time I will finish briefing this evil news to you, we will have seven more minutes lost to us. But time is not valuable constant here, because we have to face it anyways, irrespective of what we choose.”

  Continued Dr. Williamson: “The combined effect of these two major Trans-Oceanic Tsunamis coming from the Kamchatka and Japanese Trench cannot be calculated with the equipments and technology on this ship, as these are dependent on many conditions, mostly local. They could combine their forces together and form a mammoth wave or could counteract to reduce the effect of each of them taken individually.”

  Dr. Williamson: “What is in our hands is that how we brace up for the impact. There are only two options available to us. One is that we believe in inaction; we lie dormant and leave ourselves to the Nature’s peril. The second is that we chart a course all the way backwards, and try to outrun the Tsunamis, believing that at least they will grow weaker as we go further. But the last theory could go utterly wrong, and they might not have lost as much of their energy as we want them to, rather we will still be struck hard. Remember that they are Trans-Oceanic Tsunamis, capable of transmitting their energies to far off places, so even if we tried to outrun them, we might still be in their range.”

&
nbsp; I raised my hand to throw some of my opinion onboard-

  I said: “Excuse me, Doctor! I think we must wait for them and leave ourselves to their might. They are nature’s forces and I sense no worth in going back all the way. Sorry for sounding pessimist, but I believe in flexibility. I think there is a natural precedent to it. The strong holding big trees standing erect firmly on the ground are uprooted by a storm coming their way, because they oppose the brutal force of nature standing upfront. While the trees which are flexible and bend before the force of nature are saved. Also, as you are saying that we cannot outrun the Tsunamis, the second option doesn’t seem feasible and worthy to me.”

  Dr. Williamson looked up at me saying: “What is your name? I like your opinion!”

  I replied: “Sir, I am Danielle Spearhead! Thank you!”

  All eyes looked at me, in disbelief. I had sensed opposition in the looks. Dr. Williamson continued-

  Dr. Williamson: “So, I have chosen the first option. If there is a chance, it is how we do it. We will wait for the impact to hit us. For your knowledge, our ship is capable of absorbing a high impact, but like every other intelligent machinery we have in this era, our ship also has its threshold limits. Optimistically saying, we will be swept away in the Tsunami, while the other way around we could be overturned when the waves strike us. We will be witnessing something very unlikely and different. But I believe that we are prepared for it! We have back up engines, retrograde engines, extra propellers and we can transform into a Submarine if need be. If the worst happens, we have all the life boats we need for everyone on the ship, the ones on which you can make it to the land all by yourselves. In short there is no room for panic. Although the challenge before us is majestic, still I trust in ourselves and that is exactly what I am looking forward in all the eyes in this hall and on this ship. So now, tell me do I have your support?”