CATACLYSMAL

by Adrian Glass

  “Sure, a revelation, an incredible significance. A possible future, but what of the now? That's the point, for us, as human beings we still and probably will always struggle with a future that may not transpire. You have lost two people very close to you. More so your mother. They will not be around to witness or to know what you have discovered.”

  Jansky nods. “That's right.”

  “People die, we experience loss. Despite the pending events on the horizon. We start worrying about the future at the expense of the now, these moments. It then becomes an anxiety.”

  “So psychologists follow determinism?” Jansky asks smiling as she lifts a glass of water taking a sip, placing the glass back down onto a small round coffee table.

  Kassie chuckles. “Well we don't delve in a technical sense into Einstein's theories. Advising clients that determinism rules their lives undoubtedly would add to their stresses.”

  “How so? Could it not be used as a living for the moment ideal. Similar to what you were saying.”

  “It is not similar. An anticipation of events that are by definition fatalistic. The everyday person, like I said in relation to the anxiety of possible futures, could not grapple with the thought a bullet, with their name on it, is heading their way. And there is nothing they can do about it. We are trying to unravel anxiousness in the human condition not compound it. So I wouldn't say that the deterministic theory could be used in psychotherapy.”

  “I see your point, from a scientific perspective it's more of a study of the Universe, which entails that determinism is the lore over freewill. Some colleagues, physicists, have attempted to bridge the psychological aspects of determinism as an attempt at refuting the freewill argument. That freewill does not exist.”

  “I pity their therapists,” Kassie replies leaning back in her chair. Jansky smiles.

  “Do you believe it?” Kassie asks her expression curious.

  “Of late, with this abnormality, what we discovered. What we deem as an Alien-Artifact. The quantum and particle physics...Yes, I have begun to question the validity of a deterministic Universe. I was taught astrophysics, classical theory and cosmology as the bases of Einstein's relativity. Because so far what we have discovered within the Universe checks out against General Relativity...” Jansky pauses in mid sentence, feeling a slight anxiety build as this object outside of our Solar System which is now considered of extraterrestrial origins - does not follow deterministic notions of a clockwork Universe. “...Then this happens.”

  “Unpredictable?”

  “Yes”

  “Which is what life is...Unpredictable. Despite your brilliance Elly. It is bringing your thoughts back and centering them to the self which is paramount. The therapy is knowing the importance of time, yes that is correct, but not as a possible future. Not watching the clock tick down, not trying to gauge as we can't anticipate the next moment, we just know that we will be able deal with those consequences in time. And I have to reiterate what I said earlier, the stress and the anxiety is thinking about what may be preordained in the now and to what ever events may occur in the future. To alleviate from that mental trap, we need to understand the amygdala that sits within the reptilian part of our brain, stores fears and anxieties, needed in an evolutionary sense for fight or flight responses. But in our modern world it is the more evolved part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, that stores our worries. It then becomes a constant feed back loop, trying to see into a future while at the same time trying to safeguard against future events, as I mentioned, that have yet to occur and may never occur. This is negative for our well being. Rather it should be how we adapt to those emerging changes that can only be seen in those points in time when they do occur.”

  “I understand,” Jansky replies.

  “How are your sleep patterns?”

  “So, so...Vivid dreams. Half sleeps. That's stress right?”

  “Yes. Alcohol?”

  “We like to drink,” Jansky replies with a smile.

  “That's fine...But, limit consumption, especially with stress and anxiety. Alcohol is a big no. Moderation. But even then.”

  “I like drinking, but, I know. Doesn't feel good sometimes. High, then a low. The low sucks...”

  “You can't in a momentary sense, dull out emotions with alcohol and drugs.”

  Jansky grins in a sarcastic manner. “Now and again right?”

  “Freewill,” Kassie replies smiling.

  “Touche,” Jansky replies also smiling.

  Kassie expression now serious as she looks directly at Jansky in a supportive manner. “Do you mind if I ask you about your mother?”

  Jansky in a sombre expression nods allowing her psychologist to continue.

  “The loss. How do you feel now?”

  “Well, my sister and I were preparing for our mother passing away. The cancer was terminal. She was going to die. It was just a matter of time.”

  “How did you sister cope?”

  “Before or after?”

  “Both times,” Kassie asks.

  “Sad, a lot of crying. I suggested the therapist that you recommended. I think she saw him a few times. For the funeral she had support, her partner.”

  “Who supported you in that time of sudden loss? And the following grief?”

  Jansky thinks of only her professional colleagues support.

  “On a personal level...there was nobody.”

  “You gave a lot support to your sister.”

  “She's younger than me...She'll need more help.”

  “But she will cope better than you. She has already a support structure in place. The ongoing therapy if needed and her partner. Who do you have?”

  Jansky begins to cry. Lifting up a tissue. “I miss him?”

  “Who?” Kassie asks

  “Jensen...he died a few months ago.”

  “You told me about him...A lover?”

  “Yes and also a friend.”

  “Did you love him?” Kassie asks as she passes the box of tissues to Jansky.

  She takes another tissue and wipes her eyes. “No” Jansky leans down lifting the glass of water she takes another sip. This time her eyes are closed. She feels a gamut of emotions.

  “Elly, you have to contact the one you do have feelings for.”

  “Josh...”

  “You love him?”

  “Yes I do.”

  “And I would say he feels the same way.”

  Jansky nods while sobbing. “I am just afraid of being hurt.”

  “Live for the now Elly. You deserve to feel loved and to give love. And the support that comes from caring about somebody and their care for you is an absolute importance. If you form a bond with somebody, and I suspect you have that with Josh, you should contact him. Today.”

  Jansky nods with a smile, she feels a relief envelop over her.

  “It's just these moments,” Kassie says her expression reassuring.

  “I know,” Jansky replies

  Later that night Elly Jansky is trying to sleep, but it's her wandering thoughts which keep her awake, memories of growing up, her mother, sister. She then thinks of her ex-husband, when they first met how she fell in love. The hurt and betrayal, knowing that he didn't love her anymore, as he was seeing another woman. But didn't tell Jansky until a year later. Her dear friend and lover Jensen Denlas passing away, entrusting her in such an honorable and respectful manner of his rendition of the Alien-Artifact. So beautifully devised and written. Opening her eyes she looks across at her bedside table where her cellphone is, Jansky thinks of Josh Rigel. Remembering the advice from her psychologist. Sitting up right she leans across and picks up the cellphone, she types in Josh's name as a stored number comes up. Without hesitation Jansky quickly types a simple message.

  “Hi Josh, I miss you. Love to hear what you are doing.

  Elly.”

  She then sends the message. Placing the cellphone back down onto the side table, Jansky feels her heart rate increase - a nervous excitement w
ith tinges of doubt that maybe she shouldn't have sent the message at all. The fear and it's emotional attachment, despite her desire that he returns with a reply.

  Jansky lies back down and falls asleep.

  Neatly packed in skyscrapers, a tree-line road that seems infinite, no cars, some people. Indistinguishable faces but at the same time familiar. The sky, slightly overcast. A beautiful golden light, as the sun begins to set.

  “Hey Elly!” A voice is heard as ahead of Jansky are a small group of people. Once again their features are unknown, yet there is a familiarity. This city, I know this city. Feel relaxed here. At home. Jansky smiles walking towards her friends. These are good people. I know them. But I can't remember who they are. Friends? She meets up with the group and begins walking with them down one of the narrow streets.

  It's a dream I know this, I've been here, doesn't exist in my reality. But it exists as a parallel thought, an impression. They are my friends but not in my awake consciousness.

  Jansky awakes.

  “Synchronous events, reality within a reality. Residuary aspects within the subconsciousness. Would a baby dream this? Yes, possibly. But not understand those similarities, therefor unable to describe them. A dream that is primordial, old, but relevant to the now. At the same time. Parallel Universes, they're unproven. The Alien-Artifact.” She sits up, reaching across to her left hand bedside table and picks up her laptop. Propping herself up she opens the file she has been working on, also the recent paper that was sent to her whilst she was in San Diego by the astronomer Sam Wisemann and his colleague Dr Heath Les. Jansky looks over the updated Professor Tori's equations, with added formulations by Wisemann and Les of the Alien-Artifact.

  “It's a particle accelerator.” Smiling she begins adding the equations into her paper for the upcoming conference. While she is typing the new information with the new equations, her cellphone lights up briefly. She reaches across with her right hand lifting up the phone looking over at the message that has been received - Jansky closes eyes her expression is of happiness. The cellphone message is a reply from Josh Rigel.

  “Elly, so good to hear from you! Hoping you are happy and well. I am always here for you. Find attached a picture of the log cabin. I think you'll like it.

  Love Josh.”

  Jansky quickly opens the attached image of Josh's log cabin, more so a multistory house contemporary built in design. She keeps smiling, happy that Josh has replied. Another attached image is received, this one shows a bandaged thumb with the caption: “Not a construction injury, the builders did most of the work here. Cut my finger making a Cajun grilled Halibut dish. Freshly caught I might add!”

  She types back.

  “Silly thing...Looking forward to seeing you Josh.”

  As soon as the message is sent and received. Josh replies.

  “Hopefully soon...”

  Jansky exhales still smiling, now relaxed, savoring the moment of feeling contented that she has reacquainted herself with someone who she has strong feelings for, the other aspect of her current happiness is now the theories of the Alien-Artifact are becoming more clearer. As equations and their accompanying formulations are now reconciling, under her auspiciousness, Jansky's termed Alien-Artifact could be, in it's actuality, a large particle accelerator. Using the Universe to create new and exotic matter. She leans back down onto her pillow.

  “Hang in there Elly. Just keep pushing through,” she says to herself. Closing the laptop she places it back onto the beside table.

  V.Cataclysmal

  Professor Ivane Tori stands outside of his small backyard, sipping his tea, he smiles looking in the direction of the olive tree where a small memorial sits below the tree in memory of his wife. Professor Tori, a brilliant physicist who, several years ago, reconciled the unsolved problem of extra dimensions in Space-time, theorizing that quantum dimensions sit within the physical laws of the known dimension. They both react in the same manner, but only the visible are the human perspectives within our dimension. A ground breaking paper, which in turn has assisted with his more recent paper on the Alien-Artifact. He looks up at the overcast sky with patches of blue, so sparingly do they come into view as the colder European months inevitably will ascend. He thinks of Dr Elly Jansky, knowing how astute she is, that deliberately he left a portion of the equations incomplete. Only very slightly, in which there is a possibility that the event horizon of the Artifact is still active, it's similarities to a Black Hole, despite the fact that it is an artificial creation. He looks down at the neatly swept path that separates the small garden area and his house. It is the notion that this so-called threat is not the Alien-Artifact, but the natural construct in it's entirety. The known fundamentals of the Universe by definition is the threat against life.

  Professor Tori turns and walks back into his modest home. Sitting down on his couch he lifts opens his laptop, looking over his paper again. He then lifts a small note pad picking up a pen Tori writes down the equations for Cosmological Inflation and Vacuum Decay.

  ***

  “How are you holding up Elly?”

  “I'm alright...” Elly Jansky replies as she leans down and places a wrapped ceramic bowl into a removal box. “...just packing up my stuff.”

  “You moving?”

  “Yeah, got notice to vacate.”

  “Jeez the timing,” Micheal Reddy replies.

  “I know.” She pins the cellphone with her left shoulder against her ear picking up a framed photo of her sister, mother and herself taken ten years ago at Pier 39, Jansky gently wipes away the dust that has gathered on the glass of the framed image.

  “Your paper on the Alien-Artifact, it's exceptional. Noted with the updated equations...Chris and I are totally gob smacked. Has Nobel prize written all over it.”

  Jansky smiles in an appreciative manner as she places the framed image of her mother and sister aside.

  “A collaborative effort...Professor Tori, I mean, what he put down as the main theory within it's testable equations.”

  “You're so modest Elly, but, an Alien-Artifact that is a giant particle accelerator is the closing deal. You pieced it together and it checks out, with the additional equations. We'll need you to fly across to Boston before Saturday for the final briefing with myself and Chris prior to the conference. You can stay if you like till the Saturday group meeting.” Reddy replies

  “I can make it late tomorrow, have a news report to attend early that day, depending on flights or Thursday...So yes that's fine, but I'll fly back soon after have a few things to do before the Saturday conference.”

  “Also, my colleagues at MIT and NCU have sequenced the pulse rate of the Neutrinos that possibly holds an embedded message.”

  Jansky walks across to the lounge window, she views San Francisco bay noticing the overcast day. “Unless the military crack it first.”

  “That may happen, but, the guys are know have already experimented with Neutrinos that pulse a communicative sequence, as I mentioned previously, they've successfully sent a message, albeit simple. We could decipher before the military...The question is, who would disclose first?”

  “Depending on the message, right?”

  “Correct...I think, we could be looking at an rudimentary code, most likely mathematical. Yet it's unstable.”

  “A simple code within an unstable Neutrino pulse,” Jansky replies walking back to her lounge area looking over the removal boxes.

  “As I suspected an embedded Antineutrino message, no idea what that would do to our algorithmic systems. I'll keep you updated. You take care Elly.”

  “Thanks Micheal, both you and Chris's support has been very important to me.”

  “If we could do more…” Reddy replies.

  Jansky says goodbye and ends the call. She then sits down on her lounge chair and looks up at the sky once more.

  “A special report tonight, as we will be talking to astrophysicist and cosmologist Elly Jansky regarding this new discovery in our Universe, more so
it appears closer to our Solar System than first thought. The question on everybody's mind is 'What is it?' Reports now, being pre released before a major scientific conference in Boston on this coming Saturday, point in the direction that this object, massive in size, is an artificial phenomenon, a term used to describe what many in the science community are now saying is of alien origin. Dr Elly Jansky, thank you for joining us tonight.”

  The camera pans back showing the host of the news show sitting opposite Jansky.

  “Thank you for inviting me”

  “Quickly Katy, she's on!” Shannon says sitting down holding a wineglass, Katy Jansky rushes into their lounge room promptly sitting down next to Shannon. In front of her both, being televised, is a special news report featuring her sister Elly Jansky. Shannon hand's Katy a glass of red wine.

  “How is she?” Shannon asks sipping from the wineglass.

  “She's getting better...” Katy turns to her partner “...Elly contacted Josh.”

  “That's going to help a lot. She has strong feelings for this guy, right?”

  Katy leans back and uses their small coffee table as a foot stand. She also sips from the wine.

  “She loves him.”

  “This alien object, is it, and please excuse my amateurish observation, a spaceship?”

  Jansky smiles shaking her head. “No, not a Hollywood fantasy or in any literary sense from science fiction. However I am able to show you an image from a friend of mine, who was a distinguished conceptual artist. Unfortunately he recently passed away his name is Jensen Denlas.”

  An image is shown on the television screen of the Alien- Artifact.

  “That's looks incredible...” Shannon says leaning closer to studying the image.