by Kumar L
“I have been thinking about it. I think it is the effect of electromagnetic radiation surrounding us. Just like neutrinos or cosmic rays travel through tons of concrete, so too do the energised particles here. The anti-matter particles may not enter the EM field but other more exotic particles may permeate our atmosphere freely. They might be interfering with the transfer of electrical impulse in my eyes or the neurons in the brains of the afflicted people. The dome is keeping them safe. But I don’t know what the exposure to the next part of the journey without the dome will do to their bodies. You will take care, won’t you?”
“Rest assured, I will do the best I can. Let me just put a couple of drops in your eyes to keep them lubricated.” He administered the eye drops, gave Anara a quick hug, waved goodbye to Manisha, and left.
“And then there were none! How much further to our next oblivion, Lieutenant?”
25
Oblivion
"I have no visuals yet, Captain. We’ve only covered a hundred thousand kilometres so far.” Manisha turned around in her seat. “Why did you call it ‘oblivion’?”
“That’s what it feels like. You are seemingly torn from your body, disassembled into the most basic physical particles. You disappear, if only for a few moments. Oblivion sounds appropriate, doesn’t it?”
“If you say so, ma’am.”
“Keep looking.” She settled back. They would find the exit very shortly. If not, they would die here in a desolate place. ‘Zero space’—that’s what Ryan had called it. All empty. The ultimate void. A superlative scientific discovery and no one to tell. No one would ever know. Maybe no one back home would be left to know. Oblivion described it accurately.
“You’re monitoring the particle flow, right Narada?”
“Affirm. We are still on the trajectory we plotted, moving away from the black hole. Particle density is down by eighty percent.”
“So we continue to go true?”
“Yes. We do. Moving in a straight line.”
“This place is like an immense sphere, isn’t it? And we do not know whether we are in the centre or a side or if we’re going around in circles. How much time do we have left?”
“Endurance twenty-five minutes as per last report.”
So, this is how it will end. Far from home. Seven people holding fort. Eighty-nine frozen bodies. I wonder what total annihilation feels like. It will be swift, that’s for sure. The EM screen will fail first. Then the antimatter particles will come flooding in towards Antariksh. The first few particles will be enough to completely obliterate the ship and us. We will cease to exist. No. Even after death there is an essence of the human body left. Some wreckage of the ship. Some remnants of memory. The eternal soul. But here in this universe, there will be nothing leftover. Not a single particle of matter. All is one. I am becoming quite philosophical today.
“I see something!” Manisha called out, excitedly. “There! Right there! Starboard! Did you see that, Captain?”
Her excitement was infectious. “Unfortunately, I cannot. Narada?”
“I am observing the phenomenon. Apparently, we are no longer moving true to our point of origin. Somewhere in the last few minutes we seem to have strayed by almost fifteen degrees. Correcting course now.”
“Madhavan. Colonel Fraser. I hope you can hear this. It appears we are reaching our destination. All ready at the dome?”
“Yes, ma’am. We got this.” Madhavan’s voice came through strong and clear. He was solving a mechanical problem. He was in the zone.
“Narada, keep talking. Let everyone know what you are observing.”
“Ten thousand kilometres straight ahead. It is becoming clearer now. It’s similar to an accretion disc around a black hole. Only instead of matter, it should be antimatter. Gravitational pull is increasing once more. Captain?”
“Uh huh?”
“I believe we have proof of another scientific theory. Gravity seems weaker over large distances because the gravitons move through baby universes or different dimensions. Gravity goes into this universe from ours and then reappears, seemingly able to travel large distances without losing its pull.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?” Anara said.
“What?” asked Manisha.
“It means all of the theories Ryan had explained to us before are linked.”
“Five thousand metres,” reported Narada.
“One last indulgence before we go in, Manisha. Judicious use of our precious minutes before we disappear. Should I explain?”
“That would be helpful, ma’am,” Manisha said grateful for anything to take her mind away from the impending doom.
“Black holes are actually worm holes. But instead of directly leading to a different place in the universe, the wormholes open into baby universes or another dimension. And there are other entrances and exits from this place. This universe functions like an orbital flight interchange, or the airport of old. You come in through one gate and you leave through another. If we do manage to exit through a white hole, then that would be the other end of the wormhole, the exit from this place. Only…”
“Only what?”
“Only the other end may not be fixed in our galaxy. It may change or may be difficult to locate once you enter this universe. I know it sounds confusing, but what I’m trying to say is we may find an entrance but not the exit, or the exit may lead us to another even more exotic space.”
“And if we do get out into our universe we still do not know where we will end up. Maybe the other end of the galaxy or maybe at our own doorstep on Earth.” Anara smiled. “Better note all this down. That will be the second Nobel Prize for people on this ship. And now, back to business! Narada? Status?”
“We are being pulled in just like the previous time at the black hole. Gravity is rising exponentially but it is nowhere near the levels we encountered at the black hole. Minimum reverse settings on our graviton generators should be enough.”
“Mr Madhavan, do you copy?”
“Affirmative. We seemed to have gotten lucky. This gravity I can handle with our engines. I’m setting the graviton generators to reverse field and handing over control to Narada. I do hope you will stay online this time, Narada, won’t you?”
“I will do my best, sir,” Narada replied, unflappable as usual. “I estimate three minutes to entry.”
“Execute our plan, Doc.” Anara called.
Down near the dome, Dr Khan’s finger hovered tentatively over the dome’s switch. The thought that his action might be committing eighty-nine souls to an inglorious death was daunting. Well. Here goes nothing! He pushed the button and the dome switched off.
It took just a few seconds after the pods opened for the unearthly screaming to fill the chamber. The noise filtered through the intercom channel and Anara closed her ears. They are alive and in pain again. So much pain. She screamed herself.
The space around her seemed to dissolve. She could barely make out the words of comfort coming from the young girl who sat at the control station. Anara screamed and rocked. Darkness surrounded her and then a blazing, shimmering glow filled the ship once more.
All is one at the onset of oblivion.
That was Anara’s last thought as she lost consciousness.
All is one.
26
Into The Quantum Foam
There was darkness and then there was light. She did not know if she was awake or dreaming. It was the same this time and yet it was different. Once more she travelled the universe. She saw the beginning and she saw the end. This time she witnessed her death. It was meaningful. She was happy.
And then she was growing smaller. She was smaller than a speck of sand. Smaller than an atom. She was inside her own body. Her blood cells moved in waves around her. She was one with the flow. She grew even smaller. This time she saw a completely different version of the universe, this one at the quantum level. She was now floating in the quantum foam. At that infinitesimal level there were no particle
s, only energy. Energy in its purest form. Light and dark energy. Light and dark matter. She knew there were two types of matter and now there were two types of energy. It was wondrous to behold. Now she knew the answer! Nature was Yin and Yang. Female and male. Light and dark. Opposites trying to achieve equilibrium. Black hole and white hole. It all made sense now. She was right! Nature always restored balance!
She tried moving her hands. They moved. So did her feet. She could hear quite well. Why were people screaming so hard? She remembered something. She knew these people. Family? Friends? People she knew from another life? Why was the answer eluding her?
At the next moment she remembered. There were people who depended on her.
Flashes. Glimpses. Visions. Was she sleeping or was she awake? It seemed so corporeal even if it was only her imagination. But I am blind. I can’t see. These have to be part of my dream.
She woke up with a start.
27
The Reversion
The restraints on her chair held her back and she struggled against them, thrashing about till she found the release. She felt the space around her; her fingers met nothing but wisps of cold air. She shivered.
The last thing she remembered was sitting in her chair in Ops as they entered the white hole. Then the flashes of light. And now she was back. I do hope it is normal space and not another baby universe.
“Lieutenant Manisha? Narada? Anybody?”
She pushed herself up. I remember the layout. I can find my way around. She felt her way to where she remembered Manisha was sitting. She stubbed her toe on the leg of a chair and winced in pain, but at that moment her hand closed on hair. Long hair, tied in a ponytail. It was the Lieutenant with her head fallen back against the headrest.
“Manisha? Wake up. Are you alright?” She shook Manisha gently. The head lolled back, and there was no response. She put her hand to Manisha’s nose. Thank god! She is alive and breathing. Better let her lie where she is.
“Narada! Damn you. I need you.”
She stepped around the Lieutenant’s stationary form and found her way to the main door, stopping just in time. There will be no oxygen outside. I need a breathing mask. It will be cold too. Where did I leave my jacket? I need to find the emergency locker. Where is it? Why is the universe punishing me again and again? I barely make it out of one predicament before I land into another. It has been hours and days of nonstop nightmares now.
“Give me a break, will you!” she shouted to no one in particular.
She found the locker and opened it. She felt around and found the body suit and breathing mask. It was awkward getting them on, but she managed after some struggle. The control pad on her wrist was tactile. She pressed a few buttons and warmth spread on her body. The filtered air with a higher concentration of oxygen felt good. Now back to the door and out.
The corridor was totally silent. She fumbled her way down the stairs to the lower level, feeling her way along the wall.
She reached the dome and managed to get the door open. Stepping in, she almost immediately stumbled over a body and lost her balance. Cursing and raising herself to her knees, she felt around with her hands and examined the body. Either the Major or the Colonel, judging by the size of the torso and the holster on the hip, she decided. Alive and breathing, thankfully.
Well, I am here. What do I do now? Without sight, without sounds to guide me, I am less than useless.
“Doctor? Ryan? Anybody?” she called out.
Was that a groan?
“Who is it? Ryan? Doctor?” She stumbled further into the dome feeling inside each capsule, looking for a moving body. She hit another body on the floor and fell again. The fall was much harder this time. Her head hit the corner of a capsule and she collapsed in a dead faint.
◆◆◆
When she came to, she had no idea how much time had passed. She sat up gingerly, feeling the bump on her head. Her fingers came back wet. Blood. Must’ve cut myself. Doesn’t feel too bad. It will have to wait. She had been in the dome many times before but without her sight she was completely disoriented. Pushing herself up to a sitting position, she tried to stand, then groaned as a wave of nausea hit her, and sat back down. She drew her knees to her chest and bent her head, waiting for the feeling to pass. She was grateful for the suit. She could feel the cold on her exposed hands and face, but the suit was keeping her body warm. The mask gurgled as it continued to provide filtered air. She took a few deep breaths, then pushed herself up with the support of the capsule. Waiting for her head to stop spinning, she listened for the groans she had heard earlier. This time the room was completely silent. She felt a small gush of air. She had been wrong. There was fresh air available even if there was no heat. At least some parts of the environment control were working. She shuffled around the capsule and found the feet of the person inside, then made her way to the head. Long hair, female. Still breathing, but the skin feels quite cold. Who? She needed to move fast else the people in the capsules would die of hypothermia in the cold environment.
First order of priority—get the power back up. She could function in the dark, but her crew needed oxygen and heat. The tertiary fuel cells might have some juice left. Will I be able to restart the fusion generators? Will I remember how? It’s been so long since my basic engineering training. Where is the useless AI when I need him? A wave of panic washed over her. “Narada! Ryan!” she screamed, her voice echoing in the vast hall. “Narada?”
She listened intently. There was no reply. On the other hand, she was now able to make out the sound of breathing of dozens of people. Thank god. Most of the crew seems alive. Why am I the only person awake? Never mind, I have to find my way to the engine room. “Ryan? Narada?” It is of no use. Can’t waste time here. Time is always my enemy.
She raised her hands in front of her and, bumping into numerous objects, finally managed to find her way to a wall. Following its curvature, she found the open door of the dome and stumbled out gratefully. She had lost precious time in the exercise.
Walk left in the corridor, down the stairs, turn right. Visualizing the way in her mind helped and she eventually reached what she believed was the entrance to Engineering. She felt around the wall and pressed the door panel. No soft swoosh of a door opening. Nothing. She found the handle and tried to slide the door open. It moved with a little effort. In case of power failure, the doors were designed to unlock automatically. Thank god for small mercies.
She tried to reorient herself and made her way to the control station. Her hands found a smooth surface. The controls are off-line. Need to boot up the batteries manually. Where are they located? Right side wall, bottom section. It should slide open. I can do it. She turned around. Which way am I facing? The station is here, so the door is on my left. I need to go right.
A half hour later, having stumbled across the entire section without locating the batteries, she gave up. She sat down with her back to wall, breathing heavily with exertion. She wanted to scream in frustration. She wished someone would come find her. Someone. Anyone.
She put her head down. Tears rolled down her cheeks, hot and plentiful. The dam had burst. All her frustration, all her failures came crashing down upon her. She had fought every step of her way. She had not given up. Until today. She couldn’t do this anymore. Every person had their limit. She had just reached hers. All her training, the years of preparation, the many voyages in space, none of it mattered anymore. She slid down further against the wall till she was lying on her side. Nestling her head in her hands, she closed her eyes. No more. Why am I being punished? I tried my best.
28
Reawakening
The hands against Anara’s face felt cold and metallic. She was lifted up effortlessly and laid down in a more comfortable position. What’s happening? She was too listless to care. Maybe it is the lack of oxygen playing tricks with my mind.
It was when a cold towel was pressed against her forehead that she opened her eyes. She caught the hand wielding the towel,
rising up to a half-sitting position.
“Who is this?” she asked sharply.
“It is me, S12, Captain Anara. I did not see you in Ops, so I searched around, and found you lying here.”
“S12!” Her robot helper was here. She had forgotten all about him. She fell back, relieved. “S12, what’s our status?”
“I do not understand the question.”
Of course you don’t. You’re a military robot.
“I meant the status of the ship. Never mind. Help me up, will you? You’re the best option I have right now. You will have to be my eyes and hands. We need to get power and environment working, then we have to go help the crew.”
Holding on to the powerful arms of S12, she rose to her feet.
“Help me find the battery shunt. It should be in the right wall of the room, inside a panel at the bottom. Can you see in the dark?”
“Perfectly well. I have built-in infrared and night vision.” He walked her to the right wall. “There are no panels near the floor, Captain. There are two panels about one-point-five metres above floor level. Are these the ones you are looking for? Which one do you want me to open?”
No wonder I could not find them. I was crawling along the floor while they were just above my head. Stupid mistake.
“Read the labels. Which one says ‘Backup fuel cells’?”
“The one on the right.”
“Open it.”
There were sounds of a handle being pulled.
“There is a control panel inside, but it is offline. There is a lever alongside.”
“That’s the manual override. Pull it downwards.”
“Done.” The lights came on.
“Are the lights on?”
“Yes. We have lights.”
A small whoosh heralded the arrival of more fresh air from the environment control. Madhavan must have kept the environment controls on standby.
