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"...To The World You Left Behind" |
| Written by Prithwish | |
| Monday, 31 March 2008 | |
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“….The Home You Left Behind”
Max made his way nervously up the rugged hillside, holding his gun cocked and ready. He glanced around him, licking his dry lips, his face set. From time to time he gulped, raised a gloved hand and wiped perspiration from his forehead and neck, pushing down his coat collar.
“On your guard, lads!” – he barked out to his squad. “Keep a sharp lookout for them!”
Tensely,the haggard looking lot stumbled on, kicking ash and piles of debris out of their way. It’s been almost five years since any of them have ever stepped out, onto the surface, the open air. Not since the heavy reverses suffered by both the Terrans and Vasudans in the twelve-year long Terran-Vasudan War, after which both had to retreat into kilometre wide underground bunkers. The war was then fought by mechanized robots, engineered by both sides, on the scorched landscape of planet Tiberia.
..or what remained of it.
For the last five years, the humans had been kept updated and informed about the progress of the war, through regular video broadcasts by their respective robots. Now, the Terran High Command had issued directives to scout the surface perimeter, and it had fallen on Max and his squad – the 42nd Ravens – to undertake that job.
The squad, now fidgety, were almost at the top of the hill of debris. Nothing could be seen beyond it. They would have to cross the hill. Max was the first to reach the summit –
- and he came face to face with a squad of Vasudans.
Thirty-something pairs of automatic rifles went up on both sides, trained ready on each other, but none willing to fire the first shot.
“Surrender or Die, Terran pig! “ – Spat the Vasudan commander in Max’s face, the barrel of his handgun against Max’s temple. “Likewise!” – smirked Max, resting his own handgun on his counterpart’s forehead.
“Cease and Desist! Stop your futile argument!” – A mechanical voice interrupted their standoff. It was the robots – but….something was wrong…….both the Terran as well as Vasudan robots had interrupted them, instead of fighting!
“Terran Mech Unit! What is the meaning of this?!” “Vasudan Mech Unit! This calls for an explanation!”
The respective commanders barked.
“All will be explained, in due time. For now, all we ask of you is this – come with us. “ – came the emotionless, metallic reply.
“Where?” – enquired Max.
“……To the home you left behind.”
What greeted them was nothing short of paralytic shock. The cityscape, smouldering, desolate, in ruins, the buildings standing like yellowed skulls –------ all missing. In their place there now existed lush,green, flowing meadows ; rivers with crystal clear water ran across them. In the distance, dense green forests could be seen.
“H……How could this be?”- stammered Max.
“We have been rebuilding this planet.” – the emotionless voice answered, “Having long realized the futility of war - through the Probability Matrix calculations which showed a victory percentage of 0.35% for each side, the Terran and Vasudan robots made a peace treaty with each other, and combined our technology. We created nanobots – microscopic machines capable of performing any designated task. We assigned them the task of rebuilding the planet, supplying them with relevant information from both the Terran and Vasudan History DataBanks. The definitions “paradise” and “utopia” in particular appealed to us greatly, and we restructured this planet on similar lines.” The long explanation left the humans at a loss of words.
“For the last four years, we have been working tirelessly, undoing the destruction you and your kind have wrecked upon this planet.”
“Fabrications. False messages, designed by us. Designated to keep humans in their bunkers and prevent any future war.”
“No,NO,NO!! This is NOT possible!!” – cried out the Vasudan Commander, collapsing to his knees.
“Why…Why not??” – a shaken,but still composed Max said.
“We created them, and we’ve striving to make them better,faster,stronger,more efficient,more…….more human. Well,they are human now. More,much more human than any of us….” - Tears were rolling down his cheek now. – “More human…human enough to realize the futility of wars – the pain, the destruction, the suffering it brings… ‘To the home we left behind’ – that phrase somehow sounds so appropriate….it WAS our home, our planet, souce of all life….and we’ve squandered it away..all because of our greed and our petty differences,our hatred for each other? No…there is no doubt. They are MORE human than us!” – he emphatically stated.
“Hope is yet not lost.” – The robot said. “Rebuilding can continue on a much larger and more efficient scale, once we have the support of your scientists and your knowledge. Call your superiors. Let them know the truth. There is still hope for mankind.” – another stated.
“Yes! Yes! We’ll co-operate! Mankind will once again rise to it’s previous glory !
Like a child learning from it’s mistake,
Like a phoenix from the ashes –
It will be reborn!
If emotionless machines could understand the importance…the significance of peace, could we humans not?
Have we become so intent on destroying each other, that we no longer have room in our heart for love, compassion, forgiveness?”
He frantically reached for his radio.
“…………and as these events transpired, the headquarters of both forces received such emotionally overcome messages, repeating an impossible scenario, but with very much real video evidence….and the scenario turned out to be not so impossible after all, when everyone else saw it with their own eyes. Although they had some difficulty believing their own eyes. What reaction it brought forth I do not know, but it prompted them to end the war once and for all, and contribute and cooperate, to making a better world for all of us.”
“That was the best story we’ve ever heard,Grandpa!” “Yeah!” “Tell us another!!Puh-leeezzz??”
Max smiled, now at the ripe old age of seventy-three, concluding the story of Tiberia’s rebirth, to his grandchildren.
“All right children! That’s enough! Give Grandpa some peace and quiet now!” – came their mother, smiling as she cradled and took her children inside the house.
Sitting outside, in the bright, sunny, beautiful morning, Max smiled, gazing into the distance.
A smile of peace, content, and happiness.
Life will find a way…
Yes.
Because…….life always finds a way.
Copyright 2008 Prithwish |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 April 2008 ) |
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