God Of a Man
Infinity Confined

“Everyone cherishes acknowledgment, especially of traits they never realized they had.”

Chapter Eighteen: Hoping of hope
Dated: 31st October, 2460

Acknowledgment plays an important part in human experience, even if it might not be a complete packet in itself. When someone acknowledges they were wrong, it provides a sense of fulfilment to the one wronged, even though punishment or restoration might still be needed to make good their loss. When someone’s greatness is acknowledged, it brings a relaxing calm to their persona, even though a reward commensurate with their efforts might still be needed. Acknowledgment works on feelings, while physical awards are merely a matter of social convenience, to keep pursuit of social good a worthwhile undertaking.

People often achieve mastery in fields they invest their single minded dedication to, and mastery invariably brings laurels in due course. However, the most cherished moments of such greats often include very fond memories of times when they were lauded and acknowledged for something they never invested their time or effort in. Every man or a woman, irrespective of how successful they become in a field disconnected from physical traits, cherishes most the moments when they were approved for their looks by the opposite sex. Fashion became an industry because even those who don’t have the appetite to invest efforts in looking good, have always cherished attention their style statement might generate. The show is to invite attention, even though the invitation might not be an expression of interest beyond admiration. Acknowledgment works magic when it is the least expected, and especially for what it never was imagined for, even if it might have been wished for.

But those who acknowledge also have the right to expect something in return, from insignificant to precious. Fans expect unadulterated appeasement of their insatiable desire for more work. Enemies expect an honourable deal. Lovers expect unconditional love, while, haters expect respectful release. This right to have something in return is based on the fact that acknowledgment is not a right, even though it is always desired. Acknowledgment is the extra benefit that comes at an extra cost, for it never comes alone, but always accompanied by an award or reward.

“Jack! Jack,” a concerned Jenny had been searching for the kid for almost half an hour now. The days had been consistently warming up, with no winter respite in sight, and Jenny feared the worst for their health.

“I miss you mom,” a sad Jack however, unaware of Jenny’s search that was all over the place now, had returned to their house, and was sitting by the side of his mother’s grave, “But don’t worry about me mom. Jenny loves me just like you. I love her very much.” And Jack wiped a tear of his cheek before continuing, “But she is always sad. Could you do one little thing for me, and please send Aman back to Jenny? I am too small to go out and find him. She cries every day and I don’t like it.”

Jenny, who had just returned after searching around the entire neighbourhood, overheard the little guy, and a smile grew on her lips. “Jack,” she exclaimed as she stepped forward, intent on being stern with the young boy for his misdemeanour, “How many times have I told you not to stay out late in the afternoon? Do you know how hot it is?”

“I am sorry Jenny,” Jack turned around and replied apologetically before getting up dusting his clothes, “I was just coming back when I saw two beautiful little flowers by the side of a rock.”

“Flowers?” a surprised Jenny asked.

“Yes flowers,” Jack confirmed it again for her, “And I was like; maybe I should pluck one for mother, and the other one for you.”

“So did you?” Jenny asked.

And Jack put his head down ashamed, “No, I just left them there?”

“But why didn’t you pluck them?” a curious Jenny asked.

“You always say the heat here will never let any flowers grow,” Jack reminded Jenny of her statement made on an earlier occasion, “They are beautiful, and if I had plucked them, they both would have died. But I wanted them both to live.”

“Oh that is so beautiful Jack,” Jenny exclaimed with delight, “That was so thoughtful of you, to not pluck them.”

“Jenny, will more flowers grow now?” an innocent Jack asked as he looked up to Jenny for an answer.

Life will always take its own course, for life is not just about everything you do in your world. It is also about what everybody else in your world does. The only thing in your hands is to do your best, and then hope that so would everybody else. And if that doesn’t happen, then you might as well be ready with an alternate plan.

“Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the nomination of Chief Engineer Marcus Dodd for ‘Excellence in Service’ award, and Lieutenant Jake Reginald and his team for ‘Meritorious Service in Peace Time’ award,” Rear Admiral Gurubaan Ahluwalia was addressing his men in a modified military ceremony, “As soon as we either get back to Earth, or we get in touch with Commander-in-Chief of Humanity in turmoil, Miss Anne De Villiers, I will forward the recommendations for the official confirmation.”

Everybody greeted the announcement with claps and loud cheering, even though everyone was forced to attend the ceremony in an unconventional way, confined to their seats or cubicles. Neither the spaceship was a place that could afford the luxury of space for a gathering, nor were their jobs easy.

“Sir, it’s a shame we’ve built this masterpiece, and yet no one else knows about it,” Chief Flight Officer Antonio Marks quipped with a sad tinge to his comment.

“Don’t worry young man,” the Rear Admiral replied, “Grace can be delayed not denied, to the one born with passion. This masterpiece will get its share of limelight in due course of time.”

Being in the limelight is also an instance of intense vulnerability. While those outside the limelight seek to push the one inside out, those inside the limelight cannot see who in the dark is throwing the barbs at them.

“The results are pretty encouraging,” Doctor Harvey informed the Defence Core Committee, “The alien Science is completely interposable with ours. As it happens to be the case, the charge distribution across the atomic structures of this universe might be in reverse to that of ours, but the elements making up the matter are similar in nature and character to those of our universe. It is science at its’ bewildering best.”

“So we can use their design for our purposes?” Anne asked.

“Now that would take some more time to be assessed, for Mr. Jhiang and Mr. Elahi are still working on a computer model to test it,” Doctor Harvey replied, “But I am pretty sure that shouldn’t be a problem, because their spacecrafts fly well, and in fact really well in this universe. There is no reason why any craft of similar design and make constructed by us won’t fly provided we have fuel to burn inside it. The job of the fuel is to provide energy, whatever that fuel is; and a spacecraft is only designed to fly.”

“That sounds really positive going forward into our second week Doctor Harvey,” Charles quipped, but before he could say anything more, a huge shock wave rocked the ship and emergency sirens were immediately turned on.

“What the hell happened now?” Aman exclaimed, but he wasn’t left hanging in suspense for too long as Christina informed everybody on the speaker the terrifying reason.

“We’ve got company,” Christina’s shocked voice boomed on speakers.

“Damn these bastards,” a frustrated Bradley punched his fist into the table in front of him and got up to leave.

“Where are you heading to?” Aman quickly asked, but Bradley didn’t stop to reply. He just kept walking, towards the hatch; grabbed a rope and tied it around his waist, opened up the hatch and jumped out; without any helmet or space suit; intent on taking the adversary’s hits on his body but save his spaceship if he could.

When the circumstances are dire, the response cannot be any less urgent. But should you be left with no response, than your grace shouldn’t fail you in your suffering.

Without knowing or caring for what was coming at him, Bradley lunged out into space, using all his muscle might to direct his body into every direction. Meanwhile, everybody else had immediately rushed to the flight deck to co-ordinate action.

“What is Bradley doing?” a concerned Anne asked Rocker, who was partnering Christina in on flight duties for the shift.

“Don’t know; just floating around in search of the incoming,” Rocker replied looking at the video feed from one of the cameras.

“How far is the enemy?” was the immediate next question from Anne.

“They have stopped a safe distance away,” Christina replied checking her radar data, “We just saw them zoom past us like a laser beam, again. And from what we could gather, this one’s even more powerful than what we dealt with last time.”

“Damn!” a frustrated Anne quipped as she turned around and looked at Aman.

“If this is the end,” Aman quipped, “Then let it be a glorious one, and let us not despair, for we’ve fought well in spite of our resources.” He stepped forward and gave Anne a comforting hug, while everybody else in the cabin hung their heads down in dejection.

Meanwhile, Bradley got an unexpected surprise. Rather than a laser beam crashing towards his ship, he saw a strange object flying around his craft. Immediately he lunged towards the object, and after a brief struggle in helpless space, managed to grab a hold of it.

“Hey! Hey! What you doing, you big dark guy,” a voice boomed out of one of the speakers fitted in the object, “Let go off my drone!”

The voice shocked Bradley, for it was in a language he knew. He immediately tried to say something, but unfortunately for him, his voice never made out of his mouth in the space vacuum.

“Say what! I can’t hear a thing,” the voice almost chided Bradley, who realizing his predicament, turned around and pulled at his rope, with drone tucked safely under his armpit, to get back into the ship. “Hey! Where are you going? I want my drone back,” the voice boomed again, but Bradley had no time to waste.

“Who are you?” was the first thing that Bradley exclaimed, as soon as he got back into the artificial environment of his spaceship.

“Hey you are speaking my language,” a pleasantly surprised voice exclaimed.

“That’s because it is our language too,” Bradley replied, “You haven’t answered my question; who are you?”

“Now wait a minute why should I tell you that I’m a human,” the voice replied, “That would blow away my cover, wouldn’t it?”

“Thanks, but we are also humans,” Bradley immediately replied, “Only difference being that we are from the other universe.”

“What other universe?” a surprised voice asked.

“That’s a long story, but let me show you my people,” Bradley quipped as he quickly made his way back to the flight deck. Pointing the drone’s cameras at the crew he asked, “Do you guys look like us?”

“Oh hell yeah man,” the voice replied back in excitement, “Unless you come out as something else from under those hides.”

“No! No! We come as nothing else from under our hides,” Bradley quipped in reply, and then continued, “Let me introduce my colleagues here.” And then he went on to introduce his Commander-in-Chief, the second-in-command, Chief Flight Officer, so on and so forth. At the end of the introductions he finally asked, “You haven’t told us anything about yourself yet.”

“Ah, well, I,” the voice at the other end mumbled for a few moments before it replied, “Well, I am the Colonel-General-Field Marshal from my world.”

“Oh C’mon, there’s no such rank like that,” Bradley quipped with a queer look on his face.

“Well, how do you know it isn’t on my world,” the voice replied, and then added, “Especially for the King of the World? I can give myself any rank.” Everybody at the receiving end was left speechless, primarily because they didn’t want to offend someone who could potentially destroy them. So they looked back blankly at the drone. Finally the voice gave up, “Ok fine! I’m just a mercenary! But hey, I’m not doing this for money. I am really passionate about my world, and that of every other organism in this universe.”

“Look, why don’t you come over and have a chat with us,” Anne finally asked him.

“Now why would I do that,” the voice tentatively asked, “I really don’t know who you are, or if you are telling the truth.”

“Well, then how will you find out?” Anne asked.

“Hey that’s a trick question,” the voice replied, before pausing for a few seconds, and then continued, “Let me talk to my partner; I mean; my colleagues. I need to know what all fifty of them have to say.”

A collective sigh escaped the lips of the crew onboard Maa, before Anne finally quipped, “Please take your time.”

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the voice finally came back, “Ok fine, I’m coming to see you people in person, but only me. But be warned; try anything nasty, and my colleagues would annihilate you.”

“We promise we won’t move an inch from where you see us standing right now,” Anne assured him before adding, “Please don’t forget to bring your oxygen, for you won’t be able to breathe in ours.”

“Why is that? You said you are humans,” the voice became suspicious again.

“That’s because we are from the other universe,” Bradley replied, before adding, “It is a bit complicated.”

“This is already getting weird,” the voice replied in an apprehensive tone, but added, “Nevertheless, I’ll come and see you.”

After an uncomfortable wait that lasted only a few minutes, but felt like forever, the crew was ready to welcome their guest. The guest secured his capsule firmly to the outside of the hatch, and entered, dressed in his space suit from head to toe. Rocker’s voice on the speakers guided him towards the flight deck, where Anne stepped forward to welcome him with a customary bow. But the guest extended out his hand, “Hi, I’m Alex; Alexander Rai.”

“We are honoured to welcome you onboard NSSS Maa Mr. Rai,” Anne replied.

“Where are you guys from,” Alex asked as he removed his helmet to reveal his face, and then briefly took off his oxygen mask, before putting the two back on.

“We are from New Saisho,” Anne replied, “A tiny nation based on the Australian land mass.”

“Hey that’s not true,” Alex immediately contested the claim, “I am from Australia, and there is no nation called New Saisho in Australia.”

“That’s really weird,” his comments took everyone including Christina by surprise.

“Exactly,” Alex quipped, “Now why don’t give me the truth?”

“But we are telling you the truth,” Anne replied back, “We are the descendants of the only people left on our earth after the third world war.”

“Third world war, when did that happen?” a surprised Alex asked, his jaw probably having dropped down out of his helmet into his bodysuit.

“That was about four hundred years ago,” Anne replied, further adding to his shock. “But,” Alex fumbled with words all over again, before meekly asking, “When was that on your world; like in sixteen hundreds?”

“No! No!” Bradley replied, “It was around the years two thousand thirteen-fourteen.”

“Oh C’mon man, do you really think I’m from a country town,” Alex replied in total disbelief, “It is only two thousand eighteen today, and there’s been no third world war on the earth.”

“Not on your world,” Anne reminded him the difference.

“Wait a second,” an even more surprised Alex exclaimed, his hands gesticulating fast, “Are you guys from the future?” And then he realized the high improbability of that being the case, “Oh C’mon, you can’t be from future, given the space junk that you are travelling in. Humanity possibly wouldn’t have lost its ability to manufacture Universe class spaceships in four hundred years.” His words immediately made everybody’s shoulders drop in dejection. But he realized his mistake, “Oh sorry, I get it; you are from the other universe.” And this time everybody gave out a collective sigh of relief.

“Look, we realize our technology is really outdated, even though we are coming from a world that should have been more advanced than yours,” Anne replied, “But seems like at some point our destinies diverged, and your people made a choice different from ours. But all that is unimportant right now, for the only thing that matters right now is; we are in trouble and you can help us.”

“Now wait!” Alex immediately put her hopes to rest, “I can see that you guys are in trouble, but that doesn’t mean that I believe your mind-boggling story, yet.”

“Is there anything we can do to make you believe us?” Anne asked, before realizing it wouldn’t be possible on a short notice, “Look! I understand you need time to analyse all that we have shared with you. But may I request you to not harm us?”

“Hey, we don’t harm anybody,” Alex replied, “Especially those who haven’t harmed us in anyway.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Bradley joined in the conversation, before pausing and finally turning to Alex to inform him, “I’m sorry! I can read your thoughts, and I know all about you, including the fact that you don’t have fifty colleagues waiting for you, but only your beloved; Mishiida.”

“Hey, this is getting really weird now, and not to mention personal,” Alex however rather than being put at ease, was immediately made suspicious by the revelation, “Now you are telling me you are into my head. How do I even believe you? How do I know you are not spies working for enemy for money, and setting me up, especially given the fact that I am on a very secret mission.”

“Your mission is not a secret for me,” Bradley replied, “But it is for my colleagues, for I am the only one who can read your mind, and nobody else. They are all just like you.”

“This is the height of weirdness,” Alex quipped, “I am beginning to disbelieve everything you are saying.”

A sigh escaped Bradley’s lips, but a concerned Anne immediately jumped in and nearly begged, “Please don’t mind him. He doesn’t know what he is saying. I apologize on his behalf, but please don’t harm us.”

“He won’t,” Bradley quipped, “He is one of the best people anyone would ever come across in either of the two universes.”

His comments somehow put Alex at a bit more ease, and he acknowledged the appreciation, “Thanks for the appraisal, but I still need something to believe you.”

“Well, weren’t you supposed to be in a movie?” Bradley finally asked rolling his hand over his head.

“Hey, now don’t you dare go there!” Alex immediately protested, “You are beginning to sound like my father now.”

“I’m sorry,” Bradley quipped, “How about I take you around my ship and show you something?”

“Hell no,” Alex quipped shaking his head in negative, “This is way more weird than what I thought it was, and I am really wondering if I should be here with you guys any longer.” He then paused for a second, gesturing with his hand to everybody else to pause as well. Finally he shocked everyone by pulling out his laser and quipping, “Indeed this was a setup. You guys were setting us up.” His actions however took everyone by surprise. “Don’t anyone dare move,” Alex commanded this time, pointing his laser firmly at everyone, “There are twenty enemy crafts heading this way, eighteen minutes away. You only wanted to set us up for capture, didn’t you?”

“No, please that is not true,” Anne however begged in reply, “We know nothing about those crafts.”

“She’s speaking the truth,” Bradley added, “We have told nothing about you to anyone, for we didn’t even know you were coming. Remember, you flew past us!” His words made Alex think, but Bradley continued, “Those guys are probably coming for us, for as you can tell from the state of our ship; we have already been at the receiving end of their brutality.”

“How do I know you are telling the truth?” Alex however wasn’t impressed.

“Look, there is no way I can make you believe what I am saying unless you believed in it yourself,” Bradley quipped, “But we do need your help, or else they will destroy us.”

“I cannot help you,” Alex however shrugged his shoulders, “That would blow my cover, and I am on a top secret mission.”

“They already know you are coming,” Bradley’s words however shocked him.

“What?” by now an even more confused Alex exclaimed in surprise.

Aman finally decided to jump into the conversation, “Look, why don’t you get back to your craft, and get ready for whatever you might need to do right now? But leave your drone with us! We will use it to show you what we want to show you, and Bradley can also answer your questions while you won’t be wasting your time.”

It was indeed a good idea, and Alex made the right choice. As soon as he left in his capsule, Bradley and Aman took his drone on a tour around the ship, showing him and Mishiida the one hundred odd people, including kids, lying in deep sleep in their chambers, the last of their world’s humanity. Finally Bradley gave Alex the details about what he knew about his mission, for he had been to the Tyrenes’ world, and knew exactly what was coming up. Finally Bradley ended the conversation, “Now if you think we are working for your enemies, and I know all this about your mission, then that would mean your enemy knows all about it too, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess that would be the case, but,” Alex however still wasn’t sure, “Look, things are happening too fast, and I don’t know what to believe in yet, but let me take my time and make up my mind.”

Bradley was left speechless, but he had done his best to convince Alex, that another world’s humanity needed him too.

It was a tough decision to make. There was a mission to be jeopardized, or the supposedly last of its kind human race to be lost. Alex had no way of knowing the truth, but he only had one chance to make a call. And for someone who knew all about him, Bradley wasn’t surprised by the choice.

Truth however isn’t necessarily the best thing to be aware of, especially when it hurts. Sometimes one wishes they were just ignorant. But at the end of it all, it is truth that matters, for it saves a day in the unknown future.

“How is she doing,” Admiral Mir Abdullah asked Doctor Rukhsana Leung, who was in charge of Mrs. Suzanne Smith Ahluwalia’s case.

“Stable,” was Dr. Rukhsana’s reply as usual.

“I don’t know if I should hope that she would wake up from her coma,” Admiral however replied as he looked through the glass wall, at a mother left numb by life, “Or if I should hope that she never would?”

“Depends upon what you believe is our destiny now, isn’t it?” a curt Rukhsana however couldn’t keep her displeasure of the Admiral in check this time.

Everybody on the earth had changed. People were no more living in hope or fear. But everything had become mechanical. The Admiral was cleared by an enquiry, but hadn’t been forgiven by the masses. He had chosen to die along the masses, but he had also not let it be known that they were expected to die. Mrs. Michele Davis, Captain Chris Davis’s wife had managed to bring an uneasy calm to a rapidly falling apart humanity, and given a direction to their existence. But as the new Commander-in-Chief, her work was cut out; save the humanity first.

And the saga continues!