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DateLine Sunday, 20 January 2008

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Science fiction:

The dirge of the dying year

***

From last week

Billions of years from Wegner, his theory of the ancient earth and its super continent has come to a reality of the future.

Alwin, a Human Geography student living on the moon. He has come back to earth again after a lapse of nearly 20 years to write a research paper on an underwater colony on earth.

***

The long glass panel seem to beckon Alwin, though there wasn't much to see in the artificially lit sea, except for a few scavenging fish. Alwin was just turning away from the glass when he caught a glimpse of what seemed like a human figure.

He turned back and stared intently at the glass panel, when an extremely weird creature exploded in to view. Alwin's mouth dropped open. The creature in return, stopped swimming and stared blankly at Alwin.

It seemed human and yet not quite. It seemed to be some sort of an aquatic species. It had a human head, a green, scaly body and fins in addition to its four limbs. It had webbing between its fingers and toes and gills on its neck. But the most remarkable feature of this marvel was probably its chameleon-eyes.

One eye revolved a full 360 degrees, all the while the other stared straight at Alwin. "What the heck is that?" muttered Alwin, his throat going dry. Dr. Saburo pressed a button on the intercom and spoke hastily in to it. "Sigma, who let Stewart out?" "I thought he was in his cell doctor" came a perplexed voice out of the intercom. "Not now, he's not..." he sounded almost rude, pushing hard the button on the intercom in frustration.

Then in a calmer tone added, smiling. "...right now he's here trying to scare one of my guests off. Please tell Dr. Veer to put him back in his cell." "Yes, doctor." Dr. Saburo turned to Alwin. Stewart was gone but Alwin was still staring at the empty sea beyond the glass. "I didn't mean for you to see this Alwin, not so soon. But I guess I owe you an explanation."

Alwin was stupefied. "Have you heard about GGS 923488?" "It's the co-ordinance to a star in the Global Geographic Survey. What has this to do with anything?" "There's a planet in its solar system. Which our ancestors believed, was fully capable of sustaining life. But unfortunately it's a water planet. Meaning there are no land masses."

Dr. Saburo realized that Alwin was not quite following. "When our sun dies this planet would be our only hope. But humans as we are now can't live in it for long. We need land for food and fresh water.

Without these we would die. And evolution can only work so fast, but human race does not have that much time. So a few centuries ago a group of scientists decided to stimulate the process of evolution by altering the genetic make-up of the human being.

This genetically modified species had to be kept in a 100% water based environment or else they would die. Hence this 'settlement', as you call it was founded." "To hide your chimeras in." Said Alwin reproachfully. "No, to protect them in their own environment." Said the scientist sensing Alwins animosity.

"Come, come Alwin. Can't you people see the bright side for once. Our Stewart is only the fifth generation, imagine how adapted the future generations would be to their new home.

This is a second chance for the human race...." "No. Not the human race doctor...." Cut in Alwin "That was anything but human." "They may not look it, but believe it or not they are 95% human, plus they are extremely intelligent."

"That's no excuse for your immoral experimentation doctor." Alwin was starting to sound more like a grown-up already thought Dr. Saburo. "Spare me the lecture Alwin. the human race is on the brink of extinction.

If nothing else we can at least leave behind a legacy that other life forms in the universe could only marvel at. But may be with luck, a few billion years in to the future, there might be hope for resurrection.

And if I can increase its chances by any means, even by a fraction, I wouldn't give a damn about your criticisms." "Resurrection, how?" Asked Alwin. The doctor paused cautiously. "Give my regards to your father. Goodbye Alwin."

Alwin was sworn to secrecy before he was allowed to go back. Nothing about Stewart, they said, should come out before the right moment. And then there was the 'resurrection', about which the doctor adamantly refused to go in to detail. Alwin decided that it was too complex an enigma to attempt unravel. But frankly he didn't care.

Humanity as he knew it, was almost extinct. And in his view no resurrection could bring it back. Alwin didn't look back at earth on his flight back to the moon. He cared nothing for the white clouds, the blue sea and the super continent. An air hostess opened the hatch leading to the cockpit, making a squeal that ran through the compartment.

Alwins thoughts inadvertently ran to the 'whale song'. In reminiscence, it seemed like a wail indeed - a wail for the death of the human race. At least he wouldn't be around to witness it.

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