This is part of the online event called string theory, a science fiction story writing competition conducted as part of Pragyan 2014. The 2 winning entries are shown below.
(3.2.2015 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION)
“Rudh,come here…take a look at our beautiful EARTH”exclaimed Juka.’’See how magnificiant she looks from space.Its breath taking”.
“Quiet Ju.I am trying to work here.Stop your admirations and try to help me”said Rudh.
“This is our first time in space Rudh.Not everybody on this earth gets a chance to see such wonders.Come here.Enjoy the view”.
“Ju remember we are on this space station on a mission to investigate the extraterrestrial and dark matter,not on a holiday.Remember we are astrophysicists.I don’t know what interests you people on this planet”.
“Show a little concern towards our planet.”
“How can I be concerned about a planet when I have infinite space ahead of me fully buried with mysteries waiting to be explored”.
“But in this infinite space all we have is OUR EARTH”.
“We will sort it out soon.That is why we are here aren’t we?Provided a chance,Ju,I would spend rest of my life here in this vast space”.
Suddenly they were able to hear an alarm.”Rudh I think its the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.Something has gone wrong.”
“Ju,the meter shows sudden hike in the reading.This must be some kind of cosmic radiation”.
“Rudh,………….uh ….i see something.Turn to your 9รณ clock.it looks like …………….uh”.
“A BLACK HOLE.We are doomed.”.
Within a fraction of a second their spaceshuttle was engulfed sideways into that opening that came out of no where.Their spaceshuttle landed on an unknown planet.
“Rudh we are still alive.Its impossible to pass through a black hole…………. sideways and survive.This seems to be some kind of a strange land “.
“Yes it is.See I told you earth is not the only one out here.”.
“Rudh…..uh…….something is coming towards our shuttle.”
That something managed to open the shuttles’ door and entered.
It removed its mask. It did look more like a human but skinny.It looked at them as if it was happy on their arrival.
“I mean no harm to you.come with me.”.Telling this,the thing turned and started walking.
“Rudh I don’t think this is wise.May be we should find a way back”.
“Ju did you listen.He was speaking as though he was expecting us.Something is not right.Maybe he can help us find our way back home.”
They got out and all the three started walking.
It continued.”We live below the surface”.Suddenly a door opened near their feet and all the three entered below.
Rudh and Juka looked around the room and stared at each other.
“Rudh it looks like some kind of ……………….”.
“Yes……. Laboratory”.
The room was filled with advanced equipments that was far beyond their understanding.The two walked through the room awe-struck.In the corner of the room they saw few men standing.
“You two look surprised.why is that?”.
“Your place ……..this is marvellous.We have not seen anything of such sort.Highly advanced….”said Rudh.
It stared at them for a while.”Are you not familiar with such things?”.
“No.Not to this extent.This is all like ……..beyond our imagination”.
It looked as if it was not expecting this kind of reply from them.
“What is this place.This……….is.weird?”asked Ju.
”This is our planet htrae.We are called namuh.I am hdur”.
“Why are there no people here.Has it always been like this?”.
Hdur then continued.”Our htrae was once a flourishing planet.We were unmatched in intelligence to other species.We developed space probes that was capable of deep space study,developed quantum communication,created high end military equipments,investigated atoms to their core,were able to manipulate sub-atomic particles,developed life saving medicines……we used all the resources in htrae to the maximum extent possible.We almost thought we had complete control over the nature.But all that lasted only for a short time.we realized that we had depleted almost everything we had.We looked back only to see no green plants,no food,ultimately no air to breath. Couldn’t eat circuit boards instead of bread huh?We created hunger suppression drugs,produced oxygen at extreme conditions,tried to recreate oxygen and hydrogen bonding to produce water,but produced only few droplets.It was sufficient only for the rich and powerful.These men here are few among them.Poor people died of hunger and thirst.We depleted the protective layer covering our planet,obviously started living underground.The electronic waste piled up that it almost covered the entire surface of the planet.To produce water droplets for those who remained we had to look for a new source of energy.We chose gravitational energy,and to use graviton.Using quantum and celestial relativity,we energized the graviton.Gravitons responded to mass and energy,and because they respond to energy they respond to themselves.They self-gravitate. Unexpectedly,the point-like gravitons called mother gravitons started generating daughter gravitons and they inturn produced gravitons like a chain reaction.We could not keep track of them.They entered low energy state and became uncontrollable.They turned NON-RENORMALIZABLE.Our planet was about to become extinct,then we used the D-branes of the hydogen atom that acted as anti-gravitons and stabilized them temporarily.With no more hydrogen no more stabilization and the whole process would turn into a massive blackhole and destroy our planet.When hydrogen depletes in few quantum seconds our planet will be destroyed.We tried our best but all in vain.I thought may be someone else could save us.It was I who opened the portal when I saw your shuttle.I thought may be you could save our planet,but ……….all this seems to be beyond your knowledge”.
“I cannot stand the thought of my planet getting destroyed,and me standing here helpless” hdur added.
“Why don’t you come with us.we will save you.You can live in our planet”,said Rudh.
Hdur smiled. “How can I live after seeing my planet destroy in front of my eyes.Life in htrae or NO LIFE at all.My last few breath should be in my planet and………….for my planet”.
Rudh and Juka looked at each other moved by the love for his planet.
“Leave this place before things get any worse.I will open the portal.GO SAVE YOUR MOTHER PLANET”hdur said.
Telling those last words he left.
Within a few minutes they left the portal a flash of lightning occurred in that direction.They were able to realize what happened.
“I now realize Ju.You were right.our earth is a place worth dying for and did you notice htrae was the……………. MIRROR IMAGE of our earth,human-namuh,and………uh-oh……Rudh-hdur.It was our PARALLEL UNIVERSE…………. He looked at earth with so much love this time that he wanted to hug it. Lets go home…. change our projectile to earth”,said Rudh.’I will never let such things happen to earth.Earth is not only our mother planet but also our GOD’he thought.
‘ We feed robots with programs but forget cattle, invest in armed weapons not in green farming,we develop quantum imaging techniques but fail to look at the scenic beauty of earth, fuel the rockets forget to water plants,use our brain not our heart’.Everything has got its limit so is the patience of our MOTHER EARTH. Mathematicians sometimes say’A function exists only if it is within its limits’.
2nd prize:
(1st prize) THE LIMITS OF INFINITY
(3.2.2015 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION)
“Rudh,come here…take a look at our beautiful EARTH”exclaimed Juka.’’See how magnificiant she looks from space.Its breath taking”.
“Quiet Ju.I am trying to work here.Stop your admirations and try to help me”said Rudh.
“This is our first time in space Rudh.Not everybody on this earth gets a chance to see such wonders.Come here.Enjoy the view”.
“Ju remember we are on this space station on a mission to investigate the extraterrestrial and dark matter,not on a holiday.Remember we are astrophysicists.I don’t know what interests you people on this planet”.
“Show a little concern towards our planet.”
“How can I be concerned about a planet when I have infinite space ahead of me fully buried with mysteries waiting to be explored”.
“But in this infinite space all we have is OUR EARTH”.
“We will sort it out soon.That is why we are here aren’t we?Provided a chance,Ju,I would spend rest of my life here in this vast space”.
Suddenly they were able to hear an alarm.”Rudh I think its the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.Something has gone wrong.”
“Ju,the meter shows sudden hike in the reading.This must be some kind of cosmic radiation”.
“Rudh,………….uh ….i see something.Turn to your 9รณ clock.it looks like …………….uh”.
“A BLACK HOLE.We are doomed.”.
Within a fraction of a second their spaceshuttle was engulfed sideways into that opening that came out of no where.Their spaceshuttle landed on an unknown planet.
“Rudh we are still alive.Its impossible to pass through a black hole…………. sideways and survive.This seems to be some kind of a strange land “.
“Yes it is.See I told you earth is not the only one out here.”.
“Rudh…..uh…….something is coming towards our shuttle.”
That something managed to open the shuttles’ door and entered.
It removed its mask. It did look more like a human but skinny.It looked at them as if it was happy on their arrival.
“I mean no harm to you.come with me.”.Telling this,the thing turned and started walking.
“Rudh I don’t think this is wise.May be we should find a way back”.
“Ju did you listen.He was speaking as though he was expecting us.Something is not right.Maybe he can help us find our way back home.”
They got out and all the three started walking.
It continued.”We live below the surface”.Suddenly a door opened near their feet and all the three entered below.
Rudh and Juka looked around the room and stared at each other.
“Rudh it looks like some kind of ……………….”.
“Yes……. Laboratory”.
The room was filled with advanced equipments that was far beyond their understanding.The two walked through the room awe-struck.In the corner of the room they saw few men standing.
“You two look surprised.why is that?”.
“Your place ……..this is marvellous.We have not seen anything of such sort.Highly advanced….”said Rudh.
It stared at them for a while.”Are you not familiar with such things?”.
“No.Not to this extent.This is all like ……..beyond our imagination”.
It looked as if it was not expecting this kind of reply from them.
“What is this place.This……….is.weird?”asked Ju.
”This is our planet htrae.We are called namuh.I am hdur”.
“Why are there no people here.Has it always been like this?”.
Hdur then continued.”Our htrae was once a flourishing planet.We were unmatched in intelligence to other species.We developed space probes that was capable of deep space study,developed quantum communication,created high end military equipments,investigated atoms to their core,were able to manipulate sub-atomic particles,developed life saving medicines……we used all the resources in htrae to the maximum extent possible.We almost thought we had complete control over the nature.But all that lasted only for a short time.we realized that we had depleted almost everything we had.We looked back only to see no green plants,no food,ultimately no air to breath. Couldn’t eat circuit boards instead of bread huh?We created hunger suppression drugs,produced oxygen at extreme conditions,tried to recreate oxygen and hydrogen bonding to produce water,but produced only few droplets.It was sufficient only for the rich and powerful.These men here are few among them.Poor people died of hunger and thirst.We depleted the protective layer covering our planet,obviously started living underground.The electronic waste piled up that it almost covered the entire surface of the planet.To produce water droplets for those who remained we had to look for a new source of energy.We chose gravitational energy,and to use graviton.Using quantum and celestial relativity,we energized the graviton.Gravitons responded to mass and energy,and because they respond to energy they respond to themselves.They self-gravitate. Unexpectedly,the point-like gravitons called mother gravitons started generating daughter gravitons and they inturn produced gravitons like a chain reaction.We could not keep track of them.They entered low energy state and became uncontrollable.They turned NON-RENORMALIZABLE.Our planet was about to become extinct,then we used the D-branes of the hydogen atom that acted as anti-gravitons and stabilized them temporarily.With no more hydrogen no more stabilization and the whole process would turn into a massive blackhole and destroy our planet.When hydrogen depletes in few quantum seconds our planet will be destroyed.We tried our best but all in vain.I thought may be someone else could save us.It was I who opened the portal when I saw your shuttle.I thought may be you could save our planet,but ……….all this seems to be beyond your knowledge”.
“I cannot stand the thought of my planet getting destroyed,and me standing here helpless” hdur added.
“Why don’t you come with us.we will save you.You can live in our planet”,said Rudh.
Hdur smiled. “How can I live after seeing my planet destroy in front of my eyes.Life in htrae or NO LIFE at all.My last few breath should be in my planet and………….for my planet”.
Rudh and Juka looked at each other moved by the love for his planet.
“Leave this place before things get any worse.I will open the portal.GO SAVE YOUR MOTHER PLANET”hdur said.
Telling those last words he left.
Within a few minutes they left the portal a flash of lightning occurred in that direction.They were able to realize what happened.
“I now realize Ju.You were right.our earth is a place worth dying for and did you notice htrae was the……………. MIRROR IMAGE of our earth,human-namuh,and………uh-oh……Rudh-hdur.It was our PARALLEL UNIVERSE…………. He looked at earth with so much love this time that he wanted to hug it. Lets go home…. change our projectile to earth”,said Rudh.’I will never let such things happen to earth.Earth is not only our mother planet but also our GOD’he thought.
‘ We feed robots with programs but forget cattle, invest in armed weapons not in green farming,we develop quantum imaging techniques but fail to look at the scenic beauty of earth, fuel the rockets forget to water plants,use our brain not our heart’.Everything has got its limit so is the patience of our MOTHER EARTH. Mathematicians sometimes say’A function exists only if it is within its limits’.
2nd prize:
TO PLAY GOD AND THE HERO
Mindy blinked.
The bright lights of The stargrazer had blinded her eyes with their brilliance. Slowly, as her eyes adjusted to the multitude of colours she began to see the cruise shuttle more clearly. But the spectacle was merely reflected dully in her eyes. Her thoughts were far away elsewhere.
It was her 16th birthday today and since St. Jupiter (Yes , you guessed it, it’s on Jupiter) was off for the vacations, she and her dad were off on a cruise to the Andromeda colonies.
Except that her father never seemed to find time for her.
All she knew was that he would always turn up for dinner apologising profusely and promising to spend the next day with her, after spending the day in come corner of the shuttle.
So, she decided to track her father using a fabric recorder which could provide a audio/video feed from any surface it was stuck on. Switching on the screen, Mindy began to observe.
“Yes, yes I’ve already told you the deterioration doesn’t affect her, No, no not at all. I’m telling you gentlemen our answer has finally arrived”, her father was saying.
“Well I, for one have no objections since the blood seems to be capable of all that Dr.Winston claims it can do, in fact, I already tested it on Susan and the symptoms cleared up almost overnight!!” , a soft voiced woman spoke up. Instantaneously there was a huge uproar “How dare you!!, after all the caution we vowed to take, you just waltz in and do as you like do you Dorothy”, a visibly agitated Asian man was saying. And in the midst of all that, a dark faced man sat in the middle, stony faced. Mindy saw him as he slowly raised his hand and his lips moved, seemingly giving out orders.
Suddenly, crewmen barged in, armed with EMP rifles and other weapons. The room went silent immediately and before any one could protest, the dark-skinned man moved to the centre. One of the crew handed a microphone to him, and when he spoke, Mindy knew that it was being transmitted to the whole shuttle. “Attention, clones I have captured your creators; they may call themselves your friends or family, but in my eyes and in gods eyes they’re nothing but heretics. So, if you wish to meet them when they die, I would advise you to come to the diner now”
“Markus ? but you were the most determined of us all, you lost your sister Kate remember? Mark- oof” Mindy gasped as Markus sent her father Dr.Winston sprawling with a swift kick “Of all of us gathered here, under the pretense of a ‘vacation’ you deserve to die the most, Frank. Death is something beyond us, something we can’t violate; absolute. You hear that clones?”Markus called out,” This man claims to have cured all the side effects of the cloning, but I think his reward for that should be death.”
Mindy turned pale, if her father was with those people, then ... was she a clone too? She wasn’t your ordinary run-of –the-mill kid?
Before she knew it she was running to the diner.
Except that before she could get out of the room, she bumped into someone else, “Ow!!”, said a soft voice, from someone shorter than her.
Mindy’s breathing quickened and she scrambled about looking for a weapon, when the voice came again “Hey wait, you’re Mindy right? I’m Susan.”
The two of the girls snuck out to the upper deck and hid in the janitor robot’s closet. “First of all I want to thank you”, gushed Susan.”Why?-First of all, are you a clone?”Asked Mindy, afraid to hear the answer.
“Yes, I am a clone, and you’re one too”, Susan replied, answering before I could speak.
“My mom, Dr.White, never hid anything from me and she even told me about the side effects of the cloning process, like the cancer and the accelerated ageing”.”She told me that you died in an accident in your father’s – Dr. Winston’s lab, when you fell into a vat of raw nanoplasm.”
“It seems that the nanoplasm formed a symbiotic binding with your cells, or what was left of them, just like the mitochondria did as intracellular parasites aeons ago, So your dad used the cells to regenerate your body.” Susan explained seeing my expression with alarm.
“Ok, so what do we do now?”Mindy simply asked.
Susan smiled “Oh, we just break in there and rescue them all. Using this of course”, She added holding out a green syringe.
“The nanoplasts in your cells are in their inactive form, they’ve been keeping you healthy all this time, but their potential is even higher, so to excite them, Dr.White made this formula.”Okay....”, Mindy said, feeling unsure of herself.
But the moment the syringe was empty, Mindy felt different, like a switch had been flipped on in her. She could perceive everything and her senses had been heightened to another level. Feeling invincible suddenly, Mindy stepped out to face Markus.
Before Markus could say another word, Mindy launched herself at the man and his villains.Mindy had played a lot of video games before and this was strangely like one. Everyone moved slowly and she used her bare fists to break their bones and rip apart their armour like it was paper. She suddenly felt searing pain on her left shoulder and realized that she had been hit, but when she turned to see the damage, the wound was already closing indicating the power of the activated nanoplasts. Mindy couldn’t fight, but the sheer powers of her blows were enough to destroy the entire diner. She felt incredibly overpowered and unstoppable. She could see the approach of everyone of Markus’ henchmen from a mile away and easily dodged or finished them with a knee to the head or a punch to the gut. When it was over, Markus lay on the floor, his eyes rolled up in his head.
EPILOGUE
School was out for the day and Mindy headed slowly back to her dorms, as she walked by an alley, she saw two Peloponnesian girls being accosted by some of the locals.”As a great man once said ‘with great power comes great responsiblilty’”She thought as she reached into her bag for her green syringes.
***
The entries were judged by Dr. Vinod from the humanities department of NIT Trichy, on the basis of how speculative and creative the authors were. This factor was given much more weightage than others (such as literary, grammar etc). We thank all those who participated and hope the participants continue to have enthusiasm for sci fi.
