“There was . . . I’m not joking," Eddie clarified, “Look, man, let’s examine the story of creation . . . as written in Genesis. ‘In the beginning, when God created the Universe, the Earth was formless and desolate . . . the raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and God commanded, “Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places . . . and it was done, the dome has separated the water under it from the water above it . . . and named the dome-“sky” . . . that was the second day . . . ’ Hey! Are you still listening?"
“Yes, go on, but make it simpler and shorter."
“‘Then God commanded, “Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear and it was done.’” Eddie paused. “See?"
“So, how can you explain the way the water was divided when, in fact, there was no indication regarding the shape of the infant Earth, whether it was a spheroid or flat, as some people believed in the past?”
“Both,” Eddie replied. “The shape of the infant Earth was flat and spheroidal.”
“Oh, c’mon, man," Mark fumed. “You’re daydreaming; please don’t try to create some fantasy ideas.”
“It’s like this: according to that description, I’ve got a gut feeling that in the beginning the shape of the infant Earth that was engulfed with the raging ocean was in the form of a spheroid but when it was viewed from a great distance what you might see was a spinning sapphire saucer. Of course you will agree with me that the infant Earth was revolving very fast, eventually the centrifugal force pushed the great portion of the water outward, thus, creating this landscape: the polar poles’ water levels were shallower . . . while along the equator it was swelling outward, and it became slimmer at the extreme ends, comparable to Saturn’s physical appearance except that all you could see was water, including its ring.
“See, when the ‘dome’ sky separated the water in two separate places the water below the sky came together in one place, while the water above the sky could have had maintained its ring shape . . . and this ‘dome’ sky that was being referred to in the scientific terminology is no other than the ‘ozone layer’ . . . so, when the great explosion occurred the ‘floodgates of the sky’ opened. . .. You imagine how the incalculable volume of celestial water poured in and filled all the Earth and created the great flood.”
“You’re extraordinary indeed, Eddie . . . you’ve answered your own tough question; you’ve successfully corroborated the biblical facts with each other.”
“No, Mark, I’m just following your line. . .. You’ve established the clue . . . I’ve just refined it,” Eddie explained. “See . . . two heads are better than one."
“Don’t be overwhelmed by your enthusiasm, Eddie. Don’t forget that what we’re discussing is mainly limited to the biblical parameters. . .. We must explore some concrete evidences to prove its substance in order to satisfy the scientific norm.”
“Yes, Mark, but so far what I’ve explained to you has been based on scientific principle, scientists declared that the early Earth was situated in the Goldilocks’ zone, not too hot not to cold region in the Solar System.”
“You mean the assumption of too much unknown?”
“I think we’ve nothing more to argue further.” Eddie felt very disgusted as he bit his lower lip while staring downward and prepared to leave.
“Hey, keep cool, man; please sit down. You’ve started this so we’ll have to finish the remaining minutes to discuss another topic,” Mark tried to calm his disgusted peer down. “I tell you something. In the past there were many attempts to discover the secret of the universe. So far they ended up as largely speculative. I must admit that even what I told the Privy Council before regarding the creation of the universe has lots of flaws, too. There were so many missing links,” Mark confided. “You know, Kareen asked that barrage of complicated questions that caught me flat-footed. . .. First, she asked why it is that the moon can’t get away from the host planet’s environment . . .say the Earth’s lunar satellite. I answered her confidently that science had the basic answer. It was simply because of the gravitational attraction of two celestial bodies.
“Then she followed it up with a bombshell: ‘If it is due to the gravitational attraction, then why is it that it won’t crush its counterpart?’ I remained silent. ‘So the attraction principle is false,’ she declared further, and then she unleashed another hellfire: ‘If gravitational force of the sun is responsible for the planets remaining in the solar system, then what is the effect of the “solar wind” on the planetary bodies? . . . Isn’t it true that this “solar wind” has played a key role in propelling all the planets to orbit in one direction around the sun, including the smaller bodies, the asteroids and meteors? . . . they should have been thrown away by this “solar force" out of nowhere a long time ago,’ she pressed further.”
“Kareen has a very puzzling query,” Eddie remarked. “It’s a real pain in the ass. There must be another force, a third resisting force that every scientist in the past has overlooked.”
“You’re right, Eddie . . . a third ‘resisting force,’ that must be it. . .. Whatever it is . . . it played a key role in the deep mystery of our universe.”
“That’s very exciting, Mark."
“The smaller celestial bodies, like Icarus when it reaches its aphelion, probably encounter this ‘third force.’ It keeps on bouncing back to the sun’s immediate surroundings, just to be thrown away by the solar wind. Which reinforced my belief that the entire Solar system is being confined by cosmic bubble. Both the Bible and the noble Koran mentioned, that the luminaries in heaven travels inside the cosmic firmament. Which indicates that all the planets and moons are restrained by the sun’s centered multi-layered cosmic bubbles.”
“We’ll crack on this, if we have time some other time. This would endanger the majestic power of gravity to be dislodged. Because gravity would disseminate as it getting farther away."
“Yes, Eddie, perhaps we’ll adjourn now that we’ve spent too much of our precious time in this make-believe brainstorming.”
“OK . . . OK, Mark. But maybe some other time.”
“Yep . . . you’re always welcome, big brother."
After several months of hard labor, the project now has come to a reality. The Earthlings were in a state of high anxiety, like a father waiting for the delivery of the newborn. On the eve of the launching, a throng of people gathered on a giant covered dome facing the towering spaceship in a festive mood. They had a field day drinking beer and other beverages and eating some delicacies that had been sold on the periphery. There were some spectacular live shows, mind-boggling entertainment where illusion and reality collided. One number presented a superheavyweight sumo wrestler who wore a “G-string” leaping from a fifty-foot swinging pole down to the rows of shining swords without suffering any bruises and walking swiftly above the flaming water surface that was subjected to a high voltage current that truly “electrified" the audience, who demanded more.
One of the highlights of the evening was the extemporaneous speech competition among the outstanding junior and senior high school students representing different institutions. It was attended by higher government officials, including the emperor, some technocrats, scientists, and most of the key men involved in the project. Mark Gouch, wearing a dark gray suit and a maroon-and-black tie, escorted Kareen, who displayed some precious gems on her neck and diamond earrings. Kareen’s blue gown matched her oval pink face and shiny purple lips. Mark and Kareen were seated in the front row a few seats from the emperor.
The competition was preceded by the gypsy dances and a few musical numbers. The curtain had risen and the emcee announced the four finalists who had survived a week-long preliminary screening. The four competitors were concealed in a soundproof glass cubicle.
“The first contestant is a senior high school student from Earth University, a consistent scholar, ladies and gentlemen, John Vohlik!” Wild applause greeted the contestant
. “May I request His Excellency the Emperor Bent Skovllunde to draw a piece of rolled paper from inside this glass cup?”
Someone handed the cup over to the emperor, the emperor then got one rolled paper from a cupful and read the contents, then shrugged in displeasure and elected to draw one more. Without reading its contents, he gave it to his secretary. The secretary then delivered it to the smiling emcee. “John Vohlik, here’s the subject, which you’re privileged to speak on for no more than five minutes. The question is . . .” (and the emcee opened the rolled paper while the secretary eagerly looked at its contents) “if you were the emperor of the Earth, what would be your program of government?"
Then the youthful contestant faced the audience. “My people, if ever you entrust me with the honor of being your emperor, then you have my assurance that I’ll do all I can to transform our planet into a superpower second to none, so that we shall never be looked down again by those arrogant leaders! They viewed us as a lame penguin that possessed a couple of wings but couldn’t fly! We’ll develop a stronger defense system, modernize our moon military bases, and shall be fully equipped with powerful offensive weapons.
“I’ll encourage the people to work hard in order to achieve a stronger economy by building more industrial sites throughout the Earth. We shall flood the interplanetary market with our cheaper products to kill their industries. The youth shall be made aware that the Earthlings are brave and superior people; only cowards turn into a Runner. If ever we have an opportunity to control the Interplanetary Organization, we’ll do so. All of this shall remain a dream if you don’t have enough courage to choose a ‘hawk’ leader with clutching claws to lift us from our unending predicament not an impotent penguin king. . .. Thank you!”
This short piece greatly offended the emperor, whose handling of the Earth’s present ordeal had been greatly criticized by Colonel Krispov, whose position as the commandant of the Space Fighting Wing, presently commissioned to lead the space expedition, had influenced the senior students who wished to be future astronauts.
The emcee called the second contestant, who delivered a piece calling for other planets to accommodate the Earthlings in case Mark’s idea failed. The third speaker was more specific in his subject; he offered another option, stating that it was necessary to evacuate the civilian citizenry to other friendly planets while the project was in progress. Although he admitted that there might be few takers, his concern was received with overwhelming support.
“Our last contestant is a junior from Divine World University high school department, also an outstanding student, ladies and gentlemen, . . . Karl Vincent!"
Then the young contestant approached the emcee.
“Are you nervous, Karl?”
“No, I’m not. Any moment I’m prepared to sacrifice my life just to save our planet.”
“You’ve got a lot of courage, young man; I do hope that you don’t offend anybody. Here’s your question. ‘If you become the Emperor of the Earth, what would be your program of government?’”
“As an emperor of the Earth is not an easy position; I’ve never dreamed to be one. It’s a tall order, but for the sake of those who wish to be the future leaders of the Earth you’ll have my view. First, we’ll start from basics. Let me quote from the words of a great man the Malayan race produced, Dr. Jose Rizal. ‘The youth of today shall be the leaders of tomorrow.’ How could we expect the future leader to succeed when he’ll be confronted by a kingdom that has an uninhabitable environment? The once food-producing seas have been heavily damaged by man-made pestilence; where once birds roamed freely in its sky and looked down with pride to its rich flora and fauna now it has been frozen. And we may ask to ourselves, ‘Is there a chance to reclaim our nature’s richness and greenery splendor?’ If ever Mark Grouch’s ingenious idea really works, we’ll utilize this great achievement to strike further into some more rich veins of brilliant ideas and build a bright future.
“Our first task is to clear the stratospheric ozone layer of the atmosphere with dreaded polluted gases, which is essential for the health of our people. Let’s remember also that our ancestors were able to create artificial rain and likewise able to clear the stormy skies if events required. Adapting the same principle or a modified one perhaps, we could eliminate those ozone-depleting chemicals. Then the second stage is to thaw the oceans by installing space-based solar laser beams. We have the resources and technology to manufacture pre-engineered solar glass panels. Once the sky has been cleared and opened its door to the sun rays and the ocean will show its unending gigantic waves again, then our next concern is the vast barren land. I’ll urge you then to ‘re-green’ the Earth. We’ll sow seeds of different species that are useful to mankind. Although it would take several decades to achieve the beauty the legendary couple Adam and Eve used to enjoy, at least we could show the next generation that the ‘promised land’ will come to be a reality.
“The next concern is the ecology of our environment. All industries that threaten to ruin our atmosphere by releasing chlorofluorocarbons shall be relocated to the moon; that would guarantee a better life to our increasing population. We’ll establish a governing body that will protect our environment; anybody who’ll do harm to our environment shall be banished to the moon. Once we restore the beauty of the Earth, I assure you that tourists from other planets will populate our tropical beaches and ruined landmarks. Then it’s time to harvest the fruits of our hardships. Tourism alone will transform our planet into a prosperous empire. Then let’s promote love and peace among our neighbors by signing a treaty that bans the production of nuclear weapons once and for all, indefinitely! That was responsible for all our extreme distress! And now, my beloved elders, dreams alone shall not show results but our collective efforts will. ... . Thank you. . ..”
VII
Stargeon
Early in the morning Mark and Kareen jogged along the white sandy beach inhaling endlessly the cool breezes from the calm sea. After a tiresome run, they rested and built a sand castle.
“Mark, look! This is the castle of Catherine the Great.”
“It's marvelous, Kareen.”
“This is a tribute to Her Majesty Catherine the Great. . .. You know, she was the most spectacular woman of all time. . .. She was a very ambitious woman, after twenty long years of illicit desires for power, she emerged as Empress of all the Russia in the eighteenth century, which traditionally reserves for royal macho."
Their conversation was cut short when a white-and-brown husky leaped over the sand castle and got in position to leap again. Kareen got mad and scooped up a handful of wet sand and gestured as if she was about to lob it at the sneering dog, but Mark held her wrist fast.
“Please don’t; maybe he just wants to join us,” Mark pacified her. “Come here!” They were amazed with this irrational being, as it responded to the command.
“Roll and jump!" Mark yelled, and the dog obeyed.
“Where is your master?” Mark asked. Then the dog grasped the seams of Mark’s jogging pants and pulled him. Few seconds later, the couple followed the husky until they arrived at an old brick house. ‘
“Sniffer, is that you?” came the voice of an old man. The dog barked gently.
“Good morning, sir.”
Came the simultaneous greetings from Mark and Kareen, the Old man showed up. “Who are you?"
“I’m Mark and this is Kareen; we’re new friends of Sniffer.”
“I’m Senor Sebastian, the mentor of Sniffer.”
“Nice meeting you, Senor; how do you do?” Mark offered his hand for a handshake, but to his surprise he noticed something strange. “Did you lose your eyesight, Grandpa?”
“Yes, I missed all the beauty around when mustard gas enveloped Madrid during the horrible nuclear holocaust. ... Many a surgeon has tried to restore it, but so far no one has been successful. My hard-earned currency from singing and strumming my guitar under the sun was all exhausted, but I’ve no regrets, because they were successful in e
xtending my life beyond my expectations, but I don’t lose hope. I believe in Him,” the old man elaborated. “Let's forget my gruesome past.”
“You’re still lucky, senor, because you’re the living link to our distant past.”
“You can borrow Sniffer if you wish. He’s intelligent, he has the instinct to respond to an understandable command."
“Thank you very much, Grandpa, maybe some other time. We’ll drop by here," Mark said. “Don’t go yet . . . I’ll prepare some hot tea.”
“Thank you once again, Grandpa. We’re in a hurry to monitor the historic launching of the giant space voyager sometime today.”
“Mark, before you leave . . . may this piece inspire you.” and he played the Spanish guitar.
“There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea;
There’s a hole. . ..
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole.
There’s a hole, there’s a hole, there’s a hole, there's a hole. ... There’s a hole in the bottom of 'the sea.
There’s a hole. There’s a star!”
The old man coughed.
“It’s a very nice song, Grandpa; the lyric is the same as what we used to sing in grade school," Kareen interrupted.
“No, this one is different."
“We hope to hear it next time around, Grandpa,” Kareen said. “Bye-bye!” the duo bid farewell.
“Vaya con Dios!”
Mark is puzzled by the old man’s unfinished song. Did he compose it to deliver some messages? Mark asked himself.
Everything was set for the historic journey.
Col. Cedric Krispov rushed to the professor. “Professor, where’s that genius project coordinator?”
“He has been called up; he’ll be here in a few minutes,” the professor replied. “Ah, they’re here!”
“How’s everybody?” Mark asked.
“Hey, Mark, I think it’s for the benefit of our people it you go along with us,” Colonel Krispov urged.
The Embryo of the Star Page 9