The Embryo of the Star

by Elberto V Badon

  “Before this conflict escalated into a nuclear war, there was a benevolent society called SPB, an acronym for the Society of Philanthropist Billionaires. Its members comprised shipping magnets, automakers, oil magnates, business tycoons: and some industrialists. They gathered people that possessed the highest degree of professionalism in their chosen fields of endeavor, such as scientists, engineers, doctors, statesmen, sportsmen, agriculturists, and some technicians. What they did was freeze their collection’s brain in a liquid nitrogen. Their primary aim was to preserve and extend the life of the human race in outer space, but unfortunately, they were not able to include some other forms of living creatures due to the limited payload capacity of the space ark, and we’re grateful for that humanitarian group because we're one of their benefactors,” the doctor jogged his distant past.

  “Are you sure that your planet was really destroyed?” Mark questioned.

  “Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. The space ark monitored the movement of our moribund planet during the early days of the exodus; it took a visual shot from afar. Our planet had turned into a glowing ember. Then several days later our planet was nowhere to be found; only its neighboring planets were visible,” the alien doctor pondered.

  “That planet could have been so wonderful today; it could have been developed as a space haven for mankind.” Mark said.

  “I’m sorry, we don’t want to reveal its identity . . . it’s taboo. Kuralus has served as our celestial sanctuary. All of us had been in misery. I was once the director of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission, the body that was responsible for producing the most powerful nuclear weapon ever produced. Here our last recourse is to faithfully pray for the . . . restoration of our souls, wishing that the Almighty Creator, whoever He is, shall forgive our misdeeds. If only those superpowers had ceased to produce those deadly thermo-nuclear weapons and respected each other’s ideology, shared their wealth with the poor, respected human rights, religious beliefs, and avoided some inhuman expansionist adventure . . . perhaps the nuclear holocaust would have been avoided. It's very nice to live on that wonderful planet; you couldn’t find that kind of rare planet in the galaxy. It was very beautiful and full of mysteries," the alien surgeon lamented.

  “Yeah, maybe it was nice to live on that wonderful planet. I guess, according to its popular legend, it was once the traditional site of the garden of Eden, the paradise of Adam and Eve, the first human couple created by the Almighty Creator, who submitted to the temptation of the devil and the human beings’ folly started from there,” Mark replied.

  The aliens turned their eyes toward their visitor.

  “Hey, stranger! You’re talking about Genesis. . .. How did you come to know of our planet? Maybe you’ve been spying on us!" The alien captain became too suspicious.

  “I’m not a spy. I'm telling you the whole truth. I could understand you because I’m also an earthly creature,” Mark replied.

  “I see. You’re a bionic robot, a cyborg that has inhabited another planet, created by an Earthling,” the alien surgeon answered.

  “No. I'm not a cyborg, as you suspected. I’m a normal human being with complete senses. Would you believe that no single mechanical device has ever been installed in my body? I don’t have even a false tooth."

  “There's nothing peculiar about yourself, because we also produce a real human being here. . .. Please let's go outside; it’s getting warmer here. I've something else to show you,” the alien captain invited Mark.

  “Capt. Hans Minilai, with your permission, I wish to bring some of your technology to my planet. I’m very much impressed with your medical technology," Mark said.

  “I'm not in a position to feed you classified information; it needs some higher authority's approval,” the alien captain explained.

  They were walking along the hallway when Mark spotted a group of people. “What are those people doin’ out there?”

  “It's the sports complex on that side; you know how to play chess?”

  “I’ve knowledge of that game, but I couldn't play it competitively,” Mark replied.

  “There’s an ongoing tournament out there, a universal chess championship fitting the prodigies from the superpowers; their dual match materializes here in the absence of politics. The latest score was twelve points apiece. Today they’re playing for the tiebreaker.”

  In the Sports complex hundreds of chess enthusiasts patiently watched every move of the two protagonists.

  “How amazing! Oh, I lost my pet, Captain.”

  “Let’s ask my men at the bar.”

  “I hope they didn’t roast my pet.”

  The dining salon was filled with captain’s men, who were drinking some kinds of wine.

  “Where’s the alien’s beast?” the captain asked his men. “Lady Khinna took it away, sir.”

  “She has left for the palace, sir.”

  The captain then took a shot of whiskey which turned his face reddish. “C’mon, let’s go there, Mr. Gouch.”

  They walked with the people that were promenading along the glazed-blustered veranda overlooking the vast landscape below. Mark’s attention focused on the man standing in front of an easel, surrounded by youngsters. The man was painting a landscape using watercolors. The “wet and wet” wash drawing portrayed a couple standing on a coral rift, with a gloomy sky background.

  Mark stopped and glanced at the painting and said, “You know, Captain, I’ve read a book on how to paint in which the author emphasized, if you’re painting without the sounds of the living creatures around, you can’t feel the movements of nature and smell the fragrance of flowers, so your painting will be dead.”. The artist turned his face to Mark and replied, “You’re absolutely correct, stranger. . .. only people who are masters of the brush could say those words. I’m Alwyn."

  Mark was astounded because what he had said lately could have been the words of this man. Without any other word Mark raised his hand in an affirmative gesture and followed his guide, while they were walking, the captain said, “That man has been our vast reservoir for any visual information we would like to recall from the lost planet; he could paint on the canvas through his sharp memory.”

  After a few minutes’ walk they approached the palace foyer. The entrance had a canopy with a golden statue that look like a Greek mythological triton blowing a conch shell. The palace motif was made of shells. Inside Mark saw many pretty ladies, some playing harps and singing a melodious song; he could smell their fragrance perfume from afar. The throne was made of a giant oyster shell, decorated with dazzling pearls and some precious stones such as jasper, jade, ruby, diamonds, and emeralds, with sculpted golden seahorse armchairs. The ceiling had chandeliers with simulated pearls and some geometrically designed onyx quartz crystals, while the windows were decorated with transparent Gothic tracery.

  “You've got a fantastic edifice in outer space! . . . Grandeur in outer space, a marvelous floating empire,” Mark admired this breathtaking colony. "Was this constructed to thwart the attack of some savage beasts?"

  “No, no, so far, there's no beast around. This colony was mainly constructed out of necessity. The sole purpose was to make it safe from the frequent destructive jolts of the land accompanied by the streaming flood. So our scientists and engineers formulated and designed some lightweight metallic and nonmetallic structures. The main structures are composed of a barium, yttrium, and oxygen compound. The metallic oxide attained superconductivity after it was frozen at about minus 240 degrees centigrade," the alien captain revealed. “The main structure then rested above the vast magnetic field that helped it push upward, and this was provided with a standby engine. You know, when you intruded in our sky, we received your distress signals, but our seismologists forewarned us of the incoming tremor. You’re lucky, you know, it was just a minor jolt.”

  “Is the engine necessary for this mammoth structure?” Mark asked. “It seems it has a very rigid base down there to withstand seismic impact.”

  �
�It’s necessary because our geologists firmly believe that this planet has not yet reached its mature stage of development. Their studies revealed that this planet shall undergo further development, wherein mountains and valleys shall be formed, meandering rivers would flow endlessly, and water shall be separated from the land mass. They stress that this planet may attain a similar geological structure to that of the lost planet in the near future. . .. The coral rifts found on some of the lost planet’s mountains suggest that they were once on the depressed ground.” The captain explained, “That’s why we brace ourselves to eke out in case the geochemical and geophysical transformation takes place.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the sight of a pretty lady dazzling the crowd, who embraced the earthly creature in her arms, tenderly kissing Sniffer’s forehead. The girl had long blond hair, purple lips, green eyes, and a pair of dimples in her rosy cheeks. She stood about five feet, six inches, wearing a fine viridian linen scarf and silky pink dress that fitted well her young, artistically contoured body.

  Mark became apprehensive and asked himself, is she a real natural beauty or was she cosmetically sculpted by their advanced technology?

  The pretty lady noticed them and stepped forward. “Hey, Lady Khinna, that beast belongs to my alien friend.”

  “Captain, I like this creature. He’s very lovely; he has soft fur. He’s different from the painting of this creature; you can’t feel the softness of his fur, the charismatic power of his eyes,” Lady Khinna said.

  “Sniffer, come down.”

  The husky jumped from the arms of Lady Khinna. “Who is this stranger, Captain? . . . Where is he from? . . . Why is it that there has been no proper interrogation regarding his identity?” A barrage of questions came from the man of authority who appeared from behind Lady Khinna. “Don’t ever trust anyone if he is a stranger. It’s SOP, Captain. This fellow might be an infiltrator that has encroached on our territory, carrying out a special mission and, if a convenient time comes, sabotaging the peace and tranquility of our people.”

  “No, my Lord Chancellor, he isn’t a spy; there’s no sign that he could be one. He spared my life. He claims that he is an Earthling.”

  “My Lord, I ’m Mark Couch. I came from the planet Earth.”

  “What? From the lost planet?” Chancellor Andrie Russell was stunned by the revelation of the visitor.

  “No, my Lord, the Earth isn’t lost. In reality, the Earth is still inhabited by human beings.”

  Everybody in the palace was stunned; they come closer to Mark and whispered to each other. Mark overheard one man saying, “He might be another liar who has made some false pretensions and may attempt to deceive us.”

  “My Lord Chancellor, let’s not believe at once what this guy said; his juicy words might be blended with poison,” one man reminded his ruler.

  “Stranger, you've heard what my people said. They’re very cynical of your identity,” the chancellor said. “Are you willing to submit yourself to physical and mental examinations?"

  Mark glanced around and then looked at the chancellor. "I accept the challenged, My Lord."

  XI

  Alien Brothers

  The sparse crowd in the palace grew thicker when people learned of an alleged Earthling visitor. The sophisticated scanner machine with SKJOLDBORGVEJ boldly marked on the side was installed on the platform about three feet from the floor. A description of the human body appeared on the side.

  “Are you ready, young man, for the intensive internal body vetting?” the chancellor asked.

  “I’m prepared, My Lord.”

  “Good . . . but if you fail, your body shall be disintegrated and shall be stored for possible spare parts,” the chancellor warned. “And, worse the scanner machine may alter your brain, if there is any.”

  “My Lord, may I ask you a favor? If I pass the test, would you be kind enough to provide me with a spaceship so that I can rejoin my companion?" Mark presented the bargain.

  “Not only a spaceship but likewise some other requirements will be provided,” came the assurance from the chancellor. “Thank you, My Lord.”

  “Shall we start the examination ceremony, young man?”

  “I' m ready, My Lord. “

  The chancellor then motioned to Dr. Chopra to start. “You' re brave, young man, while those ahead of you got nervous from the start,” the doctor praised Mark. Mark undressed as ordered by the alien doctor and slowly entered the scanner machine, his bare body visible through the translucent prismatic glass wall. After the doctor finished his chores, the scanner machine began to vibrate, Mark’s entire body was shaking rapidly while the machine radiated with brilliant light. Mark’s anatomy appeared on the display screen, supplemented with an inset of different parts of the body, such as the brain, the heart, the lungs, and other important details.

  After five minutes, the alien doctor reported, “Your Royal Highness, here is the output from the scanner. . .. This fellow’s BP is 130 over 90, blood type O. His heart functions normally. The scanner has not able to make contact with any artificial mechanism installed in his body. He is, after all, a real human being.”

  Mark regained his consciousness and rubbed his sweating body with a hot towel and dressed himself.

  “Young man, you've passed the first half of the test. Now we'll see if how your memory works in the second half,” the chancellor informed Mark.

  Several picture frames measuring about four feet by six feet hung on the white perforated display board, each covered with a burnt sienna cloth curtain. The palace hall was now jam-packed by overeager Kuralians that filled it up to the rafters.

  “Now, young man, prove yourself, that you're a citizen of the Earth by identifying its landmarks in those paintings over there.”

  “Let's make this clear, Your Highness; you mean what I will identity are those pictures pertaining to the Earth’s wonders? Am I right, sir?" Mark asked.

  “Correct, young man. Now are you ready?”

  “Yes, sir."

  “Alwyn, please open frame A," the chancellor ordered.

  After a short while, the artist operated the remote control device and pressed the button. The curtain slid sideward. What appeared on the frame was a painting of a giant statue of a man carrying a giant spheroid over his shoulder.

  Mark studied the picture for a few minutes and said, “I regret to tell you that this picture isn’t one of the Earth’s landmarks.”

  “Then if that illustration doesn’t look like an Earth legacy, will you guess what the picture is all about?” the artist asked.

  Everybody trained their eyes to their visitor.

  “You misunderstood me, sir. . .. I’d identify only those illustrations that were considered wonders of the Earth, but if you want me to identify all those pictures then I’ll do my best," Mark answered, coming closer to the picture frame. “This pastel painting of a kneeling man carrying a heavy load on his shoulder is of no ordinary man; he is a supernatural character who supposedly carried the planet Earth! This imaginary man was called Atlas.”

  Everybody was stunned.

  “Your guess was right, young man," the artist declared. “This time, no guessing games please; you must be specific with your answer, OK?”

  “It’s your fault, sir, you asked me to guess,” Mark insisted.

  There was a deep silence in the palace hall: they sensed something explosive their visitor might unveil. The artist pressed another button to reveal another portrait in acrylic.

  “That is the Statue of Liberty.” Mark identified the picture quickly. “The next is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.” All the frames were now open. “That one there is the Great Wall of China. Then that one is the Taj Mahal of India . . . the falling’ bridge of London . . . the Eiffel Tower of Paris. . .. the city of Moscow . . . Mount Fuji of Japan. Hmmm . . . the last one, where did I see that? . . . It’s in the Far East! . . . Yes, it’s the rice terraces in the Philippines! How wonderful! You mean you painted those pictures only through
your memory, sir?”

  “Don’t try to reverse our situations, young man,” the artist reminded Mark. “The quiz isn’t over yet.”

  “I'm ready, if you’ve some more masterpieces hanging’ around.”

  “You’ve seen that cube over there?” The artist pointed to a five-yard-high box. “There’s something inside it; we’ve considered it, as our sacred treasure. . .. Say something, all you know about it; use this laser stick in describing any particular point." The cube opened, revealing a three-yard-in-diameter slow spinning spheroid floating about two feet from its conical bronze base. The surface had a dominant sapphire color, with white, green, and burnt sienna. Mark investigated the spheroid for a minute and said, “This great circle represents the equator, the highest point up there is called the zenith or North Pole, and opposite down there is the nadir or the South Pole…

  “This brown portion here is called the Dark Continent, or Africa. Northward it’s Europe, Russia going northeast. Down to the equator. Here’s the Middle East; then eastward it’s India, China, Japan, and some other Asian nations. Down there are Australia and New Zealand . . . and in the other hemisphere, it’s Canada up there, the United States of America in the middle and some Latin American countries down there. This white land here is Antarctica. . .. Uhm." Mark paused for a while. “This is the Pacific Ocean, the China Sea over here, Indian Ocean, this one here, it’s the Atlantic Ocean, the Bering Sea here, this one is the Baltic Sea, this one is the Dead Sea, and this one is the Red Sea, and here is the Yellow River. In other words, this spheroid is a replica of ancient Earth!" Mark exclaimed. “Ancient Earth? the artist wondered. “Yes! That’s right sir; you want me to update your masterpiece, sir?” “Yes, you may. What color do you want?” the artist asked. “You want orange? Red? Cerulean blue? Or Payne’s gray?”