“Before this harmonious dialogue plunged into a ravine, allow me to explain what really happened to the Earth,” said Mark. “It's common knowledge to some of you here that those superpowers on the Earth possessed numerous nuclear warheads in their arsenal, primarily designed to eliminate each other. Yes, they knew beforehand what the consequences would be, but still they were belligerent until the time came when it was necessary to use those weapons. . . when those superpowers were destroying each other, with those' nuclear bombs, a powerful bomb deviated its course before it could land in one of the superpowers’ territory. Unfortunately, this bomb pierced into the navel of the Earth. It’s a porous seabed, the site of many mysterious losses, like ships, airplanes, and humans. The bomb gained entry through this vent and exploded beyond the forty-mile Earth crust and heavily damaged the perpetual source of Earth’s energy.
“Out of the navel, spewed flaming hailstones that inflamed most parts of the globe. Cities around the navel were reduced to ashes. The Earth when viewed from afar appeared to have turned into a crimson fireball, followed by the acrid fumes. The clouds of silica ash spread worldwide for more than a month. There were flashes of lightning, strange noises, thunder, and a terrible earthquake, and worse, the cities around the navel were funneled down to the emptied hailstone chamber, islands around it also perished. Perhaps some of you are also aware that prior to the nuclear Armageddon, the government of Switzerland required its people to have an underground shelter in every home with complete provisions, food, water, medicines, and gas masks. They also built underground shelters in public places. The governments of Beijing and some Arabic kingdoms likewise built their own underground shelters, and other people in some parts of the globe were lucky enough to find refuge in abandoned mines and caves.
“Consequently, the dreaded subterranean nuclear explosion has released hyperventilating voluminous carbon dioxide, and methane into the atmosphere. Massive flood basalts spread into vast area as well. In the same way, at the Wilkes Land, enormous volumes of natural gas were pumped into the atmosphere. The event has further ignited the massive coal beds in both coal fields in Tunguska, Siberia, and Ellsworth Mountain, Antarctica. Tremendous quantities of CO2, high levels of toxic gases, carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases had been intermittently diffused in the atmosphere.
“The scudding volatile gases accumulation was augmented as well by the degassing of numerous active and dormant volcanic eruptions worldwide. Moreover, the shallow seas had been expelling numerous plumes of methane, some kilometers in diameter, bubbling to the oceanic surfaces since the event. Thus, the entire Earth has turned into a globular blazing inferno augmented by extensive wildfires and firestorms. Eventually, the living creatures of the Earth were indiscriminately fumigated. After a long while, the entire Earth was consumed by total darkness.”
“The seven angels had blown their trumpets!” the Counselor yelled. He was referring to the apocalyptic prophecy of Revelation 16:17-21 and 18:1-24. He buried his face in his palms. “The city of sins was gone."
“I thought that those food provisions couldn’t last long, aggravated further with a radiation-contaminated environment. How were they able to eked out from that predicament?” Dr. Varun Chopra inquired.
“Based on the survivors’ accounts, several months after the gruesome Nuclear Holocaust, some of the survivors were starving to death, foods and potable drinking water had become scarce, epidemics had spread worldwide, in the name of survival people were killing each other, and friendship was gone. Some couldn’t stand the unending sufferings; they just ended their lives for good. One day, the survivors were surprised to hear from low-flying choppers voices urging them to come out of their bunkers and report immediately to the nearest port. This message was a manna from heaven for them.
“At the port, they were greeted by their accommodating rescuers, composed of Russians, Americans, Canadians, Australians, Spaniards, Italian, Danes, Frenchmen, Argentines, Chileans, Germans, South Africans, the British, Romanians, and Japanese. They were ushered on board the world’s biggest luxury ship, and Capt. Thomas Hansen was at the helm. This cruising hotel was equipped with sophisticated medical instruments. They extended medical care, led by a tireless New Zealander nun, Sister Bernadette. The luxury ship then sailed due south . . . until they encountered the windiest and the coldest continent, the beautiful and sinister Antarctica, free of the sight of decaying animals and human cadavers. They were quarantined at an Australian base in Mirny. There, they met some other batches of survivors taken from different parts of the globe.
“After several days, they had a field day satisfying themselves with tons of tiny krill and other seafood. Since the population of survivors had ballooned, some were transferred to the Russian base in Vostok, Antarctica, during the pre-nuclear upheaval a home for multinational researchers who worked together studying the Earth's weather and conducting other scientific research. This continent was free from radioactive fallout and chemical gas contamination, because the windblown from Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific, and Latin America was met by the cold wind from this continent, which precipitated it into the sky. Likewise, radiation-contaminated salt water from the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans was met in the convergence zone, several miles from the Antarctica mainland, by the fresh water from Antarctica. This continent is the source of 70 percent of the Earth’s fresh water.” Mark sighed a bit.
“On this continent the survivors found a new vision of the future. They learned to care for and respect each other. Unfortunately, their hope in the continent began to fade when the colony was threatened by the lasting chill, stampeding glaciers, and frequent blizzards. Thinking some places were already freed from the radiation effects, they decided to explore for some habitable lands and they were lucky enough to find a mysterious land called Sargasso, a land that had resurfaced from the former Sargasso Sea. . ..”
`Mark’s revelation was a dagger that pierced the hearts of the people who had played a part in the Earth’s gruesome tragedy.
“Are there still birds? Butterflies? Beautiful flowers? Pandas? Goldfish? Dolphins? Zebras?”
“Very rare, My Lady. Unfortunately, due to the ecological disaster, only a few species are left.”
“I wish I could go to the beaches in the beautiful crystal waters and surf over the gigantic waves,” Lady Khinna said.
“Sorry, My Lady, the Earth has almost lost its visual splendor. Sunny days are gone; as I pointed out, the Earth is frozen, with an average temperature of minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the eastern hemisphere had turned into the suburbs of Antarctica. . ., The landmarks of the West were covered with icebergs and the dilapidated Eiffel Tower of France turned into a huge mountain peak. Most of the skyscrapers were leveled. Likewise, the once-tropical countries experience freezing temperatures. The Monte Alban or Lima and the pyramids of Egypt were all wrapped in snow. The mountains are almost barren; marine animals and other wildlife are on the verge of extinction,” Mark revealed.
“I also wish to see some beautiful old castles, like Kensington Palace, the splendid cathedrals, Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the memorabilia of the Beatles in Liverpool and, of course, the home of the King of Rock . . . Elvis Presley,” Lady Khinna said.
The euphoria of the Earth’s existence was on high. Others couldn’t hold back their nostalgic feelings. They were reminiscing on some of their memorable moments of triumphs and exploits. One sportsman had a vivid recollection of their quest for the prestigious World Cup of soccer, this coveted competition for which was dominated by the Latin Americans and Europeans, being won by their country of Africa. A woman recalled her happiest moment in their family reunion. A man recalled his gallant rescue of the innocent passengers from the hands of the terrorists who threatened to blow up a luxury plane. Another man recalled his heroic exploits at the Olympics, where he won the marathon event that gave his country its one and only gold medal since it had participated in the Olympics. He was an instant hero in his country.<
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Wynn Naing, a Burmese engineer, had been yearning to pray to the famous golden Swedagon pagoda, if it still exists. This glittering landmark was situated in the very heart of Yangon, better known as the “City of Gardens.” And he wished to fulfill a vow to perform a pilgrimage to Bagan in Upper Myanmar, the site of the world-famous thousand pagodas. His memory still lingered on the picturesque scene of the Buddhist New Year, known as “Thingyan,” which fell in the middle of April, preceded by a three-day-long “water festival.” The city’s major thoroughfare's shoulders were lined with intricately crafted bright mandas (a temporary stage) where beautifully clad ladies representing Myanmar’s various traditional costumes were performing their graceful dances.
“On the mandas ‘lower wings were posted dozen cheerful ladies who were holding the colorful plastic water hoses that varied in sizes from three-quarters of an inch to two inches and simultaneously showered the queuing open cars jam-packed with smiling, wet revelers, young and adult, including numerous tourists who were making their rounds around the city amid the serenades of lively “Myanadas” songs. It was on one of these memorable occasions that he came to encounter a pretty lass named Aye Aye Thein together with her kin, Mei Mei. The former had been enshrined in Wynn’s bohemian heart. “Yes, that was long ago. He blinked. And he’ further remembered the Buddhist philosophy: “Yesterday is a dream, today is a mirage, and tomorrow is an illusion.”
At this moment, Mark is confident that he had conquered his doubtful hosts’ hearts and found the latest question of Lady Khinna as a minor inquiry. “I’m afraid, My Lady, you couldn’t see them all, not on Earth!”
The Kuralians were confused because their visitor’s voice had now slipped into a different tone. The sudden flip-flapped of the Chancellor’s expression indicated his steaming emotion: “Are you fooling us, Mark? . . . What are you trying to prove? Your sudden turnaround implies that the Earth does not exist at all.”
“My Lord Chancellor, I told you already that the Earth still exist, but it’s too late if anyone here wishes to see the Earth’s grandeur, because the Earth is on a collision course with our neighbor, Mars.”
The Kuralians were stunned. “What? The Earth a runaway planet? It will collide with Mars?” Said the Chancellor.
“That’s the supreme price of man’s uncontrolled crazy innovation, an aftermath of the nuclear Armageddon, My Lord,” Mark stressed. “The Earth's mysterious source of perpetual energy is losing its ability to spin the Earth."
“Let's rescue our Earthling brothers, My Lord,” Dr. Kazawizki urged.
“Do you have any remedial measures then?" the Chancellor asked. “Or it is the purpose of your journey scouting for a new habitable planet? In that case, the Kuralian people have something to offer; you and your people are welcome to settle without any strings whatsoever attached. We could tap the vast agricultural potential of this planet. You could bring seeds here, domesticated beasts, fowl, fish fingerlings, and other consumable living creatures on Earth. They will have no problem adapting to the conditions of this planet. . .. If from the beginning we had only known that there were people who survived on the Earth, perhaps we could have sent a rescue team. Anyway we don’t want to cry further over spilt milk. What we shall do for the time being is face the reality and think of whatever assistance we can extend to Mark."
“Thank you very much for your generosity, My Lord,” Mark replied quickly. “The most important factor now is time, because the Martian monarch has set an ultimatum for destroying the Earth in fifty-four months or earlier, depending upon any serious developments ahead. We’ve one year left."
“Oh, how dare that bloody Martian monarch! He doesn’t have a flexible heart; he only has the courage to destroy the early home of mankind," the Kuralian officer Capt. Hanz Minilai said.
“My Lord, we've an ongoing expedition to seize the radioactive central core of an infant planet. It's an energy-producing spheroid known as The Embryo of the star . . . and shall be implanted in the Earth’s womb-a sort of genetic biotechnology. It’s our only hope for saving the dying Earth. But unfortunately, my spaceship was destroyed at the hands of unknown space exterminators; they attacked us. I’m confident, though, that our enemies have been beaten because prior to my predicament we had the upper hand.”
“Captain, arrange the expedition immediately; provide Mark with our recent high-tech spaceships and weaponry,” the Chancellor ordered.
“I’ll go with him, My Lord," Lady Khinna offered. “I’ve awaited this opportunity so long” --tears started to stream down from her eyes, “to return to the homeland of my parents. Now an elusive dream is one step to reality.”
“Lady Khinna, we understand what you feel now . . . that your alleged parents and a brother have been calling for you. Yes, it's very hard to understand; maybe you are one in a million who’s gifted with clairvoyance. Even though you’re scheduled to host an embryo, it’s not a stumbling block to your determination to bail out your loved ones from their predicament,” the Chancellor said. “If that is what you want, you’ve all the freedom that your conscience dictates. You shall be the assistant skipper to Mark.”
“Yahoo! Mom and Dad, your daughter is coming!” Lady' Khinna was very jubilant and affectionately embraced Mark. “It’s very wonderful, Mark; this is the first time in my life that I’ve experienced this immeasurable happiness. If I only had wings maybe, I'll fly ahead of you."
“I ’ll go also, my Lord. I’d rather fight the Martians than stay here to suffer from further mental anguish!” said one.
Many Kuralians voiced their intention to join the expedition, especially those who belonged to the new generation, who were constantly searching for inner peace.,
Dr. Kazawiski had invited Mark to his laboratory. Mark was very much impressed by his host’s physics lab, an ideal laboratory for research. The acrylic paintings of Einstein, Newton, Edison, and some other science greats hung on the wall.
“You know, Mark, I already believed what you said regarding the existence of the Earth, but what puzzles me right now is how come the Earth was able to survive the explosion of its powerhouse. It could have disintegrated at that moment. I didn’t want to grill you out there because it might just complicate matters.
“I’m only human; I admit that if I intend to conduct my experiment just to prove your points . . . maybe it will consume a lot of man-hours before I can find a satisfying answers, and if I’m unlucky maybe I never will. Of course some out there firmly believed that there was an unseen hand that worked behind the scene.”
Mark stepped forward toward the blackboard. “You are right, Doctor. My explanation was too shallow; it needs a deeper scientific explanation. Otherwise men like you couldn’t be convinced by my trivial explanation, the devil is on the details,” Mark admitted honorably. “Before I can answer your query, we shall first agree on some fundamental theory. Please allow me to reckon the beginning of the planet’s creation in the advanced stage."
“Yeah, maybe we just misunderstood each other, because there are many theories that have surfaced but, I’ve found out, weren’t acceptable, all based on a mere speculation,” the doctor replied.
“Let’s assume that in the beginning, somewhere in the stellar space, there was a streaking twinkling little star. Let’s say it has a diameter of four miles, more or less. Its tail was streaking about 80 million miles away. This blazing sphere sank into a quagmire of a thick amalgam rich in hydrogen, oxygen, and other gases. This amalgam of gases then enveloped this brilliant spheroid eventually bloated into a giant ball several times greater than it had been. Since the blazing starlet was emitting an astronomical amount of energy, the accumulated gases liquefied. After longer development the exterior surface solidified. Subsequently, the spheroid has constantly discharged a tremendous amount of energy, and it threatened to burst the exterior shell, so, it required a pressure relief valve. Otherwise holes would creep into the different parts of the shell . . . like in the case of some other planets, you could
find craters all over the surface.
“The Earth was gifted by a very special mechanism, not only that it has many volcanos and major faults that allowed the passage of the excessive pressure built up underneath the crustal plates, but it served as a pressure relief valve, situated not far from the equator belt. The most controversial among these navels was found in the alluvial seabed of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. When this navel released its periodic pressure discharge it caused a violent gale or killer tornado; after the released it sucked in any object above the water surface. In the Pacific there was also this navel that caused periodic storms. The Earth has also a built-in tail; gases that had been released by the spheroid had streaked underneath the sea, several miles long in the Atlantic Ocean; it was known as a white water.”
Mark paused and took a chalk and drew the “free body diagram” of the planet structure. “When the nuclear explosion took place underneath the Earth crust during the Nuclear War, flaming hailstones spewed through the Bermuda Triangle’s navel, transforming the gleaming cities around it into an inferno, and they disappeared in a very short time. The land had begun to fill in the hole, but water played a vital role in plugging the hole. Water also turned the Earth crust elastic. You’re also aware that the planets have a space barrier or in religious text, they call it firmament. Theoretically, this space bubble had shielded the planet from the effect of space dragging and being subjected to extreme friction all over its surface.
The Embryo of the Star Page 14