Genesis

by Tej Pratap Singh

  “What letter?” enquired Jo.

  KC looked at Jenny. Those green eyes, which always made his heart skip a beat, had tears in them. Her long hair covered half her face as KC longed to see her. And finally, after all he had been through, here he was right where it had all begun.

  “Don’t worry Jen… I am here,” said KC, “Read the letter… All is going to be OK. Just read it.”

  With trembling hands, Jenny opened the letter and softly in a shaky voice, read it.

  “I…I… knew you would shoot me. You were always too smart to be fooled. It was only a matter of time before you would find out. You must be wondering how I know.

  The answer is very simple KC, like you always said, ‘The situation is as bad as you let it be, and things are out of control only till the time you let them be.’

  Hi Kenneth, my name is Jenny Cent, I am your wife. I was born in 2935. As per your plan, I was to time jump one month after you to the year 2017, where I was to guide you till the time you found the ‘Time com’ - J zero, and the time modulator without disclosing my identity. You had told me that shooting me was the only alternative. It was an event that had to happen in order to maintain and save the ‘contact time’. You had told me that whatever you did or whatever you were about to do was for a reason and that everything will be OK. WE WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN AT OUR ‘CROSSROADS’, WHERE WE FIRST MET. I trust you Kenneth, and I love you, I always have and I always will, till the end of TIME, I love you…,” sighed Jenny.

  P.S: Be strong, “This is not the end, it is just the beginning!”

  “See what I told you,” reassured KC. “We don’t need to shoot her. Lower your pistol. We got to think it through.”

  “No, it doesn’t make sense,” replied Jo.

  “What...?” said KC shocked.

  “You have seen too much and that’s why you are not thinking rationally. Something still doesn’t make sense,” added Jo. “The letter clearly says, ‘I have to shoot Jenny. It’s the only way out. And I will meet her at the crossroads, where we first met!’ KC, you have time traveled a lot and have lost perspective of what’s true and what’s not. I have time traveled much less and don’t remember anything. I am seeing everything from a fresh perspective. And Jenny’s letter here is completely out of the loop of time travel. Events get altered but words in a letter cannot! This letter was written before the future events got altered. I am sorry she has to go,” said Jo as he raised the pistol and shot Jenny.

  “What have you done?” said KC shocked as he once again saw Jenny fall in front of him!

  “Think about what I have said very carefully,” said Jo as he heard the police sirens getting louder. “I’ll find my way out… as you are my future. But you have not seen yours. Work towards it, not against it,” advised Jo.

  * * *

  A moment later, KC saw Jo and Jenny standing under the bridge and walked ahead to stop them.

  “Wait a minute, I thought I was… How did I get back here?” said KC astonished as he looked at Kamal. “Kamal, you look completely exhausted! What happened?” added KC.

  “Come sit here,” said Kamal. “But I got to go and save Jenny,” said KC fuming.

  “Not you don’t… No you can’t,” replied Kamal frustrated. “Come and sit here and see this video on my mobile,” added Kamal as he tossed his mobile towards KC.

  Kamal, by now, had seen enough to know exactly from where to approach and surprise Jo.

  “Where are you going Kamal?” asked KC surprised.

  “Don’t even bother to ask,” replied Kamal as he skilfully moved close to Jo when he was least expecting him and bashed him on his back with a rod and knocked him out cold.

  “Damn you trigger happy son of a gun,” yelled Kamal. “Finally.”

  Before Kamal could react further, he got a nightmare of a kick under his chin as he fell a few feet behind. It was Jenny. And she readied herself for a second and final blow when KC came from a side and tackled her down. Her hair fell all over her face as she wrestled to get out of KC’s hold.

  “Jen… it’s me…Kenneth,” said KC as he looked into her eyes. “Jenny, it’s me,” repeated KC as he moved her hair to a side and for a moment got lost in her beautiful green eyes.

  “KC!” said Jenny in shock as she looked to the side to see Jo still lying on the ground. “What is going on!”

  KC pulled Jenny up and explained her everything. Jenny listened as her eyes beamed with happiness and concluded with a much-deserved hug. “I knew you would come for me, but I never thought it would be so soon.”

  “So soon...!” repeated Kamal exhausted. “Now that’s relative.”

  “What do we do with him?” asked Kamal as he pointed towards Jo.

  “Crona, plant a memory in Jo’s mind and a body here as well, as it had happened when I was in his place. When he wakes up, he should think that he has shot Jenny. And so, should be the general thought in the environment.”

  “Directive Cdr,” said Crona as she did the needful.

  “Let’s go to my apartment. It’s close by and no one will come looking for us there,” said KC.

  It was early morning by now as KC along with Kamal and Jenny reached his apartment after a short climb up to the first floor. The building had developed some visible cracks after it had been struck by a strong bolt of lightning the previous night.

  “Wow, your building is smoked!” remarked Kamal as he looked at the burnt electric connections. There was no reply as KC was once again lost in Jenny’s eyes as he held her hand and they stared at each other.

  “Ahmmm,” said Kamal loudly to attract KC’s attention. “I think we should get into the apartment, before we are compromised.”

  KC smiled and tapped the wall with the base of his fist next to an old painting of a marketplace and placed his right hand under it just as a key slipped into his hand from behind the painting. “That’s where I always keep my keys,” smiled KC.

  They stepped into the small, modest and unassuming one room apartment!

  “So, this is where the Supreme Commander of the 14 sectors of the known Universe stays!” chuckled Kamal.

  “Three sectors!” interrupted Jenny.

  “Oh… you have no idea,” exclaimed Kamal. “This guy has been all over…time, trying to look for you.”

  “I have been dying to say this for so long…” said Jenny as she looked at KC. “I love you, always have and always will,” added Jenny exuberantly as she leapt for KC and kissed him like never before.

  KC hugged Jenny like he wanted to for forever. He didn’t say anything. He was too overwhelmed. He just held Jenny gently. His hand moved softly from her waist to her neck and disappeared into her long hair. With his other hand, he reached behind Jenny’s waist and tenderly lifted her off the ground as they kissed and kissed. How he had craved to live this moment forever.

  “OK…!” said Kamal as he got uncomfortable by the obvious. “This is a one-room apartment and I can’t even go to another room. So, I guess I’ll just sit right and look at this…wall here while both of you are…”

  “Wow,” said Kamal after a very long minute. “KC, you don’t even have a mirror in your apartment.”

  “Of course I do,” replied KC. “It’s right there, behind my shirt and coat. They are hanging on the mirror!”

  “Who hangs his cloths on the mirror!” said Kamal surprised.

  “It’s perfectly logical,” replied KC, “You don’t need to see the mirror until you are dressed.”

  “Where is the logic in that!” said Kamal and Jenny together.

  “Exactly…” they again said together as they looked at each other.

  “Oh come on,” said KC. “Some things are required only at a particular time and not before it.”

  “I never understand some of his logics,” joked Jenny as she headed to the washroom.

 
KC dreamily watched Jenny as she walked. And then he kept on staring at the washroom door.

  “Lover boy,” said Kamal as he picked up a book and threw it at KC.

  “Aaaoow!” shouted KC as the book hit him. “Kamal, what are you doing?”

  “What am I doing?” repeated Kamal. “KC…What are you doing!”

  “I have finally got what I have been wanting for so long, this is it! What’s more?” replied KC.

  Kamal threw his cell phone at KC, which KC caught rather swiftly.

  “See the bloody video, before Jenny comes out,” said Kamal. “You always say that things are not as simple as they seem. Look beyond the obvious or you’ll be stuck here forever.”

  “No, I am happy with what I have,” said KC fervently. “I have got Jenny; I don’t want anything more.”

  “But this is not your time…You got to stop this madness of time-altering that’s going on. You got to stop what you started. You could stay here, in this time for whatever hours you are left with or if you are lucky for the rest of your life and feel happy about the niche you create here with Jenny. But remember, there is no guarantee how long this bliss will last. Every second you spend here, the time and events somewhere are getting twisted. You know mighty well how much of reality has already been twisted by now. We don’t know…we just don’t know what’s coming our way next!” explained Kamal persuasively.

  “Jo was right, you have seen too much. You need a fresh perspective… Please see this video…and think...! Something is amiss,” added Kamal.

  “Alright, I’ll see it,” said KC reluctantly looking at the mobile. He knew it, there were still many questions unanswered. He had his 15 minutes of happiness. Now he needed to get down to business. KC played the video and reached the part where Jenny reads the letter and Jo is talking to KC, before shooting Jenny.

  “The letter clearly says, ‘I have to shoot Jenny. It’s the only way out. And I will meet her at the crossroads, where we first met!’ KC, you have time-traveled a lot and have lost perspective of what’s true and what’s not. I have traveled much less and don’t remember anything. I am seeing everything from a fresh perspective. Jenny’s letter is completely out of the loop of Time Travel. Events get altered but words in a letter cannot! This letter was written before the future events got altered. I am sorry, she has to go.”

  “Damn, Jo is right,” said KC closing his eyes. “This keeps getting from bad to worst!!”

  “Finally, you are applying your mind,” exulted Kamal.

  “Jenny’s letter has to be true!” said KC. “Which means, one - Jenny was here for some very good reason and two - Jenny had time jumped with me for some purpose I can’t understand yet. I am yet to meet Jenny in my true reality at the crossroads.”

  “Sounds good,” said Kamal calmly. “But I have one question… Where exactly are the ‘Crossroads’? What does it even mean? Is it a place, a reference or a code? Do you remember anything?”

  “No… Nothing,” replied KC as he fell back into his sofa. “Crossroads - it could be anything…anywhere in any of the numerous times I have been to!”

  “KC, you are a smart fellow, I know that for sure. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to pull off what you have done till now. You must have a backup? You always do. There must be some clue you would have left for yourself.”

  “You always leave a clue to get you out of trouble. Whether it was scratching your forehead with the wrong hand as you had done in your recorded message or the one-dollar note where you left a clue for yourself. I am sure you would have left yourself a clue for this as well. We will just have to dig harder. And the clues you leave are never so easy to crack. Only you can figure them out,” added Kamal.

  “I am thinking…” said KC as he thought aloud. “Where are the crossroads?”

  “Where is what?” repeated Jenny as she came out of the washroom.

  “Jen… where did we first meet?” asked KC bluntly.

  “At the - Grand Market Convention, of course,” Jenny replied quickly.

  “The Grand Market Convention!” repeated Kamal.

  “What kind of a market is this?” questioned KC.

  “The Grand convention is a marketplace where all the civilizations across the known universe display their knowledge, technology, gadgets, cloths, food and so much more,” explained Jenny excitingly.

  “Wow! It’s like the Auto-expo of everything,” chuckled Kamal.

  “I don’t recall any of it!” exclaimed KC. “Where is this…market anyway?”

  “The Crossroads,” replied Jenny.

  KC and Kamal looked at each other as their eyes beamed.

  “Crona,” said KC, “tell me everything you know about - The Crossroads.”

  “Crona!” repeated KC when there was no response from Crona, something very unusual.

  “Commander, I do not have any information about the Crossroads,” replied Crona.

  “But you know… everything,” stated Kamal. “Your knowledge is complete.”

  “I have no information about the Crossroads, as there is no such place in existence,” confirmed Crona.

  “But there is…” said Jenny with confidence. “I am positive about it, Kenneth. I met you there.”

  “Where was it exactly located?” prodded KC.

  “Ground Zero…Planet Earth,” replied Jenny.

  “Crona, can you authenticate that?” asked KC.

  “Sorry commander, planet Earth was destroyed during the ‘Trom wars’ after its sun was displaced from its location in the Milky Way,” replied Crona. “Planet Earth does not exist in the year 2956.”

  “This makes no sense,” oozed Jenny. “How is this even possible, maybe Crona hasn’t scanned that sector!”

  “Not possible Jen. If it’s there, Crona would know it. Crona is not just an Evolved Intelligence (EI), she is aware. Whatever a citizen knows, she knows. What anyone knows, sees or experiences – she knows.”

  The room turned silent as everyone looked at each other. Less than 12 hours to go before everything they knew would come to an end! And KC was still not sure ‘where to go.’ How to get there, was going to be the next problem but they were yet to reach that stage!

  “Coffee?” said KC to end the uncomfortable silence!

  “Yeah, totally need some,” replied Kamal.

  “Need to think! Let’s go to our place - The Coffee Shop,” said Jenny. “A lot happens there.”

  The three of them sat at the coffee shop discussing. They went over the whole thing again. Jenny spoke of all that she remembered. Then KC spoke of all that he remembered from all the times he had been to. Kamal tried to fill in the gaps making sense of everything he heard. Seven hours later, they were just left with few hours to go before the time balance of the entire universe was going to crash. The restaurant was almost out of coffee and they were right where they had started - Nowhere!

  “Cdr, you have less than five hours left to reach to your original time,” declared Crona. “I am reading very heavy fluctuations across all the sectors. Space is getting unstable. After another two hours, I’ll be unable to location jump with accuracy. Anomalies are building up by the second.”

  “You are saying we got just two hours not five?” exclaimed Kamal.

  “Less than two hours,” replied Crona in a calm voice.

  “Think of something Crona!” persuaded Kamal. “You are the smart one.”

  “I would have,” replied Crona. “But like I said, the crossroads don’t exist. How do I find something that isn’t there?”

  “Yes, how do we find something that isn’t there!” repeated KC.

  “Ah… We can’t,” replied Kamal. “If it’s not there… it’s not there, how can you find something that is not there?”

  “If Crona doesn’t know it, then maybe it’s in the future… Yet to happen after 2956,” sta
ted Jenny.

  “Can’t be so,” reasoned KC. “The crossroads are on Earth, and the Earth was destroyed much before 2956. So, the crossroads can’t be in the future or in the past. It is supposed to be right on Planet Earth in 2956…”

  “Well theoretically, if a ‘thing’ is supposed to coexist in the same ‘Time’ but not in the same ‘Space’, we usually use the term - Parallel Universe,” shared Kamal.

  “So, two things can co-exist in the same ‘Time’ without being aware of each other. The crossroads could be in the same time in 2956 but in a parallel universe/different space. That’s why Crona is not aware about it. And may be Jenny was in that parallel universe somehow…”

  “Theoretically it makes sense,” confirmed Crona. “But mathematically, it’s not possible. Firstly, two bodies can’t occupy the same space at the same time unless they are 100% coinciding. In which case i.e. they are exactly the same, doing the same thing. In other words, they are basically the same. Their actions can’t be different. However, the only way for two bodies to occupy the same space is - if they are there in a different time.”

  “Still, maybe it’s possible,” insisted Kamal.

  “But how could it be?” questioned KC.

  “Until the modern age, everyone knew that the Earth was flat, until the 1800s everyone knew that man couldn’t fly. Until one year back I knew that we were alone in the universe, and about seven hours back Jenny knew that the universe had only 3 sectors,” asserted Kamal. “Who knows… what lies beyond! What doesn’t make sense now, might make complete sense in a matter of time, you of all people must know that KC,” professed Kamal.

  “You are right,” acknowledged KC. “That is the only logic right now. Crona, Jenny is damn sure we met at the Crossroads, and if the Crossroads were so famous then it must exist somewhere. It’s written in the letter after all,” said KC.