Earth To Nole: Return of the Prince

by Lomash, Kumar

  Once he finished flying across the palace from the inside, he decided to go around it on the outside. Flying through the walls and the corridors gave him the necessary confidence required for flying outside in the traffic. He was not afraid of going faster now. Karbaka was glad that Kevin was enjoying it. He asked, “Why don’t you take it higher? The palace looks even better from above.”

  “I know. I have seen it.”, Kevin agreed but did not pull the joystick yet. He was a bit reluctant.

  “What are you waiting for then?”, Karbaka asked.

  “Why don’t you do it?.”, Kevin hesitated.

  Karbaka smiled and took over by pulling the joystick to his side. He did not want to push Kevin too hard on the first day itself. He started pulling the vehicle up but noticed that Kevin grew uncomfortable as soon as the vehicle went higher.

  “What’s the matter? Do you fear you will fall?’, Karbaka asked. He continued pulling the vehicle up.

  “I don’t know.”, Kevin replied with anxiety.

  After arriving at a desired height, Karbaka stopped and offered Kevin to take over. Kevin took over, reluctantly. He started slowly but again grew comfortable within minutes. He increased the speed and completed one round around the palace.

  “It seems you are afraid only when someone else is flying.”, Karbaka noted.

  “Maybe.”, Kevin replied casually, he was more focused on being the pilot.

  “Can you try lifting the vehicle up now?”, Karbaka asked.

  Kevin pulled the joystick and made the vehicle go up. He did it slowly at first but then realised that Karbaka was right. He was not afraid this time. He pulled on the joystick harder and took the vehicle higher rapidly.

  “I believe you are not as bad as you thought, Kevin. See, you are now flying like a hum. Be careful though, you might find other vehicles at this height.”, Karbaka said.

  “I feel good now but I don’t understand why I felt uncomfortable when you were flying the vehicle?”, Kevin asked.

  “It happens with some of us. When we lose control of our movements it makes us nervous. But this is a very stable vehicle. You would not feel anything so don’t worry. Your fear only comes from the fact that you can see the vehicle go up or down.”, Karbaka replied casually.

  “I don’t think so. I can feel the motion of the vehicle on my body. That is what drives me crazy. I feel like I am flying without any support.”, Kevin confessed.

  “That is impossible.”, Karbaka said with a confident smile. “This is the most stable vehicle around. You could not feel anything.”, Karbaka assured him, trying to dismiss his claim.

  “But I do. Every time the vehicle goes up or down, I can feel it.”, Kevin insisted.

  “Let me prove it to you.”, Karbaka said. He looked around for something but finally took out a piece of cloth from his own pocket. It was a handkerchief. He then blindfolded Kevin and asked him to guess the direction in which the vehicle flew.

  Although Kevin agreed, he looked more uncomfortable now that he was blindfolded. He agreed only because he wanted to understand his fears.

  “Ready?”, asked Karbaka.

  “Yes.”, said Kevin.

  Karbaka smiled and thought he would start with a tricky one. Without moving the vehicle in any direction he asked, “Can you guess where are we going now?”

  Kevin sat silently for a while and then said, “I guess you were right. I do not feel a thing.”

  Karbaka said, “See, I told you it was only what you saw.”. He then moved the vehicle forward slightly without letting Kevin know.

  “Wo, wo, wo… are we going forward?”, Kevin shouted and grabbed his seats.

  Karbaka lost his smile. He couldn’t believe Kevin was able to feel this. He stopped the vehicle and asked, “Now?”

  “We have stopped.”, Kevin said calmly.

  Karbaka again moved forward and this time again Kevin called it out before he could ask. Karbaka then started increasing the altitude too. Kevin said repeatedly, “Up and ahead… up and ahead… ”. He looked anxious.

  Karbaka found this difficult to comprehend. The vehicle they were flying was known for its stable flight. There was no way a hum sitting inside could feel it. He reversed the experiment and blindfolded himself to be sure that the vehicle was indeed stable. He thought maybe the vehicle had become unstable due to lying dormant for centuries.

  Kevin flew the vehicle in all directions, rapidly. He asked, “Can you feel it now?”

  Karbaka sat silently without any indications of whether he felt anything or not, he didn’t have a smile on his face. He was obviously in shock.

  “I told you, you could feel everything.”, Kevin took his silence for affirmation.

  Karbaka pulled down the cloth from his eyes and turned to Kevin. He said, “I could feel nothing, Kevin. The vehicle is completely stable.”.

  Kevin looked at him for a moment. They both didn’t know what to make out of it. Kevin then turned to the front, he was still flying the vehicle. He didn’t want to think too much into it. He was glad he was finally flying, even if it was only a tiny vehicle. Karbaka on the other hand looked confused.

  A few minutes went by without anyone of them speaking a word. Kevin was too busy flying the vehicle and Karbaka was still trying to understand what he observed. He finally realised that Kevin needed some recognition on being able to fly the vehicle aptly on the first day itself.

  “You seem to be getting the hang of it pretty easily, Kevin. Keep practicing, you would get better very quickly.”, Karbaka said.

  “You bet! I am not putting this vehicle down even for a minute.”, Kevin replied with excitement.

  “I am afraid you will have to.”, Karbaka said with a smile.

  “Why?”, Kevin didn’t understand. He reacted like a kid who was asked to put away his toy.

  “To drop me off! You can continue flying after that as much as you want to.”, Karbaka said.

  “Oh, are my lessons over?”, Kevin asked as he turned around the vehicle for the palace.

  “For today, it is.”, said Karbaka.

  Kevin brought the vehicle down in front of the palace. He hovered carefully for a while and then, to the satisfaction of Karbaka, landed safely. As Karbaka opened his door and prepared to get out, Kevin asked “Can I fly to Boriri’s apartment on my own?”

  “Only if you want to visit him.”, Karbaka quipped.

  “Seriously?”, Kevin double checked. He was surprised Karbaka would let him fly alone in traffic.

  “Yes, I believe you are ready.”, said Karbaka.

  “Don’t I need a license?”, Kevin asked.

  “What kind of license?”, Karbaka asked back, he didn’t seem to understand.

  “You know… a certificate that says I can fly.”, Kevin tried to convey what he meant by a license.

  “A certificate? For whom?”, Karbaka asked again.

  “Never mind.”, Kevin gathered that the concept of a driving license was not known to him.

  “Have a safe flight!’, Karbaka said closing the door. He then stepped back a few steps to let the vehicle lift off.

  Kevin pulled up the vehicle once again and hovered for a while before speeding towards the stream of flying vehicles in the sky. Karbaka saw Kevin fly away and then turned around and started walking.

  Several minutes would have passed by as Kevin continued to fly as per the route shown on the screen in front of him.

  “You have arrived at your destination.”, a mechanical voice said as Kevin flew nearer to his destination.

  “The vehicle can be parked either in front of the building R34 or on its roof. The roof has 3 spots left.”, the mechanical voice added as Kevin slowed down over Boriri’s apartment building. He finally decided to land in front of the building instead of the roof. The roof looked too tricky for him. Afterall it was only his first day flying.

  Moriti, who was taking a stroll as always, recognised Kevin as he got off the vehicle. She looked pleasantly surprised on seeing him fly on his own
. She said, “Oh my! Is this the new prince in his royal vehicle?”

  “Yes! it is.”, Kevin said with a large smile on his face.

  “Looks like you are not afraid after all.”, Moriti asked.

  “I am. But only when someone else is flying.”, Kevin replied, he didn’t seem much concerned about it.

  “Oh, there is a word for that…”, Moriti paused as she tried to recall the word. “...Amaxophobia, I guess.”

  “Is it a hum word or a human word?”, Kevin asked.

  “I believe it has its origins among the hums.”, Moriti replied.

  “You are not alone Kevin, Boriri has travel anxiety too. Although amaxophobia is not just travel anxiety, it’s related to the fear of losing control.”, she explained.

  “I don’t care. I am glad you made me do this.”, Kevin said thankfully.

  “Me too, you look more and more like the royals everyday.”, Moriti smiled.

  “Maybe, I will win the elections who knows…”, Kevin joked.

  “Oh, maybe you will. You are ready for the throne.”, Moriti added with confidence.

  “The throne…?”, Kevin acted surprised.

  “A metaphorical throne, Kevin. There is no real throne, I hope you don’t expect one. Just the notion of a king’s rule.”, Moriti explained.

  “The king’s rule is a myth.”, Kevin said what he had learned so far. He continued, “The king only appoints scholars and researchers to do his job. Why can’t a democratic government do that?”, he asked as they began walking towards the building entrance.

  Moriti began to explain, “It’s the ‘scale of time’, Kevin. I hope you have heard the phrase from Boriri.”

  “What does that have to do with it?”, Kevin asked, almost dismissing Moriti’s argument.

  “Everything. You see, even though democracy lasts for 25 years once elected, the democratic panel is reelected every 5 years. This puts an immense pressure on the democratic panel to make policies which give results in a short period of 5 years. Otherwise they wouldn’t survive the next panel elections. On the other hand, royals have 25 years to show results. Once king’s rule is elected, it lasts for 25 years and there are no panel elections. The ministers, which are largely nominated by the king, are free to take hard calls which have long term benefits. Basically, they could make long term investments which would seem harsh expenses to the naive in the beginning but in the end pays off better than those short term 5-year plans.”, Moriti explained.

  “But then it seems you have handicapped democracy on purpose. It is designed to yield only short term gains which would always be smaller than the long term gains.”, Kevin argued.

  “Very good Kevin. You understand it completely now. We don’t want a democracy, we want a meritocracy. The democracy is only there to keep the meritocracy in check. Generally, we want the best scholars, scientists, chronomists to lead us, not some politician whose only agenda is being reelected in the next panel elections. And, a meritocracy needs time so that it is not bound by the need to appease the population in the short term. Having a short term meritocracy is pointless.”, Moriti paused.

  Kevin seemed to get the argument. He added, “But you cannot trust the scholars and the scientists for longer periods of time because knowledge does not guarantee intent. What if they turn out to be bad people. That is why you need a king in meritocracy.”.

  “Yes, you get it now, don’t you? The king makes sure that the scholars and scientists are given the right balance of constraints. That they are given the right problems to solve. It is very rare for a smart king to misuse his powers. Even if in the rare case where he does, the 25 years are going to run out quickly for him. Followed by centuries of agony and shame”, Moriti explained.

  Kevin agreed with Moriti, He said, “Moreover, messing up during his rule is a personal failure for him and his family. The point in giving it to a family is that they would always feel responsible for what their fathers did and what their sons would do.”

  “Absolutely correct. And you can generalize it too, it need not be a family thing.”, Moriti explained.

  “It just needs to be a group of people with a sense of ownership. The only requirement is that the people nominated should have a lot of reputation and fame independent of them being in the government.”, Kevin understood the generalization it seemed.

  “Can you say why?”, Moriti’s eyes sparkled with joy.

  “That’s his collateral. Because, a man who is nothing if not a prime minister will prioritize being the prime minister over making good decisions. But a man who has independent name and fame to lose would prioritize making good decisions and claiming good results over being the ruler.”, Kevin finished with a smile. He now understood the concept of a meritocracy with a democratic failsafe.

  “Very good, Kevin. You see, our’s is not as bizarre a system after all.”, Moriti smiled with a sense of pride and achievement. She was glad that Kevin finally understood the delicate dynamics of running a meritocracy.

  “Are you coming in?”, Kevin asked.

  “No. I will continue my walk around the neighbourhood. Maybe, I will see another miracle.”, Moriti smiled and waved at Kevin as Kevin walked inside the building.

  Kevin quickly climbed the stairs to Boriri’s apartment. Keele opened the door for Kevin as soon as he reached it. Kevin was not surprised. He knew Keele could listen up to hundreds of meters and would have probably heard his conversation with Moriti as well.

  “So, I hear you can fly now!”, Keele said implying that he indeed heard everything.

  “You know, for a bot, you are too much of a show off.”, Kevin indulged in a friendly war of words.

  Boriri heard it from his room and said, “Really? That is great. I thought you didn’t like flying, much like me.”, as he walked into the common room hearing the news.

  “Well, he is royal. What did you expect?”, Keele added.

  “He could fly me around now!”, Boriri joked.

  “What would Keele be good for, then?”, Kevin continued his friendly fire.

  Boriri looked at Keele with a smile and patiently waited for an opportune moment to begin the serious talk. Keele knew it. He stood there in silence too. Kevin was a bit surprised when Keele did not respond to his last ‘attack’. He guessed that they had something important to discuss.

  “Should I sit down, then?”, Kevin asked.

  “It would be best if we all sat down.”, Keele said. He went ahead and sat down before anyone else could. Boriri and Kevin followed.

  “Kevin…”, Boriri began, “... we have made good progress here. I guess I anticipated more road blocks in bringing about the changes I wanted to bring on Mone but it all has went smoothly.”, Boriri said. “Too smoothly, I would say.”, he murmured towards the end.

  Kevin didn’t understand what this was about. Even Keele looked surprised. He said, “Boriri, let’s talk about Nole. That is what you wanted to talk about, right?”

  Boriri appeared distracted. He seemed to be worried about something else. He finally began with what he and Keele had decided. He said, “A couple of days ago, Igogo had his bots deployed on Nole. We didn’t tell you because of the gala. I am sorry I had to hide this from you but I can assure you that no harm has come to any human there and I do not anticipate any in the future too.”

  Kevin was not surprised. He looked sad though. He said, “And he appeared to be my biggest supporter last night, knowing very well that he was doing everything he could to hurt me behind my back.”

  “That’s Igogo for you, Kevin.”, Keele added.

  There was silence in the room. Boriri expected a steeper reaction from Kevin so he kept looking for it but Kevin was thinking about a solution.

  “Now that I can fly…”, Kevin started speaking, “...can I visit Nole? I really need to talk to my friends.”

  Boriri leaned back on the couch with despair. He wanted to help Kevin but knew that this was not possible. He looked at Keele for help. Keele knew it was his turn to explain
.

  “Flying is not good enough, Kevin. I would have happily flown you both ways if it was just that. The thing is, you would still take hours to reach Nole and the whole world would know that the future king is visiting the notorious humans.”, Keele paused, he realised that Kevin did not like the word ‘notorious’. He explained, “You know what I mean, don’t you?”

  “Just tell me when I would be able to visit them?”, Kevin asked with some frustration in his voice.

  “Once you win the elections and have earned the trust of your people here. You should be able to visit them. Or better, even invite them over here.”, Boriri replied.

  “But that is at least six months, Boriri.”, said Kevin frustrated by the situation. But he knew he had to follow the plan. He sat quietly for a while and then spoke again.

  “Can’t we put Igogo in roco’s custody? We have a good theory about how he has been hurting the hum society for centuries now.”, Kevin said with some excitement.

  “Keele told me about your theory, Kevin. It is good stuff but still just a theory, not concrete evidence.”, Boriri replied.

  “Yes, but it fits with all the facts. Let me explain…”, Kevin began but Boriri interrupted.

  “You don’t know all the facts.”, said Boriri.

  “What do you mean?”, Kevin asked surprised. Keele looked at Boriri with surprise too.

  Boriri had not planned this conversation for today but he felt it was time. He began reluctantly.

  “You already know that in early 28th century I went to the Earth in search of the royal descendants. It was a difficult job because humans in the Union had started reproducing through the birth system. Only the engineered genes were left in the system. I quickly realised that I would not find any royal descendants there. Then I met Holum, who was a young angel back then. It was the year 2747 to be precise. I used to travel frequently between Peele and Earth and took help from a select few angels to look for the royal descendants. Holum and his friends found out that there could be some families in class 4 and 5 colonies who might have the royal genes intact. After all, class 4 and 5 colonies were still reproducing the natural way.”