THE MYSTIC: PART I - THE SEEKER (Part 1 - THE SEEKER)

by Arindam Bhattacharjee

  Raghav could not believe what he was listening to. He asked,

  “Could the government aggrandize the powers to act so aggressively in matters like people’s war without any constitutional writ?”

  Dr Raman replied,

  “Technically this is a secret project sponsored by the government. No one outside few people in the government and military were aware that this program existed.”

  Raghav inquisitively asked, “Since the project objective was finished long time back then how come all these individuals are still alive?”

  “Oh that is because a babu has been sitting over the file for project extermination for so long now. Thus the project is still continuing.”

  He looked at Raghav and asked,

  “Do you want to see what we have collected?”

  “Sure.”

  Then Dr Raman went into the technicalities of how the data was collected. He showed videos of conversations among different comrades in the past. It was clearly evident that such information could be easily used to destroy any mission. After watching the video for almost five minutes Raghav stopped. Dr Raman asked, “Do you want to know how this machine was developed?”

  Raghav replied

  “I am not interested in its provenance; I am more concerned about its usefulness in the future.”

  He placed his hands over the shoulders of Dr Raman and asked, “Can this tell me what precisely happened in the last ten years when I was stuck here?”

  “Yes it can, provided you know what you are searching for. You could only see the view of the comrades and that would be the information of the last ten years if they were on the scene.”

  “This might not be of much value today. But there is something else that you might be interested in rather than just the old memories.”

  Raghav then heard something which was going to change the course of history. Dr Raman said,

  “Few days back a latest development related to this project happened. We had started an experiment to look deep into the subconscious. Till now we were mostly concentrating on the conscious signals to know information from the subject’s memory.”

  “But when we looked at the weaker signals from the subconscious and combined the information from all the subjects we found something interesting.”

  “Initially we could not understand what this meant but after using bayesian algorithms and comparing it with the visualizations that were available on the internet, we were able to see some glimpses of the future.”

  Raghav replied,

  “That’s interesting but what did you see?”

  “The ability of the machine to see the future was fortuitous. Initially we could not understand what these visual images confer. After undergoing a lot of experimentation we understood that the images are from the future and were real and true.”

  “How do you think this is possible?”

  “The human mind is a complex thing. Even when these subjects are deep in coma they still understand the events around them. So they were regularly getting signals of any danger threatening their existence.”

  “Since you left a lot of turmoil has been happening in this region, with media and government officials frequenting this place. Somehow they informed us about these events and we became sure what we were looking at.”

  Raghav could not believe what he was listening to. Dr Raman continued,

  “See, everyone knows about Nostradamus and his predictions. Even Abraham Lincoln was able to see his death much before that day. Even a normal individual has got sixth sense.”

  Raghav said,

  “Yes I have been also feeling the same for some time now. Evidently I have also been sensing danger before the event happens.”

  Dr Raman continued,

  “Even our scriptures are full of articles of how human beings are able to see the future. In yoga they have recommended types of meditation to build up these abilities. This may be called enlightenment or something.”

  “Even Einstein in his famous Theory of Relativity speaks about this but now we have developed a machine that can practically achieve what Einstein had done in a laboratory environment. Testing it on intellectuals will help us to understand the mystery of the future.”

  Raghav asked cynically

  “Didn’t you see us coming and killing the soldiers? You could have been informed them in advance.”

  “Actually we did see you come just one hour before the attack was coming. We saw glimpses of you. We found the surfacing of these images but I do believe in destiny.”

  “You were coming back home and how could we stop this from happening? That was why we disabled all the complex security systems before you could come in.”

  “But you could have been caught in the crossfire?”

  “That was why we all piled into this place where you found us.”

  “I don’t understand. If you had seen the attack coming, instead of informing the guards why were you waiting for us? But why?”

  “We were hoping that by your coming back we too would become free. We were just as much bound as you were. Our freedom had been taken away by the government and we lived like captives down here just like you were.”

  “Only difference was that our senses were active unlike yours. We don’t have any family to go back to. We thought that you were our last hope to freedom.”

  After listening to Dr Raman’s story Raghav felt very bad about his behavior. He looked at the blood stains and said,

  “you guys opened the door so suddenly and loudly that I was shocked and suddenly the memories of my ambush overwhelmed me. It was an instinctive reaction and probably amplified by the fact that I was angry with the scientists for performing tests on me for the last ten years.”

  Dr Raman said, “We are sorry for what we had done.”

  “I understand.” He looked at the doctor and asked, “Can I ask you something about my health?”

  “Sure you can ask anything.”

  “Since I had left this facility I suffer from migraines and sometimes the pain becomes unbearable.”

  “It’s because your brain was used for extracting information only. Suddenly you started downloading new information on the brain. Probably these two functions might be overlapping.”

  “We would give you medication to fix this issue. You were actually the best mind that we had captured and that was why you were the only one who escaped and the rest did not.”

  Raghav could not still grasp the situation from the information he had just got. After a successful guerrilla assault, Raghav had now commandeered the machine that had controlled him to be used for his purpose to take revenge. He said,

  “It’s our destiny that we are standing today and hope that culprits will pay the price for the acts they had committed.”

  6.3: The escape to Burma

  Christina reported to her office in the afternoon still under the shock of what she had seen early in the morning. Her friends figured out that Christina had come to the office drunk. One of them went to Christina and said,

  “Your incontinent behavior today has shocked many people. It’s not good for a woman to drink. If Sagarika comes to know she will refuse to publish any of your articles.”

  Christina replied,

  “F..k Sagarika. She thinks she owns me and we are her servants. She has not written a single decent article for the last five years or so and she decides what I should write and not to write. I doubt even if she had ever gone to a journalism school.”

  “Talk quietly or people will complain to Sagarika. You know she has so many spies in the office and they have not been speaking well about you. In the face of all the rumors rife, it is best to keep a low profile for the time being.”

  On hearing this Christina started crying and said,

  “I am tired of working on her projects when BBC is paying for my fellowship over here. There was time when one of the outstanding features of my articles was the perspicuity of my work, but she just hates me as an indiv
idual.”

  “I just wonder how one could innovate in a setup which Sagarika runs like a drill sergeant. Now she has stopped me from moving in the field because some politician did not like what I had written. If it was up to me I would have repudiated all the cost incurred on the research I had conducted.”

  “Then I would undertake research on my own, but she holds my VISA. It seems she just wants to lead an indolent life reclining in the armchair making the political bosses happy without doing any sort kind real journalism.”

  Christina’s voice became lachrymose as she explained one by one how her main research articles were sidelined and how she was interviewing only Sagarika’s nephews. Her friends shielded her from Sagarika the whole day by inviting her for office gossip sessions knowing that Sagarika would never dare to interfere.

  Raghav meanwhile decided that they would have to take back the machinery with all its information with them. The data in the machine would help him understand the past and fill in the blanks to complete what he already knew. Ganguly asked,

  “Should we not free the comrades from their shackles? Should we not wake them up?”

  But Raghav was of a different opinion. Raghav said,

  “If what Dr Raman has said is correct these comrades will act as a defense shield against the government forces. Also remember these comrades have fallen.”

  “Once you remove the past from an individual he is rendered useless and has to go through the same tedious process to come to grasp with the reality. To fret over them is foolish; instead we should decide how to avenge them.”

  “They being in this state would be more helpful to us than being semi-conscious like me. Who knows what losses they had suffered? Once they are out, the government will hunt them as wild dogs.”

  Ganguly replied,

  “Chained to the machine for years and everyone in the world knowing them dead the hostages have little hope that they could return to mainstream society and be part of it. The only option is that they are safe with us in a docile state.”

  Raghav concludes

  “So everyone agrees that they would not be unfettered from these machines? They are the integral part of the machine and the serve the movement better this way. But the question comes - how are we to move them?”

  Dr Raman said,

  “We just moved these people from the main building to this location using vans. We also have two military trucks and many small vehicles used by the CISF and the medical staff to carry the essential supplies. We also have rations stacked in another supply wagon.”

  Raghav stopped Dr Raman midway and asked

  “But where will we go from here? We did not plan to take anything back from here!”

  “We can cross the border to Myanmar from here and build a base in the forests over there. These are camouflaged vehicles and cannot be spotted from the satellites and we will disconnect the trackers in these vehicles.”

  “What if they come tracking us?”

  “We have a small window after about four hours from now when we enter the shadow region of the satellite. So we can cross through a route in broad daylight without being seen. We can then cross the Myanmar border at night. I know some people on the other side who can help us cross over at night in the vehicles. And as for the Indian army they cannot cross until they have proof that we crossed and they have to conform to the international watchdog of the existence of this unit.”

  “Dr Raman you know a lot about this place. You can come in handy.”

  “Well actually that was the route we used to use to get our supply of booze and movies. Ten years in this dungeon can be really boring and the government has banned alcohol too. So we had to find our own ways for relaxation.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  Dr Raman continued,

  “Then my contacts over there will help you setup a safe camp inside the forests where you can have all your answers.”

  Raghav looked at the remaining scientists and said,

  “We promised freedom to you guys but you must remember that you have a debt to pay to the nation – a debt for being part of such a diabolical plan that has told on the nation's sovereignty and integrity. We thought we lived in a free nation but you guys have made every citizen a puppet in the hands of the right wingers.”

  One of the scientists replied,

  “Raghav we have known what you had done before coming to the facility. We all respect you as a professional and laud the work you had done in your career. We are ashamed of what we had done and promise that we will not disappoint you. It’s our own choice that we want to help you and somewhat atone for the wrongs done. We are happy to serve under you.”

  “Then you should start packing the essential things. Also be sure that you monitor the machines during our journey.”

  Dr Raman said, “Don’t worry we will keep that in check.”

  Nobody could understand what was going on in the mind of Raghav as he agreed to everything. Those who did not know Raghav saw him act like a bipolar personality shifting from anger to excitement within minutes. But Raghav’s winsome mannerism in engaging the scientists to join the force to fight against the state made him liked by all. Still, in order to maintain the authority over the comrades Ganguly asked Raghav,

  “You should consult with the senior comrades about the plans before taking any decision. They also took the risk of coming here with you.”

  Raghav agreed and discussed with the senior comrades. A plan was chalked out to move towards Myanmar with the entire force without being detected by the enemy. The comrades suggested that taking this move was dangerous as armed forces could cut them off in the middle of the route. They also asked Raghav if he was too much trusting the scientists. One of the comrades said,

  “What stops other guys across the border to act like a double agent?

  Raghav said,

  “That will be a risk but I would rather take the risk so as to gain the confidence of the scientists. We will not neutralize their contacts on the other side of the border. My instincts are telling that there won’t be any problem.”

  The comrade said,

  “If you say so. But some of the troops have to return back to Andaman as so many people will attract attention and sooner or later the government will come to know.”

  “That’s fine. We will send the extra men back to the camps. Now we all need to reallocate to Burma.”

  Raghav went back to the room and said to Dr Raman,

  “I want you to take the utmost care while transporting the fallen comrades. Attend to their health during the whole process. Also load all the necessary instruments and documents that would help in the research. Once you are out of this region my men will pile up the bodies and blow up the entire area.”

  “We will leave no trace that anything was stolen from here. The explosion will be timed after we cross the border. Place a red flag in front of the building so that they know who comes here. This place should not look empty and then they will know who did this. The disgrace of the entire event will prevent them to deploy their units to come after us.”

  Dr Raman said, “We will do it accordingly- don’t worry.”

  6.4: Setting Up of a Facility in Burma

  Late at night Christina got the images from the think tank of the movement of equipments and men from the facility. She could clearly see that the scientists were helping in relocating the lab items from the building. She wondered what Raghav was actually planning to do. What purpose would it serve Raghav to take the subjects and scientists with him? She wondered if she had missed something during the drone surveillance operations.

  Christina quickly went back to look at the videos she had captured from the facility. Christina went from one frame to another to try to understand what was going on in the facility. What was Raghav so interested in? At one point while going through the video Christina saw the manuals which read Brain Mapping. The think tank had the doubt that the Indian army was actually practicing the same techn
iques of mapping the brain that was used by their US counterparts on the terrorists.

  Though in the West this had already been, India seemed to be continuing on this. Then it dawned on Christina that the equipments actually held the answers to Raghav’s quest for his past! The whole night she went through all the documents available on the web about the brain mapping technique.

  Next morning after less than an hour of sleep Christina came to the office. Her friends were disturbed by her sallow complexion. Her friends warned her that if she kept on behaving like this the editor would put an end to her training job and throw her back to desk work doing nothing but twiddling her thumbs. She was torn between keeping quiet and being worried about the wellbeing of her team.

  Should she inform the authorities about what Raghav was actually doing in Manipur? If she did that, it could help in the release of her team but it would put her credibility as a reporter at stake. Initially she had thought that her supercilious boss sneered at every individual whom she thought not fit to work in the Indian setup but the truth was the nexus between the politicians and the reporters. From the way she was treated Christina now knew that she was the unwitting tool of the swindlers.