The Embryo of the Star Read online

  Meanwhile in Manila, distinguished as the only Christian nation in the Far East, had shifted from the traditional political mass action into a religious mass ritual, thousands of women devotees were dragging on their knees while uttering, “Hail Mary, full of grace . . .,” in a seven-mile procession in the direction of the alleged miraculous church on the southern tip of the greater Manila area. Hundreds of male flagellants were carrying wooden crosses while some were whipping their half-naked bodies for torture and sacrifice as a final day of repentance for their sins. This kind of ritual was done during the Lenten season but not in this unholy month.

  Another flash report by a Newsweek correspondent in Tokyo stated:

  Hundreds of thousands of Japanese joined by splinter groups of foreigners have picketed both the Russian and American embassies denouncing their alleged principal involvement in the Chinese tragedy. . .. About a hundred young couples have climbed the roof-deck parapet fronting the two embassies, embraced each other, and jumped from atop the twelve-story building, witnessed by thousands of picketers below, to meet their prearranged death.

  Still in Asia, a correspondent said that about three hundred Buddhist monks lined up in front of Bangkok International Airport and poured gasoline over their bodies and instantly were burned to death! “This type of phenomenal protest may spread throughout the globe if the crisis can’t be solved this week,” a Yale University psychiatrist said.

  A television correspondent reported, “We have here a report from an Asia Week correspondent in Hong Kong. He has quoted a reputable Chinese businessman who has just arrived from Beijing. According to this multimillionaire’s account, he saw a bright cigar-shaped object cruising the sky in the east in the middle of the stormy night just a few minutes before the incident, and he said he was not alone in witnessing it, but also some Caucasian nationals who were drinking beer in a hotel attic with transparent glass panels facing east saw it. Beijing does not confirm or repudiate the said report. . .. The UN Fact-Finding Committee has dispatched a multinational team of experts to inspect the US. military base at Okinawa, the US. naval base in Diego Garcia, a tiny island in Indian Ocean, also the Russian naval base in Cai Rang Ho-Chi-Min Ville and in Vladivostok. . .. So far this has yielded a negative result, and here’s a bizarre explanation from Utah University Physicist Dr. Norman Chamber.”

  The physicist appeared on the screen. “There are many theories and fantastic speculations regarding the origin of that nuclear bomb; some are credible and some aren’t. Allow me, then, to share with you some of my analysis. Although I don’t want to incite you to believe me, however, think it over, since there’s no country that claims any responsibility for perpetrating that disastrous bomb, although we cannot discount the possibility that the Chinese themselves accidentally detonated that bomb. If they didn’t, then let’s explore another frontier. Let’s say some cosmic forces have invaded our planet, but let’s understand also that as soon as these alien’s cruises on our planet’s atmosphere they would pass through the US, French, British, and Russian chains of spy satellites orbiting around the Earth. These ‘space eyes’ are equipped with ultra-modern devices that can detect any military maneuvers undertaken by any countries in this world. Even incoming meteors could not escape their dragnet. Here’s a picture taken by a US. space satellite.” He held up a picture showing the disaster site. “You will notice the buildings, elevated billboards, and trees have collapsed in an umbrella radius patterns.”

  He held up another blown-up frame; it was black and white and faded. “Observe this picture. Thousands of trees were uprooted; their leaves were burned as if they were victims of a forest fire. Even the green shrubs disappeared, but look how those trees fell to the ground. In an umbrella pattern. The crater’s deep and diameter are identical with the disaster site in China. You may think the second frame was taken at Hiroshima or Nagasaki during the Second World War. You’re wrong! That disastrous bomb that exploded the other day was the same type of bomb that exploded in the virgin forest of North Siberia sometime in 1908. It is fifty times stronger than the one dropped by the Enola Gay on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by a bomb being dropped in Nagasaki three days later. And it is especially strange because in 1908 nobody had discovered the atom bomb! To this day the Siberia mystery has remained a mystery, and it is an unwritten law that history shall repeats itself. Of course, each one of us is entitled to his own opinion. In the absence of concrete evidence, the China disaster has its own precedent,” the physicist concluded.

  The television screen was interrupted by another series of parallel lines, and half a minute later the obstruction was gone.

  “Good mornin’, America. Here’s our seven o’clock news. Chairman Thu Chien Hua has finally broken his silence.” The young chairman wearing a Mao suit, appears on the screen saying, “We don’t want to entertain some scam-orchestrated cover-up for the tragedy endured by our people, since no one is brave enough to confess their folly, pardon us if we resort to a tit-for-tat initiative. . ..”

  The newscaster resumes, “This warning is enough to create havoc among the peace-loving people of the world. Intelligence reports have said that the Chinese have mobilized millions of their regular army and militias along the long strip of their western border and several army convoy columns suspected as nuclear caravans are traversing the Katmandu highway and the Afghanistan route along the ancient silk route. A senior Australian diplomat said that the Chinese have asked their friendly Pakistani neighbor to permit access for their marching crack troops, raising strong speculation that the fire breathing Red Dragon will invade Europe with heavily armed human waves or engage the Russians on two fronts, that is, by reinforcing their footholds in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan. Likewise, the Central Asian nations acquiescently opened their doors for the Red dragons’ long march. If this recent development is not rectified by some influential cooler heads, I’m afraid this may spiral into a full-scale nuclear war. On the other hand, Russia and its dependable Allies have mobilized their troops vis-a-vis the NATO forces. At the sidelight, we have here some interviews depicting the civilian reactions.”

  “Ma’am, suppose the Chinese occupy Milan. What would your reaction be?”

  “I’m not scared of them. They are also human and civilized; they’re only the victims of freaky circumstances. I’ll treat them as my special guests and serve them our world-renowned pasta, the famous spaghetti,” was the reply of an Italian floor manager at Cucina de Casirolli. Then the picture frame went blank.

  “Somethin’ bothering you Rev’rend?” the limping robot asked.

  “Yes. What a piece of great historical value you’ve stored in here,” the reverend responded.

  “I’ve got unforgettable memories of that horrifying event. I was an eyewitness in man’s engineered devastation of this once rare paradise planet. . .. I can remember one windy cold, moonless, and starry night down there in what they called Mount Palomar County. Kids were having some fun in the playground, a five-year-old girl was clinging on my shoulders while watching some fireworks display, when all of a sudden, I saw a bright flash from afar, followed by violent outburst of intense radiation, spewing scorching, high – energy clouds and particles across the vast land. The highly-energetic electromagnetic waves had smashed me a hundred yards away. I was unconscious for several hours. When my senses returned to normal, a ghastly scenes greeted me. The children’s corpses were scattered around.

  “The little girl who had clung on my back had sustained fractured legs and arms, and her whole body had sustained third-degree bums. Then I heard another roar; in the far distance I saw a giant cauliflower cloud bubbling and flashing bright yellow, red, and bluish lights . . . accompanied by a violent jolt that shook the Earth. This successive bombardment continued for forty-eight hours; after that, the surroundings became serene. I found myself a lone survivor roaming around in a devastated town with nobody to talk to, all birds and butterflies gone. I pitied myself for how selfish my creator was. If on
ly those mortals possessed mechanisms like myself then they would have no problem adjusting to the man-made pestilence,” the mechanical survivor recalled.

  “We’ve got a visitor in here. . .. Hmm, it’s you, Rev’rend," the young fellow approaching said. Wearing a worm-out jogging suit, he offered his hand for a handshake. “I’m Mark Gouch, Rev’rend.”

  “Nice meeting you, my son,” the reverend replied politely. “Mark, take care of our visitor," the robot interrupted and left.

  “Hey, son, don’t you’ve any knowledge regarding the tidal catastrophe?”

  “I’ve heard it from the choppers’ announcement while I was scouting for medicines,” the young fellow replied. “You mean that there’s another prophecy regarding the global deluge?”

  “Yes, my son. Please come with me. The ships are anchored at the wharf; at any moment tidal waves may flood the land.”

  “You make me wonder, Rev’rend." Mark was smiling. “You mean what had happened in the time of Noah shall be repeated? That’s ridiculous!” the young fellow disputed.

  “C’mon, son.” The reverend grasped Mark’s right shoulder. “Save yourself and your companion before it’s too late," the concerned church leader begged.

  “You mean you take this madness seriously, Rev’rend? . . . In the first place, why are you still here? . . . Or of all the inhabitants of this planet, you alone are not fooled?" the young man asked.

  “My son, please believe me, this is no joke! I came here just to save you and your companion!” His rising blood pressure visible on his face. “You’re still too young to know what is goin’ on in the Universe," the reverend undermined the young fellow.

  “Which one, Rev’rend, the day or night that becomes longer?” Mark asked. “Oh, I see. It’s true that at my tender age nobody believes, that I know what’s goin’ on with the movements of the heavenly bodies, including the frightening condition of our planet.”

  “How do you know it, my son?” The reverend’s eyeballs became pale white in disbelief. “Are you an astrologer or an astrophysicist?”

  “Here look, Rev’rend. . .. l have here some fragile crystal balls.” They appeared to have been taken from a quartz. “If I throw one vertically upward, surely, it must go down, right?”

  “Right,” the reverend responded quickly.

  “Then, a second later, I’ll throw another one up; is there a possibility that the two fragile spheroids will collide?"

  “Certainly, there’s a great possibility," the reverend replied.

  “They won’t, Rev’rend. Watch. Even if I throw this third ball up.” Then he began to juggle more balls in different variations. “However, if I commit a foolish mistake, then the whole system shall be in periled.”

  “Bravo!” The reverend was clapping. “It’s amazing! You are an expert juggler indeed.”

  “You missed the point, Rev’rend; these balls represent the planets in our solar system.”

  The reverend couldn’t utter any words.

  Mark showed the amazed spiritual leader the clandestine dome that housed the fifteen-meter-long telescope aimed toward the sky, with a high-tech optical lens able to penetrate the cloudy atmosphere. On the opposite side was a mini-gym equipped with some physical fitness equipment, and on the adjacent side was a library with piles of rubbishy books, magazines, and compact computer diskettes.

  The reverend entered the library. He saw different types of books on astrophysics and astronomy that filled the shelves from floor to ceiling. He pulled out one and read, “Guide to Astronomy by James Muirden.” He glanced at a few chapters and returned it to its shelf. On the opposite side were compilations of different scientific articles from international magazines including yesteryears’ favorites: Newsweek, Times, and Reader’s Digest. There was also a handbook on space flight by NASA. In the adjacent room was mainly storage of different leading religious’ books and astrological almanacs.

  III

  Perpetual Energy

  The city of Sargasso was totally deserted. The shopping center, churches, and other public places were all emptied of living creatures. The noble leader and his Privy Council stayed in a sealed dome situated about five miles from the city.

  The anxious noble leader was pacing back and forth.

  “Your Highness, permission to launch twenty birds after five minutes is requested,” a message was heard from the audio/visual terminal.

  “Permission is granted,” the weary, noble leader replied and pushed the red button.

  Afterwards the nuclear silo opened and the missiles blasted off at half-minute intervals. This movement did not escape the Martian Space Tracking System (MSTS).

  “I don’t trust their activities; it’s a cynical ploy. . .. Let’s not be fooled by those desperate people! . . . Their case is hopeless! Their life now is coterminous with their ill-fated planet. Activate all our missiles!”

  Ten minutes elapsed.

  “Your Excellency, the Earth missiles are still in their atmosphere, orbiting within the stratospheric layer, and no sign of intruding the space barrier,” came a message from MSTS.

  “Call off the launching shit! Those bloody bastards just want to scare the great emir. . .. Hmmm, they wanted some show, send a hundred spaceships to show them of our might!” the great emir ordered.

  An hour passed.

  “Your Excellency, their city is deserted; we couldn’t see any souls moving!”

  "Yeah, it’s a bluff! . . .They thought that they could escape the apparent destruction of their bewildered planet!" There is laughter.

  At the sealed dome’s main entrance two men knocked on the door. The royal sentry noticed them and opened the sliding door.

  “Good day, Rev’rend. . .. I’m sorry your companion is not allowed to come in. . . . Ordinary citizens are advised to board the ship,” the royal guard informed them.

  “Wait here, my son. I’ll talk to the emperor first,” and the reverend got in.

  “Ah, it’s you, Rev’rend. Have you found the wisdom of King Solomon?” asked the boastful lawmaker. “I could have performed transcendental meditation if I didn’t forget some of my yoga verses, but your congregation’s spontaneous prayer may do the trick.”

  “My enduring faith is beyond your influence, Siegfred,” the reverend responded and walked through the wide aisle.

  The noble leader and the Privy Council silently monitored the orbit of the twenty Estrella missiles on their way to the Middle East.

  The reverend politely approached the emperor.

  “Your highness,” the reverend said in a soft voice, “please excuse me. . .. I’ve got a companion outside. He wanted to lend us a hand over this crisis.”

  The emperor pushed the intercom’s button. “Corporal Karl Greene, let the rev’rend’s companion get in.”

  “Thank you very much, Your Highness,” the reverend said and hurried back to Mark.

  In due course, the royal guard let Mark in. The young lad, looked around the thermoplastic sealed dome; it had an oval conference table carved out of a well-polished dark gray granite rock, with two dozen chairs on each side and an intricately carved imperial chair. a carpeted floor, and a hanging fibered Venetian curtain around.

  “Good day, Your Royal Highness."

  “Get up, young man, and tell us what’s on your mind.”

  “Thank you very much, your Royal Highness. . .. ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself, I’m Mark Gouch, a village lad. . .. Although I’m still young to get involved in this critical moment of our time, perhaps, I can share my knowledge of what is best for our beloved planet. I have here some data taken by the twentieth-century space base astronomers as compiled by the Mount Palermo Astronomical Station. Religiously speaking, God is a builder of a high order and He used very advanced know-how in constructing the universe for the sole benefit of mankind, safeguarding the beauty of man’s environment. Incidentally, it’s mankind’s advanced technology that was responsible for the degeneration of this once-beautiful planet.”


  Only a handful listen patiently to the lad. “You see, in the late twentieth century there were scores of active volcanoes; today very few can be found and they are very weak. You know, the industrialized and the so-called developing countries in that era were all hungry for energy. They mined the seabed, pumped billions of barrels of oil in the Middle East, China, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the North Sea, and Alaska. They siphoned the natural gas in Siberia, mined the uranium ore deposit in Zaire. And it’s very ironic for this people that they used the extracted radioactive minerals to bombard this planet with megatons of nuclear fission that has violently shaken the Earth. A large amount of magma flows from the San Andreas fault, Mount Vesuvius, and the Pacific rim. . .. In other words, this planet had been depleted with tremendous amount of energy. This planet has paid the supreme price: it is slipping away from its former orbit and may perpetually wander in space!"

  “Hey, kid! You talk too much! We aren’t interested in your lecture on world history and the gospel of your nonexistent God. . .. You better keep your mouth shut!” urged Colonel Krispov.

  “Well, how can you read my mind, if I don’t start from the previous civilization? As a legitimate citizen of the Earth,” hoisting an eight-inch-by-twelve-inch birth certificate with a bold infant footprint, “do I have also the right to save this ill-fated planet? . . . Shall I continue, Your Royal Highness?"

  “Go on, young man.”

  This time all eyes focused on this persistent young guy.

  “Since this planet can’t maintain to its orbital lane in the Solar System, the best move is to rehabilitate its energy producing radioactive inner central core.”

  One lawmaker stood up with a motion of challenging the kid. “How dare you boy!” Pointing his forefinger, he added, “Where can you get the oil and natural gas to replenish the lost energy? Aren’t you aware, if you have ever gone to school, that it took those people a hundred years to mine the lost energy and you just want to reload it a matter of few months? Or are you also the caliber of Christ, who wanted to restore the ruined temple in just three days?! Aren’t you crazy, kid?" There was loud laughter. “Whom do you think you are, the last prophet after Mohamad Rasol?”