By Kasturi Bhattacharya
‘I keep insisting you on doing things that you do not like, I get it, but we don’t have any other options.’
‘I will not register myself! This is my one and final decision, you cannot convince me otherwise.’
‘Not even for my sake? Not even if I tell you that it will cost, ME, if you still act this stubborn?’
‘I will not let you go either, I will not let you be a victim of any sorcery science experiment.’
‘It is the truth, Tressane! It is the reality, now.’
The year 2085 has completely driven its’ timeline-residents into giant abominators of the ‘limited time’ that they are blessed with, on earth; everyone demands to live more. Yet, this very year is not the actual initiator of this lunatic climate of belief, rather this year seemed to be the ultimate solution to the several previous years of agonising brainstorming on this prime commotion.
As an already established fact, everyone knows the history by now of how immensely terrified humans actually had been on affairs regarding death. Therefore, there are very few milestones that humans are yet to discovery in order to dodge the nature’s unchangeable cycle. To simply begin with the advanced improvements in the medical sciences and facilities, that added a large number of years to every human being’s existence; to addition of micro-chips inside everyone’s body that thoroughly monitored its master and provided appropriate treatments and medicines in the blink of an eye, made humans live longer than 300 years; to the invention of edible tablets made to restore the life of humans three times, after their death; the ever-incrementing experiments over past 20 years have never witness any crease in their success.
The tablets popularly known as the ‘After-life tablets’ were made not just as any improved solution to the ever-existing problem but rather a smaller experimental trial of the scientists’ bigger agenda. Which was not publicly known until very late. With every preceding experiment, there was an enormous increase in both life expectancy and rate of natality. This wild growth in population could not thrive on the limited resources on mother earth. So, scientists were required to come up with a better and more sustainable way out, of this consecutive complication.
“So, you are going Ellia? What about me?”
“I am a scientist, I have to!”
“The best scientist doesn’t! I mean don’t the Earth’s residence also need scientists for the shift?”
The very answer was hidden inside the very problem – ‘limited resources of mother earth’. Hence, scientists all around the world, proceeded to study ‘what was there after death’ as their first step to the larger motive. This study could be more precise and effective by the observations made after letting people use the ‘After-life tablets ’. Studies concluded that there were immeasurable myths known to the human-kind about ‘after death’.
The real factual truth projected, human brains did not relive only seven minutes after their death but was in point of fact, stuck in the constant loop of their living life, without any limited time bound. The soul replayed one own’s life’s memories- both good and bad, happy and sad, with emotions of praise and regret; exactly like one’s thoughts when the person is living. Ultimately, which resulted the souls to desperately want to return to their own body and life, to continue living it. This knowledge made the drastic facilitation to today’s ultimate solution to the ‘limited time’ and ‘limited resources’.
“Mom, you are going to a trip without us, that too in a different planet?”
“That’s so unfair Momma.”
“My little kiddo’s, Momma will need to cure people there too. You will visit me some months after, till then be good and don’t trouble your dad okay.”
Scientists had already made connection of earth and another planet- AL76c1, by the time the truth about after-death was discovered by them. As it is said that, long before they studied the tablets they started planning on making the residential shift of humans from earth to planet AL76c1. Yet, it was unknown as to what would be the best possible way to make the shift. Failures were so much prevalent in this very step, but the entire puzzle was solved after the research done with tablets.
Thereafter, registering residents for the shift was under way. The queue was a never-ending, ever-demanding line of earth’s residence. For those reasons there were several batches made to shift serially, avoiding any rush or chaos.
“Do you really have to go Mett, you are just a student?”
“They need people who have extensive knowledge about plants and trees! Harper”
The procedure of transfer was established. The selected batch of humans, who are to shift would gather in their specific slot to an arranged location called the ‘Bid to Earth’. They would then engulf the ‘After-life tablets’, which are improved and re-developed to suit the recent purposes. Sometime after they would be injected ultra-active chemicals for euthanasia and each individual would experience a sudden abrupt death. The sudden jerk of death would develop a desperate need and intension to their souls to get back to their bodies to continue living again. In the meantime, the dead bodies would be transferred to the planet now called the ‘Elav Abode’ (the name suggested from elevated time-span of time, Elav thus was the fancy abbreviation of ‘Elevated’), through the connection point made by the scientists. In matter of just three hours the souls because of their ambitious desperation will witness the ultimate union of the body and the soul. This would be an occurrence possible only on the surface of Elav Abode and not on Earth. After this union humans who will then be called as ‘Reinhuman’ will become immortal.
Just like any other aspects whether good or bad, has both supporters and opposers, this shift too divided residents on basis of their opinion. Yet, opposers were soon enough suppressed by the majority. First batch of transfer consisted of selected humans only, who were specialize in different professions, the most efficient and skilled in their own profession. The catalogue bore names of doctors, surgeons, mental-health experts, scientists, engineers and others who could build the society and take care of people’s needs.
Last day on Earth for the first batch:
“Goodbye, we will meet in Elav Abode.” Said Ellia, pretending to be uptight, holding onto the profusely crying Bristy tightly in her arms.
“I do not want to lose you.” Blabbered Bristy. The younger, the more emotional one among the two.
The blood sisters who wanted never wanted anything but just their loving company of themselves for the rest of their time on Earth.
The mother, Pastina embraced her two trouble-makers and said “I will be waiting with the favorite meals for both of you. Don’t be late, home-work must not remain undone.”
Harper looked at Mett, gave him the bro-handshake. “Looks, the next class we will have together is at Elav’s.”
“Harper, Hasten, am weak in History, need ya help.”
“Now, I Gotta have to help ya forever, Mett!”
“I couldn’t, I couldn’t,” mumbled Tressane weeping uncontrollably. “I couldn’t stop you from going.”
“I will wait for you at the Tranquil’s, that garden that I will build for us and for the thousand children like Daisy and Ryen. Do not say ‘no’, I am asking for a date, just like I used to before our marriage.”
“I will meet you there Luke.” She smiled in her tears.
The conversations between the family members of the people who were shifting first, reflected varied emotions. Some of sorrow, some happiness enveloped. Yet, all of them resonated and related at a single promise. The promise to wait for their family.
Soon the batch was shifted, the cities were made, the reinhumans started to thrive. Gradually came the time to shift batch two. According to the scheme, batch two was shifted successfully. Yet, on earth the scientist saw some disbalance in the frequency in the thoughts and minds of the reinhumans. That was impossible to decipher.
On Elav’s:
“Hey, welcome to Elav’s. New here? What’s ya name?”
“Harper! You?”
“Mett.”
“Waiting for someone, Harper?”
“Yeah, my friend, he would be here soon.”
“Good Luck bro! Even am looking for a friend, gotta give him history lessons, he is horrible at it. Probably will fail without me.”
“Hey, hah, me too.”
“No way.”
________________________________________________________________
“Excuse me Madam, you are carrying two lunch boxes with you?”
“I have two gourmand mouthed children.” Said the woman laughing. “Who are you waiting for?”
“My younger sister, Bristy.”
_________________________________________________________________
“But where is Mom? She is supposed to cook my favorite Spaghetti!”
“Let’s check in that park we see there, she might be there!”
“Yeah. There are swings too.”
“Now all you care about is swing? Really? Oh, wait, see that lady there with lunch boxes, she cooked her children meal too.” The children giggled together and ran towards the park.
The problem in the reinhuman’s mind’s frequencies, as it seemed was unrecognizable to both humans and reinhumans. Humans being it in any planet, will definitely bear make society and family; it will also bear kind ones, helping the needy but…
Will they all lose the ability to recognise the ones they loved, on earth? Will they forever wait for them, FOREVER? Elav Abode is a place for forever, without limitations, but will it be also a place where their minds will be forever confined in the limitations of ‘waiting for their loved ones’? Is it the punishment for changing the realm of nature?
_____________________________________________________________________
“Hello Miss, may I have a seat next to you?”
“Yeah sure, definitely.”
“Do you like the ‘Tranquil’s’?”
“It is magnificent! This is exactly like the place I have always dreamt of! The breeze swaying, the lovely vibrantly coloured flowers, the sweet fragrance and the children running amidst.”
“Oh, thank you, I built it!”
“You did? My husband was supposed to…!”
“Oh, you are married? Ah, I see the ring. I am too.”
“Oh, so you are waiting for your wife too?”
“I asked her for a date. Yet, I am not sure if she is coming in this transfer or not. She did not register? I don’t know if they would allow her this early from earth.”
“Yes, the queue is incessant. I could slip out through a lot of struggle. Good Luck to you by the way!”
“Good luck to you too.”
***the end***
By Kasturi Bhattacharya
Amazing✨✨
Fantastic story line kasturi ! Proud of you 👏 ❤️
O my goodness, Kasturii!! I am still reeling from that twist at the end, it makes me think over and over again about the consequence that the reinhumans are facing! From the very start, you took me on an incredible journey, keeping me intrigued with every detail, only to leave me at an emotional state. That’s the mark of a true storyteller—one who knows how to captivate, surprise, and leave an impact, since your message is absolutely clear. Keep writing, because your talent is undeniable, and the sci-fi world needs voices like yours!"
Fantastic sci-fi! Great story and thrilling twist at the end !
Amazingggg !! ✨