The Return of Vaman - A Scientific Novel (15 page)

There was silence as Navin finished reading, with those present attempting to adjust to the startling revelations from an extinguished civilization.

Finally, Arul spoke: ‘It was a great mistake to have overlooked this plaque … we were so hopelessly carried away by the container and what it revealed. Otherwise, we would not have developed Vaman …’

‘I just can’t bring myself to believe that Vaman is a villain’, broke in Laxman. ‘Look how he put all his efficiency at our disposal in order to locate Urmila.’

‘Precisely the pattern the Konads followed in their previous incarnation—if I may use the word!’ Navin’s face wore a bitter smile as he continued. ‘Like the Konads, Vaman made sure that he had our confidence—that in our eyes he was a hero.’

‘I tend to agree with Mr Navin’, Major Samant commented thoughtfully. ‘It was Vaman who suggested that Urmila be allowed to move freely. I now suspect—no—I am sure, that he was regularly in touch with Shulz. He conveyed a message. A message to Shulz to say that the coast was clear for his operation.’

‘Yes, it all makes sense now. Because everything was pre-planned, Urmila was kidnapped on the very first day that she ventured out … and Major Samant’s driver was sent away with a false message and the tyres of his jeep were flattened … and later, evidence was fabricated against Navin—Vaman could easily have done all this’, Arul added somewhat breathlessly, now that the real culprit was being identified.

Laxman was still in a state of shock. ‘But why should Vaman do such things? He was amongst friends here—he had the run of the place …’

‘A Konad has no friend, Laxman’, Navin broke in. ‘True, you and Arul were friendly with Vaman. You gave him the ability to think. But you were hesitating to give him the power to reproduce. That power would be readily available to him, courtesy of Yamamoto & Co. So he has now chosen to go to them. All his steps are carefully worked out as a part of a plan to multiply and conquer Earth.’

‘Which is why Vaman made sure of taking the real stuff in his briefcase.’ Major Samant looked at his wristwatch. ‘Quarter to three … our David appears to have absconded with Goliath.’

There was a sudden beep on the portable receiver tied to Samant’s belt. Motioning for silence, he turned up the volume of the receiver.

‘Commando Shersingh here, sir. We were ready to help Vaman in his fight, as arranged. But he offered no resistance to Shulz. In fact, he went eagerly with him. We tried to stop them … but both Ramsingh and I have been immobilized by Vaman’s laser gun.’

‘Where are the two of you?’ Major Samant asked in his crisp tones.

‘At place B on the map, sir! But please follow Vaman and Shulz … they are taking off in a helicopter right now … over.’

‘Let’s be on our way, gentlemen.’ Major Samant dashed out of the hall. ‘I hope the helicopter bringing Urmila is back now … we may still be able to persuade Vaman to come back.’

Samant was right. The helicopter was about to touch down as all of them emerged from the building. Laxman rushed ahead.

‘Umi darling …’ He almost smothered Urmila as he gathered her in his arms.

‘I’m fine, Laxman … please thank these commandos for rescuing me alive. But how were you able to locate me?’ Urmila’s voice was very unsteady, but also very happy.

‘With Vaman’s help! Remember the tiny transmitter he fixed in one of your molars?’

‘Then let me thank him first.’

‘That, I’m afraid, is not possible.’ Laxman laughed mirthlessly. ‘The little fellow has changed sides. He ran away with Shulz.’

‘Vaman … in league with that horrible man? I can’t believe it!’ Urmila exclaimed.

‘I wouldn’t have myself, but for cast iron proof … but I must leave you darling and go after them.’ Laxman gave her a hug and dashed up into the helicopter which was now ready to take off with Major Samant, Arul and a few commandos inside.

‘Take care!’ Urmila waved. How much she wanted Laxman with her now, but obviously his errand was important.

‘Don’t worry Urmilaji … These commandos and I will take care of Shulz while your husband and Mr Arul give the little fellow a real talking to.’

As the helicopter rose Laxman said, ‘If the little fellow is in no mood to listen, I will have to use my ultimate weapon.’

‘Which is what?’ asked Major Samant.

‘I can inactivate his energy source by remote control. That will immobilize him for sure.’

‘Don’t be so sure, Laxman!’ Arul said, bringing out a note and a packet from his pocket. ‘Here. Have a look at what I found on my table just before I came here.’

The note was addressed to Arul. ‘Dear Arul, please pass on my parting gift to Laxman. I don’t require this toy which he made specially for me … Yours, Vaman.’

As Laxman read the note he felt the ‘toy’. Even before he saw quite what it was he had guessed correctly. It was the same microwave receiver that he had fixed in Vaman’s brain. So Vaman knew not only of its existence, but also of its purpose. Which was why he had sent it back.

Why did he write the note to Arul? Why not to Laxman himself? Did he have a sense of guilt towards Laxman? … Then Laxman realized that Vaman possessed no conscience. All he did was carefully reasoned and calculated to improve his own future prospects. Vaman had addressed the note to Arul purely because his office happened to be near the exit, unlike Laxman’s at the back.

Arul glanced at Laxman. His face was frozen, with no trace of emotion. Was he feeling betrayed by his protégé? Arul then felt in his pocket for the ultimate weapon—that was made under advice from Professor Kirtikar and still rested there. Would Vaman have guessed its existence too?

Meanwhile, the helicopter was speeding along a flight path selected by Major Samant. About a hundred and fifty kilometres south there was a disused airstrip. Samant suspected that Shulz would have a small plane ready and waiting there.

‘How far can he go in a small plane?’ asked Arul.

‘Far enough!’ replied Major Samant. ‘The bastard will most likely land in Jaffna where things are in turmoil. From there he may have made further arrangements … The important thing is to catch him on our soil.’

In half an hour Samant’s suspicions proved correct. A bright dot appeared on their radar screen. Their helicopter was new and had a powerful engine, while the machine acquired by Shulz belonged to an older generation.

‘That is our hope for overtaking him … but I would rather catch him on the ground.’ Samant instructed the pilot to shadow the fugitive helicopter without approaching too close. He then began to brief the commandos. That was when Arul turned to Laxman.

‘Laxman, I want your permission for a certain course of action, should it become inevitable.’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Laxman asked peevishly. He was still not reconciled to Vaman’s treachery.

‘Pull yourself together, Laxman,’ Arul uncharacteristically spoke with anger. ‘I know how you feel about Vaman. If we are not able to persuade him to come back to us on our terms … do I have your permission to use the final step?’ Arul now asked, gently but firmly.

‘What final step? Shulz and Vaman hold all the aces …’

‘When the opposition holds all the aces it is time to quit the game … if Vaman cannot join us, we must ensure that Shulz cannot have him alive … I have made such an arrangement.’

‘You? How and when? You just saw how neatly Vaman dealt with my own so-called preventive action. How sure are you that he has not anticipated you too?’

Arul now laughed. ‘Laxman, you tried to beat Vaman at his own game. You fixed a mechanical device in a mechanical brain and you lost. I have proceeded somewhat differently. I took advantage of Vaman’s ego. Yes, his ego! His realization that he possesses a superior brain. Do you recall how I presented him with my ring when he solved that problem?’

‘Yes indeed! I remember how proud he was at his achievement. That he should have solved a long-standing problem within two days of acquiring intelligence was a great achievement for him. How proudly he displayed that ring …’ Laxman paused and added, ‘You don’t mean that ring …’

Arul nodded and asked, ‘So do I have your permission?’

Laxman hesitated … and then replied. ‘Yes, but only when I give up will I signal to you.’

Arul pressed Laxman’s hand in sympathy.

Their helicopter started descending. They could make out something on the airstrip. Yes, Shulz’s helicopter had landed behind a small plane.

‘Welcome, gentlemen!’ As they landed, they faced Shulz and Vaman. Shulz’s rifle pointed at them while Vaman held his laser gun.

‘Karl Shulz! Under Indian law I am placing you under arrest. Throw your gun down and walk towards our helicopter, hands up in the air’, Major Samant called out. Shulz laughed defiantly.

‘Brave show, Major! Twelve murders and twenty-five cases of smuggling, to say nothing of a few kidnappings … I have to answer calls from your counterparts in so many other countries! Won’t they be disappointed if I submit to you? I have decided to remain at large instead!’

Laxman addressed Vaman directly. ‘Vaman, what kind of future do you see with this self-confessed criminal? Come back to us. We are friends … we forgive you all your pranks. Remember I made you. Arul here taught you so many things … Come back, dear Vaman! This is where your future belongs.’

Vaman replied, ‘Laxman, even if I were to grant all you say, I am not guided by emotions like you humans. I must act with my self-interest in view. With all your professed friendship, Arul and you are reluctant to teach me how to reproduce. Karl has promised to place all of Yamamoto’s organization at my disposal to do precisely that. So I know where my future lies.’

‘Come Vaman. There is no point in arguing.’ Shulz sent Vaman on to the waiting aircraft and turned to Major Samant.

‘Major, my rifle has a long range. So don’t move till our plane is on its way.’

Shulz stepped backwards, covering them all the while with his gun. Meanwhile, Vaman had reached the plane. Samant, Arul, Laxman and the commandos were watching, as if frozen.

Shulz went in and started the engine while Vaman was still at the door, his laser gun covering the helicopter. ‘Vaman! I appeal to you, come back’, Laxman shouted over the din. Vaman shook his head.

‘No Laxman. I will return, but not just now. Later perhaps, when I can visit you with my brethren. Meanwhile, I have Arul’s ring to remind me of my friends here. Au revoir!’

‘Good bye, Vaman!’ Laxman shouted and nodded sadly at Arul.

Vaman had turned and was entering the cabin when Arul pressed the button in his gadget. There was a blinding flash and a roar like thunder as the aircraft broke into smithereens.

‘Goodbye, Vaman, goodbye’, Laxman intoned to himself as he wept.

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

 

My childhood was spent literally amongst books. My father, a mathematics professor could not resist the temptation of acquiring books, whether from bookshops, by mail order, or from a door- to-door salesman. So these purchases would turn up eventually in tall shelves with glass doors and the wall space would in due course be taken over by new shelves. The shelves were too tall for me and I carry a bitter memory of a misadventure at the age of four. While practising long jumps in front of a book shelf, I exceeded my normal range with the result that my right foot crashed through a glass door. I still carry recollections of being taken to the university hospital, where a kind-looking doctor transformed into a source of terror as he produced a sharp tong-like implement and proceeded to remove glass pieces from my bleeding foot.

My acquaintance with books and bookshelves was renewed a couple of years later when I began to appreciate the treasures that books contain. It began with my mother’s bed-time reading out of a story book, as my (younger) brother and I listened with growing sleepiness. At some stage she would call it a day (or night!) and stop. She would, of course resume the following night. However, as this went along, there came a point when I could not hold my suspense for the next instalment to follow. I would then start reading that book myself. And having observed my father reading some book or other, I realized that I had got (- ‘inherited’ is too long a word for the vocabulary of a seven year old −) my habit of reading from him.

That limitless menu of books at our house contained a variety in English, Hindi and Marathi whose range and sophistication increased with my increasing age. Starting with Winnie-the-Pooh and tales of Akbar and Birbal, by the time I reached the important stage of a teenager I had become acquainted with the likes of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Conan Doyle. As a genre of stories which had a scientific appearance but which referred to somewhat unusual and hitherto unseen aspects of science, I began to develop a special interest for them. Later I came to know that these were
science fiction
stories. Little did I imagine then that I myself would be writing some in the years to come.

This account being specifically about science fiction, let us first see where it stands in relation to the wider variety of science writing.

Literature is the expression of society, said Charles Nodier. Nodier was an influential author in the French post-revolutionary era, when he introduced younger generation romanticists to gothic literature, tales of vampires and the role of dreams in literary creation. His career as a librarian was also important in the literary role he played. His influence has been acknowledged by famous authors like Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas.

Across the channel, Robert, Lord Lytton, statesman and poet, asserted that a nation’s literature is always the biography of its humanity. Quotes like these tell us that the literature of the time emerging from a nation gives us a flavor of its society at that time. Applying this maxim to the present times, we should expect an important contributor to a nation’s literature to be its science. For science exerts a dominating influence, not only on how we live, but also on what we believe in. And, as books like
The Future Shock
have graphically described, the influence of science and the technology it produces is rising rapidly. So, how does science percolate into literature?

Science writing today can be broadly classified in the following categories:

As a professional scientist I have contributed to scientific literature on all of the five fronts. So what I have to say will be derived from my personal experience (or, inexperience) supplemented by what I have learnt by reading the works of others. At the outset, of course, it is taken for granted that in more recent times literary communication also includes electronic modes like CDs, DVDs, audio discs, etc.

To begin with, the following statement may sound paradoxical but it happens to be true:
The task of the communicator becomes progressively more difficult as one proceeds down the above list.
Writing a research paper or delivering a seminar talk on it is easier than explaining a scientific truth to a layperson. For the speaker of a technical seminar (or the writer of a research paper) does not have to worry about audience comprehension: the typical listener (or reader) is assumed to be competent enough to understand what is being said. In my opinion, the above requirement of being reader-friendly is even more necessary for the writer of science fiction.

For, in the last analysis, what is science fiction? By way of definition one could lay down the rule that it is a story or novel in which some scientific principle or scientific background plays a significant role. Now imagine a reader who is
not
science friendly. Not to lose such a reader, the author may be tempted to
explain
any scientific technicalities, but this diverts the story towards a pedagogical exercise. I have seen several science fiction stories degenerate into a classroom teaching exercise: so much so that our target reader is too bored to continue. In short, the writer of science fiction has to walk on a razor’s edge between (1) the scared reader who fears that the science implied by the author may be too tough to understand and (2) the bored reader who does not want classroom teaching hurled at him!

This consideration is applicable to writings of type 3 also. I recall once being asked to talk in a distinguished lecture series called the
Vasant Vyakhyaanamaalaa
(Spring Lecture Series) held in Pune. This is an annual event extending over several weeks in springtime, in which scholars are expected to talk down to an educated audience on subjects of their interest. This activity was initiated by the freedom fighter and political leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak to stimulate the cultural psyche of Indians in the British Empire. Although the unstated objective was to help Indians to be more intellectually and politically aware, the lecture series continued even when India became independent: and its success led to similar lecture series in other towns of the State of Maharashtra.

For my talk in this series I had chosen the topic of futurology, describing what one can predict about the state of the world in the next, say, 50–100 years. Since speculations about what lies ahead are always of interest to lay audiences, I was confident that I had chosen a very audience-friendly topic. However, I was in for a surprise. A few hours before my talk, I ran into a distinguished professor of Sanskrit from a local college who was known for his academic achievements. After assuring me that he was looking forward to attending my talk in the evening, he added: “But I am afraid that what you are going to say will go over my head!” This assumption on his part reflected the existing gap between “two cultures”. The remark indicated that a scientist is at a disadvantage when talking to a layperson. As a ‘default option’ the scientist stands out amongst other speakers as a difficult speaker to understand. The professor’s comment put me on special alert that evening, ensuring that nothing I said would go over the heads of my audience.

I felt rewarded that evening when the very same professor sought me out after the lecture to assure me that he had understood and enjoyed my talk.

So far as science fiction is concerned, out of the above five modes of writing, it alone is subject to the criteria for a ‘good literary piece’. A piece of fiction may be excellent in bringing out the crucial role of science. Yet as a piece of literature it may fail or score low marks. I will return to this aspect, and also to literary criticism as applied to science fiction, in a later section.

I am sure different authors have different motivations for writing science fiction. In fact I have heard literary purists argue that writing with any motive degrades the quality of the writing. To me this argument does not carry much weight, as will become clear shortly.

To begin with it is worth narrating how Fred Hoyle was motivated to write science fiction. As is well known, he was one of the most imaginative scientists of the last century. In the 1950s he had written a scientific research paper in which he proposed the idea that a typical galaxy like ours has vast interstellar clouds of molecules, both inorganic and organic. In those days the emerging science of radio astronomy had yielded evidence for clouds of neutral hydrogen spread over vast interstellar spaces. There was also evidence for ionized hydrogen in regions of high temperature (where starlight had heated the gas). But the astronomy and physics communities were just not willing to admit the existence of interstellar molecules. So Hoyle’s paper was rejected by both astronomy and physics journals. Nevertheless he felt that the idea was important enough to publish and the way he found to do so was to write a science fiction novel based on the idea! Thus he came to write the novel
The Black Cloud
and it became immensely popular. As a historical postscript we may add that the next decade saw the discovery of molecular clouds, just as Fred Hoyle had proposed.

The mechanism that established the existence of molecules in space used receivers of waves of around a millimeter in length. Calculations of atomic and molecular physics tell us that a typical multi-atom molecule has atoms oscillating and/or rotating. A change in the state of atoms may lead to a spontaneous transition of the molecule to a lower energy state with the result that the energy lost in the process appears as a pulse of radiation of specific wavelength, usually in the millimeter wave region. The estimates of detection and theoretical calculation are so accurate that scientists have likened the identification of the source molecule with the radiation received to the identification of a criminal with his or her fingerprint record.

By now, a vast variety of organic and inorganic molecules has been discovered in space. We even find polymers with long chainlike structures. These findings have raised expectations of another favourite science fiction idea: the existence of extraterrestrials. We will consider it later in this account.

Having given Fred Hoyle’s example, I now come to my own perspective for writing science fiction. To me science fiction is a means of introducing science to the lay reader. Perhaps the example of the classic Sanskrit book the
Panchatantra
will help explain my motive! This book comprises five independent volumes, each containing a long story broken into several parts, each of which itself contains a story by way of illustrating some truth in the main theme. Sometimes even these stories also contain sub-stories with some moral. The entire book arose from the teachings of a wise scholar who was engaged by a wealthy man to tutor his sons. The father had discovered that his sons were simply not learning anything from conventional schools. How could they be taught to become responsible citizens? What type of training would keep them absorbed? This is where he was told of Vishnu Sharma. True to his reputation, this scholar could keep the willful and naughty boys absorbed in his stories, while also making them aware of what is good and evil in life. By the time these short and long stories had been drawn to completion, the boys had become learned and wise!

My perception of science fiction is likewise a series of stories which acquaint the reader with the important influence science can have on our lives. Simply studying science as a subject is no substitute, as many readers would tend to reject textbook science as a bitter pill. Indeed, a bitter pill might be rejected by a patient, although essential for health. To get round this problem pills are often sugarcoated. Likewise science fiction may be considered a sugar-coated pill which is easily swallowed. The science underneath may be made more palatable with a coating of fiction.

With the growing power that science wields, along with its technology offshoots, it is necessary for society to know, understand and learn to cope with it. Textbook science may be a turn-off for many who might otherwise be attracted to science through the fiction format. As in the Panchatantra, stories may be such as to acquaint the reader with the subtleties of science, its power, its good and bad effects, and its ability to help in coping with natural forces. A futuristic tale may alert the reader against possible dangers in future. It may also be possible to highlight uses of a future technology through a story or a novel. In short, there is plenty of scope in this vein for a writer of science fiction.

This is my reason for writing science fiction, which, of course, may not be the motive for another writer of this genre. I would like to give some examples from my writings but before I do so, let me describe how I got into this field.