Hello friends,
Next update of 'WHEN WE MEET' - there is clarification about what the relationship is, between Earth and Chiron 😉
Without much ado:
WHEN WE MEET
Chapter 3: When the air is toxic
-----------------ON EARTH -------------------Year 2175 AD
17:30 hours
Omkara had been working for hours now, and he was feeling very tired. His injury was very fresh still and he could feel his head throbbing. To add to all that he hated his day job. That's why perhaps he was happy forgetting what his life was really like. He worked at the Arms and Weapons Division of Chiron, owned by Kaali Thakur, the most ruthless man ever. Kaali had made his empire by selling arms and weapons to criminals, wayward gangs, terrorists, enemies of humankind and what not, but he had no morals whatsoever. He just wanted to be rich. He was amongst the 1% of Earthlings who had sold their planet to the devil brining disaster upon the rest of the 99% percent innocent population. For years earth was undergoing change due to recklessness of humankind like Kaali. People who manufactured things and stuff that nobody needed but everyone wanted. They then sold that stuff to rich and poor alike. At one point, there were so many factories on planet earth and so much manufacturing going on that one couldn't tell the smoke emitting from those factories to the black of the night.
The pollution caused by such large-scale manufacturing plants had spelt disaster for the atmosphere and the ozone layer which was barely just holding up was sacrificed. Climate had already been changing due to global warming effected by reckless lifestyles for years. The polar ice caps were melting and there were widespread natural disasters everywhere hurricanes, floods and earthquakes had become commonplace. Omkara knew all this from his grandmother who used to tell him stories of yesteryears when in her childhood earth used to be a paradise green and blue full of life and biodiversity.
The disastrous consequences killed most flora and fauna in water and air and once the ozone layer was breached everything else that remained was destroyed too. What remained was just ashes of dried out / burnt trees. The air on earth had turned so toxic that the human survival rate had decreased by 75% with most people dying at a very early age. Those who had a strong DNA constitution managed to develop some immunity to the toxic air over time.
By the time the final disaster had struck, the 1% rich billionaires had created a new life at Chiron, a satellite moon of Jupiter. They could pay for advanced scientific technology to progress themselves and find means to an end, which was to escape from earth after destroying it. Chiron's atmosphere was not like that of earth, but they had managed to re-create replica of earth out there , inside a glass dome a biodome, which was so big that one couldn't feel its end even by looking at the horizon. Inside the dome, the air was fresh and free of pollution. A replica of earth was created same plants, a few animals were cloned only a few, and then there were androids who performed as servants and maids.
But just like Earth, Chiron was also dying. Perhaps there was some justice in this world. Omkara thought. Human greed had got the better of them and it will keep destroying them as long as they don't change. They had already caused apocalypse on Earth and now Chiron was going to suffocate, because greed didn't know where to stop. Omkara felt the amulet hanging by his neck and opened it inside the amulet, on one side was a picture of him and a two little girls and on the other side a picture of planet Earth the blue-green planet as it used to be. His grandmother had managed to save this picture of earth from her childhood, although Omkara had never seen or experienced earth in its full glory. He had been born in the toxic environment, breathing and living the toxicity.
He hated himself for contributing to all this by working for Kaali, but he had no choice. He had to put food on the table for his sister Saumya and many other orphan children who had provided shelter and who depended on him. The only way to earn wages enough to feed so many people on earth was to work in the ammunition department. It was a risky job, often people lost their limbs, got burnt or died because of radioactivity, but Omkara only thought of his family.
There was another reason for working for AWDC, Omkara could get access to some damaged parts and defective pieces with which he was building his army and armoury. He was good at mechanics and knew how to put things together and make them work. His ultimate goal was to avenge planet Earth and rescue its population from the slavery of Chiron. From men like Kaali, who came to Earth once in a while with a mask on to avoid the toxicity, the toxicity they had created and escaped to the fake paradise they had created at Chiron. Omkara hated all Chironians!
But Omkara, by nature, was an artist and that's why he had made it his mission to also save the art of planet earth, even if he had to steal it in the darkness of the night. And today, he had one such plan. Despite the unsuccessful attempt yesterday at getting Lord Shiva's statue, Omkara was going to try again tonight. He knew that Chiron will not suspect another attempt so soon after his injury. He got ready for his next rendevouz with danger.
-----------------ON CHIRON -------------------Year 100 AA
17:30 hours
Gauri was restless. She had accepted the mission to hunt down Panther and get him to submit to Chiron, but somehow her heart was against it. She was a very balanced person and she knew Svetlana was not always right, in fact she was mostly wrong, trying to get the Chiron army to work for her personal gains. Gauri wanted to put a stop to this, forever and she was looking for a loophole. The only reason she was working with Svetlana was to learn her secrets so she could destroy her when the time came.
If she was being honest with herself she admired the likes of Panther. According to her, he was not a thief or a rebel but a revolutionary who was fighting for what was right. He was fighting for his planet, for his country and its traditions and people. So what if he stole artefacts he was doing it only for safe-keeping to preserve his ancestors' legacy which will not be valued as such on Chiron. All Chiron cared about was to subjugate the Earthlings and use everything they owned to make more money. She could relate to Panther, she knew if she was in his shoes, she would do the same, protect!
And that's what she was doing for Chiron, she was its protector. Then how were they different? They were very similar. Gauri didn't know why in her heart she found more sympathy for the Earthlings than her own people at Chiron? This was a complete mystery to her and she was curious to find out. Every time, they pulled up Earth's image on the screens for surveillance or any other purpose she found herself drawn to this place. She felt the wind of the earth in her dreams, and she longed to see the colours of the earth. Chiron was too dull for her.
Although it was an exact replica of the earth, inside the bio-dome, it did not have its soul. It had a sea just like the earth but it was discoloured like a metal it was a sea of mercury, it didn't produce waves like the earth's sea, the waves didn't come crashing down on the rocks making an unforgettable sound. But how did she know earth's sea had waves and that it made noise. That noise/ sound resonated, somewhere inside her being, she longed to hear it. What was wrong with her? Gauri chided herself for getting lost in her reveries again. She had to concentrate on the mission in hand Panther'.
She did some investigation by pulling up some record on her screen and then determined she walked towards the hemispherical chamber.
"M'am, I have made a plan to catch Panther. She announced.
Svetlana couldn't be happier , Good, Agent GK. Tell me what is the plan?
"I cannot tell you the plan M'am, for it to work; it has to be absolute secret. Gauri gave a curt reply.
Svetlana was furious, but she also knew there was no point arguing with GK. She would not tell her the plan, instead refuse to execute it and she was relying on GK to find the true identity of Panther.
"Ok. Fine. Take all the support and equipment you need but I want results. Soon. Svetlana ordered.
"You will need to arrange for me to go to Earth. Gauri said matter of factly.
"What? Do you know what you are saying? Madam President will never approve this. Earth is not safe for any Chironian and you are too precious for her. Svetlana refused outright.
"Ok, then, forget about Panther. Or you can always give this mission to someone else. Gauri was walking away.
"Stop. How dare you? Why do you have to defy me every time? Can't you do this job staying here, send an army to Earth and direct them from here. Svetlana tried to persuade Gauri.
"No, for my plan to work, I need to be on Earth Gauri was determined.
"So be it. I will arrange a false identity for you, because you will not be able to leave Chiron in your current identity as Miss. Gauri Kapoor. M'am President cannot find out about this. Enjoy on Earth, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Earth's air is so toxic; you will want to come back as soon as you get there. Svetlana smirked.
Svetlana was happy inside because of Gauri's decision. It was a win-win situation for her. If Gauri wasn't successful in finding Panther and somehow succumbed on Earth, she would be rid of her arch-enemy on Chiron, the only person capable of challenging her.
Gauri was also ecstatic when Svetlana agreed. Her plan was working already. She would keep an eye on Svetlana by remote means as the toxic air on Earth was the least of her worries. She was thinking about the future of Chiron which people like Svetlana were destroying. She knew there were others people like Kaali Thakur, a crude person who sold weapons to illegal groups on earth to spread terror. She had to stop all this. The air on Chiron was getting more toxic than Earth because of such corrupt and heartless people.
"Ok. I plan to leave tonight, so the ID better be ready by then. And I will take my advanced tools and Dandi android only. Gauri announced.
"Tonight? Why tonight? Panther is not going to strike again so soon. Svetlana could not understand.
"That is precisely what he will do. GK was no fool and no one could fool her.
She was getting ready for a rendevouz with Earth, a trip she had dreamed of many times...
-------------------------END-------------------------
So, what do you think folks?
Things clearer a bit now.
So, whay do you think Chiron is also dying?
What are people like Kaali and Svetlana up to?
What will Omkara and Gauri do next?
For those who are wondering why the difference between timelines of Earth and Chiron?
Earth - 2175 AD
AD - Anno Domini - In the hour of the lord - the same years - as now we are in 2018 AD
Chiron - 100 AA
AA - After Apocalypse - in Chiron the clock started when Earth was destroyed and the 1% moved to Chiron - its been a 100 ( 20 years x5 times over) - the destruction on Earth is now 100 years old - that is why Omkara's granny remembered it but he has always been living this hell.
But the move to Chiron is only 20 years old.
Do leave comments and hit the like button.
Thanks in advance
INDEX of Complete and Ongoing Writing Projects:
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4967448
