Chapter Two: Better half

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Mishiida Alexander

 

“Superstition is an unverified hypothesis ardently believed in.”

 

Chapter Two: Better half

 

Ego alone is enough to dismantle an entire kingdom, let alone a castle. With vanity comes a blind side, but in case of ego blind side is the only side. Einstein proposed and humanity supposed! Who was going to talk sense, leave alone listen to sense? A simple matter of common sense got entangled into a complex mathematical maze and humanity got lost in it. There is no count of the number of hours wasted by humanity so it could travel back through the same, and perhaps try and be a bit more intelligent with their choices this time. As if humans will ever change!

 

The popular misconception amongst those who look down upon lesser beings only past the leading edge of their noses is; “If you could travel at the speed of light, you will be travelling in time, for as your speed will approach the speed of light, time will slow down.” What a load of crap! If you travel at the speed of light, you will not travel in time, but in the same three dimensions that you exist in, only difference being that you will be really far away from your home and thus in trouble! And what one would witness at such an astonishing speed is not slowing down of time, rather a simple magic trick of physics. When you will travel at the speed of light, you will be travelling at the same speed as the light reflected by everything around you in space, or in other words their images. So as you will approach the speed of light, you will start catching up these reflected images, thus making the changes in the surrounding appear reversing themselves, and ultimately stopping at all once you hit the speed of light. But that does not mean you would have travelled in time! It only means that you will not notice any change in the appearance of the objects in space until there is a relative difference between the speed you are travelling in and the speed of light.

 

Yes there is another way of moving at the speed of light without leaving your spot, in which case velocity vector will be zero due to zero displacement. One can spin around at the speed of light. But even in this case one wouldn’t travel in time! All that will happen is that as the spinning speed will approach the speed of light, the activity in the surrounding will speed up until the spinning speed equals the speed of light, at which point the spinning person would appear to have become stationary again to those observing him, and the observers will appear to be working at their normal speed. The reason is that the apparent time difference between the observable light emitted by both the spinning person and the observers will become zero when the spinning speed will be equal to that of light.

 

But humans are humans! No matter how much sense you talk to them, their egoistic belief that they know better than everybody else in the world will never let them accept the words of a genius. It’s not just the religions that are full of superstition. Science has its’ own home grown culture of the lot. The belief that time is another dimension, is an example of scientific superstition. Doesn’t matter how many equations the scientific community comes up with, or how many calculators they use, bottom-line is; Mathematics is not, cannot be Science. The difference between the two is probability. Mathematics might have the ability to calculate the exact probability of each set of results that could transpire at the conclusion of an event; it still won’t constitute scientific evidence. To give an example; Mathematics says when you toss a coin there is fifty percent chance of either face to land upside. But that is just a hypothesis. Test it by tossing a coin a hundred times on ten different days and see for self if every time the coin landed on either side fifty times each.

 

But what is the probability of Ken and Rogers to have been murdered and not killed in an accident? Mathematics may not have an answer to it, but Science can prove it. The difference here is hunch. So as a new sun rises for this day, let us beat Rick and Corbett in finding our sweethearts Mishiida and Alexander. Yes indeed it was a brilliant idea to start our search from Alexander’s home. Now if only we can find a clue in his room! But before that, what’s this giggling going on? It feels really infectious too. What’s happening over here? Seems to be coming from Mr and Mrs Rai’s room! Might as well check on the two naughty kids while we are here!

 

“Oh stop it!” Mrs Rai half-heartedly hits Mr Rai with a fist just as we sneak up in their bedroom, “We are not kids anymore.”

 

“Says who?” Mr Rai asks, “Our kid is not home! Perfect time to party! When he was in school, he used to party behind our backs when we were out of town. Now that he’s grown up and not at home, let’s get even!”

 

“Oh c’mon, do you know how many things are still left to be done in the kitchen?” Mrs Rai reminds him.

 

“Kitchen can wait darling, you just come here,” exclaims Mr Rai as he pulls Mrs Rai into his arm. And we have seen enough for the time being. Lets’ keep moving and see if we can find a clue as to where the naughty kid and his girl are.

 

“Let me go! What if Alex and Mish were to walk in?” Mrs Rai resists her husband’s overtures one more time just as we are about to step out of the room.

 

“And since when did they develop the ability to teleport?” Mr Rai remarks in defence, “They are a hundred miles away in Renmark, shooting for his debut movie. How will they walk in on us? You are too much!”

 

Oh Renmark! And movie did we hear? Don’t know if we should roll on the floor or rub are backs to the wall, for this laughing fit is uncontrollable. Imagine Alex being mean to the bad guys, “If you move, I’ll call mummy!” Damn!

 

Ok, that’s enough! Let us get back to our work now. So Renmark is the place to be today; and even though we won’t appear on the screen, photo bombing is still so much fun to do. So let’s go!

 

“I know we are so not the same. No couple ever is! But all I know is; I want to make the differences between you and me the rainbow of our lives, the complete scale of emotions, the flavours of different seasons, rather than a glaring gap between our hearts. I want to make you my life, else I want no life,” Alexander, to our gaping surprise, is busy telling his  leading lady, her one hand in his hand, his other hand around her waist, just as we gate-crash their location.

 

“Do you really mean that, or are you only trying to give me a dream to live by while you are away on deployment,” a teary looking leading lady exclaims as she puts her other hand on his cheek softly. The entire scene is so mushy, we might even cry. But where is the rest of the crew?

 

Oh there they are; sitting silently as the camera captures the intense scene everybody is so engrossed in, except for the director. Poor guy, he’s standing in attention next to the big chair bearing the signage “Director”, but currently occupied by a fierce looking Mishiida, her eyes on fire as she watches intently. The director pulls out a glass ware from a box he is holding, taps Mihiida’s arms and almost pleadingly offers it to her, and then gestures with his hands for her to stay calm. “What’s that for” we wonder as we turn around to have a look at the scene. At this point Alexander lowers his head to put his lips on his leading lady’s petals. We turn around towards Mihiida who bites hard at the glass ware in her hand, her face growing red with every moment. We look at Alexander and his leading lady again. Alexander finally presses his lips against the girl’s lips and we are forced to cover our ears. Glass shatters, and so does the director’s patience.

 

“Why?” the poor man shrieks as he looks at Mishiida, who glares back at him, almost scaring him. “This is the third set of camera lenses we have lost today,” the directory humbly states to Mishiida, pointing at his equipment, “How will we ever complete this project if we keep stuck on the very first scene?”

 

“Why did you do that?” Alexander too complains, “I told you, I am just acting.” But Mishiida is in no mood for negotiation as she gets off her chair and makes a dash for Alex, almost scarring him. “Hey, hey, relax!” Alexander pleads as Mishiida grabs him by his arm and then pulls him behind her and towards Alexander’s caravan. “Wait,” Alexander makes a futile attempt to get her attention, but to no avail. Well, who are we to complain? Let us just follow the flow and see what Mishiida is up to behind the door she has just bolted from the inside. Besides, who doesn’t need a sauna once in a while? Let it steam!

 

“What are you doing?” Alexander asks horrified as Mishiida gives him a rough push, throwing him on to the couch behind him. Alexander immediately tries to get up using his palms, but Mishiida pushes him back to the couch and then crawls up on to him. Alexander crawls further back and towards the edge until he can go no further back. Mishiida wastes no time and crawls right up on to him as Alexander pleads, “Hey wait, we are not married yet!” But do we care? You go girl!

 

As Mishiida tries to lower her frame on to him, Alexander stops her with his hands precariously placed just below her shoulders. Mishiida grabs his wrists and pushed his hands off her and squeezes him into the couch with her body weight. The kiss however is stopped in its’ stride by a cruel knock on the door.

 

“Alex, someone wants to see you,” a spot boy yells out from the outside.

 

“I’m coming, hold on,” Alexander shrieks as if his whole life depended on these words.

 

Mishiida’s frustration however knows no hiding as she jumps on to her feet, grabs a small wooden stool, and is about to fling it hard at the door when Alexander grabs her hand from behind. “Please don’t get mad,” he pleads. Mishiida turns around and glares at him, then mercilessly drops the stool on to his foot. Alexander whines in pain as Mishiida turns away from him and looks in the distance.

 

“Are you coming?” the spot boy asks again.

 

“I’m coming dude! Yell my name to the fire in the meantime,” Alexander replies as he limps towards the door. He then turns around and looks at Mishiida who is visibly cross at him and literally refuses to acknowledge his presence there. He sneaks up behind her, and steals a cute little peck on her cheek. “I love you,” Alex whispers in her ear, then adds, “Bitch!” She glares back at him as he shows her his tongue and walks away. She smiles as she watches him limp to the door.

 

Alex opens the door to a couple of surprise visitors, and before he can say a word one of his visitors greet him, “How you doing son?”

 

“Colonel, Corbett, what are you guys doing here?” Alexander asks as he takes a step out of the caravan, but before he can put his second foot down Corbett pushes him back in.

 

“Stay there, we need to talk,” Corbett exclaims as he steps inside the Caravan behind Alexander. Colonel follows the two, and bolts the door again.

 

“Hello Mishiida, nice to see you again,” Rick greets Mishiida and then shakes her hand. Corbett follows suit. “Please take a seat,” Colonel asks Mishiida and Alexander as he pulls himself one chair from the corner. Corbett walks up to a side and reclines by the wall as Mishiida and Alexander occupy the opposite ends of the couch.

 

“What’s the matter Colonel?” Alexander asks as Mishiida looks on.

 

“I am assuming you’ve been out in the country doing your stuff for quite a few days now, hence not in touch with the latest news,” Rick puts it in a questioning way, then informs them, “Ken and Roger are dead!”

 

“What? How,” Alexander is shocked by the news, and Mishiida too seems to have been taken aback.

 

“Murder we are supposing, until else proved,” Colonel replies to them and then motions to Corbett, “Show them the pictures Alistair.”

 

Corbett pulls out a packet from underneath his light jacket, and hands them a set of pictures out of it to view.

 

“We are here, firstly to warn you, as both these people have been closely associated with our defence against the invasion,” Rick explains to them, “And secondly, I was hoping if Mishiida would be able to add anything to my knowledge by looking at the snaps of the two scenes.” He then looks at Mishiida hopingly, and then addresses Alexander again, “How much can you understand her now?”

 

“Well, for starters I can emphatically state that we will never be able to speak like them, or she like us,” Alexander starts off with a sour dampener, destroying all their lofty expectations.

 

“Great!” Corbett fails to stop self from commenting, “And it took you three months to figure this out!”

 

“Oh no,” Alexander shakes his head, “That I figured out in two days!” And we all look at his face in disbelief. “But there’s some good news,” Alexander is now busy rubbing salt in the open wounds.

 

“There is?” Rick asks most reluctantly.

 

Alexander raises his arms like a champion and declares triumphantly, “I managed to teach her our entire alphabet in no time, and now her grammar is nearly impeccable. Currently she is working hard at improving her vocabulary, going through our dictionaries. She’s already finished Collin’s Gems, and is onto Oxford now.”

 

“You mean she really managed to learn something on her own,” Corbett doesn’t hide his apprehensions.

 

“Hey! I taught her,” Alexander complains immediately.

 

“Never mind,” Rick interrupts, “Can you understand her dialect though?”

 

“Well!” and Alexander starts looking for words now, “I have managed to learn the first four alphabets of their thirty-five letter dialect so far. But I tell you; it’s hell tough.”

 

“Four alphabets in three months; you kidding me,” Corbett blurts out in frustration.

 

“Hey, don’t blame me,” Alexander tries to justify himself, “I’m trying my best. Besides, science was never my strongest subject.”

 

“Science,” Rick exclaims trying hard to hide his displeasure, “Since when did linguistics become a part of science curriculum?”

 

“Surely learning an Alien dialect can’t be classified as a field of arts,” Alexander makes his point.

 

“Great! So we are still at point zero,” Corbett shrugs his shoulders in disgust.

 

“Oh no,” Alexander responds, “She may not be able to speak like us, but she understands each and every thing that we say, and can reply in writing. It’s done wonders for our relationship.”

 

“We are not interested in your future kids’ names,” Rick puts it in the face way, “We want to know what she knows about space that we humans don’t know.”

 

“Trust me, you don’t want to know that,” Alexander replies with a frown on his face, “It’s too freaking scary!”

 

“What do you mean?” Rick is immediately interested in what Alexander knows.

 

“There’s a huge inter-galactic war going on between various intelligent races at the moment, almost in its’ final stages now,” Alexander informs us, the fourth witnesses who should have known it all along. And we are all ears to what he has to say, just like Rick and Corbett. “A very cruel race is hell bent upon destroying all the intelligent life in space, and thus conquer all available resource pools for their exclusive use,” Alexander further informs us all to our discomfort.

 

“What resource pools?” Rick asks.

 

“Planets, their satellites, asteroids, meteors, everything and anything that exists in space,” Alexander quips, “Even Mishiida’s race were no match to them in the battle, and their home was destroyed. They only managed to escape complete annihilation when they deserted their galaxy with the remainder of their kind in one of their three distant artificial space colonies.”

 

“How do you know all this?” Rick asks, and in reply Alexander looks at Mishiida. We too do the same. Mishiida quickly scribbles something on a small paper pad, and pushes the slip towards Rick. We step behind Rick to read what’s written on it.”

 

“The Tyrenes, they will be coming for earth soon,” Mishiida’s words make the ground beneath our feet slip away.

 

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