Force Fields Activated

by Deep Bora

Prologue: Force Fields...
1234 C.E.

Sire! It seems to be the devil’s handiwork! I implore thee to do something quick.”

“What would be hinting at, eh?”

“The witch doctor, quick, sire. He may drive the devil out from our lands.”

“The witch doctor is dead too. They found his body two moons ago while you were away hunting.”

“But my lord sire! How is it that everybody who crosses our lands at the borders...”

“I know, they perish. For now, we are prisoners in our own lands.”

“Nay sire! Thousands have perished by the scores. Some died whilst going on pilgrimage to other, far-off lands. Others fell to the devil when going to the neighboring King’s empire to visit their distant family brethren. Yet others fell dead during trading journeys.”

“Now tell me... This all occurs when my people crossed over from the borders of my lands?”

“The very moment, O my king.”

* * *

Fear and panic gripped the entire kingdom and its population as word spread faster than rumors; and one occasion such as this totally negated exaggeration.

The populace in towns, villages and semi cities on the road to evolution were formally briefed:-

“Let no one walk out from the set limits of our empire. Don’t allow people to cross the borders of our kingdom.”

Activated...
Chapter 1: 4616 C.E.
The present day and age

“Professor, I think something is grossly incorrect.”

“My dear?” The answer implied curiosity.

The professor’s personal chambers were located within Earth-forward space research laboratory priority one. He was relaxing after a long, busy fortnight spent upon moon’s satellite space station. Moon one, as it was termed, had become earth’s primary satellite guard over the centuries. All interstellar activities of the dangerous kind, and perilous ones too, were directed via moon one.

An efficient and very senior member from the upper hierarchy of Earth Command had earlier requested the professor’s valuable time at his personal lab. A junior colleague from the innermost hierarchy of World Council assisted him in this in this extraordinary maneuver. Together, they excused themselves inside with profuse apologies and conveyed personal greetings of the World Governor.

After more than an hour of pleasant exchanges and a brisk walk across the more inaccessible places of Earth-forward space research lab, they settled down to more urgent business at hand.

It was then that the professor’s implied curiosity drove them to alertness as they quickly exchanged glances. Obviously the professor appeared abreast with the latest developments affecting interplanetary star fields governance. At least that seemed evident from his conversation.

They soon realized a total hopelessness of the situation and the predicament they were placed in. Utter foolishness! How could the professor, of all people in their solar system, be unaware of the latest happenings? Surely, interstellar star fields intelligence personnel must have relayed every sundry detail to him... Perhaps more details than they carried in person in form of electronic data.

“Ah... Yes. You were perhaps meaning the collapsing zero-gravity syndromes upon Pluto cities immediately prior to Pluto’s second moon rise?” Again an implication.

“Sir!” A bewildered exclamation.

“Or do you plan to brief me in detail how our magnetic laser fields are self-deactivating one after the other, planet after planet.”

“Professor, sir! Only the mechanical cum magnetic laser beam walls remain as our second-primary mode of defense in case of attack.” The very senior member of earth command was an ex-interplanetary star-fields military man... They selected him for the present appointment by virtue of his tough and practical attitude. Rumours suggested he was an above-average intelligent person, too.

The junior colleague from world council took the cue.

“You are correct, professor. One, all our zero-gravity procedures have really and totally collapsed. This procedure becomes markedly detectable few days before Pluto’s second moonrise. Two, almost simultaneously we can determine the following via our interplanetary star fields computer binocular radar:

“That all our magnetic laser fields become reverted to disengage status. By what external or internal force at work here, we don’t know. Therefore, each of our sixteen planets including Earth, the moons and satellites are open to attack. They are are left with negligible, potential interplanetary backup or defense status. Here you will surely agree, we need more than a dozen electronic maneuvers upon Earth stations to bring about this deactivating status; a deactivate status of all m-laser fields. Then and only then the very same procedure — favoring a deactivate status is applicable for the remaining planets, the moons and satellites!”

He waited for a while anticipating Jupiter-watermelon fruit juice mixed with Earth lemons to arrive. The menu was fixed prior to their arrival and the professor had expressed his desire to share that valued concoction with them...

“Yet, how has such an event occurred? It is as if our forward and advanced defense shields are being controlled by someone or something else. Unbelievable! We are left with no primary and secondary forms of defense on the electronic front! Professor, how!?” His voice sounded subdued yet desperate.

They had voted him into world council by voice vote; primarily because he controlled the inner movements of interplanetary star-fields counterintelligence personnel in all the sixteen planets, and inhabited moons and satellites. Like all of them elected earlier, he pledged total and unequivocal support to the worlds’ governance and undying loyalty to their world governor. Ever since, interstellar security had been his primary concern. He reported directly to the chief of world council and his tactical superior within earth command -- his senior colleague.

* * *

After a rather slow, lazy and late lunch they accompanied the professor in his personal zero-gravity car. As it sped across the countryside, they were completely reassured its internal mechanisms included a self-guiding computer-radar prefixed with their travel plans. The professor made sure to activate its computerized autopilot prior to commencement of a long but quick journey.

“You shall virtually see the ‘granaries of the earth’ as we pass by those fields in quick succession.” He addressed the duo seated politely behind him in the four-seater zero-gravity car suspended about half an inch over ground level and gliding at 200 miles an hour. Quick and automatic activation of its air brakes at regular intervals controlled its ground flight speed. Virtual traveling speed at such high mileage did nothing to disturb their composed attitude.

“Yes professor. We know. Half an Earth month is required in these granaries-of-earth from the sowing to reaping process of our grains! We have progressed quite a lot since our cattle and machines ages. Our grains ready themselves at every sixteen days intervals... Feeding the entire solar system and its human population. Yet we store enough grains in our planets to feed an additional twenty-five worlds, if need be.”

“Your homework is up to satisfaction levels, my dears.”

“Yes sir, except the latest interplanetary developments.”

“I know... That is the primary reason I invited you to a post-lunch drive. Shall I continue?” The professor seemed very relaxed traveling at 200 miles an hour. “You see, what you are perturbed about now is nothing new to me. If I were to be explicative, this phenomenon occurred in the past decade once or maybe twice, though not in succession. I was younger then and upon Mars stations. I remember you both were recently inculcated into worlds’ governance at the time and not really aware of certain developments. Perhaps none other than myself ever noted the slight shifts in parameters of our interplanetary and deep space star-fields defense systems.

I was practically studying our actual trajectile course as compared to the remaining part of our universe, particularly emphasizing upon the Milky Way. Well, Mars stations offer an exciting and scientifically plausible view of the skies. Its less dense atmosphere is notably superior for studies of the skies!”

“Yes professor, we are aware most of our observatories have been relocated to Mars too.”

“Now, about our defense laser shields. Ever since I took over as professor in charge of our combined space research labs this has been my pet project. Every day -- at least once is mandatory -- I receive detailed reports from all sixteen planets on two interplanetary matters. One is the matter related to maintenance of zero gravity syndromes. Two, I keep constant track of our interplanetary activated magnetic laser fields! You see, these are our primary defense weapons in case of attacks and outer-space invasions of the other kind.”

The senior gentleman queried. “Attack from extraterrestrials?” The zero-gravity car’s highly cooled and air-conditioned interior atmosphere failed to stop a fine sheen of sweat from appearing all over his face; suddenly.

“Not necessarily. There are other modes of attack too.”

“If not extraterrestrials, then who? Or what?” The junior gentleman demanded politely.

“You are right! What... not who. But before I commence to explain, are you clear of your conception of our primary methods of defense? The magnetic laser fields?”

“No professor sir. Not up to the your standards of comprehension. Definitely not. Would you therefore explain in simpler terms? Please.” There was a slight smile on an otherwise impassive face. It was the senior gentleman.

The professor leant forward slightly to examine the constant car speed, mentioned clearly upon forward computerized consoles. “This entire concept was developed in the late 29th century and we have been constantly improvising upon it, updating this procedure. Today, in 4616 C.E., our understanding and comprehension of the concept is more or less complete. And our application is near total. Therefore you might ask me, what are these magnetic laser fields and secondly, who has developed, named and invented it primarily?

“The answer is not complex. For the second question we have a stereotype answer: we don’t know! Rest assured, further developments of weapons for interplanetary defense commenced from Earth-Forward space research labs; on priority basis only.

“Now for the answer to the first query: At regular intersectional points all along our charted and uncharted star-walks flight paths, we have placed what are called anti-beacons. This name is suggestive of ‘marker beacons’ which extraterrestrials use for hyperspace, deep space and unknown space flights. Here, intergalactic or interuniversal deep space flights may be classified as a more appropriate term to facilitate easier understanding.

“However, anti-beacons have nothing to do with the extraterrestrials’ marker beacons. Anti beacons are also systematically placed upon all planets at conceivably known angles.

“Now for the practical explanation which you seek from me.”

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Copyright © 2004 by Deep Bora