The professor continued nonchalantly, “We are now beginning to encircle Jupiter’s core, the planet’s innermost circle. However, our journey shall simply describe a semi-circle as we manoeuvre ourselves in a downward, underwater path. And, my dear man, we shall discuss the feelings part at a later and opportune time, after we surface!”
Three hours later, the professor made deviations from irregular quotes. They were speaking constantly with one another, in an attempt to avoid depressing moods. The waters encircling them, all around, seemed to be warm, tepid and transparently clear. They had arrived at earlier conclusions: perhaps the waters of Jupiter were always like that.
One felt charged up. As if Jupiter’s water ions were constantly in the process of inducing sorts of strange electrical charges into the human body. They were placed in an advantageous position of being able to distinguish almost every form of underwater vegetation during their descent to Jupiter’s core.
“We are in the process of crossing the upper core circle!”
They made attempts at trying to figure out how computers deciphered and transcribed human laughter. The professor’s next sentence however, eased in a sense of well being within themselves. The laughter was not forced this time.
“After having crossed Jupiter’s core, we shall now no longer descend. We shall accept the natural process of ascending: an upward underwater journey to the surface.”
The other members awaited further instructions.
“Gentlemen, please adjust your directional codes to register a fifty percent thrust upward. You must reverse thrust procedures now.”
They followed his instructions immediately while adjusting their individual speeds in relation to body weight, applying varying pressure upon directional codes located at their hips. Six hours later, they were content in managing to float upon tepid lake waters of Jupiter at surface level.
The burly man looked around, keenly observing few dozen personnel moving around in organized manner beside the lake. He also took in the welcome sight of few chairs placed irregularly around one white coloured medium sized table. It was obviously meant for their group of five.
Imported banana trees from Earth mingled with tall coconut trees around the lake side and made stark contrast to familiar scenes back upon earth. Such trees adorned millions of beaches on earth, though not the lake sides. Not even in the year 5325.
He trampled upon comparatively softer Jupiter soil, walking the remaining few feet to lake edge, noting that the placid waters did not offer equal resistance to his advancing feet and legs.
“And I am of the opinion, well, it could have been in existence in this manner perhaps.”
He could barely hear the professor in audible terms.
“There were many oddities in nature and its deviations. Once in a lifetime you needed to immerse yourself deeply in the waters of Jupiter, particularly if you were involved in deep under water earth water projects.
“For then, you were made capable of diving deeper into Earth waters and one was rendered safe while surfacing, rising upward from great underwater depths without the trouble of experiencing bends, a syndrome wherein nitrogen rapidly converted into one’s blood streams. It is an extremely painful process. Almost every joint of the body suffered acute and indescribable pain, at times fatal. Such an experience happened mainly because one surfaced towards sea level from great depths under water, at faster speeds than necessary.”
* * *
Jupiter waters were of such inherent qualities that they prevented humans from experiencing the bends ; and once humans were placed within such familiar trends, well they were equally capable of escaping bends in Earth waters also. Even in deep sea dives.
“And my dear man, I am sure of it now. More definite that assurance! The core of Jupiter is harder than steel, while that of our earth consists of molten rocks and burning mud.
“And thus, billions of years ago, Jupiter’s core had undergone a process of transformation, of hardening from molten and boiling planetary mass, into that of super-cooled steel. That was then.
“Over the passage of ages, the core of Jupiter adjusted to planetary changes and lost much of its cool temperatures until now, in the year 3500 or thereabouts, the core is best described as a solid ball of steel. Perhaps such a transformation took several million years and that forms one rational explanation as to why we were unable to feel the effects of cold and chill during our travel downward, and later, during our upward journey to this lake opening. Similar explanations may be deducted for lack of heat near the core level of Jupiter.”
The burly man felt half famished upon hearing the professor’s theories, while gently relaxing hold of the transparent circular plastic globe which he held at hip height, allowing it to roll down and upon softer, green Jupiter grass underneath his deep water boots.
He walked the required few feet forward and pulled up a chair toward himself, gradually sinking upon it. He observed an astronaut waitress smile at him while walking directly toward the lake edge from garden entrance, approximately a hundred and fifty feet away. She held a tray in her hands containing a glass of clear Jupiter water. The second tumbler appeared familiar: mango juice from earth’s fertile fields. He refrained from counting seconds as she approached closer, busy in the process of making a concoction: a brew combining Jupiter water with mango juice.
The professor’s voice seemed to dull his brain, nearly lulling him to sleep. He also did not bother to look around in an attempt to identify the remaining members of their group. A gentle breeze commenced suddenly, as he leaned back upon the garden chair, accepting the first concocted drink.
“And therefore, you see, soon as you begin to taste those coconuts, er, I mean Jupiter’s coconuts and their mellow fruit water.”
The burly man, an astronaut-scientist from Earth’s forward space lab, had not slept properly the past thirty-two earth hours upon Jupiter. Yet a pleasant sense of relaxation crept over him as he relaxed his muscles.
“Of course, I also theorize that as soon as you step upon Jupiter’s colonies, you shall not feel that acute urge to sleep. Simply a doze is enough.”
A few minutes later, he was wide awake and felt refreshed. Jupiter waters were always like that: capable of inculcating a sense of sleep encompassing extended periods of actual, required sleep traversing a minimum of eight to ten hours. He knew that. Yet he could not decipher and was in no position to gauge the facts which led had led to this sequence of events upon Jupiter.
He dimly recollected their secret meeting more than six Earth months ago upon Pluto, a few days prior to initial moon rise of Pluto’s second moon, that circular, milky-orange glow in unchartered, starry paths of the universe, which appeared all of a sudden and unannounced at a definite period of 45 Earth days. They had taken total care to ensure that Earth ship 15 was securely docked to Pluto’s upper surface chromium locks.
Initial gusts of breeze were anticipated any moment now, factually different and distinguishable from regular air currents; and as the moon progressed into its heavenly journeys signifying passing days and oncoming nights, those feeble gusts of breeze would gradually convert into gale force winds at heights of frenzy. During those moments of time, processes of life came to a near abrupt halt, describing roughly twenty-five days and nights. Time calculations describing gradual decrease of such winds, meant a minimum of six to seven days.
* * *
They commenced upon an initial procedure of settling themselves upon unbreakable platinum, chrome and steel chairs at near evening, awaiting the professor to commence.
“You must realize, harness and apply the potential of relaxation ; you all have got to imbibe this power of proper self estimation. You must know how to go about it!”
“How professor? May I request your session, sir?”He remembered how quickly he had made an interruption, aware by now and after two dozen years of close acquaintance, when exactly the professor required interruptions.
Six space-garden chairs dotted a mammoth landscape, mostly barren and sandy. The chairs were placed roughly fifty feet away and to the east of their space ship.
Pluto’s second moon appeared in the starry overhead skies, simultaneously with a shifting tug of breeze, variant in air currents, yet definitely with an unspoken message for those who were familiar with Pluto’s second moon rise.
“Simply bask in the gentle life giving rays of the moon as you look around an orange-milky atmosphere, particularly upon this planet! Allow the might of nature to immerse you into further unknown natural goodness of its own, as you close your mind to external factors while at the same time relishing the sights and sounds around you as proven between sunlight and darkness: the moonlight.
“Yes, that’s correct. A compromise of nature within itself and between two extremes: total openness, that is sunlight and total closure , which means darkness. Feel the rays of the moon...”
“Rays of the moon, professor?”
“Yes my dear, as you feel and experience sun rays upon earth and even here upon Pluto, the moon is also equally capable of either producing or reflecting moonlight from its surface. The process of light traversing less than millions of light years from one point in the universe to other places elsewhere in the universe may be termed as such. Now, back to our discussion.
“Allow such moon rays to permeate your very being as you open out to the touch of nature which is intent upon pacifying you — whether you like it or not — yet now that you realize such immense potential exists within the boundaries of nature. Well, allow yourself this natural process of absorbing moonlight in order to inculcate feelings of peace and stability within you; deep within you, as you feel an extra ordinary sensation rise within you which seems inexplicable.”
They waited with bated breath for a few moments as the professor looked around casually, behind them and away, further away than they could gauge. They understood that he was taking in total, natural energy, a process which they had, perhaps prior to an hour ago, incorrectly deciphered as a complex, natural phenomenon.
“Inexplicable?”The lady scientist said out loud, her voice though faintly discernible amidst louder monotones of nature’s voice — air currents — whispering past their ears.
“Yes, my dear, and you, too, gentlemen. There is no connection between you as you continue your exercise. You are individuals practising the art of attaining perfect peace. Your pent-up feelings of tension and tiredness rise up and are replaced by the ever-increasing feeling of peace which seems to permeate your being and perhaps explode within you. Controlled bursts of peaceful explosions, likened to controlled or uncontrolled bursts of other emotional explosions like sadness and happiness and laughter.”
The professor deliberately looked at a new arrival amidst their group - a gentleman space cosmonaut presently deputed upon Mars’ forward space research laboratory and keen on a vacation for which he had applied nearly one and a half earth years ago.
“Each explosion of peace within your inner self and your individual, personal system — as you accept peace through such a process — measures in excess of a million megatons of protonic explosions - A human definition of accepting inner explosions, please.That’s my method of comparison.
“By the way, I presume that we humans developed peaceful applications and uses of protonic energy power, and explosions in late 3235. Do correct me if I have misquoted the year.”
* * *
They followed his actions as he gently unfolded himself, accepting every extra inch of the chair. They watched him keenly as, a few moments later, the professor stood up on hard desert sands for a brief while, before sitting back into the comfortable folds of the space-garden chair and began to glance at the moon every now and then in a relaxed manner. They watched him wistfully as stronger, imperceptible gusts of the same breeze tugged through his straight yet curly hair.
“Drink in the delightful, natural goodness of Pluto’s second moon as it rises yet higher into the heavens. Absorb yourself into this atmospherical wonder then, or vice versa. Experience and enjoy the natural and correct meaning of peace, nearly equal to everlasting peace, except that you need to recharge yourself at regular intervals: every day or whenever you need that sort of peace. Or perhaps, as and when you can rationally make a regular routine, taking time off from your daily chores and duties.
“Needless to explain to you that the moon has to wax and wane during its course. Have you noted the quality of air around us? Even the air seems to be fresher, when Pluto’s moon rises.”
* * *
A minute of solitude passed before the burly man asked,”Well, can I accomplish same or, rather, experience similar feelings of extraordinary peace upon...? It seems to steal up inside me as I continue to practise and then fills up my, sort of, well, my inner being! I mean professor, is it possible to achieve inner peace within such guidelines as ‘prescribed’ by you, on Earth and in relation to our Earth’s moon?”
“You may try. I was however, referring to Jupiter’s second moon, and our practical session here upon Jupiter, just about proves my statement.
“Now, in the year 5325, interstellar journeys are no longer fancies of the past. We have proved such journeys as true and factual. Our space colonies have begun inhabiting Mars, Pluto and their moons. We have even built Earth’s first satellite moon! About Jupiter, well... would you prefer another adventure upon Jupiter’s soils?” The professor’s voice decibels shifted slightly.
“My latest findings upon Jupiter indicate that there is enough evidence to counter the controversy that Earth was never visited by extraterrestrials, and I plan to translocate every bit of evidence to Forward Space Research laboratory One at Earth and Mars. Are you with me? I shall have to contact Earth Command and senior heirarchy of World Council within one Jupiter day.”
Copyright © 2003 by Deep Bora
