“But allow me to be rational here. This happens to be our second round of Martian coffee, and were we to consume such a strong concoction at ordinary surface temperature, one would evidently sweat excessively. One would also experience acute and uncomfortable feelings pertaining to becoming extraordinarily hot.”
The fourteen-member space personnel team was aware of the professor’s intelligence quotient. He commanded Earth’s Advanced Space Laboratory Projects. The Forward Space research projects were controlled directly by him, too. Earth Command and even World Council — the primary governing world body immediately next after Earth Command — always okayed his projects, sometimes prior to his requests’ reaching formal stages and, at times, even before those projects commenced upon a formal request: and it was rumoured that he received total and personal backing of the World Governor.
They attempted to remain as calm and unaffected by Pluto First Moon situations as he while imitating his conduct and even tried to maintain an aura of nonchalance while quietly sipping coffee in the chill of a mechanically-created, high-mountain atmosphere, though they were equally aware that temperatures outside had reached mid-day levels.
Those desert-like sands — hot and dry, scorching and burning — offered no respite from continuous blasts of arid atmospheric turbulences. They offered no gentle shelter and prepared to accept everything — both living and non-living — within their folds, perhaps to maintain and preserve in dry states within their sand particles. They comprised a total desert-like soil formation continuing on and on until the eyes could barely distinguish mounds and sand dunes reaching hundreds of feet high and then again, plain and vast stretches reaching out and beyond. Mirages too, offered no respite to tired eyes scanning the horizon.
“We shall park left, to the southwest under shade of that rocky hill which is now clearly visible.” The professor added, as the driver astronaut veered gently to their left. They felt no jerky motions mainly because Pluto Car was moving, accelerating away suspended upon half an inch of air cushion above soil level and because their individual super-cushioned seats rested upon hexagonal shock-absorbing pads.
“Now, as I was mentioning, ah yes... “The professor began on a serious note. “We were onto E.S.P. I would dare to venture into the psychic reasonings of our human minds... I believe that is commonly known as extrasensory perception.
“You see, in the normal world, under normal instances, one comes across this term very rarely and in most cases this term is associated with such prejudices that one is taken aback with awe.
“Well ladies, there is no need to exclaim! You are as much a part of human race as I am, or rather, we all are.
“The first definition, gentlemen, allow me to proceed, is ‘what you perceive’. You shall surely agree with me in totality that no mater which planet we occupy — Earth, Mars or Pluto — we humans possess the ability to see things in their correct perspective: we can perceive any living entity or non-living, in its proper value and perspective.
“In order to perceive, one does not have to decipher unmeant meanings of others’ dictations: that one is forbidden from achieving inherent, gifted powers of the human mind! Believe me, outside the realms of scientific approaches to every theory that we have put into practice, there exists rational answers and practical behaviour to the workings of the supernatural.
“Ah... the... well, the rationalisms beyond the natural laws of mankind. Who has made such laws? Are such laws correctly theorised?”
The professor continued sipping from the coffee mug, relishing strong odours of Martian coffee.
The fourteen space personnel perhaps forgot that one has got to blink one’s eyes in order to keep them moist and thereby prevent damage. The action of blinking one’s eyes, was a natural process. Many amongst them even forgot that good manners prohibited people — humans, from hanging their jaws loose. They simply stared at him continuously,thoroughly unaware of their actions. Several amongst them even forgot the coffee mugs they held.
“We are humans belonging to and living in the year 5120 observe the progression of Humankind; we are the observers and the examiners. We need rational proof to every theory, even if such theories are meant to be simply stored within our Earth computer data banks, our central computers. We discard all such theories which produce no rational answers. We believe in logic and practicality. A theory is abstract until such time as and acceptable only if, it can be backed by practicality and advanced forms of explanations. Yet, I ask you once again, what is your explanation of E.S.P.?
“Our second point of deliberation upon Pluto’s first moon, is declaration of E.S.P. not as a discarded subject but an upcoming and established factor in the functioning of our human lives.
“We require further emphasis in the fifty-second century for we are nearer to the age of progress — the century which has mastered not only the skies above our home planet Earth, but also the solar system.
“I... er, yes, my dear lady?” The professor had nearly finished his quota of Martian coffee as he sighted another lady scientist seated directly in front of him and facing him, trying to catch his undivided attention.
“May I add my understanding of the term E.S.P. now? It shall assist you to know if I have understood your words. I, of course cannot claim total and in-depth knowledge of extrasensory perception.” Her tone was serious yet carrying undertones of wistfulness.
Temperature inside the vehicle seemingly dropped nearly to freezing point, though one could clearly read 12 degrees centigrade on the front panel adjacent to the driver’s seat. The other members knew that she offered her lesser than slight knowledge of an hitherto unknown metaphysical term— perhaps to silently accompany the professor in his verbal journey.
“Later, my dear. Now, allow me to continue.” The professor was known to speak at length, uninterruptedly.
“I am confident that any person who possesses the art of maintaining and developing extra senses can and may be termed as one who can claim to master the secret and hidden art of extrasensory perception.
“The detailed and rational terminology is so everlasting and descriptive that even you can maintain your prerogatives and your personal human psychological traits at proper levels of humanly established temperament, if you are capable of maintaining that particular and favourable process of keeping your senses alert. However, such a process only forms a millionth of the exercises needed to develop E.S.P.! You shall have to learn from me.
“I mean to state here unobjectionally, that it is particularly easy for me — or for that matter, for you — to be equally capable of maintaining an extrasensory perceptive personality, as the colleague seated next to you or the driver of the Pluto vehicle!”
He uttered those words with total confidence and looked around the silent space personnel group who were all ears and completely absorbed by his unusual speech. However, there were no surprised utterances for rational and conclusive answers were beginning to draw upon them as well.
“You certainly mean... “One of the junior space personnel began on a gentle note.
“Certainly, sirs. I intend to confirm here, as I simply offered to explain previously, that human psychology — if maintained at proper temperament, irrespective of the planet under occupation at present within our solar system — is capable of being likened to the DNA pattern of the human race of the fiftieth century.
“There exist parameters of human nature born out of human psychology, that delve into the psyche of human minds, to produce one single and common trait, or character beads, which are constant and unvarying.”
“The professor intends to say that we humans possess a high positive and low negative common character, or rather, traits.” A physical scientist began picking up threads of their near one-sided conservation.
“Yes, my dear friends. You, and I included are capable of performing human acts within and outside of, certain fixed levels. We shall be unable to extend our actions below and beyond these certain, set limits.” The professor knew he had them confused yet again.
“Let me put it this way... You can, with the assistance of E.S.P. or other higher, human metaphysical methods, grow the hair on your heads — scalps would be an appropriate term — without the application of external factors like hair growth creme, developed in the year 2025. I believe that many amongst us still rationalise in such applications — particularly upon Earth.
“However, to the contrary and by application of such similar methods, you cannot, I repeat, you shall be totally unable to — stop the growth of hair upon your scalps, rather your heads.
“These factors are therefore, termed as levels of extreme human psychology or a common character, If I were to say in the correct perspective.”
None amongst them anticipated gushes of questions. There were none. Many factors were unexplained. Certain reasonings did however bring in rational answers.
* * *
To be continued...
Copyright © 2003 by Deep Bora
