Trapped In Time - Chapter 30

All of them had walked in single file along with their backpacks. Luke had taken the lead followed by the 5 boys followed by Zia and after Zia came the 5 girls and finally followed by Sherpa at the end.

Luke had initially used his torch to see his way through the tunnel. After a few steps, he found out that the entire tunnel was illuminated from the various vents on the sides of the tunnel. Light from the carpeted green hill was infiltrating through various vents on the sides of the tunnels. These vents ensured the ventilation of the tunnel also. The sides of the tunnel and the floor of the tunnel were smooth. There were no pebbles or stones which could make anyone trip and fall. The vents seemed to have been made from the outside downwards by means of drilling and fixing poles of a good diameter. To hide the top of the poles the parrot green carpeted grass was grown on this unique hill.

Everyone had been moving quietly so as not to make a noise and alert anyone who might be further ahead in the tunnel. But there was no one ahead. Soon the tunnel went down by means of about ten steps and then straight ahead for about 500 meters.

Thereafter, Luke abruptly stopped as he saw a bigger cave ahead. The cave was well lit and the tunnel continued after this huge tunnel. A humming sound of machines could be heard.

Everyone crowded around Luke to have a better look. But they all ensured that no one could see them. Some people were working on a huge machine. They looked like scientists. There were two identical structures that looked like telephone booths with glass. Behind that, there were a lot of machines connected by wires to a huge lump of something that was pulsating. It looked like a peeled walnut or a brain type structure.

Sherpa and Luke counted the number of scientists. There were about 7-8 of them working there at various computer terminals. They had overalls of transparent stuff and cloth-like material covering their shoes. Some of them near the brain had their heads covered in a strange headgear for protection.

“What do they need protection for?” Luke thought.

Out of the 8 persons one was very tall about 2.31 m (7′ 7″ ) in height. He was wearing full protective apparel. As they watched, one of the scientists motioned to the others to move out for something and asked the tall one to stay put and go when they all came back.

As they left, the tall scientist removed his headgear and said in a loud voice, “You are all safe now and you can all come out of the tunnel into the cave.”

Everyone was zapped, how did this Great Khali (Indian Wrestler having a height of 2.16 m) know that they were here?

There all trotted into the cave and looked at this giant.

“Who are you and how did you know we were here?” asked Zia.

My name is Mono and I have been here for ages. I was actually born here, educated here. I am the son of one of the scientists and I am also a scientist. We are not allowed to leave this area. We have our own community. We live behind the mountain. The tunnel on the other side takes us to the base. After which other tunnels lead to our small town. It is not visible from the air as it is camouflaged by the green leaves of trees there as well as green roof of each house etc.

A few of us are given the additional duty of driving people away. Since I am tall and if I wear a costume of white hair, I can pass off as a Yeti. I do this job also. The Yeti you saw on the mountain was me. I was trying to drive you away. But I realized you were lost so I helped with the dried grass and twigs. I had hoped you would not see the tunnel in the inner cave.

You all can’t stay here. It is dangerous. I will help you leave as I know the route to the village you were heading towards. Some of us go there to get things, pretending to be trekkers.

“If it is dangerous, then why are you trying to help us?” asked Sherpa.

“I just felt like it, we have had no contact with the world for generations except when buying stuff from the village.”

“Further, I was curious about the 13 of you. Because of my height and built, these people do not treat me properly.” What do you say? they bully me.”

One of our ancestors went over to your city and lived there for some time, he then traveling abroad and gathered a lot of information and gadgets. When he came back, he brought back the television, the radio as well as your computers which we developed further. We generate our own electricity and developed our own technology better than what you have in your civilized world. We even developed similar mobile phones to communicate with our other towns, as well as a listening system to tap into your communications in your city and beyond.”

“That ancestor who went to your city was my grandfather. He had met a girl there, fell in love and got married. But he was not allowed to bring my grandmother here. My grandfather came back with his only child after she died. My father was their only child.”

“My father always advised me to help anyone who came from the above city,” he added with a smile. “I was just helping.”

“The scientists will be coming soon. Please go back into the tunnel.”

“Just one question,” asked Zen. “What is all this machinery and what are you all working on?”

“That big walnut like or brain-like thing, is it real and what is its purpose?” asked Zoya.

Mono thought for a moment as to whether he should tell them or not. He decided that they were harmless travelers so he told them that the scientists here were working on making a functional time machine which would make them go into the past or the future. That huge brain was actually the brains of all the scientists who have lived here and died. After their death, the brain was added to the existing brain and it is functioning through a system of wires, like nerves. The person dies but the brain lives on to help in this time machine project.

“What a weird story? How can a brain not be allowed to rest after death?” Chris was not happy about all this.

“Was your father willing to have his brain added into this huge brain after his death?” he asked Mono.

“No, he never wanted to do so,” but the rules here are such for scientists, we cannot complain. But I do not think they will want my brain as it is a mixed brain with genes from here and the city above.”

“Is this a prototype?” asked Tina. “Meaning is there another or more such machines?” She added.

“No, it is not a prototype and Yes, we have three more in the other three towns of ours, there also scientists are working on the same thing. But this is better developed and more advanced.”

Just then Danny, who was looking around, pressed a red button by mistake. A lot of sparks were seen coming out of the machines and the huge brain. The noise was also being emitted and the huge brain shriveled up to the size of a tennis ball. All the machines stopped functioning and a white cloud engulfed them. Soon the cloud subsided but the machines were damaged beyond repairs. The two telephone booths like containers had shattered glass, making their use impossible. The computer terminals which were wired to the brain had also burnt up.

But they all were unharmed.

“What happened?” asked Mono. The machine has got destroyed. He looked at Danny and asked him what you pressed?

“I am sorry; I was just looking around and almost tripped on a wire placed on the floor. I put out my hand and accidentally pressed something.”

“Get into the tunnel everyone. You must not be seen.” Saying this Mono pushed them back into the tunnel and waited for the Scientists to come back.

But the scientists did not return even after an hour had passed. “What has happened?” he wondered.