Trapped In Time - Chapter 38

The 25 Orbs had destroyed the computer terminals by raising electric current. The shriveled brain was also injected with a dose of electric current by these 25 Orbs in a combined exercise. As a result, the shriveled brain was burnt up beyond recognition. The old terminals in the store were also destroyed in a similar exercise by these 25 Orbs.

The issue of blueprints arose and it was informed by Mono that very little paper was used in their towns. They were highly pro-environment. Hence, the use of minimum paper was encouraged. It was not like in the cities above that the natural assets of the world were being destroyed by the masses. The leaders did not even set an example of protecting their environment.

Here, they did what all they could. Hence, written work was restricted to the minimal that too for students studying in schools, colleges and to some extent in their university. Everyone else used solar-powered tablets. They had their own internet as well as their local radio stations. Some of them even played to songs which were popular in the cities above.

The issue of colleges and University here, in this place, was found to be very strange by the group of trekkers. All were smiling at this.

“Yes, we do have colleges, one college is in each town and the University is in Town M,” replied Mono.

The group of trekkers was feeling hungry as they had not had anything to eat since breakfast. It was almost noon, they thought.

Nanu approached Mono and said. “Can we do the jail work tomorrow? I am very hungry and we do not know what time it is.”

Mono replied, “Of course, let us go and eat. Even I am hungry. It is almost 5 p.m. It seems we were practically fasting today.”

He gestured to the Orbs and enquired from them about canteen facilities and where they could spend the night. The Orbs that belonged to Town I told him to follow them.

The 25 Orbs lead the entourage through the tunnel and the 75 Orbs covered the group and Mono. Soon they came to another side tunnel that led upwards and outwards to a residential hostel for the scientists.

The residential hostel was two storied and the roof was made of green cover that blended with the trees around the hostel. It was a good camouflage and no one could see it from the sky.

First, the Orbs took Mono to the reception area and found 7 empty rooms. The receptionist was also a statue. Luckily, all the empty rooms were on the first floor and adjacent to each other. Mono shared the room with Luke. The rest adjusted as in the tents @ 2 each i.e. Zia with Zoya, Cathy with Shana, Nanu with Tina, Zen with Chris, Ben with Danny and Sunny with Sherpa.

They used the attached washrooms and were called down to the ground floor canteen for tea and snacks. It was not yet dinner time. They would be having dinner around 9 p.m. They all were accompanied by the Orbs. Upon reaching the canteen they found sandwiches, flavored milk, tea, coffee, biscuits, muffins, donuts, burgers too which was indeed very surprising.

They managed to take whatever they wanted to eat. Of course, the Orbs gave them cover as there were some scientists in the canteen, but all of the scientists were statues. There were the attendants and the cashier but they were also statues. The group and Mono could not risk being seen even as fleeting images.

“We have not paid for what all we ate,” said Tina.

“It is Okay, the matter has been accounted for by our scientist friends who are now Orbs.” The rooms you are occupying are the rooms that belonged to them. No one wants to become a scientist now due to the horrendous experiment.” They had paid for the canteen bills earlier so the food bills are accounted for without dates of course.” Mono replied.

I think this is much excitement for the day. We need to go to Jail at night around 9.30 p.m. after dinner. This is as per your time. Do not worry; the scientists have not even completed 5 minutes. We are in their 5 hours. So we want to complete our work in this Town and proceed to the next early morning tomorrow.

Zen was the most intelligent student in the group. He had some doubts. So he thought there was something wrong with Mono’s slowing time.

“Mono Sir, You say the time of the people here has slowed down. Their 1 minute is equal to our 1 hour.”

“Since morning we have completed 9 hours but then they have also completed 9 minutes.”

“They will realize that something is wrong. They will see the destroyed machines etc. and will alert the authorities. After all, you have not stopped their time.”

“I am being logical. You have 100 Orbs to talk this out with.”

Zia and Luke nodded their heads. Even Sherpa said that he found the entire slowed time fishy. It was better to freeze the time of the entire towns and let the Orbs and the group continues their work in their actual time. After everything was done and the group had left, then the time of the people of these towns would be activated.

Mono listened with attention. He then telepathically called the Orbs of his father and grandfather.

He explained the issue of slow time and frozen time to them and they went off to discuss the issue with the rest of the Orbs. He came back saying that they all could not do two things at the same time. So they all should move to their rooms and then the Orbs would assemble outside their rooms and discuss the matter.

Everyone had finished their tea and snacks. They all got up surrounded by the Orbs and left for their respective rooms. Mono had told them that they could rest now and he would call them at 8.30 p.m. for the execution of the rest of the Town I plan and also to inform them about what the Orbs had to say.

At 8.30.p.m. they were woken up to proceed for a quick dinner. They were advised not to overeat, just to have a light dinner.

The dinner was sumptuous and enjoyable. But they did not eat much as per the directions of Mono and the Orbs. Everyone needed to be attentive and the task had to be accomplished. After dinner, they left to walk back through the tunnel so as to enter the parallel tunnel to take them to the other side where the jail was.

The Orbs had discussed the matter of slow time and freezing time for the entire Towns. It was agreed that it would be better to freeze time for all the people as the slowing of time for a short while would have been ok as it would not have an effect. But slowing it for a longer period would have repercussions as they people would know something was happening but could not see how all the destruction was being done. Someone could get wiser and figure out what was happening.

Hence it was better to freeze the time of the people there but let their time be normal. If it was required later they would increase their traveling speed to accomplish their tasks if they were not going as per plan.

The Orbs could do anything and change from a slow time to freezing time was no big issue. The Orbs did not require traveling to Town M to freeze time there too. It had been done. Except for the Orbs, the group of trekkers and Mono, everyone else had become a human statue for 24 hours, till they were made to become normal again.

The Orbs could slow the time if needed later or they could speed up our time if needed. Only time will tell what was needed to be done.

The trekkers had come for a camping expedition but had got trapped down here in another world, in the so-called Utopia, where people were living in their own time.