(chapter 1)
Tree of Life
No one ever imagined that one day the Earth would have such a catastrophic fate. Although the world as we know today, has come a long way in terms of technological innovations, yet it has divided the entire human race into two distinct classes. Ordinary people, the mass, wished for a tech-driven decent livelihood, but the vicious and powerful ruling class turned greedy to exploit the newer technology to serve their own selfish evil ploys. The commoners are in distress and most oppressed today. The taste of money, wealth and power have turned the arrogant exploiters into monstrous inhuman. The greedy oppressors has become the worst environment polluters as well. It’s the self-obsessed power-mongers for whom the global natural environment today is in ruins. The productions of cash-crops and the mineral mines are all under their possession, all the major trades – they own, all the major maritime routes – under their control, all while the commoners are left to starvation, struggles for their access to basic food or pure water. Mass deforestation led to the rapid extinction of the wildlife. Due to climate-catastrophe, the two distant Polar Regions’ excessive melting icy-tops have turned the zones into icy rivers now. The air-pollution has reached so bad that fresh air is a far cry now. The oppressed people can only go out using oxygen masks, which too often get scarcely available. To serve their ever-growing greed, the evil gamblers keep on destroying countless acres of green forests and keep on building citadels to serve their own interests, while the balance of nature takes a toll, the civilian mass lose their minimum rights. At one point, the tortured mass of the earth unify once again and declare solidarity to fight back, for one last time. They are met with hi-tech armed robot-warriors. Hence, a deadly bloody genocide begins. The hackers from all corners of the globe too, join the march, a virtual warfare of the Good vs Evil starts. Their team-efforts with the allied guerrilla forces, soon win them the initial war, but their laugh soon get long gone, as they eventually see it was just a transitory victory. With a deafening noise and utter surprise, now the fighter-planes loaded with bombs show up on the skyline while armoured cars and tanks take controls of the roads to silence the freedom-fighters for good. The ammo war began, for which the light-armed commoners were obviously not at all prepared. As a result, the daily casualty at the mass people side keeps getting bigger and bigger. Alas! With such grave fatality, it feels like the ultimate defeat for the commoners! The evils rulers regain their watch and control over the world again! They do not fear God, rather they are the self-proclaimed Gods. Levels of tortures increase many folds. The once vividly blue sky of the earth goes pale grey! The once picturesque green fields are out of green today! The sun seems to stare with a gloomy light of sorrow!
(chapter 2)
Song of Earth
Robin is staring at his screen, while his fingers move fast. He's still trying to find a way. He is a hacker, a genius one. He was not only a witness to the momentary victory over the evil rulers’ robot army, but also the principal architect of the strategic action-plan of this cyber war! Hundreds and thousands of cyber fighters scattered around the globe are still awaiting his next command, but now Robin somewhat feels hopeless. Still shattered by the defeat, Robin feels helpless, and he stops himself as he was almost about to throw away his precious laptop in anger. He keeps staring at his forefront with a blank look on his face and then, he hugs the laptop instead! The thought that they are going to be defeated against the evil rulers in this war of ultimate survival kills him inside! In agony, a shriek comes out of his throat!
Managing himself a bit, Robin tracks something on his laptop. He must meet Azra today, now! He finds Azra’s current location at a nearby spot. This has been a highly secret safe-house, only a few high ranked leaders from the supreme command knows its whereabouts and access code. He quickly puts the laptop in his bag and slung it over his shoulder, puts on the oxygen mask and carefully comes out of the basement of a ruins. This building was entirely destroyed in the recent air-raid. He again carefully looks to his left and right and top and then starts walking to the location. He must remain vigilant till he reaches there.
Azra is a trained guerrilla fighter, the commander of her entire local troupe. Azra and Robin have grown up together since a child. Robin and Azra's fathers were buddies and comrades-in-arms. When both got martyred in the same guerrilla operation, Robin and Azra were too young to be orphans. Since then, they have been inseparable, buddies for life. Now they are a couple. They have taken oath to finish the enemy for once and forever, and hence remain fully occupied in their works, and can hardly make rooms to see each other in person. But It’s ok to them, they both foresee the bigger picture here. They must conquer this war! For the sake of it, they happily embrace this personal sacrifice!
Robin has lately started believing firmly that only a help from an alien force can save the world and its inhabitants in this great war of survival. After their defeat in the recent war, this belief now seems to him to be the only way, though he doesn’t at all know whether there is any such extra-terrestrial entity in the vast outer space!
At the far end of the town, there stands a really tall, abandoned building on the hill. On top of that, there used to be the most powerful satellite in the world, ever built by humans. It is capable of sending coded signals to distant universes. Once this building premises used to host the best tech brains of the earth, but that era is long gone, faded in the sands of time. Robin is determined, he has to see for himself if the machine is still capable of operating, But there is a problem, the super tight security teams guarding the bottom of the hill 24/7. And that’s why Robin must seek Azra's guerrilla team’s help to help enter it safely. They are his only chance in this plan.
Azra, with firm attention, was listening to Robin and says, "We can demolish their check-posts. But what is your plan for getting access into that building? It has been locked for many years. "
Robin points his index finger to his laptop and says, "I am confident I can hack any impassable lock if I have it with me." He then smiled softly and said, "Don't worry about it." Azra hugs Robin and says, "You be careful!"; Robin says, “What you are doing is a thousand times more dangerous than my work! You need to be careful, take care of yourself. ”
On the mission date, they all start moving towards the target, separately. Moving very carefully and in camouflaged outfits all the way, they finally reach the bottom of the hill. Plan-wise they leave Robin behind in a safe-zone, and Azra’s team ambushes the guards, jumping into the abyss with his teammates. They managed a clean surprise attack at the checkpoint, the guards were totally smashed. Azra signals Robin "Run!” and Robin follows her order with great confidence. He for once stares back from a safe distance and with great admiration & pride watches the valiant Azra destroying the enemy one after one with lightning speed! Robin proceeds on his next move.
The Space Centre, now locked, barren, is on the top of the hill. But no new space expeditions, R&D initiatives are there anymore. The exploiters don’t bother about any such ideas of science and technology that concerns the greater good foe humanity. They are more interest in using the latest science and technology inventions that would help them in their never-ending modern warfare and mass destructions! The Space centre was shut down many years ago. The entire huge infrastructure is deserted today, main-entrances locked with encrypted seals. But Robin is not at all worried of that. He hides in a safe-spot and promptly pulls out his laptop from the backpack. A few moments pass by, and Robin’s eyes sparkle with winning delights, he silently utters 3-2-1….
The main-entry gate slides open slowly. As Robin crawls inside fast carefully, the gate closes behind him within moments and an eerie darkness grabs him instantly. With his torch, he locates the staircase and starts climbing. From his 3-D mapping of the facility, he knows in which direction he needs to move to. His main target being: The Satellite Control-Room. For a moment, the big question pops up in his mind: Are the devices still in operational condition?
Robin hacks and decodes the satellite security-codes rather quickly. This can be the ultimate moment he was preparing for lately, but now as the moment arrives, Robin is flabbergasted and seem somewhat confused: Is there anyone truly out there to seek help from? Somewhere in the vast space, to save the humanity!? For a few moments he stares at the laptop screen, with a blank look, and then with a deep-breathe, opens the transmission device. Knelt down and, instead of asking for help, he recites like a prayer, "I'm writing this song from the earth; will someone be there, somewhere out there, to read my letter sent from the earth, a song of earth!"
(chapter 3)
Spear of Light
Robin is still completely unaware that his appealing message from the distressed earth finally made its way through the dark vast space, to the successor of an ancient civilization with extremely advanced-intelligence. Robin's passionate call surpassed the speed of light and reached to the intergalactic intellect. Lightning flashes across the dark grey sky. A dazzling light gradually grows from beneath the clouds. A radiating diagonal ray from the source of light comes directly to the surface of the earth. It is as if all the electricity poles on the roads seem crumbling, terrified. The shattered city seems to be coming back to life, in the holy light. Gradually the fog clears and it seems slowly the blue colour of the sky is coming out once again, after ages, as if the sun itself is reborn. The shining ones show up on the soil of the earth from across thousands of galaxies. Watching all these form the Space-centre window, with utter awe, from the top of the hill, Robin has tears in his eyes. The shining ones are made of light and have no automatic weapons. They radiate rays of destructive light from inside their own blue rings. The evil monarchs, the self-proclaimed Gods, are now helpless. The illuminating light rays turns all their cannon, arms and ammunition to ashes in a blink of an eye. The shining ones destroy all the evil forces, who can’t even stand a chance in front of this unearthly power. Very quickly the evil force is defeated by the shining ones. The world is finally free from tyranny.
(chapter 4)
Forever Gone
But alas! Little did the common people know that this victory would cost them a big price! In this great war of just, countless freedom-fighters got martyred, countless civilian lives also got lost as collateral damage. This is a brutal truth for wars.
Robin comes down the hill with much excitement, only to find that the whole world seems to have turned into a large morgue. Countless burnt, deformed corpses scattered here and there on the streets. Robin is bewildered, he couldn’t believe his eyes, he cannot bear it anymore. He feels as if he has arrived in a surreal world. Robin calms himself down fast and gets back on his feet. The tracked was not working anymore, but he knows where to find his Azra. He must celebrate this hard-earned victory with Azra!
On the way he hears a baby’s sharp cry somewhere nearby. He figured out the source of the sound was coming from a darkened alley and heads that way. It was a little girl, sitting beside a burnt body, her mother may be. Devastated by the traumatic event, the little child was literally shaking out of fear. Robin took the girl in his arms and quickly leaves the alley. Robin resumes his move towards his destination, now holding the toddler tight. Every block he passes by, he crosses one horrible scene after another. But soon after, he had to stop once again hearing a groaning in a faint voice, “Water, water!”
Robin put the rescued little girl down from his lap and walked towards a wrecked, ruined house. He finds a man, his body mutilated by the heavy ceiling-beams. Robin sits beside him, holds his wrist firmly. With a pale, blank look the man stares at him, takes a deep breath and then closes his eyes. Robin looks at the corner, seeing a shadow. He pulls out a traumatised little boy from the rubble. The poor lad was in complete shock and couldn’t utter a word. Robin takes the boy too with him and devastated, marches ahead again, passing the horrific scenes all around. Finally they reach the secret den of Azra’s team. Robin can’t wait to meet his beloved Azra in this long-cherished free world!
The scene here is not very different from what they saw on the roads. Corpses here and there, scattered everywhere making the ambiance too suffocating. Seeing Robin coming from a distance, someone comes running towards them. Robin could recognize him; he is one of the deputy commanders of Azra’s army. The young man bursts into tears holding Robin, saying, “The Commander is no longer with us! After successfully we were returning to our den……we all were in such a good mood making sure you entered the gate safely! But all of a sudden, they surrounded us! They must have been observing our activity with long-distance surveillance-drone after the fighting happened, and they waited till we reached our hideout! They attacked us from all corners and came upon us with a hell of an attack, it was a dreadful battle!
Then we also counter-attacked, but could not cope for very long with their advanced weaponry. They also had a large number of soldiers. Seeing no way out at the end, the Commander alone without giving us a hint, and without any backup cover, went ahead towards the enemy tank. Seeing her alone, all the enemy soldiers rushed towards her together in all possible means, and the commander jumped on them with her suicide vest! It was all over in an instant… they were defeated by us for the second time the same day, with major casualty too…. but our Commander!!!” He wiped the tears and said, “We surely won today, but we lost everyone’s loved one, our Commander, along with so many comrades….”
Robin can’t believe his ears! The deputy’s words sort of created a deafening hollow around him. Robin succumbed to the ground and cried out loud!
The man grabbed him with a warm hug. By this time, many other fighters gather with teary eyes. They take Robin to Azra. The kids, confused and scared, silently follow Robin. The young deputy says, “The commander has bravely fought to the last. She’s the greatest warrior, she is a martyr.” The entire band of warriors give a salute towards Azra.
There she is! Young Robin’s best playmate Azra! His beloved Azra! There! Sleeping, all covered in a white cloth. Robin knelt down beside the remaining of Azra’s body and slowly removed the cloth from her face. Her beautiful face, partly burnt and bruised, looks pale, yet a serene smile is in her face, Robin feels! Robin dares not to look further.
Robin’s world is upside down! He blames himself for Azra’s deaths. All the comrades line up and carry Azra to the nearby cemetery, the grey clouds turned black now, mourning for Azra and all the martyrs, it felt. A gentle breeze fills the space. Robin kisses Azra’s forehead, for the last time. All holding Azra hand in hand put her to final rest. Robin sits still beside the grave. A gust of wind showers over them and a wild flower’s strong fragrance spreads all around. It’s drizzling now. The grieving raindrops from the cheek mixed with Robin’s teardrops keep flowing down. Robin looks at the sky, raises his hands and starts praying, seeking forgiveness form the Almighty for Azra’s sins; He prays for all the martyrs, who are gone forever. The rain turns heavy, Robin sitting next to Azra’s grave cries his heart out.
(chapter 5)
The Watchers
After the most dreadful global catastrophe was over, it was time to rehabilitate and reinstate earth’s nature and its inhabitants’ peaceful living. And for that, the cosmic supreme command sent a group of protectors from the far space: The Watchers arrive, with a core mission to protect the Tree of Life. They will show the new world the right path.
On the other hand, after Azra’s farewell to eternity, Robin wraps himself into complete isolation. With his new family, the two kids he takes refuge at the abandoned hilltop space-station, away from the daily hustle and bustles. He takes with him a gang of hackers his most trusted cyber troop and the top of Azra’s battalion’s command into his new den. They clean it up and make the building their new headquarter. The dead-silent space-centre is alive again.
But deep inside, there is Azra, still alive, 24-! And there is the unbearable pain mixed with unfathomable guilt! He seeks his own solitude at the top of the satellite-station room. Unless it’s too urgent to make a decision, he does not prefer communicating with anyone that much. He tries to distract himself away from the thought of Azra by keeping busy all day and up to late hours, experimenting with newer technological inventions, hi-tech devices, for human welfare. After countless trial & errors, Robin eventually develops a special super-long-distance surveillance drone camera, which cannot be seen with the naked eye or tracked by the most powerful earthly radar. Robin puts them in scattered locations, high above, all over the world. Now, he can easily watch and monitor the activities of remote people, day to day important happenings, the global weather patterns, from any specific zones in the world in a fraction of moment. He keeps this revolutionary invention a top secret.
Robin raises the two kids as his own. He renames the boy as Bijoy, and the baby girl, Azra. The two found a father in Robin too, growing up together among the accompanying herd. Their favourite daily pass-time is when learn from Robin various new technology in a playful manner.
Robin spends his whole day in research and experimenting in his lab, gives time to the kids, at times responds to his team’s complex trouble-shooting calls – despite all these, he still can’t sleep at night. At one point, Robin leaves his bed and meditates, prays for the rest of the night. Day after day, night after night, this has become Robin’s daily routine now. His people now unconditionally obeys him even more for his profound philosophical & spiritual inner-depth.
One such day, it was just before the dawn. Perhaps due to fatigue, Robin falls asleep while his early morning prayers. In trance he sees a celestial vision, a terrible nightmare it was! He sees a devastating dark cloudlike figure coming towards him with unbelievable rage and force, everything on its way, and life on earth comes to an abrupt end! Robin’s heart starts pounding. Shaken, he wakes up with a terrible headache. With a worrying face, Robin wonders, why this dream! What can be its underlying message?
The watchers were deployed to protect the earth. But after one point, they too started to break the supreme law and became adulterers. They were arbitrarily breaking all the rules, and engaged in having sex with humans, which was strictly forbidden for them. They also raped women, and a mutated, giant species evolved. These ferocious carnivorous monsters are now not only killing the watchers, the humans, but also each others of their own giant breed. They devour corpses too!! Robin’s drone surveillance also caught these heinous crimes. Something must be done, Robin mutters.
In such a situation, the supreme creator sees the watchers whom he sent to earth as protectors, have become the oppressors. The cosmic power is now fierce, angry and decided to severely punish the watchers for their misdeeds. He decides to chain them and send away to in a dark hole in the crater, deep down at the epicentre of the earth. For the next seventy generations they will remain imprisoned there and burn in the hellish fire.
Time passes by. It was the dead of the night prior dawn, the sky still darkened. Robin was sitting on his prayer mat, in deep meditation. And, suddenly that vision pops up again, this time the ethereal force looks much clearer. It’s a devastating flood with gigantic waves touching the sky, coming towards him in super speed. The black sky, fire winds, dreadful storm and tsunami altogether swallowing the lands and the world is tumbling down!
Robin woke up with a thudding! He quickly moves goes to the satellite room and turns on the drone’s extreme surveillance mode. With utter disbelief he sees major parts of the world covered in what it looks like a supernatural storm and rain! The snowy mountains and glaciers melting, raising sea water levels. In some places there are clear hints of catastrophic floods, and tsunami, the seismograph reading shows signs of the tectonic plates moving beneath the seas. Robin instantly wakes up his team and shows them the stats. He instructs them to warn the others and to get ready earliest possible.
Robin’s surveillance screen shows the situation worsening every minute. Now it’s abundance of water everywhere, nothing but water! Robin assumes any moment they would be submerged too. He turns the screen off, thinking of something important. Rushes to the study-room wall bookshelf to find out an old device, it’s like an old-fashioned cassette player. He didn’t invent it. The shining ones gave it to him when they left the earth long ago.
With a curious gesture BIjoy and Azra comes to him running: What is it,?
“It’s a transformation device that can turn water into glass,” Robin tells them hurriedly.
“Whoa!!!” Both the kids’ eyes are startled! Bijoy asks, “What will do with this now?”
Robin replies hesitantly, “I don’t know either. But I know that we are going to be trapped in the water, the earth will be flooded in this great flood. We have to do something, and I do want to try this device, who knows it might be the key to something! For that, we must get out of here. Now! ”
Excited Azra asks in a worrying tone, “Where shall we go now, Baba? Aren’t we rather safe here at this height?”
Robin replies in a complete peaceful tone: “We’re going to our sea’s beach, my child”
Azra and Bijoy are quite surprised by this answer! Why are they going near to the sea in the midst of this severe stormy night? But they have their complete faith on Robin, and thus leaves with Robin without a single further word!
(chapter 6)
The Great Flood
The watchers turning the oppressors, the giants disrupting the earth’s peace – all these annoys the celestial power so much that it decides to annihilate the earth with the great flood. This flood will be so terrible that nothing will escape its wrath, neither the humans and nor the monsters. The rain of death starts all over the planet and all the water-bodies start inflating many folds.
The hellish massive gust of wind with all its rage was closing in fast! Robin, Azra and Bijoy were running towards the sea as fast they could. On way whenever Robin sees any of his followers, believers, he pleaded them to follow him to the sea. Everyone at the roads were at a loss by the horrifying atmospheric changes! They were searching here and there for a shelter. Robin’s words comforted many, and they instantly followed him, while some other looked confused, but still decided to join the band, but many others thought that Robin must have gone mad, otherwise who would want to go to the deadly sea-waves during this dire hour? They completely ignored Robin’s call and fled.
Pushing against the deadly-strong wind, with only the believers following him, Robin gradually moves closer to the sea. The sea looks unbelievably rough, with gigantic waves crashing beyond the shore one after another! Sighting this fearful scene, many of Robin’s followers decide to retreat. They back away from the group at the last moment. Robin tries to console and convince them one lat time, but fails to. Robin looks more confident and is steadfast. He keeps on moving forward holding Bijoy and Azra’s hands. His heavy device-box is still hanging from a shoulder-strap.
Just as they were about to reach the shore, they almost choke, realizing the enormous sky high wave crashing down on them just like a snake’s fang. For a moment everybody thought it’s all over for them. They start muttering their last prayers. Just then, Robin took out the small device and switched it on pointing towards the wave. And, the next second, there was a deafening roar of void, and then there was no more sounds of the winds, waves or thunder! It was an absolute silence, it felt! That giant wave has frozen, converting into an arched glass-bridge over the ocean. Everyone ias at an absolute awe, hypnotized.
Robin looks back at his disciples as a holiness surround him, “Come on everyone. Don’t be afraid, God will save us.” Saying this, Robin marches ahead, and all follow him on the path of glass, towards an unknown destiny, fully keeping their faith on Robin.
The sea water level kept rising, and one after one all the high mountains went want the dark water. Apparently there were not a single life left behind, and this way all the creatures – the human-flesh-eater giants and civilian humans vanished from the face of this planet.
Meanwhile, Robin keeps moving forward stepping on the translucent alleyway of crystal. All his followers are still numb by the ordeal that have been through. They keep following Robin without asking a single question. Their faith on him escalated thousand times when the path of glass came visible out of nowhere! All of a sudden, Robin sees a distant light, seems like a gateway to somewhere. They all speed up. As they near it, they find it really is a gate. One by one all enter the gate and with the last one entering, Robin it is, the entire path of glass turns back to water and crashes down on the sea as an enormous wave, with a thunderous sound. With no land visible, the entire earth turns into a giant blue bubble itself in this cataclysmic great flood.
(chapter 7)
The Archangel
Robin looks behind, at his planet earth for the last time, and sees the darkest clouds covering the whole sky, as a huge black shadow coming down from the sky!
The archangel, the angel of death, Azrael descends from the seventh heaven. At the command of the Creator, Azrael has arrived to slay and take away the last sou. From his dead-cold clutches, no humans or giants get spared.
Since the very beginning of creation and to eternity, Azrael has been sincerely doing this duty at the order of the God.
(unfinished)
I wrote this story for “Tree of Life” album by GroundForce band. You can listen to the (english version) album here:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNzwLJlANrfBa1PvCvZXW526O-LmrC3mo&si=qF7jOUUP3F0nsGLg
