I wake to the blazing solar rays streaming through the windows of my room, directly brightening my closed eyes. I rub my eyes, wondering what had gotten into them this morning, and that is when my mind conjured up images of the President’s speech yesterday. In his crisp white shirt and matching pants, the colour that denotes the dimensional representatives in the Royal governing council, he walked to the podium and announced, “As I address this wonderful gathering, I am humbled to inform you that after our tremendous efforts, the approval for extra solar energy was sent by the Royal 10+1 dimensional governing council. Henceforth, the sunless hours are minimised from 8 hours a day to 6 hours a day. The enhanced 2 hours of solar energy are expected to increase energy production to 10²⁶ W by the end of this year, which will earn our earth, the most wonderful of all 3+1 dimensional worlds, the status of Type II level civilisation”, which was followed by thunderous applause. I just don’t understand the craze these people have on walking up the Kardesev scale. Don’t we have enough already?!
Cursing my luck at not being born in the era when sunless hours were as long as almost 12 hours, I stand in front of the UV washer that kills all the pathogens sticking to my body and regulates my body temperature. I remember my grandpa telling me stories about how, long ago, people used to do something called bathing and brushing using water. That story fascinates me the most because it is hard to believe that such a vital and precious substance was used for such mundane acts! And the idea that it used to cover almost three-fourths of the earth was unbelievable!
I dress up in my standard blue shirt and pants, the attire denoting my job as a ‘properties trainer’. My grandpa told me that back then, people who did my job were called ‘professors’, a term I like more than mere ‘properties trainer’. As I appear at the door, I take the 2 chips that are required to be incorporated by every dimensioner every morning, failing which, the dimensioner is punished by the denial of any more afterlives. One chip does the job of connecting all our minds and the functioning of our bodies to the galactic server, which is maintained by the Royal 10+1 dimensioners. It analyses and transfers all our thoughts and actions, and I used to add data to the mind-blowing calculations that determine everything from recruitment to population ratio. The second chip releases nutrients whenever required inside our bodies, and is decided by the galactic server.
I hop on my ‘Elastica’, a location transporter provided for all working citizens by the 4+1 dimensioners. It is incredible that time stops while using the Elastica, it enables me to appear at my office on another corner of earth at the exact same time as I gear up the transporter. As my day starts, students of 3+1 fill in. This is my favourite and most comfortable class because having been born in 3+1 dimensions myself, it is easier for my brain to ‘process’ the properties of this dimension and train them efficiently. Except for the special permissions given to some professionals like programmers, researchers or teachers, it is a crime to know about the properties of other dimensions. I sometimes feel sorry for one-dimensional students as they can never witness the amazing phenomenon of rotations and angularities, or how a 3+1 dimensional student can struggle with relationships, which are much more natural to 5+1 dimensional students since they know how to measure and harness emotions.
As my class with the 3+1 dimensioners is completed, I head for the general meeting. Today’s meeting is about the pending confirmation of the recent rumour about my colleague. As I enter, I see the huge screen with direct communication from the GS(Galactic Server), screening the words “Rumour confirmed.” I sit in my allotted seat, while the governing general of this training depot swallows the microchip that enables his voice box to produce the required frequency that can be heard across the auditorium. He starts, “Mr.Ja_3+1 is found guilty of possessing the sense of curiosity which made him seek knowledge about the workings of our Royal 10+1 dimensioners. Henceforth, he is removed from his position, his privileges are revoked, and he will be sent to Askaban for the removal of this dangerous sense.”
A collective gasp escapes the room as the news sinks in. Askaban is a massive black hole, an inescapable prison under the 10+1 dimensioners, where your memories are altered, and senses are added or removed, without putting you through the process of the next life. It is common knowledge that people experience an alien sense called pain during their stay in Askaban, which is more feared than the process of next life itself. As we disperse, I receive a mail in my ‘brain’, assigning me the classes which were previously handled by Mr.Ja_3+1.
The rest of the day went with providing the students with the newly arrived chips, which should be incorporated into their brains. This enables them to work 18 hours a day as per the new norm. I even noticed green workers excavating and planting new, upgraded plants which are programmed to have enhanced production of 18 hours of solar power a day. As I hop back on my Elastica, I remove the chips at my door, and in the silence of my room, I conjure up the picture of the earth as described by my grandpa--- with its blue ocean full of precious water, with green fields that grow by themselves without programming, and clouds that form on their own and move around. I enter my room, and with that blue ball in my mind, I finally rest in my abode, just in time for my programmed sleep to take over my metallic mind...
