MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 82)

Just then Martin got a call on his cell phone. Martin had replaced his previous SIM card with a new one so that he could not be traced. Martin had a backup of at least three hitherto unused SIM cards. And all three were bought under aliases obtained from the black market where Martin had his own contacts. Even his department did not know this. Nobody could trace those SIM cards to Martin. At least not easily.

The caller was Professor Antonio. Before leaving, Martin had informed Professor Antonio of his number on the chit he had given Anita. 

Professor Antonio told Martin that Kevin had gained consciousness. The professor was telling something when his call was abruptly disconnected.

Martin stood up, his posture urgent, but his motion wasn’t enough to alert Anita of his unease and she kept on talking. He reached across the table and grabbed her wrist, and her eyes instantly flicked to meet his, breaking away from her talk mid-sentence. She hung up without question.

“Anita, we need to get out of here. Something’s wrong” he said as he pulled some cash from his wallet and dropped it on the table. “We’re not the ones in danger.”

Martin’s words echoed in Anita’s mind on the way to the car and during the drive back to the house. If the Professor or Kevin got hurt, it would be her fault. She was the one who wanted to leave.

***

The blue Mercedes carrying Martin and Anita rolled to a stop at the end of the block where Professor Antonio's home was located.

"What are you doing?" Anita asked when he removed the keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car, moving to do the same.

"If there is someone here, pulling up in the driveway will just be an open invitation to kill us. We need to be sneakier than that," Martin explained. Anita joined him on the sidewalk, but he wasn't on it for much longer, opting instead to walk on the lush carpet of grass making up people's yards.

"I guess that makes sense."

"Quiet and follow me. We can't alert anyone to our presence," he said. Getting the hint, Anita nodded instead of speaking further.

Martin moved further into the well-kept lawns of Antonio's neighbors, and Anita followed him. She followed his steps carefully and remained silent, imitating him as best as she could.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 81)

Martin was quick to refute what Anita said. "Not in the literal sense Anita. Kevin and his kind may not go about the streets killing people. But over a period of time, because of the improved nature of their physical bodies- and also intelligence- they will be fitter than the normal humans- US."

Anita was beginning to understand what Martin driving at.Martin continued "Over a period of a few generations, their numbers may grow at a rapid pace. They will consume more of our resources, or change the environment as per their suitability. They can, if possible, interbreed with normal humans and change the nature of humanity itself. They may even become a political force of their own; remember they are more intelligent than us. And with the changing climate, thanks to Global Warming, they will be better able to adapt to the New Natural Order. And then..." Martin left the sentence hanging.

"And then what Martin?" Anita asked with trepidation in her voice.
"And then, there may be an inter-species war where Normal humans and Superhumans of Kevin's type may face off against each other. No prizes for guessing the winners"

Anita furrowed her eyebrows giving a you-must-be-kidding look- "War? Kevin looked so nice. He doesn't appear as the killing type- not unless he is provoked or forced to." 

Martin replied-"For all we know, Kevin may be a special case, an exception in his species. We have not seen the others. Hell, we don't even know if there are others of his kind, or if they exist, where are they?! Have you heard of the Neanderthals, Anita?"
"Yes I have. I believe they were primitive human beings of the Stone Age or something, right?"

"Yes and no. They were primitive no doubt, but not in the literal sense, Here let me explain" Martin was becoming animated and was moving his arms energetically.

Interesting, thought Anita. Maybe it was Professor Antonio's habit rubbing onto Martin. She found that correlation amusing. She let out a half-concealed smile-"Go on"

Martin was oblivious to Anita's Touch-and-go smile, immersed as he was in his lecture- "The Neanderthals were a species of Humans from Neandertal in Germany, where their remains were discovered. They are an extinct species of humans. They are closely related to us modern humans differing in DNA by just about zero-point one percent. Modern Humans were supposedly more advanced and intelligent than the Neanderthals.

It is said that though Neanderthals were a distinct species, they became extinct because of interaction with our advanced species. They were replaced by modern humans shifting into their environment between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago. Some scientists have even suggested a scenario of aggressive clashes between Neanderthals and modern humans resulting in the displacement and extinction of Neanderthals. When compared to Kevin's kind, we are the Neanderthals. As simple as that".

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 80)

Martin went on- "Exactly.Extinction is the vanishing of an entire species of organisms. If you go through Earth's history, extinction is not a rare event.Organisms repeatedly appear through evolution and disappear through extinction. Nearly all plant and animal species that have lived on this Earth are now extinct.Extinction seems to be the definitive fate of all species as a whole."

"Okay, go on..." said Anita with her mouth stuffed with food.Anita realized that Martin was leading onto something.

"The improved and adapted organism that is evolutionarily superior survives. Whereas, the one which failed to adapt dies, right?If one species can out-compete another, this will lead to a situation where the fitter species survives and the other species will be driven to extinction.Effectively,the evolutionarily improvised version of the organisms drives the weaker, evolutionarily inferior organism to extinction. In short, the advanced version of the organism replaces the existing or failed version of the organism. 

Thus a new, evolutionarily developed species is created."   

Anita asked-"what has that got to do with us?"

"That has got everything to do with us. We are organisms too. As a species, these principles of evolution also apply to us humans. And we are a product of these very same laws."

"Ok, Assumed that we are also subject to the same laws of evolution, So?..."

Martin looked sidelong and up at the walls to his distant flank,looking through the wall, trying to discern the strange machinations of this universe- "Kevin is that new species of humans, Anita. We are the ones who will be replaced by Kevin's kind, if they exist. However much Human Kevin might appear from the outside, he is very different from the inside. Remember what Antonio said. He is a new species altogether.  Kevin's species is highly advanced from an evolutionary point of view. We are very weak compared to Kevin's kind. Mankind as we know it will, before long, be driven to extinction."

Anita watched at Martin with her mouth agape. She slowly drew her palms to her wide-ajar mouth in a gasp of horror. A horror which dawned on her deeper and deeper with the passing seconds. A moment of silence passed between Anita and Martin. But that silent moment seemed like eternity. Martin felt a tidal wave of relief pass through him as he could finally give form to that vague, nagging thought troubling his mind a few minutes ago. But with the new found relief came a newfound uncertainty. Martin was baffled. His previous nagging confusion was now replaced by a new nagging fear. He was chewing steadily on the Pork chops.

His train of thought was interrupted by Anita's serious tone of concern-"you mean to say that Kevin and his kind-if there are any- will destroy the human race? Kill us all?"

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 79)

"I have been thinking, Anita, about all that Professor Antonio said. And I have also been reading all this Literature in Antonio's vast library.I must say, I am deeply concerned about what will happen to us."

"Us? You mean we are doomed? I thought you had a plan..." said Anita with fear evident in her voice and her eyes all watering up. She appeared as a damsel waiting to burst into tears.

Martin rushed to explain. "No Anita, no! I am not talking about us, like you and me. And Yes, I have a plan to keep us safe and sound. The one that I told you in the car, on the way here". Anita gave a sigh that appeared halfway between sadness and relief.

Martin continued-" when I said Us, I meant mankind as a whole." 
"How do you mean?"
"See, it is like this. There is this concept of evolution."
"Ya Ya.. I know about it. Wait... I will tell you, ummm, Evolution is change in genetic qualities of organisms over succeeding generations.Right?" Anita was livening up.

"Yeah right." Martin smiled. Then he went on- "successive generation of the organism's population are replaced by offspring of those parents who are better adapted to stay alive and reproduce in this world.

These adaptations improve fitness by assisting activities like finding nutrition, finding mates orevading predators. This quality creates and preserves traits in the organism's successivegenerations that keeps them alive and kicking".Anita was listening intently to Martin.

"Now it means that those organisms or species that are poorly adapted to their environment die out or are unable to reproduce and thus leave no offsprings that can propagate their genes. Ok?" 
Anita nodded in agreement.

The food arrived, and Anita eyed it with a voracious look.
"It also means that the genes or traits that were responsible for their weakness are weeded out, as they are not propagated. Thus the offsprings that are alive are the ones who have best adapted to their environment and thus reproduce and propagate their genes to the subsequent generations and so on. In short- 'survival of the fittest'."
Anita nodded as she hogged on the food.

"Now, think about the species which died out. When a species dies out, it disappears from the biological scene in this world. This occurrence is known as extinction." 

Anita bobbed in agreement-"Right, they keep showing on TV how man is causing all the animals and plants to go extinct".

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 78)

For everything that felt right, there was also something that felt completely wrong. Martin had been trained to look for irregularities in everything, and to trust himself when something felt off. Needles pricked at his skin- someone was watching him, but every time he turned to see where it was coming from, he couldn’t find anyone or anything remotely suspicious. He decided that he was nervous, and tried his best to ignore it.

"So, umm..." Anita flushed. "You mentioned before that you have a wife." She stopped there as she regretted the decision to ask about it, and then looked away. 

"We were students at the same high school in Los Angeles. In those days we were only acquaintances, but we knew each other well enough to keep in touch over the years. After I graduated, I went to New York to become a cop and joined the FBI, and she remained in LA to pursue an acting career," he paused when the waitress came for their orders, but promptly resumed when she went. "Simply put, her career didn't end up as planned, and when I was done with my training, I was transferred to Long Island. Around the same time she came there to start a new life. Some of her family used to live here."

He stopped to think about his wife, wondering what she would think about his sharing their story with another woman. For some reason he got the impression that she wouldn't care at all. Before she told him that she wanted a divorce, Martin thought that they were very happy. Sure, she told him that she wanted kids, and that she wanted to wait a bit longer before doing so, but otherwise nothing seemed wrong. He didn’t have a problem with that; he would have done anything to make her happy. In the end, it probably turned out that she wanted to put it on hold so she could leave him for someone else without the burden of children. She never told him.

He knew she wasn’t someone who held any sentimental value on stories.

"We met again for the first time in years, fell in love, and got married. I guess that's all there is to it," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be asking you this," Anita said, looking down at the table.

Still, Martin, though not bothered about Anita's unusual curiosity into his life was having a look of abysmal concern in his eyes.

"Tell me Martin. What else is it bothering you? And I know it is not our present situation". Said Anita. It was as if Anita's words were an echo of a thought that bothered Martin to no end.

Without preamble, Martin began to answer. Perhaps, discussing it with Anita would give shape to that ethereal and elusive thought.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 77)

In spite of being on the run and having the company of a lady like Anita, something deep and grave nagged at the back of Martin's mind. It was vague, something on which he couldn't place a finger. A sense of collective concern seemed to touch him in ways he did not expect. A sense of concern for humanity at large. Maybe this had something to do with the situation they were in. But Martin was too well trained to dismiss the feeling as situational.

Several minutes later Martin pulled into the parking lot of ‘Olive Garden’, the first restaurant that he noticed and thought might be promising. 

"This'll work, I hope?" Martin asked once he parked the car.

"I'm in no position to complain," she said. They got out of the car and wandered into the restaurant.

The place was relatively empty, at least from what they could tell. The dark tiles that spread across the floor were appealing, and although the restaurant had an overall welcoming atmosphere. Martin found the mundaneness of the place relaxing; in a way it was a true break from everything else he'd been through over the past few days. They were there because it was a choice, not because someone’s life depended on it.

Though- as he'd been thinking in the car on the way there- it could have been a lot worse. In the end, he still met Anita; who he was sure, at the very least, would become a good friend. The prospect of more with Anita was tempting, but also scary. He was positive that even if there was a chance, he wasn't ready for it. And because of that, it was best for him to put those thoughts aside. And then there was this vague feeling at the back of his mind about the whole of mankind. 

A feeling to which he could neither give shape or color.

They were seated at the back of the restaurant, at a table of high chairs far away from any other customer. Martin decided to order Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Potato Pancake Roasted Apples and Bacon Jam. Anita breezed through the menu card and ordered Grilled Farm mutton along with Maple-infused Sweet Potato Mashup, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and roasted Chanterelle-Chestnut. He felt obligated to talk to Anita, but after ordering his drink, he found that he was more concerned with burying his face in the menu than uttering a word to her. His stomach churned with anxiety, but while he was flipping through the pages of the menu, he realized it wasn't because he had that vague feeling.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 76)

"Something that's not fast food," Anita paused for so long that Martin had to look over at her, only to see her carefully examining her three day old clothes. "And definitely not somewhere fancy."

They both laughed at that.

"I didn't think to clean up before leaving. I guess I know what I'm doing when we get back," she smiled.

"Martin...?" said Anita, with a tinge of helplessness in her speech. "Yes Anita?" Martin answered with an equally reassuring Voice." What will happen to us? We are being hunted, ruthlessly". Anita said looking out the car window. Martin placed his hand over Anita's."Don't worry Anita, I have a strategy in mind." Martin spoke slowly. "I have asked the professor that as and when he concludes his tests, he should give those results to me in writing. It will be in the form of a report. 

Taking this report as evidence I will proceed to the next course of action. If things go as per my strategy, after the tests are over and Kevin regains consciousness, I intend to sneak You, Kevin and the professor into New York. Once there, I will call a press conference where I will declare to the world that a man like Kevin exists among us. Once Kevin's special nature is publicized to the world it will ensure that the Federal government gives Kevin, You, and the professor maximum security." 

"What about you Martin?" Anita still looked out of the window with a look of bleak hope. True, Martin would lose his job. But at least the people involved would be alive. This plan seemed the most logical way out where everyone would live.

"Don't worry about me. I have scraped through worse situations than this one" Martin grinned, knowing fully well that this was the worst situation he was in. And he doubted if any of them- Anita, Kevin, the Professor or himself- would even scrape out of this alive.

Martin realized then that over the course of the last few days, he'd grown to both appreciate Anita's presence, and take it for granted. She was a lovely person, he thought, someone both smart and challenging, but also someone that he was attracted to. His thoughts began drifting toward his soon to be ex-wife, and he had to suppress a painful cringe.

Thankfully, Anita didn't seem to notice. He set his mind back on track, returning his thoughts to the last few days spent with Anita. Despite the fact that they were technically on the run, the time they spent together was good. Sure, it could have been better, but it was good. Maybe there wasn't a better way to get to know someone than having your lives put in danger.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 75)

Martin straightened up and looked at Anita.

"Don't you realize how dangerous that is? We might not be the ones being tracked and hunted, but if we leave those looking for Kevin spots one of us, we'll lead them right to him. Worse, we'd also be leading them straight to the professor, and well, that would be rude," Martin said.

"We would only be gone for a couple of hours. Just to go out for some time and get out of this house. No one will find us."

Martin sighed, tapping his fingers against his knee. "That's not quite how it works,” he said, and paused to consider something else. He looked away from her, back at the television. “it sounds like you're asking me out on a date."

"I might be," she smiled.

"Unfortunately, you've done little to sway my opinion on the matter. We're not going anywhere," Martin said. Her smile turned into a frown. Because he looked back to the blank television, he didn’t see it happen.

"I'm going whether you come or not."

He didn't look back at her right away, but when he did, he saw the pouty expression she gave him. He rolled his eyes looked back to the television, battling against his options. Finally he relented; sighing, he moved to stand up from the couch. When he looked at her again, her face lit up brighter than anything he’d ever seen. It was stunning.

He had to admit, though, that getting out of the house was an appealing idea. "Ok, let's get out of here. Leaving might not be such a bad idea."

"Should we tell the professor that we're leaving?" he asked.

"Ok. I'll tell him." she said, and then tossed him a pair of keys. "Those are for the Mercedes."

"Here give this to the Professor" Martin gave Anita a chit on which he had scribbled something. That was all he said until she joined him in the vehicle and they were on the road, heading further into town.

"Do you really think something will happen?" she asked once they were on the road, her voice telling him that she was concerned.

"No, not really, but anything is a possibility. We've been followed this far, it doesn't take much imagination to believe it might even go farther. Getting out and distracting ourselves from the problem at hand might be a good thing, but we can’t let our guard down. Just be careful and try not to attract attention," he said while driving. They came to a red light, and it occurred to Martin that he didn't have a clue where he should be going. "Is there somewhere in particular you want to eat?"

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 74)

Anita went out of the lab overwhelmed by what Professor Antonio had just told them. Perhaps, it was too heavy for a person to listen, leave alone digest what they just discussed, Martin assumed.

Martin was ready to spend the next few hours mentally reviewing that information and getting what else he could from it. He wanted to ruminate on this most unusual of cases. 

Before leaving the lab, Martin told the professor that as and when he concluded his tests, he should give those results to Martin in writing in the form of a report. This report could serve as evidence based on which Martin intended to plan his further course of action. If things went as per his plan, after the tests were over and Kevin regained consciousness, Martin had thought to somehow smuggle Kevin, Anita and the professor into New York. 

Once there, he would arrange a press conference where he would declare to the world that a man like Kevin existed in their midst. Once Kevin's special nature was publicised to the world it would ensure that the Federal government gave Kevin, Anita, and the professor maximum security. True, Martin would surely lose his job. But at least the people involved would be alive. Somehow at the back of his mind, he suspected that no one in his department was to be trusted. This plan seemed the most logical way out where everyone would live. Other than this, Martin had nothing. And Martin knew he had nothing.

Another day passed. Martin was sitting on the couch in Professor Antonio's large living room, staring at the flat screen television. When Anita came into the room, he was still staring at it in a dream like fashion, but the screen was just as black as it was twenty minutes prior; he never turned it on to serve as background noise.

Anita stood in the corner of Martin's vision; her arms crossed. It took him several seconds to notice her, and realized she wanted something from him. He cocked his head in her direction, not showing any interest in her.

“What?” he asked.

"We're going out," Anita said; her tone leaving no room for argument.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 73)

"Professor, earlier you said that theoretically it was now possible to create a human being who was stronger, faster, and consumes lesser resources and is highly energy efficient." Martin asked. The professor nodded his head in the affirmative. Martin then paced the room in deep thought. He asked the professor in a whisper-"So, you think our man here is one such... Super-human?" The professor nodded, hesitantly.

The professor's tone reflected that of Martin's-"Though I cannot say for sure, what you stated may be likely, however remote. As I told you earlier, Kevin can be classified as a sub-species of the human genetic stock. In fact, a totally different species maybe. Kevin maybe one such Super-human. There is also a probability however small that he may not. Anyway every probability however small has to be examined. As of now, I do not rule out any such possibility. Only thorough tests can reveal something-which will take more time.  Although our Super Man here may be able to throw more light on his origin and other details himself."

Anita looked at the Unconscious body of Kevin-"We could not talk to him about himself much; as we were busy chasing or running away from one thing or the other. Maybe, when he regains consciousness we might be able to get something out of him. Martin, have you called your people for back-up to apprehend your 'terrorist'?". 

Anita saw Martin with a bitter look when she uttered the last sentence.

Martin was staring into a wall, trying to fathom some deep mystery- "No. I can't risk letting anyone in on this. Not at this stage. We don't know who has what motives. Only when we get the full picture can we make sense of what exactly is going on. But we do not have the privilege of time. And no, Anita, I don't believe that Kevin here is a terrorist. I think that there is a bigger and more complex game going on here". 

Martin kept his reservations to himself. No use expressing his misgivings if it did not help improve the situation.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 72)

Moreover, machines are not yet so developed for independent thinking and decision making. Artificial Intelligence is quite far away though it cannot be ruled out. Besides, the rapid strides in molecular biology, cybernetics and nanotechnology in recent years have greatly brought down the cost of genetic engineering. A Superhuman on the moon will still be human and be one of our own. Ultimately, nothing on earth or in space beats the quality of human perception, thought and action.

"How do you know all this Professor?" Martin asked. The professor stopped pacing the room and fell into a snug chair. "My boy, years ago I was part of a program in a private company which aimed to clone a human being. A human being was indeed cloned. But the clone did not survive for more than a week. The program was wound up and the mission team was disbanded. We were given some hefty stock options. I was forced to retire. It was how I knew Anita's father. He worked with me for some time. But he left the company well before me. Unfortunately he died in an accident. Many months later I sold all the shares of my company and got a nice pension- kind of like a compensation package. And here I am."

Martin became thoughtful-that's how Anita knows this professor- "Hmmm... I see. But If I remember right, I think that the Federal government brought a legislation banning the cloning and possible genetic engineering of human beings, no?"

"You are right". The professor looked up-"The legislation banned private entities from cloning and genetically engineering humans. That in no way it restricted Government agencies from carrying out the same activities. As I told earlier, I was a scientist myself in a private company and we were forced to tone down our research partly because of the intense pressure from the Federal government. That legislation was the last nail in our coffin. We had to shut down completely. The equipment of my company is what you see in this lab of mine now. From a profession, it has now become my hobby and a post-retirement pastime to study the sciences."

"Tell us more about these Super Humans- like what all capabilities they may have and so on..." Anita asked. Anita's curiosity had gotten the better of her.

The professor was more than willing-

"My dear, Super Humans can supposedly be created to have a wide array of capabilities. In theory it is possible to augment human physical and mental capabilities for space exploration. The genes can be tweaked- reducing the need for sleep, increasing alertness, and mitigating stress. One can, by genetic engineering customize human capabilities, for increased disease resistance, increased muscle mass for strength, mimicking hibernating mammals to produce a similar sleep process in humans, slow down the aging process and increase the capacity to heal.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 71)

“What!” Martin asked.

“From the time we are young, we are taught that a human being can achieve anything. Surely! We have infinite capabilities?”

“No, my dear. We are all taught wrong. A human being has infinite potential, but very very limited capabilities; both physically and mentally.”

Martin shook his head, “You were saying something professor, about the cold war?..” 

“Aah yes...” the professor resumed.

“Among the Soviets was a brilliant Space Engineer called Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. He was the father of their Space program. Tsiolkovsky was driven by an idea. space travel would allow the human race to abandon Earth in the face of overpopulation and natural catastrophes, thereby securing the continued existence of humanity. 

He envisioned a species of super humans, a form of eugenics, bordering on improbable engineering of the Human body, to adapt to space conditions. These super humans would use Earth as a source of energy and raw materials and cosmic evolution would eventually allow them to shed their physical 'shells' and develop into ethereal energy, becoming immortal and boundless."

"So, the USA and USSR practiced eugenics again?" asked Anita. 

"Not in the real sense, no." replied the professor, and continued. 

"The 1950s and 60s had opened up new avenues in science like molecular biology and biochemistry, the structure of the DNA was discovered. DNA, the basic genetic code of life was isolated and studied. Man could now make changes to the genetic structure and study them. Mankind now had the wherewithal to start playing god. Theoretically it was now possible to create a human being who was stronger, faster, and consumed less resources such that he is highly energy efficient. Such a kind of a Super Human is, if not ideal, at least more capable than us 'normal' humans to face conditions of outer space and environment of hostile planets."

"Wait," Martin interrupted. "Why go through all the controversial Eugenics way? Why not develop robotic probes or robots sufficiently to send them to explore outer space autonomously?"

"Valid question" Professor Antonio had risen from his seat for some time now. He was rubbing his hands in glee. He was pacing the room furiously. 

"But it all comes to the matter of the payload- that is, what you are actually sending out there in space. Rather than sending a five hundred pound robot to which you have to communicate instructions with a large operational setup here on earth, you rather send a three hundred pound space hardy Superhuman who can think on his own and take his own decisions. Add to it the fantastic maneuverability of human anatomy. Like the way you can move your limbs and spine. These provide more flexibility in space and also on hard ground, say on the surface of Mars. Robots are at least decades away from attaining such physical flexibility.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 70)

"Here, let me explain" the professor sipped at his now cold coffee. "Eugenics was basically a philosophical concept when it was first enunciated in the late 19th century. The need to make racially superior humans arose because of the chauvinistic feeling of superiority in man. You understand? 

It went something like this. I am superior to others, therefore my offspring and my kind of people should be propagated and increase in numbers. Others are inferior and hence they should be prevented from reproducing. Moreover, people in late 19th century did not have access to molecular biology, cloning etc. because those technologies had not yet been born. All they could do was sterilize, prevent marriage or cull humans like chicken, like they did in the holocaust.

After World War II, due to the havoc it had caused and the strengthening of the human rights movement, eugenics was abandoned. Fair enough, because Eugenics ran against the principle that all humans are born equal. Thus, it apparently had no place in an egalitarian and Post World War II social order".

"Why use the word 'apparently' professor?" Martin asked.

The professor gave out a chuckle. 

"Eugenics was in cold storage for hardly a decade after World War II until the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union. With the launch of Sputnik, the Space age was ushered and Eugenics got a new purpose, a new reason. An end, which justified every means necessary."

"How do you mean?" Anita asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"My Dear lady, the space age triggered a space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The moon, the planets and the stars were up for grabs. The stakes were very high indeed. Each nation tried to outdo the other. Both sides knew that it was just a matter of time before man colonised outer space. But the question was- who would be first? And who would win?

Plans were drawn up to colonize the Moon, Mars, the Upper atmosphere of Venus, setting up permanent colonies in space, voyaging hundreds of years to reach the nearest stars and what not? 

But Humans have evolved with the environmental conditions on Earth and are not physiologically designed for the space environment. 

Ultimately, human spaceflight operations are directly constrained by human capability limitations. Humans need sleep and food. We have limited endurance, strength, and memory. Although some of these limitations can be mitigated with training, there are immense costs associated with training. Now this problem of potential improvement of human performance through medical and mechanical technologies had to be addressed.”

“But professor!” Anita interrupted. Martin and the Professor looked at Anita as though coming out of a reverie.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

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MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 69)

"Ever Heard of Francis Galton?" both Anita and Martin appeared blank to the question. 

"Charles Darwin?" The professor asked. 

"The Evolution Guy?" Anita and Martin replied in unison. "Yeah, the evolution guy" the professor grinned. "Francis Galton was Charles Darwin's cousin brother. He used his brother's theory of evolution and applied it to humans to develop the concept of eugenics.

The modern concept of refining the quality of humans born into the world was originally developed by Francis Galton. Based on biographical studies of humans, Galton concluded that desirable traits were hereditary. 

Eugenics then became an academic speciality at many colleges and universities. It received funding from several sources. Primarily, its main proponents were national governments who sought to improve the genetic stock of their citizenry.  Three International Eugenics Conferences presented a global venue for Eugenics advocates. There were meetings in 1912 in London, and in 1921 and 1932 in New York.

"Can you guess which country first implemented eugenics as part of it national policies?" quizzed the professor. 

"Germany?" Anita shot out. 

"Italy?" said Martin in a low serious tone. 

"No. It was the United States". 

Anita and Martin looked at each other in surprise and then at the professor. 

The professor continued-"Eugenic policies were first implemented in the early 1900s in the United States. Connecticut, in 1896, enacted marriage laws with eugenic criteria, prohibiting anyone who was, say epileptic, imbecile or feeble-minded from marrying. Later, in the 1920s and 30s, the eugenic policy of sterilizing certain mental patients was implemented in several countries like Japan, Brazil, Belgium, Canada and Sweden.

In the 1930s, a man named Ernst Rudin justified the racial policies of Nazi Germany using the principles of Eugenics. Then onwards the scientific reputation of eugenics started to decline.

In Hitler's Germany, people deemed unfit to reproduce often included those who scored in the low ranges of different IQ tests, those with mental or physical disabilities, criminals and deviants, and adherents of targeted minority groups. 

The eugenics movement culminated with Nazi Germany slaughtering more than 10 million 'racially inferior' people as part of a state policy of racial purity based on eugenic principles. 

In the decades following World War II, with the establishment of human rights principles, the world abandoned eugenics policies".

Martin then asked the professor- "So eugenics, is no longer practiced anymore?" 

"Yeah, at least not in the open" the professor replied. Martin and Anita wore a look of surprise once more on their faces. 

"Why professor? What happened?" Anita asked. 

"The Cold war happened, the Space race happened" said the professor letting out a heaving sigh.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]

MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 68)

The next day after spending some time in the Professor's Library and surveying the area around the house, Martin decided to see the Professor. 

"Ah, Martin... I was about to call you". The professor said when Martin entered the lab. Then he fell silent studying something, hunched over a microscope, a glass slide under it.

The professor did not say anything for long time. Martin did not know what to do. He thought he better leave the professor to his lab and toys. He turned around to go. 

"Tell me Martin, how much of biology do you understand?" the professor said, without taking his eyes off the microscope. "Hmmm... not quite, I had studied some elementary biology in high school. After that I went to do my majors in Physics and Chemistry from UCLA. Whatever I remember of biology is very sketchy." Martin replied.

“Martin, Have you heard of the term Eugenics?" 

"Umm... the term appears familiar, weren't Nazis accused of practicing Eugenics or something?" Martin turned his palms upwards in an I-don't-know fashion. Just then Anita entered the lab. 

"You not sleeping?" Martin asked. 

"Well I didn't get any. I had a vague sense of unease, psychologically. Physically I am ok." Anita didn't want Martin to be worried about her. Then she thought sheepishly, ‘why would she think that?’ 

The professor continued-" Eugenics is a concept and practice whose goal is to improve the genetic quality of the human populace. In Greek it means 'well-born' or 'true-born'." 

“Is it like how we breed some plants and animals like dogs for better genetic quality?" Anita interjected. The professor appeared non-plussed. 

"Ya....maybe something similar, but not exactly that". 

Recovering, he went on- "It is a social philosophy encouraging the improvement of human genetic traits through the promotion of higher reproduction of those with desired traits- called positive eugenics, and reduced reproduction of those with less-desired or undesired traits called negative eugenics.”

"So, Kevin here is a product of eugenics?" Anita asked with a look of surprise. 

"No, No... Don't jump to conclusions. I am coming to that" said the professor a tad irritated. Martin watched the professor intently.

The Professor continued-"Eugenic practices were carried out as far back in history as Ancient Greece. Modern eugenics began recently in the early 20th century. A popular eugenics movement emerged in many countries, including the US and many European nations. Eugenic ideas were advocated across most if not the whole political spectrum. As a result, many  nations took up eugenic principles to improve the genetic stock of their citizens. These projects involved both "positive" methods, like encouraging those considered "fit" to reproduce, and "negative" methods like marriage prohibitions, forced sterilization of those considered unfit to reproduce. 

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]

MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 67)

"How will that help him?" asked Martin.

"Excreting waste materials from a body in the form of uric acid requires far less water than excreting urea in the form of urine. Kevin probably needs to drink less than one percent water than an average man. He hardly urinates. That means he can go for days on end without consuming any water"

This fact astonished Martin.

"What about his DNA professor?"

"yup, very interesting indeed. Preliminary DNA tests show that the basis of his genes is completely human. But his DNA differs from normal human DNA by two percent. And that small difference is what makes him so different."

"Selective Breeding?" Martin queried.

"Selective breeding will take centuries to provide genes like these. Rather than a case of selective breeding; I think it can be a case of genetic engineering".

Martin thought back to the night he found Kevin. That nightmare, where strange creatures populated his dreams- "Is there another possibility?"

"What possibility?" asked the professor with peaking enthusiasm.

Martin ventured- "What if Kevin here is an alien life form?" The professor looked at Martin. They both then looked at Kevin.

"Can he be an alien organism from a different planet professor?"

"That depends on how you define the term Alien. Even then, highly unlikely, though he may be an alien who will land on a different planet perhaps."

"Professor, do you think Kevin may be a fluke of a freakish mutation like we read in the newspapers?"

"Again, highly unlikely Martin. A mutation is random by definition. Kevin can be classified as a sub-species of the human genetic stock. In fact, a totally different species maybe. If there were more of Kevin's kind in the general population, we scientists would have known about it. For Kevin to be a result of mutation it would take another million years at least. On the contrary Kevin seems ..."

"Created?" Martin finished the sentence. Both professor Antonio and Martin looked at Kevin- still lying unconscious, but his burn wounds showing definite signs of quick healing.

An eerie Silence descended on the lab. Martin felt the fact about Kevin to be as fascinating as it was astounding. As astonishing as it was real, Kevin was, in Professor Antonio's words a million years more advanced than them. A million years ahead on the long and painful path of evolution. On a geological timescale, here was a human being, containing within himself the genes of tomorrow. At that moment Martin had a chilling realization that he was looking at the Man from Tomorrow.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]

MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 66)

"Are you done with the tests Professor? we don't have much time" Martin was impatient.

"Yes and no, I have finished some tests yes. But not all. Several crucial tests still remain. Come here" The professor held Martin's forearm and half dragged him to a chair in front of a computer. Martin sat down. The professor began-" This man here has several features which can be considered to be much different than humans, say even superior to 'normal humans".

"Such as?" Martin asked.

"I did an ultrasonography of his abdomen and thorax. I found that this fellow here is missing an appendix." Martin raised his eyebrows-"He had an appendectomy?" The professor nodded his head vigorously meaning no. "He did not have an appendix to begin with at all."

This fact was strange indeed-"Go on..."

"He lacks an appendix, and wisdom teeth. His muscle mass is very high, extra muscles are scattered in very specific areas around his body such as in his legs, arms, and back which give him the ability to control his weight distribution and accordingly handle many more times the weight than a normal human can handle.”

“Meaning?” martin queried

“Meaning that he can do more work for a longer amount of time. His lung capacity is fifty percent more than an average man.

I also examined his eyes. Strangely his retinas show no signs of a blind spot" Martin was keenly listening.

“Nerve studies show that all his nerves are myelinated."

"English please, professor." interrupted Martin.

"Myelin is a kind of electrical insulating material that engulfs and envelopes nerves. It is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. The main purpose of a myelin layer is to quicken the speed at which impulses propagate along the nerve fiber. This permits larger body size by maintaining agile communication between distant body parts."

Martin sucked in his breath through his teeth when it struck him that this is what explained Kevin's monkey like quick reflexes on the highway.

"Also, I was able to measure his cranial capacity"

the professor went on-

"Cranial capacity is a measure of the volume of the brain. The volume of the brain is an indicator of potential intelligence of the organism. Kevin here has thirty percent more cranial capacity than you or me.

One more thing that caught my attention was Kevin's body metabolism."

"eh? What is that?" asked Martin.

"See Martin, you and I excrete waste materials from our body in the form of urea dissolved in a moderately high quantity of water. We call this as urine. Kevin here excretes waste materials from his body in the form of uric acid."

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]

MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 65)

Martin was awake and, in the kitchen, brewing morning coffee. He popped a bread in the toaster. He didn't feel bad about using Antonio's home as his own. The Professor told them the previous night to make themselves feel at home. So Martin did. It was a nice change to be able to relax a bit; he was getting tired of being on the run. There were too many people after Kevin for him to handle.

"Morning," he said when Anita joined him in the kitchen. His toast popped up. He took it out and dropped them on the counter. Anita sauntered over to him and picked up one of the slices, immediately taking a bite out of it. Martin scowled. Anita didn’t notice.

"Antonio's made a few discoveries regarding Kevin that you may want to hear about. He has run a few tests but He said he won't have anything conclusive for a few days at least. But it may worth hearing what he has to say and seeing the proof he's found," she said with a mouthful of food. She then turned to the fridge, where she found the orange juice and prepared herself a drink.

"Anything big?" he asked.

"Well, nothing amazing, I guess, but some interesting stuff. I suspect we won't know anything ground-breaking until later on. I'm gonna go back to sleep, though. Talk to Antonio and wake me up for lunch," Anita yawned and walked into the living room with her glass of juice. He watched her collapse on the couch and sip away at the glass until it was empty. She then yawned loudly, and fell asleep.

Martin stared at her for a few minutes in thought, watching the way her body rose and fell with each breath. For a moment he thought of his wife, and again of how similar she was to Anita. Before he went any further, he shook his head and turned away to search for Antonio in the lab.

Antonio was cooped up in his lab studying the unconscious alien, or Superhuman or whoever it was. 

"Coffee?" asked Martin holding two cups, offering one to the Professor. "Thank You Martin" said the professor and kept the mug on a thick folder using it as a coaster. 

"So, Anita tells me that you have got something on our Superman here" said Martin showing his left thumb in Kevin's direction.

The professor did not say anything. He appeared lost in thought.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]

MAN FROM TOMORROW (EPISODE 64)

The next day Anita went to the lab. She expected Professor Antonio to be in the lab long before she woke up, and she was right.

"How is he?" she asked, the Professor turned Kevin's still-burnt-not-yet-healed head in her direction.

"I guess He's alive," he said. He was barely able to stifle a yawn, and it turned out to be only a temporary feat. Then the professor turned from the desk and looked away from Anita. Antonio held several sheets of paper in his hand, and from the way he kept them close, she was sure he was having difficulties deciding whether to show her or not.

"Mr. Phillips was correct in more ways than you may believe. Kevin here has recovered and healed approximately five percent of his wounds overnight, an outstanding feat and something I’ve never before seen or heard of. I took the liberty of beginning the mentioned tests, one of which is an x-ray to determine any internal injuries.

Well, the ideal would be to get a CAT scan. But you know, in these circumstances it is not possible." Said Antonio shrugging his shoulders.

"Can I see?" Anita asked, holding out her hand for the pictures she expected the Professor took. Antonio met her eyes for a moment, his hesitation clear.

"Certainly. If you examine the papers side by side, you will notice differences in every part of the body. The skull is thicker, he has more heavy-set arms and legs, and he's missing two ribs. Quite remarkable, wouldn't you agree?" the Professor said.

"What other tests have you run so far?" she asked, and handed him back the photographs.

"Not much as of yet, my dear. I was planning on testing his muscle structure and DNA tests, but accurate tests and comparisons will take a few days to complete. I won't have anything else until then but guesses," he said.

"No problem. I'll relay this information to Martin and get his thoughts. Figure out what you can, any information may help him greatly, I'm sure. Also... thank you for helping us. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"Your father was more than a friend to me, a brother actually. And moreover I would never turn down the opportunity to learn something new, " the man laughed, and turned back to work on his computer. She knew Antonio well enough to know that it was the truth. He sought knowledge as a form of empowerment rather than to achieve raw power and money. Unlike them, Antonio was happy with his decisions; she was happy for him. Anita walked out of the lab and back into the house.

(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)

[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]