They had accomplished their work successfully in Town L and now they were all heading back to the tunnel. Everyone, there were still in immobile status. There would naturally be a lot of confusion when they all became mobile. But the group of trekkers would not be there to see anything that transpired.
They wanted to reach Town K to rest in the residential hostel of the scientists there. Next morning they wanted to proceed to Town M to finish off the unfinished work in the Cave that housed the Time Travel Experiment there as well as the jail containing the political prisoners and scientists. Then there was the matter of the Chief Administrator and his cronies to be taken care of.
Mono was walking with Luke and Zia ahead with some of the Orbs and the 10 students were in the middle with the major Orbs followed by Sherpa at the end followed by the rest of the Orbs.
Soon the Orbs of Mono's father and grandfather came to the forefront wishing to let Mono know what all the Orbs of the scientists who had come of the huge brain had to say. They had in 10 minutes almost reached the cave area where the destroyed Time Machine was. Mono stopped to let the others catch up and decided to listen to what his family Orbs had to say.
It transpired that about 50 years ago the Chief Administrator, residing in Town M, had a great idea to get information by other means rather than getting it from the Cities above. He felt if they had a machine that would beat the speed of light they could go forward or backward in time and get whatever information they wanted. They had the best brains as they all had come down from the above cities 250 years ago to stay here, close to nature and develop themselves spiritually and enhance their technology. They had invented their own computers, the computer software their own internet as well as the radio, their own mobiles, their plant-based medicines and their high level of health, medication, and surgery which was much better than that above. Now they had nothing to learn from the cities above.
Actually, his grandfather was the Chief Administrator who 80 years ago who had stopped all contact with the cities above. But the scientists had continued to connect with the cities through secret tunnels and speed travel capsules. His father had taken over as Chief Administrator, and after his father's demise in 2000 he took over and continued his grandfather's no contact policy as well as giving impetus to his grandfather's and his father's dream of building a Time Machine.
They had better computers at that time in 2000 as what we are having now. So they needed to work on a Time Machine that would take them to the future mostly to get information about how civilization was developing and what was their role in the future, whether they were moving in the right direction, if not what corrective measures they needed to take etc.
This sounded idealistic, and most of the scientists, being simple folks, believed this theory. The first Time Machine Experiment commenced in Town L, it was nearest to Town M and was well connected via tunnels and even above ground. As the scientists worked, they got to a stage when they realized they need to connect the human brain with the computer terminals. The leader of the scientists suddenly died due to being bitten by a snake. Before his last rites were performed, his brain was extracted for the experiment and connected to the computers by means of wires. Slowly the wires that were connected to the brain started to look like nerves as the brain started working. Soon it started pulsating.
This information was conveyed to the Chief Administrator who then posted his most loyal person to take charge of the Administration at Town L. This person was more loyal than the king and started to harass the scientists to work faster. He even started making daily visits to the central cave to see the progress of the experiment.
Most of the civilians who had an ego issue, like the Chief Administrator and his aides, started to think they were now superior to the people who lived in the above cities. They had got brainwashed due to the constant lectures of these persons everywhere. They also started exerting pressure on scientists through their friends. The scientists were under too much pressure. The stress took the life of another scientist and his brain was added to the first on. This went on and on till 25 scientists lost their lives.
There were saner elements too and some of these were the scientists. Then there were people who opposed the idea of the Chief Administrator. These persons were slowly rounded up and put into jails.
This was just applying pressure on the scientists and then the plate experiment was attempted. The plate was energized in one booth to assemble in the other. It did assemble but the writing at the bottom was in reverse (Made in Town I reassembled as I made in Town). Then the Mouse and Cat experiment was attempted, one after another after doing further mathematics and realignment. But first the mouse was energized in one booth and it did not reassemble in the other but disappeared with a squeak into mouse atoms. The Cat also was energized in one booth but it did not assemble in the other and disappeared with a meow into cat atoms.
The scientists were now scared, they felt that they needed to rework the entire experiment. But the Administrator had been waiting for over 8 years and nothing was happening. Now it was 2008.
The Administrator was furious and came here with his cronies. He looked for the scientist in charge of the experiment. The scientists thought that he wanted to discuss something. But the Administrator started to fire him left right and center that too in front of his subordinates. Then in a fit of anger, he caught the scientist in charge by his collar as his cronies held the scientist and pushed him into the energizing booth and pressed the button. The scientist disappeared but did not assemble in the other booth. The rest of the scientists were shocked and refused to work. They felt that if this was the fate of their head what would be their fate? Seeing their attitude, guards were called and the scientists were hauled up and taken to jail and imprisoned.
To avoid the blame, that he was responsible for this he put guards on the experiment cave and destroyed the direct tunnel to Town M.
Later, he sent a wrong report that the scientists had revolted and were refusing to do further research but were taking risks and had killed animals trying to send them into the future. They had also destroyed the direct tunnel to Town M from Town L. He refused the people of Town L to leave and imprisoned anyone who went against his orders. Many people did escape via the above-ground routes and settled in other towns. But he could not leave maybe due to the huge guilt factor. Someone reported to the Chief Administrator at Town M. He was confined to this Town under house arrest. His aides were also confined to their houses and guards were placed in front of all these persons. They were asked never to attempt to leave as the consequences would be severe. Their food and needs were met via special dispatches from Town M. To the rest of the Town, Town L was abandoned but there were some people living there.
The question now arose about the scientist who had been traumatized by being thrown in the Time Machine. What happened to him? The Orbs who were his colleagues could perhaps trace him. Mono asked the Orbs of his father and grandfather to ask the 25 Orbs released here.