SHERYL’S GENETIC CODE

BRANCH 3: ALTERNATE WORLD QUESTION ANSWERED: WHAT IS THE CODE?

‘Every story has many interpretations. It depends on who is narrating the story.’ The velvety voice of Goddess Athena resonated inside Charu’s mind. That subtle persuasion in Goddess Athena’s voice emphasized the importance of hearing the story from Zygotes too. Charu recollected Mermitans saying that the Zygotes resided in a monstrously ancient cave near Mount Varghese.

“Katipalla caves. Not exactly caves but can be called rock shelters, known to be inhabited by stone age man. It’s not a tourist spot as entry inside the cave is difficult.” Once Mani Oomen had referred to them in a casual conversation with Charu.

“Well, I will creep in.” Said Charu as she marched towards the Katipalla caves. Past topsy-turvy incident had increased Charu’s quest to find answers. Her existence was in question.

‘If not bloodline of Oomens, then who am I?’ The question amplified her heart beat which till now was going in rhythm with her feet. There was a name plate at the hub of Fort Kochi’s market place, which caught Charu’s attention.

‘Can be an answer to my question.’ Charu mumbled. Tucking her hands behind her elbows Charu stared at the name plate which mentioned ‘Dr. Vijaya, DNA specialist.’

Without considering her Appa’s feelings, Charu entered the clinic and requested her DNA test. Throughout the test Charu continued biting her nails till her skin got bruised. Her self-hypnosis trance gradually reduced with her exit from the clinic, but the tension in her muscles magnified with each step she took towards Katipalla caves. Her Appa’s face excruciating immense pain flashed before her, but alas, the damage was done. The reports were expected in the evening. Charu’s eyes were trying to hold those apologizing tears and her sensation was numb when she entered the caves. The caves were barren as she couldn’t see Zygotes around, but what she saw revived her somber mood. Gripping her fingers on those jagging rocks Charu stood in the middle of the Katipalla cave, looking at the probable prehistoric etchings of obscure creatures, drawings and symbols. They seemed to be testament to the lives of those who lived in the cave years ago. Charu breathed a new breath and felt like emerging from the dark cavern of her mind. Such were the mesmerizing visuals of Katipalla caves. As she moved further, the cavern narrowed into another tunnel where a rock stood gallantly fixed on surface of the cave. The Khopesh sword was fixed perfectly between the rock and at the bottom of the rock the most mystic code MV02FK09 was inscribed as ‘Sheryl’s code MV02FK09’.

“Wow!” Charu said as her eyes gleamed with the sparkles of the gems inscribed in the Khopesh sword. Suddenly, Charu heard vibrant buzzing in her ears. Chills ran down her spine as tiny zygotes entered the cave like swarm of bees and filled the cave’s cavity.

“So, Ms. Charu not satisfied with the Mermitans storyline. Hmmm.” Said the King Zygote as he settled on the top of the rock.

“How come you know this King Zygote?” Asked Charu drawing her eye brows together.

“Aaah Haaa! With our ability to transform into humans.”

“Really you can do that?”

“Yes. We are Zygotes after all. Can a life take birth without us? Haa… Haaa.” King Zygote laughed at his own silly joke. The joke being silly the essence made sense.

“That’s true.” Said Charu.

“So that’s why you have the Khopesh and the code with you?” Asked Charu.

“Yes. Maybe.” King Zygote gazed at the sword.

“What’s worrying you?” Charu asked.

“Well, we have the sword and this code, but we don’t know what it is? We don’t know our base, our existence. Who are we? We know nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

“Neither me.” Charu stammered. She felt an intense connection with their situation. Somehow, they were fitting in Charu’s shoes. Charu took a deep breath to release her tensed muscles.

‘Just possessing divine power is not enough; a person should know the reason behind the gifted power. WHY becomes an important question.’ She murmured and looked around teeny zygotes with her full ability to locate any sign of emotions. But like Mermitans they too were void of emotions.

Dejected with the cave visit, Charu thanked King Zygote and started walking towards entrance of the cave when suddenly, someone entangled her in a luminous web. It was a tiny zygote.

“What is it?” Charu asked the tiny one.

“Don’t go. We need you.” It spoke.

“Free her. Let her go.” Commanded King Zygote to which the tiny one quietly obliged.

‘WE NEED YOU.’ The words hammered Charu’s mind as she sat on the nearby beach recollecting the rendezvous with Zygotes.

‘Need denotes a strong feeling definitely rooted with emotions.’ Charu thought. Also, the Zygotes had a special attribute to transform themselves into humans. Charu actually felt safe in a warm cocoon when she was inside Katipalli caves as King Zygote didn’t try to manipulate her mind. There was an aura of honesty which surrounded the caves and the climax of a tiny zygote entangling around Charu overwhelmed her heart. A faint possibility of zygotes having the power to absorb emotions germinated inside Charu’s mind.

‘They are Zygotes after all. They give life. Without them human cell can’t take birth.’ All hints pointed towards the fact that Zygotes could absorb emotions. Clasping her hands to the chest Charu looked heavenward and thanked Goddess Athena. Then her eyes saw some fluffy clouds lazily drifting by while a small ship gently rocked side to side on that magnificent ocean. The twilight spreading on the surface of the ocean danced with sounds of the waves breaking at the shore. Everything was so peaceful and serene. Charu closed her eyes to let this beautiful atmosphere sink inside every cell of her skin, but sadly, she remembered that horrifying sound of a punch which Abhay had blasted on Yuvaan. Yuvaan in return had held Abhay’s collar and both vibrated with rage and jealousy. The visuals made Charu squeal and she gritted her teeth and pressed her lips tightly to suppress that squeal.

‘That’s the other side of emotion and that is devasting.’ Charu said and clasped her ears with her hands. If there is love there is hatred, if there is compassion there is jealousy, emotions are two dimensional having positive and negative valence. The negative one can destroy the way it has devastated this earth.

‘If I give them the power to absorb emotions the negative emotions will be absorbed too. This can create more devastation on Planet Antrina. Its better they run on codified instructions.’ Charu slipped into her usual self of speaking softly with herself. The ringtone of the mobile awakened Charu from her stupor. The call was from Dr. Vijaya’s clinic and Charu sensed an urgency in her voice. She had called Charu immediately to her clinic.

Charu entered the clinic and saw that everything about Dr. Vijaya had changed. The most vibrant fair women had lost her glow, the mood inside her clinic was gothic and somber. In that darkening evening Charu sat on the chair uncomfortably and the air-conditioner couldn’t help dry her wet palms.

“This is going to be terrible. Don’t know what to say?” Dr. Vijaya let out a gasp.

“Is the report alright. Look Doctor I know I am not Oomens. So, I am ready for the trouble.”

“Oomens!! There seem to be something weird in your report.” Her horrifying eyes stared at Charu as if she had seen a ghost.

“Weird?” Straining her ears to listen more vividly Charu moved herself a bit forward, to which Dr. Vijaya jerked back and quickly shifted away from Charu to maintain a personal distance.

“Who are you?” Dr. Vijaya asked Charu while her eyes kept blinking at her.

Charu’s posture stiffened. “Means?” Charu asked in a disbelieving voice.

“Your DNA code is other worldly. You are not human. No, not possible.”

 Dr. Vijaya’s trembling hands placed the DNA report before Charu. The warmth from Charu’s body deserted her and for a moment she felt she had left the planet Earth. Her eyes were fixed on the code and everything seemed like a nightmare, though there was a chance that all of this was real.

“My DNA code is MV02FK09.”

“Yes, and it doesn’t exist.”

“Doesn’t exist??”

“Genetic coding is universal. The same code applies to all living organism of earth. When your sample was inserted, a different code came out which is not defined in our science. Your DNA doesn’t represent the DNA of any living organism on our earth.” Usually, Dr. Vijaya would give her patients a gentle consoling hug but for Charu, Dr. Vijaya didn’t dare go near her.  

“O common Doctor. There can be a mistake. Isn’t it?” A small tear kept rolling around Charu’s eyes and her throat started aching.

“No Charu. I double checked it.” Dr. Vijaya said.

It was something of a shock for Charu, to find that the same code was mentioned as Sheryl’s code near the Khopesh sword fixed on the rock of Katipulla caves. Charu paused for a moment while her brain tried to make a new connection. The connection took Charu to a new platform, where her unconventional base pairs in DNA matched with Sheryl’s.

“Do I belong to an alternate world inhabited in Planet Antrina? O God! Am an alien creature transformed into human? A Zygote ????” Charu babbled.

The most unfathomable question ‘Are we alone in this universe?’ was answered by Charu’s DNA code MV02FK09.