Story by Milu Aman
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!"
Lyrics: K.H. Sazzadul Arefeen
Just a dream of earth
Just like before
The sun in the sky
Little stars and the moon
The earth is lost
Now silence is the sound
All lights blowing out
The war has been lost
In a darkened city
Larking wolves seek pity
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
Is a bird now calling?
My name in the sky
I try to look up there
But it's dark, all too dark
Just a long lost vision
Yet I dream once again
A green mountain
The flowing river's sound
Guitar Solos: Sazzad. Rifat