The Sonix

This

Little Jamie was chasing his pup in the thick woods, during his evening playtime.

“Faster pebble, faster! Let’s race and see who reaches that Rosewood tree first.”
“Pebble! What are you trying to nibble down? Spit it out!”
“Bow bow!!!”
“Hush now! What is this thing? Why, it is a watch!

That device Pebble found from under the tree looked like a hi-tech electronic watch. Jamie was immensely satisfied with the device he stumbled upon. Jamie kept the watch in his pocket, and along with Pebble, he strolled across the fields and along the pond, to his home.

********************

Despite his protests his mother sent Jamie to bed at 9’0 clock. He didn’t feel sleepy yet. He slid his hand under the pillow and took out the hi-tech watch. He fastened the straps of the watch around his wrist. It looked very stylish. His eyes dazzled up with excitement. There was a sound of a click and then the radium digits lit up in the dark. The watch didn’t show the time or date. He tried to rotate the dial but couldn’t operate it. He stared at the ceiling for sometime. He closed his eyes and was about to drift to sleep. But he heard a voice inside his head. Someone was calling him…someone was trying to connect to him.

Hello! Are you awake?
Little Jamie was scared. He was sure ghosts were talking to him in his mind.

Hello! Don’t panic. I am your friend.

My name is Jamie. Who are you? Jamie asked this question to himself and was surprised to get an answer after a long pause.
I am a resident of the planet Rolatouix. We have identification numbers here and not names. You can call me Jojo though. Where are you from?

Springfields.
Is that the name of your planet?

No. Springfields in on the planet Earth. Where is Rolatouix?

Very, very far from Earth. Rolatouix is in the Megallamic cloud galaxy.

Oh! So you are an alien! I knew they existed though my friends didn’t agree with me.

Ah! Smart boy that you are Jamie.


Do you speak English in Rolatouix?

Ah, no Jamie. We don’t need a language. We are telepathic. I am able to communicate with you, as I’m able to establish a link with your mind. The Sonix is helping me to do this.


You mean, the watch?

Yes, it is not a watch though. Listen, don’t remove the Sonix even while you are bathing. It is waterproof. And don’t tell anyone about it.

Umm, okay. But why shouldn’t I ……


Jamie felt confused and restless after the day’s adventures. He couldn’t pay attention to the voice playing in his sub-conscious mind. He drifted to peaceful sleep.

********************

The next day, morning, he had a vague reminiscence of the night’s sub-conscious conversation. It was like a distant dream and he couldn’t make out if he was answering himself or that it happened for real.

In the class, his teacher announced, “I hope you all studied for the class test today. Anyone who gets low marks will have to write imposition for 50 times.”

Jamie let out a soft cry, for he forgot about the class test completely. He cursed himself for being forgetful. The teacher distributed the question papers. He could only stare at he questions as everything appeared strange to him. He felt miserable inside.

Hi Jamie! What’s up? That was the voice of Jojo again. He was now convinced that Jojo really existed. He briefed up his plight to his new friend.

Ok, read the questions in your mind. I can tell you the answers.


But you are an alien! These questions are about history, which are totally related to Earth.

I will read your friend’s mind. I’m clairvoyant. Just look at any of your classmates and concentrate. I will reach your classmate’s mind through you.

Okay! Marian is our class topper. She is bound to know all the answers. I will look at her and you extract the answers from her mind.


Who quoted the following? --‘ Government of the people, by the people and for the people’

Jamie, Marian thinks the answer to that is Abraham Lincoln.


It went on so throughout the exam. Little Jamie got A+ with Jojo’s help. But he vowed he would never forget any other test again.
*********************

Jojo and Jamie became best friends. They would share their day’s events, jokes and stories. They would interrogate each other about the life in their planets. Whenever Jamie felt like communicating with Jojo, all he had to do was to call his name in his mind. And Jojo would reach out to him immediately.

**********************
One day –

Alpha to delta, alpha to delta, are you there?


Delta to alpha, Delta to alpha, I am here Jojo.

We Rolatouixies would like to extend our hand of friendship to all the beings on Earth. I heard there is a disussion going on in the Space Research Confederation for friendship of the two planets. I work for SRC. My job is to create Sonixes and communicate with other beings. Rolatouix has advanced technology, which surpasses what Earth has. We would be more than glad to exchange our technology and resources with you.

How did that Sonix reach here?


We teleported the Sonixes to random locations in the universe. We didn’t know that life existed elsewhere, until you switched on the Sonix.

What is teleporting?


It is the way Rolatouixies travel in space and time. The arrangement and conformations of the atoms of a body at one place can be replicated in another place by a teleporter device. The picture of the second location and time should be fed into the Sonix, which is a time machine. As a result you can travel both in time and space. Transcending locations in the universe is a matter of fraction of seconds with teleporting.

That sounds like fun. I can visit my Grandpa in Ohio, in just a few seconds.

That sounds cool! I’ve reported the SRC authorities about you finding a Sonix. And guess what? We might come to earth soon and see each other.


That sounds great. But I am not sure of all this. Why don’t you try sending radio waves to extra-terrestrial intelligence wing on Earth and communicate with our authorities? I am sure they would help you.

No, we are very far from Earth. There’s no way those signals can reach you. Megallanic clould galaxy is surrounded by strong gravitational and electro-magnetic fields, which can’t be penetrated by radio waves.


I’m really excited for you to come here. I’m sure all Rolatouixies are friendly like you. It’s been a month since I know you, and you have become my best buddy. I’m excited to see what you look like.

Well not yet. The project is still under discussion. We want to approach the Earth in a friendly way and don’t want the residents there to panic and misunderstand us. First, we will teleport to the Earth in small numbers, get in touch with your authorities, form a truce and assure that we are not invading your planet.

Yes, that seems like the right approach, Jojo. Otherwise we would think it is Martians who are trying to capture us.

Oh no! Rolatouixies are not like that. When the project is complete, I would like you to feed your present time and a picture of the Earth in the Sonix, so that, the teleporter identifies the location and takes us there. You are a very important person in this project, Jamie. Without your help, we can’t come to the Earth.

Sure, I will do that.
******************
After 3 days --

Jamie.

Jamie! Jamie!! Respond to me. Are you there? Why aren’t you replying?
Yes, Jojo. How was your day? Were you busy in the project or what? You didn’t connect to me though I called you many times.

Yes, been very busy. The project is completed. You have to synchronise the location and time of the Earth with our teleporter. Take a photo of the Earth, and feed the data chip in the extension slot of the Sonix. And feed the time in the Sonix according to your current time. Okay, after you do that we will teleport to your place. And I can’t connect to you while I teleport. So I’ll meet you directly on earth.

Okay. I will do that. Happy teleporting!


Jamie removed the Sonix from his wrist. He took out his geography textbook and his camera. He took a picture of the big ball, removed the memory card and inserted into the Sonix. He entered the current time according to Greenwich Median Time.

The Sonix read:

Location identified as: Sun,
Milky way galaxy.

Distance from Rolatouix: 9898985049 billion billion billion light-years.

Time: 2:30 P.M GMT, 26th January 2009 A.D

Confirm? Press Yes or No

With a deep breath Jamie pressed Yes.

Teleporter activated.

Destination will be reached in 20 seconds.

Over and out.


Little Jamie sighed, removed the Sonix and hurled it into the fireplace. He thought –

Jojo’s voice is much sweeter than this stranger who connected to me just now. A couple of aliens can’t fool me to mistake a cruel voice for that of Jojo’s.

Jojo! Jojo! Answer me. Why did you have to leave me? The other Rolatouixies are not like you. How could this alien think I won’t be able to recognize it is not you?
I will miss you Jojo. And I will remember you forever.
How could I forget that fateful night when you had to leave me?


Jamie was sleeping peacefully that night. He heard a squeaky feeble voice, which brought him to conscience and tried to connect to him.

Jamie! Listen! I overheard the plans of the authorities of the Space Research Confederation. They want to make the residents of the Earth their slaves and exploit your resources. I’ve been misinformed about their project. It is not a stance of friendship, instead they are trying to claim your independence! The authorities lied to me. I came to know about it, and tried to deactivate the teleporter. But, they caught me doing it. They have prisoned me in the heat chamber and they are subjecting me to an unbearable heat intensity of 1000 degrees. I am beginning to feel the heat. I feel weak.

Oh Jojo! I don’t want to lose you.

There’s nothing anyone can do about it Jamie. Just remember that I had no bad intentions. I am your friend. I thought I couldn’t connect to you from the heat chamber and convey this message to you. I had to concentrate and focus until I could establish a link with you. I am sorry about the danger the Earth has to face. If you didn’t find the Sonix, all this wouldn’t have happened. And…

Jojo! Yes Jojo. Say something Jojo! Please come back! Please!


Jojo’s voice began to fade and went mute. That silence brought tears to Jamie. Little Jamie wailed throughout the night.

********************

A small column in the next day’s newspaper:
NASA scientists detect a small explosion on the face of sun with the help of Hubble telescope. They are at loss to explain the details. They assure that there is no danger though.
*************************

Alpha to delta, alpha to delta, are you there?

And though Little Jamie kept calling Jojo’s name every night and day, there would be no answer. Little Jamie was little but became big in his deeds. Though nobody knew about it, he saved the planet Earth from alien invasion.