Chapter Seven

The Ruins

Not all noble ideas yield worthy results

Elisium

The Fifth Loop, Year 371, 1st January (5L/371/1/1)

"Andrews the Explorer is now about to explore another world. What will I be called now? Andrews the double explorer?" Andrews tried to find a silver lining in his predicament, but his heart wanted to murder his mind for putting them in this situation.

The farmer was still giving him some incredulous looks. "You don't look from this side of the world. You are one of those rich merchants from upstream who just know drinking and dancing."

"No, you idiot. I didn't wash here from upstream. I dropped from another world." Andrews wanted to yell but he went with the flow. "Yes, I got a little drunk and fell into the river."

"Thank your stars that I was passing by, or else you would have got lost in the Unending forests. Come to my village and then find your way back home once the Days of Adversity are over."

That seemed like a good option. Getting lost in some unending forest of an unknown world wasn't Andrew's idea of adventure. "Sure. I don't know how will I thank your generosity."

"No need for thanks but at least try and respect nature's omens next time."

During their whole journey, the farmer hardly kept his mouth shut. In the beginning, this non-stop chatter annoyed Andrews, who was still shaken by his fall, but then he realized that this might be a good way to gather some basic knowledge about Elisium. Andrews started to pay attention and ask questions, and the farmer, despite his annoying stares after every seemingly stupid question, was more than happy to help his drunk guest.

From all his studies Andrews had deducted that Elisium would be somewhat like Aden but even he was surprised at the similarities. The landscapes, the river, the weather, the flora and fauna, almost everything was the same. Nevertheless, there was one major difference, the ever-present gloom. A looming shadow that made everything appear dull.

Andrews stayed in Droster, the farmer's village, for a few days. He talked less, listened more, and learned whatever he could. However, it took him some time to discover that the Elisian whirlpool appeared once in a decade, just like Aden, but by that time the portal had closed and he was stuck for ten years. With nothing left to do, he decided to explore Elisium. He traveled to the far ends of this world, visited different settlements, met countless people, and in a couple of years, knew more about Elisium than any Elisian.

During this journey, Andrews discovered that although Aden and Elisium were physically quite similar, they were a world apart in terms of development. This glaring difference mostly overshadowed the unmistakable similarities.

It was futile to compare a world stuck at oil lamps to a world of electric lights, or horse carts to engine-powered vehicles, or telephones to pigeons? The similarities dropped dead then and there. Aden was futuristic, Elisium was stuck in the past. They were like two twins who had vastly different upbringings. One dressed like a princess and lived a lavish life, while the other was covered in rags and struggled to make ends meet.

But what created such a huge gulf? People gave Andrews various reasons for the disintegration of this once flourishing civilization, like the absence of a true leader, fragmented society, and a dearth of enlightened men, but everyone singled out one event as the root cause — The Catastrophe. While Aden transformed itself into a highly developed society under the Solomon kings, Elisium failed to overcome the shock of a catastrophic event and went into a tailspin.

At last, Andrews's journey around the world concluded in the city that was the heart of Elisium. The Capital would have been the replica of Aurae if not for a terrible disaster that had turned it into The Ruins. A glance was enough to tell Andrews why this place was called The Ruins. Remains of magnificent monuments and spectacular palaces were now surrounded by small houses, narrow alleys, and crowded markets.

Andrews camped at a lodge and started to explore The Ruins. This city was reminiscent of Elisium's splendid past and also a testament to its inert present. Just like every other place in Elisium, people here sleepwalked through their routines without any inclination to do something different or aspiration to achieve some goal. This whole world was in a deep slumber with no sense of purpose. Someone had to shake it up.

However, a couple of days after his arrival, Andrews was shocked when he entered a famous tavern. In this world full of strangers, he met someone who looked familiar. Andrews knew staring at someone was bad manners but he couldn't stop himself from staring at the person sitting on the opposite chair.

That person rubbed his eyes as well. "I don't drink but my mind is still playing tricks on me."

"Same here. Holy God, this is something quite astonishing," Was he talking to himself?

Andrews's duplicate touched Andrews and then pinched himself. "Okay, you are not a ghost and I am not dreaming."

"Yes, this is real and this is bizarre. Abnormal. Surreal. Even freakish."

"Don't all those words mean the same?"

"They are synonyms but they have some difference. Similar but not identical. But that is not the case with us."

"Yes, we look identical. I am Matthews. People say I can't keep my mouth shut but today I am at a loss for words. Tell me you are not one of those black magicians who steal other people's identity."

"No, I am not a magician. I am Andrews, a scientist, astronomer, mathematician, explorer, and a couple of other things that I can't remember. I still can't believe this. I am not looking into a mirror right?"

"Does your mirror talk to you?"

"No, but lately strange this have been happening in my life and still nothing has given me a shock as you did."

"Same here. I am quite used to talking with myself but not when that myself is sitting opposite me. You are not from The Ruins, what brings you here?"

"I am an explorer hired to make maps of Elisium."

"I too wanted to see this world, but it is a little too gloomy for my liking, so I canceled my plans."

Andrews settled down in his chair and soon they were both engrossed in a conversation like long-lost brothers. They just didn't have identical faces — they shared common interests, habits, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and almost every single aspect.

Their chat went on till the sunset when Matthews came up with an idea. "Why don't you come to my house and meet my parents? I am sure they somehow lost my twin brother years ago."

Andrews wasn't a very social person but this was an opportunity to see if destiny had any more surprises for him. He accepted the invitation. If meeting Matthews had stunned Andrews, seeing his family left him flabbergasted. Matthews's father was the exact copy of his father to the extent of the number of greying hairs on their heads. Matthews's mother resembled his mother even in her habit of stroking her nose every few seconds.

But this wasn't all. Andrews almost fainted when he met Matthews's wife and two kids. Sherlyn tied her hair just the way Suzanne did for Andrews. Her smile formed a dimple in only her left cheek and she too cleared her throat now and then while talking. Just like Andrews's son Graham, Gabriel was always surrounded by books and little Laura had six fingers in her left hand like Lily in Aden. They didn't just have the same faces they matched them in every single detail.

Andrews's head was spinning. How could this even be possible? He would have passed off meeting his duplicate as a coincidence, but now he had a whole family of doppelgangers. Andrews knew he wouldn't get peace until he had unraveled this whole mystery.

And then something clicked in Andrews's mind. He buried himself in his notes, charts, and maps which he had made during his explorations. After analyzing them for weeks, and ransacking his brain for all the data he had on Aden, Andrews reached a stunning conclusion. Elisium wasn't similar to Aden, it was its exact replica. A mirror image. Everything that existed in Aden existed in this world as well. Rocks, minerals, animals, trees, mountains, rivers, roads, every single thing in Aden had a copy in Elisium, and that too at the same location and almost in the same form, shape, and size.

However, the most astonishing aspect of this phenomenon was the existence of identical people in two different worlds. In the next few days, Andrews met the duplicates of his relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors roaming the alleys of the Ruins. Not one or two people, but dozens of families. Andrews saw enough evidence to safely conclude that every single person in Elisium was an exact copy of someone in Aden.

How can nature maintain such a delicate balance? There were so many things that could alter the whole scenario so Andrews decided to dive deep into this mystery. He studied Matthews's family tree and compared it to his. He and Matthews shared the same birthday, and every other member of Matthews's family was born on the same day as their counterparts in Aden. They had the same physical features, the same habits, and similar upbringing, for several generations.

Whether it was some unfathomable coincidence or sheer artistry of destiny, the same sets of people married each other in Aden and Elisium to give birth to identical children. In this way, similar lineages were maintained which resulted in the existence of identical human populations in both worlds. It was like a play, with the same story, screenplay, and characters, running simultaneously in two adjoining theatres albeit under different backdrops.

Millions of people in two different worlds were following a fixed path laid out by destiny. No one had diverged from it or else the whole equilibrium would have been disturbed. Were humans mere puppets following a script? Didn't they have a choice? What was the purpose behind these identical worlds? For how long can this go on? And what happens if someone chooses a different path?

Nothing lasts forever. Maybe the Creator and Nature wanted to see what humans would do if they were given a choice. Maybe they got bored of this smooth dance of sisters and wanted some action. Maybe they wanted to see how quickly humans can destroy themselves when let loose. Maybe Andrews didn't slip into the whirlpool, he was pushed by destiny to nudge the two worlds on separate paths.

Whatever may be the truth Andrews was about to start a spark that would bring down this whole system. It all started when Andrews stumbled, quite literally, upon a dark stone. When he picked it up to put it away from the main road, he noticed that areas in and around the Ruins, especially the damaged old monuments, were littered with these strange rocks. These rocks of varying sizes had a burnt surface with a very smooth texture. People in The Ruins used these rocks as fuel in their homes.

Matthews was Andrews's guide in The Ruins so he asked him about it.

"Star-Rocks. They burn forever," Matthews said pointing to a piece of rock burning inside a fireplace. "We have been using this piece of rock for ages and it has barely reduced in size. Every household here uses these Star-Rocks. Don't tell me they don't use this in your village."

"Household stuff is not exactly my forte. But why are these Star-Rocks found only in the Ruins and nowhere else?"

Matthews looked at Andrews with wide eyes. "Are you really from this world or have you dropped from Inferna? Even kids in this world know the history of Star-Rocks."

Andrews uncomfortably shifted in his chair. "Knowledge is a vast ocean. Even the most celebrated explorers skip a few islands." Andrews used heavy analogies whenever he was in a tight spot.

"I think you have swum the seas of science for far too long, now it is time for you to plunge the oceans of history. Can we stop talking like that moron storyteller who lives down the street and talk like normal sensible human beings?"

"Literature is art. It requires skill. Authors and poets are geniuses, just like scientists."

"I know you like literature but I will be honest with you. Your analogies suck, your jokes are unadulterated torture, and don't even get me started on those prose you gave me to read."

Andrews wrapped his arms around his chest. "Thanks for the review and it's quite clear you don't have a taste for quality literature. Now can we stick to the topic of Star-Rocks?"

"Yes, I forgot. So, these Star-Rocks are only found in The Ruins because these very rocks turned The Capital into The Ruins. They are not found anywhere else because they don't belong to this world, they fell from the stars."

Andrews leaned forward in his chair. "That sounds like a sci-fi bestseller."

"What is a sci-fi bestseller?"

"Never mind. Tell me the full story."

Matthews started narrating the events that transpired at the turn of the loop. He told Andrews about the Battle of the Capital, the Demons from Hell, and the eventual Catastrophe. Matthews was quite a good storyteller and Andrews thoroughly enjoyed his detailed narration.

The very next day, Andrews got busy with Star-Rocks. Matthews was right, these rocks didn't belong to this planet as their chemical composition was similar to nothing in both worlds. Furthermore, these rocks were storehouses of tremendous energy. They produced flames with extremely high temperatures and exhausted very little matter. Under a controlled environment, these Star-Rock could be used to release huge amounts of energy for a prolonged period.

Andrews kept all other things aside and carried out various experiments on Star-Rocks. Soon enough he was certain that these Star-Rocks were a perfect fuel for power plants, safe for domestic use, and could also be utilized for military purposes. It could be a God-sent lifeline for a world running out of fuel.

Aden had undergone an immense transformation after the discovery of electricity but Nift, the liquid fuel that powered everything in Aden, from the powerplants to the vehicles, was in scarce supply. The experts estimated that their reserves wouldn't last beyond this century and then Aden would come to a grinding halt.

And now, just out of sheer luck, Andrews had discovered an alternate source of energy. These rocks were in abundance all around The Ruins, all they needed was to transport a few hundred tons of these rocks during every Crossing.

However, to make all this possible, Andrews had tobring Adeners and Elisians together and then ask them to cooperate. Andrewsfirmly believed that nature created these worlds identical so that they couldsupport and strengthen each other. He even devised a plan that would give boththese worlds a chance to become true copies in every single aspect. Andrewsdreamed of two friendly cooperating worlds, like loving sisters, but not allnoble ideas yield worthy results. His discovery was a blessing for Aden, but itwas going to turn into a curse for Elisium.