Friday, November 28, 2014

The Peace Crusaders: Chapter 2

Read the entire novel "Good People" FREE at the link: http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/

The links to all the posts of the novel "The Peace Crusaders":



Chapter 2

The universe started developing some 14 billion years ago. They say the famous Big Bang created the universe- a super large one. And so, the universe turned out to be an unimaginably huge space with a diameter of 93 billion light years. Plus it has the capability of further expanding that too at a rate faster than even the speed of light.

Despite innumerable stars and planets that got created in the universe in these 14 billion years, it’s pity that only two planets are known to have life on them. These planets are Earth and Berth. Both the planets are strikingly identical in almost everything- the timeline of evolution of life on them, their atmosphere, and the most important of all- the existence of human species on both the planets. It is also very interesting and surprising that even the languages and the cultures that got developed on the two planets are almost identical.

Age of Earth and Berth are estimated at 4.5 to 5 billion years. Presently both are endowed with an atmosphere that is conducive to life. Yet the life on Earth and Berth came much later after their creation. Initially these two planets gave birth to somewhat simpler forms of animals some 600 million years ago. And much later the modern humans came into existence 200,000 years ago.

On both the planets the humanlike creatures progressed in almost identical manners. Over the years they turned out far more intelligent and cruel, and very soon took control over all the other forms and species of creatures. In it, they were together and united.

However as the time passed and they felt assured that there remained no threats and dangers from other animals, they started suspecting each other. The unity among them started showing cracks. Their greed and selfishness surfaced. Many of them started scheming. The powerful ones and the cunning among them started exploiting the weaklings. They exploited even those who were indifferent to greed and also those who were satisfied with what they had.

Soon the few powerful ones, the scheming ones, the cunning types colluded together and took complete control over the rest of the human race of Berth. They started ruling. Soon they started snatching the possessions of the people whom they controlled by applying all kinds of highly smart tricks. Where their smart tricks did not work they exerted their cruelty. Now bereft of their possessions these losers started begging for mercy of the powerful ones for their very survival. So the human race got divided into two classes, the rulers and the ruled.

This phenomenon was taking place simultaneously in different regions or territories of the planet. In each territory you had the rulers and the ruled ones. These regions later got their names as different countries. 

If in Earth’s diameter of 7918 miles, there are 196 regions or 196 countries; Berth also has some similar numbers. Berth is a bit smaller compared to Earth at 6576 miles diameter with its 138 countries.

The powerful, moneyed, scheming, cunning, and cruel guys now ruled each of the 138 countries on Berth. Different tricks of forming governments namely monarchy, dictatorship, communism, democracy were tried in these 138 countries. Invariably these tricks finally returned mostly the super rogue politicians for the top governmental positions in most of these countries.

In turn these rogue politicians distributed goodies, spoils, and favors in tons to their cronies, associates, and partners- the power brokers, the lobbyists, the bureaucrats, the corporate honchos, the media chiefs, the military chiefs, and even the judiciary. One set of scoundrels colluding with other set of scoundrels.

These rascals, though just about 1% of the total population, now controlled the rest 99% gullible human beings on the planet Berth. But they cleverly did it within the ambits of laws and constitution of the land. After all they themselves were the lawmakers. And they had framed the constitution and the laws for their own benefits and also to cover all their misdeeds.

However the latest trend showed that this 1% included not only the regular individuals with lots of money as described above but also included the scheming fundamentalists and fanatics. In the past these extremists used to terrorize the existing governments to gain power and money. But lately they had learnt that they themselves could occupy the top governmental positions legally and constitutionally just the way the moneyed guys did.

The extremists understood that all they needed to do was to exploit the religious sentiments of the general public, promising prosperity to all of them and in turn gaining their overwhelming support. They knew that the people had got disillusioned with the existing rulers and they didn’t mind giving them an opportunity. But the reality that emerged was totally different. Wherever these fundamentalists formed the governments those states remained in as much pitiful conditions as they were under the former rulers.

They say power corrupts everyone.

On the planet Berth this combined 1% became the worst nuisance for the rest 99%. Every now and then they conceptualized, designed, and conducted skirmishes, battles, and wars that affected the 99% in the most horrible ways tantamount to their murders and deaths- this entire dirty act only to fulfill 1%’s selfish desires of draconian proportions. They were also the cause of rising inequality of wealth distribution. By exploiting the knowledge and skills of other 99% gullible and dependent human beings, by paying them pittance in return, they became stinking rich and in turn, horribly arrogant. It was estimated that just 70 richest persons on the planet Berth owned more than the total wealth of the 70% poorest of the entire humanity.

The 99% were the ruled ones who accepted everything that went around them without much whimper.

But lately two berthlings Amar and Victor decided not to remain the silent spectators anymore. Initially they used to just get irked up by the day-to-day bloody happenings. But lately they ended up seething with anger.

They were fast friends. They were on the same wavelength in terms of their ideologies and thinking with high degrees of intellectual and emotional maturity. They had even worked together as employees of the same company. Often they used to meet to exchange their concerns about the sorry state of affairs of their planet. Their meeting place was a very private and secluded place where none could track them easily. Yet they were always very cautious.

Their last meeting took place when two small countries Isonia and Kasban began a bloody war to capture a holy town over which both the countries claimed their ownership. The politicians in power of the two countries had instigated the war. War took a toll on the lives of large numbers of innocent citizens of both the countries. The killings still continued and the peace was nowhere in sight.

At the end of that meeting Amar and Victor decided to meet again soon.

In their next meeting they would bring in some more likeminded persons from different parts of planet Berth.

Get Your Copy/Copies of the Novel "The Peace Crusaders"

No comments:

Post a Comment