Heaven at SETI's Doorstep Page 9
As explained in the previous chapter, the moon signal had become one of the events of the 14th day celebration function. It was introduced merely to demonstrate the dust clearing ability that had so very recently been developed. This was being carried out only in the city named “Daaadi” and was performed by a scientist named Daaadi Dooda, who had invented this ingenious radio wave generating equipment. Other cities did not have this capability. Daaadi City had pioneered many scientific innovations in the past as well. Dooda was an exceptionally brilliant person. When he was a teenager the elders advised him to go into research as he was recognized as an extraordinarily intelligent teenager. He followed their advice but a few years later he could not resist the temptation to join the others in the traveling routine which he was continued in for five years. During this time he had been to areas where the heaven could be seen. Like the others, he was fascinated by the heaven and its image got firmly etched in his memory. However, it might have been his fate as people say, that when he happened to came back to Daaadi through sheer random occurrence he had an urge to go back to continue the research he had started on before leaving Daaadi for the first time. All this took place 45 years ago.
Dooda had been engaged in the dust removing demonstration for some time now, while at the same time using each occasion to optimize performance of the equipment. Further research had been on-going in this field as the elders liked the benefits that the surface dust removal brought to the city as a major section of it was blessed with a transparent glass-like roof surface. However, quite unexpectedly a new event took place. On the last occasion when Dooda performed his demonstration, a narrow beam of very bright red light penetrated into the cave. All the people who participated in the ceremony saw this light beam streaming into the caves in intermittent bursts. The intensity of the incoming light ray virtually blinded them momentarily. Neither the moon people nor the moon scientist could understand what was happening or think of a cause. The moon people who participated in the ceremony were amazed by the sight of such a bright ray of light as never ever seen by them before. They naturally assumed that the red light was part of the demonstration and gave full credit to their scientist Dooda. As nothing outside their expectations had occurred, these moon people continued their journeys on the next day. They would probably have forgotten all that they saw by now as the ordinary folk in the moon dwelt on their immediate impressions only very briefly and then moved on!
Though he had not come across the red light beam in any of his earlier demonstrations, the moon scientist Dooda thought that his instrument might have created the red light beam due to some unknown cause. However, the next day Dooda found that the red beam of light had not ceased its continuous pulsating glow. He also observed that the light beam extended above the cave’s roof top as he could see the unbroken red line through the clear moon surface leading backwards into pitch dark outer space. He immediately realized it had a very distant source and also noticed that the beam seemed to have some kind of message as there appeared to be a deliberate pattern in the “dot”, “dot”, “dot” and “dot”, “dot”, “dot”, “dot” sequence. Dooda who had developed the radio wave equipment was an individual of very much above average intelligence and he felt strongly that he should reciprocate the color beam signal in some manner, perhaps using a light source as well.
He consulted the elders in the city. The city elders with their enormous respect to Dooda did not object to Dooda’s pursuing his line of thinking. Dooda already had a plan in his mind. He needed the support of a fellow scientist named Daaadi Loola who had developed the compound optical lens configuration and pioneered the establishment of the light link between the two cities “Daaadi” and “Laaahi” that was mentioned earlier. Loola who was an expert on light beams was from the same city of Daaadi and did his research at the same research facility as Dooda. Readers would probably have guessed that he was from the same city based on the first part of his name. Dooda and Loola had known each other over a very long time. Loola saw the LASER beam when Dooda took him to the cave where the radio wave generator was installed. He was fascinated by the fact that the beams of light developed by him for communication purposes were very much like the LASER beam.
Loola realized that the red light was harmless. Of course Loola assessed this fact cautiously and finally felt confident to touch the LASAR beams several times. Dooda also checked it out himself on the assurance given by Loola that the red beam was harmless.
The red light beaming into Daaadi city had by now been observed over the past two days. It was visible every half an hour as regular “dot”, “dot”, “dot” spurts as programmed by the SETI-NASA team.
Dooda suggested that Loola help him to use his latest compound optical lens configuration to direct his light beam towards the red light signal source. Loola agreed and made arrangements to get his instruments relocated to the same place as where Dooda performed his dust removing demonstration. The light source of Loola’s compound optical unit was a medium sized Babaloniums crystal and the beam it produced was very similar in appearance to a LASER beam.
After the head of the compound optical unit was painstakingly and precisely directed towards the best assessment of theirs of the point from which the red light beam seemed to be coming, Loola took off the cover of the lens. Dooda and Loola were now, for the very first time in their lives, seeing their Babaloniums light beam, beaming through and beyond the glassy cave hood and disappearing into black space. As they have never had cause before to direct the light towards outer space, theirs was a unique observation. The pale blue colored light was visible as a single beam to a very great distance beyond the moon surface. Dooda and Loola were ecstatic. They made further adjustments to align their light beam parallel to the LASER beam. Unlike the LASER beam the Babaloniums light beam did not issue as an extremely narrow beam but became less intense and diffused with distance as it progresses outwards. Dooda felt that it would be appropriate and important to also arrange for the light signal to pulsate in a “dot”, “dot”, “dot” format. Loola advised Dooda to use the lens cover to create the effect manually. He did as best as he could to replicate the LASER signal pattern. Dooda and Loola were not sure what they should do beyond this action or what to expect thereafter. They merely repeated their pulsating beam routine over a considerable period and waited, gazing at the LASER beam.
The sensitive eyes and ears of the satellite “Hi” did not take long to figure out that some very significant change had taken place at the moon’s signal source spot. As soon as the Babaloniums light signal was projected to outer space, the satellite detected the faint light signal and immediately relayed the visual data to the ground station. The SETI-NASA team could not immediately comprehend the implications of this new development, especially because this happed 2 days after the usual 14 day signal. But after about twenty minutes the team decided to concentrate on the fact that this was what they had been waiting for – “A response from the source”. This was the biggest “Aha!” moment for the scientists. They delayed no longer. The satellite was commanded to change the “dot”, “dot”, “dot” signal to a different one. A new sequence of “dot”, “dot” followed by a 30 sec. pause was implemented.
For Dooda and Loola almost 30 minutes had passed after they sent out their last signal. They were not inclined to wait much longer and decided to get back to their normal routines. However almost as if fate had willed it, SETI-NASA’s new “dot”, “dot” signal arrived just in time to catch their attention. Dooda and Loola realized that the message was different. That was an “Aha!” moment for both of them too. They reacted immediately and sent back a “dot”, “dot” signal. The SETI-NASA team was thrilled to have got such an immediate response. This time the SETI-NASA team changed their signal to five “dots”. Dooda and Loola reciprocated with five “dots”. This exchange of communication signals went on and on. As a further variation, the SETI-NASA team de
liberately stopped their signal. When this happened, Dooda and Loola waited for some time with puzzled looks on their faces. They however seemed to instinctively understand how they might be able to respond to break the silence and they initiated a seven “dot” signal. The SETI-NASA team reciprocated with a seven “dot” signal. SETI-NASA went into “dots” and “dash” signal combinations. To their great joy, the moon source reciprocated accordingly.
By now, it was certain that the moon source was active and live. “What will this say to the entire world?” – This question kept resonating in the minds of all the people who were working on the signal. The SETI-NASA team realized that the last signal was a good indication that they were leading this exercise into a meaningful dialogue, if they developed it appropriately. The SETI-NASA team as well as Dooda and Loola were keen on prolonging this communications event. It kept on going for long hours. Unfortunately, though the SETI-NASA team tried out various measures to upgrade the interaction into a more meaningful exchange of information they failed to elevate it beyond mere reciprocation of each other’s signals. How could the interaction be developed at least to the level of exchanging basic ideas? This was the biggest question. Although very many hours were spent by a panel of experts on this subject at the planning stages, so far none of their ideas and attempts led to any useful outcome. This was a big deadlock that the SETI-NASA team faced right now.
The SETI-NASA team knew that they were dealing with a signal source in the moon. They realized that this discovery overshadowed all the discoveries man has ever made. This event would stand among the most momentous of events in the history of mankind. The SETI-NASA team was a highly dedicated, motivated and also now a very apprehensive group of individuals. In contrast Dooda and Loola, who unlike the SETI team, were not researchers looking for extraterrestrial intelligence, were surprised and excited as well but not very concerned as to who or what they were dealing with.
You are lucky. You know what is happening at both ends!