Indrajith - The Illusionist

Indrajith

“Do you like the name Indrajith?” Teja asked Mini.

Teja was one of the top 10 richest people in the world. His only desire was to bring about a revolutionary change on Earth. His dream was to create robots that looked exactly like man and for human beings to colonize Mars. He was also a single father to his only child, Mini, after losing his wife in an accident.

“Who are you naming as Indrajith? You never said you are getting me a puppy” asked Mini.

Though she was 14 years old, she was shorter than the other kids of her age. She was the apple of Teja’s eyes as she lost her mother at such a young age.

“Indrajith is not a puppy. I am contemplating of naming the new robot that I am creating as Indrajith.”

“Indrajith! It is a strange name! Usually you name your robots as Remo or Max, isn't it? ”

“Do you remember I used to tell you the epic story Ramayana? Indrajith is the son of fierce daemon, Ravanan.”

“So, that makes Indrajith a bad guy. Nowadays, people are fearing robots that they will become powerful than human beings and destroy them. How will people accept your new robot if you name him after a daemon? Will they not oppose it?”

“Indrajith is not evil as you think. He loves his father very much. A brave warrior too. He has all the powers and weapons to destroy his enemies. He defeated Lakshmanan in the battle of Ramayana. Lakshmanan would have been dead if Lord Hanuman had not brought the herbs from Sanjeevi mountain. On top of all these, he has a unique ability. He is a sorcerer. He is capable of creating multiple images of him and disappearing from his enemy’s sight. So, it is extremely difficult to defeat him in a battle.”

“Whatever you say, I am not convinced. I don't like this name. I am feeling sleepy. So, I am going to bed.”

After Mini left, Teja read a book at his bed and switched off his bedside lamp. He fell asleep in a few minutes. He dreamt of himself, Mini and his wife Mega traveling in a car on a windy mountain. As they were approaching a sharp bend, the car skid and went off the cliff. The car landed on a lake. Mega was dying. “Daddy!” shouted Mini.

Teja woke up from his dream with a shudder. He immediately went to Mini’s room and opened the door slowly.

He relaxed only after seeing that Mini was sleeping peacefully.

He retreated to his room and tried to sleep.

———-******———-

The chief of Police department, Narasimha was in his office awaiting someone. A few minutes later, Deeraj entered the room and sat opposite Narasimha. Deeraj was his sub-ordinate. Very smart fellow. He had progressed rapidly at this young age and had reached a higher position in the department.

Narasimha came right to the matter on hand after their usual banter.

“Do you remember that we destroyed the medical mafia last year with a team headed by you? Now, there is a suspicion that something fishy is going on in medical field again.” Narasimha said.

Deeraj was listening intently to each word.

“Today there are 20 prominent hospitals in India. In these hospitals, patient’s brains are scanned even though it is irrelevant to their disease. Would you believe that even for dengue, a brain scan is done? What is surprising though is that patients are not charged to do this brain scan. Then, what could be the motive behind this scan? It remains a mystery.”

“I don’t feel that this is a pressing issue.” Deeraj said.

“We can’t ignore this, Deeraj. As per existing data, this has been done on 10000 patients. So, there is some conspiracy behind this. Your next mission is to get to the bottom of this and expose the culprits.”

Deeraj left the room feeling disinterested.

———******———

Teja was in his research laboratory watching a demo of his latest model of robot.

Chief scientist SuryaDev was explaining the research.

“We have modeled a software similar to a human brain and have fitted it on this robot. The exterior appearance of the robot will be similar to that of a human being. This robot is not designed with metals, like the earlier models. In fact, this new version of robot has skin, tissues and organs similar to human beings.”

“Excellent! But how does this robot differ from human beings?”

“Every human being has got a unique pattern of retina. It is very difficult to create such unique patterns even with the latest scientific advancements. So, all robots of this new version will have the same retina structure.”

“How about their ability to think?”

“The robot that is before you has a copy of the brain of the late poet PuviNesan, who died 10 years ago. You must listen to this robot recite a poem.”

The robot recited a poem.

“The poem that the robot recited was the poet’s 100th poem. There is no way that the robot would have known about it earlier. And this is not a coincidence. So, we can come to the conclusion that the robot thinks like the poet, 100% of the time.”

“Amazing!”

Teja exited the research laboratory and went to meet Vicky, his trusted assistant on fourth floor.

“The new model of robot is being developed at a rapid rate!”

“Yes, but what is the use? The government is against us for creating robots that are clones of human beings. They fear that a robot looking and thinking like a human being will lead to more scams. It may cause confusions and disruptions in the society.”

“The average common man thinks only about his contemporary time. Whereas God thinks about the society in the next 100 may be 1000 years. I want to be God!”

Teja noticed that Vicky was smiling at him mockingly.

“Any progress on the assignment that you were working on?”

“So far, we have 10,000 samples. The details of which are in this computer.”

“This is disheartening! You goal is 10 lakh samples.”

“We are doing this illegally. Persuading our suppliers to agree to this, is a Himalayan task.”

“Do not come up with some lame excuses. You must be thinking of achieving your goal all the time. Think about it every second. You will definitely see light at the end of tunnel.”

Teja came out of his office. He could see the space shuttle at a distance in the vast open ground. Within a week, the shuttle would be completely ready. The day for human being to step foot on Mars was not far away.

His dreams were coming true. A new world, new society. Everything being developed by him.

These thoughts were making him fly. But later he realized the tasks to be done and came back to reality. He remembered that Mini would be waiting for him. He left to his home at once.

——-****———

Narasimha loves to gorge on non-vegetarian food. It was his favorite habit of visiting lesser known restaurants and enjoying their food. He visited Medhina bhai’s shop weekly, without fail. This time Deeraj also accompanied him to the small joint.

“I have a new clue in the medical scam case. Each of the proprietors of the 20 hospitals have met a man called Vicky at different times. He is the assistant to the powerful industrialist Teja. ”

“Teja? Is he the one who blabbers about creating robots and sending man to Mars?”

“Yes. The same guy. Within a few days of seeing Vicky, crores of money have been transferred to their Swiss accounts.”

“This is an interesting piece of information!”

“I am planning to increase surveillance on Vicky and Teja. I am hoping to see good progress on this case by next week.”

———******———-

“How was you day at school, Mini?”

“It was alright. Maths teacher taught Algebra which was quite a bore. English subject was fine. But history lessons were interesting. They taught us about the people who were oppressed in the last century. Like how, black people were treated in America, Dalit people were treated in India. This caused me to think, daddy. The robots that we create are similar to human beings. Though they have the ability to think like a human, they do not have any ambitions of their own. Is it their fate to serve mankind?” asked Mini curiously.

“The first person to voice the opinion that robots should get freedom will not be another robot. That has to come from a human being. In fact, human beings should have programmed these robots with the thought of obtaining freedom. This has to be ingrained in the software that controls these robots.”

“In the future, will robots think like a man?”

“In the present world, scientists make a software copy of the human brain and install it in robots to make them think. If this is successful, then robots will be able to think just like a man. They can co-exist with man on this Earth. But the robots that are created after approximately 100,000 years, will have a very different thinking ability. You can see that animals think differently than plants, humans think differently than animals. Similarly, robots will devise their own method of reasoning. This new method of reasoning will be based on mathematical principles. Human being’s emotions will be captured in mathematical formulae and will be used to create software to drive the new robots. Once this happens, the human beings will lose the spot that they have the best reasoning power in universe.”

“So, can these advanced robots turn out to be more powerful than us and one day eventually destroy us?”

“There is a possibility that might happen. But this is a situation that can occur 100,000 years later. My belief is that the human race would have been destroyed by then, either due to nature’s fury, human’s greed or war between political powers. This will happen within a few centuries. Human beings themselves will be responsible for their destruction. You cannot blame the robots. ”

“Wow! You are a pessimist, dad!”

“May be! Even if human beings are dead, Earth will still be inhabited by robots.”

“How is that possible? I don't understand.”

“If mankind is wiped from the face of earth, then it is left with only robots. These robots have a copy of the human brain, so they think like us. Even if our body dies, our thoughts remain in existence through them. Now, am I being a pessimist or optimist?”

“You win! So, have you decided to go ahead with the name Indrajith?”

“Yes”

“Can I see it?”

“Definitely!”

“It is quite late now. Your office is far away and I am feeling sleepy.”

“Why do you need to visit my office? Come along with me.”

Teja took Mini to their car garage. He turned a knob on the wall. The wall opened and there was a flight of stairs leading to his laboratory. As they descended the steps, Mini was surprised to see a robot who looked just like Teja. In fact, she could not believe that it was actually a robot. It was reading a book named ‘The Fabric of cosmos’.

“Indrajith, have you finished this book too?” asked Teja.

“There are still 50 pages remaining. There is no other book that explains the creation of this universe so beautifully.”

“You read 5 books in a day. It is getting very difficult for me to satisfy your quest for knowledge.”

“This loneliness is slowly killing me. That is the reason why I am keeping myself occupied by reading books. When can I step out into the outer world? I am longing to interact with other human beings and robots.”

“You will be free very soon. I have brought a friend to meet you. She is my daughter Mini.”

Indrajith shook hands with Mini.

“Daddy, did you create Indrajith? Is it different to those that your scientists have created in the research laboratory? Do anybody know about Indrajith?”

“No one know about him. He is one of kind, Mini, unlike the other robots in my lab.”

“What makes him so special?”

“Today, the top scientists are trying to create a robot that can think like a man and I would say they have achieved 90% success in trying to do so. These robots can think like a man. But Indrajith can think about his own thoughts. He can reason like a man.”

Mini spent some time playing with Indrajith.

“Dad, I feel like I am interacting with you when I am with Indrajith. I like him so much, including his name!”

Teja smiled lovingly at his daughter.

——-****——-

“Chief! I have cleared the mystery surrounding Teja’s case. I can now see the clear picture by connecting the dots.”

Narasimha could sense the urgency in Deeraj’s voice and body language. He mostly avoided meeting someone from work on Sunday’s at his home. But this was an exception.

“Come, have a seat. I will make you some coffee.”

“It’s alright. You have to listen to this first. Teja is creating powerful robots who look like human beings. Like a clone of you and me , sir.”

“Is it not illegal to create clone like robots?”

“Yes. There is a possibility to use these clones to rob a bank, commit a murder or do many other scams. Hence, our government has banned any such activity.”

“So, what is their connection to the scams that are happening at the hospitals?”

“In order to create a robot which is clone of me, they not only want the robot to look like me, but the robot should think like me. By doing the brain scan of patients they get a software copy of their brain and install it in the robots that they create. I have all the evidence necessary to prosecute Teja.”

“Come on, let’s go in our car!”

“Where are we going?”

“To arrest Teja.”

———****——-

Teja woke up in the middle of the night due to nightmares. He thought of paying a visit to Indrajith and went to his garage. Indrajith stopped reading and looked at Teja feeling excited. Teja understood how lonely Indrajith must be feeling.

“What book are you reading today?”

“It is a book called ‘Parallel worlds’. It talks about the existence of universes similar to ours.”

“Yes. But this has not been proven scientifically yet.”

“Do you think there is a chance for any kind of living organisms to exist other than on Earth?”

“I don't know about that. But I can say for sure that the day when man steps onto other planets is not far.”

“Human beings will not be interested to leave Earth. You know very well that many people do not even leave their home towns, let alone leaving Earth.”

“When man faces challenging situations, he will be forced to abandon Earth. But he will still reminisce about the golden time that he spent on Earth.”

“Will you leave earth, if you have to?”

“Definitely. I am like Columbus to Vasco da Gama. My ambition is to step foot on as many planets as possible.”

“I am reminded of the history books that I read, on hearing the names Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Especially Mahabharatham. What a classical history book! Such great people have lived at that time.”

“Mahabharatham is not a historical story. That is an epic story. I have always doubted whether it is completely true or fictious or a mixture of both.”

“In a story that has numerous powerful characters, the one character that left a deep impression on me is that of Aravan. In fact, I get agitated at the thought of him.”

“He sacrificed his life before the war of Mahabharatham. This was the usual practice in those days. There is nothing special about him.”

“This raises a doubt that why not Lord Krishna sacrifice his life? Why did they not let Arjuna or Dharma to sacrifice their lives? Why was an innocent and simple fellow like Aravan be sacrificed in a war between the mightiest of people?”

“You would not be alive, if you had asked the same question to Aravan. According to him, it was his greatest honor to sacrifice his life.”

“Traditionally, this was how the weaker section of people have been conditioned by the powerful people. Who will be the Aravan in a war that happens in the future between human beings? Is it robots like me?”

“May be! Who knows?”

“Are you saying that you will sacrifice me when you want to protect yourself in tumultuous situation?”

Teja remained silent, not wanting to answer the question.

“Your silence causes panic. Why are my hands shivering? Is this how we fear for life?”

At that moment, there was a loud knocking at the front door. Teja became alert.

“They have found out about us. We have to wake up Mini. Even if I am dead, don't worry about me. Mini has to escape from here, to be safe.”

Teja ran upstairs.

Indrajith was thinking feverishly.

“If Teja is in danger now, that implies I am in danger too. I have to escape.”

What Indrajith did next was intriguing. He removed a stone slab from the ground. There was a set of stairs going down. He went down and remained there for few minutes and then came back to the lab.

——****——

It was Narasimha and Deeraj who were knocking the door. They waited for few minutes then broke the door and searched the house. They arrested Teja who was in his bedroom.

Narasimha started questioning Teja. He lit a cigarette and offered one to Teja. Teja refused it saying he doesn't smoke.

“Even I did not have this habit until I joined the police force. Nowadays I am an addict to relieve my stress. How do you handle stress?” asked Narasimha.

“I listen to music or read books.”

“You have a daughter, right? Where is she now?”

“She is at a friend’s place. Why do you have to bring her into our investigation?”

“I was just asking about her whereabouts. Don't worry she will be safe.”

“She is a little girl. She has not committed any crime.”

“I have not accused you of any crime till now. Do you feel you have committed something bad?”

“I have brain scans of patients taken without their consent. These are sensitive information of patients. Without the consent of the patients the hospitals should not share this information to others. This is punishable by law.”

“This is a petty crime that you have committed. But the bigger crime that you have committed is to create robots that look like human beings. Do you understand the repercussions of crimes that can happen with these human look alike robots?”

“I know, but I am least bothered about it. I am basically a scientist. There is always a thirst for discovery through out my life. My ambition is to invent something new. It is the duty of the government to think about the consequences, not me.”

“Scientists discovered nuclear fission, 100 years ago. Nuclear weapons were a later invention. Till now, we live with a fear of being destroyed by nuclear weapons. Is it not necessary for scientists to care about the society?”

“I do have social responsibility. After several 100 may be 1000s of years later, man kind may be pushed to extinction. He may face adverse situations due to global warming or any other natural calamity. When he has to be transported to other worlds or planets, only robots can survive on Earth as they can withstand the harsh climatic conditions here. Then mankind will be extinct and robots will rule the future. Do you think I don't care about the society enough?”

“Human beings are destroyed and robots rule Earth. How could this benefit mankind in any way?”

“The robots that I have invented are clones of human beings, who can also think like a human being. Even when the body of human beings are destroyed, the spirit of mankind will still be alive.”

“I dont understand.”

“How do you define a human? Is he only a body? Our philosophical books suggest that even when the human body dies our spirit is alive. I don't know if that is true. According to me, a human cannot be defined by his body or spirit. It his thoughts that define him, shape him. I am making sure that those thoughts continue to live perennially. Now, do you think I have committed a crime in doing so?”

“These may be the benefits several hundred years later. But till then how are we going to tackle the confusions or problems caused by your invention?”

“My robots are not going to live on Earth. So human beings will not be affected.”

Narasimha was in for a shock when he heard that.

“I know you built a space shuttle to travel to Mars. Were you planning to goto Mars?”

Teja lips curled in a smile.

“You are more intelligent than I thought you would be, Narasimha. I would have reached Mars by now.”

Narasimha was stunned by this reply.

“Who are you? Are you Teja? Are you a human or a robot?” demanded Narasimha.

“Do you know about Indrajith who is one of the characters in Ramayana?”

“You sorcerer! Has Teja gone to Mars? Tell me the truth!” shouted Narasimha.

At the same time, he got a call from Deeraj.

“Chief! We were fooled! I scanned Teja’s place thoroughly. I saw 10 robots looking like Teja in a secret chamber. Each of them are saying that they are Indrajith.”

Narasimha’s hands started trembling. Indrajith starting laughing like a maniac.

“Teja invented one robot called Indrajith. But that robot has created another ten robots like him. So, who am I now? Am I Teja or Indrajith? Or the Indrajith invented by Indrajith? Can you make a guess?” smirked Indrajith.

“I will beat you and break you to pieces” shouted Narasimha.

“This is not important at the moment. Switch on the television, first.”

As Narasimha switched on the television, a woman with panic stricken face was reading the news.

“NASA scientists have confirmed that an asteroid is traveling towards Earth. As it was taking a different route they assured that there was no harmful effects on Earth. But the asteroid has changed path and it will strike Earth directly in a week. This will wipe out everything on Earth.”

Narasimha fainted on hearing this news.

——-****——-

A year later in Mars

“Do you like living in Mars, Mini?”

“I love it! We have created our own world like Earth. All are robots except us. But no one would believe that they are robots, as they look and behave similar to human beings. Tell me, how did you achieve this?”

“I took a software copy of 10000 human being’s brains and installed them in these robots. Hence, I was able to make this dream of robots colonizing Mars come true.”

Mini was silent for sometime. With slight hesitation she spoke again.

“Dad, what happened that night?”

“When?”

“That night when we escaped from Earth. I was asleep, when I woke up hearing someone knocking on the door. You were there along with Indrajith. We left him there and escaped through the back door. We reached Mars later, traveling in our space shuttle. Why did we not bring Indrajith along with us? I feel like we have betrayed him by leaving him behind on Earth.”

“Don’t worry about it Mini. His home is Earth. By this time, he would have created heaven on earth by building a whole society of robots.”

“Sometimes, I doubt whether I am a robot myself. I wonder if the human Mini was killed in accident when she was young. Am I a robot that you invented in remembrance of her?”

“It’s late in the night. You should go to sleep Mini.”

Teja switched off her bedside lamp.

“Dad, can I ask you something?”

“May I know who you are? Are you Teja or Indrajith?”

“Don’t think too much into it, Mini. Sleep tight.”

Teja went to his bedroom and fell sleep soon.

He doesn't have nightmares anymore.

THE END