A story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Submitted into Contest #57 in response to: Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.... view prompt

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Creative Nonfiction



Preface to the Story


Before getting on to the story proper, let us first of all, dwell a bit over the prompts in general. Thereafter we can ponder over the prompt in question. After fair bit of brainstorming over the prompt in question we shall try to understand the story or history of “Those Someone” who travels to the future and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

The prompts in general presents numerous layers and also places limitations which in turn forces the writer or the author to partake in portions he or she generally would not, if given the choice. This prompt I suppose is one which seduces the emotion to go for the mortal taste on the one hand and cautions the reason to refrain, on the other.


If one has decided to drown, then why in a pond why not the sea? If one has decided to get crushed, why under a Toyota, why not under a Rolls Royce? With somewhat this kind of, frame of mind, I am approaching the prompt in question.


Adolf Hitler


First I take Adolf Hitler and his philosophy as I understand with the little bit of reading I managed last couple of years. Hitler did not believe in humanity. He was of the view that humans are species, some naturally strong and some naturally weak. In furtherance of the viewpoint of Charles Darwin, Hitler subscribed to the idea of “Survival of the Fittest”. Adolf Hitler also held in high esteem the rule of Statelessness. Now what is Statelessness and why he considered it so. He was well aware and we also would be to some or large extent if we dig deep into it. Let us understand. If there is a State and State Machinery is being enforced, it automatically means some can have arms with them and it is legal and for others it is illegal. It is freedom for some and lack of it for others. Of course, one can argue responsibility also comes with power but one cannot be oblivious of the risks. The another major factor which probably lead to Hitler’s animosity with the species Jews was their intelligence that was in their mind which was not approachable but understandable by its manifestations on various fronts, like the dichotomy between the physical and the mental. The option with Hitler was remove the physical from the face of the earth the mental will be automatically removed. This prompted his working towards the extermination of each and every Jew from the world. It is also for us to see the Africans are so strong physically but are being dominated by the Europeans with the help of State Machinery and mind, which Hitler believed is against the Nature and against the will of God. Coming to the essence of the prompt what kind of future would have been in the mind of Hitler and he isn’t happy about how the likes of Hitler (That Someone) have been remembered. As mentioned earlier he wanted Statelessness and in natural scheme of things. The Stronger born should remain stronger and the weak weaker. His belief in stronger will remain and weaker will have to perish. To rescue his species and for their bright future he was left with no choice but ensure that the species that could threaten their existence be caught by the scruff of the neck and nipped in the bud.

Now to conclude and coming back to the prompt “Hitler and the likes are not happy about how they are remembered, they strongly feel there was a method in their madness”.


Christopher Marlowe


Christopher Marlowe travels to his future and isn’t happy how he is remembered. Marlowe is not happy that his works are remembered but he is not. Marlowe’s Mighty lines are remembered but he is not. To quote a few:

1.      Admired I am of those that hate me most. – Prologue (Jew of Malta)

2.      The crack, the echo and the soldiers’ cry, make deaf the air and dim the crystal sky (Tamburlane)

3.      Instead of music I will hear him speak/

His looks shall be, my only library (Dido, Queen of Carthage)


Marlowe is not happy that Shakespeare is remembered and he is not. Marlowe is not happy that he is not taught as exhaustively as Shakespeare. Marlowe is not happy that he was sentenced for an alleged crime that was shrouded in doubt. Marlowe is not happy that he was born when the world was not tolerant and did not appreciate freedom of speech and free will. Marlowe is not happy that the present generation is minting money by bejewelling their own works with his mighty lines, blank verse, and lofty ideas.

 

Mohandas Karamchandra Gandhi


Gandhi who is considered as the Father of the Nation in India, the forerunner of various movements in India under the umbrella of the Independence Movement of India, like the Civil Disobedience Movement in India; is not happy being remembered as the pioneer of strikes even though he championed the Civil Disobedience Movement, Salt Satyagraha etc., for a noble cause; Gandhi is not happy that his movements are used in the contemporary times for demands that are unreasonable and are applied totally out of context and is endangering the healthy functioning of the institutions of progress and development. Gandhi is not happy for being remembered as adulterating the coming generation by mixing the people of various religions, castes, creed and color through inter caste, inter religion marriages. Gandhi is not happy for being remembered as half naked saint. Gandhi is not happy for seeing him as demolisher of foreign goods imports and promoter of indigenous products. Gandhi is not happy for being admirer of Jesus Christ and not the Christians.


Abdul Kalam Azad, the Missile Man



Abdul Kalam Azad, the scientist, the missile man, the late President of India who travels to the future and is not happy being remembered as belonging to a particular religion; Abdul Kalam is not happy being remembered to catering to only one section of society; Abdul Kalam is not happy for not being in India during the launch of the satellite to Mars; not happy for not being able to give his valuable advise enabling the successful launch of the Indian satellite to Mars.

September 01, 2020 18:12

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