Cycle of Time

9.Going back in time to survive the future

The books were important. They were the source of a collective memory, an inaccurate record of how people were in the past. Maya worried that Anjaya wanted to make use of this stored memories and rewrite them in a way he wanted. Anjaya was dangerous, he was not really a rebel with a liking for the way things were in the olden days, he had his own system in mind and wanted it in place of the current. He was an ideologist, but only took time to understand his own ideology. While many people had ideas of how things should be, Anjaya was different. He also had the will to get what he wanted done. He was what they called a narcissist. Engrossed in the importance of his own ideas, he was happy as long as others validated them. Afraid of the consequences, those around him continued to feed his insatiable ego. He was known to be vengeful otherwise. As Maya went on with her story, thoughts crossed Uben's mind.

Uben was chosen because he could influence others. It was rebellion of sorts that Anjaya had in mind. The books were the first step. He then planned to indoctrinate the followers in his way. While the system was grooming people in its way using sophisticated technology, Anjaya was using a much older method.

"So what is he trying to do? What is his big idea?" Uben had been patiently listening thus far.

"That's the most difficult part of it. I don't even know exactly what his idea is. I think his plan is to get people to get into older and older technology. So books instead of devices and so on.

"I heard him once say, that civilization had reversed several times from the modern to the old, but those memories have been lost. He described the most "primitive" civilisations as the most advanced, and that reversal had happened by choice to both preserve the earth and civilisations themselves. People had lost the memory of this conscious reversal to earlier technology and only had memories of those times in the form of myths, legends and stories. "

"That is a story! " Uben exclaimed, but he found himself unable to totally discard it. The more he thought of it the more it seemed possible. This was not about myths but how they came to be. Part of him wanted to believe in it!

"I know the whole notion is a bit crazy, but it has a romantic appeal to it. I wanted to be rebellious and adventurous I guess" Maya sighed to herself.

"I still think the idea is great .You know, going back a notch or two and using older technology. That is more with nature. I don't know how long we can survive, the way we are using up resources".

"Yeah I feel so too. But I am not so sure about what he is trying to do about it".

"Yes, I felt so passionate about this, I was thinking that I was saving the world", Maya sighed.

"But Anjaya really scares me. Sometimes this dark shadow descends on him, and he is not the person he was before. He had actually killed someone in a fit of rage"', Maya's voice got softer as she said this.

"Killed someone?"

"Yes, I did find out about that after initially hearing rumours about it. He is also well connected and had managed to pull some strings to get away. It had been managed as an accident".

Uben was extremely interested now, this was strange indeed, but it did fit into a pattern. Those who committed crimes and were able to get away with them were a rare breed these days. They were usually "smart" people, usually having other traits in common as well. But his reverie into his own interests was suddenly disturbed when his roaming glance rested on Maya's eyes. They had such a look for fear that suddenly the only thing Uben wanted was to comfort her.

"I want to get out of this, but I don't know if he will let me, He's got vested interests in this. I felt he indirectly suggested that he can't afford to allow anyone to get out of the club".