Willie Cash was going to do his research about an extinct animal. It was rumored to be last seen in Antarctica. He had never been able to pronounce its name properly. He called this extinct animal simply USEA (pronounced as yucee) – unpronounceable silly extinct animal.
From a team of five people he was the only one chosen by his university to undertake this fully-funded research.
Willie was not chosen because he was the brightest of them all. He was selected because he was the only one who had volunteered for this research. He had done so because he wanted to prove to everyone that he was capable of doing research on an animal even when he could not pronounce its name properly.
And so… here he was now sitting beside Rick on a plane flying to Antarctica.
Rick Shaw was also going to do his research.
He was going to research about space ships.
Rick was a store clerk at a book shop. One fine day, there had hardly been any customer since morning and it was afternoon now. To while away the time he started reading a science fiction – The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
He hadn’t realized then that this single book was going to wondrously transform his life forever. It would put his life on a stove burner.
A few days after he read an advertisement in a local newspaper about a research trip to Antarctica. This research was going to be about spaceships.
Rick contacted the advertiser and was promptly invited to visit him in his house.
The advertiser turned out to be an 89-year old millionaire. He lived alone in a palatial house. This octogenarian soon to be a nonagenarian had one leg dangling in his grave. He looked so frail that he could die any moment. He had read several science fictions and had only one dream – to spot a live space ship before dying. He was so rich that he didn’t care about the money he just wanted to realize his dream no matter how.
Since that advertisement was out which was one month back, only seventeen people had responded so far.
Rick was the seventeenth.
The old man asked only two questions to everyone he interviewed. Whether they had read any science fiction? And, given the opportunity would they like to accompany him on a fully-funded research trip to Antarctica to spot space ships?
As it turned out, ten people had not read any science fiction in all their life so they were automatically ruled out. Four out of the remaining seven concluded that the old man was out of his wits. They refused to go on a senile-fantasy-trip of this crazy old hog.
Two scoundrels had also come in the hope that they would somehow trick the old man into hand over his money to them. They were petty street thieves and so the only thing they were good at was pick-pocketing. Sensing that their conversation with the old man was not leading into anything profitable they decided to steal something from his palatial house.
They ran their eyes around the house hoping to find something valuable. This was again problematic. The old man’s servants were all about the house. This was still manageable but there was a bigger problem. Everything was so big that there was hardly anything they could mange to carry on their own let alone furtively sneaking it away. Dejected, they abandoned the idea and went away gloomily.
Rick was the only one left who was yet to be interviewed.
As it turned out, he had passed the interview on both the parameters.
Firstly he had read a science fiction. And secondly he had agreed to accompany the old man on his trip, albeit just out of curiosity. He so much wanted a change from his job as a shop clerk that he thought there was no harm in saying yes. Moreover, space ship or no space ship at least he would get to visit Antarctica and that too in an airplane.
All the travel arrangements done and agreements signed, they were supposed to leave for Antarctica in a day.
Though Rick had agreed to all the terms and conditions as set forth by the old man he wasn’t able to figure out why the old man had chosen Antarctica to kick-start their expedition. He tried to enquire about this but the old man shrugged the question. Instead he told Rick to remind him about this on the flight.
The night before the departure date the old man was super-charged. He was finally going to realize his life-long dream. He just couldn’t get sleep that night. Right in the middle of the night something hit the window of his bedroom. He was so anxious to spot a space ship that the first thought that came to his mind was - a space ship had hit his house.
Probably this was too much to handle for the old guy.
In all the confusion and excitement, he fell over from his bed. His 89-year old heart became equally excited and skipped a beat.
The poor guy was no more.
The next day Rick kept waiting for the old man at the airport. When he didn’t arrive Rick decided to board the plane without him. After all, he had the plane ticket and a wallet full of cash, both of which the old man had given him last evening. He was not going to miss this opportunity of sitting in an airplane.
Rick was going to miss only one thing. He would never be able to find out why had the old man chosen Antarctica for this trip?
And so… here he was now sitting beside Willie on a plane flying to Antarctica.
© 2007 Ankur Shanker
Archives
From a team of five people he was the only one chosen by his university to undertake this fully-funded research.
Willie was not chosen because he was the brightest of them all. He was selected because he was the only one who had volunteered for this research. He had done so because he wanted to prove to everyone that he was capable of doing research on an animal even when he could not pronounce its name properly.
And so… here he was now sitting beside Rick on a plane flying to Antarctica.
Rick Shaw was also going to do his research.
He was going to research about space ships.
Rick was a store clerk at a book shop. One fine day, there had hardly been any customer since morning and it was afternoon now. To while away the time he started reading a science fiction – The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
He hadn’t realized then that this single book was going to wondrously transform his life forever. It would put his life on a stove burner.
A few days after he read an advertisement in a local newspaper about a research trip to Antarctica. This research was going to be about spaceships.
Rick contacted the advertiser and was promptly invited to visit him in his house.
The advertiser turned out to be an 89-year old millionaire. He lived alone in a palatial house. This octogenarian soon to be a nonagenarian had one leg dangling in his grave. He looked so frail that he could die any moment. He had read several science fictions and had only one dream – to spot a live space ship before dying. He was so rich that he didn’t care about the money he just wanted to realize his dream no matter how.
Since that advertisement was out which was one month back, only seventeen people had responded so far.
Rick was the seventeenth.
The old man asked only two questions to everyone he interviewed. Whether they had read any science fiction? And, given the opportunity would they like to accompany him on a fully-funded research trip to Antarctica to spot space ships?
As it turned out, ten people had not read any science fiction in all their life so they were automatically ruled out. Four out of the remaining seven concluded that the old man was out of his wits. They refused to go on a senile-fantasy-trip of this crazy old hog.
Two scoundrels had also come in the hope that they would somehow trick the old man into hand over his money to them. They were petty street thieves and so the only thing they were good at was pick-pocketing. Sensing that their conversation with the old man was not leading into anything profitable they decided to steal something from his palatial house.
They ran their eyes around the house hoping to find something valuable. This was again problematic. The old man’s servants were all about the house. This was still manageable but there was a bigger problem. Everything was so big that there was hardly anything they could mange to carry on their own let alone furtively sneaking it away. Dejected, they abandoned the idea and went away gloomily.
Rick was the only one left who was yet to be interviewed.
As it turned out, he had passed the interview on both the parameters.
Firstly he had read a science fiction. And secondly he had agreed to accompany the old man on his trip, albeit just out of curiosity. He so much wanted a change from his job as a shop clerk that he thought there was no harm in saying yes. Moreover, space ship or no space ship at least he would get to visit Antarctica and that too in an airplane.
All the travel arrangements done and agreements signed, they were supposed to leave for Antarctica in a day.
Though Rick had agreed to all the terms and conditions as set forth by the old man he wasn’t able to figure out why the old man had chosen Antarctica to kick-start their expedition. He tried to enquire about this but the old man shrugged the question. Instead he told Rick to remind him about this on the flight.
The night before the departure date the old man was super-charged. He was finally going to realize his life-long dream. He just couldn’t get sleep that night. Right in the middle of the night something hit the window of his bedroom. He was so anxious to spot a space ship that the first thought that came to his mind was - a space ship had hit his house.
Probably this was too much to handle for the old guy.
In all the confusion and excitement, he fell over from his bed. His 89-year old heart became equally excited and skipped a beat.
The poor guy was no more.
The next day Rick kept waiting for the old man at the airport. When he didn’t arrive Rick decided to board the plane without him. After all, he had the plane ticket and a wallet full of cash, both of which the old man had given him last evening. He was not going to miss this opportunity of sitting in an airplane.
Rick was going to miss only one thing. He would never be able to find out why had the old man chosen Antarctica for this trip?
And so… here he was now sitting beside Willie on a plane flying to Antarctica.
© 2007 Ankur Shanker
Archives
2 comments:
Willlieeeeeeee
[Pauperji] Hehe..
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