Mainak Dhar - Vimana

One line in the memo caught his eye.

December 14, 2011. Predator drone lost over Northern Afghanistan. Cause unknown, though enemy action suspected. Fourth loss in three weeks.

Four Predators lost in three weeks? As someone with a lifelong interest in flying, he had followed how the US had used Predator drones with devastating effect, the one bright spot in an otherwise disastrous war in Afghanistan. So, how had the Taliban suddenly discovered how to knock out four in three weeks-more than they had managed in the last ten years put together?

He quickly called up any other reports of lost Predators, and sure enough, he saw that all four has been lost as a result of suspected enemy action. He also saw in some US Army memos the emerging panic that if the Taliban had indeed mastered how to down Predators, then the balance of the war in Afghanistan could shift decisively. He began cross-tabbing with any reports of unidentified flying objects. Then he saw it.

Four months ago, before the spate of Predator downings had begun, a Pentagon report had a small item tucked away among the minutiae of war. A US Air Force F-15 flying over Afghanistan had picked up an unidentified flying object on its radar for a split second near the area where the Predator had been reported lost. The unidentified contact then disappeared off radar, being tracked as moving at more than five thousand kilometres per hour. It had been dismissed as a glitch in the radar system and ignored.

Aaditya looked over at Ganesha, who had opened a box of sweets and was gulping them down, two at a time. He offered one to Aaditya, but then seeing his expression asked what was up. When Aaditya mentioned what he had discovered, Ganesha looked over the data, and then asked Aaditya to go take a break while he dug deeper. As Aaditya left the room, he heard Ganesha mutter to himself.

'What mischief are you up to, old friend Kalki?'

***

Aaditya was lost in thought. Tanya put her head on his chest.

'I do hope you're not thinking of another woman.'

'Of course not, but I was thinking of something.'

When Tanya probed, he said, 'Look, even if I assume that these guys are actually aliens, and everything they say is true, one thing does not make sense. How could they not have aged in 15,000 years? You know, you've been around them for so long.'

Tanya looked irritated and turned her face away.

'Tanya, did I say something wrong?'

'No, they did tell me, but I'm sure they can explain it better. Why don't you just ask one of them? But for once, at least now, please stop thinking of them and pay me some attention.'

Aaditya pulled her close and did just that.

The next morning, he was called to the conference room for a meeting. When he walked in, he found the Devas more agitated than he had ever seen. All the Devas were there, and they seemed to be talking at the same time.

'Let me and my Ganas go over there. We will smash them,' thundered Shiva.

'Shiva, this requires a bit more thinking through. The last thing we want is for a nuclear bomb to be triggered in the battle,' counseled Vishnu.

Brahma's voice cut through the clutter. He did not raise his voice, but there was an unmistakable stamp of authority that silenced everyone.

'Everyone has had their say, but most of you are just reacting to bits and pieces of information we've heard this morning. Let Ganesha tell us what he found so we all know exactly what we're dealing with.'

Ganesha stood up, and then pointed to Aaditya.

'He's the one who found out about it first. Hear it from him.'

With that he sat back down, popping another sweet into his mouth, leaving Aaditya with every eye in the room trained on him. When he finished his account, Ganesha piped in, 'So, I got our satellites to intercept a few cellphone conversations and my father here helped break a few knees to get the information we wanted.'

Shiva nodded with a smile as Ganesha continued, 'So, here's the deal. It seems Kalki is helping Al Qaeda but in return has extracted a terrible favor. He is passing on a crude nuclear device which he wants them to use on a US target.'

Aaditya was stunned at the casual way in which Ganesha shared the information. Brahma brought up a map of Afghanistan on the holographic display.

'So like him. Wreak havoc so he can reign over the rubble that remains. Well, we know what to do. Indra, get a plan ready. We meet again in an hour.'

Everyone left the room, leaving Aaditya feeling pretty confused. He rushed after Indra, figuring that since he was the one making whatever plan needed to be made, he could help.

'Aadi, I have a lot to plan. Can we chat later?'

'Whatever you're doing, can I come along?'

Indra stopped in his tracks.

'No.'

'Come on, I'm the one who found out about all this. Please don't leave me here while you go after them.'

'Aadi, it was made very clear that you cannot fly or take part in battle.'

This time, Aaditya was not going to give up that easily.

'These guys killed my father. Fine, you won't let me fly your precious vimanas, but at least let me be there when you take them out. At least let me have that measure of revenge.'

Kartik was passing by and stopped when he heard the exchange.

'He could just sit in my vimana. I won't let him get into trouble.'

Indra glared at him.

'Why don't you go and convince Brahma?'

Kartik replied with a smile, 'I did. Aadi did uncover this operation in the first place.'

Indra looked in Brahma's direction, not believing what Kartik had said, but the older Deva smiled, nodding his head in affirmation.

'Let the boy tag along. Kartik, keep him out of trouble, and he stays in your vimana.'

An hour later, Aaditya was in the hangar, where all the Devas had assembled. He had been given a white, full body suit, with a hood to protect him from the cold in case he was exposed to the elements. As Aaditya saw the buzz of activity in the hangar, it was clear that now Indra was in charge.

'Kartik, you will be flying top cover with me. I don't expect the Asuras to mess with us in the air, but we can't leave Shiva exposed on the ground. Narada is already on the ground, and is ensuring the target information we have is accurate and will also jam all transmissions-human and Asura, while the operation lasts. Shiva, are your Ganas ready?'

Shiva grinned and whistled. Aaditya was taken aback by the arrival of a dozen men who looked more like a group of kids than soldiers. Each was no more than four feet tall with clean-shaven heads and large, bulging eyes in their strangely elongated heads. They were all dressed in what seemed to be little more than brown loincloths, showing off their enormous muscles. Each carried some sort of weapon strapped to his back. Despite their size, they moved with the precision of trained soldiers, marching as one and then standing near the large vimana that Shiva piloted.

'Ganas, get into the Nandi . We're ready for takeoff.'

A door swung open on the side of the vimana and the men walked in wordlessly.

'Who the hell are those creatures?' Aaditya whispered to Kartik. Shiva answered for him. 'Those are my Ganas. Kalki has his daityas, and these are my own clone army. The daityas are clumsy oafs, but sometimes numbers do matter. And don't be misled by their small size, the Ganas will cut your throat before you know it.'

As Kartik nudged Aaditya to follow him to his vimana, he heard Shiva bellow at the top of his voice, 'Come on, folks, it's time to smash in some heads!'

***

They had been flying in silence for ten minutes, the three vimanas abreast of each other, when Aaditya asked Kartik what was on his mind.

'I get the stealth part, and how nobody picks your vimanas up on radar, but won't people be able to see you, flying in broad daylight like this?'