7th Dimension – A Science Fiction short story

“So have I been living an illusion?” he asked his semi conscious brain as he got up. Then he thought “it was just a dream”. But then he wasn’t feeling like before, his life had changed all at once. His whole life seemed to be a dream now.
Yes! Everything had changed now, because there weren’t his copies doing the same thing he did. There was no sense of déjà vu now. All these things were bugging his mind.
He was brushing his teeth when his mom was yelling “Rahul, you are late for school”
According to his teachers, Rahul was a slow kid in class. But he always secured first rank in exams. Last year in 7th grade he scored a total of 599 marks out of 600 marks making it a school record. He was not an easy kid for teachers, because they thought he had some “issues”.
His over-protective parents had even consulted psychiatrists about that. His “issues” were not normal like other kids, because at the age of 9 he told his psychiatrist that “I can see future! Then there is this feeling that I have done this before”. The session had not helped in any way. But after that day, he wasn’t allowed to watch sci-fi English movies.
As he grew up he kept these things to himself. He was sure that if he continued telling that, he would be thrown into some asylum. He kept it to himself, but he couldn’t make it stop. That is what made him a slow kid. He could always see into his near future doing something. If it went right, he followed it; else he would do its opposite.
It all worked fine till that day. But now there was no one to follow. “Now I can’t learn from others mistakes, now I have to do mistakes of my own” he thought as he left for school at 9.
He tried to recall exactly what had happened the day before. He remembered he had written it in his diary before sleeping. He took it out and started reading it while walking.

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Around 12:30am he had been woken by a man, in his room. Any other kid would have screamed but Rahul was not easily surprised by such things. (Abnormal is his normal) The man introduced himself as “Uttama”. Deep brown eyes, long beard and wrinkles in his face suggested he is full of experience and knowledge. His robes were funny; (like he was coming straight from sets of some film) which Rahul couldn’t help noticing even half awake.
“You are destined for great things Rahul” said Uttama.
“Sir may be I am, but are you sure it is me who you are supposed to talk or want to talk?”
“Yes I am, Rahul. But are you sure what is going on here? Are you not curious why you are different?”
Of course he wanted to know why he was so different. He always thought he is ‘Harry Potter’ somewhere. And Hagrid would come to take him where he belongs. That is why he didn’t scream.
Something didn’t seem right. He couldn’t find his copy doing anything. First time in his life, he felt that he is alone.
“Searching for someone Rahul?” he asked. “You will not see him again until a few years. That’s why I am here. To tell you this”
Rahul being straight forward knew what he was talking about. But the question was how did he know? Before Rahul asked it, he replied as though answering his question, “We live in a strange world my boy. Things are not as you see them. Let me explain it to you. But first, what do you know about dimensions?”
“That they are a part of study in mathematics and physics?” Rahul answered questioningly. He was never so active before. He would always be shy in class to answer. This was a first time for him.
“Actually there are 28 dimensions, each representing a parallel time.”
“Cool! So there are 28 ‘me’?”
“Oh no boy, not like that. Have you heard that there are 6 people like you in this world? Or even better, that you are re-incarnated 6 times?”
“Yes but what does that has to do with this?”
“Well, there are 7 ‘you’ in seven different dimensions, and there are 4 variations to each ‘you’. That is why there are 7 ‘you’ having 4 versions each who take different decision at times”
“Which means there are 28 Rahul like me right?”
“No no, you got it wrong. Those 7 Rahul-s don’t need to be like you. But your other three versions, they are like you! The copies or clone you see of yourself are those three people. Normally people aren’t supposed to see between dimensions, but you – as I said before – are destined for great a thing, that’s why you can see them. But till the time comes, I’m… Umm… –what is the word…- revoking this power of yours. For your own good”
“But you told they take different decisions right? They are parallel times right? Then how is my life almost identical to theirs? Isn’t a small change in past supposed to change your entire future?”
“It’s not! You see when you take a decision, your alternate version takes different decision but, what you miss is your decision affects someone else’s decision. So they take their decisions accordingly, hence a balance is maintained in all 4 alternate universes. But you – because you could see others – took decisions according to your alternatives. This has not been a problem till now, but later, I’m afraid it’ll lead to completely similar or different (unbalanced) parallel times. So I have to revoke your powers.”
“Did you grant them to revoke them? What great things do you expect from me by the way?”
“Yes I granted them, and you are to replace me once you are old enough” he said smiling.
Before Rahul could question what his job was, he answered (like he could read his mind), “I make sure that the balance is maintained! I’ve been doing this for thousands of years! Again before you ask how I am alive for thousand years; the answer is I stopped breathing! Not stopped actually but controlled it.”
Rahul gave a confused expression and Uttama started talking again “do you know the tortoise breathes only 4 times in a minute, we breathe 15 times a minute and dogs breathe 45 times a minute? That itself is the criteria for long life. If you want to live long, breathe slowly. Because your life is not measured in years, it is measured in breaths.”
“That’s why Buddha emphasized on meditation concentrating on breath, like anapana!” Rahul exclaimed.
“Yes! I breathe once in a day and my life’s total breath includes the breath of all my seven incarnations and each of their 4 versions. It’s about 29,14,40,720 breaths in total. So I’ve been living a long, endless life. Forgive me son one day you too will lead a long and boring life.”
“I will look forward to it” Rahul said.
“Then you do understand my purpose here is over. Tomorrow when you get up you can’t look through dimensions ok?”
“I got it sir” he said cheerfully, because he thought this was a dream and he would still get up tomorrow with his ‘superpower’.
“It’s time for farewell Rahul. Meet you someday in future.”
He thought of going to sleep but before that, he wrote this in his diary.
That was what had happened.
* * *

Hoping to make new mistakes and control the balance of the universe in future, Rahul crossed the road putting his diary back to his bag. “May be Uttama had done the right thing, now balance is restored” he thought.
Whatever we plan for future fate has its own ways of playing with us. A businessman who had a quarrel with wife and was completely drunk ran his car over Rahul, and Rahul died an instant death there.
* * *
Dr.Subramaniam saw two girls crying as he showed Rahul’s photo and his diary. He told that the story is 10 years old and then he explained that Uttama is the name of third Manu according to mythology, and that according facts in Rahul’s diary, Uttama’s life expectancy was 30crore years, just equal to a Manvantara.
He then explained how Rahul had taken the facts available to him from books and movies and turned them into an environment he could live in.
He thought “those girls will never become psychiatrists” as he completed seminar and walked towards his office.
As he reached office, he saw a troubled young couple with a geeky 10 year old boy who had some resemblance Rahul waiting for him. The couple talked to him and he took the kid inside. As he started talking to the kid, the kid exclaimed, “I can see future! Then there is this feeling that I have done this before”. Now Doc was feeling the sense of déjà vu!
Right then he heard a voice from behind “hello doctor”.
He turned around and found the voice to be originating from a man behind him with most fitting description to ‘Uttama’!

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If you liked that story, check out my suspense short story Unpleasant surprises

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