Published on Jan 17, 2009:
Introduction
This story is one of the two selected stories in the 2008 Scifi Contest. 'Touchstone' is an excellent story that imaginatively projects the nostalgia that we all feel when we realize how frozen accidents in history sometimes has led to poverty of living. This story would make you wonder about the historical path humanity has taken and would take in future.
About the author
J Ramanand won the second contest in 2007 for his story A Story in Blue. His homepage is here. He blogs as quatrainman.
I made it back to the TV room with my cup of tea just as the programme was resuming. They were replaying my interview which was taped two days ago.
"Welcome back to 'Frontier'. We continue our conversation with Professor Roy, who has just finished the second volume in his magnum opus 'The History of Human Biology'."
"Professor, in your first volume on Ancient Human Biology, you traced both the evolution of humans, as well as our attempts as humans to deduce this extraordinarily reflexive theory. You trace how Wallace and Darwin imagined evolution and how, eventually, it came to be completely accepted. Your recent book dealt with the histories of genetic engineering."
"But I'm sure all your readers really want to know: when will we come to grips with the subject of the Great Taboo? Isn't that the holy grail of biological historiography?"
I watched myself smoothing my moustache a couple of times, a sign that I was carefully composing my answer.
"Well, Marie, it is. But the viewers and you must realise how difficult it is for us historians. The shift did not happen overnight, but the change wasn't well recorded. We only know that about a few hundred years ago, humans began to adhere to the Great Taboo. Unfortunately, that period coincided with some of the more unfortunate phases in terms of science and history. We lost some of the greatest biologists of that era in the tragic fire of the Luxembourg Convention, which set human biology back by several generations. In addition, there was a near vacuum of qualified historians, a Black Age, as almost every child of impressionable age wanted to be a space vintner or geo-technocrat."
"As a result, Marie, we severely lack authoritative academic work in basic sciences of that period, leave alone biology. Before we realised it, members of the human species drifted apart. You could say we fell out of love. In the grand timeline of evolution, that was an infinitesmal moment, so I suppose only now has the time come for us to regard our condition in the harsh clarity of the microscope."
"What, in your considered opinion, caused the Great Taboo? Were the reasons genetic? pathological? cultural? How did we escape our social bonds, that were once considered a definitive species marker?"
"I suppose the easier answer would be to say 'All of the Above'! But, the honest one would simply be: "I don't know". We know that there were medical reasons, contagious epidemics that may have seeded this change. I believe some day we will have a reasonably satisfactory explanation. However, I also do believe in the 'greediness' (if I may call it that) of evolution. By that I mean I do not feel uneasy about the paths our species has trodden on. If we had a time-traveller from the past visit us, he would surely be astonished to find that we abjure from physical contact of any kind. But it has happened and here we are, seemingly none the worse for it."
"So you do not support the 'Socialist' movements?"
"No, I don't. But as a good scientist, I must add the caveat "as of today". But I wonder why the current state is so undesirable to these people that they wish to fall back to the past. Also, as a professional historian, I must point out that a couple of millennia ago, some people called themselves 'Socialists', with very different goals in mind. It may be instructive to read about the ultimate fate of that ideology before choosing such a name."
"Dr. Roy, how confident are you that the opening of the Asiatic Scientific Council's archives will help researchers like you in your quest?"
"Very confident. I'm very grateful to Council President Rineka Anantha and her board for being very supportive of our research. My students and I have begun studying some of the papers preserved at the headquarters in Manila. I hope to have my third volume out in about five to seven years."
"We'll be awaiting that with great anticipation. Thank you Dr. Roy. Like always, it's been a pleasure."
"Likewise."
I switched off the TV. I looked across at the green expanse behind my house, with a cool sun overhead. I could see a child and its minder in the park. They were accompanied by an emptiness all around. Lucky kid, to have drawn such good weather today.
I checked the wall clock. I still had about 30 minutes to get to my supermarket slot. I powered up my tablet and checked if Nina, my daughter, was available on the Wire. Our last conversation had left me a little uneasy. She was at that age when people discover things that they feel they ought to have opinions about. I am an old-fashioned academic and opinion only comes to me after careful thought and reading.
Unlike me, Nina was prepared to jump right in.
She did not seem to be around, so I left her a little message that should have set her tablet blinking.
I had just about settled down with a book when I was alerted by the Wire. Roun was waving at me on the tablet. Roun was the closest I had to a friend. I'd known him ever since we'd had been paired in a few course modules all those years ago at the Technic.
"Hey Prof, you going to the market today, right?" I nodded.
"Can you get me a couple of little thingies and pills? My slot isn't until day after. I'll wire you the list."
"All right, Roun. Oh, did you hear from the Child Board?"
"Tomorrow's the date. But according to someone I know, the Board fears that this area is a little overpopulated and they are slowing down the rate of acceptances. Mind you, they haven't found a suitable ovarian pair for me yet. So don't think it'll happen this year."
"But you'll keep applying?"
"I dunno, man. Of course, I'm not going to be the kind of father that you are to your child. I consider my duty done when the fertilisation is done, like most people. I think the Board will do a far better job looking after the kid."
"Well, I don't think I have been that unusual with Nina. Doesnít seem to be too uncommon for one or the other parent to be interested in their child even later."
"Itís a modern fad, I think. Aren't you worried about getting too close?"
"Yeah, sometimes. But parental bonds could be as illogical as taboos."
"That sounds like Socialist talk to me, my friend."
I chose to ignore the snobbery in that tone.
"Perhaps. Tell me, Roun. Honestly. Have you never ever felt the urge to indulge in close social contact? Let me confess: Recently, I have, several times. Perhaps it has been influenced by my recent work. "
Comments
Among its strengths, the story renders a somber mood rather well. But this idea of what-it-really-means-to-be-naturally-human, which I might add has been around in sci-fi for ages now, is not explored with any fresh perspective. It was perhaps most brilliantly etched in Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' starring Harrison Ford - only it came from the android end. Creating a contrived feel is the author's dependence on deux ex machina to move the narrative: a tragic fire taking out biologists - a term which is being used rather loosely here - of the world is already stretching it, but to also use a 'Black Age', reminiscent of the so-called 'Dark Ages', to make science of an era impotent is, in my opinion, a bit much on the unconvincing side. The author has clearly not given enough thought to details like these: what does a lack of qualified historians in a previous age have to do with the current historian? Present-day records are not recorded or maintained by historians.
Also, I am not sure I understand what the author means by 'greediness' of evolution. Finally, phrases like 'deductive literature' have specific meanings of their own and applying them cavalierly to Sherlock Holmes may sound cool, but is actually a rather careless act, especially since the narrator is an academic.
[Editor: Author Ramanand's response is below]
I thank the commenter for his/her comments (critical feedback is so hard to obtain!). The story was an attempt (limited as it is) to imagine a world where humans no longer seem to need social ties. I do not necessarily think that retaining these bonds is necessarily what makes humans "human" - perhaps we could convincingly evolve into such a state someday? Like "Do Androids..." (later "Blade Runner") here, others have pointed out stories such as "The Naked Sun" by Asimov and the film "Equilibrium" as inhabiting similar space. This is certainly not the freshest exploration of such territory, only an honest one who trips and tries to learn.
The point about the 'contrivance' is well taken - take it as a weakness to imagine a more suitable reason why their behavioral evolution would be a mystery to them in this case.
As for the couple of phrases mentioned:
"Greediness": was intended more in a computer science sense, where a "greedy strategy" take a very short-term view of its choices. Of course, I do not intend to imply that evolution makes conscious choices, but that a series of short-term choices can lead to destinations that may be hard to explain in retrospect from such a distance. Perhaps a less throw-away and more considered choice of word was called for.
"Deductive Lit": Such a phrase may have certain contemporary meanings, but I do not expect this to be static many, many years later. For instance, the words used to describe the works of Chaucer or Kipling or Mills & Boons today may not be ones that their contemporaries would have recognized or agreed with. Here, the intent was to intentionally provide some dissonance with our twentieth century vocabulary, and for characters such as Holmes to be less mainstream than they are today.
Finally, I am not really an academic, but would like to retain/acquire some of that temperament! I am still learning about science and writing (the errors multiply when the two are mixed :-)), and, in a rather greedy way, can only hope to get better.
Thanks,
Ramanand
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