Not Teeming with Life

By DavidJMRussell

Everybody has a story. Indeed, every 'thing' has a story. From the smallest of atoms to the universe itself. Most stories, if truth be told, never last longer than those individuals directly involved. Some do, however, get passed on for a few generations but then, like their originators, fade and die. Some stories are worth repeating but most are not. History is full of lost, untold, mediocre and tedious stories. Only the most relevant, important, luckiest and brightest survive.
This story may be one of them. An important story, as yet untold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DavidJMRussell
• Release date: Nov 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370894444

DavidJMRussell

Originating in the small market town of Lanark in central Scotland, David has spent much of his life moving around, living, working and studying in various parts of the UK. In 2006 he emigrated to Mongolia full-time after being a volunteer there for 2 years from 2000-2002. There he met his wife, moved to Korea, then back to Mongolia and then 10 years later, finds himself living in rural Ireland. The small village which he and his family have called home is called Lanesboro, where he does a whole bunch of stuff including being active in the local writing group, playing the keys in a local band, taking his 2 young daughters to the park and giving his teenage son advice on girls and the meaning of life. Having been interested in old cars since he was a teenager, he has never got round to actually buying one but has to make do with his 200 plus and growing collection of model cars. This interest plus his interest in science-fiction led to him writing Not Teeming with Life, his most recent creation, while his previous serious Bold and The Magic Stove was inspired by his son and living in Mongolia. As a musician, he played drums for a Mongolian rock band and was active as a guitarist in Korea and Mongolia. His solo album, Tree of Salt (David J M Russell) continues to break records in sales figures, but not in the positive way he had hoped. Having studies ecology, conservation, and forestry at university, he worked as a ranger, community forester, and ecological surveyor mostly in the Scottish Highlands - indeed, it was this interest in the natural world which first took him to Mongolia to teach ecology at the Agricultural University. It is more than probably true that he and his family are the only people in history to have lived in Hongchon Korea, Zuunharaa Mongolia, and Lanesboro Ireland.......... although that may need verifying.

Book preview

Chapter 1   Desire

They say that the simple act of observing something can change that something’s behavior. That the energy in a beam of light from a torch can move a particle in some random uncalculated way so the particle can never actually be observed. Or maybe if it is, it is merely as a slight, brief flash as it is pushed aside by the energy contained in that light. This may, indeed, be true. I also wonder if such a similar relationship, reaction or call it what you may is present in other endeavors; can the simple action of searching for something result in that thing being forever unattainable? Always escaping at that instance of being caught. And is the act of desire so similarly futile? I am convinced that is so. The experience of our universe, I believe, has demonstrated this rather profoundly. Here is a story. One of many.

The Molara had one great enemy: The Danar. Both were ancient. Both had immense technology. Both were warrior societies. Both had been at war since nothing could remember. And nothing knew how or why the war had started. They lived far apart at opposite ends of adjacent galaxies. Both had plundered, burnt and eradicated what rudimentary live there had been encountered nearer to home. Both had tried to obtain the same resource and failed. What had been scarce originally had now, due to their rampant, foolish desire and destruction, become virtually, but not totally, extinct. 

Now both battle forces were convinced they had found the solution to their ambitions. Both thought they now had the ultimate and final advantage. Both were convinced they could now annihilate their ancient adversaries. Both had found ways to manufacture, create or secure the resource that they had been lusting for since time began. But both would be wrong.

The battle groups lined up. Immense and immensely powerful crafts that had, between them, destroyed whole galaxies and plundered even more. Both their intents were nothing short of complete destruction of their enemy; to rid their race of their nemeses. Both were convinced their technology could annihilate the other. And as a precautionary bonus, the total destruction of their enemy’s fleet would give them an irresistible opportunity to obtain that scarce resource that both had long been driven to acquire.

The Molara and Danar now faced each other across the emptiness of space; each scrutinizing the other’s every breathe and movement.  The great battle was now to finally begin. The ships fired up.

Nothing happened at first. A few malfunctions. Then the ships fired back down. The lights went out. The support systems failed. Communications and Weapons followed suit. Then the life support systems themselves all ground to a halt. 10,000 space vehicles became dark and silent. And dead. Some would catch fire or explode, but most simply just stopped working. Those grand vessels of aggression and conquest would now play the role of coffins for all those aboard.  Ultimately, these new technologies were simply not up to their given tasks. Both races perished in their overconfidence and arrogance.

Both perished in their desire to make what could not be made.

Both perished in their desire to cause what could not be caused.

And this was only one story. Time has them in abundance.

Chapter 2   The Yellow Porsche

John stood out on the lawn. Behind him was the large Victorian manse which he had come to visit many times before. But he wasn’t really here to be interested in that. It was what lay in front on him that really made him happy and excited. Outbuildings; and lots of them. Even better still, behind the outbuildings lay a large expanse of tangled, neglected overgrown and scrubby woodland – thick with old discarded farm machinery, tractors, pieces of metal, wooden and plastic junk that the owners of the manse had discarded years ago. Much to his annoyance, however, the woods would have to wait until next time. He probably would only have time to scrape the surface of what was hidden in those outbuildings. He heard voices talking through the open front double doors of the large manse, so he reckoned he better get on with it. He might not have much time. No time to waste.

He would attack the first building in a manner he had perfected over many such visits to many similar places. Junk that was just ‘junk’ would be ignored – stuff that he could use would be placed in one bundle/heap/mound (depending on the richness of the pickings, of course) and stuff that he could sell or swap placed in another. These two bundles would be conveniently constructed on the driveway outside the nearest outbuilding and the one closest to the van.

He pushed at the door of the first outbuilding and it creaked open. He waited until his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Then he started to see shape and form materialize in front of him. This was always exciting. An old sledge, wooden rails and metal runners slowly took shape; but he had one at home, so he gave it a miss. An old tractor! He laughed as there was no way that such a large and unmanageable piece of metal junk would be allowed anywhere near his home. His family was already complaining about the lack of space. They weren’t hoarders as he most certainly was. Clutter had a purpose.

Ten minutes passed then another ten. The two piles of stuff out on the driveway were growing. John looked at them and realized they were already too big. Lack of time and space meant he would have to slim down both piles. So he returned a bunch of stuff to one of the barns. There was an old piano in there but John wasn’t interested in musical stuff – too big and cumbersome. More importantly, perhaps, he didn’t know many other people who would be interested either. There were a lot of old bikes in this particular barn, maybe worth considering for a return visit. There was also