Book Review: Prey

Author: Michael Crichton

My Rating: 3/5

What does humanity do, if the very technology that we developed for the betterment of the human race turns on its creators? Sounds familiar? Well, if it doesn’t, then you are not a fan of science fiction or you live on some other planet where mundane topics such as invasion attempts by machines are not part of your daily science fiction. For those familiar with this scenario, random words like Skynet and Matrix might pop up in some obscure corner of your mind.

Michael Crichton’s Prey deals with a similar concept. Except, instead of hulking T-800’s travelling back in time and Octopus-like sentinels trying to break into Zion, human race has to contend with nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. Now the problem about writing this review is that, I can’t really go in to details about the story here; because that would kill the suspense created by Crichton in the beginning, and render the first 20-30 % of the novel irrelevant.

The story deals with an imaging technology developed by Xymos, a nanotech company, which can scan the interior of the human body using nanobots. Except that the medical experiment is just a front for a much larger scheme. When things begin to go wrong, Xymos call in Jack Forman, an unemployed software engineer who specializes in distributed programming and agent-based computing. Jack was fired by his previous company (MediaTronics) for exposing an internal scandal. Incidentally, Xymos use the PredPrey product developed by Jack and his team for their new technology. Thus when Xymos need their problem solved, they turn to MediaTronics, who, in turn, approach Jack with the intention of rehiring him. Jack, on the other hand, is facing problems of his own. His youngest daughter Amanda develops a strange rash that proves incurable until she is put in an MRI machine, which, inexplicably, cures her. Jack’s wife Julia is the VP of Xymos; and Jack suspects, based on her erratic behavior during the previous few weeks, that she is having an affair. And the day that Jack gets the offer to rejoin MediaTronics, Julia is involved in a serious accident. Thus, Jack goes to the desert in Nevada, where the Xymos production facility is situated, looking to find answers. Once there, he discovers things which take him, and us, through a rollercoaster ride.

The book is written in typical Crichton style. A lot of new concepts such as distributed programming, agent-based computing, emergence, nanotechnology, artificial life, genetic algorithms, etc. are introduced. Yet, he has taken care to explain each and every concept in such a manner that it does not intrude with the flow of the story. At the same time, he tries to push through his message that one needs to keep human arrogance and shortsightedness aside while dealing with new technology or else it can produce dire consequences.

On the flipside, the story takes some time to develop. It does not get boring, but you feel initially that Crichton could have done away with a few details. And I was a bit disappointed with the end. It’s a little ambiguous, which worked in favor of Sphere, but somehow gave me a feeling of being let down after he had constructed such a great story. Another aspect of this story was that Crichton left a few questions unanswered. Most of these are questions pertaining to his children’s health (again, I can’t really disclose many details without giving away the main plot).

All in all, while the book is good, it’s not as good as Jurassic Park or Sphere. I would rate it 3 out of 5.

On the hallowed grounds of Goa - III

We set out north of Siolim the next day with anticipation about the new place we were about to visit and trepidation about this day being our last one in Goa. The destination was Fort Tiracol – also known as Terekhol to the locals – situated on the mouth of the river Terekhol where it joins the Arabian Sea. Though it is a 17^th century fort, several renovations have been done to this fort to convert it into a hotel, a fact we didn’t know when we set out. Nevertheless, the journey and the view once you reach the fort more or less made up for the disappointment of seeing a hotel where we expected to finally see a fort.

The journey to Tiracol fort requires one to take a ferry from Querim. The ferry takes both people as well as vehicles for the fort is situated a few kilometers from the wharf. The fort, originally built by Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle, the Raja of Sawantwadi, was later captured by the Portuguese in mid 1700’s. And the Portuguese influence is quite apparent when you visit the fort. There’s a small cross sheltered under the trees just outside the fort. Inside the fort, there’s a church built for the Holy Trinity and a statue of St. Andrew dominates the center of the courtyard. However, the rest of the fort is quite unremarkable. The top of the fort though, affords a great view of the Terekhol River joining the Arabian Sea. Besides, you can also see the Querim beach on the far side of the sea. The roof of the fort has now been converted into a restaurant.

Having seen whatever little there was to see, we decided to have lunch in the roof top restaurant. However, the maitre‘d informed us that there was a better restaurant situated a little off the road leading to the fort. Though we never found out the reason for this particular advice (though it might have had something to do with the fact that one of our friend was a local and spoke the local language fluently), we were definitely thankful to the maitre’d for his suggestion. That meal in on our last day in Goa was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Apart from the usual fare of prawns and surmai, we also got to taste some excellent squid. 

That done, we took one last look at the confluence of the Terekhol river and the Arabian Sea and set out on our way to Mapusa where we were supposed to drop a friend and shop for some delicacies. A few Bibincas, prawn pickles, and port wines later, we were headed back home with nothing but memories.

P. S: As I write this, another trip to Goa beckons in a few hours.

On the hallowed grounds of Goa - II

This post is the second one in the series of three about my Goa trip. If you visit the first post, you will see that it was written in April 2011. The trip took place in January 2011. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write the posts quickly enough due to a variety of reasons (which I won't go into). Given the significant time gap, the details of the trip are quite blurry in my mind. But still, I have tried to put into words everything I could.

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The next day saw us heading to the southern part of Goa with the intention of visiting the well known tourist places in Velha Goa, more commonly known as Old Goa. Old Goa is known mainly for the magnificent churches that grace the scenery. Grabbing a quick bite in Mapusa, we set off for our next destination. While the previous day had been all about discovering new places, today was going to be a stroll down the memory lane. All the places on the list today were places that I had been to earlier and had some great memories associated with them.

A drive of about 40-45 Kms brought us to the Mangueshi temple. The Mangueshi temple is one of the biggest and famousest temples in Goa. Known for its serene surroundings and grand Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, this temple is a major pilgrimage site in Goa. This was my second visit to this temple, and definitely less eventful than the last one. My last visit here was made memorable here thanks to a visit to one of my friend's relatives' house. This house, situated in the vicinity of the temple, was a revelation, partly because of the old fashioned way it was built - complete with a courtyard and a Tulsi plant inside - and mainly because of the scenic backyard. The backyard is really a garden with a variety of trees - none of which I remember now. Five years after I last visited that place, the details are a quite hazy, but the one memory that still lingers is the stillness. No chattering of people, no humming of machinery, no clanging of bells, no voices; complete stillness punctuated by the chirping of birds, the occasional cracking of twigs under our footsteps, and the rustling of leaves. The silence that engulfs you is soothing yet exhilarating, a complete contrast from the daily humdrum of the life that we lead in the city. You feel like a giant in Lilliput, completely oblivious to the chatter of insignificantly small beings. Unfortunately, this time around, despite being urged by my friend, it was not possible for us to visit his home due to time constraints.

Bidding adieu to the temple, we made our way towards Old Goa. The first stop in Old Goa was the Basilica of Bom Jesus. This is one of the oldest and most popular churches in Goa. Located in the midst of huge lush green grounds, this holy place of worship is a treat for those who love the baroque architecture of old. Apart from the exquisitely adorned altars the floor has been inlaid with stones bearing words carved into them. This church is famous for the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The ground surrounding the church is dotted with a cross here, an old well there, and of course lush greenery everywhere.

From the Basilica of Bom Jesus, we made our way across the road to the Se Cathedral. Situated right besides the Archaeological Survey ofIndia office, this is reputed to be one of the biggest churches in India. The architecture of the church is a mixture of Gothic and Portuguese architectural styles. The main altar in this church is occupied by Catherine of Alexandria. The wall are adorned by various old paintings. The lawn surrounding the church is beautifully manicured and is well maintained. The lone tower of the Se Cathedral houses a gigantic bell known as the 'Golden Bell'. The bell has received this name thanks to its rich tone. If the stillness of the forest makes you feel like a giant, the magnificence and vastness of the churches dwarf you in comparison.

Once we finished with the churches, we made our way to a nearby hotel for some lunch. This turned out to be quite an interesting event. Not the lunch itself - the lunch was quite ordinary with limited fare since we were one of the late comers - but the antics of the staff. As I said, we arrived late for lunch, but as it turned out, we weren't the only ones. There was a fleet of customers waiting to be served, and the hotel staff looked to be short in supply. As we were having our lunch, the hotel owner started losing his temper seeing the lethargy of the staff. And by the time we paid our bill and got out, there were plates being smashed, angry swear words being exchanged, and blows getting rained upon each other by both the owner and the staff.

Once we had satisfied our hunger, we moved on to our next destination. Now our friend, who was visiting Goa for the first time, had heard a lot about Dona Paula. This is one of the most popular places in Goa for Water sports. Besides the water sports, there are also many hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops present here. But the biggest attraction here is the story of Dona and Paula. There are various myths and facts associated with Dona Paula, all of which can be found on Wikipedia. The physical layout of the place consists of a harbor and a rocky outcrop which culminates in a spacious observation platform. There are steps carved made in the rocky outcrop to lead you to the top. As beautiful as this place was, I was eagerly looking forward to our next destination.

Next up was the Fort Aguada. Fort Aguada is a Portuguese fort built on the Sinquerim beach. It is a vast fort built with ramparts overlooking the sea and a prison to hold captives. Fort Aguada is named so because of the fresh water spring built inside the fort to provide water. Aguada is another name for water. Unfortunately, the visitor timings are restricted to 1730 hours only. We reached the fort just as the government officials were closing the gate. Given that we wouldn't be able to visit the fort the next day, this was a big disappointment. So with time to while away, we decided to explore the surrounding area of the fort. Now to the left of the fort, there is a curtain of trees hiding the end of the cliff. We made our way to the edge of the cliff and were greeted with a massive coastline stretching as far as our eyes could see with a couple of lighthouses just warming up for their night duty. Having taken in the sights and clicked a few snaps, our friend suggested that we have a look at the lighthouse situated right besides the fort.

One of my wishes (amongst a million others) was to climb up a lighthouse (using stairs of course). This particular lighthouse provided an opportunity for a price of 10 bucks (50 for foreigners). After listening patiently to warnings regarding not leaning on the railings and coming back in 15 minutes, we finally started our ascent. The view from the top was breathtaking as we could see the inner layout of the fort, the coastline on either sides of the fort, and the sea shimmering in an iridescent display of red, orange, and yellow. Even as I write this, I am torn between choosing the best way of watching a sunset: sitting in a shack feasting on delicious seafood and a pint or sitting atop a lighthouse, the breeze blowing strong, and not a worry in the world to trouble your heart.

The lighthouse ticked off the list; we proceeded for the most famous tourist spots in Goa: Calangute and Baga beaches. However crowded these beaches may be a Goa excursion is incomplete without a visit to these places. As expected, both the beaches were chockfull with people with barely enough place to walk. After a few unsuccessful attempts to enjoy the beach, we decided to have dinner and head home. We found a small place which served the most delicious fish curry and rice and had dinner there. Dinner was accompanied by an amateur artist belting Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi classics. He did a decent job and the legends would have given him a nod of approval.

Our appetites full, and our bodies tired from the day long excursion, we returned back to base for a good night’s sleep.

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You can find the photos here.

On the hallowed grounds of Goa - I

The dawn was just peeking through the veil of the night and the sun was lazily making its way from behind the mountains. A breeze, strong but comforting, flowing through the slightly open window, was ruffling my hair as I slept in the backseat of our car. My state of peaceful slumber was broken rather cruelly by my friend shouting beside me, urging me to look out the window. And there it was - barely visible amidst the thickets - it was a beach. But not just a beach. Flanked by two majestic hills on both sides, palm trees defining the border, and sharp rocks jutting out of the water; as if daring the waves to cross over to the land without breaking over them, it was one of the most lasting images that Goa left imprinted on our minds. And yes, conceited beings that we are, we also took that as a welcome mat rolled out by Goa for us.

Karwar beach - The Welcome Mat

A long weekend had beckoned, and as a spur of the moment decision, we had decided to visit the most 'hallowed' of places for weekend getaways: Goa. Unfortunately, a few thousand other people in Bangalore seemed to have similar ideas, which meant that we were left with no option but to hire a car. To compound the crisis, none of us had enough driving experience to undertake the driving responsibilities for such a long journey. Which meant that we had to hire a car with a driver. In hindsight though, this turned out to be a good decision as we did not have to worry about finding a parking spot, or indeed worry about blaming one of us for any accident that might occur. Bengaluru to Goa is a 10-hour journey and since we were traveling overnight, all of it was spent either sleeping or taking turns to sit beside the driver to keep him company. Accommodation can be a problem when visiting Goa during such long weekends. However, this was taken care of by one of our friends accompanying us as his folks graciously allowed us to stay in their house in Goa.

And so it was, that we found ourselves taking in the glorious sight of the sea-flanked-by-mountains-with-rocks-jutting-out-covered-by-early-morning-hue just on the outskirts of Karwar. The day was just threatening to unleash a hot wave of sun rays as we made our way into the small town called Siolim. Having deposited our stuff at the apartment, we set out to explore the town first.

Siolim is a small town situated on the banks of the river Chapora. It's similar to the thousands of other small towns you will find scattered across India. Being on the banks of a river means that fishing is a primary means of earning your bread. Every morning, the fishermen haul out their boats to go fishing and by the time the rest of the town starts milling around, you will see those boats coming back laden with fish. With all the vendors vying to get the best of the catch, the scene is best viewed from afar; though I did manage to get through to get a glimpse of a majestic Manta Ray being hauled out of the boat. A few snaps and videos later, we resumed our walk on the banks of the river. There was a time not too long ago when the river was used by commercial ships as a means to shorten their routes around Goa. Siolim provided a very affordable and comfortable pit stop for these ships and the locals also got some good business done apart from fishing.

However, the bridge built to join the two banks of the river meant that the 'shortcut' was no longer there to be used. Of course, this also meant a big blow to the means of livelihood for the townspeople. This piece of 'history' was told to us by our friend and 'guide' as we took in the view of the river.

The bridge over Chapora river.

Having taken in the views, and admired the 'big-boat-on-hire-for-couples', we went back to our accommodation and prepared for the first stop of our weekend getaway.

Big-Boat-on-Hire-for-Couples

The Arambol beach is situated in the northern part of Goa. It's not as popular as the Calangute or Baga beaches, but perhaps it's this relative anonymity that has helped maintain the pristine beauty of this beach. A drive of about 45 minutes brought us to our destination. Now one of the reasons for visiting this house was that our friend had a house there too. Though disuse and negligence have taken their toll on the house, it's easy to see that it would have been some sight in its heydays. The ocean's reach ended just a few hundred metres from the veranda of the house.

It was easy to imagine how wonderful it would have been to watch the blazing globe of fire sink below the unfathomable horizon every evening. After visiting the house, we went ahead with the customary walk-on-the-beach. We walked on to some huge rocks jutting out to stop the advent of the sea, two particular ones catching our attention. They taller than the others and stood side-by-side. At one point, the sun seemed to be resting between the two of them, almost as if it was tired of its journey westward. Our friend informed us that the pair was called 'Chacha-Bhatija'. After a few snaps, we proceeded to ahead to see the much talked about sweet water lake. This sweet water lake is one of the features of the Arambol beach. Nestled amongst lush greenery clinging onto some cliffs, this sweet water lake forms a perfect contrast to the raging ocean behind. Moreover, it provides a nice alternative to people who do not want to take a swim in the pounding waves of the sea.

The Sweet-Water Lake

Unfortunately, all this beauty has finally begun to take its toll on the beach. A few beach-side hotels are already beginning to make appearances. One of the biggest has partially blocked out the view of the ocean from the verandah. A small scar near the 'Chacha-Bhatija' has been occupied by hordes of shops selling trinkets and providing sea food. Garbage strewn carelessly around the beach has marred the beauty of the beach. What's more, the sweet water lake, of considerable size earlier, is threatening to become a pond. As wonderful as it was to see the natural beauty, it was equally painful to see such scenes of human indecency.

Having had our share of beach walk, we decided to have an early dinner while watching the sunset. We found places in a shack facing the sea - and we had front row seats I must say - and watched the sun journey into sea as we waded through some delicious seafood preparations.
 

The Sunset...

...and the sea food

Finally, having satisfied our taste buds, we proceeded back to the point where we had left our car. Our friend needed to take leave of his relatives, and hence went back to his house while we waited on the beach for him. As it turned out, our friend took his time saying goodbyes. I must say that it turned out to be one of the better decisions. While the sight of the sea stretching wide and far, colored in every imaginable hue of red, yellow, and orange is a glorious sight, the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore during the night-time can be quite mesmerizing too. Just standing there with my feet buried in the cool sand was peaceful, and as one of my friends put it, epiphanic.

That was the first day then; long, yet fantastic. As we returned back to our accommodations, the mind was still back on the beach listening to the sonorous sound of the waves. As I went to bed that day, I couldn't help but hope that the next day turns out the same.