Tony Gupta is a name that all Harappans know well. He died with Paladin Thain on “Harvest Day”. That’s what we Harappans call the day Earthers on the Starship Marcus Johnson fired their energy beam weapon at Paladin that ignited several veins of illumaphane knocking the planet off it’s orbit. Maybe I haven’t told you much about Harvest Day, and maybe I should. It burns in the blood of every Harappan.
But, I promised to talk about Francis Gupta today, Tony’s uncle and Max Gavaskar’s physics professor.
When Max first discovered the illumaphane problem with the FTL starships of the SID (Science and Industry Division) she went to Professor Gupta. He went straight to the SID who arrested him for sedition. He stayed in prison for over a year. He was confined by the SID until Max came for him and negotiated his release. She wasn’t yet known universally as the Mother but she had already accumulated some very powerful friends and used her influence to help her old friend and teacher.
Francis chose to stay on Harappa. He died there in Harappan year 240, Earth year 2431. He worked at the University of Sandon up until the last few months of his life. He published a series of books on the Gavaskar Field and was well respected in intellectual circles on Harappa. He chose to avoid galactic politics and was not involved in the Galactic War at all, despite Harappa being one of the primary arenas.
The Mother maintained her relationship with the old man and was at his bedside when he passed.
Max once told me that she felt responsible for his year of confinement and she carried a great deal of guilt about that. For the professor’s part he wouldn’t hear it. He maintained that the fault was his alone for trusting the local Sandon SID supervisor.
Francis Gupta was a well loved, soft spoken, gentle soul. Though people may more remember his nephew Tony, it was Francis who arranged for Tony to travel with Paladin. If the Professor had not stepped in to help Paladin we would not now know Tony’s name.
It is unlikely that history will long remember Francis Gupta, yet he was instrumental in the background of at least two major historical events, Harvest Day and the Mother’s Exhile.
Tomorrow; All about Harvest Day
Philip Normer
Kushan Year 87
Earth Year 2479
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