Something was wrong. Nicholas Hays, a young Aerospace Engineer at the age of twenty and eight opened his eyes and found he was no longer at home. Instead of the four hundred thread count cotton sheets he was lying on only moments ago there was now a firm cushioned chaise lounge. Immediately Nicholas sat upright and assessed his strange surroundings. The room was only illuminated by the starlight that escaped through the hermetically sealed window to the outside and only enough to make visible the rug running across the floor with reds and blues ending where a soft brown winged arm chair sat facing the young man perfectly. But the floor underneath the fine rug was of a cold metal.
A loud click grabbed Nicholas' attention and light penetrated the darkness and adrenaline now started coursing through him as a metal sliding door opened up. A shadow appeared in the light like a ghost. "Good, you are awake. How are you feeling?"
"Where am I?" Anxious, the young man rose to his feet but had no strength in his legs and collapsed.
"Please stay calm." The mysterious figure stepped forward and the door closed allowing the blackness to return.
"Tell me where I am! Where's Sarah?"
"Sarah did not come. We only wanted you." The figure took the chair across from Nicholas, his face still shrouded.
"The fuck does that mean? Where am I? Answer me!"
"Nicholas," The figure remained completely unstirred by the outburst, "I assure you all of your questions will be answered. You are in a very safe place and all of your loved ones are just fine. We just have a couple of questions."
Nicholas calmed his breathing to try and clear his mind while desperately to make out the face of his captor. "Who are you? Why wont you turn on the light?"
"Because I am a being of darkness and you would not see me in the light."
"What? That doesn't make sense. Where am I?"
"You are on a research station orbiting your planet."
"Shut up. Whats going on?"
"Go look out the window."
"I cant. My legs...they don't work."
"That's just a temporary side effect. Should have only been a moment. Go ahead try again."
Nicholas successfully stood up, his legs still numb in some areas but altogether there and stable. "What did you do to me?"
"We needed you to be accustomed to the pressures and atmosphere of our vessel."
"Ha." Nicholas went to the window and looked out. It was unlike anything he could have ever imagined. His beautiful blue planet sat like a shiny pearl within the abyss of a dark sea. The great green lacerations across its landscape showed its depths with great care and brought utter awe to its observer. Panic set it in but it was strange how similar to relief it felt. Everything that was left behind passed before him in an instant. His family had nearly been ripped apart by the untimely death of his older brother, a young musician only two years older than Nicholas. Sarah, his partner, brought more misery than she expelled. Mind numbing number crunching was not at all what he intended as a career upon receiving his degree in engineering. The monotonous day after day wore him down to a cynical observance of his reality. This was the perfect solution. He could escape from his existence without having to do himself in. How man times had he yearned for a passing car to accidentally smash into him stealing his breath away. This was it though, the perfect out. No one would blame him.
"Can you please come back and sit down?" But Nicholas was lost in thought while extracting every fine detail of the glorious sight. "Nicholas please."
"How am I here? How is it that I am standin here lookin out this window?"
"Come sit down and Ill explain."
"I mean this is just crazy."
"Nicholas I implore you to sit and talk with me."
"Implore? Why can't I stand? I like lookin out this window."
"Nicholas, we must move forward. You should be sitting."
"Fine, but only 'cuz you implored."
"Thank you." Nicholas' sarcasm not received by the sentient being.
"So who are you? What are you?"
"You may call me Alnilam."
"Ok Alnilam, how did I get here?"
"We took you. Now I'm sure you have many questions but I must insist that I get mine out of the way first."
"Seeing as I'm your prisoner...I don't s'pose I have a choice."
"Nicholas, you are my guest, not my prisoner."
"So I can leave?"
"If you so choose, that option will be available when we are done."
"Fine, ask your questions."
"Are you afraid?"
"A little. More unsure than anything. I just figure that this is probably just a dream."
"I see. Do you usually dream of waking up elsewhere?"
"No. But in a dream anything is possible."
"I see. What do you know of your planet?"
"What do ya mean? I mean it's earth. It's round, blue and full of people that wanna kill each other."
"I see. Do you want to kill your own species?"
"Ha! Sometimes ya, haha. But I'd never actually do it."
"I see. Why is that?"
"Cuz it's wrong."
"I see. What is wrong?"
"You know, its just something that's not right haha."
"I see. And what is right?"
"I don't know, something that's done appropriately. Usually something with good intent."
"I see. So on earth is your species a right one or a wrong one?"
"Are these the questions? I would think highly intelligent life like yourselves would know the difference between right and wrong."
"Right and wrong are just concepts of a societal norm. These questions I ask are simply to inquire upon your awareness of these ideas."
"Well fuck man, I could have answered those last ones much better."
"I see. Why didn't you answer them better?"
"I'm a little out of place I suppose."
"I see. What is it that you require?"
"Coffee, haha."
"I see. Alright then." The metal sliding door opened up with another startling click. A second figure entered the room carrying a ceramic mug with hot black coffee.
Nicholas received the cup, unable to make out the face of the server. The figure did not stay and as swiftly as he entered he exited the room. "Well that was convenient. If I knew it was gonna be that easy I would have asked for some weed haha." Again the metal sliding door opened up and the figure returned, this time with a silver plate. Lying on the shiny surface was a rolled cigarette and beside it a match and a strip of graphite. "This is just the best dream."
"Well Nicholas this is not a dream. Anything you require you need only ask."
"Can I have a little Jack Daniels to put in my coffee?" Before he could even finish his request the figure had returned once more and gave Nicholas a small shot of the Tennessee whiskey.
"It's enlightening to see you enjoy your world's pleasures. May we continue?"
"Let's do it bro." Nicholas sparked his cigarette and drank his spiked coffee.
"Is your species a wrong one or a right one?"
"Look, humans can be violent yes. Some would say its just within us and you know what? Maybe it is. We're only this way because of having to survive in a fucked up world. A species does not get to where we are without shedding some blood. But you know something? People generally love. Whether they can find the strength or not to love across borders they definitely have heart. And passion."
"I see. What is your favorite thing about your planet?"
"Wow, great question." Nicholas found it difficult to narrow his choices down. Despite his pessimism there was much that he enjoyed about his world. Lush green forests, rainy days, deserts in the winter and the grape vineyards of California's wine country in the dead heat of summer was the epitome of serene. Human's were prolific in their extravagant reconstruction of the majestic scenery. The sounds of a trickling waterfall and the laps of waves against a sandy beach were his favorite songs of a wonderfully toned earthly echo. Man's control over sound was unique and manifested perfectly within his favorite instrument, the Saxophone. It was what his brother played. When the sound came from the bell of the instrument it did so with a soulful grace that shamed all of man's other innovations. "Definitely music."
"I see."
"It's just beautiful in every culture and every species."
"I see. Do you create music?"
"Unfortunately no, I don't. But I love it and I surround myself with it every day. Its a form of escape really."
"I see. Well Nicholas I believe I am satisfied."
"That's it? I can ask my questions now?"
"Yes."
"Am I going to be anally probed? Or did you do that when I was passed out?"
"Everyone asks that. It is something we have never done. For some reason your species has generated this illusion. Your mind is much more complex. Trust me there is not much to learn from a species' rectum."
"Haha. That's great. You know I have always wondered something. What do you call our star?"
"I am sorry to disappoint but it's designation number is not so pretty. What do you call it?"
"Nothing haha. Its just our Sun."
"Well it's a great sun because it has given life."
"So why did you take me?"
"We felt you were an appropriate sample."
"But why me?"
"No reason in particular. Our decision was completely random."
"So this is a research vessel. What are you researching?"
"Unobtanium. It's created by consciousness and can only be harnessed in higher dimensions."
"What? I've never heard of that. That sounds like some metaphysical stuff though. So we got a lot of it?"
"No. In fact there is none."
"Wait. Consciousness is definitely present in the human species. I would say that if this Unobtanium is created by consciousness then we would have a plethora."
"Your consciousness is a very well disguised ignorance. The little that exists on your planet could only be extracted by separating the Unobtanium from it's physical vessels. Every thing on your planet has some level of consciousness and so must be thorough in our extraction process. The amount present is not nearly enough to sustain much longer and since our reserves have been depleted we have grown desperate."
"Wait a minute." It took a moment for Nicholas to completely comprehend what was just revealed to him. "Are you gonna destroy my planet?"
"Yes. It is a matter of survival and we are the fittest. This is a concept of which I am sure your species is aware of."
"What are you going to do to it?"
"First we will deplete your atmosphere of oxygen so that all life is suffocated. Then we will break down the magnetic fields by distorting the poles and allow the natural degradation of your planet's surface. Following that, in another dimension we will simply 'fish' for escaping energy pockets and extract from them the Unobtanium."
"That sucks. So whats gonna happen with me?"
"That depends on you. You were not the only one to be taken. We have been here for centuries. Every one is given a choice to return or to stay with us."
"Why would I stay? It seems I don't have a choice if earth is going to be destroyed."
"Some of your species have expressed a preference of dying with their loved ones rather than living out the rest of their lives upon a space ship alone."
"Do many people stay?"
"No. Some do, but it is very rare. As you said earlier, there is much love within your species."
"Did you ask them the same questions?"
"No, theirs were much more formal. They also do not get the pleasure of actually meeting us."
"So what? Am I special?"
"No Nicholas, not really. You share the individual uniqueness of your species. You are simply the last sample. I wanted meet with one personally before it all ended. It was appropriate that it would be the last."
"You want to look into the face of the species you are about to exterminate over this Unobtanium? Why not just do it already?"
"My curiosity knows no bounds. I could not bring myself to destroy life without attempting to understand it completely."
"Do you feel you have a good understanding?"
"Yes I do. I am confident that I know earth life quite well, especially the human species. They are fascinating and very strong."
" Given that have you not tried elsewhere? Is there nothing that could convince you to let us live?"
"Nicholas at one time my world dwarfed your own. Now our numbers have reduced to just three, counting myself. This is because we were unable to sustain our reserves of unobtanium. Since our species does not procreate there will be no rebound of our species.We simply 'were' but not we are soon to be 'never again'. We need Unobtanium or we too will die. Every moment we go without your worlds destruction is one in which our species will no longer exist. We have traversed deep dark pockets of the universe but conscious life is nearly non existent. We have only been able to survive on what he had left but that has long been depleted and we are at our end."
"What are you surviving for? Whats the point of going on if there is nothing left of your species?"
"At one time our mission was to gather consciousness and vast wells of information and pool them into one central data bank. Recently though it seems we only exist to survive."
"Wow. That sucks. For both of us. Really for my world since there is nothing we can do about it."
"So, what is your choice? Will you stay or go?"
"How would I survive here?"
"The manipulation of matter is elementary to us. You may have whatever it is you wish whenever you wish it."
"Where would I stay?"
"We would give you a room where you could reside until the day of your death."
Nicholas badly wanted to stay. The idea of seeing the far reaches of space enthralled him. What other planets sat upon the fine fabric of space time? What other secrets of the universe could be discovered? Clearly the world was going to be destroyed so returning seemed far off especially since his home life was not all an incentive. With the separation of his family and the toxic relationship with Sarah the 'preference of dying with loved ones' was not shared by him. Being alone for the rest of his life seemed liked torture and Nicholas remembered his love for music. "Do you create music? What about art? Could I read? What about talking with those who decided to stay?"
"Our reception of 'sound' is much different than yours. Music does not exist within our species. Also we are not completely physical so much of your creative zeal is not shared by the rest of the universe. As for your books we have some but we can manipulate matter to duplicate some one's creative creation. Referring to what I said earlier, it is rare that some one chooses to stay. The last to accept our offer of residence passed away. It would only be you."
"Well then my choice is to return." It was not an easy one but there was just no way he could abandon his world. In the end it did not matter how unhappy his immediate life was because the beauty of the world and the creativity of its inhabitants brought an inexhaustible well of satisfaction.
"I see. When you next wake up you will once more be within your home and next to your Sarah. It was a pleasure meeting with you."
Nicholas was instantly put to sleep and his memory cleared. The metal sliding door opened and two figures entered. "He chose to return Mintaka."
"Yes Alnitak. I understand. I am now forfeit from the decision."
Alnilam stood up and faced the two others. "Mintaka lost the bet. Are you still willing to play Alnitak?"
"Yes. He is not a fighter I know he will give up. When he does you will lose and the decision will be mine."
Alnilam responded "And I suppose you would destroy them."
"It is us or them Alnilam. But if you win I will adhere to whatever it is you choose."
Mintaka agreed, "Yes Alnilam. Despite my reservations to die I will be loyal."
"Then it is agreed. Mintaka's wager that he would stay proved wrong. Alnitak if he does commit to his self immolation the decision to destroy this world and farm the Unobtanium necessary for our temporary survival will be yours. But If Nicholas perseveres and survives we will succumb to our fate and allow these aliens to their own endeavors."
"Agreed." Mintaka was quick to answer.
"As I said Alnilam, I will adhere." There was much trepidation in his response.
Nicholas awoke to the sunlight escaping his slightly parted blinds and the smell of sizzling bacon downstairs. Quickly a wave of stress came over, the anticipation of the day's habitual labors. Morning hygiene followed by Sarah's poor attempt at breakfast and the congested traffic of the morning's freeway rush hour. Nicholas though wondered why he should even go to work. He hated it and realized how easy it would be to just call in and quit. Extreme poverty could not be that bad.
He did not even have to pretend to love Sarah, he could lie in bed and do whatever it is he wished. What use was there to be unhappy anyways if he could just end it all at any moment? But in the end he could not find himself from breaking from his routine and got out of bed two minutes before his alarm went off. Nicholas brushed his teeth and got prepared for work.
Downstairs Sarah had already prepared his breakfast as he walked in. "G'morning." There was only emptiness in her words.
Nicholas dreamed of everything he wanted to say to her. How he hated her and felt from her nothing but coldness. Her lack of interest was torture and he suspected that she was having an affair. "Morning. Is there coffee?"
"No because you forgot to pick some up yesterday, remember?"
"Ya, how could I forget that talk last night."
"Ugh, whatever. Just remember I need to be picked up at 11:30 today. You can remember that right?" Nicholas could never commit murder but Sarah was quickly pushing his patience. The thought seriously weighed on him but could not bring himself to do it.
"I guess we will see."
"You know what one day you'll lose everything and become completely alone.
"That'd be nice." Nicholas remained completely stoic as he poked at his food with his fork.
"The whole world could end and you wouldn't even care huh?"
"Trust me Sarah, If it were up to me this whole shit hole would go up in flames."Sarah stormed out of the kitchen fuming with frustration and Nicholas was left alone to his thoughts.
He hated fighting with Sarah but it seemed whenever they were in the same room he could not refrain from pugilism. Nicholas did not understand why he couldn't break his routine. The eggs were cold because they were made too early and the bacon was not cooked enough and so was rubbery and floppy but Nicholas ate them anyways. These habits were like a bad addiction that he would just not shake. Second after second passed without the world's incipient destruction. Life had to go on and so Nicholas washed his dirty dishes and left to work only to return at the proper time to get Sarah. Everything had to go on as usual even if there was no use. Presently there was something there and thus the stresses and strains were still very real.
Days would go by and still the earth remained.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Accepting the Truth
This much can always be said, the mind is fascinating. What a wonder it is that it will cling to almost anything in order to make sense of itself. Not only that but it desperately seeks an answer to decipher the mysteries of our own reality. It is easy to question because the discrepancies are easy to observe. This is especially true to a well tuned mind. In my opinion all of philosophy stems from this very idea, that some great absurdity has finally been revealed.
Like a parasite thought it feeds on these spontaneous epiphanies and obsesses itself within the possibility of being true. Perhaps driven by fear or the desire of unveiling some universal secret the mind will often find itself dwelling upon great cosmic mysteries that have no real end. Here it clings and desperately believes its only known reality, one based on five senses and one singular perception. Some look upon this great unknowing and run in fear behind their gods and causes while others embrace it and use it to empower themselves as well as their gods.
Because of our singular existence the mind is naturally inclined towards egocentrism. It would be appropriate to say that the human species' self awareness is completely narcissistic. It is why we treasure worldly goods and must be constantly reminded by biblical scriptures to refrain from such materialism. To think that we are the only forms of intelligent life in the whole universe is just incorrect. How arrogant must we be to believe that our very limited intelligence allows us the right to assert such a statement. The great wide universe is so vast and distances between worlds are much greater than our technology could even fathom. The galaxies are innumerable. The possibilities are limitless simply because of the own limitations to our comprehension of the unknown. We would have to traverse the great distances and set foot upon the foreign soils in order to truly understand.
Being so self aware leads to great fear when the comfortable sense of reality is shattered. When we are challenged on our beliefs we will strictly adhere to them like a man stranded at sea clinging to his life jacket. Despite evidence of the contrary the mind will actually deny the disruption and form some alternate reality. This new reality creates a new feeling of comfort and thus a stable plateau in which more ignorance can verbally be spewed. It is why denial quickly sets in upon a displeasing response and a positive one leaves the listener with more of an inclination to believe.
Look upon these social media ads that offer personality tests. This computer fabricated quiz employs instant gratification to a hungry mind. A mind that is told is unique and individually strong yet ostentatiously described through one of five personalities. How sad is it that social media causes this false state of mental gratification! What our creations have done is simulated the very reality that took thousands of years of evolution. We have successfully imitated reality and feel more content behind our computer screens and digital televisions, our smartphones and our tablets. Within these devices anything offered in the real world can be found virtually. Here you could take on any form and enter this new world with complete anonymity.
This drives society away from the world outside the universe and into one with flashing lights and easy to use functions. It must be great to dwell in an existence where all of the world's knowledge is pooled into a device that could fit into the palm of a hand. Why is it then that we are reserved to live in ignorance? Can you not see the great absurdity that our creation has unintentionally revealed? If we can so easily create such a world out of nothing, one very much in infancy, who is to say that we are not some virtual manifestation of some great overseer? Could god be some semi-intelligent being playing a video game through an app on his communication device?
Philosophy in conjunction with science is much more successful and pleasing in the realm of understanding simply because of the continuous act of asking questions. "Why" is much more enlightening than concluding that all the answers could be found within the existence of our world or the gods we create. With the massive and seemingly infinite space of the whole universe we can not possibly believe that we even have the ability to understand anything cosmically great. A true understanding of everything would probably necessitate a fully activated consciousness. No matter what one would say about their own penal gland or third eye, it is impossible within our material world to achieve one. Any person that willingly exists within the technosphere is corrupted and those who contest this are truly lost. Do not believe the fool who tells you of his third eye! Any person who finds it necessary to dangle in front of your face their own enlightenment is just arrogant and has already failed their own assertions. They know who they are and this truth eats at their soul like a virulent poison.
What do you think the ant would say if told that there was a whole world beyond his ant hole? Upon this realization you then tell him that his world is just a part of a whole solar system of eight other planets and a bright yellow star. If his mind is not yet blown you continue to reveal that the star in which this vast system rotates around is simply one of billions of others and there are even more yet to be observed and counted like the many atoms that exist below its feet. Would his little ant mouth not drop in awe and amazement? Would he be stricken with fear by the sudden realization of his own insignificance? How small the ant must truly feel after all this. How are we any different though?
Accepting that we are completely insignificant and alone is a pivotal stage in the human mind. It could drive people to madness and great brilliance. Never though is one completely satisfied. Religion is refined and closed in its ideas but philosophy is opened ended and arguably rough around the edges.
So how do we escape the fear and satisfy the yearning of our wondering mind without sacrificing true reality? First it is important to accept and understand that perceived reality is tainted by a narrow minded thought process. This is important because we must realize that our perceived truths do not lie on solid ground. This reasoning leads to the next important understanding, that we must question everything and be open minded in our discoveries. Nothing is truly false and conversely nothing is completely true. Do no reject anything completely. Behind all of these ideas there is a universal thread that must be found much like the needle in a haystack. Follow the noble eight fold path of enlightenment and train the mind through meditation and introspection. Know how to dwell in the deep dark depths of the psyche and never stop pursuing knowledge. Then we will gain our most accurate perception of reality.
Like a parasite thought it feeds on these spontaneous epiphanies and obsesses itself within the possibility of being true. Perhaps driven by fear or the desire of unveiling some universal secret the mind will often find itself dwelling upon great cosmic mysteries that have no real end. Here it clings and desperately believes its only known reality, one based on five senses and one singular perception. Some look upon this great unknowing and run in fear behind their gods and causes while others embrace it and use it to empower themselves as well as their gods.
Because of our singular existence the mind is naturally inclined towards egocentrism. It would be appropriate to say that the human species' self awareness is completely narcissistic. It is why we treasure worldly goods and must be constantly reminded by biblical scriptures to refrain from such materialism. To think that we are the only forms of intelligent life in the whole universe is just incorrect. How arrogant must we be to believe that our very limited intelligence allows us the right to assert such a statement. The great wide universe is so vast and distances between worlds are much greater than our technology could even fathom. The galaxies are innumerable. The possibilities are limitless simply because of the own limitations to our comprehension of the unknown. We would have to traverse the great distances and set foot upon the foreign soils in order to truly understand.
Being so self aware leads to great fear when the comfortable sense of reality is shattered. When we are challenged on our beliefs we will strictly adhere to them like a man stranded at sea clinging to his life jacket. Despite evidence of the contrary the mind will actually deny the disruption and form some alternate reality. This new reality creates a new feeling of comfort and thus a stable plateau in which more ignorance can verbally be spewed. It is why denial quickly sets in upon a displeasing response and a positive one leaves the listener with more of an inclination to believe.
Look upon these social media ads that offer personality tests. This computer fabricated quiz employs instant gratification to a hungry mind. A mind that is told is unique and individually strong yet ostentatiously described through one of five personalities. How sad is it that social media causes this false state of mental gratification! What our creations have done is simulated the very reality that took thousands of years of evolution. We have successfully imitated reality and feel more content behind our computer screens and digital televisions, our smartphones and our tablets. Within these devices anything offered in the real world can be found virtually. Here you could take on any form and enter this new world with complete anonymity.
This drives society away from the world outside the universe and into one with flashing lights and easy to use functions. It must be great to dwell in an existence where all of the world's knowledge is pooled into a device that could fit into the palm of a hand. Why is it then that we are reserved to live in ignorance? Can you not see the great absurdity that our creation has unintentionally revealed? If we can so easily create such a world out of nothing, one very much in infancy, who is to say that we are not some virtual manifestation of some great overseer? Could god be some semi-intelligent being playing a video game through an app on his communication device?
Philosophy in conjunction with science is much more successful and pleasing in the realm of understanding simply because of the continuous act of asking questions. "Why" is much more enlightening than concluding that all the answers could be found within the existence of our world or the gods we create. With the massive and seemingly infinite space of the whole universe we can not possibly believe that we even have the ability to understand anything cosmically great. A true understanding of everything would probably necessitate a fully activated consciousness. No matter what one would say about their own penal gland or third eye, it is impossible within our material world to achieve one. Any person that willingly exists within the technosphere is corrupted and those who contest this are truly lost. Do not believe the fool who tells you of his third eye! Any person who finds it necessary to dangle in front of your face their own enlightenment is just arrogant and has already failed their own assertions. They know who they are and this truth eats at their soul like a virulent poison.
What do you think the ant would say if told that there was a whole world beyond his ant hole? Upon this realization you then tell him that his world is just a part of a whole solar system of eight other planets and a bright yellow star. If his mind is not yet blown you continue to reveal that the star in which this vast system rotates around is simply one of billions of others and there are even more yet to be observed and counted like the many atoms that exist below its feet. Would his little ant mouth not drop in awe and amazement? Would he be stricken with fear by the sudden realization of his own insignificance? How small the ant must truly feel after all this. How are we any different though?
Accepting that we are completely insignificant and alone is a pivotal stage in the human mind. It could drive people to madness and great brilliance. Never though is one completely satisfied. Religion is refined and closed in its ideas but philosophy is opened ended and arguably rough around the edges.
So how do we escape the fear and satisfy the yearning of our wondering mind without sacrificing true reality? First it is important to accept and understand that perceived reality is tainted by a narrow minded thought process. This is important because we must realize that our perceived truths do not lie on solid ground. This reasoning leads to the next important understanding, that we must question everything and be open minded in our discoveries. Nothing is truly false and conversely nothing is completely true. Do no reject anything completely. Behind all of these ideas there is a universal thread that must be found much like the needle in a haystack. Follow the noble eight fold path of enlightenment and train the mind through meditation and introspection. Know how to dwell in the deep dark depths of the psyche and never stop pursuing knowledge. Then we will gain our most accurate perception of reality.
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