In the boundless expanse of the cosmos lies an isolated planet with a metallic surface. Two luminous stars illuminate it and two diminutive red dwarfs, maintaining its surface hot and fluid in perpetual motion. As time progresses, this distinctive atmosphere forms around the planet, encompassing hazardous levels of gas, metal, and electricity – perilous to most carbon-based lifeforms.
These extraordinary conditions fostered a unique kind of lifeform: not carbon-based but electronic-based. These are minuscule, microscopic electronic beings that inhabit this distant world.
A week had passed since Ella joined the crew on their ship. The days went by peacefully, but there were more and larger areas of black goo appearing in the sea. It seemed to kill anything it touched, making it increasingly difficult for them to avoid it as they didn't know what effects it would have on their vessel.
Ella mostly kept quiet during this time. She had initially set out seeking adventure when she decided to explore a mansion and now found herself in an unexpected journey aboard a ship sailing through unknown waters. While such a situation should have been thrilling, she also felt homesick as the place seemed so different from what she knew back home – fish in the sea that she had not seen or heard of, unusual birds flying overhead as if she was in a completely new world.
On the other hand, Erik and Tom appeared to be getting along well. Although Tom missed his family, he remained confident that Erik would help him find them so they could reunite. A few more days passed until they reached the shores of another country.
“This must be Jaleka,” said Erik, “We can get new supplies here and maybe some information about these dark waters.”
“Finally stable land!” Tom exclaimed with excitement.
Ella remained silent but followed them down to the shoreline. The beach was deserted and had a foul odor. As they ventured further inland, they encountered death and destruction.
In a secluded and barren area on Earth, a malevolent entity crash-landed, sinking into the ground and corrupting everything around it. Dark ooze formed on the surface, transforming any plants or trees that dared to grow there into grotesque abominations. The evil continued to spread, reaching an unsuspecting human settlement and twisting its inhabitants as well. These new creatures, born from corruption, came to be known as Urakneas. They thrived on blood and raw flesh, either consuming it from other living beings or devouring one another in their insatiable hunger for destruction.
Eventually, I had to leave the settlement before they noticed that I wasn’t aging. I moved to a small hut I built not far from the village, where I settled alone. My daughter stayed behind, but she visited me regularly. Most of the time, life was peaceful and quiet.
However, there were nights when strange creatures attacked. These beings, who called themselves Urakneas, were monstrous. Their faces resembled beasts with massive, protruding teeth, and their eyes glowed a menacing yellow in the dark. They made pig-like noises, their skin was rotting, and they had long, clawed hands and feet.
The Urakneas only emerged at night, searching for the settlement to launch their attacks. Fortunately, they very loud beings and they weren’t very clever, so I could easily track and kill them.
I remember my first encounter with the Urakneas. It was late at night, and I was asleep when loud growls jolted me awake. I went outside to investigate and saw them approaching. I quickly retreated inside to grab my spears, which I had kept since the battle with the monster snake. They were already banging on my door when I returned. As soon as I opened it, one of the creatures lunged inside. I impaled it with my spear, and it let out a screech before collapsing. I did the same to the next two that followed. During the fight, the third one managed to wound my arm with its claws, but my rapid healing took care of it quickly.
When Death, the harbinger of the end, heard about Project Imortel's activation, he couldn't help but scoff at its absurdity. “These beings with limited existence should not be eternal,” he grumbled to himself. Alas, his dissenting voice was drowned out by the Council of El's unanimous decision.
The council had made up their minds – certain mortal souls would now escape Death's grasp and become immortals of El. Though Death disapproved, he knew that his role in this new world order was no longer to take lives but rather to observe the consequences of the council's decree.
As they were finishing their dinner, there was a loud noise and the ship shook hard as if they had hit something. “What was that?” Erik wondered loudly as he ran out. The young boy followed him. It was already dark outside but there was enough moonlight to see that they had hit the shores of an island.
“That is strange,” said Erik, “there should not be an island here according to my map.” The boy remained silent. It was a small island with a few palm trees and a large rock formation with a cave in the middle.
The island felt like it had a strange, eerie atmosphere, giving both Erik and the boy chilling feelings. Then the boy noticed a woman coming out of the cave. “Look,” he shouted, “There is a woman!”
Erik saw her now too; she was walking towards them, looking confused. “Where am I?” she asked.
“On a small island, who are you and why are you here?” Asked Erik.
“My name is Ella, I was exploring an old abandoned mansion when I found a hidden staircase behind a secret door that led me here. Then the staircase disappeared behind me. I freaked out and screamed when it happened. Now I don't know what to do.”
“That is quite a story, Ella,” Erik replied, “It is hard to believe, but this whole island was not supposed to be here in the first place and feels like an unnatural place. Not sure how I can help other than let you come with us on the ship. I am Erik by the way, and the boy is called Tom.”
Ella remained quiet for a few moments, thinking, then she agreed to join them on the ship. As she came aboard, the entire island vanished as if it was an illusion.
Life and Death, eternal lovers, dwell in separate planes of existence. Unable to unite and express their affection for one another, an exception occurs when the cosmos reaches its end during the last moments of existence. In this rare instance, Love and Death come together, giving birth to two daughters who are destined to live among mortals while traversing between realms.
After traveling with Jannay for a few days toward the rising sun, we discovered another human settlement.
The people there welcomed us warmly, offering us a decent meal and an old, abandoned hut to rest in.
We were both exhausted and gladly accepted their hospitality. For the first time in several nights, we both enjoyed a peaceful sleep.
It was comforting to be among friendly humans again.
The next morning, I woke up early but let Jannay sleep; she needed the rest.
I went to visit the elder chief woman of the settlement, who was in charge. We had a conversation, and she asked about our background.
I told her that bandits had destroyed my home and I had been traveling alone for a while until I found Jannay in the rubble of a devastated settlement.
This was a lie, of course, as I thought it best not to reveal that I was a thief who was supposed to be dead.
As for the whole giant snake incident, they were better off not knowing. It was terrifying, and I wasn't sure if they would have believed me anyway.
The elder chief woman told me we were welcome to stay as long as we wished and that they would be happy for us to become permanent members of the settlement. And so we did. I raised Jannay as my daughter, and the days turned into years as Jannay grew older while I remained the same.
In the vastness of all things, our existence may seem insignificant. The universe is immense and never-ending, while we are small in comparison. However, it's crucial to recognize that we play a vital role within this boundless expanse. Our presence contributes to the seamless functioning of the cosmos. We should not fear the endlessness of the universe but instead take pride in being part of this vast and interconnected whole. As you gaze at the night sky, marveling at the stars, remember that we are all one with the cosmos.
From the book Philosophies of the universe.
Written during the final age of enlightenment.