Conversations

((A chapter from an RP between the Finn "Mandemon" and myself.))

***Premise: Setting starts on the starship of Adolf Reikson after a mysterious man named Mr. Cold has turned the entire crew except for the captain and first mate, Lily Khan, into rabbits; and a super-being nicknamed Deus has threatened to destroy the ship. Adolf is on his way to a black hole, where Mr. Cold promised he might find godhood. Adolf does not believe Mr. Cold, but something draws him to the black hole. Curiosity perhaps?***

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CHARACTERS:
*Lily Khan
*Adolf Reikson
*The Great Old Lady
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[Khan walked to bridge. Reikson was sitting in his chair. They had earlier taken the crew, which was now nothing but bunnies, into cells and gave them some food. It was dead silent.]

Khan: uuhhh...Sir?

Reikson: We are no longer on duty, Lily.

Khan: Okay Adolf. But... why? Why do you want this... godhood so badly? I mean, why can't we just leave it here and live in happy ignorance?

Reikson: ....

Khan: Please.

Reikson: You know that I grew up in monastery?

Khan: Yeah.

Reikson: While I was there I suddenly realized something--God had failed his people. Illuminati, Titan Empire, everything. It was time for man to strip down God from his rank and rise to his place.

Khan: But... we are not allowed to do something like that!

Reikson: Hmph. I know that Mr. Cold probably lied to me. But I want to study that Black Hole. Perhaps I can find something.

Khan: Adolf, I don't wanna die you know. This is suicide!

Reikson: No. This is the future. You know the Confession of Truth?

Khan: Yeah, but what about it? It's a declaration of darkness!

Reikson: "Once upon time, there were three brothers. One walked into light and thus became enlightened. He was the God. Second walked into darkness, and was en-darkened. He was a man. Third stole light from the God and brought it to the man. He was Lucifer."

Khan: [she gasps]

Reikson: I intend to be that third one.

Khan: But, ain't Lucifer... evil?

Reikson: No. Luficer is Latin and means "bringer of light". The Church made him into a devil, to conceal the truth.

Khan: You understand that you are going against God?

Reikson: Better than anyone. God, or shall I call him Deus, will without a doubt try to prevent me from bringing truth to the surface. Cold and he are friends. Would a loving God do this to innocent people? Would his comrades do this?

Khan: Please...

Reikson: You don't have to take the last trip. I will drop you somewhere safe before that. Right now I need someone I can trust, Lily. Will you stand with me when blinding light tries to take over?

Khan: I don't understand.

Reikson: People say that the blind can't see the light. Wrong. In darkness, your other senses get sharper, your eyes are wider and you can see the truth. Light can blind you, it can damage your eye. It can prevent you from seeing the truth. Let me demonstrate.

[Reikson turned lights so bright, that it hurt. Khan closed her eyes.]

Reikson: If I say, that I am holding three fingers up, do I lie or speak the truth.

Khan: How can I know that? I can't see anything in this light!

Reikson: Correct.

[Reikson turned all lights off. It took sometime to Khan's vision to adjust.]

Reikson: I hold three fingers up, just like before. Truth or lie?

[Khan concentrated. She saw only two.]

Khan: Lie, you only hold two.

Reikson: Correct again. You understand now?

Khan:... I think so... I... I need time to think...

Reikson: Sleep, and think.

∞

[Reikson went to sleep later that night and woke up, but not on his ship...rather in a simple cottage. Outside the window, tranquil woods and bright sunlight shone. A small radio in a corner stand played 1950's Earth music on low volume. A few cats crawled around the cottage, and only an old lady, short as could be, stood in the kitchen preparing tea.]

Old Lady: Oh, hello there kind sir, would you like some tea? As you might imagine we have somethings to discuss.

[Reikson shrugged his shoulders. What did he have to lose? Nothing anymore.]

Reikson: Sure, why not. Adolf Reikson.

[He offered his hand. She placed the tea on the table, took his hand and helped him up. A cat joined them as Adolf sat down to drink.]

Woman: So, you want godhood...but you also wish to overthrow God...why? Why do you believe God has abandoned you?

Reikson: Not just me. The entirety of humanity.

[He petted the cat.]

Reikson: To claim to be God of humanity, you must be active, not some distant figure. You know, there are three types of truth. Theirs, ours, and the truth.

[He sipped the tea.]

Reikson: Good tea.

[She smiled. Then gently spoke, as was her manner.]

Woman: Thank you. And what of free will? If God were to simply interfere with the affairs of man, if evil were to disappear, then what meaning would goodness hold? How can one savor true happiness and enlightenment when God always interferes with the affairs of man?

[The cat purred as he was petted.]

Woman: May I tell you a story about Deus? Would you like to hear his tale?

Reikson: But, can you claim to be all-loving, if you leave your children alone in dark world? What if parents leave their child alone? Is God above his own laws?

[He took another sip of his tea.]

Reikson: If you feel like telling me the story of Deus, please, do so. I am most interested.

The Old Woman: My story may answer your question. Jacque Ancois was once a brilliant man, a physicist. He wanted to do only two things...help the world and discover the truth. He was not unlike you. He had an accident and should have died, but I gave him a second chance.

He became god-like, and went out to save the world. He stopped wars with a thought, progressed science rapidly, fought criminals with ease. He did indeed interfere with man, and in doing so learned something.

He learned that even with omnipotence, he could not force mankind to embrace goodness and have free will. Everybody sins, and because of this, everyone did one of two things...they either continued to sin and hurt others and were struck down by Deus...or they lived in constant fear of Deus. People came to hate God for doing what they wanted him to do, so, lonely and sad, he left Earth.

[She sipped her tea.]

Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

Deus gave man a fish, and I teach them how to fish. I teach them not through words and books--the universe can not be written in black and white--so much as through irrational emotions of guilt and joy combined with rational thoughts of justice and wisdom.

[Reikson leaned fordward.]

Reikson: Mankind is lost, it doesn't know what to do. It has nobody to come and ask help. It needs a leader. A good leader. Oh, and one last thing--God does not have to force goodness. He just needs to show that he is there. That there is hope.

Let's put it this way. If the parents are too strict, a child can't never grow up with his full potential. But neither can he grow in too much freedom. Good limits, hope and a guiding hand are what child need.

Can you love something that you don't know? Can child love the parent that lives far away, who he has never met, who he has never know?

[He leaned back.]

Woman: But I do know man. I do make myself known to him; part of me is in man--hope and love. The fact that you think you can save humanity means that there is hope in you. The fact you want to save humanity means there is love in you.

Humanity is not lost. They know what is right and what is wrong now, but they have made their choices. Many chose selfishness and power-lust. But, a few have chosen to do good...perhaps you are among those few. Look into your soul and tell me, do you want to do good for the universe? Are you sure this is not simply selfishness?

Reikson: You might make yourself known to man, but man doesn't know that.

[He let his mind wander for a moment.]

Reikson: I once told my officer that words have only the power we give them, the meaning we give them. I kill a civilian, I am evil. I kill an evil overlord, I am good. But what is the difference between actions? None. I kill someone. But people have redefined the good and evil.

Define good by your mind, and I shall answer you. Both your question about what I would do and is this just pure selfishness.

Woman: Good and evil are human concepts and thus I have no judgement. I never make judgements; those are yours to make. Just like choices. As for making myself known to man...

[She took a book from an old shelf and blew the dust off it. She cracked it open in front of Adolf. The script was unreadable.]

Woman: This book contains the ultimate truth, but the words within it can never be expressed in any human language. The concepts in it are still so far beyond the human mind the way a star ship would be to a cave man. I make myself known to the world all the time, but you see...it is you people who have turned off the lights and closed your eyes. You have used your other senses to detect only pieces of what I am and then you interpret them in countless ways--science, Atheism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Paganism, Wicca, Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, the list goes on and on.

[She finished her tea and sighed.]

Woman: I wait tirelessly for the day that man can read this book. That will be the day when Man will no longer need God. But today...today is not that day.

I spoke to you...saved you the trip into the black hole...I admire the leap of faith you took. But you are human, not god. Use your talents as a mortal to do what gods cannot...action--whether it be for better or worse.

You will awaken in your ship, and your crew will be back, and I will have to scold that Mr. Cold...

[She giggled. Stood up from her chair and hugged Adolf, kissing him on the cheek as if the man were her ten-year-old grandson, and then, as she waved him goodbye, the world faded back into 'reality'.]

∞

[Reikson stood up from his bed. For the first time in thirty years, he didn't feel heavy. He stood and got his clothes. He went to the cantina and took some quick-coffee. Khan bursted in.]

Khan: SIR! SIR! You are never going to believe this but....

Reikson: Crew is back to normal. Do they have memories?

Khan: Huh? Oh, uuuhhh, faint.

Reikson: Well, I guess I should go and greet our good comrades.

[He finished his coffee and went to crew. They were looking confused and scared.]

Reikson: There is nothing you need to be afraid of.

Navigator: Sir? What just happened?

Reikson: Nothing interesting. It's good to see you guys again.

Weapon officer: I need a vacation, without any supernatural events...

Reikson: Deal. Hey, nav, get us to closest SF base with a bar. I pay.

Navigator: Really?

Reikson: Sure.

Crew (apart the navigator): What are you waiting for!?

Reikson (thinking):Best way to make crew feel better is to let them have a party. Beside, it was rough few days. They deserve it. After that... Time will show.

[Explorer's Gaze headed to nearest SF base.]

Khan: Sir, what is going on?

Reikson: Who knows? At least I know if there is God, he makes damn good tea.

[Adolf left a confused Khan in the hall and headed to the bridge to assume his normal control.]