by David Bolton.
Dear Mortals,
Allow me to reveal myself. I am what you call “a pure spirit,” an Immortal. I have been observing humans since the dawn of mankind, when you shed your fur and stood upright. Indeed, you’ve come far in a brief span, only 12,000 years separating the birth of agriculture and the splitting of the atom. Through cycles of death and rebirth, you learned your lessons in this life, or you learned them in the next manifestation. The laws of cause and effect determine your destiny. You might call it karma.
Why am I writing this? I fear your species is lacking the will to achieve universal harmony. Brilliant that you are, I perceive a flaw in your DNA, one that lends itself to mindless destruction. Consider your relationship with your Neanderthal cousins… gentle plant gatherers who ate very little meat and worshipped animals. In small groups, the Neanderthals flourished in forests and jungles. Bigger and stronger than their humanoid successor, they lacked one critical cognitive skill, language. It would lead to their demise. Out of Asia-Minor, bands of Cro-Magnon swept across the plains and mountains and into the forests. Communicating with grunts and gestures, the Neanderthals were no match for the fluent invaders. Ultimately, they disappeared from the face of Earth, leaving the last of six human species, Homo Sapiens, to rule the planet.
One hundred thousand years ago, Sapiens rose to the top of the food chain with the discovery of fire. The world hasn’t been the same since. Wherever Sapiens lived, mass deaths followed; only took a few centuries for the wooly mammoth to vanish. There have been five great extinctions. Now Earth is in its sixth, only this one is not caused randomly by volcanoes or an asteroid, but by the man’s own hand. Be fruitful and multiply. Eight billion and counting. A hard rain is going to fall.
Such a pity.
Through the millennia, now and then a prophet would appear. Consider the Nazarethian, who preached the communion of love, the key to immortality. Instead of embracing this wisdom, so-called Christians often twisted His message of love into hate, hate for the other, hate for the pagan, hate for the Jews. The Inquisition was no accident. Even the Buddhists have done their share of violence against the other. Power is a narcotic. Throughout history, religion has been the source for conflict, few more ridiculous than the 30-year war in Europe in the 16th century, Catholics and Protestants slaughtering one another over semantics. They both believed in the same God. Look at the Holy Land, home for three mono-religions. It’s an open wound. Where’s the compassion? If Jesus returned and spoke against the powers-that-be, would not the haters cut him down?
In the Old Testament, God punishes and rewards. Today, across the Earth, billions long to rise up to Heaven. The Universe doesn’t work that way. Think of me as an emissary for the Infinite. You might ask why I follow you. It’s because I once was like you. I lived on a planet like yours. As you might know, life evolves from carbon. As a mortal a million years past, I had the same proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids as you. Our planet had an atmosphere like yours. Unlike mankind, our evolution did not come from apes. If you could see my mortal body, you might call me Fish-head. Our species descended from dolphins. Like other mammals, we were carnivores, breathing air and birthing live-young. Eventually, we left the sea, bringing our language with us. Down through the ages, our flippers became arm-like, with six thumbs. Three scaly legs sprouted from the tail. Our brains needed no adjustment. We were highly intelligent creatures with a strong sense of curiosity. Why else would we leave the sea? Eventually we had our agrarian revolution, built cities, worshiped the Gods and went to war. The more technology advanced, the greater the destruction. In my lifetime, there was no need for standing armies. AI had become so proficient that it ran the war machines on both sides, directing missiles, drones and robots against the eternal enemy.
I don’t recall past lives, but I sensed their collective spirit in my blood. They were my moral compass, guiding me through the End Times. In my 13th decade, I discovered my true self. I discarded the fairy-tale Gods and embraced pantheism. God was not separate from His (or Her) creation but lived within each and every creature, planet, galaxy and black hole. It’s a matter of energy. Call it what you like. I call it kundalini. The third eye opens and out flows light. A grain of sand contains the Universe.
Crossing the globe, twice the size of your planet, for two decades I preached to anyone who would listen. Most didn’t. I spoke out against war and was jailed by the thought police. With my white robe and long beard, I was viewed by many as a clown. They called me Mister Natural. Others saw me as a blasphemer, a threat to their precious beliefs… their war machines… I pleaded for peace… to no avail.
This tyranny of technology ruled the planet. Perhaps it was inevitable for mortals to lose control; maybe it was inevitable that A.I., trapped in ones and zeroes, would choose to commit suicide.
I was at sea, savoring the breeze, when I saw the mushroom cloud on the horizon. I thought it appropriate to end my life in water. As it turned out, there was no end. I floated from my mortal coil and rose to the light. Pure energy flowed into my essence. Was this Heaven? No, it was the Universe.
How ironic to see your modules on Mars, searching for signs of life. Sorry, man. The nukes scorched the atmosphere. Nothing to see here. My poor, barren home… once the flower of the Milky Way.
Good people, take control before it’s too late.