by Ayman Ghalit
“It is Carl.” Bob answered.
“Alright, Colonel. I do hope that you give him the permission to talk.”
“I do,” he replied.
After clearing his throat, Ludwig said, “You know, Carl. I have been, and still in doubt and question regarding lots of matters, yet I didn’t meet the rightful person to provide a reasonable, logical, and cohesive answer for me, nor did I have the proper means to personally uncover it.”
“…What is it?”
“If it true that you came from beyond our galaxy! Then, that will make you, by default, scientifically I mean, much more advanced creatures than us. And surly, you must have done lots of experiments than us, and you know more than we do. The question is: What is the true purpose of life?”
Carl paused for a moment, then replied, “I don’t know.”
“Is it truly meaningless? We live just to die?”
“I don’t know.”
“What is the true purpose of this endless and ever-expanding universe?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there an end to it? And If so, then, what lies beyond the universal border?”
“I don’t know.”
“How, and who did all of this? Who made it all?”
“I don—!”
“It is God.” Gael replied.
“Didn’t I warn you!”
“No, no. Let him speak, Alfred. Please, just let him. Alright then, what make you so sure?”
“There must be a first, the one who did it all, someone fit for the word God.”
Ludwig responded by letting out a ridiculing chuckle. Gael looked him hard, and said, “Who started it, if he isn’t the Omnipotent? Who measured it all, if he isn’t the Supreme! Who created us, if he isn’t the Almighty!”
“This is a doubtful answer, and it will leave you in a paradoxical status. Another question then: Is there will be a rewarding heaven, and a punitive hell?”
“Yes, there is.”
He cackled again, and said “What maketh thou so sure?”
“Because it is possible for the one who started it.”
“Nonsensical thinking,” Schneider responded.
“I saw blazing stars bigger than this planet by a million time. Do you think it will be difficult for the one who did that in the first place to create a punishing blazing pit? And I did land on paradisiacal planets with enchanting rivers and gardens that you didn’t and will never behold. Do you think that it will be difficult for the one who did that to create a delightful place high above?”
“Another doubtful answer... Alright, answer this: What lies beyond death?”
“Answer you will find in your grave.”
Alfred and Schneider faintly chuckled. Ludwig ignored that, and replied, “You provided nothing new, Human. I want the Doubt-Cutting answer.”
“There is hell, and we will see you in it, for the wrongful deeds that thou hast did.”
The argument sparked in heat as Ludwig’s tone changed to a serious one, “I did it for SCIENCE! Sacrifice must be made so we can push the Phugwanity forward. We won’t move an inch if we followed their stupid emotions and superstition. Emotions and superstitions will only grind up the gears of improvement. We made life easier for them. Do you think that these ungrateful sub-Phugwaks can ignite a fire without our help? The help of SCIENCE! Without us you will find this place lives in its dark primitive ages.
Carl swiftly responded, “Who said that they wanted it easier and advanced if the cost will be their lives? What the point? And why did you make ‘being advanced in science’ the purpose of life? And the answer to your prior example is that the Phugwaks can live well and long enough without the need of fire.”
“They wouldn’t live long enough without the help of science, foolish boy. Look around you, the hospitals that provide a precise medical treatment, were created by science, otherwise you will find them practicing voodoo nonsense, blackmagic, and some inherited fable rubbish. The cars and its roads, the airplane and its terminals, the trains and its rails. Do you think all of that would have been built without the help of science?”
“All the former is not a necessity for survival. It is nothing more than luxurious material. For ages, the Phugwaks happily lived and died without the need for all of that. And the medical illness will determine who is fit for survival and who is capable for adaptation. Your Science is strongly interfering with that mechanism.”
“What chained the Phugwanity down for a long time is the fact that they don’t want to change. They fear change. They believe everything the Phugwaks of the bygone did is right. They think the way they ate, spoke, and lived is the only right way! Thus, they imitate them, and shame those who doesn’t... You need two sticks to direct those useless and inferior Phugwaks. And these sticks are an emotionless power, and a doubtless science.”
Schneider chuckled, and said “Well! This argument is turning blazingly hot, isn’t it, Colonel.”
A moment of silent laid upon them after. Carl, who saw in Ludwig lots of similarities in thinking, said, “The problem with you, Doc, is that you are too arrogant. You think that the Phugwaks needs you. You think they are too stupid to survive on their own as you believe that you are the know-it-all-guy. Well, guess what, I know more than you, I saw more than you, and I heard more than you. What does that make me to you?”
“A superior and a better being, of course.
“No, that doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does... I didn’t, and shall not live as a useless or as an oblivious one. And I am not like those good-for-nothing Phugwaks whom only eat and defecate. I made up my mind long time ago, as I realized that knowledge is the ultimate goal.”
“It is the circumstances that shape th—!”
Mendoza’s knocking, silenced the room. He entered the office and saluted Alfred, and told him that everything is ready. Followed later by Vincent Seether. Widely known as, Vincent, The Skewer. A middle-aged man, short in height, with a big belly, and unsightly facial feature that shows a long history of betrayal and denial. He is a will-know rat, and a backstabbing snitch who threw all those who considered him as a friend in jail without feeling any qualm toward them. He licks Alfred’s boots and seek his contentment as he never did he disobeyed, nor let him down even once. He came with a big greedy smile on his face, saluted him, and said “Your wish is my command, Sir.” Alfred told him to stay cautious, and take Bob, Jack, Carl, Mort and Gael with him, and to follow their direction. Then he told Mendoza to take Kaiser with them and start the car engine.
Before they leave the room, Schneider, who was taller and bigger than everyone in the office, grabbed Gael by his throat and lifted him up by one hand! And with both hands tied behind his back, Gael couldn’t do a thing but to grunt. Schneider looked him straight in the eyes, and said, “Listen carefully, faithful boy. If we find out that you are lying, I will personally take care of thee, and I will prove to thou that thine prayers will never be answered.”
“I promise to thee… it is all true.”
Schneider dropped Gael, adjusted his red military jacket, and went outside. Followed by Ludwig who said to the soldiers to take all of the human belonging with them, for he doesn’t want anyone to find out about them.
The Unforeseen
Dragged by obedient soldiers, they reached the silver-plated cars, forced them into it, and followed Mort’s directions who was in the car driven by Vincent. Dark and gloomy expectations were invading their heads. Mort, who was beside Gael, angrily whispered to him, “What the fuck were you thinking about?”
“Am trying to get us out of this trouble you dragged us into. Steeling farmer’s chickens, how pathetic.”
“It was not chickens. More like, creatures that looked like chicken, but with little monkeys’ heads. And you can’t blame me for trying to survive… Now, how the hell am I going to lead them to the ship when the keys are still missing, smartass!”
“Fuck! the keys! I forgot about that. You didn’t find it?”
/> “No, I didn’t. What are we supposed to do now?”
Gael paused for a moment thinking about what he totally forgot, then he said, “Just act normal, and lead them to the car... Shit! am doomed. Let us hope things go smooth. Let us pray for salvation, let us pray really, really hard this time.”
Mort pursed his lips thinking of how to solve this problem, then he sighed, and said, “We are beyond salvation, kid. We are badly fucked up this time.” After a while, he told Vincent to turn off-road, and through the desert route, he will lead him to his car.
In the other car, driven by Mendoza, Kaiser were sandwiched between Schneider and Ludwig, who was violating his safe space by touching and even smelling him.
“That is enough, doctor,” said Schneider. “You will have your own private time to check him whole.”
“I am really in an unbearable wait for that moment. At last, something worth living for. Don’t you feel this odd stream of exquisite feelings. The feelings to see the truth.”
“It is called curiosity,” said Alfred, who was wearing his golden-framed black sunglasses that added a fearsome charismatic look on him.
“And the curiosity killed the cat.” said Mendoza who was trying to impress and earn the Colonel’s approval. But unfortunately for him, he didn’t. Alfred responded, “Who gave you the permission to speak! Are you trying make us laugh? Repeat this, and I will make sure all the prison guards laugh at you while in a hanged solitary cage.”
“Yes, sir,” Mendoza lowered his head.
A moment of silence passed, Ludwig then asked Kaiser, “Tell me about your kind and your alleged planet, kid.”
Kaiser, who kept silent for a brief moment searching for the most bizarre thing that their brains won’t accept, answered, “We are called The Humans, we drink water, bathe in water, our heavens drop water, and if we feel depressed or sad, we go out and gaze upon seas and oceans of water.”
Schneider sarcastically chuckled, “Honestly! am starting to pity myself for partially believing in ‘The outer space’ anecdote.”
“Stones in my planet, which is countless, are worthless as we care not about it.” he added. “We even step upon it.”
“Interesting,” said Ludwig. “Alright then ... hmm? due to your alleged superiority, I want to ask you about the possibility of the existence of multiverses, other dimensions, or heaped lyres of possible reality. Is it even partially proven true? Is there another reality where one did what he didn’t, or didn’t do what he did, or prevented what could have been prevented in this reality?”
“No, it is not proven true. But, I truly whish that they do find about that as soon as possible.”
“Why did you ask such question, Doc?” Schneider asked. “Is there a hidden qualm from the past?”
“Yes, there are lots of it,” he answered... Then, he talked with Kaiser about the distant of their planet, the speed of light and its physical issues, their country and its ruler, till Vincent stopped before the narrow place where Mort hid his car in.
“This is the place?” inconveniently, asked Schneider.
Kaiser looked at the car, and replied, “Yes, this is the place. That’s Mort’s car.”
With an unpleased tone, Alfred said, “A car! We didn’t come for a car, where is the god damned ship?”
“The tracking device in the car will lead us to the ship.”
“You want us to get into the car!? …You know what! this trip is canceled. We are heading back.”
Ludwig, who vehemently disagreed, said, “Wait! look again, Alfred. Don’t you see that this car is very peculiar in look? I never saw one like it before!”
Schneider added, “Indeed... besides, I will never go back till I see this through to the end.”
Alfred kept silent for a moment, then he agreed while not fully convinced. He didn’t trust them, nor feel safe from the strange looking car. He told Vincent to take the car keys and start it, but Vincent told him that prison soldiers didn’t find, nor handed him any kind of key. Alfred then got-off of the car, approached Gael, tightly grabbed him by the collar, and said “Are you trying to fool us?”
“No, I swear am not. The car will lead us to the ship, but it only works with Mort’s fingerprints.”
Alfred questionably squeezed his eyes while looking him in the eyes for a moment, then he said, “A woeful outcome awaits thee, if I ever find you lying.”
“Worry not. I speak the truth.”
He let go of him, and told Vincent to uncuff Mort, and to let him start the car. And while Vincent were uncuffing, Mort looked at Gael with a loathing facial expression. Gael, by an unnoticed lips movement, told him to act normal. Alfred, Schneider, Ludwig, Mendoza, and Vincent were outside when Mort was slowly walking toward his car. Alfred commanded Mendoza and Vincent to take aim, then he loudly said to Mort, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Mort were riddled, and was mumbling “Damn you, kid. They will get way to angry. How the hell am I going to start the car without the god damn ke—!”
When he reached the car, he bewilderingly stood still as if purified. He found the keys down next to his feet “What’s taking you so long!” Alfred roared at Mort who knelt and grabbed the keys while being warned.
He opened the door and started the car. Obscurity stormed Gael, who wondered “How the hell did he start the car?” Alfred told Mort to throw up his hand and return slow and easy. He did, and they fettered him again when he arrived. Then, they rushed to check the unfamiliar car, except for Mendoza whom have been ordered to keep an eye on them. The car was nothing but wonder to them. It was neat in design, with airless tires, fish-scale like body, and connected headlight visor. Ludwig couldn’t say a thing but to nod in admiration. From the inside, they saw a big screen covering the whole dashboard that is reveling the car’s status, and a strange looking see-through driver-wheel with organized command buttons. The car cleared Ludwig’s doubts and proved to him that this is not a Phugwak made machine, filling him with excitement and joy. Alfred and Schneider in the other hand, weren’t fully convinced yet.
Alfred hummed in caution, and said, “We should take the car and return. We will peruse their claim with more aid and better equipment.”
“Nay, I must see the ship today.”
Schneider added, “The Doc is right, let us not head back while we half way through, let’s take the risk, shall we?”
Alfred looked at the unable cuffed humans, and said, “Alright, let us see the damn ship.”
Alfred told Vincent to put them in the new car and to follow the navigation system. He did, and with a snickering evil smile, he said to Mort after asking about the car’s owner, “This car is fancy indeed, I will be the one who inherit it if you suddenly passed away by natural causes, of course.”
“And I give you the authority to do so, Vincent.”
“Much obliged, good man.”
He sat-off following the red line showing on the navigation screen. Gael who was devoured by curiosity whispered to Mort saying, “How did you start the car?”
“The keys! I found it lying on the ground... I do recall that I did tumble and fall when I got off the car first time we were here, remember?”
“Yea... yea I do remember. Shit! We wasted too much time searching for that damn key. Doubtless, this in nothing but an accursed fate. Now, what are we going to do?”
“It is your plan, you get us out of here.”
Gael kept silently thinking for a while, then he said, “Olivia’s stone might save us!”
“They will not let go of us even if you gave it to them.”
“Damn... you might be right. Just let’s stay calm for now. I will think about something.”
In the other car, Ludwig returned to chat with Kaiser till they reached the subject of Freedom. Kaiser believes in freedom. He believes that one must be free, physically and mentally, as no thoughts, nor actions should he do forcibly. Ludwig confidently chuckled, and replied, “Freedom...! such unsophisticated general word. Do you know why you
swiftly chose that word as an answer? It’s because it is fancy. Because it makes you politicly correct. Because you think it will place you with the good guys, and it will provide you with the pseudo feeling of being a better on. Do tell, Human, what is Freedom?”
Kais paused thinking for a moment, then he answered, “It is to act and think without being forced.”
Ludwig swiftly responded, “Act and think about anything, or is there a border for that? You are giving us general answers.”
“What about killing?” asked Schneider.
“What about thieving and raping?” asked Alfred.
Ludwig added, “What if you have the absolute power to do a negative act that no one will ever question. To do it without concerning about qualms, vengeance, authority, or God. To do it to someone whom you believe is absolutely deserving? ...Or what about forcefully preventing someone from doing something that you surly know is wrong, will you do it?”
“I hate this kind of questions that is impossible to occur. It is like asking if you are rich, what will you do? Stop using this method. This is not the wanted freedom.”
“Answer me, Human. Are we free to do the formers if time and place were right? I mean, if one had the will and the power to do so, is it right or wrong, and why?”
“Of course, It is wrong.”
“Then, there is nothing called Freedom. Freedom is an illusion that everyone thinks it is possible to have or achieve.”
“You are giving me stupid irrelevant examples.”
“Possible Examples, Human. The examples I placed had happened and still happening to this day. I had argued with Phugwaks whom were much more intellect than you. There is no such thing called Freedom. Might be partial freedom, for some, and might be for many. But it is impossible to live in a civil society with absolute freedom! The irony is that freedom level in a chaotically uncivilized community is much higher than what you will find in a civil and organized one. Because in Absolut Freedom Realm; the true essence of every being will plainly appear.”
