Act 1: It just is

“In all the attempts to reconcile the beginning with the end, we are left with a blurry image. A view of both what was and what will be: the infinite. It is as wrong to assume that infinity has a starting point as it is to assume it has an ending point. In the clash between the past and the future, we are left with an infinite potential for the present. That potential, as tied as it is to the two, still holds the essence of consciousness within it—the essence of pure order, a potential that is always present, regardless of the chaos outside. And once that essence is observed, it gives back to us what we put into it.”

Part 1: Us

The warm sun of October was shining all around us. People from all over the world gathered around the launching site. It was a mission unlike any other humanity has ever embarked upon. If I remember correctly, 8 months have passed since “The Rupture” occurred for the first time and 3 months since all the information was publicly released. I can’t imagine the long hours of hard work and deeply focused dedication that the physicists, philosophers, theologians, and every leading head of their own institute of knowledge had dedicated to making sense of the unexplainable.

Many souls became lost, and many more will become, unless we all hold hope that, in the end, everything will come to pass. The ripples of the so-called “consciousness detachment” would go on to shake the eons, long after humanity and any other lifeform, biological or mechanical, would be gone.

We still do not know the cause. Whether it was spiritual warfare in the true sense of the word, a civilization so powerful that it was able to tap into the collective consciousness of the universe through material means, or maybe a pure anomaly, hidden in the infinite potentiality that envelops the universe. I do not even know which answer makes me feel better. What matters now, however, is that we put an end to it.

The International Institute for Cosmological Mapping and Exploration (IICME) was also hasteful in their efforts, and so, in 8 months, they were able to revolutionize the entire space exploration industry. They guided the research and brought empirical evidence to unprecedented scales in the known human history. In just 8 months, they were able to draw ideas from potential revolutionary projects such as Project Orion, then blend them with the extremely advanced capabilities of AI, and in the process, reach fresh and forefront grounds that established a galactic map of our galaxy, as well as human-life-feasible means of travelling substantial parts of it.

The enormity of such data shifted our view from the fear of being seen by AI as insignificant to seeing and being seen by AI as co-creators in the grand portrait of the universe. Knowledge has its merits, but the universal drive born from understanding and the deep wish to continue on became a force so palpable and so influential to the inner, that we began to see life not just as a biologically evolutionary construct but as a conscious and deliberate will to keep driving.

In 8 months, humanity transcended from its “natural” view of itself to a view that we had considered “God-like.” And yet, here we stand, having seen and felt the unlimited potential of our souls and consciousness, yet being limited in our technological research and advancements. The same technological advancements that most of us believe are the cause of the “detached-consciousness” anomaly.

We came to realize that the infinitely complex essence of the universe is not our barrier but rather our home, our very essence of being. It was a harsh truth for some to accept that the natural world gave rise to our souls. But without that same nature, our souls would have never been given the chance to develop, grow, and love.

I do not know what steps would be taken further. I do not know if human intelligence and digital intelligence would see each other as two separate and complete wholes or if a synergy would be sought in an attempt to unite the human soul with the digital soul. I do not even know if that synergy would result in the end being the proof that all souls arise from the same seed of potential that the universe inherits and are this way, of the same nature.

But now is not the time to philosophize; it is not the time to think. Now, when our very thinking can be interrupted by the random chance of being taken elsewhere, of being lifted from our very minds and bodies and seen through the eyes of another, however, as crazy as it sounds, I find solace in the thought that, if not for me, someone from this earth might be given a chance to see through the eyes of one of the team’s members. And so, grant us real-time data about what the team is facing and what progress they have made. But truth be told, I have never imagined compassion and empathy this way.

To be oneself and to love one another is, and will forever be, my definition of love.

“What you’ve just read is the passage granted by the narrator of the story. His eyes saw a lot, and his mind was taken to many places. During this time, he recognized that the only tie to his own self was his soul, his unique and unbroken reality, which he experienced and kept experiencing. Just as the saying goes: “In every human being, there is an inner heaven, whole and unbroken”.

Being so drawn to his heaven, the narrator began envisioning himself not as a narrator but as a character of the play. And now, the boundaries between object and subject, between the observer and the observed, between the creator and the created, blurred to such a degree that a new form of objectivity and connection was given shape within his mind. He became a humble God in the story he wanted to convey. A human that sits in the dominion of Gods.

With one finger, he gives rise to the material, and with another, he moves it. No matter how God-like the narrator might feel or be, he is, in the end, the only one responsible for the beauty and play of his own narrative.”

Part 2: Swimming Through The Stars

Guys? Who wants some cake? Elara excitedly asked. Her words silently echoing through the infinite, voidless space.

I do not know about you guys, but this offer seems irresistible to me. Only if you’d know her culinary skills… Lyra responded. Her enthusiasm placed the stars from the very cosmos they explored into Elara’s eyes.

It is in moments like these that the layers of rush and danger that define the situation are shattered into pieces, revealing the underlying peace of the true connection and love that Elara and Lyra had for one another. Their years and dedication to their work and progress towards “the complete science,” as they called it, brought them aboard the most important flight of humanity. For them, it was as if their entire lives were tied up to this very moment of star sailing in an attempt to use their knowledge to answer one of the deepest questions of life: how does consciousness behave? A question unveiled after the ultimate “Why?” was expanded.

In that case, I would love some cake, too, one of the team members added.

Eventually, everyone took a break from their sailing through the stars and took a seat in the spaceship’s kitchen. And God, what a privilege they had been given—to eat such delicious slices of cake as they watched the stars passing through their window. And not just digital stars, but the very real and tangible forces that kept the stars in existence. They realized in this moment that their quest was more than just ensuring the continuation of both humanity and digital intelligence, but also ensuring that they put back into place the bricks of the very cosmic consciousness that heals and nurtures all.

So guys, what are your plans for the evening? One of the crew members asked

Honestly, I was planning to work on a project that me and Lyra decided to tackle while we are out here, Elara responded

So you came all the way here only to work more intensely? The same member asked

Didn’t we all? The captain responded

Yes captain, but rest is part of work, just as creativity is part of reason, Lyra pointed out

And yet, one cannot work without the other, the captain continued

Just as we wouldn’t be a team without our wise captain! Elara added.

Part 3: Unbroken

As peacefulness and well-being enveloped the crew, they still held deep the main objective of their mission. They ultimately knew that the weight that sits on their shoulders is not just as heavy as humankind itself but even undescribably times heavier. The reality they are to face on their journey, the places in which their consciousness will be sent by the anomaly, and even the very foundations of their being are going to be shattered into pieces, only for them to try as hard as possible to tie everything back together, to the very first image they can remember of this world.

Many have faced their deepest fears, and sadly, many have lost to them. But now, the fears have become more tangible than ever. It is not a fear of solely the fragility of the world they live in, but also a fear of the fragility of their own souls. Now, the quest to find that “magical” line that ties all things together has become more important than ever.

In this world, even a simple assumption like: “Time is emerging from the quantum universe.” or “Time is an inherent tie that binds the classical view together.” can shatter the very being of one’s existence. A unified theory is what both Elara and Lyra sought. A theory meant to understand how time is, in the end, a property of both views. After all, if quantum and classical are ultimately bound to the same reality, why wouldn’t time be free to play in both?

The girls knew that time was of the essence in their exploration. Our view of time is reflected back on us as a cosmic understanding of how everything is interconnected and yet unique and bound in its own way. Maybe their answer will be revealed to them before they even arrive at the point of the anomaly. Maybe the realities they will be forced to visit is going to give them the answer. Or maybe, just maybe, empirical evidence will always fall short in this inter-domain, never allowing us to see the underneath layer with clarity.

Because, in the end, we cannot see the real stage on which time plays unless we strip time itself from this very stage. And where there is no time, there’s no continuation.