In a dream, we lose our sense of self, and go somewhere else where we explore memories, emotions, fears, hopes, and other personal things that constitute the multitudinous nature of our being. These basic elements of our reality, that which is experienced and unfolds within and without, are also on a fundamental level, older than the creation of the universe itself, just waiting to be understood. When we feel an emotion or have an idea, we not only as an individual have a totally unique perspective on a particular thing or affect of the world at that moment, but we are also at the same time, in communion with the totality of the universe; which is the very sense of sense itself. Nothing is inaccessible to consciousness, or else by its very nature it could not exist. All possibilities are truly available, ubiquitously, in some form, to a mind who can show a capability of understanding, either through an instrument or technique of the body. Always there are new ways of living waiting to be unfolded and, sometimes, come effortlessly, pop into our lives, like an epiphany, and completely shift the ratios of perception. In dreams, we are most alive when we are in a closer relationship with our totality, which brings us even closer to our connection with the universe. Here, if we’re lucky, we can find answers to the most serious of problems that haunt us.
Jack the Anglo is a man whose dealings with Fortune have been about even all of his days. Sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but deep down, he knew, by the end of the night, his number would be drawn, and he would go home a winner. He kept to this belief as if it was his faith, and depended on it in order to survive. Waiting patiently for opportunity to present itself.
From this way of being, he became good at identifying fortuitous openings that others might not easily perceive, and sometimes even seized upon them. His psyche grappled ceaselessly with progress, both personal and that which had evolved around him and in him. Out of the depths of Jack’s mind, as he lay there on the ground of the auditorium, came a dream that swept his attention away from the chaos and panic around him.
In the theater of his mind there emerged a huge image of a serpent slithering silently in the sky until it snaked its way out of sight. Then, trees appeared, a whole forest of them, that swarmed forward until they all blended together into a leafy darkness that blocked everything out. A change occurred, and the forest disappeared, and what was left was desert in all directions. The sand stretched out flat and met with the horizon, far away, right before huge dunes began emerging from the ground and grew so tall that they swallowed up the sky. The dust that had been accumulated turned to water, and the dreamer found himself submerged in a dark ocean, running out of breath. He swam with stifled limbs that responded slowly, like how they always do in dreams, as he struggled to get to the surface. After what felt like an eternity, he stuck his head out of the water and looked around. All was empty except for a small vessel that had appeared, heading straight at him. It turned portside, and stopped, whereon an ancient sailor, grizzled with years, showed himself. With large deep eyes, he looked at the dreamer, holding his arm out and yelling commands that were muffled out by the surf. He tried his best to paddle to the craft, but as he got closer, the further down he sank. The only thing he could make out from the lips of the ancient sailor that desperately shouted were three words before Jack sank down into the blackwater and woke up.
“Jack, are you okay?”
“…image of god…” he whispered.
Two piercing eyes of Venus de Kali gazed down as Jack opened his. He found his head was resting on her lap and then began to groan.
He sat up.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Yeah, for the most part… And you?”
“I’m fine, just sore all over.” He began rubbing his head. He looked around at all the ‘guests’ on the Apollyon, who, for the most part looked visibly distraught, but weren’t making much of a commotion.
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“What happened?”
Venus shot her eyes down, and didn’t respond for a few moments, and then, “After he, or it, got done destroying everything down there, that huge ball of energy flew away from the Earth and off in space somewhere. I just sure hope it’s gone…”
Jack stood up and lumbered over to the huge window that looked down upon the planet below. The normal expanse of blue and white colors across the sphere were replaced by a thick blanket of greyish smoke that covered the entire surface, and nothing else could be seen.
He turned away after not being able to stand such a horrific sight, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked over to Venus, who was now next to her robot, Char-on. She looked increasingly distraught, until she sulkily threw arms over the robot.
The Anglo suddenly remembered his partner, and he began to twist in search of him. But just as soon as his desire had arisen there it had been fulfilled as Jack was then greeted by the big image of the blue rooster who had snuck up on him.
“Excellent job, my friend…” Jack said, and slapped Mr. Chicken on the back.
The huge chicken, closed its eyes and shrugged it’s shoulders and vocalized some clucks.
They both turned back to the Venus, who was still struggling.
“I just can’t believe they’re all gone…” she said as Jack got closer.
“Venus– I know it looks bad, but, they can’t all be dead down there…”
She looked up at Jack with watery eyes.
“Everything we have ever known is most likely gone! The world we knew has been annihilated…” Venus said with much grief.
He stared at the girl, whose hope was rapidly draining, and that even through all the tears and devastation, Jack still admired to himself how beautiful Venus actually was. He then looked away and at the hundreds of humans and humanoids milling around.
“Listen up, everybody!” Jack raised his voice and gathered the attention of the sad shambling figures that were scattered across the ballroom. “I know it looks absolutely terrible! I can’t even imagine the immense amount of suffering that has occurred…” Groups of humanoids and humans came closer to listen to what he had to say.
“Here we are, alive and well, for the most part, far away from the terrible destruction that we’ve witnessed take place. Why fate has sparred us from this apocalypse, will be a question we’ll be grappling with for the rest of our lives, but yet, at the same time, here we are, still breathing, and perfectly alive. Isn’t that a remarkable thing? We have been given a gift of opportunity that did not exist yesterday, and now is more valuable than anything we could ever imagine. This presence, our will, should not be our reckoning and torment us for being spared such horrendous circumstances of events. Instead, we must hold our heads up and look forward towards the blinding future, as bright as it might be, and shine as it does. This is not extinction. Most people in history are born into the middle of something, a war, a plague, a famine, a dynasty–they were always thrust into a certain organization of the world that they never had a say in. But here we are, at something else, a new expression of time few have ever seen. Here we are, at a new beginning, ready to create our own rules and values, and without the guidance of someone or something else, for good or for ill. I know it will be tough; it will be one of the hardest things life as we know it has ever experienced. But inside each and every one of one of us holds the power that’s been handed down to us over millions of years, to not only survive and prolong life, but also to build and create just as the world and Nature does. And now the world needs our help more than ever. To help rebuild, and to prevent anymore needless suffering. We can’t give up now…”
Jack, suddenly lethargic, stopped and looked down, trying to catch his breath. A prick of despair hit him somewhere unknown on his body, and he tried not to search for it. Out of nowhere, loud shouting began, and both humanoids and humans rushed forward, picking up Jack, and began cheering. The entire auditorium began to fill with celebration, chanting his name, as the group paraded the weary Anglo around on their shoulders.
They set him down, back next to Venus, who was now sitting up straight, her eyes intently focused on him with admiration.
“Jack… Thank you…” was all she could muster out.
He took a step closer, and after gently brushing hair from her face, he leaned over and softly kissed Venus on the lips.
She grabbed a hold of him and their embrace became tighter. After their interlocking lips had parted, they both turned with arms around each other, and began looking through the window, down at the smoldering planet below. Then, they looked at each other.
A new Adam & Eve.