The Fabla whirled thrice in heightened fervor. “Excellent deductions! Marvelous! May I ask how your automaton works before we press forth?”
Marcus explained, “We humans have invented holistic construction. By completely mapping an individual’s brain, we can transport our consciousness into a different body such as this robotic vessel. The interesting thing is the robotic vessel is a near identical mimicry to the human anatomy, with nanomachines imitating the functions of the immune system, motor proteins, blood cells, etc. The only main difference is we don’t require air. We, instead, have a tremendous battery life that lasts for two years with average level of activity. To recharge, we simply return back to ground zero.”
The Fabla revealed, “Universality finds itself in the persistence of life. There are many modes of survival. Our kind sustains on the inherent energy of the environment. It permeates throughout.”
“What do you mean?”
“We Fabla live in everything. But one can also say everything lives in us. The environment of our world is rich in pure energy at a sufficiently low density. The Field Translator not only translates languages spoken, but broadly translates energy (as one can think of communication as a transfer of energy through the propagation of waves). It can convert pure energy into the necessary type to satisfy your needs. Thus, everyone holds great abundance and there is nothing to worry about in terms of survival.”
BB asked, “Then, there is no competition in your world?”
“There is nothing to compete for by design. Our resources are secured from the get-go.”
Marcus scratched his chin. “Then, all your efforts can go to something greater, something which transcends your own species.”
The Fabla confirmed, “Yes. And the first step is to transcend from oneself.”
“Hence, every Fabla, at least moderately aged, in this world, has likely achieved Enlightenment.”
The boundary of the fuzzy Fabla seemed to resolve into full definition, clear-cut like the frame of a mirror, reflecting all there is and all that isn’t. “Friends, the tour awaits us.”
The two followed the Fabla to a depression in the ground that gave way to a dark underground path. Despite the hollowness, a warmth emanated from below. Some of the surrounding Fablas froze in place, peaceful spectators of an unspoken significance.
“This way.” The leading Fabla descended. Marcus and BB waded through the humid murkiness. Farther and deeper they went, a familiar feeling experienced not long ago. The darkness blinded, suffocated, tormented, and instilled fear. A fear to formulate the right words. A fear that stiffens the mind yet assaults with endless what-ifs and never-will-be’s.
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A glorious light sparkled. The gold of life radiated in their view. Lined on the myriad shelves appended onto the walls of the flourishing grotto glowed balls of unwavering light, each individual source contributing to the whole like an epic symphony conducted by a mighty orchestra known as life. The ground blossomed with flowers of every imagination, tickling the mind and pleasing the senses. Trees of robust vitality reinforced the fertile soil, reaching high towards the ceiling with plenty room to spare. Spacious, to say the least, the grotto bore fruit for all.
The Fabla explained, “Those five balls of light arranged in the pentagonal blue structure are part of the Field Translator. The remaining thousands are each one of us. Throughout this world, in each city, there exists such a place where we host our Lights of Unbounded Fervor. We call these places Nirvana.”
BB speculated, “To live in a world with zero competition and unlimited abundance, each of you have found Nirvana?”
The Fabla nodded. “Our race cannot imagine a world of competing. Each of our kind are one face of the truth. In accordance with such a realization, we have nothing to hold against each other, emotionless.”
Marcus shook his head. “But I can see and hear your emotions.”
“The Field Translator is flawlessly functioning.”
Marcus asked, “Then, if this place has fully reached Enlightenment, what point is there? Is it not death?”
The Fabla flew up to one of the Lights. “This one is mine. If you look closely, you can see all the little things that have happened to me. But from far away, arranged neatly on these walls, my Light perfectly blends in with all the others. Each of our own subjective experiences are merely the reflection of a multifaceted diamond.”
Marcus tried his best to understand. BB critiqued, “If you are emotionless, how could each Light be unique?”
The Fabla laughed. Marcus flinched. The Fabla easily rebutted, “Even from your own worlds, emotions are not all there is to defining an individual. Our biology simply does not contain that sophisticated machinery. We are each individuals but we are incapable of experiencing emotions. There is nothing more to it.”
Marcus conjectured, “From what is observed here, BB and I have stumbled upon the equivalence of a utopia. However, there is no happiness, no sadness, no miracles, no suffering. Everyone who lives here is free from the cycle of the universe. There is no such thing as death nor is there rebirth. This is a world belonging to immortals.”
The Fabla nodded.
Marcus shook his head once more. “Would you consider curiosity to be a form of emotion?”
The Fabla responded, “If you think so, then maybe we’re not so emotionless at all. We’re always willing to learn if it’s one step closer to the truth.”
Marcus reasoned, “Thus, you built the Field Translator for aliens like us in order to understand us better. Because we are inherently different, holding a piece of truth in the universe that your kind lacks, you deliberately brought some of us over.”
“You’d be surprised by what other oddities we have discovered.”