Civilization on Earth had progressed rapidly in the mere half millennium since the dawn of the 21st century. At the turn of 2500, problems such as underdevelopment in third world countries with the lack of basic necessities had all but extinguished under the guidance of technological innovation alongside a paradigm shift in economy. Because of believing one nation’s well-being is tied to others, a collective effort of humanity has led to the establishment of universal welfare with basic utilities of water and electricity provided for every human on Earth. This, on top of the prevailing capitalistic culture from the ever-so dominant United States, has fostered an environment where one can openly compete with others in the free market or pursue their own interests without having to face the repercussions of financial instability.
Yet even with physical well-being secured and adequate conditions for one to attain spiritual wellness provided as well, a new problem had arisen. Or more accurately, the problem had always been there but now with the most simple issues of survival resolved, had been thrusted into the spotlight like a sawing-a-woman-in-half magic trick gone wrong. The problem, more formally referred to as puzzlement, is a synecdoche to the puzzlement of the commons. In a single sentence, the problem is, despite our stellar intellect relative to other organisms coexisting with us on Earth, we humans have an inability to be self-governing and thus, we often find ourselves lost and confused on what to do at times, like a puzzle piece hoping for some higher power to properly put us into the right place in the puzzle we call “the grand scheme of things.” In a more prolonged analysis, and in fact an entire field of study one can do their PhD on, we call it Project Day. Why such a name? Some jest once we figure out this great big mystery of the human condition, it will be as clear as day.
Marcus chuckled at the notion. “Clear as day…” he mumbled.
Sitting in an auditorium surrounded by other youthful appearances flourishing at the prime of their lives, Marcus felt like he could have been anyone else sitting in the room, experiencing the dim lights and the sterile smell of cleaning solution as another person, bearing all their personal memories that made them who they were. But the universe dictated through its unfathomable machinery that no, Marcus is destined to be an average six-feet mix of French, Chinese, and African whose outer surface shone of pale skin and dark brown eyes with outstanding athleticism and an eye for detail.
On the stage below, a woman addressed, “Welcome class! I see many bright faces. I see many hopes. And I see many who understand the circumstances, an exciting and dangerous endeavor which you all have the great potential to be a part of.
In this three-week training course, we will help shape both your body and spirit. Admittedly, by the end of training, I’d expect that in the four to five hundred of you listening to me in this room, at a maximum of about two dozen will remain. This is for everyone’s safety.
With expectations reminded, let us now begin. What is Project Day? As all of you know, five years ago, an anomaly in spacetime had been detected via gravitational lensing. Not surprisingly, something invisible that could warp gravitational fields causing light to bend naturally suggests dark matter or black holes as the primary candidates. Without exception, it has to be. Right? The reason we describe this astronomical observation as an anomaly has to do with the fact that strong signals were detected from this object. They were signals that held a complex yet decipherable pattern.
Black holes are eliminated from being a possibility since information cannot escape the event horizon of a black hole. Dark matter doesn’t interact with the electromagnetic force meaning it would be odd to detect electromagnetic signals from such an object. The presence of these signals on top of the elusive character of this anomaly points to the possibility of a new object we had stumbled upon.
A year passed before we fully unraveled the meaning of the first signal. The signal, nor the ones which followed, were intranslatable into words of the human language. Rather, they could only be generated as a sequence of images. On the projector here, I will now proceed to show you a few in order of the discovery date.”
The first image flashed with a frozen lake reflecting a dancing aurora borealis overhead. Something so pristine, so azure, one saw the ice glittered in splendor. One could imagine skating across, twirling, spinning in the air and gracefully landing, forever entranced and full of majesty. Yet the ominous iridescent purple of the aurora lurked in the background, a sinister undertone, faded and ephemeral.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The second image continued in the theme of coldness, the interior of a glacial cave. Unlike the first image, however, the closed walls sharply juxtaposed the open air and spanless sky. Instead of the fleeting nature of life, one felt an inexplicable loneliness. There was nothing but the whiteness and glassy, melting ice that seemed to hollowly echo in the chamber where none could find. A cave even more man-made than the self-realization of being one among many, the ice held a transparency clearer than old age, knowing ‘thyself’ as one that seeks but will always remain undiscovered in the march of time.
The third image broke into spring. Cherry blossoms fluttered in helical clusters, Tufts of cotton clouds drifted in the baby blue. On a plateau of beautiful green and vibrant flora rested a gazebo. An indistinct figure could be discerned relaxing in its afternoon shade. Who were they? Were they thinking about something? How long have they been there? The figure, not human nor distinguishable in any other organism, exuded the aura of an individual well-practiced in their craft, skillful and wise, filled with inscrutable judgment.
More images, a total of twenty, followed. Some showed lost ruins or shattered artifacts while others displayed red waterfalls and yellow moons. Cryptic, wondrous, nightmarish, and ethereal, all these places instilled a sense of adventure and elicited the innate curiosity that had originally brought so many students into this room.
The last image was an open field of wild grass scattered with trees. It was the most ordinary scene among all that had been shown so far. No dazzling colors, no exotic structures, and devoid of intentions. Far in the distance one could see the sunset.
“Everyone back?” Collective exhales interrupted the silence as students in the auditorium redirected their attention back to the lecturer. “They’re stunning, aren’t they? I also had that reaction the first time I saw them. What makes these images incredible is in the fact that they are very worldly. They originate from someplace else but through translation, become something familiar.
These resonating illustrations are not merely digitally constructed paintings that we initially believed them to be. They are very real places. We have sent people there, as you all know, through holistic reconstruction, essentially launching robotic vessels of human experience into the anomaly.”
One of the audience members raised their hands.
“Yes, in the back?”
“Hi. I was wondering even with Project Day as the forefront of space exploration, making it a global effort, why is the majority of our taxes funding solely this? There appears to be an abnormally high investment into this project from governments of all nations.”
The lecturer nodded before speaking in great spirits, “At some point, we would like to get rid of all the terrible things in the world. Even though homelessness, poverty, and illness affects less than a fraction of a percent of the people on Earth in this century, we still find ourselves in trouble. There is still a need for laws to not only try deterring people from crime, but to appropriately punish those who have in the name of justice. There are still issues on the personal level such as general unhappiness and lack of fulfillment in many.”
“The puzzlement?”
“Exactly. We always need rules set in place for us. The rules don’t work because each person is different. But the rules exist because we are all prone to vices.
In the explorations into the anomaly, we have discovered traces of an unknown substance. When one looks at it, an indescribable clarity and invigoration raptures the soul. It makes one more receptive to the words of others, makes one more present in the moment, and fills one with purpose by reminding them what was always important to them. With this, we believe it can change the human condition. Imagine a world where everyone was much more communicative and caring while maintaining their individual sense of purpose, fortified by this substance.”
Another person raised their hand and chimed in, “But wouldn’t trust still be the main issue? Even if we cared more and listen to each other more, like you said, we’re ‘prone to vices.’”
The lecturer briefly responded, “The puzzle isn’t finished until all the pieces are in place. That is the kind of problem we’re facing. Then, the kind of solution required is one where all participants gradually, simultaneously trust each other. The substance, which we call the Traces of Light, is surely capable of facilitating such a momentous process.”