"Jack," a deep and loud voice spoke from what seemed like nowhere.
Jack stood in a paradise city made of golden buildings and pearl streets that all glistened in the light. The plants and trees around him were perfect in bloom. Not a single plant was dying. "Where am I?"
"This is what you call heaven," the voice answered.
"Am I dead?" Jack asked cautiously.
"No, but you touched my outer shell, so I pulled you in. Not everyone can locate me, Jack Canyon. Though, you did."
"Does that get me a special spot here or maybe a cookie?" Jack jested.
"I do not share in your humor, I am afraid."
"So, what do I call you? Who are you?" Jack shifted and look back at the sphere behind him.
"I have many names," the voice boomed. "Call me Jehovah. Call me Ishwara. Call me by any of the names that mean God."
Jack could feel his body become overwhelmed as chills spread throughout his arms, neck, and back. "I had a feeling you were Him. So, the big blue ball outside is. . .?"
"It is I. I know what you are wondering. Heaven resides within me. And you also wonder, 'how am I talking to God if I am inside Him?' Well, Jack Canyon, I am everywhere."
"That's not really an answer," Jack told him.
"Why?"
"You can project yourself anywhere, in any form, really, because you're, for lack of a better term, a big blue ball of energy. You can divide yourself, sustain any form you want. It's really quite great."
"That is not all is it?"
Jack stared at the the ball for a moment. "Where did you come from?"
The scene changed quickly for Jack from heavenly bliss to a star-filled galaxy with no planets.
"What am I looking for?" Jack asked.
"Watch."
A sudden explosion shocked Jack who jumped back several feet as the fireball subsided, the planets were slowly shown and formed into their evolving states.
"The Big Bang Theory," Jack stated.
"Yes. Before the dawn of time, there was a great battle between two energies. The blue ball, as you call it, and a red ball of energy."
"Lucifer?"
"As you know him, yes," God replied. "The heat was so great in the battle that it caused a tear that created your entire universe."
Jack watched as the planets zipped by him and then he was on earth as the evolution took place. From a single-celled organism all the way up to the dinosaurs.
"Lucifer and I were still engaged in battle even by the time of the dinosaurs. Fearing to create another 'big bang,' we crashed into Earth."
"Wait a minute," Jack spoke, but paused. His question was answered before he could even get it out. The vision he saw came as the two energy balls crashed into earth and destroyed everything.
***
"I'm guessing your father's death wasn't of natural causes, huh?" Sophia asked as she began to put it all together. "He was getting too close to solving the puzzle."
"You're a smart, Ms. Stone," Maya replied. "And you're absolutely right."
"You really had us fooled," Sophia said angrily at Maya. "I was wondering how they could've been following us all this time. I didn't dwell too much on it, since all these places are supposed to be relics to religions. That's the Disciples of Origin's job, right? Protect the relics?" She paused for a moment. "No. That's not it all, is it?"
"You're smart, Sophia, so I won't lie to you," Maya promised. "We protect that." She pointed at the blue ball of enegry. "We protect God."
"God? That thing is God?" Sophia asked. "And why should I even believe such a stupid story like that?"
"Because it's true," Maya told her. "It is the alpha. It is the omega."
"What do you mean?"
"Okay, I shall tell you the story before you die," Maya started. "Before the dawn of time. . ."
***
"After the destruction of an entire world, I tried to give it all back," God explained to Jack. "I created a paradise from what I remember earth was like. I created a garden."
"Eden."
"I placed a man and woman there to procreate and bring back the race, but I realized that the life force was too weak. More variations needed to be instituted in order to create a better strand of life forms."
"No incestuous breeding."
"Right. From the time of 'Adam and Eve,' there were many men throughout the ages who were contacted by me for the betterment of mankind. They were the original group who called themselves the Disciples of Origin."
"Who were they?" Jack asked.
"Well, there were men and women. A few notable figures were Moses, Noah, Mary Magdalene, Jesus, Buddha, many Dalai Lamas, many Hindu priests, even the original twelve disciples who followed Jesus Christ."
"So, Jesus is your son?"
"I sent a woman a miracle that she needed," God spoke. "The stories written in the Bible, Qur'an, The Hindu Vedas or Bhagavad Gītā, the Buddhist Tripitaka, and many others are all written by men. Some truths to things. Though, I didn't want to be found. People cannot handle the knowledge."
"Then why plant a tree of knowledge in the garden?" Jack asked.
"The fruit from that tree and the 'Tree of Life' were to make man healthier in physical and mental form. However, much more energy was put into them, which allowed their fruit to give man too much knowledge."
Jack stayed silent as God continued to talk.
"The tale of 'Adam and Eve' had to keep people wary of such fruits or too much knowledge. The passages of many books in many religions were simply to cover up my location. People want to know the meaning of life. Life is what you make it, Jack Canyon."
"But why? I mean, you create us and the world out of guilt for destroying it the first time? Yet you flooded it later?"
"Not my intent," God said. "The flood came to wash away all traces of me. Before Noah's grand flood, some had started their search for me. The Disciples of Origin could not keep everything in check, since they were so few in numbers. I generated the flood to help them. I seldom aid their works."
"So, what's all this about worshiping you and believing in you?" Jack asked Him.
"Like I said, key members of the Disciples of Origin wrote the 'great books.' They worshiped me, as if I were their God, their great creator. I never wanted this. I simply wanted to put back what I took away."
"So, why are you here? Why don't you just go back to the stars?"
"I am trapped here in a never ending battle. The stories of good versus evil are true, Jack Canyon. When we fell to earth, 'Lucifer' was crushed into the hot core of the planet."
"Hell?"
"That is what you call it, yes," God replied.
"What is this? You two are aliens? Entities? What?"
"Just energy from the vastness of the universe."
"How is it you know my language? What I think?"
"I created you. Everything about you is in Adam and Eve. Their body structure, their language, everything. And as with everything, evolution comes. Things change a little at a time. The energy within you, I sense it. I know all, because my energy is everywhere."
Jack stopped for a moment as all the information sank in. "Listen, I didn't come here looking for you. This isn't what I wanted from the beginning."
"I know. You were searching for a link between religions. You found it. The central point. I believe it is written in your literature by a man called Shakespeare. 'A rose by any other name smells just as sweet.' It all started with me, but translations and climate and regions of the world shifted things. Diversity arose, but everything came from me, nonetheless. My name changed with each new language that was created."
"So, my theories are correct?"
"In a manner of speaking," God told him. "Why do you do what you do?"
"Because I am searching for a truth to my theories or other's theories."
"Like men before you, you can influence people with your words," God spoke. "Like all the religions are from teachings that tell people to be good and live good lives. However, due to a firm belief in that only one religion is right, wars have broken out. People have died for their religion. They do not understand it completely, but they have faith in it. Religion gives them hope that there is more to life than just living and dying. It gives them peace of soul and mind that their good deeds are worth something. And they are right."
"So, I guess I'm correct about this. I always wondered why a God would put people here and make us worship Him, and then we die. It seemed selfish."
"I wanted no recognition for what I did, but I got it," the voice came from the orb. "So, I spent time convincing those who would listen, those who called themselves the Disciples of Origin, to cover up all traces that I was on earth. They insisted on a puzzle, in case one day none of them were left. Many pieces from dozens of religions were used. Someone had to be smart enough to put it all together."
Jack smiled a cocky smile at the orb.
***
"This is all bullshit!" Sophia cried out. "Why should I believe this? Some occult group has a giant orb in the middle of Mount Sinai and call it God, and I'm supposed to believe them? Fuck off!"
Maya slapped her forcefully across the face, which got her a retaliation.
Sophia tackled Maya and forced her to the ground and began to punch her as hard as she could. Sophia was a fighter, much more than Maya was. Several men pulled her off the Indian woman.
"Hold it," Maya said. "She's mine!" Maya punched her in the stomach, which only fueled Sophia's rage.
Sophia attacked Maya again, but this time she was allowed, since Maya seemed to want to finish this.
Jack was thrust out of the orb and hit the brick wall before falling to the stone floor. He groaned as he looked up and around at the scene.
Sophia was still on top of Maya pounding her fists into the woman's body.
Jack moved to get her off Maya, but received an elbow to his chin, which knocked him back. "What the hell is going on here?"
Sophia kept Maya pinned to the floor. "She's one of them. She's one of the Disciples."
"What?!" Jack asked angrily. He looked back at the men with machine guns. "How ya doing?" He only got a glare from those men. "Sophia, get off her."
"What do you mean? she's a traitor." Sophia was reluctant to move.
"No, I understand the Disciples position, and so should you," he told her.
"Okay, speak English, Jack," Sophia stated.
"The orb, it's God, well, for lack of a better term that is," Jack began to explain. "It's just a great big energy ball that is in a battle against another energy ball."
"Yeah, Maya here explained all about the big bang, destruction of earth, and then rebuilding it. Their beginning ministry of disciples worshiped Him. Though, the came from vast cultures, which with various languages had things misinterpreted and then we have multiple religions. I get it."
"They protect his known whereabouts," Jack said. "People can't handle the knowledge of 'God.' "
"You were able to," Sophia argued.
"No, before anyone can possibly know the entire knowledge of the universe, they usually reach here," Jack explained more. "Mental states are just physical states created of energy. He is able to remove the knowledge before it can kill anyone. If the knowledge reaches 'critical mass' inside your head, you die."
"So, what's all this about becoming 'one with God' we hear so much about?" Sophia continued to ask her questions.
"That's it," Jack pointed out. "When you die, your body's soul is just energy so your soul is brought here to become one with Him. Inside Him is heaven."
"What about Hell?"
"Those who are bad spend their eternity in hell, unless given a chance for another shot at life," Jack said. "The other entity is hell."
"So, they stay there until they can be reincarnated?"
"Yeah," Jack said. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm hungry and would love to take a week off." He put his arm around Sophia's shoulder as they turned around and met opposition from the Disciples of Origin. "We never catch a break."
The men pointed their guns at the two.
"I'm sorry," Maya said, "but you can't leave. No one other than us ever finds God and leaves alive. I'm sorry. It's our job, our mission."
"And you are the one who said that we should understand and respect them," Sophia muttered to Jack.
"I've been wrong on occasion," Jack replied.
"Let them go!" God ordered the Disciples.
"What?" Maya questioned. "No. They know too much, Lord."
"Let them go!" God repeated.
"They cannot be trusted," Maya argued. "They will surely give into temptation to spread all that we've worked so hard to cover up."
Jack looked from the guns to Maya to God.
"Maybe, but their journey for me is not over," God stated. "They have much work left to do in their lifetime."
Maya sighed heavily and hesitated as she stared blankly at Jack and Sophia.
"Let them go, Maya," God told her. "Do no let me repeat myself."
She continued to stare at them for a few moments longer before looking to God and back to the Disciples of Origin.
Jack was relieved to see the guns lowered and a path cleared so they could leave peacefully. He nodded at the men and Maya as he and Sophia started down the steps to leave the mountain.
"Maya, they are pilgrims, lost in this land," God spoke. "Help them home."
Maya bowed before the blue ball of energy. "Thy will be done, Lord."
Jack and Sophia were halfway back to Saint Catherine's Monastery when Maya stopped them.
"Listen, I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye here recently, but you guys are out here with no way home," Maya said. "Let me get you guys back home, okay?"
Jack and Sophia both smiled and nodded. Then they continued their descent back down.
***
Jack sat in one of the seats with Sophia next to him, and in his arms. He was grateful that Maya offered them a ride home, especially since she had been so kind up until her betrayal.
"Jack?" Sophia asked with her head on his shoulder. "I need to tell you something."
"Soph, just rest," Jack told her.
"It's important."
"I think I know what you want to say," Jack said. "I was a big idiot in all of this. No amount of historical knowledge is worth your life."
Sophia smiled at him. "Well, I was right about that, but that's not what I wanted to say."
"Oh? You didn't want to say 'I told you so'?"
"Jack, shut up," she said and kissed his lips just before falling asleep on his shoulder.
Jack sat in shock for a moment. "Wait a minute. . . Sophia." He looked down at her closed eyes. "Soph?" Still no response. He laid his head against the headrest of the seat and slowly closed his eyes.
The End.
No comments:
Post a Comment