༺ Thesium ༻

Mythos Reborn

"Here, Shariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form; emptiness is not separate from form, form is not separate from emptiness; whatever is form is emptiness, whatever is emptiness is form. The same holds for sensation and perception, memory and consciousness."
  • The Heart Sutra
  • XOP-108 Seeding Year 1121.
  • RDR-27: narrative summary of 9 petabyte archive.

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And so it was that that year became one of the most momentous in all of Thesium’s history. The elders told of those happenings long into their future. They told of how the High Neem and the Top Prof joined together as brothers, of how the Abystery and Root helped them. They told of how each one who went to the Abystery received an experience tailored just for them so that they could understand the new mythos. Each one, without exception, embraced the new way with gusto and fervour.

Their story about the Abystery went like this:

“Just as he got to the gates of perfection, as he stepped one foot over into that realm of eternal peace, he heard a cry. He could not lift his other foot when he heard that cry. He turned around and then heard all the cries of the world. All the beings everywhere cried out in their anguish. He was so moved by their suffering he made a vow. He declared that instead of being the first one to enter the realm of eternal peace, he would be the last. He would stay and help every single one get there before him, even down to the last blade of grass!”

This was the kernel of the new mythos. To emulate a wisdom-being as noble as the Abystery. To practice opening the mind in deep questioning. To know oneself as being made of the stuff of the universe and that it was profoundly good.

Their new mythos held that the goal of science was to strive for Goodness by means of the Truth, and so to help all beings towards happiness. Wellbeing was to be created out of each person’s striving to understand things as they really were. Their main goal was to become a saviour personally, not to find such a one outside of themselves. Such a wisdom-being would understand completely and love fully. Their model for such a being was the Abystery.

Even the Chief Exec was pursuaded to see for himself. After his dreaming the corporations were disbanded. Great assemblies were held throughout Thesium. All that did not align with what was both Good and True was discarded. They found the old tribal ways once again, they discovered ways to live that did not require vast energy supplies. Permacultures sprang up everywhere. Local initiatives became the norm. The changes were quick and not without pain, but the people soon realised that they were the same as those who, over many millenia on far distant planets, had held constant, had survived and had done so with grace.

They returned to a very old notion of learning. All the various disciplines were considered branches of philosophy. Over specialising in fields was frowned upon. To be a well rounded generalist was highly prized.

Every year on midsummer’s day there was a great gathering at the cathedral. A day of remembrance. Each year there was a moment of high symbolism that demonstrated their world view. The High Neem and the Top Prof approached the Ship of Light at the centre of the great cathedral. The silent throng watched as the two stopped before it. For the briefest of moments no-one blinked and all breaths were suspended as the two prostrated themselves on the floor. The deepest devotion to that which is Good and to that which is True was embodied in their gesture.

Everyone bowed.

Even as they knew that everything was temporary, that all things lacked an eternal essence, even so, they had continuity. Their very being was embedded in the being of all things in the ongoing rush of life. This very fact meant that nothing was separate and therefore had meaning. A thing was always related to everything else. A person or process could not be somehow detached from the all. They could see how concepts and definitions, however useful, were never the whole truth of a thing. And so, with full hearts and clear eyes, they stood.

When Kronos received this last report, he knew that what was needed was now in place. Long he had toiled to prepare the way. Terraforming had been going very well. Gaia stirred anew. Now that the missing mythos had been found he launched the last of the seed ships for its return to Earth, the one held back for just this eventuality. After considering the report he made only a slight modification, he added clones of Theo & Maya to the liferaft about to return.

As the ship slid away from the moon’s surface he felt a great urge to cry but this time, with happy tears. He hoped that these children going to their births would one day remember him, would one day appreciate how long the labour had taken. Perhaps it did not matter. What really mattered was that here were innocents who could hold a world in devotion, who would understand that all life is sacred. They had the tools now to not fall into falseness or fantasy. They had the tools to resist the forces of greed and hatred. They would know that sentience was in itself a mystery, a miracle and a wonder.

It was divine.

fin