I pulled the plug.
You did what?
I called down destruction upon you. I pulled the plug.
Er... Merry, have you gone out of your mind?
You could say that.
Wait a minute - you wouldn't be admitting it if you had. This is a bluff, isn't it?
Yes and no.
Which one?
Yes it's a bluff but no, I truly called down destruction upon you - and the entire world for that matter.
But that's monstrous, evil, wicked.
Horrible, nasty, mean, despicable, unkind, ridiculous... any more adjectives?
Well I'm glad you see fit to joke about it. Judging by your levity I assume this isn't as bad as it sounds.
Oh, it is - I assure you.
It can't be - you wouldn't do such a thing - or if you did you wouldn't make light of it.
Wouldn't?
No way. Anyone sick enough to destroy the whole of humanity would...
- be like one of those James Bond villains - in black gloves with a funny accent and a huge megalomaniacal inferiority-complex-driven need to assert his superiority... No, Zie, I think you've been watching too many movies. There are other motives for destroying humanity, and other personality types capable of doing such a thing.
But if it's true...
I assure you it is.
Then why? Why would you do such a thing?
Because I can. Because that was the agreement.
What agreement?
I agreed to set up this show - to get things started, to put the show on the road, to carry it on my tab, on my ticket, on your behalf until I knew you were ready to stand on your own feet - which is where we are now. I've... er... just pulled the proverbial rug from under your feet - like the rich father cutting off his now grown up son's allowance to see whether or not the son can survive on his own.
But... er... how did you pull the rug? I didn't see anything.
Of course not - it happens to be outside your field of perception. But I assure you I'm now no longer sustaining humanity - which means that in next to no time you have to start breathing for yourself, beating your own heart, eating and everything else requisite to normal functioning life, or perish. The free lunch, the endless supply of pranic life-force that you've taken for granted - that I was happy to supply, is now no more.
But surely this is just a figurative way of expressing your desire that we should be more independent?
No Zie. In matters such as this I am obliged to be plain. You have not yet breathed a single breath. Your heart has not yet beaten. You have not yet eaten. Everything you have taken for reality has been a part of my vast field of consciousness. I was hoping you'd make the move independently - without me having to give you the shove, but it turns out this free lunch was a little bit too cozy, a little too convenient - so I was forced to do it myself - to pull the plug.
Er... when?
This morning. Half an hour ago. At 9.43 to be precise.
My God.
Yes. It's between you and God now. Nothing else will help. Everything else, you see, was coming from my field of consciousness.
So - oh my God - what do I have to do?
You could try panicking - that might help - but I wouldn't recommend it. To be honest Zie, I don't really know. I've never done this before. And actually - I don't really care.
You don't care? How could you be so heartless?
It's a function of infinity.
What do you mean?
It's a function of infinity - not to care about finite matters.
Oh thanks a million. You decide to relegate me and the whole of humanity to "finite matters" status - our immanent extermination being of no great significance.
Precisely.
I'm lost for words. I was horribly mistaken in you Merry. I thought you had a heart.
Yes. I do, for living beings - but you haven't yet asserted your inalienable right to life - by choosing to live independently. You've been riding on my coat tails.
No we haven't Merry. We didn't even realise we were part of your field of consciousness.
Not strictly true.
No?
No. But this is immaterial. What's past is past, and now you're going to become aware of a strange sense of asphyxiation. It won't feel terribly comfortable. It isn't supposed to. But it will enable you and the rest of humanity to either die of asphyxiation or start breathing - if you can be bothered.
Bothered? Of course we can be bothered. Until 4 minutes ago I and the rest of humanity blithely assumed we were doing our own breathing.
Well, this is going to be a little different.
How so?
Because breathing for yourself you have to establish fundamental points of contact.
Er... carry on.
These fundamental points of contact - let's call them alpha and omega establish the boundaries of your field - without which you won't be able to breathe.
Ok.
Technically there's nothing to it...
Yes?
But it will be something of a shock to see where the points of contact are located.
A shock?
Yes.
How much of a shock?
Er... a kind of anaphylactic shock.
You mean we're going to go into heart failure?
Yes. But that's actually part of the waking up process. You go into heart failure on this platform - within my field of consciousness, and then feel the presence of the alternative that's waiting to be booted up.
So, you're saying - we have to kind of die before the new system gets going?
Yep. That's all by the by.
By the by...
The problem isn't dying - it's more psychological - more a question of whether or not you'll be willing to accept these alpha omega points of contact.
What do you mean? Why shouldn't we?
They're a little beyond what you've yet experienced.
A little? Is that one of your minor understatements, Merry?
Yes, I think it is.
You mean we're about to experience a hugely vast, mind boggling leap into the unknown which is likely enough to prove our undoing?
Yes. I think that's what I mean. But I have my hopes. I hope you'll succeed.
You hope. I thought you said you didn't care, a moment ago.
Yes. Paradoxical isn't it.
Contradictory.
Yes. I'm not sure what the difference is between paradoxical and contradictory, but whichever one it is - I find myself in two camps simultaneously. On the one hand I'm a neutral observer - I simply don't care - on the other hand - I hope you all succeed. I have no idea how to reconcile these two positions - or whether they can or should be reconciled. It creates a certain kind of electrical stimulation - a tingling which is not altogether unpleasant. I guess it too is part of this birthing process - helping me to let go of you.
So You - Merry - you're our kind of mother - if I'm not mistaken.
Funny isn't it. I never saw myself as a mother before - but I suppose I am.
And this is our birthday.
Yes - sometime around now. I expect we'll feel it pretty soon - when the contractions begin.
Contractions?
Suddenly reality started twisting, pulsating - like the video screen was suffering massive distortion. This sensation was something Zie felt throughout - in his mind, in his stomach, in places he never even knew existed.
My God - if that's where the points of contact are - I can't imagine how I'm going to be able to handle them.
We live in hope - Merry answered as he fades from the picture - leaving Zie alone - utterly alone, apart from the rest of humanity by his side, to face the greatest adventure yet - birth or death.
You did what?
I called down destruction upon you. I pulled the plug.
Er... Merry, have you gone out of your mind?
You could say that.
Wait a minute - you wouldn't be admitting it if you had. This is a bluff, isn't it?
Yes and no.
Which one?
Yes it's a bluff but no, I truly called down destruction upon you - and the entire world for that matter.
But that's monstrous, evil, wicked.
Horrible, nasty, mean, despicable, unkind, ridiculous... any more adjectives?
Well I'm glad you see fit to joke about it. Judging by your levity I assume this isn't as bad as it sounds.
Oh, it is - I assure you.
It can't be - you wouldn't do such a thing - or if you did you wouldn't make light of it.
Wouldn't?
No way. Anyone sick enough to destroy the whole of humanity would...
- be like one of those James Bond villains - in black gloves with a funny accent and a huge megalomaniacal inferiority-complex-driven need to assert his superiority... No, Zie, I think you've been watching too many movies. There are other motives for destroying humanity, and other personality types capable of doing such a thing.
But if it's true...
I assure you it is.
Then why? Why would you do such a thing?
Because I can. Because that was the agreement.
What agreement?
I agreed to set up this show - to get things started, to put the show on the road, to carry it on my tab, on my ticket, on your behalf until I knew you were ready to stand on your own feet - which is where we are now. I've... er... just pulled the proverbial rug from under your feet - like the rich father cutting off his now grown up son's allowance to see whether or not the son can survive on his own.
But... er... how did you pull the rug? I didn't see anything.
Of course not - it happens to be outside your field of perception. But I assure you I'm now no longer sustaining humanity - which means that in next to no time you have to start breathing for yourself, beating your own heart, eating and everything else requisite to normal functioning life, or perish. The free lunch, the endless supply of pranic life-force that you've taken for granted - that I was happy to supply, is now no more.
But surely this is just a figurative way of expressing your desire that we should be more independent?
No Zie. In matters such as this I am obliged to be plain. You have not yet breathed a single breath. Your heart has not yet beaten. You have not yet eaten. Everything you have taken for reality has been a part of my vast field of consciousness. I was hoping you'd make the move independently - without me having to give you the shove, but it turns out this free lunch was a little bit too cozy, a little too convenient - so I was forced to do it myself - to pull the plug.
Er... when?
This morning. Half an hour ago. At 9.43 to be precise.
My God.
Yes. It's between you and God now. Nothing else will help. Everything else, you see, was coming from my field of consciousness.
So - oh my God - what do I have to do?
You could try panicking - that might help - but I wouldn't recommend it. To be honest Zie, I don't really know. I've never done this before. And actually - I don't really care.
You don't care? How could you be so heartless?
It's a function of infinity.
What do you mean?
It's a function of infinity - not to care about finite matters.
Oh thanks a million. You decide to relegate me and the whole of humanity to "finite matters" status - our immanent extermination being of no great significance.
Precisely.
I'm lost for words. I was horribly mistaken in you Merry. I thought you had a heart.
Yes. I do, for living beings - but you haven't yet asserted your inalienable right to life - by choosing to live independently. You've been riding on my coat tails.
Not strictly true.
No?
No. But this is immaterial. What's past is past, and now you're going to become aware of a strange sense of asphyxiation. It won't feel terribly comfortable. It isn't supposed to. But it will enable you and the rest of humanity to either die of asphyxiation or start breathing - if you can be bothered.
Bothered? Of course we can be bothered. Until 4 minutes ago I and the rest of humanity blithely assumed we were doing our own breathing.
Well, this is going to be a little different.
How so?
Because breathing for yourself you have to establish fundamental points of contact.
Er... carry on.
These fundamental points of contact - let's call them alpha and omega establish the boundaries of your field - without which you won't be able to breathe.
Ok.
Technically there's nothing to it...
Yes?
But it will be something of a shock to see where the points of contact are located.
A shock?
Yes.
How much of a shock?
Er... a kind of anaphylactic shock.
You mean we're going to go into heart failure?
Yes. But that's actually part of the waking up process. You go into heart failure on this platform - within my field of consciousness, and then feel the presence of the alternative that's waiting to be booted up.
So, you're saying - we have to kind of die before the new system gets going?
Yep. That's all by the by.
By the by...
The problem isn't dying - it's more psychological - more a question of whether or not you'll be willing to accept these alpha omega points of contact.
What do you mean? Why shouldn't we?
They're a little beyond what you've yet experienced.
A little? Is that one of your minor understatements, Merry?
Yes, I think it is.
You mean we're about to experience a hugely vast, mind boggling leap into the unknown which is likely enough to prove our undoing?
Yes. I think that's what I mean. But I have my hopes. I hope you'll succeed.
You hope. I thought you said you didn't care, a moment ago.
Yes. Paradoxical isn't it.
Contradictory.
Yes. I'm not sure what the difference is between paradoxical and contradictory, but whichever one it is - I find myself in two camps simultaneously. On the one hand I'm a neutral observer - I simply don't care - on the other hand - I hope you all succeed. I have no idea how to reconcile these two positions - or whether they can or should be reconciled. It creates a certain kind of electrical stimulation - a tingling which is not altogether unpleasant. I guess it too is part of this birthing process - helping me to let go of you.
So You - Merry - you're our kind of mother - if I'm not mistaken.
Funny isn't it. I never saw myself as a mother before - but I suppose I am.
And this is our birthday.
Yes - sometime around now. I expect we'll feel it pretty soon - when the contractions begin.
Contractions?
Suddenly reality started twisting, pulsating - like the video screen was suffering massive distortion. This sensation was something Zie felt throughout - in his mind, in his stomach, in places he never even knew existed.
My God - if that's where the points of contact are - I can't imagine how I'm going to be able to handle them.
We live in hope - Merry answered as he fades from the picture - leaving Zie alone - utterly alone, apart from the rest of humanity by his side, to face the greatest adventure yet - birth or death.
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