The Ultimate Ritual (standard:science fiction, 1984 words)
Author: Jim Westergren	Added: Jan 13 2005	Views/Reads: 3278/2315	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Aliath, the most powerful magician, makes the ultimate ritual to find his answer to his riddle of man and is ready to confront God. He arrives thousands of years into the future and what does he see? And does he find his answer?

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

--  2  -- 

Aliath did not see nor hear anything. He was in nothingness. Not even
blackness. 

The worry came over Aliath but then he decided to somehow take another
step. 

Aliath stepped out of the portal and he was back in the temple ruins. 

His immediate conception was that nothing had changed. It made him feel
strange and disappointed but as he moved he noticed that dust went up 
in the air. There was a big layer of dust covering every surface. 

Aliath started to go down the hill of the ruins and everything just
seemed to be the same. Empty as usual, no people, the trees the same 
... 

Suddenly he realized that there was no wind anymore. There had always
been wind on this place since the beginning of time. 

While walking on the path he saw a thing in red colors and when Aliath
came close to it some things started to light on it. 

It stood up and Aliath prepared himself for defense. 

Then it spoke with an unnatural strange English: "Master Aliath, you are
welcome." 

"Who are you?" replied Aliath. 

"I am a robot here to serve you. ID Numer 7263497, in the X serie, from
prototyp 38Z but you can call me any name you whish." 

Aliath looked at it, he had never in his whole existence seen something
similar. Then he asked it: "Is this the future?" 

"Yes Sir, for you could be said to be so but not for me." 

"What year is it?" asked Aliath. 

"151, Sir." 

"151, but that is much less than before. Was the counting restarted?" 

"Yes, Sir. We started new counting when Earth exploded." 

"What! Is this not Earth then?" 

"No, Sir. This is a small peace of Earth that secretly got salvaged in
order for you to return. We are inside a secret space-shuttle." 

Aliath thought it over what had been said for a moment and then asked:
"Why is it secret?" 

"Because it belongs to a rebel force. Let me fully explain to you Master
Aliath. You are the leader of this secret rebel force and I have been 
waiting here for your return a little more than 200 years. The purpose 
of the rebel force is to unite mankind again before it dies out 
totally. There exist more than 50 political parties of man and there 
has been war since thousands of years. The current scene is that there 
exists 25 000 different space ships, more than 2 000 space platforms, a 
couple of trillions of different robots including 43 robot 
civilizations across 13 planets, but only less than 800 humans are 
remaining spread over the whole galaxy. This ship is camouflaged and 
the rebel force are actually only you and me, all others got discovered 
and terminated. There are also no other humans on this ship but you, 
only about 2 100 robots. The enemies are using organic life detectors 
and your existence will be discovered in exactly 28 minutes and 15 
second. Then they will launch their atomic missile which will wipe this 
ship out in exactly 4674 seconds. Sir, I need to know your strategic 
plan." 

Aliath was very disappointed that man was still fighting against each
other and said: "Robot, I am sorry but I want to go back to my own 
time. It was better there." 

"But sir, then I would have to stop you. If you leave, mankind would
die." 

Aliath realized that he should have confronted the situation earlier and
done something about it. To wait later and see is not a solution. 

--  3  -- 

Aliath stood still while hundreds of thoughts were streaming through his
mind. 

"Give me more data, robot." 

"Ok, Sir." Said the robot and projected a blue strong light. 

"Here, master you can see our ship is that white spot and the missile is
this yellow small spot moving on the direction to it. These gray things 
are planets not yet categorized, the small ones moons, and this big 
strong yellow light is from a star. The missile is moving with a speed 
of 0.02C - speed of light." 

Aliath studied the spots in a way only a High-Elf such as himself could
do and then said: 

"Robot, I have the solution. We have to be projected out of this
space-shuttle in a small ship with an incredible force with a 
calculated vector which will be close to the star, go through it as an 
orbit and then land on this gray planet here. The gravity from the sun 
will be of enough power to alter the course of the missile at least 2 
degrees which will make it collide with that planets moon as it will in 
that exact position at that time." 

"But Sir, to land on uncategorized planets without permission are a
violation of galactic policy. And we don't know if it even has an 
atmosphere." 

"It is an order, do it. It is our only chance." - Said Aliath to the
robot. 

"Ok, Sir." 

--  4  -- 

Aliaths plan got executed exactly as per his instructions. They had been
shot out from the space-shuttle in a secret small capsule with a speed 
of 0.05C and the robot had calculated the vectors so that it would fit. 


It all went as planned and they were coming closer to the planet with a
speed and course that could not be altered. 

After some heavy shakings they landed in some liquid ground. 

“It must be water” Aliath told the robot. 

After half an hour the automatic steering of the capsule had taken them
on solid ground and the robot stepped out to analyze. 

After confirmation Aliath stepped out to breathe the atmosphere. 

“It is air, but not as good as in my time.” 

They stood at the foot of something that looked like a hill and they
decided to walk up on it to get a better sight. 

Up on the hill the sight was surprising, something that looked like a
very big village. And a lot of noise. 

Aliath saw things flying, flashing lights, sound worse then thunder and
a lot of smoke. 

“Master Aliath, this planet is inhabited. This is a city and what you
see now is what is called war.” 

“War?” Aliath didn't understand the word. 

“War is the intense destruction of different groups of the human race.
They are killing each other.” 

Aliath felt the anger starting to evolve within him and noticed that it
was written “USA” on one of the flying machines. He turned around and 
started to walk down the hill in a state worse than usual. 

“Master Aliath, is there any solution?” 

After a silent moment the High-Elf suddenly came to see the insight he
had travelled so long for, stopped, turned to the red machine and said: 


“Yes, but it is nothing we can force on them. They have to see it
themselves. 

The problem with other life is that they cannot see the real values of
things. They are so to say too materialistic ... 

The solution to that does not lie in revolution but in rehabilitation. 

Even you, robot, cannot understand this which explains the downfall of
your own civilization. 

What is needed is a truly responsible person who develops and starts a
new practical philosophy with the aim of rehabilitation of every single 
person ... 

I guess that person would be me, wouldn't it?” Aliath looked at the
robot. 

“Yes, Master Aliath, it must be you. We can start on this planet.” 

“Accepted” answered Aliath to the robot knowing that the machine had not
the faintest idea of the subject. 

It was funny and for a moment a smile and a feeling of joy arrived to
the inner soul of Aliath – something he had not experienced for a long 
long time. 

He overcame his chronic apathy and whispered “I will do it”, and deep
inside him he now knew that he would make it. He had lived for more 
than 1 000 years and now he could live another 1 000!


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