Not to Conquer

The Before: When Fire Rained [Circa 2078, The Last Records Found Before the Darkness]

As it rained fire around the world, the shroud of death spread, ravaging everything from cities to the Earth’s energy itself. With darkness seeping in at every edge and nowhere to go, the remaining people watched as natural disasters raged, the Earth fighting for her last breath. They had been taught of the danger that their lifestyles bore and yet, they did not listen. Climate change tore the very essence of life down to its core only to find that humans cowered in their shame. While the Earth fought and struggled, the populations of every living thing began to dwindle. Wars mattered not, corporations were toppled and just when hope of survival was nearly depleted – something shifted. Major political powers couldn’t get out of their own way, only adding to the devastation, and in their wake, there were those who stood together. Scientists congregated and turned it all off. The entire world went dark, immuring the Earth’s energy and her creations in obscurity.

And yet, the few who endured, remained in the darkness.

They say that when you lose one sense, the others grow stronger. In the deep, unfathomable darkness, humanity lost their sight but gained the strength to listen, to the Earth and to each other’s energy. And a newfound destiny took hold.

They, who appreciated the Earth and valued her energy, stood aside as she healed. And as that happened, it seemed as though everyone else healed. The small population which had survived had spent their time in the dark humbling themselves, embracing themselves as organisms. Honouring the beauty of life without greed and war, these few came to an agreement: that the only important thing moving forward would be to live. Simply. Just live, to enjoy the intricacy of nature, to learn the meticulous design of a flawless and guiltless future.

Eventually, life began again. The Earth revived her energy and with it, came an abundance of new life. Evolution took a leap during that dark time and produced magnificence. Plants, animals, all organisms began to flourish again. People began building greenhouses, farming the land and using only renewable energy. Electricity, heat and running water, was powered only by renewable resources. The human population grew into a new era of cohabitating with nature rather than conquering it. Cities were erected without pavement and suffocation of the Earth, homes were built to grow with nature and scientists worked tirelessly to provide the tools and knowledge required to ensure this lifestyle remained for generations to come. Life was about peace, the Earth and her power, and respecting it, not conquering it.

With a new age of growth and prosperity, people craved higher knowledge. As it was witnessed, curiosity has been and always will be a vital part of humanity – they couldn’t possibly turn it off. To ensure the unstable systems which reigned over the Earth did not regain power, the Seeking of Knowledge Statute was passed:

Those who search for knowledge, those who must quench their curiosity – do so. But understand the difference between your curiosity, your desire to protect and your pride. May no human explore, expand their knowledge or venture past their home to hurt, capture or conquer. We do not own this land nor this sea. We will learn so as to learn to protect. We will search so as to search ourselves. And we will let live so as to live our futures.

And so, there was peace. Years after the Climate Crisis passed, people reclaimed their hope for the future - no longer were they afraid to have kids who would grow up in a world of pain, apocalypse and poverty. There was clean air and happiness again. The rich had fallen, the crippling systems of oppression were gone and the people who remained were those who believed in the Earth. Science advanced without pollution or chemical testing. As the Earth healed and began to trust humans again, she shared with them some of her secrets. People started to uncover renewable resources and avenues of science which opened doors to discovering components of the inner Earth, massive portions of the oceans and even parts of the universe.

The After: A Girl Born of Destiny

Some thirty years after the Climate Crisis, a child was born: a beautiful baby girl. Born to a family who lived in a forest community, she grew up loved and cherished. Before long, it was clear she had a gift. So sensitive to the Earth’s energy, the people around her, and even the plants of the forest, she was affected by every little shift. While the sun and plants gave her wonderful energy, the darkness of night and the nightmares of those around her yielded something menacing and frightful. As it was so obvious that she was pure, even from her first moments on earth, her parents called her Kiah, meaning “a new beginning”. She was their hope – everybody’s hope – that humans had finally done something right, that their new way was giving them generations of pure children.

As Kiah grew older, she began to dream. While other children would dream only once every few nights and rarely of unsavoury things, Kiah dreamed always, of many different things. Each night that she lay her head down to rest, her mind was flooded with feelings, images and sounds. Sometimes, even in the daytime, she might find herself lost in a dream, thinking she was awake. While they weren’t always nightmares, Kiah was often shy to sleep, worrying about what state she may find herself in. Though her community did everything they could to help her, she soon realized that she was all alone. There were no other children facing similar hardships; even her own parents couldn’t fully understand the extent to which Kiah could feel.

At no fault of their own, people in themselves can be a fight of light and dark. Because of her deep understanding and already-scarred heart, Kiah aged faster than her counterparts, maybe not in age but in life. This tight-knit, loving community would soon learn that when dear Kiah fell asleep and travelled through nightmares filled with dark energy, that she would awake in agony with scars all over her body. But when she had pleasant dreams, filled with light and curiosity, she awoke the picture of health – happy, rested and young without a scratch on her body. At first, the doctors of the community tried many remedies to help young Kiah. They sought help from nearby villages and cities, made herbal remedies, tried spiritual tasks and yet, as soon as a nightmare found its way to her, Kiah would scar. If she slept again, and had a good dream, she would awaken healed.

She knew it was nobody’s fault and she held no resentment. She loved her community, her parents, so deeply. She couldn’t put into words how much she appreciated their efforts to help her. Eventually, Kiah understood that there will always be light and dark energy among people. While the energy of the Earth is pure, people are not. She fought for many years to stay within the community, to care for those who had cared for her, to protect the Earth and all her health. But there came a time when there was too much risk.

On the eve of Kiah’s 20th birthday, she and the community made the decision that she must leave. For her health, for her peace, she was to isolate herself. Somewhere beautiful, somewhere mankind had not found to resettle. Somewhere she could build and grow her own life – for if the Earth around her was healthy, and there were no people around, her dreams would only be good ones. The same way it wasn’t her fault for being so sensitive to energy, it was nobody’s fault for their demons they carried with them. Both things are gifts, meant for learning and growing. However, one must be independent of the other. And so, she left. But she vowed that while she lived her peace, she would also fight. To learn, to gain knowledge and to one day, come home so that she may live with her people and their demons alike.

Today: Kiah’s Destiny

Kiah travelled to the coast where she then sailed to a small, uninhabited island. Her father had shown her a spot of their forest where they could climb up the mountain when she was about 15; he had told her it was his favourite place to think. From this spot, she could see as far as possible in every direction – it was like she was a bird, flying above the beautiful Earth to see all of her life. When she was meant to leave the community, Kiah and her father returned to this place. He pointed west and told her, “Do you see over there? Where the mountains stop, and the ocean begins?”

She could see it: the deep, dark waters stretching out as far as the eye could see. He said, “Go west, to the coast. If you sail straight on in that direction, you will find a new world. Small islands filled with life, humidity and sun. There is no cold there. The ocean becomes a bright blue that matches the sky. There, you will find your peace. Find an island and make it your own.” They sat there together, watching the sun fall until the last rays of light seemed to be pulsing from the very place that she would find herself a home.

After days of sailing westward, Kiah found the bright waters and new creatures her father spoke of. She met many people on her stops throughout the islands, stopping to find one inhabited. Kiah ate new foods and learned about life in the islands. But she was always relieved to get back on her boat to find a place alone. When she had finally found her island, Kiah spent days exploring it, the old ruins of buildings from long ago, the jungles and its creatures. She made a home there. She connected with the island, shared her energy with it. As she grew there, she protected it and it protected her. She farmed, painted, wrote poetry, explored and read, she lived a healthy life. Although she was alone, and although she did miss her family, she never felt lonely. The life of the island made her know that she was loved. And as she prospered, the island did as well. Her dreams were good.

Every so often, someone would come upon her island. She always knew instantly when someone approached, as the island’s energy would shift. And she’d meet whomever it was and show them around, share a meal with them and send them on their way. She had a gift, people respected her and her energy but never dared stay too long. Though some may say they felt the island urging them to leave or that she was a mysterious girl they often thought of, they always came in peace and left in peace.

One night, after years of clean and happy dreams, Kiah had a horrible nightmare. It was heavy, like wet blanket covering her body. It was nothing like the dreams she’d had in the forest or the few dreams her own mind conjured every so often. There was darkness seeping in from everywhere, flashes of hot fire, long, twirling vines that were the deepest black. And all of these were steadily coming for her and her island. She awoke, confused and in pain with scars reaching their way up her arms and her back. She felt the island’s energy and its concern. And then she noticed some of the trees in the canopy above her had started to droop. How could she have had a nightmare? There was no negative energy, no people, no death. She felt a pull, to the south side of the island. Grabbing some water for the walk, Kiah followed the pull.

It was nearly morning, and the sunrise was magnificent. If she hadn’t been still shivering from the pain and fear wracking her body, Kiah would have soaked up the warm, loving heat in an instant. But she paid no mind to it, focused on the energy ahead. Approaching the edge of the rocky beach, Kiah saw that in the bright, azure blues of the ocean, there was a thick streak of black across the ocean floor, reaching toward the island from depths that she could not see. Being careful not to get too close, Kiah waded out into the shallows before the reef and saw that wispy tendrils of black had crawled along the ocean floor to her precious home.

Out of the calm, dewy morning, a sound unlike anything she’d ever heard abruptly pierced the air. The island went still as Kiah leapt from the ocean onto the rocks. And she watched as a beast, unlike any other, vaulted itself from the sea about 30 meters out. It was bigger than any whale or shark, a dark charcoal grey colour with a horrible, bumpy head. It looked like a mix of a squid and a jelly fish. With loose, sharp-looking tentacles dragging behind it, it sailed through the air, letting out a loud, wailing noise as it dove back under the dark waters. Kiah waited for minutes, and then hours, frozen to her spot on the rocks, to see if it would return. But it only made one appearance that morning. The eerie tendrils of darkness did not shift nor grow while Kiah sat there, watching so closely.

As the sun fully rose into the sky, Kiah remained stunned and afraid. By the late morning, she was exhausted. The island remained tense the rest of the day; it felt to Kiah that as she walked home, contemplating all that she had seen, the island wrapped its energy around her to comfort her. Already sore from her scarred skin, she was shaking with uncertainty and fear. The energy wreaking havoc in her body was quickly depleting her. As she made it home, and to her bed under the sun, Kiah slept. At first, she dreamt of the tendrils finding their way into her island, only to destroy it from the inside out. But as the sun continued to shine and the island worked to create a calming energy, Kiah began to dream of light. Of the sun, and the Earth; of her life there and the good things she felt every day. When she woke up, the sun was only beginning to set. She tentatively looked down at her arms to see that her scars were gone. Nervous, she ran her fingers over the lower part of her back – no scarring or blood. She had healed.

Kiah sent her energy out into the island and the Earth as thanks. Feeling rested and safer, she ate her dinner in peace. Afraid to overdo herself, Kiah did not go exploring that night. She stayed in her home, watching from the safety of her porch as the sun set and stars shone. Kiah’s grandfather had told her stories of the Before, when cities burned so bright that even the stars couldn’t be seen in the darkest parts of the night. He had told her that people wanted to be the brightest things in the universe without putting in the work, they only took shortcuts. When Kiah asked what he meant, he told her a story of the stars:

“My dear girl, the stars are not just as we know them to be. They are more than planets, moons and suns. They are more than molecules and light. Each star that you can see, and especially the ones you cannot, were once a small, insignificant atom of energy. And it grew. And it grew. And it grew.”

“And became a star then?” asked young Kiah.

Her grandfather laughed, “No, my child, it became life. Each and every star was an organism first, with the choice of what energy it would embody. Depending on its choice, it would grow to become a tree or a bird or a man. And it would have a choice to be good or not. And when that tree or a bird or man fulfilled its good energy, he would rise and be enveloped in the warmth and light he had created his whole life. If he had fulfilled his dark energy, he would only turn to dust, forgotten and in the dark. And so, mankind tried to be brighter than the stars, to consume all the attention. To change the way of the universe. Then they would never have to choose an energy nor would they be held accountable to their choices.”

Kiah asked, “But they were held accountable. Weren’t they, Baba?”

“Yes. We were. My dear, don’t ever forget to choose your energy wisely. When you look at the stars, find your place among them. Use their light to remember that you must fight for peace and light; that you will one day, be guiding someone else as well.”

As Kiah sat on her porch now, grown, staring up at the stars, she found the one that she believed to be her grandfather. Feeling at peace, remembering old stories, Kiah went back to sleep. And she did not dream this night.

The next morning, feeling restless from a night without any dreams, Kiah steadied herself. She would not run from this darkness; she would fight for the light. And so, she made her way to the southern edge of the island, to see that the dark tendrils had grown. They fanned out more, like the roots of an ancient oak tree, reaching and spreading toward the island. She noticed small, jet-black fish swimming in the reef. Fish that she had never seen before. About the size of a coconut, they swam in pairs. Upon further inspection, she noticed their eyes were dark brown, but a bright, green glow hovered around them. She stuck a small stick into the water and before she could blink, a pair of these fish attacked it; they opened their mouths to reveal layers of pointed teeth which they used to destroy the stick, leaving it nothing but floating debris.

Horrified, Kiah jumped back. She often fished for salmon and flying fish in this spot, but these were something sinister. She watched as a large, unsuspecting salmon swam into the reef. Bigger than any of these new, black fish, it was at least two feet long. Before Kiah could think of something to do, two pairs of the new fish darted to it. Within moments, the water was red with blood and there was nothing but bones remaining of the salmon.

Kiah felt sick. The island revolted along with her as she ran. She ran home and collapsed in tears. She had felt the energy of those demented creatures and could do nothing but sob in response. They were of darkness. The island felt this loss and its energy accompanied Kiah, as she sat by her fire and cried.

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In the inner city of the island, Kiah had found a library, with many books in decent condition. It was here that she spent many days, thirsting for knowledge, trying to learn to use her gift as a tool instead of it being a vulnerability. After a few days of endless nightmares and more small creatures lurking in the shadowy depths of the sea, Kiah remembered the library and her grandfather’s story of the stars. She got up, sore, covered in scars and made her way to the inner city. She tried to find books on these strange ocean creatures showing up, coming for her island. She found a thick, dusty book and learned that at the time it was written, lifetimes ago now, humans had only discovered 5% of the world’s oceans. She was shocked. The author hypothesized that upon discovering more, mankind would find new creatures, the likes of which have never been seen before. These creatures were said to have survived hundreds or even thousands of years, growing in ways humans could not know; creatures believed to have mutated to survive the insane depths of the sea, where light cannot be found.

Kiah pondered this information for a moment. Knowing that humans now had discovered as much as 35% of the oceans, she figured that something must have been found. Someone, somewhere out in the ocean had explored far enough – they had found one of Earth’s darkest secrets. Kiah knew of the Seeking of Knowledge Statute, everyone did. Whoever had ventured too far, had broken the Statute. And now, they’ve released these mutated deep-sea creatures. Along with a terrible darkness.

Feeling numb, aghast and troubled, Kiah made her way home at sunset. She was faced with a choice: to endure this darkness, to seek it out, to fight it or to run, to leave, to stay safe. She thought of her grandfather, of his star shining so brightly each night. She thought of her family, and community, in the forest. And of all the communities in this new world. But mostly, she thought of the Earth, of how it would feel to have something so dark and cold living in her.

She knew that if she were to fight, to sound the bell of the approaching darkness, that she very well might not be strong enough to succeed. But she also knew, in her bones, that if she ran again, if she ran now, she would never fight. She would never earn her place amongst the stars. She was given a gift, of power and of purity. And she would fulfill it.

Kiah may not have known darkness at the time of the Before, but she knows it now.

And it will not have her.

She went to sleep that night, not long after arriving home. She did not dream this night. And when she awoke, she was healed, as if the Earth herself was giving her the energy she’s going to need for what comes next.

Kiah packed her things, loaded her boat, told her island thank you and set sail south. She would follow this darkness, to its core. And bring a light so bright, nothing could hide from it.

As she gave one more longing look at the home she’d made for herself, she couldn’t but wonder:

If the pure energy of the Earth had this darkness, could that mean that she does too? How deep can the darkness really be?