Gnar-Colepsy ~ Sorry, can't remember where I found this
Anna-Marie wonders why it is that we get on with some people and not with others. She thinks perhaps that we are driven by what the other represents to us: the gap between their advertising pitch and the person we become acquainted with; the difference between the representation and the actual. It may be that we dislike those who do not conform to their own ideal.
She wonders if this makes us monsters.
“If I had to do it all again,” she says, “I wouldn’t join the Missionaries, you know? Get off this fucked-up planet… head for the stars? Thanks for nothing.”
“But if it had worked for you you’d be one of them.” He gestures vaguely toward the sky, “Suspended brain-function; neither alive nor dead; somewhere in between. Mind you: at least they entered that state of in-between with hope.”
“And now they orbit this fucked up planet ad infinitum – or at least until the Leviathan’s orbit decays and they come down in a ball of flame”
“Who cares! Their final moments were positive, alive!”
“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it,” Anna-Marie watches John light a cigarette and as the air is filled with sweet green smoke she is transported back to the Ballrooms.
“You’ve got kelp!” her grin causes hairline cracks in her makeup, “Wow, doesn’t that make things a little heavy?”
John expells a lung-full of smoke.
“Heavy? Heavier than life out there?” He hands her the cigarette; she declines with a brief shake of her head, “Perhaps,” he says, “we could’ve done with a bit more gravity of intent back in the old days, before it came to this.” He gestures once more towards the sky.
“Perhaps a little less ‘fun’ and a little more serious contemplation of our folly would’ve served our civilisation well in its old age.”
“Do you think we will survive this?”
“What, just you and me, or us as a species?”
“The human race you idiot – you and me are already surviving.”
“I hope we don’t survive it, to be frank: if we did we would either be the bitterest or the most arrogant species ever to have walked this planet.”
“I think you’ll find that we’re both of those already; not to mention also being the most stupid.”
She wonders if this makes us monsters.
“If I had to do it all again,” she says, “I wouldn’t join the Missionaries, you know? Get off this fucked-up planet… head for the stars? Thanks for nothing.”
“But if it had worked for you you’d be one of them.” He gestures vaguely toward the sky, “Suspended brain-function; neither alive nor dead; somewhere in between. Mind you: at least they entered that state of in-between with hope.”
“And now they orbit this fucked up planet ad infinitum – or at least until the Leviathan’s orbit decays and they come down in a ball of flame”
“Who cares! Their final moments were positive, alive!”
“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it,” Anna-Marie watches John light a cigarette and as the air is filled with sweet green smoke she is transported back to the Ballrooms.
“You’ve got kelp!” her grin causes hairline cracks in her makeup, “Wow, doesn’t that make things a little heavy?”
John expells a lung-full of smoke.
“Heavy? Heavier than life out there?” He hands her the cigarette; she declines with a brief shake of her head, “Perhaps,” he says, “we could’ve done with a bit more gravity of intent back in the old days, before it came to this.” He gestures once more towards the sky.
“Perhaps a little less ‘fun’ and a little more serious contemplation of our folly would’ve served our civilisation well in its old age.”
“Do you think we will survive this?”
“What, just you and me, or us as a species?”
“The human race you idiot – you and me are already surviving.”
“I hope we don’t survive it, to be frank: if we did we would either be the bitterest or the most arrogant species ever to have walked this planet.”
“I think you’ll find that we’re both of those already; not to mention also being the most stupid.”
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3 comments:
Mysterious :-)
the title of the image... well done!
the commentary on humanity, however oblique, is also quite right on.... a great series, this...
Courtney: unintentionally then :>
Harlequin: this story is turning out to be a the result of thinking out loud - I'm doing my best to include some story movement ;]
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