Happiness overwhelms you as you hear the creatures offering to tell you their secrets voluntarily. The fattest said: “We have agreed now my friend to tell you our secret, but under one condition”; many questions pop up in your head when you hear this: Where did they come from? Why did they choose you specifically? Did they visit anyone before you? What is happening to me? What is their condition? What time is it now?
Your incessant confusion and anticipation come to an end when the tallest talks to the fattest saying: “Yes my friend, but this agreement is conditioned by his showing us a place where we can talk to the planet’s inhabitants, which is our only condition”. You return to your questions again and you address them saying: “I am now in a science fiction movie and I want it to come to an end now. Although we are in 2015, I am in my room, talking to aliens who have a weird request. For God’s sake, who will believe me? Why do you want to talk to the planet’s inhabitants?”
The fattest answers while leaning on the shortest back and looking at the tallest amazingly: “Did he say 2015? Did he say for God’s sake?” The tallest shrugs his shoulders, answering in astonishment: “I think he said so”. The shortest asks you: “Who said that we are in 2015? We are in 3115. And what is the meaning of ‘for God’s sake’? We do not know God”.
An eerie silence prevails after the shortest speech; you cannot really fathom what he had said. After a while, you lift your hand to point towards the door, signaling them to leave your room; the three do the same and point the door the same way you did. So, they did not understand your gesture and they did not understand its meaning. You state steadily: “Please, leave my room peacefully; I do not want to continue”.
The tallest gets closer to you saying: “What has upset you like that? Why do you want us to leave? You have been so friendly and welcoming, and you are a good person; do you fear us now? You take a step back and answer: “Yes, especially after your friend stated that we are in 3115 and his denial of God’s existence”.
The shortest answers you: “We are really in 3115, and I did not deny the existence of the God you are talking about; I said that we do not know Him”. He then turns to the fattest who continues: “Is it important to you that we know God? Is it important to agree on what year we are in, whether we are in 2015 as you said or 3115 as we said?
You answer with determination: “You were about to answer me about your identity and the place where you came from, and you were also about to tell me your secret; but it seems that you do not understand life priorities and essentials on our planet. I hope that you understand something important; we here on this planet cannot live without some important things we have agreed upon and consider basics of life. Among these basics are knowing the date and time, and knowing the year we live in; so, when your friend say that we are not in 2015 I must feel afraid”.
The fattest answers you quietly: “I understand now my friends; Earth’s inhabitants according to what he said measure time in a different way than we do, so they are in 2015 now but we are in 3115”. He then addresses you saying: “We are like you dear friend; we cannot live without knowing the date and time, but we have come from a place where the date is 3115. Time is essential and important to us also. However, what is the importance of knowing God?”
You answer: “I cannot really answer this question for you. But let me tell you that among Earth’s inhabitants there are some who do not know God and do not consider that a life necessity. However, the majority believes in His existence although we know Him here in different ways and we worship Him in dissimilar ways; among us you can find the Jewish, the Christians, and the Muslims. Those different ways are called ‘religions’ and the majority of people who believe in these religions consider the existence of God and worshiping Him a life necessity”.
You look at them and they listen to you attentively; they show no expression on their faces, so you continue: “Life necessities on our planet differ from time to time. For example, in 2015 here and 3115 at your place, life necessities include electricity, the Internet, mobile phones, and other technological devices. However, in some parts of the planet, these things are unfortunately considered luxuries and not necessities. Moreover, science and knowledge are common factors throughout the ages; they are essential for getting basic life resources like food, water, air, heath, preserving the environment, …”
You stop talking suddenly then continue: “But what are your life necessities where you come from?” However, you do not see any expression, motion, or gesture from them and silence prevails.
Illustrations by Mohamed Khamis.
The episode was published in SCIplanet printed magazine, Winter 2015 issue.