The Last Diner in the Galaxy

The Last Diner in the Galaxy

By

Jean-Luc Roy

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 Jean-Luc Roy

All Rights Reserved.

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Table of Contents

1 - As foretold

2 - The scheme

3 - Contacts

4 - The whistleblower

5 - Preparations

6 - A beginning

7 - The revolution

8 - Reason to believe

9 - New era

Chapter 1

As foretold

At the spiral tip of a galaxy near the edge of the known universe, an old culture was in transition. They had eaten their kin since the dawn of time; however, edict 2-69-0 had now outlawed the practice. They were being denied their tasty morsels.

They were the best tasting humanoids known. They had a sweetness that rendered them a meal and a dessert in one. They tasted like candied peanuts, and once you started eating the fleshy ambrosia, you couldn't stop till you were satiated.

Their tasty tenderness had garnished the dinner tables of the well-off since time immemorial, but as far as the less fortunate of society were concerned, they just grabbed one off the street here and there, even though the penalty was to be eaten yourself or being processed as animal feed. They were raised as serfs, and plump-up for a feast akin to cattle. However, the humanoid's civil rights movement had now turned the table.

The practice of eating one's own had started long ago as a way to feed them. Their planet had undergone a climate change that created violent thermals that brought destructive calamities throughout their world; but as time went on it also became a means to an end. For their planet had a limit as to what or on how many it could support; they'd reached the saturation point where all hell can break loose. Thus, it came to be that every third child on would be raised by the state, branded on the forehead with an S and made to work for society till deemed fit to eat.

It had reduced their population drastically, for many parents weren't also producing more than two offspring. So as an incentive, big bonuses were offered for each third new born onward. Thus, making babies for market became the norm; hence stabilizing the race. The government even offered stud service, or artificial insemination for those who wanted it.

However, once philosophy had started to catch-up to technology, the practice of eating oneself gained in repugnance. It had been a long struggle, and many had died prematurely as Succulents. But in the past few years, a new kind of leader had emerged to lead them to a promised state of affairs.

She would have been the third child, except for the fact that her mother had had a miscarriage. She was the first emerging female leader in the annals of the Planet, and while she may have been of average height, she stood tall and proud while her good looks reflected the pride, she took in herself.

She had stature and walked with purpose, which left no doubt as to her direction. She knew who she was, what she was, and where she was going. She made the males of the specie do a double-take, while causing envy in numerous females. For her shape was voluptuous; she was a good-looker.

However, some men were uneasy around her, for they knew she could hold her own against them; and in their society, that was something that would require a long period of adjustment.

She was more than a pretty face; she had her own looks which gave character to her facial expressions. Her big beautiful brown eyes had such expressive emotions that they made anyone who made contact with them feel special. You could easily mistake friendliness for affection, or think that she'd just swallowed a canary as her eyes pop wide open.

Combined with her delightful vibrant personality, was inner-strength that shone through her essence. She had a Soul that could touch your heart, or cut you down if required; not out of malice, but out of necessity.

She was a pragmatist and a romantic when she let her guard down. She had been hurt trying to separate Love from infatuation, affection from desire, and it had left its mark as a reluctance to take a chance.

Her family had originated from the alpine region of the Planet known as Astoria. Her name was Marianne D'Arc, and she was the type of woman who would stir a man to go a lot more than the extra distance for the chance to court her, woo her, or have her into their canoe to paddle as two down the river of life.

Moreover, on her Planet she was also looked upon as a neat dish to partake from even though she wasn't pleasantly plumb, since she had kept her lovely form by being extremely active and involved in the movement that was to shape her Planet's destiny for years to come.

She carried herself with grace and confidence, she was an inspiration; she represented everything that could be achieved in a just society. She propounded a striking refreshing candour that undermined the positions dominated by men in their government.

At first, she hadn't been taken seriously, for as entrenched chauvinists they'd assumed that a good-looking woman did not have the smarts to be a threat. For in their culture, the upper echelon only seemed to marry bimbos or smart ones who played the part; since it was all about power and control.

However, they were about to have a rude awakening. Events unfolding brought her to the forefront. A destiny had been ordained; she was destined to achieve; the woman was about to unleash justice upon the land.

She was destined to wield a double edge Sword—although decisively sharp, it imbued an understanding of right and wrong. A universal Excalibur transposed through the eons to administer justice by the Pure Hearts. While her vibrant angelic voice would attune and imbue a philosophy of thoughts that logic cannot deny. Reason was her weapon of choice while logic was her goal.

A thought process was about to confound traditions. A quiet revolution had slowly come about, but now the time had come for action. Things had to happen for changes to come about; the path had to be illuminated by enlightened thoughts.

She'd been chosen by the Fates, and as the Four Winds wafted a prophecy into her psyche, she became aware of a surreal companion to her Soul. The inspired presence foretold a Divine Will. The old Soul was a Revealer, a Prophet on a journey of inspiration.

She'd been a student activist for social justice, and since her reasoning cut to the bone, she built a reputation as the editor of the school Gazette. However, her rise to prominence was froth with innuendoes and lies by the administration.

The schooling system was a two-tier abortion. The men went from grade one to fifteen, while the women were denied a higher education. They could only attend till they reached grade ten. However, since her father was an academic, he tutored her in numerous scientific disciplines, while making her proficient in technical know-how.

As an autocratic society, the political pendulum never swung, it just weights heavy. And because both left and right wings erroneously point to an unattainable ideology akin to utopia; she'd developed a more pragmatic philosophy.

Since two wings is a prerequisite to flight, she positioned herself at centre. Her focus had a balance outlook that would allow her to soar. In contrast, the governing body suffered from myopic stagnation—cemented gray matter without vision.

She knew the hour was at hand, not because she'd reach the bloom cycle that set her aglow as a woman, but because thoughts unraveled in her mind akin to a pathway. She felt as if she was being nudged, goaded into action from within.

She could feel the presence that encompassed her soul, and although it was a bit unsettling, there was a reassurance that permeated her thoughts. And as her mind tried to deal with her awareness, the feeling became akin to an inner voice.

She knew that the surreal duality added to the sum of her being. That the urge to action, exalted providence enlightened by foresight. For some reason she'd always believed that things happen for a reason, but she now realized that to understand doesn't need a reason, while you don't always need to understand. That to take things at face-value and forget the why, will give you an understanding in itself.

Knowing that if you reminisce as you go forward will not turn you into a pillar of salt, gave her the advantage of learning from past mistakes. And while the words came at her as if spoken, the thoughts gave her a deep understanding. The spirituality bestowed upon her was akin to an awakening.

She became aware of a universal consciousness as the Interactive Particles that bind us together—as opposed to the elusive wave—entered her subconscious. They struck a chord that made her aware of the gravity of things to come, and although her mind was levitating, the connection made her well-grounded.

The why of being chosen never entered her mind; she just was. And although the rather large number of religions proved without a doubt the basic need of intellect to believe beyond oneself, she wasn't impressed by the implementation of the codices of Esus, and others who purport to be the one. Too often, they seemed to attribute actions and words that are far removed from Godliness. She reasoned the interpretations had been slanted by time and those who preach words of dubious origin.

She'd concluded that devout devotees limit themselves to breathing the rarefied air inside the box, as oppose to that of the wide-open vista. And even though the world is inarguably complex; that the convoluted conundrum of well-grounded disciplines and a knack about applying knowledge is what enlightens an out-of-the-box possibility. While to conjure a jack-out-of-the-box; the trick is to go back when they were filling the box. Thence, allowing enigmatic thoughts to reach maturity.

The thought process made her think of an Oracle that made you privy to secrets lost long ago. She saw that out of chaos came Heaven and earth, which gave birth with love from the egg of the night. That stones were cast for they are the bones of the earth and from the slime figures emerged as their gender to populate the world. That from the east the dawn, the sun, the moon, and the stars rise to give light to Gods and men.

She could see events repeating themselves throughout the cosmos. Crucifixions that drove the nail in the psyche of thinking beings, upheavals of ice and brimstones; earth shaking cycles and spatial catastrophes that extinguished civilizations. It was all there for her to see and it rattled her nerves.

Revelations abounded and filled her mind with thoughts of things to come. It gave her direction so that she may succeed at the task at hand. However, it also brought on a pain of mind; a gut-wrenching sadness that encroached upon her, and as a cold sweat enveloped her in a frigid grasp, it sent shivers up her spine. Her chest tightened and tears ran down her cheeks, as The Fates wrung her heart with sorrow.

She shook and trembled; moreover, she knew her goal was attainable and the irrevocable ending of her quest. And as she stood transfixed amidst tears of joy and grief, she understood her raison d'être.

Chapter 2

The scheme

She'd been formulating a plan, but now that she had been infused with knowledge from the sage of time, she would be able to stay a step ahead of the pack of wolves that would be unleashed against her.

She'd always had a well-developed six-sense, but it now seemed to have increased at least six-fold. Thoughts were complimenting her own, and as she learned to listen to her inner voice the thought at the forefront proved to be the one to follow.

As she grew up, she had been blessed with a reciprocal amity towards a boy in her neighbourhood that would stand the test of time. The Platonic gift between them; bordered on spirituality. They'd become soul mates, that never let their sexuality entered the unconditional equation they both cherished.

Like Marianne, if it wouldn't have been for something going amiss, he would have been the third child destined for food production. He was the second of the twins to make an appearance; but as fate would have it, his brother was stillborn. They already had a sister.

The idea that he owed his life to his brother's death had revolted him from a young age. He felt as she did that the system was inherently wrong, and that there had to be a purpose for what had happened to them.

While most people develop acquaintances, they mistakenly call friends, theirs was a friendship that truths could be told and accepted as a valid opinion as opposed to a criticism or an insult, as taken by most lovers, thus undermining their relationship.

Their genuine friendliness towards one another encompassed their beings to the level that they never put themselves ahead of the other. They shared thoughts that were conversations with self as if they were of one mind.

Their empathy allowed them to imaginatively enter each other's feelings in such an uncanny way, that it made them wonder. They felt inseparable and they were, except for a few occasions when circumstances were at play.

His name was Jason Argus; he loved sailing amongst other sports. They were only months apart into their twenties, and as she arrived on the shore of the lake that adorned their city, she'd brought him a cupcake.

He gave boating lessons as a living and he was due to finish shortly. Hence, she sat on the pier of the boathouse and admired the view. He'd waved at her and she'd waved back and even though they were a little way apart, the visual message of a smile wasn't lost in the shimmering heat waves of the day.

Within ten minutes he approached her and said, Enjoying the vista or contemplating your navel. That is the question.

She turned around to return his smile and replied; I'm doing both actually. Then looking a bit more serious she added, The time has come Jason. Our destiny is in the making. I've been touched by a guiding hand that will lead us, so that we may inspire others towards a better future.

She looked solemn and as their eyes made contact, he instinctively knew that she'd experience something profound. Besides, the night before he'd dreamt that they'd crossed a tumultuous sea in a glorious vessel vested upon them by the Fates. And as he stood on the bow with sword in hand, the rays of the sun made his Fleece of armor turn golden. They'd felt protected by the Aegis of the Gods, and as they plowed the waves, the wind in their sail resonated the melodious sound of a lyre.

He told her of his dream and that it felt more like a vision. The feeling was surreal, while the colours were prismatic. The happening was so vibrant, that it permeated my being akin to a life-force. It seemed to typify something symbolic about to happen. I guess we experienced a kind of telepathic symbiosis. His facial expressions looked quizzical.

No doubt it is; mythology is not dead as long as it remains into people's mind. In days of old it gave focus to our people, but as we moved on it became stories without foundation in facts. If the truth be known, we'd have to reassess our history books, including the codex of Esus. The licence grave robbers would never come to term with it. Marianne said as she looked at her friend.

Yeah, and the irony of it all is that cave dwellers are more likely to survive major catastrophes than a technically advanced society. Life is a passing moment in the cycle of a tempestuous star; and the only way for species to survive is to embark a spatial ark in search of those moments. Jason said while looking pensive.

Like the Greys who live on that darkish orb pass the far reaches of our solar system. It's a good thing that our planet is way too bright for them or they'd conquer us, since they've mastered space travel. It's amazing how their planet's size stabilized the temperature required for life. If it'd been a bit bigger it would have been a gaseous hell. She said; knowing that they looked like a hairless being with big oval eyes who didn't seem perturbed by their naked leathery hide. Although she knew that the male genitalia retracted inside a pouch through a slit.

They seem in constant search for suitable worlds and genetic materials that might be a close enough match to improve their own. They've kidnapped quite a few of our kind, but since we're so far apart genetically, we were rejected. I've heard rumours that they seeded planets and pass themselves as Gods, but that they gave that up when one of their inspired religious leaders produced a codex dealing with interplanetary contacts. But who's to know, since other rumours abound. Jason said as if wondering.

Well, I know they conquered gravity. Their flying machines don't have wings like ours; they don't rely on lift, they float. I've been told by my dad that in all likelihood their propulsion system is an atomic photon generator that neutralizes incoming particles. That by reducing the intensity, the luminosity of the interactive photon particle stream being emitted from a particular surface area of their craft, that gravity sucks them in that direction. It's a matter of connecting and rendering their flying disks relative with the particles of the cosmos; thus, achieving the capability of light speed.

I guess what stirred them on their quest is that they were just about wiped-out eons ago, when a humongous asteroid came down at a steep angle and hit a couple hundred kilometers off their eastern shore. It vaporized the water and sent a tidal wave over the land that reached over three hundred meters in height. In some areas, the water went hundreds and hundreds of kilometers inland and besides killing millions upon millions, it destroyed their electrical grids. Then the water vapour added volume as torrential rain that blotted the sky. It took them close to a century to recover, and then a super mega eruption in their central region known as the yellow sands nearly destroyed the interior of their continent. You just never know when doom looms. Jason expounded.

You're not kidding; those calamities are besides the cataclysmic tectonic plate separation under the ocean that allowed the sea water to pour into the underground cauldron. That just about did them in too. No wonder they're looking elsewhere, but then the past is the past and we must deal with the present. Marianne added to their discussion.

I guess we should look ahead and navigate our ship of the imagination towards our goal of a just society. We must harbour ourselves in a safe place; we need a base camp from which to operate. Jason said, as if inquiring if she knew of such a place.

It may sound strange to go from the past to the present and back to the past, but that is part of the solution. When Esus came into our world, He and his followers were persecuted, and many had to go underground to practice their religion and carry on after His crucifixion. So, they dug catacombs in a number of places around the city, and it just happened that I was shown mental images of the forgotten secret entrances. I know which buildings to go in, and once into their basement where the hidden doorways are. We'll be safe there, for they immure a sanctity of the past. Marianne told her friend, who in turn beamed with delight.

"Oh wow, secret caves and tunnels, that sounds great. My friend Electra should be able to connect into the electrical system and illuminate our hideouts. I must say she lives up to her name. Her dad was an electrician, and she was so fascinated about electricity that she