Nudukalionu - Beyond Time
YEAR 2344
MISSION: KEPLER – 452b
VEHICLE: MERKAVAH III
CREW: ENTIRELY COMPOSED OF ECHOBEINGS
The year 2344 not only marks the technological zenith of humanity but also a moment of profound introspection and existential questioning. Aboard the space command centre of Neurasarx on Mars, the team leading the EchoBeings in the Merkavah III experiences a mix of anxiety and wonder. They are on the verge of realising the ancient dream of exploring the stars, albeit through robotic avatars.
Alexa Ramirez hovers before the projection screens, every cell of her being vibrating with the images transmitted from space. Her mind, interconnected with her EchoBeing, feels the cold touch of the cosmos.
— I am here and, somehow, also there, — she reflects, lost in the magnificence of the galaxy unfolding before her eyes. This mission is the culmination of all her aspirations, a testament to her unwavering love for the unknown. The possibility of discovering life beyond Earth, of understanding the true scope of human existence in the universe, fills her with an undeniable purpose. Yet, a twinge of apprehension invades her, — What if we find what we are looking for? Are we ready for the answers?
Jamal Davidson gazes into the vastness of space through the neural interface, his thoughts intertwining with those of his EchoBeing. Being here, yet also there... It's a revolution not just technological, but existential. Every generation dreams of the unknown. We are the fortunate ones who face it. — His confident smile masks a shadow of doubt that fleetingly crosses his eyes as he contemplates the hieroglyphs of Oumuamua II.
— What will these ancient symbols reveal about the universe and our place within it? — he wonders, while a restlessness about the unknown simmers in his chest. The potential to alter our understanding of the cosmos is as exhilarating as it is terrifying.
Miko Tanaka, with eyes glued to the data streaming across the screens, feels the pulse of the universe in sync with his heartbeat. The deep connection with his EchoBeing, a fusion of mind and machine, offers a unique perspective on existence.
— We are expanding our understanding of life, consciousness, and our own mortality, — he contemplates, pondering the fragility of human life contrasted with the robotic immortality of his EchoBeing. The thrill of pushing the boundaries of the known is mixed with caution about what this new era means for the essence of humanity.
Sophya Kuznetsov delves into theological reflections while sharing her doubts and hopes with colleagues through the neural network. The possibility of finding answers to humanity's deepest questions about origin and purpose in the cosmos fills her with a sacred sense of purpose.
— We are on the brink of redefining our existence, — she whispers, fearing and longing for the impact their discoveries might have on spiritual beliefs and the understanding of our own soul.
— What if we find something? — Alexa opens her eyes, fixing her gaze on the infinity beyond the walls. — Are we prepared for that encounter?
— Perhaps that's the point. — Jamal responds, the enthusiasm in his voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. — Not just to discover the universe, but to discover what we truly are.
— Yet, — Miko insists, his unwavering pragmatism — we must proceed with caution. Drawing a dividing line between human and machine is becoming increasingly difficult.
Sophya smiles softly, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.
— Perhaps, in the end, we'll discover that the human soul is capable of more than we ever dreamed.
United by neural connections, the team on Mars experienced each vibration as if they were personally navigating through the stars. This profound symbiosis between humans and their robotic counterparts transformed space exploration, transcending the barrier of physical distance. As the ship moved through the unknown, the team on Mars witnessed the birth of a new paradigm in space exploration.
Between the dawn of this new era and the imminent descent of the Merkavah III to the surface of Kepler 452b, an unexpected event altered the course of the mission and, consequently, the fate of the team linked to Mars. The Merkavah III was enveloped by an unknown gravitational anomaly, an unmapped spatial singularity that diverted the ship from its planned trajectory. The incident occurred without warning, capturing the ship with its invisible force. The first indications of the anomaly were felt almost instantly by the team on Mars, a wave of discomfort and disorientation that ran through the neural link, echoing the Merkavah III's sudden change of direction.
— What's happening? — Alexa Ramirez's voice cut through the silence of the command centre on Mars, her tone reflecting the confusion that reverberated through the shared connection.
Data began to flow frenetically, graphs and readings flashing on screens as Miko Tanaka worked to stabilise the ship's systems and understand the nature of the force drawing them in. — We're being pulled by a gravitational anomaly! — He announced, tension palpable in his voice.
The effort to correct the course was frantic, but the singularity proved powerful, and the Merkavah III was dragged beyond the boundaries of mapped space, emerging in an unknown stellar system. As the ship stabilised, the team on Mars and their neural twins faced the reality that they had arrived at an unknown planet, not on any known star map.
— It seems the universe has its own plans, — Jamal Davidson murmured, trying to lighten the mood amidst the tension-filled situation.
Before them, the planet displayed unique characteristics, promising new mysteries to be unraveled and new stories to be told.
Orbiting the planet, the Merkavah III team unveiled a world of unimaginable beauty. Vibrant forests of deep green intertwined with artistic vines, under a flawless blue sky, creating a spectacle of light and colour. Vast fields of tall grass swayed in the breeze, intersected by crystal-clear rivers that meandered through the landscape like ribbons of silver. Mountains covered in green climbed the horizon, their bases sculpted by cascades. In this paradisiacal Eden, the harmony between geography and flora painted a sanctuary of peace and balance.
As the Merkavah III stabilised above the ground, the team of EchoBeings, representing the eyes and hands of their human operators on Mars, prepared for disembarkation.
The ship's ramp lowered gently, touching the surface. The EchoBeings advanced cautiously, transmitting back to Mars a flood of sensory data — the smell of pure, alien air, the soft sound of a breeze blowing through a landscape filled with fascinating natural structures and, above all, the sight of a sky of strangely vibrant colour.
— The beauty... is astonishing. — Alexa, through her neural link with her EchoBeing, shared the admiration. Words could barely capture the magnitude of what they felt.
…
The initial exploration of the terrain revealed a landscape dotted with rock formations that defied terrestrial comprehension. The terrain, speckled with rock formations of sinuous contours and impossible angles, seemed to mock the laws of Earth's physics. The rocks, with surfaces that captured light in a unique manner, shimmered with an almost liquid glow, lighting the team's path with a soft, ethereal light. This scenery alone was an invitation to question everything they knew about geology and astrophysics.
However, it was the subsequent discovery that completely took the explorers' breath away, plunging them into a silence of reverence and perplexity. Against the horizon, stone obelisks stood, imposing and solemn. These majestic structures, approximately 12 meters in height, seemed to touch the sky, challenging the vastness of space with their silent presence.
Each obelisk was carved to present three faces, each about 1.2 meters wide, forming a perfect triangular structure. The stone, with a hue that shifted between pale grey and deep blue under the alien sun, was smooth to the touch but vibrant to the eyes. The hieroglyphs adorning their surfaces were intricately detailed, each symbol a work of art, engraved with a precision that suggested an advanced sculpting technology.
The symbols were strangely familiar to those found on Oumuamua II, sparking an immediate and profound connection with the mysterious origins of the interstellar object. This similarity was not only intriguing but also revealing, suggesting a link between this unknown planet and the interstellar visitors of yore.
In the twilight light, the obelisks seemed to come to life. The air around them vibrated with an almost tangible energy, as if the planet itself whispered to the visitors through these ancient monoliths. The team, although immobilized by surprise and admiration, felt an undeniable call to decipher these messages carved in stone, a task that promised to unravel the secrets of this world.
…
Miko and Sophya approached, equally fascinated, as the EchoBeings began to record every detail, sending the images and sensations back to Mars.
— What does this mean? — Sophya pondered aloud.
— We need to explore more, to understand better. — Alexa said.
As the team moved forward, the meticulous collection of samples revealed findings that defied comprehension. Every element, every grain of soil, and every mineral structure analysed was identical to those found on Earth, but with a perfection and preservation that defied natural logic. There were no signs of deterioration, as if time had stood still, or as if entropy had never existed there.
With the aid of advanced technology and Jamal's expertise in linguistics and cryptography, the team dedicated themselves to deciphering this enigmatic message on the obelisk.
The inscription, once translated, left the team astonished. It represented an account of Nudukalionu, a figure hitherto unknown, who self-identified as the guardian of stories from the "Blue Planet", an evident euphemism for Earth. The symbols, loaded with meaning, told the story of a great flood, a cataclysmic event that seems to echo the ancient flood narratives narrated in various Earth cultures.
…
"I, Nudukalionu... Warned by visions from the firmament, erected a sanctuary of knowledge and... Within it, I harboured the seeds of a new era. The Nephilim, offspring of the forbidden union between the daughters of Earth and the Grigori, would be obliterated. The waters rose, a purifying veil over the unbalanced creation, but under the aegis of wisdom..., the essence of life endured. After the storm, a new dawn bathed the world. This is the chronicle I deliver, inscribed on this monument, so that cosmic travellers may find, in the marks left by the deluge, the truth about our origins."
…
— This is unbelievable, — Alexa murmured, her voice trembling with the magnitude of the discovery.
She approached the obelisk, her fingers gliding over the symbols with a deference that blended academic respect and mystical fascination. — Nudukalionu may not emerge from our ancestral scriptures, but the substance of his chronicle — a cataclysm spurred by the forbidden union between the sons of men and celestial beings, a vessel of salvation — resonates with the legends of giants and floods narrated by various cultures, invoking the story of Noah with an additional celestial nuance.
As Sophya pondered the implications of the newfound revelation, a second inscription, previously difficult to translate, captured Jamal's attention. This additional text unveiled an even older and more astonishing chapter in the history of the unknown planet. The new translation spoke of an era of splendour, marked by the presence of an advanced civilisation — the Grigori — who, in their quest for power, faced the wrath of a superior entity.
"Before the great flood, before the forbidden union, there was a time of rise and fall. The Grigori, beings of immense wisdom and power, dwelled in this place among the stars, a paradise of knowledge and harmony. However, seduced by ambition, they defied the 'Supreme', the sovereign of the entire cosmos. Led by one among them, whose desire to match the 'Supreme' knew no bounds, they rose up, only to be defeated and expelled, condemned to wander the universe."
The inscription continued, narrating the exile of the Grigori from their celestial home and their subsequent arrival on Earth, where, in their infinite quest for domination, they chose to unite with human females, forever altering the course of human history. "Expelled from their Eden, the Grigori found refuge on Earth, a young and vibrant world. There, they intertwined with humanity, sharing their stellar knowledge, but also sowing the seeds of imbalance that would eventually draw the heavens' attention to the purifying flood."
This prelude to the well-known story of the flood and the Giants revealed that the Grigori's connection with Earth was not merely the result of a divine or extraterrestrial whim, but a direct consequence of a cosmic struggle for power, an insurrection against the established order that led to their fall and expulsion.
This revelation thrust the team into a whirlwind of emotions and speculations. The story of the Grigori, beings expelled from a cosmic Eden, who found in Earth not just a refuge but a new stage for the continuation of their saga, proposed a divine and extraterrestrial origin intertwined with the very fabric of human existence. The myths of Giants (Nephilim), present in various traditions, suddenly gained a new layer of interpretation, suggesting not mere spiritual allegories but distorted records of actual cosmic events.
The unknown planet, once a home for the Grigori and now a time capsule preserving the story of their grandeur and fall, served as a silent reminder that the history of human civilization, and perhaps that of the entire universe, was far more complex and interconnected than they had ever imagined. The quest for understanding this history became not just a scientific and theological challenge but a journey in search of humanity's own identity within the vast cosmic context.
Miko, still focused on the technical aspects, pondered over the technology or power that could preserve such a world in perfect stasis. — How is this possible? This place has been preserved against all the laws of physics as we know them.
The team now faced an enigma of cosmic proportions. The story of Nudukalionu, inscribed in stone at the heart of an unknown planet, offered a bridge between myth and reality, between Earth and the cosmos. The Merkavah III mission, initially conceived as a journey of exploration, transformed into an odyssey of spiritual and existential discovery, challenging them to reconsider not just their place in the universe but also the interconnected nature of life itself.
To be continued...
¹ In Jewish tradition, the Merkavah (מרכבה) represents the "chariot" or "carriage" of heaven, described in visions, especially in the Book of Ezekiel.
² Oumuamua is the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system.
³ The Grigori - The Watchers (from the apocryphal Book of Enoch)
Samuel A. Palmeira
