It was another wasteland.

Blakely had seen this same picture hundreds of times before. He stood on a vast and austere plain. The ground was fertile and wet. But his tests showed him, as they always had, this planet was totally devoid of all life.

For the thousands of surveyors, like himself, spreading their way across the galaxies, it was the same narrative. There was no life anywhere. He had grown quite resigned to that idea, in his travels.

Blakely had it in his power to call in additional teams, to dismantle the planet to its very core if necessary, seeking any type of life. He had done it a few times in his career, when there was still some realistic expectation that they might actually find life. But rather than get anyone's hopes up, Blakely made a quick decision to conserve additional expenses, and wave any further survey of this planet.

He gathered his equipment, and stepped onto the transporter pad.

He had other worlds to check. Many other worlds. Perhaps they would finally find extra-terrestrial life on the next planet, or the next one. The project was already years behind schedule.

"Look at his expression," said Adriana. "Remember when he use to have hope? Now, there is nothing but dedication to his duty. It's so sad."

"Don't analyze him too deeply," said Sagwell. "You spend too much time with your perverse preoccupation. And you get depressed so easily, when you watch them."

"But I love them so much!" Adriana kissed Blakely gently on the cheek. "They are so unwavering! They are so sure they will find other life somewhere -- here in the physical." She shuddered. "How ridiculous."

Blakely responded to Adriana's kiss slightly, drifting somewhat absent mindedly for a moment before turning his attention back to the transporter controls.

Sagwell shrugged. "They seem so stupid and blind. Yes, it is a big universe. But they can't seem to understand that it is also a very improbable universe. No reference point, you see. That makes them behave so moronically."

"Yeah. Morons," sighed Adriana. "Such is the way of The All and One. And who can understand the way, truly?"

"Don't do it!" Sagwell was suddenly more animated than Adriana had seen him in a long time. "Enough is enough! We've spent decades on this guy! Let him go!"

"Oh – now who is moronic?" And they both laughed, breaking the tension between them.

"Okay. Okay. Just get it over with quickly" and Adriana put her face to Blakely's ear, as if to kiss him again.

She whispered softly: "Keep going. Don't give up hope…"

-///-

[edit on 10-9-2009 by Axial Leader]

This is just a story to illustrate how, for sure, there are invisible levels to our existence.

I whisper something similar to my cat sometimes. And it is useless, because there is no hope he will ever understand me. And it seems a bit perverse to me, because the only one who appreciates that fact is me, and not my cat.

Nicely written. Sort of a bittersweet observation on modern science that has a nicely developed " electronic chauvinism". If we cant physically or electronically detect it, its not there.

Thats why I've always thought the SETI program was either the height of arrogance or for another purpose altogether.

by the way, sandf

[edit on 10-9-2009 by felonius]