The meaning of life
By: Athena Parthenos on Aug 11 2010Category: Story1a
This conversation takes place after The truth about gods and men and before Revenge of the Fallen.
Phil was quiet for awhile, staring blankly into the distance. Give him some time, I thought. He’s had to absorb a lot in a short span of time. So I waited patiently. When he finally spoke, it was as if he speaking only to himself. “So my life is meaningless. All that struggle and heartache was for nothing?” A rhetorical question if there ever was one.
I laughed. “You thinkers are all the same…so serious. What is the meaning of life? Why, whatever you want it to be.”
“Oh this is funny to you, is it?!” Phil whirled around and glared at me furiously. “You gods are all the same, toying with us like playthings. Of course you don’t care about such things. I wouldn’t either if I were a god!”
“You couldn’t be more wrong, Phil,” I replied quietly, wincing as I turned away. Such weakness is unbecoming of a goddess! I heard a voice inside my head chided me in disgust. I sighed. It cannot be helped, for I care about this man. Aloud, I said, “What does it mean to be a goddess? I may live longer and be more powerful, but deep down, I’m really no different than you. I bleed and hurt, love and hate, just as you do.
“We did not create the universe anymore than you did. Why are we here? What are we suppose to do? All your questions are ours as well. If there is an Ultimate Truth, it still has not revealed itself to us. After eons, I have learned not to take life too seriously, lest I go mad.
“You humans are always in a rush, always complaining that time is too short. You don’t realize that this is really a blessing in disguise. Time is more precious to you, your choices more meaningful. Frankly, I envy you.”
“Time is shorter, yes, which makes wasted time all the more painful!” Phil laughed bitterly.
“I hope that one day you will come to feel differently about the choices of the past, but right now, we must press on. You’ll have an important choice to make after I finish my explanation.”
“Yes, yes, ever onward,” Phil waved his hand dismissively. “You talk about choices, about free will…but how do I know it’s truly free? What if that free will was already predetermined?”
“We gods did not tamper with your mind, that I can promise you. But beyond that, nothing in this world is certain for either of us. How much of your thoughts and actions are controlled by genes and certain events? How much of mine are controlled by the stories you have written about me? We don’t know, and we might never know. All we know is that we appear to have free will. If I can offer any wisdom to you now, it is to do the best you can with what you have.”
“Ah, so you’re an existentialist, I see.”
I sighed. “I am but a goddess trying to keep the world from being overrun by alien invaders. Call it what you will.”
Phil furrowed his brow and frowned. He looked as if he were going to argue and then thought better of it. Finally, he sighed and said, “Fine, let’s leave it at that. We have more important things to discuss. Tell me about this war of yours.”
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