Eden (Complete)

Chapter Twenty

Nick and Amy had been dragging their tired feet all day.

"Nick, I'm exhausted, I need another break," Amy said.

"Don't worry, we'll stop soon. There's a clearing up ahead that will make a perfect camping spot."

They trekked for another twenty yards before they both collapsed in the short grass.

"Aah," Nick exhaled. "What do you think? This isn't bad, eh? It seems like a perfect spot."

"Can you pass me the water please?"

Nick unzipped the bag and passed Amy the canteen. "Save some for me," he said.

Nick only rested a moment. There was still a lot of work to be done before the sun went down. He took off the backpack and laid out the tent.

"Amy, do you think you could be in charge of setting up the tent? I'm going to get a fire going and prepare dinner."

By nightfall, they were sitting around the fire and roasting wieners. The dark sky above them was full of stars. It was serene, like nothing they had seen before. They gazed up, transfixed by the beauty and mystery of the universe. The only sound came from the crackling wood.

"Do you think there are others out there?" Amy asked.

"In the universe, or on Earth?"

"Both, I guess."

"I think there has to be," Nick replied.

"Where?"

"Both. If we survived by being really deep in the Earth's crust, then we have to assume that somewhere in the world there were others who were also that deep," Nick said.

"It's kind of crazy to think that we are all alone in this vast universe. Could you imagine that as far as intelligent life goes, it's just us? Doesn't that seem cool and weird at the same time?"

"Yeah, I guess," Nick said. "It's kind of burdensome in a way."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"We might be the last survivors of a once prosperous civilization. Kind of like—"

"Superman on the planet Krypton?" Amy chimed in.

Nick laughed. "Sure, but unlike Superman, we are all alone. It just seems like a lot a pressure to put on two people, you know, to carry out the legacy... carry the heavy water on our own, if you will."

"What if life was a game?" Amy postulated.

"Like a video game?" Nick jumped in with a reference that was as suitable to him as Superman or Batman was to Amy.

"I don't mean that we are living in some kind of simulation," Amy said, "but what if this life was a test for some kind of reward in the afterlife?"

"Eternal bliss?"

"Sure, something like that. The universe was created billions of years ago and set a process in motion to discover the ultimate being, or beings. If Darwin was correct and things evolved from lower species, then humans are at the top of that list. We are the last surviving humans, so doesn't that mean in the game of life, we are the fittest of the fit? We are essentially the winners of the game of life."

"First of all, we are no longer on the top of the food chain. Even the smallest of animals could sneak out of those woods and kill us in our sleep," Nick said.

"Yes, but we have the guns."

"True, and what happens if you don't have any bullets, or it malfunctions, or you shoot and miss?" he asked.

"Then I would pull out my knife."

"Really, Amy?" Nick looked at her in disbelief.

"What, it could happen. Don't underestimate me, Nick. I'm a fierce warrior."

Nick couldn't help but laugh. "Amy, I love you, and you are many things, but a fierce warrior is not one of those things."

"Whatever."

"I also don't think we should be taking credit for being the winner of this so-called game," Nick continued. "It may be a little early for that. We are not prosperous, we didn't invent any of this technology, and we didn't outwit anyone to survive. We got lucky. We were in the right place at the right time."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Nobody said that you couldn't have a little luck on your side."

"We need all the luck we can get."

"Nick, do you think that maybe we should write something down for future generations?" Amy asked.

"What future generations?"

"I don't know. I just think we should record our story to preserve our legacy. That way if another civilization rises up or comes to Earth, they can know what happened to the people."

"But we don't even know what happened to the people! What are we going to write?"

"I don't know, it was just a thought."

A shooting star whizzed through the night sky, silencing them. They looked at each other, held hands, and embraced the silence. Sitting together, alone with their thoughts, they gazed at the starry sky in wonder. They were not the kings of the world, they were just two beings of a once robust civilization that would soon be forgotten, now spinning on a giant rock in the middle of infinity. In that moment, they appreciated how vulnerable and alone they were in the universe.

They continued to enjoy the night, but not for much longer. They were worn out from the arduous day and desperately needed sleep.

"Shall we go to bed?" Nick asked.

Amy stood up, her body feeling bumped and bruised, and crawled into the tent.

Before Nick entered the tent, he tossed a couple logs on the fire to keep them warm through the night. He looked in the tent and saw that Amy had already passed out. The moonlight cast its silver rays upon her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful. He watched her for a moment and thought about how lucky he was to have her.

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