Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 68: Conduit Training

 Chapter's conduit training began in a dimension beyond time and space. There could be no guesses as to how long he had actually spent in there relative to the real world, or what time and place he would return to; though the possibility of having some choice in the matter still existed. Gaia had not trained a new conduit for some time.

The basic tenets of being a Conduit were as follows: one would have the ability to transfer others to Gaia's dimension. They would also be able to fully enter it themselves. They could go anywhere in time and space and achieve things most magicians could only dream of. There was a trade off to all of this, however: they would only act according to Gaia, if she did not approve, they would not be allowed to do it. Going against her wishes would render their souls obsolete. In addition, they were not allowed to use their powers for personal gain. One other perk of being a Conduit was that, in some cases, it granted the user a vastly extended lifespan. This depended on the person and whether or not their purpose in life warranted the extension. The process to become a Conduit was typically a long, complicated, and arduous one, that very few could undertake, mostly because Gaia did not want people to needlessly die from failure.

"Alright, the first stage of Conduit Training is to align your mind with the rhythm of the universe," said Gaia.

Chapter stood straight, relaxed, and closed his eyes. He began to see lights in every colour he could perceive, and was aware of colours beyond. Senses he thought were impossible crept into his psyche. The serene beauty of everything was overwhelming. He felt he did not deserve to live in such a beautiful world. He wondered what his purpose was.

"If you are feeling as if you an unworthy, the first stage has only just begun. You have a long way to go, Chapter, before you can even consider yourself linked to the big picture."

Chapter heard Gaia's voice, and took comfort in it. "I will surpass my human limitations, I know it."

Before he could continue, he began to feel a horrible pain. It was as if he had connected to every death and life at the same time. He felt such intoxicating sorrows and joys, countless parents seeing their baby walk for the first time, countless soldiers dying in war. The great feelings of creation, and of destruction. He felt the intense heat of the stars, the intense cool of space. He heard the sounds of innumerable living beings, everything at once, all of space and time.

"Wow. How is this even possible?" he asked.

"I'm impressed that you turned it around so fast, but as to your question, you should know that such questions are not for a Conduit. You will transcend the realm of the possible, and enter the realm of the definite. All the answers of the universe, without the desire to learn."

He felt his mind expanding as new knowledge flooded him. Now he realised that his meaning was fabricated - something he created for himself to feel better about his place in the universe. The vastness of space, and of time, left little concern for his ambitions. The true purpose of life is to sustain itself, to give the cosmos its own awareness, to strengthen and support all of its forms. A human is no more important than an ant, and those who survive on one planet do so for the planet's sake. Plants and animals live on a planet, in a solar system, in a galaxy, in the universe. Each is a type of living thing, each is itself an ecosystem. The organism is a composite of cells, the planet a composite of environments for organisms to thrive in, the solar system a collection of planets orbiting a star, the galaxy a collection of stars that travel together through the universe, the universe a collection of everything in existence.

"This is some difficult truth to learn," said Chapter.

"It is no more true than anything you believed before," said Gaia. "For now you must realise the ultimate truth of the universe: regardless of objectivity, it is the subjectivity that creates nuance and diversity. Without any answers, a creature must make up its own mind. Many unique thoughts permeate the fabric of the universe, all because the vast majority of living things are not bestowed with the knowledge you have."