Vessels of the Past

What if history isn’t what the general public believes it to be? What if humans didn’t do everything quite on their own?

Humankind shaped this world to its content, or so we were led to believe. Humankind has a secret that goes back to its roots.

We had help, and it came inside some common looking crystals.

Evolution of Ideas

Charles stormed into his room, slamming the door after him. He was livid, pacing around his bed, his shoes leaving muddy stains on the pastel rug, but he was oblivious to it, the only thing he could think about was his father’s words.

He was so unaware of his surroundings, that the silver-haired woman seated on his chair by the fireplace went completely unnoticed.

“He declined, didn’t he?” she asked, with her hands resting on her crossed legs.

Charles jumped, his heart racing, it took him a few seconds to realize it was only Lucy. “How many times have I asked you not to appear out of nowhere like that?” he said, as he wiped his sweaty hands on his khaki pants.

“I lost count, to be honest. But this time it was your own fault, I’ve been here the whole time,” Lucy got up and straightened her white dress, almost the same shade as the easy chair she was seated on. “But more importantly, he declined, didn’t he?”

“Is it that obvious?” said Charles, as he passed his right hand through his dark, brown hair, it normally felt silky to the touch, but now it felt greasy.

“Well, you wouldn’t have done 12 laps around your bed if he’d have said yes, would you? Unless he did say yes, and you’re having second thoughts.” Lucy said, while fixing her eyes on his, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

“I’m not second guessing myself! I have no doubts that this trip is the right thing to do,” said Charles, gazing back, he had always been told that his blue eyes could pierce through a heart of steel, but that was nothing compared to her. Lucy’s purple eyes were so keen and intelligent that it always made his knees weak.

“Good, if all we have to do is convince him, it’s still doable; much easier than if you were the one that needed convincing.”

“As if he was that easily coerced!” Charles exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air, “He is behaving just like he did with medical school. Who, in their sane mind, would send a man, who can’t stand the sight of blood, to the best medical school in Britain? And he had the nerve to complain that I wasn’t putting enough effort into it.” Charles’ voice boomed, and a red vein pulsated on his large forehead.

“Try looking at it from his point of view, you are asking for a hefty sum. And besides, didn’t you learn some useful things at the medical school? Edinburgh was good for you.” Lucy said, as she played with her silky, silver hair.

“I did learn interesting things, a lot of them, actually, from politics to taxidermy, just not medicine,” he hated when she took his father’s side. “Wasn’t my personal guide supposed to help me? Are you sure you are not his guide?” he said, more to himself than to her, while sitting on his bed.

“Don’t be like that. You know I’m on your side.” Lucy said, sitting down next to him.

“I know…” Charles still felt uncomfortable when she got too close, it was difficult for him to get over the whole ‘ghost-like’ idea.

“Good,” she said, with a white smile so perfect that even the skeletons from the medical school would be jealous. “Now that we got this out of the way, let’s discuss our plan to convince him.”

“I wish I had your confidence… You should know that father is not an easy man to deal with.”

“So, what? Are you going to simply give up, then? Maybe you should just become a parson as he wishes,” she stood up and made her way to the window, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“That’s just the second-best thing for him after a doctor. But wouldn’t it be good for you if I did become a parson? I mean, you are a guiding angel, aren’t you?” It never made sense to Charles that she pushed so much for him to work with science, and on top of that, she rarely ever mentioned religion, definitely weird behavior for an angel.

“What can I say? I’m unusual, I guess.” Lucy said, turning her back to the window and locking eyes with him again.

“Unusual? You show up in my dreams, appear and disappear at whim, and seem to know just about everything. I don’t think ‘unusual’ is a strong enough word to describe you.”

“You forgot to say that I’m gorgeous,” she said, between laughs.

Charles could feel his cheeks burning, “You will never let it go, will you?” he averted his eyes from her, fixing them on his vast, beetle collection on top of his wooden shelf.

“But it was so cute! The first time we met you wouldn’t stop staring. How many times did you say I was gorgeous, again?”

“Eleven…” he confessed, grudgingly, but it was true, she was indeed beautiful. Her short nose and fair skin, free of any marks, paired together with those profound, purple eyes, it was such a sight that he wasn’t even surprised when she revealed herself to be an angel. “But let’s focus on the pressing matter! You said something about a plan?”

“I thought you had already given up,” Lucy said, raising an eyebrow.

“We might as well try it. It’s better than being a parson.”

“Not only that, but it’s your best chance of actually making a difference. If you were to give up now, I’m sure you would regret it… Now, all we have to do is to convince your father that this expedition isn’t just an excuse for you to go on a riding and hunting trip around the world.”

“It isn’t! I really intend to work!”

“I know, but there will be a fair share of hunting and drinking involved, right?”

“I suppose…” Charles said, scratching his head. “But that’s not why I want to go…”

“I know that, but you don’t have to convince me, you have to convince him, and all he sees is his son trying to get free tickets to travel around the world, instead of becoming a doctor or a parson.”

“What do you suggest I do, then?” Deep down, he already knew what his father thought, Charles just couldn’t see any way around it.

“You better get a quill and something to write on, this may take a while,” she said, lying on his bed and getting comfortable.

“Just a moment,” he said, as he hurried to fetch them. He wondered again at her strangeness. As she adjusted herself on his bed, the springs did not squeak in protest as they did when he moved. That’s because she weighed nothing. Because technically, physically, she was nothing. He could see her, but she wasn’t really there. If he tried to touch her, his hand would pass right through.

I wonder how can she touch the bed, while she doesn’t have a body, but better not ask unnecessary questions to an angel, he thought, or else she might perceive me as disrespectful.

“Why are you taking so long?” she sounded impatient, despite how comfortable she seemed to be on the bed.

“Pardon,” Charles let go of his useless thoughts and focused on the task at hand. A few seconds later he had a few pages of parchment, ink and his favorite quill ready. “I’m ready.”

“Great, let’s start by getting some allies, your brother-in-law, Josiah, might fit like a glove…”

***

It was early morning when Charles arrived at the small harbor. The weather was good, clear sky and calm sea, apparently this time they would actually set sail, unlike their failure 2 weeks earlier. Charles had been so disappointed when the boat had to return to shore, that not even Lucy could lift his spirits.

The only ship in sight was the HMS Beagle, Charles took a moment to appreciate the vessel’s size and beauty. It was over 90 feet long, and the two tallest masts seemed to be almost as tall. They would travel around the world in it, using only the force of the wind and human ingenuity, the thought alone brought a smile to Charles’ face.

“Are you ready to make history?” Lucy asked, suddenly appearing by his side on the busy dock, good thing only he could see her, otherwise it would surely cause a commotion.

“You may be exaggerating a bit. I’m just excited for the chance to investigate the geology of so many different places,” Charles was finding it difficult to keep his excitement in check.

“Maybe you are being too humble,” she said, flashing a blinding smile.

“I’m just glad I will be able to follow Lamarck’s footsteps.”

“You will do much more than follow his footsteps, Charles.” Her voice was so full of confidence, that he wasn’t sure the boat would be big enough to carry it.

“What do you mean, exactly?”

“You will prove him wrong.”

“Prove Lamarck wrong?” Charles was left dumbfounded by the very notion of it. Sure, I have a few theories that diverge from some of his ideas, but proving one of the most brilliant scientists of his time wrong isn’t such an easy task, he thought, but before he got the chance to answer her, he was interrupted.

“We are setting sail around noon, I think you got here a bit too early, Sir,” said one of the sturdy sailors, carrying some heavy-looking wooden boxes inside the vessel.

“I know, I just couldn’t wait anymore. Is Captain FitzRoy around here?”

“He is in his quarters, but I can fetch him for you, sir. What name should I give to the captain?” said a younger sailor, already on the boat.

“Charles Darwin.”

A Poet’s Tale

Will was staring at the empty streets of London through his window. It was around noon, but not a single person could be found, not even a carriage. He wiped the sweat of his receding hairline with a rag and put it next to the blank piece of parchment on his desk.

“Are you going to keep spacing out?” asked K., standing in the corner of the room.

Will turned his tired eyes to the man. He had to look up, K. was over 6 feet tall, towering over him. “What do you expect me to do? There’s no work because of this damned plague.”

K. adjusted his black vest, covered in handmade, golden ornaments, then gazed into Will’s eyes. If his stature wasn’t imposing enough, his intense, scarlet irises would do the trick. “Don’t you call yourself an artist? Create!”

“Easy for you to say since you don’t have to eat. Creating art for the sake of doing it won’t put food on the table,” Will gently rubbed his empty stomach, which howled in response. “I shouldn’t have left the countryside.”

“But then you wouldn’t have met me, would you?” said K., with a playful smile, as he took a step towards Will, considering how small the room was and how big his legs were, after just a step the two men were just a foot apart.

“Sometimes I question whether that was for the best or not,” said Will, in a low voice. He took a step towards K., only to pass through the man as one would expect to pass through a ghost. Will reached for a bottle of wine and poured himself a glass as if this strange encounter hadn’t occurred.

“Alcohol at this time of the day? You have reached rock bottom,” the red-eyed man said, with scorn on his face.

“And what other choice do I have? Better than drinking the damned water, I would rather be drunk than dead,” Will said, between sips.

“If you don’t pay more attention to your health you are going to end up being both.”

“It’s not like I’m being negligent out of a whim. If it wasn’t for the help I get from friends I would have starved a month ago,” Will had just emptied his glass, but his thirst had not been satisfied, so he poured himself another one.

Silence lingered in the small room for a few minutes, they could hear wood creaking under Will’s weight as he walked back to his desk, not bothering to avoid K. and passing through him again.

Will sat down at his desk and stared emptily at the blank piece of parchment in front of him. K. was the one who broke the silence. “I guess I have no choice but to lend you a hand.”

“Except you can’t give me a hand, you are not really here.”

“Figurative speech. And I am here, in mind at least. But as I was saying, I will help you get some money.”

“And how will you do that? Magic? Everything is closed and there’s no work,” Will said, as he emptied his glass and left it on his desk.

“I will help you write a masterpiece,” K. said, matter-of-factly.

Will burst into laughter, “For a moment I thought you had a real plan. You make it sound easy, ‘creating a masterpiece’… And besides, there’s no money in writing.”

“There is, if you get the right person as a patron. An Earl would probably be delighted to fund you if you dedicated it to him, for instance.”

The gears in Will’s brain started going faster, he wasn’t sure if it was for the excitement of the prospective plan or the wine taking effect. “I guess I could give it a try, I’m not particularly busy anyway. But for it to work the piece needs to be truly outstanding.”

“I have the perfect story in mind, I already told it to another human some time ago, but I believe you can give it an entirely new light.”

Will could feel his excitement disappearing as suddenly as it had arrived. “Is that what you had in mind? Your brilliant plan was for me to repeat someone else’s story, but in greater detail?” He felt ashamed for even believing in K. in the first place.

“The world is not black and white, Will. And the last time I told this story was during the Roman empire, it’s been over a thousand years.”

Sometimes Will forgot how ancient the being he was dealing with was. It sent shivers down his spine just to think about it, but it wasn’t enough to shake his discomfort. “But still, I won’t be regarded as the author, will I?”

“A moment ago, you were worried about putting food in your belly, and now you are all about the glory?” K.’s scarlet eyes seemed to burn like wildfire as he made strong eye contact with Will. “The story will be as yours as you make it. The last version was brief and simple, I’m sure you can turn it into a masterpiece. You have the talent, and the story itself is not only beautiful, but based on a true experience.”

Will’s curiosity had grown almost as vast the crown’s purse, it was so rare for K. to reveal anything about his past, that he couldn’t let a chance like this go to waste. “What is the story about, then?”

“A goddess falling in love with a human,” K. said, gazing into the distance.

Will was puzzled, “I thought you said it was based on a true story.”

K. sighed, “And it is.”

Will scratched his well-trimmed beard. “Then, by ‘goddess’, do you mean one of your kind?”

“Yes, and she was not just one of us. She was the best of us all.”

Will could barely contain his excitement, such a story was unprecedented, he could barely understand what K. truly was, not being entirely sure that K. wasn’t just some kind of demon or Fae that got sealed in the crystal that Will always kept in his pocket, ever since he found it.

But the idea that there had been love stories featuring these beings and humans was now brewing within him, he could feel the inspiration coming. “Tell me the story, then!” He said, as he haltingly grabbed his ink and quill and put them near his parchment.

“She was beautiful, possibly the most beautiful being I will ever lay my eyes upon. She possesses some kind of quality that attracts men, much like a siren’s voice will attract sailors. But that’s not what makes her so great, she is sharp, bright, and possibly the most intelligent being I will ever meet.” K.’s voice was dreamy, it was so unlike him that Will was momentarily taken aback.

“It seems like you fancied her quite a bit,” Will commented, as he wrote a few notes on the parchment.

“Yes, but not in the way that you are inferring, she was like a sister to me. I miss her deeply.”

Will could feel the melancholy in K.’s voice, he felt bad for him, but that wouldn’t stop him from hearing the rest of the story. “And what’s her name?”

It took a while for K. to answer, the silence was starting to get awkward when he broke it. “The first person to write this story called her Venus, for the sake of consistency, I suggest you keep it.”

“Roman goddess of love and beauty? I suppose it makes justice of your description of her.”

“It was Ovid’s idea, but let’s not dwell on details, the story has yet to start.”

“Sorry for the interruption. Please, keep going.” The last thing that Will wanted was for K. to give up on telling the story, he was already hooked by it, more than he was willing to admit.

“She met a young man, smart, skillful, and renowned for his appearance, let’s call him Adonis. The details of how he came across her crystal are irrelevant, but he did. She saw raw potential in him, he had all it took to become a leader, and she was willing to transform that rough diamond into a precious gem.”

After saying it, K. went silent for a full minute. Will’s anxiety couldn’t hold any more “And what happened then?”

K. eyed him, and the intensity of his stare made Will regret saying anything. Whenever he looked into the man’s eyes, the bright red color reminded him he wasn’t dealing with a man at all. A few moments later, K. continued “However, Adonis was way too young. Regardless of how much charisma he had, his mind was set only for hunting. But Venus wasn’t the type to give up so easily, she accompanied him during the hunts, trying all possible means of convincing. She even decided to try going hunting completely naked, in an attempt to grab his attention.”

K. went silent again, but this time, Will knew better than to say anything. He simply wrote a few notes on his parchment and waited patiently for him to continue.

After what seemed to Will a lifetime of waiting, but had probably been around two minutes, K. resumed the story. “But apparently, he was immune to her charms, he only cared for hunting, regardless of what animal it was. She tried explaining how much difference he could make if he applied himself, how far he could go, and that even being remembered forever in history was within his reach. But he didn’t listen, for all he had space for in his mind and heart was hunting.”

Another pause, K. moved to the empty corner of the room and was facing the door, his back turned to Will, which was already getting used to the sudden stops during the story.

“The situation upset her, and she decided to stop seeing Adonis altogether. After a while he started to worry about her absence, thinking something may have happened to her. No matter how many times he would call her name, or rub her crystal, she wouldn’t answer. He went back to his house, and before going to bed, pleaded once again for her to appear. That night, she appeared in his dream, and he was delighted. Just knowing that she was fine lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders, they spent the whole night talking, and she started to get through him, the fact that they could have physical contact in dreams certainly helped, as they even shared a kiss.”

Will was expecting a pause and started to get up to get some more wine, but as suddenly as K. stopped the story, he resumed it. Will went back to his chair hastily so he could keep notes.

“She asked if they could be together for longer, plan a better future for him, he accepted, but it had to wait, for he had planned to go boar hunting the next morning. Venus managed to get into a piece of his mind, but young and careless as he was, his heart still beat for hunting. She urged him to reconsider, to call off the hunt and stay with her for longer, but he didn’t listen. As the sun rose, Adonis grabbed his hunting equipment, got his dogs, and left.”

K. turned back towards Will, and as he did, Will noticed something resembling a tear, rolling down the man’s cheeks. Perhaps the reason for him to face the wall earlier hadn’t been so arbitrary, after all.

“When she woke up, she was in the middle of the woods, her crystal on the grassy ground. She called for Adonis, but got no answer. She couldn’t move more than a few feet away from her crystal, it’s our prison after all, but she searched the best she could. The first signs she saw were the injured dogs, whimpering under a tree, and just a few feet farther she saw him. His body was pale, with a large tear in his torso, where the tusks of the boar hit him. It was the first time in over two thousand years that she cried. Legend says that a beautiful white and purple flower grew on the spot that Adonis’ body laid.”

Will wrote a few more notes after K. had finished the story, he could feel the inspiration flowing through his body, he knew he could transform it into a masterpiece. But one question still loomed in his mind, “Why was the flower white and purple?”

“It’s the color of her hair and eyes…” K. said, passing his hand through his own silver hair.

After pondering for a moment, Will went through his notes. “You were right, K., this story can become a masterpiece.”

“I’m always right about these things. It’s your job to make sure it does, though. But please refrain from revealing details about my kind, make it so it resembles Roman gods.”

“I wouldn’t try to write about your kind, either way, it’s way too complicated to explain the concept, especially considering that I’m not sure I understand it myself.”

That brought a smile on K.’s lips. “And I would rather it kept this way. Now work on it, you can only have one debut!”

As K. said it, Will was brought back to the task at hand and started going through his notes again. “There’s so much to be done, it’s going to take a while to finish…”

***

Will worked on the story for months on end, and after putting blood, sweat, and tears into it, it was finally done. After he showed it to K., all that would be left would be to get it published, getting an earl for a patron had proved feasible, although his patronage was depending on the perceived quality of his work. “K., it’s done, would you like to go through it together?”

As Will said it, K. materialized out of thin air in front of him, he felt uneasy whenever that happened, but never let it show.

“I’m all ears,” said K., sitting on Will’s desk.

Will read his entire piece, which he entitled ‘Venus and Adonis’, after many minutes of reading, he was expecting K.’s critique.

“It has a lot of sensual bits, but it’s definitely well-written,” was all that K. said.

“Well, as you said, I should be using Roman god concepts, and since Venus is the goddess of Love, Beauty, and Sex, it made sense to make it more explicit. What do you think? Bad idea?” Will was feeling insecure after the entire poem was done, while he was writing he felt confident that it was going to be a masterpiece, but now that it was done, he wasn’t so certain anymore.

“No, not a bad idea, actually. Sex sells. And as I said, it’s well written, that’s what counts. Just don’t forget to add the dedication to the earl, and of course, to sign it. You don’t want it to be considered as ‘author unknown’, do you?”

Will grabbed his quill and started adding the finishing touches, on the head of the parchment he wrote:

‘To the Right Honorable

Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton,

and Baron of Tichfield.’

Then, following K.’s advice, Will moved the quill to the end of the page and signed his first work.

Your Honorable in all duty.

William Shakespeare

***

The Visionary

“What are you looking so serious for, Mike?” asked a young man, that was laying comfortably in Mike’s bed.

“So, you decided to show yourself again, Ruriel? It’s been a while. And don’t call me Mike, please,” Mike answered, without taking his eyes off the paper in front of him.

“What? Am I supposed to call you Michael? Give me a break, no need to be so formal all the time. And by the way, you didn’t answer my question,” Ruriel said, sitting on the bed, his short, silver hair was a mess, it was apparent that he had been sleeping for a while.

“My name is not Michael anymore, and you know it. Now, please, stop interrupting me, I’m trying to write a speech,” he sighed, it was always difficult dealing with Ruriel.

“Man, you’re no fun, all you do is work. And too bad for you, I will keep calling you Mike, besides, it’s past time that you started calling me Ruri, everybody calls me that.” Ruri was fidgeting with his fingers as he spoke.

Michael closed his eyes, and did a silent prayer, he was under pressure and his patience for Ruriel’s reckless behavior was depleting quickly. “That would be disrespectful, regardless of your behavior, you are still a servant of the lord. And speaking of work, shouldn’t you be doing the same? Don’t you have your own duty to fulfill?” Michael said, turning on his chair to face Ruriel.

The two men locked eyes for a few seconds, Michael’s brown eyes didn’t show any discomfort while staring deep into Ruri’s, despite his unusual white iris. Ruri shrugged and looked away a few moments later.

“How can you be so careless? You need to fulfill your duty to the lord, don’t you?” asked Michael.

“The others will do it, it’s fine if I just wait,” Ruri was looking down at his bare feet, pale as snow.

“When the Lord put you in my life I was sure it would be for you to guide me into the right path, but I start to think it’s the opposite, I’m the one that must save you,” it was the only explanation Mike could come up with, either that, or it was a test of his resolve.

“Save me? I’m fine, I don’t need any saving. I’m the one that got the best deal out of this situation,” half a smile flashed across Ruri’s face, but it didn’t convey any happiness.

“What do you mean? You disappear months at a time, apparently sleeping for the whole time you were gone!”

“You see, that’s the trick. They all have to deal with reality, and I don’t. Each of us has a special ability. Some are extra smart, others are creative geniuses, and I’m the visionary.”

“You? A visionary? Are you sure you know what this word even means?”

A devious smile flashed across Ruri’s face, “Exactly, but it isn’t the same meaning you know. While all of my kind can visit past memories while dreaming, I have the unique gift of seeing the future.”

“The future? Can you glimpse at God’s divine plan, then?” he had never known that Ruriel had such an incredible gift.

“Well, kind of. The future isn’t fixed in stone, you know? Every little action can potentially change it. But with my ability, I can put myself in so many variations of the future, it’s amazing! I’ve seen one in which all men had been extinct, there were only women in the world, it was unreal! There was another future when everything was automated, and people just partied the whole time. There are endless possibilities! And while I explore them all, the others will solve the problems. I’m sure one day I will wake up and our duty will be fulfilled.”

Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I feel pity.”

“For them, right? They have to work and face reality, while I have this amazing gift.”

“No, I pity you, Ruriel. You are just escaping your responsibility, running. All the while letting others do all the work. How can you even be sure that if they achieve their objective, that you will be rewarded as well?”

“The Chief is going to solve it, I’m sure of it. And by the time she fixes her problem, all the others will be solved already, including mine.” Ruri said, as he carefreely leaned on the bed, using his hands as pillows.

“Chief? So, in other words, do you mean an Archangel?” Michael was confused, he didn’t know angels had a ranking system between them.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. She surely has the face of an Archangel.” Ruri smiled, looking at a fixed spot on the wall.

“Do you trust her that much? Shouldn’t you at least try to do something by yourself?”

“I trust her entirely if anyone can do it, it’s her. I’m 90% sure that new president is with her.”

“Really? Kennedy? How can you tell?” Michael had talked with Ruriel several times before, but this was the first time he was revealing so much about himself and the other angels.

“It’s just a hunch, but I’m normally right about this kind of stuff.”

Michael lost interest instantly, “So it’s nothing but a guess? I should have known better than to expect you to have any concrete information.”

“If you had lived for as long as I have, you would have learned to value your gut feeling too.”

“Except you spent most of that time in a dream world! Desperately trying to escape reality, while all the others are actually changing it!” Michael was out of breath, he could feel his heartbeat rising. “I already wasted too much time with you. Begone, I have work to do.” He said, turning his back to Ruriel and focusing again on his notes in front of him.

“You are boring as always, Mike,” Ruri said, and as he did, he disappeared into thin air.

Michael was finally alone again. Before he went back to work, he took a glimpse of the clock, he was full of dread, too much time had been wasted with Ruriel’s shenanigans. He grabbed his pen firmly and kept working on his speech, even if Ruriel didn’t want to be part of the change in the world, he would.

Hours passed, and when Ruri decided to reappear, Mike was sleeping in his chair, snoring lightly. Ruri approached and took a peek over Mike’s shoulder and read the page he had been working on before falling asleep.

“I guess I can give a hand every once in a while,” Ruri said in a low voice.

***

Michael was focused. The pitcher had an ominous look on his face, but Michael wouldn’t let it get to him, he knew he could hit it. In less than a second, the pitcher threw the ball and Michael swung with all his strength.

He felt the bat connecting with the ball, and a second later it was flying high, a home run.

“I would have never guessed that this was your kind of dream, Mike,” Ruriel was suddenly standing right next to him on the field.

“Dream?” as he said it, Michael noticed that the thousands of people that were watching the game didn’t really have faces, he felt his stomach turn, and disappointment filled his chest.

“I always thought you were more of a football guy, but I have to admit that this baseball uniform fits you,” Ruriel said, casually.

“Can’t you leave me alone? Don’t I deserve peace at least when I’m asleep?”

“You were the one that preached about fulfilling one’s duty, weren’t you? Now, bear with me,” as Ruri finished his sentence, the baseball field and everything around it shifted.

Michael found himself in Atlanta, a city he knew well from his childhood, but something was off. He recognized the streets, but the buildings were much higher than he remembered, and the cars were models he had never seen or even heard of. He was so overwhelmed by everything that was happening, that he almost didn’t hear Ruriel.

“What do you think of your hometown, Mike?”

“Where are we, really? This can’t be the same Atlanta that I was born in,” since it was a dream, maybe Ruriel had messed everything up as a prank, it sounded definitely like something that he would do.

“The question is not ‘where’, but ‘when’. This is Atlanta about a hundred years from now. If your work bears enough fruit and the next generations take it seriously, this is how it will look like.”

“What? Will I be a politician in Atlanta or something?” Ruriel wasn’t making any sense.

“Don’t focus so much on the city itself, that’s not why I brought you here. Look at the people.”

And so he did. There were people walking on the street, chatting, and using some technological devices that resembled a small walkie talkie. As he observed, a bus stopped a few feet away, and he saw the people entering it and finding themselves seats, the remaining were left standing.

By the time the bus left, Michael had tears running down his cheeks.

“So, you finally noticed, huh?” said Ruriel, casually.

Michael started walking through the city, looking around more attentively, Ruri was following him a few steps behind. After walking for a good thirty minutes, Michael took a seat on a bench in a park he had ended up in. “They are the same…”

“Yes, it took a while, but there’s no segregation anymore. Black, white, Latinos, all are treated the same way,” said Ruri, taking a seat next to Mike.

They were touching shoulders, it was the first time they had made physical contact. Michael looked at Ruriel’s arm, white as a piece of paper, and them back at his own, chocolate brown. The difference was apparent, but in the world they were in, that wouldn’t matter. “How?” was all that Michael could bring himself to say.

“As I said, this is the result of your work and the work of thousands of others. It wasn’t easy, and many people had to die until it got to this point, but don’t you think the result is worth it?”

He didn’t have to answer that. Of course, it was worth it, he would give his life for this to happen, without a second thought. “Is it only in Atlanta?”

“No. I can show you other places, the rest of Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina. All over the country, it’s the same.”

Michael was elated, he could barely hold all the excitement he was feeling. “Show me, then, Please!”

“I will. But don’t forget, this isn’t a fixed future yet, it’s just a possibility. For it to become a reality, you will have to devote your life to it, even more than you have been doing until now. And that’s not all, you will have to motivate and inspire the next generations to do the same. It’s a lot of work.”

“I will do it. I will do whatever it takes.” Michael said, without a shadow of doubt present in his voice.

“That’s good to hear. Now, prepare yourself, our next stop is Alabama!”

***

The next morning, even though he had sore muscles and back pains from sleeping on his chair, Michael woke up reinvigorated. He decided to write an entirely new speech, and the pen just flew through the paper, words flowing out of it so fast that he feared the paper would be torn apart, but he couldn’t help it, he had to get these feelings out of his chest.

Hours passed before he even realized it, and he had written a new speech that couldn’t even be compared to the one he had started writing the night before. It was hard for him to admit it, but Ruriel was the one that made it possible. And Just as he thought about that, he heard the angel’s voice.

“This one is much better, Mike,” Ruri was peeking through Mike’s shoulder, his white eyes focused on the speech, and a shining smile formed in his mouth.

“This is thanks to you, Ruriel. Now I know why God put you in my path. Together we will change the world!” Last night had opened Michael’s eyes to the real possibilities of the future, he had more energy than ever to fight and be the difference.

“Yeah, about that…” Ruri’s face was serious, there was no trace left of the smile that was there a few moments ago.

“What?” Michael was puzzled, Ruriel always wore a carefree expression, it came to a shock that he could have such a sorrowful face.

“I’ve got to go,” Ruri had an empty look, avoiding Michael’s eyes.

“What do you mean? How can you leave after what you just showed me? We can achieve that! Don’t give up now!”

“You don’t need me anymore, you were already on the right path, I just gave you a little push, and now you are all set.”

“And you are just going to disappear? What are you going to do? Escape reality again?” Right when Michael started to believe that Ruriel was more than what met the eye, he was let down again, he could feel betrayal filling his chest.

“Exactly the opposite. My vacations from reality were too long already. But for the future you saw to actually happen, your work isn’t enough. You are going to be an important part of it, but not the only one.”

“Do you plan to guide someone else, then?” Michael was disappointed with himself, while Ruriel was thinking about the greater good, he was only thinking of getting the angel’s advice for himself.

“Yeah, Mike. And I will need your help getting there,” a thin smile formed on Ruri’s face, a bit of joy appeared to return to his eyes.

“Of course, I will help in any way I can. But could you stop calling me “Mike” already? I changed my name so many years ago!”

“Deal, I will call you by your right name, but promise to send my crystal through airmail, I’ve been stuck on the bottom of the sea for a few hundred years in the past, and I’ve made it a point not to travel on boats since then.”

“Okay, airmail it is.”

“Thanks, Martin. I used your ‘real’ name, happy now?” Ruri said, rolling his eyes. “By the way, did you think of a name for this speech yet?”

“Not yet, I had just finished it when you showed up.”

A devious smile flashed on Ruri’s face, “What about, ‘I have a dream’?”

Martin chuckled, “Yeah, that seems appropriate,” it was weird for him that this might be the last time he would talk like this with Ruriel. He had loathed his behavior since they met, but he had become part of Martin’s life. But he couldn’t be greedy, to receive the guidance of an angel was already plenty of honor, to begin with. And now it was time for someone else to receive that honor. That struck his curiosity. “By the way, where should I send your crystal?”

“South Africa. There’s a guy there that needs my help too.”

***

Vessels of the Future

Humankind’s future is uncertain, but alike its past, we won’t pave it alone.

A City of Hope

“The series of hurricanes in Texas continued their rampage until yesterday, when it finally gave a breathing space to the locals. It’s estimated that over 50% of the harvest was lost, so we should expect the prices to rise even further in the next weeks. Now, up next, our correspondent in Europe will comment about the efforts of divers to recover historical artifacts from the Amsterdam Museum, over 50 years after the city was claimed by the ocean.”

“That’s enough news for today,” said Henry to himself, turning off the TV. “The prices are going to raise even more… Who thought I would live to see the end of the world?”

But his thoughts were interrupted, as the door to his shop opened. He looked up while keeping his right hand under the counter, over his old .38 revolver. Two men came in, both were wearing black suits that seemed to be worth more than his entire shop. Difficult to believe there are still people wearing these kinds of clothes, he thought. “May I help you?”

“I hope so. I’ve been told you are the only remaining cobbler in this part of the city.” Said the taller of the two, he seemed to be young, about Henry’s age, between his middle twenties and his thirties. The man’s eyes were covered by sunglasses, but from what Henry could notice, he had been crying.

“Wrong. I’m the only cobbler still doing business in the city. The others either died or left for better parts,” said Henry, still measuring the men firmly, with his sapphire eyes.

“Well, I suppose shoes aren’t the most profitable business during the apocalypse…” said the other man, who was shorter and had a stockier build.

“Yeah, I’m barely making ends meet.” Henry lied. The business was doing okay, in times that getting a new pair of shoes was near impossible, fixing the old ones was the alternative to walking barefoot. He earned enough to live better than most of the people in the neighborhood, but he wasn’t about to share that with such a suspicious duo. “What may I do for you, gentleman?”

“Those are my father’s shoes,” said the younger man, putting a pair of luxurious, business shoes, the leather was top notch, and the design was certainly Italian. “Can you have them ready by tomorrow morning?”

“Well, that depends. What’s wrong with them?” Henry grabbed one of the shoes and examined it, but they seemed to be in perfect condition.

“Nothing. I just want them polished, make them as if they were new.”

Henry was dumbfounded by the response. Nobody cared about how their shoes looked anymore, as long as they were in good condition. But he wasn’t about to refuse work, regardless of how odd a request it may be, especially such an easy one. “Sure. I can have them ready by tomorrow, then. Sorry to be so blunt, but how do you intend to pay?”

“Do you still accept cash, or are you only dealing with food rations?”

“Food rations work better around these parts, but if you don’t have it on you, I can take cash too.”

“Here,” said the older man, putting a few notes on the counter, “I will give you the other half of the payment tomorrow, when we come to get them.”

Henry didn’t count the money, but just at a glance, he could tell it was about five times more than the service was worth. His moral compass was tingling, but he kept silent. Food was about to get more expensive, and those men didn’t seem like the type to be worried about money. In the end, he decided to just grab the money and put it in his pocket.

“Be extra cautious with those shoes. They are my father’s favorites. I don’t remember a day in which he wasn’t wearing them.”

That wouldn’t come as a surprise for most people, who only owned one pair of shoes, but that definitely wasn’t the case for these guys, “And what occasion is important for him to part with the shoes for a whole day?” he asked, before he could contain himself.

The man’s face darkened, “His funeral,” he said, in a sober voice. Henry immediately regretted asking the question in the first place.

“I see… I’m sorry for your loss. I assure you they will be ready by tomorrow morning.”

The mood was so dense it could have been cut by a knife, luckily for him, both men left shortly after. It was already early evening, so he decided to close the shop for the day. He took the expensive shoes and went to the back, where he kept most of his equipment. Henry laid the shoes on his workbench, but instead of starting to work on them, he went for a beer first.

“Dammit, is it the last one already?” he cursed, as he took it from the fridge. “God only knows when I will have the chance for another one, with the prices raising every other day”, he said, to himself, as he took the first sip.

Henry walked dragging his feet to the workbench, rested his beer on the side, and started to work on the shoes. It was still odd that such an easy job had such big pay, but he wasn’t complaining. It took him only about 10 minutes of work and the left shoe was shining as new. It was truly a beautiful work of art, he could see that the shoe had been made by hand and using leather of the best quality.

“It’s a shame that such a nice shoe will be buried.” He thought, as he put the left shoe back on the bench and grabbed the right one. But before he started, he noticed something was off. And upon closer inspection, the internal leather sole had been ripped and then glued together, and it definitely wasn’t the work of a professional. It probably would go unnoticed for just anybody else, but a cobbler would notice. Henry considered leaving it as it was, but his profession’s pride spoke louder. “It’s not such a big deal, and for the money they are paying, it’s only fair I do a good job,” he thought, as he carefully removed the sole.

However, he didn’t expect to find something hidden inside the shoe. It was some kind of shard, it was transparent and irregular. As a man that worked with his hands, he couldn’t resist the urge to take it and examine it closer. It didn’t seem special, like something that might be used as a paperweight. “If he took the time to hide it inside the shoe, then it certainly is worth something… Could it be a rough diamond?” he whispered, under his breath, excitement for the discovery filled his chest, but he couldn’t help but worry that it might be some kind of elaborate plan from those men. For all he knew, they could have done it on purpose and had some ulterior motive to it.

“It’s not a diamond, it’s a crystal.” He heard a female voice say next to him.

Henry was startled Someone broke in! was all that came into his mind. Break-in and robbery weren’t such uncommon occurrences, as people got hungrier and more desperate. He tried to reach for his gun, but cursed, as he remembered he had left it under the counter of the shop, instead he grabbed a hammer that was sitting on top of his workbench and turned to face the intruder.

He didn’t expect her to be the most beautiful woman he had seen in his entire life. Her fair skin and silver, silky hair didn’t fit the profile of a robber, and he couldn’t help but notice her eyes were purple. Who the hell wears contacts while invading someone else’s house? He thought. But maybe that’s the point, maybe she’s just a distraction, as others do the muscle work. Henry raised the hammer and asked in a commanding voice, “How many are with you? Where are they?”

“I’m alone, but-”

Henry interrupted her before she could finish “Don’t lie to me! Come here!” he said, as he went for her arm, only to have his hand pass through her image. He looked at her, wide-eyed, “What’s happening?” he asked, almost blind by fear. His gaze fell back to the bench, where his beer stood. “I just drank half a can, I shouldn’t be hallucinating…”

“And you aren’t. Now, can you put that hammer down before you end up hurting yourself?”

He hadn’t even realized he was still holding the hammer up, ready for a swing. He slowly lowered it, and put it on the bench, his mind was buzzing with so many questions, he didn’t have the willpower to oppose her. “What the hell are you?” was all he managed to say.

“That’s… complicated. For now, let’s say I’m a guide. And thanks, by the way. If it wasn’t for you taking the crystal out of the shoe, I would end up inside the earth for years, and then it would probably be too late.”

“A guide? Of what? And being too late for what?” Henry rested his fingers on top of his eyes, wishing this was all a nightmare.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but we don’t have much time right now, so I will give you the general idea. I will explain everything in full detail eventually. I’ve been guiding people through millennia, and the former owner of these shoes was my last vessel. As you touched the crystal that makes you the next vessel, if you so wish. In normal circumstances, that would mean I would guide you and help you develop your full potential while working towards the benefit of mankind, but now we have bigger problems.”

“What? You can’t just dump all of that like it’s nothing. I don’t even know what you are or how to call you.” He felt as if his brain was about to short circuit.

“Sorry, I know it’s sudden, but we are running out of time. It’s a matter of life and death. And you can call me Lucy, by the way.”

“Life and death? Of whom?”

“Mankind.” She said, simply.

“Are you serious?” Henry looked at her, hoping she would play it off as a joke, but she held his gaze, and he could see it in her eyes that she was dead serious. “And what do you want me to do? Should I give this crystal thingy back to the family of the deceased?”

“That depends. Do you trust them to be responsible with the fate of the world?” her purple eyes were locked in his, her gaze was so strong Henry felt like she was staring directly at his soul.

“Well, I don’t know them very well, but they certainly have more means to help you than me.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“For starters, I’m just a cobbler. I’m nothing if not ordinary.”

“History is made by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I can see that you have the potential, we just need to work on it, just like a rough diamond.”

“Okay, suppose I decide to help, what are we gonna do? You didn’t even tell me what’s this big threat.”

“You seriously didn’t figure that part out by yourself? Look around.” She said, waving her hands. “The world is broken, the climate is going crazy, natural disasters are an everyday occurrence, and yet people are not adapting. At this rate, the planet will wipe out human life entirely.”

“I know all that, there’s a reason why many people say this is the apocalypse. But what would you have me do? It’s not like we can just leave this planet and go to another.”

“The answer is not to leave the planet, but to change how you currently live. You must adapt to the new environment, not hope that it will accommodate your needs.”

“That makes sense, I guess… But what can I help you with?”

“According to my calculations, we still have a few years until we reach a critical point. Until then, we will gather the resources we need to build a city like no other before, it will be the last, safe haven of mankind.”

“Mankind? Isn’t that too much to hope for? Aren’t we talking about a single city?”

“As I said, it will be a city like no other. But don’t worry, I will guide you through every step of the way. I even have the perfect name for the city in mind.”

“And what’s it?”

“Emporion.”