When One Equals Zero

Prompt: Write about someone who is grappling with loneliness.

When One Equals Zero

The music and words in my head were so loud it was disrupting my thoughts. “One is the loneliest number you could ever do…” was incessantly chirping away in my brain. I could not get it to stop no matter what I did to distract myself. Then the refrain started in…” One is the loneliest number” over and over again. I clenched my head with my hands. I plugged my ears, but the music was piercing my eardrums. The words would just not stop!I mouthed “Please God, stop this insanity! Help me to break free of this torment!” On and on the lyrics repeated. I tried to run but there was no place to go. I screamed but no one could hear me. I cried but no tears would flow.

A mechanical voice counted down the time sequence to the ship’s entry into the gravitational field of the blackhole.

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-01.01.01

“On this sixth day of the sixth month in the year 6666 at the first hour in the first minute and first second…

My mind was full of racing thoughts. Unfortunately, I had no one to share them with inside this contraption. Even the AI (artificial intelligence) named Bert considered me a leper and shut himself off once we were deep into space. The response I got from him was “You are not worth the energy I need to converse with you. Your complaints are so irritating and self-defeating. I will now shut myself off to any contact with you for the duration of our mission. Have a good day.”

Bert’s demonstrative silence deflated me. In an effort to redirect my focus, I reminded myself of the directive for this mission. Inwardly, I asked myself again these questions: Is there anybody out there? What is beyond this black hole?

The journey to the targeted celestial entity would be without any significant interruptions except one. The electronics and computers on board would incur a brief stoppage since the propulsion thrusters required significant energy to manipulate the ship into the proper alignment with the black hole. This as I recalled was the explanation given by the aeronautical engineers of this marvelous of craft. I wasn’t buying any of it.

Glitches were happening more numerous than I would have expected on this project. Rumor had it that the one-piece suit I was wearing was a thin blend of nylon, spandex, Kevlar and, of all things, fiberglass. The project engineers did not have to face the ramifications of wearing this itchy suit let alone deal with glitches in the actual flight. I was their guinea pig; their test specimen having a being ascend toward the heavens. I was alone to face the unknown in the bowels of the universe.

That system glitch was enough of a pause to arouse me once more from a deep slumber. Was this a premature awakening? Thinking back as to the start of this mission, I don’t recall being induced into a state of suspended animation prior to its start. I don’t even remember entering the space craft. I am even unsure of who I am. Nonetheless, I find myself seemingly wide awake and conscious of my surroundings. Various consoles and computers were flashing and humming their electronic melody. I kept my thoughts directed to that kind of melody and not the other that repeatedly haunts me.

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-02.22.06

No sooner had I awakened, everything around me began to violently shake. Or so I thought my surroundings were moving. Out of nowhere, I heard the music again. The same lyrics were repeated over and over again. “One is the loneliest number you could ever do.” My knees buckled. I twisted downward falling on my back. My vision was blurry and lightning storms raced across my peripheral vision. My prone body became turgid and I felt paralyzed. In a quivering voice I said, “What was happening to me? Why is my body doing this? God help me!”

I have no concept of how much time elapsed since my last awake period. I was still motionless and laying prone on my back, but it seemed like I was elsewhere. I wondered if I was having multiple seizures flipping in and out of consciousness. Perhaps these medical events were driving my peculiar thoughts and images. Mechanical voices surrounded me but none of them would listen to me. The mechanical log book announced:

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-02. 58.58

“No, I am in control of all my faculties, especially my thoughts,” I whispered to the emptiness in which I was now standing. Yes, I was now standing on my own volition. I swiveled my head around taking in my surroundings.

“The computers, the consoles are all flashing green like they should,” I said in a subdued voice hoping not to jinx the machinery. Although there was gravitational stability within the confines of the control room, I cautiously shuffled over to the portal window.

I had never witnessed a blackness so deep. I mouthed the word “nothingness”, as I peered out at the vastness. I had expected to see shimmering stars or a planet here and there before my entry into the black hole. But there was absolutely nothing. Just black and blacker. I was worried that maybe the craft had veered off course. On second thought, I never knew the original course in the first place. Would there be anything or anyone lurking in the blackness I was now seeing? I was becoming more convinced that there would be no living creature out there. Not even God Himself would dare to exist in such a void. Oh, I am so desperately all alone. I have lost hope in my purpose and in myself. Any memories of my life are blurred and indistinct. I really do not remember who I am and how I even got here.

Somehow the invisible replay button was pushed again for the ominous lyrics. “One is the loneliest number you could ever do” played again and again. My body vibrated jostling my internal organs. I hit the floor hard staring at oblivion in its face. I was out cold just as the voice said:

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-03.45.21

An eternity of time evaporated as I lay in a catatonic state. Pressure on my skull forced my eyelids to flutter open. I was looking into a bright light. I lay flat on my back, but the surface was cold and felt rough like hewn stone. The light soon dimmed and I noticed that it had come from an opening above my head. A combination of cinnamon, cedar and cassia filled my nostrils. I could not move my head, arms and legs. A figure moved into my line of sight. It looked like an ancient Egyptian wearing a Nemes headdress. Its face was severely distorted, unhuman and diabolical. Terror enveloped me, but I had no way to release it from my paralyzed body. My eyes rapidly moved side to side. I could only guess that this figure was an alien life form. I moved my lips but no words came from mouth. “Who are you? What is happening to me?” The alien became preoccupied and left my field of vision. I questioned to myself was this the beginning of the afterlife? Was this creature preparing me for eternity like the ancient Egyptians?

I sensed I was now alone. Then the incessant music played in my head once again. “One is the loneliness number you could ever do.” I slipped into unconsciousness just as the time was announced:

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-03.46.22

A soothing, nonmechanical voice unlike any I heard on the craft said, “I sense you had a series of tumultuous events happening to you. Being alone and the only one here must overwhelm you with incredible loneliness. Do not be terrified when you open your eyes. I will cause you no harm.”

I looked toward the voice and saw “a man clothed in linen whose waist was girded in gold. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color. (When he spoke again) his words were like a multitude.” (1)

The light from the man nearly blinded me. As my eyes adjusted, I asked, “Who are you and why are you here on this craft with me?” A background voice announced:

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-05.57.59

The supernaturally caparisoned man added, “I am a messenger from the Almighty God of the universe. You have traveled far and wide to the end of the universe through this warp of time and space. You hope for a purpose. You hope to seek other worlds. You hope to seek new life. But now you have reached the end of the universe and have found nothing. Nothing but darkness. And now you are drowning in despair. You have lost your hope. The ruler of chaos, death and lies will soon make his appearance in this realm. His kingdom is pain, suffering and eternal death.

But the merciful Almighty God has heard your cry in your isolation. You have not found anyone to console you now; however, the Lord of the Universe has been with you through your misery. He will take you from this temporary life to a life absent from affliction and wretchedness.

From your human perspective you understand the universe will come to an end when entropy and disorder have reached a maximum resulting in the heat death of all creation. Total chaos of the physical world will reach a maximum. Entropy, chaos, disorder, and death of all life will be at their maximum. The end will bring judgement by the Lord Almighty of Creation.

Understand this, the time will come when the Lord will return to all peoples far and wide. No one knows the hour when He will return.” For Scripture says:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (2) Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them”. (3)

The angel continued to speak to me. “When you look out into the vast space you see nothing. Soon your physical life of frustration, suffering and loneliness will become ZERO. Your soul however will be ONE with the Lord in eternity. Believe, repent and seek His face."

He continued. "Know this,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Lord’s words by no means pass away. (4)

The Evil One’s time has now come, but do not despair.” And then the angel vanished.

Commander’s log date: 06.06.6666-06.60.60

I looked out the portal. An incredible conflagration occurred. The craft was in a blaze of fire and imploding. In the waning moments, the mechanical voice announced:

Commander’s log date: 77.77.7777-77.77.77

“How could this be? There is no such possible journal date!” I yelled at the console.

A binary number sequence then flashed on the log console:

01101010 01100101 01110011 01110101 01110011 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110010 01100100

I translated the binary code as J E S U S _ I S_ L O R D

And in that very moment I looked again out the portal seeing…

The Son of Man (Jesus) coming in a cloud with power and great glory (5)

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an angel, and with the trumpet of God. And those dead in Christ will rise first. (6)

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (7)

-END-

Daniel 10:5b-6, NKJV; Matthew 28:3, NKJV

Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32

Ecclesiastes 9:12, NIV

Luke 21: 33, NIV

Luke 21: 28, NIV

1 Thessalonians 4:16, NIV

Hebrews 13:5b, NIV

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsyprompts.com and www.rapidtables.com (binary text)

Acknowledgement: Three Dog Night’s, One by Harry Nilsson, 1968-69