Hunter told Metamorphosis, the great sage, “I read a section in the Magnum Opus on the League of Kingdoms: Self-Government. My mom’s a Democrat and my dad’s a Republican. They argue all the time about government and politics.”
“What is the question?” Morph asked.
“Sorry. How is it possible to have just one world government for an entire planet?” Hunter asked.
“Ahhh, excellent question. The answer is simple. But before I explain the justification for governments and the politicians who run them, dominate them, I must explain civilizations and societies.”
Eve stared straight out across the water, in the direction of the red lava falls.
“Within the universe,” the sage said, “two types of civilizations exist, primitive civilizations and enlightened civilizations. Intelligent creatures develop civilizations and societies based on the evolution of their personal Triangulum: body/mind/spirit. Each of us, every intelligent life form, must balance our body, mind and spirit, our Triangulum. The majority of creatures in primitive societies are unbalanced. They tend to focus on the pleasures of their body and mind, ignoring their spiritual nourishment.
“Primitive civilizations create dysfunctional societies. Enlightened civilizations create functional societies. At the bottom of the evolutionary scale, primitive civilizations produce primal beings. Because these creatures have failed to evolve properly in body, mind and spirit, they live in a state of organized chaos and fear. They do not understand true love and the importance of spirituality, how to share their planet’s abundant resources, how to care for one another.”
Morph arched his white eyebrows. “Primitive societies live in constant fear. Fear of themselves and fear of each other. In primitive civilizations, a select group of greedy, dominating creatures benefit, while the majority of their populations live in poverty, hunger and a state of hopelessness, without the basic necessities of life: water, food, clothing, and shelter. If the primitive beings happen to be technologically advanced, they use their knowledge and technology improperly. Primal beings are always on the verge of destroying themselves with the technology they have created. All primitive civilizations, no matter how scientifically advanced, are hostile to other civilizations. This hostility often results in a galactic catastrophe when an unfriendly civilization that has developed space travel attacks alien civilizations in neighboring solar systems.”
“Do you mean UFOs?” Hunter asked.
“You humans seem fascinated with unidentified flying objects, as you call them. May I suggest we focus on your original question and discuss the enlightened creatures that have visited Earth another time?”
“Okay,” he said, grinning.
When the sage said that space creatures had visited Earth, he knew UFOs did exist. Extraterrestrials were real.
The sage asked me, “Can you name an intelligent life form that has developed a primitive civilization?”
Hunter looked at Pendragon. Then Eve. Then, he looked back at Morph.
“The Extractors?”
“Excellent response, my son.”
Hunter grinned, impressed with his correct answer.
Morph asked, “Any other primitive societies that you can think of?”
He shut his eyes to think. “No, I can’t.”
“What about humans?”
Hunter frowned. “No way, we are not primitive on Earth. We are advanced,” he said, knowing that Morph’s planet didn’t have electricity, or cars, or computers, or smart phones.
“I see,” Morph said. “Do you consider Earth’s history of revolution, civil unrest, and wars to be enlightened behavior? According to what your father told me, the majority of your planet’s population experiences poverty and hunger, the masses are denied the basic necessities of life. I believe you call this the ‘war of the haves and the havenots’. Your intelligent life forms are just one fearful decision away from engaging in nuclear war, annihilating one another. Human beings continue to destroy the Earth’s natural resources at an apocalyptic pace and they are on the verge of allowing pandemic diseases to wipe them out. Humans are unwilling to change their own world.”
“That does not make us primitive. It’s just the way things are.”
“Have things improved on Earth since I last talked to your father?”
“Listen. We can’t worry about all the starving people in the world and we can’t help it if war breaks out all the time. It’s not our fault. My country’s doing the best they can to help the whole damn planet, and all we do is get attacked by American-hating terrorists.”
“It sounds as if things have gotten worse since Wayland and I talked on Time Island.”
“Yeah, we’re under constant attack by inferior countries.”
“Why do these inferior countries hate you?”
“They say we’re arrogant.”
“Are you?”
“No, we just happen to be the best damn country on Earth.”
“I see.”
Thinking about his response, his face turned red. Eve looked at him and rolled her eyes. He felt defensive, like he was being interrogated by his father at home.
“So, my son. How do you feel about people going hungry on your planet, starving to death?”
“Hunger? My parents say that the starving and the homeless need to help themselves, find a job.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Yeah, we can’t help everybody that’s homeless and hungry, they got themselves in their own mess. Those people need to get a job, make something out of themselves and quit making excuses.”
“Interesting concept.”
“My parents work hard and pay taxes. They can’t spend their time worrying about all the homeless people in California, or all the starving people in Africa or India, or, you know, all those third-world countries that have corrupt regimes. My mom and dad can’t decide the fate of the homeless. I mean, what other choice do working people like my parents have?”
“My son, life is all about decisions, choices. Your parents can help the homeless any time they choose. Your planet can end hunger tomorrow if people decide to make it happen. It is obvious that your primitive human race lacks compassion. Love.”
Hunter folded his arms, perplexed with Morph’s statement. The sage continued.
“What I find disturbing is that the solution is so simple. All you humans have to do is agree, make the compassionate decision to stop hunger.”
“Agree on what?”
“Agree to change your primitive views. Humans must agree to help the less fortunate, stop starvation.”
“But, I don’t think it’s that simple.”
“Whether you are willing to admit it or not, it is that simple. Your planet is in utter chaos because of the choices unenlightened human beings continue to make.”
“My mom says it’s difficult to change the way things are in the world, that suffering is part of life.”
The sage ran his fingers through his white beard. “The Earth’s health is in total decline because the human race makes greedy, primitive decisions, or conveniently fails to make any decisions, mostly in the name of greed. Failing to decide is simply an excuse.”
“Okay, I admit, some of your points make some sense.”
“Are you aware that your own life is a direct result of your personal decisions, the choices you have made, you now make, or you fail to make?”
Avoiding eye contact, Hunter looked up at a half-orc in the crow’s nest. Morph leaned over, placing his upper right hand on his shoulder.
“All intelligent beings create the consciousness that makes all things possible. For instance, humans can make a conscious decision to give less fortunate people the dignity they deserve, now, not later.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “How can that happen on Earth?”
“Humans must end the discrimination and hatred that prevent the majority of people on your planet from having the simple necessities of life: water, food, clothing, shelter. Dignity.”
“It’s not that easy, Morph. People back home do try to help the homeless.”
“Try?”
“Poor people are just unlucky. You know, bad stuff just happens.”
“My son, that is false. There are no coincidences in the universe.”
Looked defiantly at Morph, he said, “Hey, what about bad luck, accidents? Like being struck by lightning, or getting run over by a truck. Or hit by a train?”
“Allow me to offer you the second Secret of Time & Space, ‘Nothing, no thing, happens by accident.’”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Of course not. You have been taught differently by your parents, by teachers, by government, by the leaders of your primeval society. You have been guided down the wrong path.”
“Accidents happen from bad luck.”
“Do you realize that your beliefs regarding bad luck come from fear?”
“I’m not afraid,” Hunter said, pointing his right index finger at the sage.
“Young man, you have been raised by parents, teachers, and governments that teach fear and total dependence. You have been raised not to ask questions.
“I’m not in the mood to talk about this right now.” Hunter looked away and caught Eve staring at him.
“I understand how difficult it is to accept the truth, especially the supreme truth.”
Feeling embarrassed in front of Eve, Hunter frowned and gritted his teeth as the sage continued.
“Greet each event, every moment in your life, as a special part of the grand plan, The Great Way. What you refer to as accidents always come together at exactly the right time and with exact outcomes. Unfortunately, you, like most humans, seem to believe these outcomes are accidental, blind luck. Your own thoughts deceive you because you are fearful of the truth.”
He shrugged his shoulders, staring at the sage. “I am not afraid of the truth.”
Morph grinned. “Every event, every action, may not be as unfortunate as you think.”
“Give me an example.”
“People come and go, in and out of our lives, at exactly the right moment.”
Hunter thought for a moment and realized that he’d lost his family but new people had come into his life. Eve was one of them.
“Okay,” he said, “I’ll think about what you’ve said, but I am not afraid.”
The sage patted him on the shoulder. “I understand, my son.”
“Ah-hem.” Pendragon cleared his throat to get Morph’s attention. “Master, I believe you were about to explain the concept of self-government for our guest. However, you might want to explain enlightened civilizations first.”
“Of course,” Morph said, wiping his dinner’s ambrosia crumbs from his white moustache.