Long ago, all that could be known was nothing. In the cradle
of space, the world and its neighbors existed as dust, barren, and lifeless.
However, this did not last. From the deep blackness, a
monolithic structure suddenly appeared, light embedded into its stone
foundation like veins, and its structure covered and overflowing with greenery
and clear water.
Sprouting from this floating garden, strings of light
embedded the planet and its surrounding bodies, and they began to change. In an
instant, one body became as lush green and hydrated as the garden itself, one
burned with bright warmth, and the last shone with serene luminescence.
No later than when the flora and streams emerged, life
took shape from the lights showering from the floating mountain. Furred to
feathered, land to sea, and big to small, the world swarmed with life and
prosperity.
Then, came a new development.
Gathering particles of the earth up into itself, deep
in the core of the garden, a new kind of life stirred. One of an ideal form to
inherit the world, signify it, and cultivate it.
Posture: Bipedal.
Stature: Broad.
Behavior: Inquisitive.
Intellect: Expansive.
The being that emerged from the core of the garden was
a tall, flesh-tone creature, young, and without direction.
“Adej.”
The newly born life turned to the core where the voice
came from, as if familiar with its presence, yet repeated its word, seeking answers.
“Yes, Adej. That is your new name, to mark the
beginning of not just your life, but the lives to come.”
“Lives to come?” Adej asked, understandably confused.
In a matter of moments, Adej was transported in a
pillar of light up to the garden’s upper levels, and the blues, greens and
sprawling herds of wildlife were brought to his eyes.
“As I have willed the stars to gleam,” the voice
echoed, “So have I willed the trees to grow, the seas to flourish, and for you
and all beasts to cherish and embrace the life I grant to you through this: The
Ecosystem Development and Establisment Nexus.”
The revelation left Adej speechless with wonder.
“However, E.D.E.N. and I alone cannot care for this
world.”
Floating displays of the planet’s surface and beast
inhabitants magically appeared before Adej.
“The world must be explored, others must begin with
names, and all must be shared. Adej, will you help me?”
To spread and reproduce the joy he felt, Adej eagerly
complied, however…
“What do I call you?” Adej asked.
The voice chuckled. “Yes…I suppose we must start
somewhere. My name is…Jahveh.”
Thus, it began. Sustained by E.D.E.N. and Jahveh with
life and longevity, Adej worked, giving names to the various beasts, monitoring
the planet’s environment, and relishing in bliss.
But, though Adej enjoyed his lease on life, one simply
could not manage it all. Therefore, Jahveh decided that two would manage.
From Adej’s blueprint, Jahveh brought a similar life
to accompany him.
Posture: Bipedal.
Stature: Slender.
Behavior: Curious.
Intellect: Expansive.
If Adej were the world’s foundation, Ruvee was
additional structure, designed to support Adej, and he would support in return.
However, Jahveh felt there more to acknowledge: a
disconnect between the other beasts and his two assistants.
He scanned the world, and found capacity for great
wisdom and power within scaled bipeds much like his assistants, designated
“Serpents” by Adej.
Thus, Jahveh sought out the counsel of the wisest and
strongest Serpent. Eventually, one came forth, pursuing knowledge: one with a
hooded skin, calling himself Pythos.
Adej, Ruvee, Pythos. The three oversaw the new world,
free to embrace and cultivate all things.
All except one. While freedom existed in all other
respects, singular steel doors deep in the bottom of E.D.E.N., said by Jahveh
to contain incomprehensible knowledge, remained closed at his request.
The three stayed away, until Pythos requested audience
with Ruvee.
“Jahveh creates the stars to contain the world, the
world to contain life, and life to contain knowledge. It should follow that we
possess more than enough capability to comprehend whatever hides in that door,”
Pythos reasoned.
Ruvee filled with unease at what Adej would think, him
ever loyal to Jahveh, but Pythos was a trusted friend, with seemingly sound
rhetoric.
With shaky hands, Ruvee opened the doors.
Suddenly, distorted, corrupt energy dashed through the
doorway and out into the world, foreign, disturbing thoughts entering Adej and
Ruvee’s minds.
Without warning, the three assistants found themselves
expunged to land westward of E.D.E.N., and sheets of blades coated in radiant
fire surrounded it, segregating it from the world.
Tension and confusion erupted between Adej, Ruvee, and
Pythos, until Jahveh intervened.
“You did not heed my warning,” Jahveh uttered, “and
now the potential for sin, malice, and degradation seeps into the world and its
future generations, as you see.”
Indeed, the plains, seas, sun, moon, even the life and
E.D.E.N. itself. All in the world lost the luster and purity it once possessed.
Feeling guilt, Ruvee admitted she indeed opened the
doors, but only at Pythos’ suggestion.
Pythos, the proudest and wisest of beasts, exploded into
furious ravings claiming unequal privilege between himself, his colleagues, and
his creator, laying bare his envy and loathing.
For his deceit and savagery, Jahveh punished Pythos by
vanquishing his strong limbs, his eloquent tongue, and his brilliant mind. The proud
beast now lay belly-down upon the ground in humility.
“For further punishment, you will not return to
E.D.E.N. until you live out the rest of your days, upon which I will put your
souls to rest back at your birthplace.
“Until then, cherish, explore, and reflect on all that
is and will be. Good luck, my children. I will watch over you…”
Jahveh spoke no more.
While unsure of the direction their lives would take
now, Adej and Ruvee decided to do what they always did, together.
Hand in hand, the two set off against towards the wind
and sun, the once mighty Pythos slithering behind.
(Birds flying across a sunrise, uploaded to Pixbay by user lumpi on Nov. 3rd, 2015)
What came after, the future of humankind could only decide.
Authors Note
So, obviously, this is an Adam and Eve retelling. However, it is quite a radical change; the Garden of Eden is what is essentially an ancient, live-giving supercomputer, the central characters of God, Adam, Eve, and a combination of the serpent and Lucifer all have new names, and the serpent itself has an expanded role as part of the "founding fathers" of the world.
The element of E.D.E.N. and some of the writing intends to play off of the sensibilities of our technologically-ingrained society, interconnecting us with great pleasure and learning potential, yet also capable of darkness and discomfort, evident by the glitch-like evils escaping from the vaults of E.D.E.N. and corrupting present life and cursing future generations. I also wrote imagery with vivid words in hopes of further immersing the reader.
Combining the right elements of the Serpent and Lucifer to create Pythos' character was a difficult task, but I would say my weakness writing this (and an unfortuante constraint of the word limit of the course this was written for) was finding the right balance of dialogue and narration to pace the story in a pleasurable manner. Even now I still feel somewhat disappointed I couldn't expand the lives of these characters further, but c'est la vie. I at least hope something of enjoyment came out of it.
Fun Fact: While I tried to keep true to their original source, I named all the characters in this story based on programming languages! Try to guess which character is based on what!
Bibliography
Adam & Eve Unit of Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook, story sources vary.
