Zoroaster

Kiri and Bashir finally find the forbidden planet, only to be torn away from each other.

Zoroaster

 

      “We can’t.”

      “But here we can.  Nearly anything is possible.  Whatever your heart’s desire is will manifest.”

      “Back home…”

      “There is no home.  There are no consequences�"no worries.  Nothing stands between us here but your fears.”

       “How does it work? Surely we can’t stay here forever? Are we supposed to leave and pretend it didn’t happen? How can you tell me there are no consequences? I will know in my heart and mind.  Even if this place doesn’t count somehow, I will carry the guilt with me.  The only way I could see getting around that would be to erase our memories and then it hardly seems worth the trouble.  What’s the point?”

       “We cannot stay here forever.  It is forbidden because it is a powerful place�"a dangerous place.  No one can live in dreams forever.”

        “So this is just a dream then?”

        “Yes and no.  It is a special place where it is safe to explore and dream.  It is a safe haven and can be heaven.  It could also be hell though.  By its very nature it is temporary and fleeting.  Yet, we will carry it with us always.  It is a gift to be free.  Most people never find the freedom to be themselves.  They hide beneath what is expected of them or who they think they should be.  This place acts as a catalyst. It converts energy to matter. It converts your emotions and shows you the possibilities.”

         “I should think that some dreams are entirely impossible.”

         “Yes, some are merely wishful thinking.  The contrast between your heart’s desire and your thoughts are important though.  They show us what is by showing us what can and cannot be.  By contrasting reality to dreams and wishes we come to see the truth.”

         “It sounds rather like a holographic universe don’t you think�"a virtual reality toy?”

         “It is much more than that.  Because it is smart, it knows which realties work and which won’t work.  Think of it like a smart computer program.  It is given a series of variables and it creates a formula out of it.  Whatever variables are illogical will be thrown out and eliminated from the possible result.   It is an enhanced version of our dreams that is able to give us feedback on which dreams are true and which are moments of weakness.”

         He continued, “Say you are frustrated by your boss and you wish he’d drop dead.  The next day that boss gives you a break or shows some humanity.  Maybe he or she admits a mistake and instantly you regret that terrible thought.  This place would not allow you to murder your boss on a whim.  However, if you were routinely humiliated and belittled, this place would give you a chance to stand up to your boss or quit your job even though you feel you can’t in real life.”

         “I see.  It is not your thoughts, but what is in your heart.”

         “Precisely.  And it is off limits because most cannot bear to face what is in their hearts.  It horrifies them.”

         “Why would love horrify someone?”

         “Because with love comes complete and utter vulnerability.  Because no one wants to feel powerless.  No one wants to be rejected and feel worthless. There is great power in love and most are not strong enough to risk surrendering themselves to it.”

          “Even here there is rejection?”

          “There could be, if one person is not willing to surrender their fears.  There is lust, which is not always mutual. Love is always mutual.  If there is a real connection and real love involved then rejection is merely the other person rejection their own feelings, not the other person.  So even if the love is true in both hearts, rejection can still happen. There is no way to force someone to love you nor can you force them to acknowledge the feelings that they are hiding from.  Even in dreams you can’t force someone to do something they are not capable of doing.”

          “So even here, in this garden of Eden, hearts can be broken? There can still be pain?  What is the use in dreaming if everything isn’t going to work out just as you want it to?”

          “Pain and pleasure often blend.  You need pain to understand real love.  You need to be able to feel the pain of others as surely as you feel pain.  Sorrow increases the love and gives it a power that it wouldn’t otherwise have.  For what is romantic love if not lust deepened by empathy and compassion? An inability to feel what someone else is feeling is an inability to love them at all.  And this place is all about what you feel, not what you think.  Do you understand now?”

          “Yes, I do,” she said stepping toward him. She took his hand in hers and their eyes locked.

 

 

       Kiri closed her eyes and surrendered to her feelings at last.  She felt Bashir’s lips brush hers gently in a much anticipated hungry kiss.  She was relieved that there was warmth and life in his touch�"that touching her hadn’t yet killed him.  As the kiss began to deepen, something struck her from behind and she slipped into the deep and dreamless sleep of utter unconsciousness. 

      

      The pain that throbbed behind her ears and stabbed at her behind her eyes was nearly unbearable.  Had the kiss killed her instead she wondered briefly.  Kiri tried to open her eyes, but the bright light hurt them too much.  She heard voices before she could make out who was speaking.  Slowly, she grew used to the pain and her eyes adjusted to the light.  The figures before her came into focus and she recognized her captors.

      “Urri!” she exclaimed from her spot on the cold steel floor. 

      “Well good morning m’lady,” he chuckled. 
      Kiri struggled to sit up.  Her hands and feet were bound, but Urri helped her into position so she could talk. “How did you find us?  Better yet, why in the hell did you follow us?”

       “You were trying to kill Bashir.”

       “You expect me to believe that you, of all people, were trying to protect him?”

       “No, I was trying to kill him as well, but you ruined that when the two of you decided to runaway together.”

       “Why not kill him instead of taking me?  Wouldn’t that have made more sense?”

       “Oh, no.  I saw how much he changed when he was around you.  As I was following you out here, it occurred to me that it might be better to let him think you were dead.  When he believes you to be murdered then I get to see him self-destruct.  That way I can sit back and watch him make a fool out of himself and that, my dear, is a great deal more fun than cold-blooded murder.”

        “B*****d,” Kiri muttered. 

 

      

Author's Note

Co-Written with fellow Author Joel R Schwan back in 2009.