The Event

6- Cosmic sushi

-Anything at all?

-Yes.

-Ok! I know I just woke up but I have no idea what time it is. I guess that time is irrelevant here... Such a view and such a zen ambiance...hmm! I would like some sushi please. Surprise me!

-As you wish, Lily White.

-And please stop calling me my full name all the time like some computer. Just call me Lily. What are you a councious machine?

-As you wish, Lily. Yes we are a councious machine, and more. We are the Council. We are the united counciousnes of the Horizon's crew and we are the ship itself, all it's systems and memory. Integrated. Unified.

While the voice was speaking, a white square plate had appeared in front of me, full of colorful sushi. Was all this just a dream after all?

-Fascinating... Do you remember anything about what happened to you and the ship in the blackhole? How did you transform this way?

-We boldly went willingly into the black hole. The last frontier of the unknown.

-Yes! And you came back! But how? Do you remember what happened inside?

-Yes of course we remember.

There was a moment of silence. I was waiting, thinking that the voice would continue. But it did not.

-Ok so you do remember... Tell me what happened!

-We do not know.

-What? But you just said that you did remember? What happened?

The voice spoke faster than its habitual even pace, the metalic tone seemed almost warped:

-We do not know...Nothing happened. A presence... Nothing. It was infinite... Nothingnowhere.... Nothing.

-What?? What are you saying? It makes no sense! A presence? Or nothing? What happened?

-Nothing happened into the blackhole.

-But you just said there was a prescence?

-No.

-No??

-No. Are you feeling alright Lily White?

There was an awkward moment of silence. What is going on in this ship I wondered? Is it me that is going crazy? I thought that maybe I should eat this sushi before the voice insists about it. I picked up the white chopsticks in front of me and picked a random sushi from the plate... My hands were shacking... For the taste it was delicious, and tasted just like the sushi from one of my favorite restaurant, in fact it was probably the exact same recipe... Did they actually know where I would go eat? How could they know all about me? Why me? It makes no sense! My heart was racing. All this was scaring. And this machine was going crazy. Or was it me? I swallowed the flavorful bite... This sushi was surprisingly just... perfect. But my mind was processing too much concern to pay much attention to the flavors.

-I...I am alright! Just fine. I decided to pretend.

-We are detecting high levels of stress in you. Is the sushi alright or would you like something else?

-No! No, I'm alright! I am just... Excited! I can't wait to know more about the program, or whatever it is? Will you tell me why am I here?

-You have been selected to be part of our program.

-But... Why me?

The voice started to recitate what sounded like a list:

-First because you were living in the appropriate region. You are of the appropriate age and sex. You have the appropriate height and weight. You are healthy, strong and have no genetic flaws. You have shown to be of intelligence superior to the majority of your kind. You are adaptable and ressourceful and have vast ammount of knowledge on a great number of subjects, including the 12 categories of important subjects that interests us.