When it comes to exploring unexplained phenomena, the general consensus would be to explore these ideas, examining all avenues of discovery in a manner that would make sense, but some people just wind up being incurious.
With that in mind, here’s a sampling of random passages that may be of importance somewhere down the line, becoming great use to attentive readers further down the line. Beings out that refuse to conform being perceived as unnatural disasters.
Or, they may just be amusing diversions to distract you from the current awful going-ons going on.
For many years, a Doomsday Prophet gave warnings of portents, speaking of protection from an unspeakable monster, spelling out the severity with spellbinding attention-attracting speeches, but was unable to secure Government funding because the threat was too vague.
“So, you say you’re haunted by a creature who watches your every waking moment and insinuates your dreams, with the intent of spreading out to other fleshy waking minds. Yet, your description of said creature defies all known laws of physics and biology as well as certain zoning laws, and possibly time zones.”
“BUT I’M TELLING YOU - THE H’FLIGH’N (may its name never be spoken) IS COMING!!”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to redo your form. The Ancient Ones dislike sloppy writing.”
The Doomsday Prophet wasn’t alone in pursuing this line of discovery. There were other knowledgeable researchers out there who had known about the presence of the thing, having conducted independent research into the matter. What started as a monolith of one swelled into a community of many as these kindred spirits confided, souls who understood the subject and approached it with proper seriousness gathered together in search of a common goal of prevention.
If there was a less pressing deadline breathing down the necks of everyone at stake, the Doomsday Prophet could’ve gone at a more leisurely pace, but there wasn’t enough time. With this newfound group, the Doomsday Prophet was able to parlay the message into a more comprehendible form to the masses into something worthy of respect. They had to up the game to get noticed, greatly exaggerating the threat to a more discernable level that could be easily understood.
“If left unchecked, this being would bring about untold disaster, the suicide rate running in the millions, which would help control the population explosion somewhat. But not by much. It has nitrogen liquid for blood, grows exponentially at a rapid pace, and reproduces by spreading spores, the seeds germinating quickly, bursting out of your stomach lining after reducing you to a comatose state.”
“…Hawt. I’d hit that.”
“Were you not listening? That thing can wind up killing you!”
“There are some things worth dying for.”
“Yes, but this isn’t one of them.”
“I’d do anything to get closer to that thing!”
“Don’t speak of idle promises! Would you be willing to lay down your life for it?”
“You mean as a willing sacrifice?”
“Well, that’s not - ”
“If my dead body can bring me closer to that powerful being, I’m sure I would be able to seduce it from the great beyond, impressing it to such an extent that I’d be brung back to life.”
“…you’re saying you’d create mass graves just to attract the indiscernible presence only spoken of in whispers?”
“Yes, wasn’t that clear?”
“I’d settle for lying down in protest.”
“Will they mow us down for that?”
“There’s the risk of that, yes. Even knowing all that, would you still want to join my side?”
“If I’m affiliated with you, I’ll have a greater chance of meeting this intriguing creature with a great personality!”
The False Prophet felt conflicted about allowing members over who had dubious motives about repelling a danger that was meant to be prevented, but options were limited, and no one could afford to be picky. Over time, the number of fanatical people involved swelled into figures that couldn’t be ignored. News of internal debates were a common topic from untrusty news sources that sought the latest common low interest. Eventually, this unwanted attention attracted attention from higher-ups who were curious, and wanted to talk. This was just the thing the False Prophet had hoped for, an audience. But gaining any traction with someone with influential power who had access to this knowledge proved to be an exercise in futility, since it turned out that they had known about the nature of this threat beforehand.
The False Prophet felt conflicted about allowing members over who had dubious motives about repelling a danger that was meant to be prevented, but options were limited, and no one could afford to be picky. Over time, the number of fanatical people involved swelled into figures that couldn’t be ignored. News of internal debates were a common topic from untrusty news sources that sought the latest common low interest. Eventually, this unwanted attention attracted attention from higher-ups who were curious, and wanted to talk. This was just the thing the False Prophet had hoped for, an audience. But gaining any traction with someone with influential power who had access to this knowledge proved to be an exercise in futility, since it turned out that they had known about the nature of this threat beforehand.
“If you have your own researchers, you must know how serious this is.”
“We do.”
“Why haven’t you warned the populace about this already?”
“Naaah.”
“Public safety.”
“We don’t want to create a panic.”
“What panic? I’ve told them and they’re absolutely apathetic.”
“Not those people. OUR people.”
“People who would be upset if certain revelations came to light.”
“They would lose confidence in us.”
“Besides, it’s more advantageous if we take advantage of the situation.”
“This disaster would create great opportunities for us.”
“All while destroying the planet in the process.”
“Surely this thing can be reasoned with.”
“If not, we can always go somewhere else.”
“Once this thing hits, there’s nowhere ELSE to run to.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out somehow.”
“We always have.”
The Doomsday Prophet almost preferred it when these powerful figures pretended to give a damn about these things, giving empty comforting words and vowing to do all they could to prevent it, when they actually had no intention of doing so. At least that way it felt like accomplishing something.
Even with the assistance of the group, finding the identity of these elusive people behind the influential powers was even more difficult than defining the H’FLIGH’N (may its name never be spoken), as they took great pains to remove all trace of their presence, and they always preferred to remain out of sight. If it weren’t for their noted unobtrusive spheres of influence in discrediting the Doomsday Prophet’s efforts, one would think that they didn’t even exist.
Then for no discernable cause, the group that had once been so confident about their discovery recanted their findings, finding reason to poke holes in their impeccable logic, giving no plausible reason for their sudden change in mindset when they never had before. Soon, the prosperous group decreased in number until only a devoted faithful few were left. And even that didn’t last long, the diehards losing enthusiasm over ever accomplishing their goals, until only the original founder remained. The Doomsday Prophet was back in familiar territory, alone once again to spout unheeded warnings into the wind.
And finally, after much failed proselytizing, the day came when Doomsday could no longer be ignored. When the monster finally made its presence known, you’d think that the Doomsday Prophet would be vindicated, the foreboding warnings becoming reality.
Nope, guess again.
“Oh no, what a disaster.” “Who could’ve possibly seen this coming?”
“*I* DID. I told you multiple times!”
“No one likes a braggart.”
“You should’ve tried harder.”
“You weren’t very convincing.”
“Maybe NOW you’ll go after it?”
“You must be kidding me. I can’t take that as a threat.”
“Just LOOK at how goofy its eyes are!” “It’s harmless.”
“IT’S DESTROYED FIFTY CITIES WHILE YOU WERE RANTING.”
“It’ll all blow over soon.”
“Those citizens are being terrified over nothing.”
At times like these, I wonder if the people I try to warn have a natural inclination towards a suicidal bent. It would explain an awful lot. If these writings prove prophetic, it’s not from having access to fantastically impressive far-flung technology giving insight of things before they’ve happened. All these things have been predicted before in writings from ages past. Of course, the writers who composed such ludicrous stories were classified as being unreliable and insane.
Well, hindsight is always 50-50. It’s easy to look back at events and claim you would’ve handled things differently, knowing what you now know that these poor souls didn’t. But that’s the thing - these people weren’t being prophetic or casting future warnings - they were just creating stories off the top of their heads, letting their imaginations run wild on things that would appeal to the public. It just happened that the very things they were warning about came true.
So what does this mean?? That we should start listening to crackpots? Of course not, that way lies madness. No, we need to broaden our horizons, and not be limited by the complacency of the way things are, but the way things should be.
It would be one thing if everybody in charge were exhibiting willful blindness out of some misguided form of self-preservation, putting their faith in a higher power that would solve all their problems for them, but these people are convinced that presenting themselves as offerings en masse to these incomprehensible beings is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon their kind. How do you save people who don’t want to be saved?
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