University Studies
                       

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 Portland State University

The Penitent Spirit

As the sizzling Helios sets in the horizon, Jeda looks at her portal window watching the last rays of the star as it sinks in the green sky. She gazed at the reflection of her crystal green eyes as they glowed in the last warm rays of the star. She knew that this was the last summer of their home -- The Stelecian galaxy -- a world where there are 14 planets that revolve around a star which in turn revolves around a black hole. Helios, their sun, is about to set, or in other words shine its rays on the other 14 planets of the Stelecian galaxy. Jeda, a young Steltician, sends her last message in 7 years to her friend in Cleptia, the closest planet to hers. She realizes that it's too late to call on her other friends who lived in other planets because there was not enough stellar power. As the Helios turned away from Repratia (the planet where she lived), it meant 7 years of darkness for 2 billion Stelatians. Jeda decided to take her mind off her gloom. As she shuttled through the bio levels, she saw something extraordinary. She stared at the crystal ball, as if hidden behind all the other displays, glowing in the neon lights. What separated it from the other displays was the glow that came from within -- dense, infinite and amazingly real. Jeda descended from her shuttle and transported herself inside the galactic art display. She saw an old man there, who was busy gathering his creations. As soon as she touched one of the displays, the man turned, his eyes shinning with a breathtaking glow.
    "Greetings, I am Iesus, the owner of this display." He said in a weary but somber tone. The neon lights sunk in his black eyes like an invincible force was pulling them in. "Can I have this one?" Jeda said, pointing at the antique that Iesus had grasped with his delicate fingers. "Why this?" he asked in a grave voice. Jeda couldn't reply; her thoughts were confused by the appearance of the display; the more she looked into the ball the more bewildered and wordless she became. "I don't know, Iesus" she replied still perplexed by the display. "There is something unique about this object; what is it Iesus? Do you know?" Iesus crouches on his chair and takes a deep breath. His eyes are sober and his face is wrinkled and thin due to fatigue. "There is a story behind this sphere, Jeda. I made this display and now I am repenting my actions." He said in a weak voice.
   "What is it?" Jeda asked, her eyes glowing with curiosity. "I want you to listen to what I'm about to say and try and forgive me when I conclude my story." Iesus begged. "What you see, is a universe in itself-- a finite world so minuscule and dense that it contains itself within the boundaries of this crystal sphere. A world I wrought with my own hands." Iesus covered his face with his hands and sighed. "I was an admired and renounced artist in Stellacia; there were no bounds to my potential; therefore I considered myself invincible, and that very assumption has brought be to my misery today. I painted a complex world of nine planets, a world with time and space; I created what is called the solar system" he said; his eyes closed with guilt and remorse. "The solar system?" Jeda asked, confused by the word. "Yes, but there is one thing I didn't count on; life. Life exists in this world and it has grown beyond bounds; it is filled with souls yearning to learn the truth about themselves and the universe they live in." His voice broke as he said the last word and a tear dripped from his aged eyes. Jeda, amazed by the appearance of this tear, moves toward him, startled by the way it glowed like the crystal sphere.
   "They will never realize that they exist in a finite space; a world where light reflects off the crystal sphere and takes years to reach the walls of the sphere and time revolves endlessly like a circle, dragging all the life within it, making them repeat their actions 'till infinity and keeping them trapped and happy under the assumption that they have a powerful god to watch over them and an infinite universe to explore. Those ignorant of the truth live in bliss but those who know that in reality, they exist in a mere sphere live their lives trapped, choked and disillusioned, knowing that their god is nothing but an old artist in the Stelatian galaxy, who is too tired to sustain their world" "So," Iesus said, with a long pause. "Do you still want this sphere, Jeda". Jeda gazed at the gifted artist as he covered his face like a broken soul. "I want it more than I had wanted it before," Jeda said, as she touched Iesus's wet cheeks and wiped the tears from his face. The Helios made its journey leaving the Stelations with hope that they might see the star in 7 years; but Jeda smiled. As she looked at dark skies; she couldn't see the darkness anymore. She grasped the crystal sphere tight in her warm hands and stared at the glow that emerged from within.