Chapter Text
The warm fire crackled, snapping the log in the fire place; the log charred as it slowly dwindled away. The floors were made of wooden plank and splintered on occasion; you could tell the house was made with hard work, but lacked in craftsmanship. I remember the house always smelling like burnt cinnamon from the fire; Grandpa had always said it kept his nostrils clear. Back then I was naive; how could I have known how the world would turn out. As I look back at my memories from that day- Yes, that day- the day that I learned about my father; it became the prologue of my life to come.
I remember how my Grandpa was always sitting in a chair watching TV in the living room, and Mom was constantly off buying food for the house and trying to find ways of saving money. She was a great cook and could make anything taste good. Let me take you back to that day so you know why I am the man I have become.
Behind a smile Mom yelled, “Hey Dad, I am going to the grocery store, do you want anything?”
“No, I am okay! Well maybe just a beer or two.” Grandpa replied.
As her face became somber and the tone of her voice grew annoyed she said, “What was that Dad?” as she put her hand to her ear.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it!” Grandpa giggled waving his hand back and forth in front of his face.
As a halo appeared over Mom's head she said, “Okay Dad; Oh, make sure you don’t go anywhere, you have to watch Zack. He will be home from school soon!”
Not paying attention to her, Grandpa replied, “Okay I am just watching the television! There is a cool show on the channel from my past!”
“Haha, you mean the History channel!” Mom replied as she stepped outside.
Grandpa answered with a carefree, “Yep, drive safe- bye!” as though secretly wishing she'd leave.
With a, “Bye, Dad!” mom left to do her daily shopping.
As the infomercials end, Grandpa reached for the remote on the small table next to his chair. Where is the damn volume button he groans to himself; uttering off a few other curse words he manages to turn the TV volume up.
Television: “We now return to our broadcast of our hit show, “What If”.
At the dawn of mankind men used stone tools, however, as time progressed, new technology emerged: from stone to clubs, to swords to guns. In the recent years there has been a major spike in technology using signals and wireless adapters in the transportation of data for communications. This spike in technology allows interplanetary communication in a matter of seconds. The signal’s range may be limitless in its reaching out into space, but we do not know how far the signals can reach due to our limitations from the ground of this third rock from the sun. We cannot gather enough information. However, we have discovered that most of the signals do not get past the Earth’s atmosphere; but, we have long since been aware of a large hole in the ozone that has been progressively expanding over time, allowing for more and more waves to escape earth and travel into space. The assumption is that the waves will travel forever because there is little in space to interfere with the path of the waves.
As the human race has evolved in communications throughout the last ten thousand years, the communication of signals has been widely upgraded. Now that we transfer live beings wirelessly and without restraint, be it information of medical records or step by step instructions of how to genetically engineer a baby, this network of signals essentially gives all of the achievements and feats that classify us as human beings.
The signals reach to depths that are unknown to us in deep space. It may take hundreds of years for a signal to even reach a point, but eventually it may be a means to our demise.
Now What If, in deep space there is another developed civilization that has been picking up some of our transitions? They would have no idea what our transmissions are, and they wouldn’t know our languages, nor would they know about the human race. What If they are suspicious of us and want to take precaution because they see us as a potential threat. It would probably take a couple hundred years for the aliens to decipher our languages and codes! But, what would the aliens do with the code once it is broken. What If, once they have viewed our television shows, our internet communications, and even our medical records, the aliens artificially created a small group of humans based off of the media they have compiled? What If, they decide to play God?!"
Television: "In the time that it took these transmissions to reach this far-away alien civilization, Earth has advanced further. Therefore, the aliens would gauge us on what we were, not what we are. The aliens would create an artificially made human colony on a nearby inhabitable planet similar to Earth so they could study the human race better. Would the humans be treated better than the animals we study, or would this colony be worse than a zoo? The human race would be in a glass menagerie, poked and pried upon. This zoo-like colony of humans would be treated like ants. The inhabitants would be studied closely between the two slabs of glass to see what we do. These Zoo-Ants would live on the planet Zoant (Zoo-ant).
What If, as the story continues, it is now May 17th 2508? A few hundred years have passed and the United Earth Government (UEG) has voted and can no longer allow these aliens to play God. Upon order from the Grand Chandler Michel T. Framirous, a fleet of ships shall be launched with the intent of destroying the alien beings. The Grand Chandler declares, “We do not like our weaknesses being studied.” Would the human colony of Zoant fall prey to the crossfire of this conflict?”
TV program cuts to commercial.
Rambling on to himself sarcastically Grandpa says, "That would be a really cool story! “What If” it was real? More like “What If” I had a gun, I would shoot myself if I had to watch that again. Really Zoants, they couldn’t come up with a better name? They are gods right- Why not call them Titans?"
The doorbell rings!
Slow to get up off of his oversize chair Grandpa shouts, “I am coming, hold on. Let me get my cane!”
Tapping her foot impatiently Mom replies, “Okay Dad, sorry my hands are full!”
Cursing under his breath grandpa shouts, “Alright, hold your horses!" As he opens the door he says,"Wow, it is cold out here! I wonder what is taking Zack so long to get home.- He should have been home awhile ago.” Grandpa peaks his head out the door, glancing around, worried for his grandson Zack.
Shrugging her shoulders with groceries in hand Mom whimsically says, “I’m sure he was just wondered off somewhere with a friend.”
Closing the door behind Mom, Grandpa mutters, "What a wonderful parent."