Short story idea

Concept idea for a short story I might write in the future.


The world is covered in grey ash. The sky is a constant, turbulent maelstrom of reds and greys which appear as if the gods themselves are engulfed in an eternal war of constant bloodshed. Every hundred kilometers in any direction, spires, resembling withered fingers of cold metal and plastic, several square hectares in size, spring forth from the grey earth. Within each of these gigantic spires are millions upon millions of bodies, entombed in metal sarcophagi. Surrounding these sarcophagi are thousands of whirring machines which, though in a state of immense disrepair, continue to maintain the bodies within as they have for countless millennia. These machines, lit by a muted and flickering green light which oozes out from the edges of the sarcophagi, appear as if they have some sort of malicious intent even though they are what keep the bodies. It is they who stimulate the bodies within the sarcophagi. It is they who maintain the remnants of mankind, if the dross forms within the metal tombs could still be called human.

Atop one of these spires at the center of the world is a crystal forest surrounding a crystal palace. Residing within this palace are the Two, a man and a woman, who survive for the rest of mankind.

Ages ago, man raged war across the globe against themselves for no truly significant matter. Each faction sought only material goods or the spiritual salvation of all humanity and they killed each other to obtain these. Each day, millions perished in the ever burning fires created by cold fusion weapons. The Peoples of the Moon declared their independence from what was by then known as Gaea and so the governments of Gaea destroyed the Moon. Immense pieces of stone and steel fell from the sky and, in an attempt to save itself, mankind scorched the sky by evaporating the oceans. Once again, millions perished in the blink of an eye.

As the death toll rose, Gaea’s governments lost their support and began to crumble. Rioting and anarchy dominated the globe. All seemed lost and the throughout the world there was only despair as mankind degraded into roving bands lead by scientists and technicians who each claimed to be the last remaining bastion of knowledge. From the ashes of civilization emerged a being, reputed to be the next stage of human development, of pure thought. It slowly spread forth by taking a physical form and as time continued, each human was influenced by its indomitable will. The being’s thoughts pervaded the globe like the tendrils of some immense beast whose body cannot be seen. Within a year no one was left untouched. No person moved, ate, procreated or even thought without what was known as the Emperor of Mankind’s permission.

Not much is known past this except that at one point the spires appeared when they had not been moments prior. Not much is known about why humanity willingly permitted itself to lay in the millions of sarcophagi within the spires and attempt to become beings of thought themselves. The sarcophagi allowed them to transcend their earthly forms but also bound them eternally to existence. What is known, however, is that mankind no longer cares about material goods, religion, or even intelligence as all these things can be granted instantly within the sarcophagi. What is wanted, what is craved, are sensations. And so, two humans did not enter the sarcophagi.

Unlike their peers, the Two are still consumed by the need to acquire, create, and control, even though all They want can be created at the simplest thought. They are attended to by holographic machines created by the crystal which encompasses the entirety of the Two’s palace. The crystal is the eyes and ears for the millions of entombed minds. The crystal is bent and controlled by the will of the Mind, the collective will of humanity, and because of such, the two surviving humans are slaves even though They are free to, encouraged to, commanded to, do as They wish. The Two are one with the crystal and at the same time apart from it. They view the world as it was in ages past even though They themselves have never seen it. They eat the crystal but believe they are dinning upon excellently prepared meals created from things which have been extinct for ages.

When They perish, mankind perishes but the two are reborn from the will of the Mind and again mankind is reborn. The Two know of their fate but at the same time are oblivious to it. They know that all They experience is caused by the crystal yet know that it is not made by the crystal; it is caused by the Mind. Due to mankind’s greed to satisfy itself, the Two must suffer for all eternity.

Through the Two, humanity survives. Through Their sacrifice, humanity is at perpetual peace.

The world is in ruins; mankind has its utopia.