ICHTHYS / The Age of Fish

In the beginning, Fish dwelt harmoniously with Nature, and everything was good. Nature provided all the Fish could ever need. Fish, in return, cared for and nurtured Nature.

Then Fish said, "Let us gather our kind together." Thus, Fish and his kin banded together and harnessed the bounties of Nature to sustain them.

Then Fish saw the need for common peace and order among his brethren. Thus, Fish created laws and moral codes to dictate good and evil. And Fish saw that it was good.

Then Fish felt the rising dissent from his kin over his edicts. Fish sensed the need for divine affirmation to seal his rule. Thus, Fish created God in his image and likeness.

And God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. And God is the creator and supreme ruler of all seen and unseen. And Fish is God's anointed overseer and overlord. From then on, Fish ruled over his brethren without question.

Then Fish proclaimed, "By God's will, we shall bring peace and order all over the land that God has created, and whosoever denies God shall face divine justice." Then Fish and his brethren unleashed God's wrath all over the land and slew all that refused Fish's divine rule. Thus, Fish attained peace and order.

Then Fish began pondering over the very essence of Nature, the inexorable passing of time, and the inexplicable forces that govern the heavens. Thus, Fish set out on the quest for truth and enlightenment.

Alas, with the knowledge gained also came the sins of pride and vanity. Fish began to perceive himself as the God he had created.

Then Fish coveted the towering throne he once bestowed upon God. Thus, Fish declared there to be no God but Nature itself. And Fish has lordship over Nature.

Then Fish dissected Nature to satiate his every thirst for knowledge, every desire for understanding. With Nature's providence, Fish finally stood on the precipice of transcendence. Fish had unlocked the secrets of the cosmos, from the perpetual motion of galaxies and the enigma of black holes to the splitting of atoms. Fish now held time in his hands.

Then Fish proclaimed, "Look upon my works! I, King of Kings, destroyer of worlds, shall no longer be shackled to this Earth. I shall elevate my throne among the stars."

And so, Fish ascended to the heavens on his colossal God-machine forged from metal, glass, and liquid fire. With its beastly roar, the machine scorched the very air in its wake.

Alas, Fish failed to see the fire starting to consume his God-machine and the lofty throne upon which he rested. Thus Fish, consumed by the great fire, came falling like a giant serpent from the heavens.

And he brought forth a colossal inferno that razed all that he had ever conceived, created, and constructed. All knowledge and wisdom, expunged. All songs and tales lost and forgotten. All utterly destroyed and reduced to ashes, consigned to oblivion.

As he drew his final breath, Fish gazed upon the scorched, desolate land and muttered, "There is nothing."

Then Fish closed his eyes. And closed they have remained, evermore. Thus, the reign of the proud Fish had come to an end.

And in the end, Fish's brief existence, all be it hopeful and meaningful, amounted to no more than a droplet in the vast ocean of time, a grain of sand in the boundless desert of eternity.

And henceforth, the world shall march on through its cycles of precession. And with the passing of eons, the mountains and valleys shall sink into the oceans. The seabeds shall rise to touch the heavens. The birds and bees shall replant the trees and pollinate the flowers. The animals shall give birth to new offspring.

And in time, new conscious beings shall inherit Nature. Yet, they shall never know that Fish and his kind once lived. And thrived. Once upon a time. Once upon a distant time.