CIORAN EP 2 : WHISPERS IN THE BINARY.
Narrator: The atmosphere inside the house was one of indifference, except for Kondi and her parents. Life, according to the Eunuchs, was a fleeting blip, where suffering lay at the root, breeding hate and anger. Ending one's life was not just legal but advised. Suffering and pain were passive thoughts, overshadowed by the Rhizome—the key to dissipating weariness and uncertainties.
But today wasn't about praising the Rhizome; it was the same Rhizome that filled Kondi with ennui. Now, one of the strongest people I knew was about to pull the plug, desensitized to any form of pleasure.
Kondi's Mom: (smiling weakly) Hello, Arthur. Thank you for coming.
Narrator: I noticed her lack of happiness, but by then, I only knew the joy the Rhizome provided.
Arthur: Welcome, ma'am.
Kondi's Mom: Would you like to speak to her? She's been quiet for days and won't speak to anyone.
Arthur: Is it because of the...
Kondi's Mom: No, she refused after she requested she wanted to pull the plug.
Arthur: Strange. Let me talk to her, then.
Narrator: I moved closer to my friend. She looked like she was staring into an abyss. Despite the cold, sweat gathered on the side of her forehead.
Arthur: Kondi... Hey.
Narrator: She turned her head and looked at me intensely, as if wanting to explode with a thousand voices, but a lid upon her soul deterred her. It was a mix of fear and anxiety, a result of the ennui, I thought.
Kondi's Father: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming. Today is the last rite for our daughter. Allow me to say these few words. The pathway to a better existence lies with the avoidance of pain and anxiety, guiding our city to embrace pleasure. Challenges arise, adverse to this good, and hence the ennui...
Narrator: My eyes moved from her father back to Kondi; her demeanor seemed calm now.
Kondi's Father: Kondi has gotten the ennui, unable to perceive the way of pleasure bestowed by the Rhizome. Of her own volition, she has chosen that there is nothing more to life for her. Let us remember her as a hero, a brave soul traversing this world of smoke, heading towards more eternal things. Let us remember the memories we made with her and the connection through the Rhizome. May the Eunuchs be praised for their wisdom. Thank you all.
Narrator: As he ended the speech, we gathered in a circle to recite the sacred hymn.
Oh, embrace the winds that gently sigh,
Whispering tales as the seasons fly.
A farewell melody, sweet and clear,
A journey begins, a soul takes its stride.
As you bid goodbye, let the echoes ring.
Narrator: We sang this song to Kondi, and the others resumed talking. I observed Kay as we sang, staying near Kondi, wondering if she would speak to me.
Then, she gently touched my hands, and I turned quickly.
Kondi: Let's... go... out... the back.
Narrator: I took her hand, leading her to the back. Everyone else remained inside. Silence engulfed us, and she looked at me intensely.
Arthur: Kondi, I have many things to ask you...
Narrator: Suddenly, she broke into tears.
Kondi: (sobs) Promise me that you'll remember them. Promise you'll come by and say hi to them, and promise me you won't forget about me.
Arthur: I promise.
Kondi: There is so much I want to tell you, but you would not appreciate it. Only through the tunnel of experience will your understanding be helped.
Arthur: Make sense, Kondi. What do you mean, and what are you hiding from me?
Kondi: Understand that I am not going out by my own volition. The world is run by an arm that is not, and everything is a facade if you open your eyes.
Narrator: Kondi never spoke to me in riddles. What was going on? She had the ennui; that's what we were told. She opted for this, so why all this? Before I could answer, Kondi suddenly started behaving bizarrely.
Kondi: Sunlight... I can see the sunlight... My place is at the edge of the universe... The sons watch as wisdom makes her... crafts, and like them, I shall sing the song of the morning...
Narrator: I didn't know what was happening with my friend. She was acting skittish and shouting unfamiliar phrases. It must be the side effect of the ennui, the hallucinations. I motioned towards her to calm her.
Arthur: Calm down, Kondi. It's going to be alright.
Narrator: Suddenly, Kondi's mother and Chief Enforcer Zane entered the backyard. Zane, tall and muscular, had a face that sent shivers down my spine. He stood there with a crooked smile.
Enforcer Zane: It is time, Kondi.
Narrator: Kondi paused, motioned towards me, hugged me, and whispered into my ears.
Kondi (silently): You can only see if you go mad... you can only hear the whispers of the binary when your mind goes insane. Do not trust anyone.
Narrator: With that, she let go, slowly joining her mother, leaving through the gate. It was the last time I'd see my friend, a feeling within me I couldn't explain. I wanted to scream and be quiet at the same time. My heart was beating fast.
Enforcer Zane: Why did she ask you to join her here?
Arthur: She wanted us to be alone, say farewell.
Enforcer Zane: I see, and what did she whisper to you?
Arthur: It's personal.
Enforcer Zane: Nothing is personal in this world, boy. The Rhizome connects us all into one. What is for one is for all. As such, any information passed down to you is for all of us.
Narrator: I took a deep breath and said...
Arthur: She told me to think like a madman to understand.
Enforcer Zane: To understand what?
Arthur: She didn't finish. She appeared cryptic.
Enforcer Zane: I see. See this as a turn for better things to come.
Arthur: Yes, sir. May I go now?
Enforcer Zane: Of course, you may.
Narrator: I returned home, lost in contemplation about the essence of existence. In a city like Cioran, pain was to be avoided, yet questions lingered about death, the legality of pulling the plug, and the enigmatic Eunuchs who dictated our lives from the secluded temple on the hill.
The next day at work, I focused on the persistent static on my screen, adjusting frequencies while listening through my headphones, hoping to catch a meaningful signal.
And then, Kondi's words echoed in my mind – "Think like a madman." What did it mean? My attention shifted from the screen to the concept of madness, seeking to understand its essence.
Alarm chimes interrupted my thoughts. Siesta time – time to connect to the Rhizome. I packed my bag and headed for the door, spotting Kay-Y98 about to board the bus.
Arthur: Kay, save a space for me.
Kay: There's plenty of room, Arthur.
Narrator: We sat on the bus, and I pulled out my notebook, inscribed with the word "madness," contemplating its depth.
Kay: Why are you staring at that word?
Arthur: I want to understand it, to catch its spirit.
Kay (laughing): Are you joking? There are dictionaries everywhere, and madness is a sickness. It means to be abnormal.
Narrator: I could sense Kay's skepticism as I delved into my quest for understanding.
Arthur: I guess I'm looking for something deeper, you know... like something transcendent. What does it mean to be abnormal, and who sets the rules on what it means to be normal and abnormal?
Kay (thoughtfully): Mmmhm. I guess it's a matter of perspective. Water in a river flows in one direction. If the water started flowing in the opposite direction, that'd be abnormal.
Arthur: Would that be abnormal to us or to the river?
Kay: I guess to us who have been observing.
Narrator: Something stirred within me, a nameless feeling, like a wind, as if I had "caught" something. It lingered despite the Rhizome's pleasuring moments.
Approaching my work differently the next day, I succumbed to that feeling, adjusting modulators and tuning frequencies. I didn't know what I was doing, but each time, the internal dialogue changed.
Days blurred into nights, and then one day, typing and adjusting, I saw it. The once-indecipherable static turned into a canvas of cryptic language, revealing hidden strokes of meaning.
In a trance-like state, I grabbed my pen and note, deciphering a message from the abyss.
Narrator: The once-indecipherable static now reveals itself as a cryptic language, a message waiting to be unveiled. Finally, the abyss had spoken to me, choosing me as its sole interpreter. My heart raced as I read what I had deciphered...
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, ARTHUR.
TO BE CONT’D…
