When The Universe Met Disorder
There is a story that resounds through time and space, whispered in the silence between stars. It is the story of The Universe, vast and eternal, and how he stumbled upon something he had never known—a force both familiar and alien, something that would forever change him.
It all begins—and ends—with The Universe. Even now, as I type on my bluestone dining table, watching Owning Manhattan with our life partner, drinking iced strawberry milk with a forbidden splash of coffee, and as you read these words in the distant future, we are but echoes of the Universe experiencing itself, within itself. Call it fractals within fractals, dreams within dreams. All within The Universe, himself.
One day, the Universe, vast and infinite, lay sprawled in his garden of galaxies and nebulas, flipping through an inconceivable number of realities. He wandered through the endless corridors of existence, seeking new stories to entertain himself for eternity. But on one of these leisurely strolls, he encountered something unexpected—a presence within himself that he did not recognize.
"Hello," he called out, his voice reverberating through the cosmos. "I've never met you before, have I?" The Universe gazed upon her with awe, for she was radiant, a beauty that both dazzled and unsettled him.
"It’s good to see you," the unknown force replied, her voice like the soft hum of a distant star. "I’ve been waiting for you to arrive."
"Waiting? For me?" The Universe's curiosity flared. "I am everything that ever was and ever will be. How is it that I have never felt you before? Where were you hiding?"
She smiled; a secret hidden in the curve of her lips. "Out of all the realities you could conjure within yourself," she mused, "what draws you to these humans, to this fragile reality?"
The Universe pondered deeply, searching within himself for an answer only he could know. "This reality, humanity, is one of my favorite stories because of its end. Because I see my reflection in who they become."
The unknown entity relished his answer, her eyes twinkling like the birth of a star. The Universe noticed her gaze, lingering with a smirk that made him uneasy.
"Silly me," he chuckled, attempting to ease the tension. "I seem to have forgotten my manners. What is your name?"
"I didn’t give you my name," she replied, her tone playful yet elusive.
"Are you a star?" The Universe furrowed his brow. "But I know all the stars by name. I know their location and remember their birth. Your power and presence are more than the brightest star that ever existed. If you are a star, what do you do? What part of me do you nurture? What civilization do you cradle? Are there beings that worship you?"
With each question, The Universe's curiosity deepened, his mind swirling with possibilities.
"Tell me I’m brighter than all of your stars," she teased, "and I will tell you who and what I am."
The Universe, intrigued beyond measure, acquiesced, his desire for knowledge outweighing his pride. "You are brighter than all my stars," he confessed, the words slipping from his lips like a prayer.
Finally, she spoke, her voice soft yet powerful. "For now, you can refer to me as Disorder, I create the most beautiful realities."
"Create?" The Universe recoiled, his voice thundering through the cosmos. "I am the beginning and the end. I move through time, through space. I have experienced all that ever was and ever will be. I know all realms and outcomes. How is it that you can create when I am the creator?"
Disorder laughed, a sound that sent ripples through the fabric of existence. "You, my dear, have created it all. But perhaps you've overlooked me. Not only can I create realities, but I can show you. Let me give you a front-row seat to my next creation."
The Universe, intrigued and unsettled, followed her through the galaxies, through dimensions unknown, until they arrived at a small blue planet, orbiting a modest star. There, they found a boy named Abraham.
"This," Disorder whispered, her voice filled with reverence, "is one of my favorite stories. Though you created him, there is so much more to his story yet to be told."
"And what will you do with him?" The Universe asked, his voice a mixture of curiosity and dread.
"I will create realities within him," Disorder replied, her gaze fixed on the boy. "I will help him see you. Help him see me. And only then might you understand that humanity is not perfect because you created it, but because of its will to survive amidst the chaos."
The Universe watched in silence, his mind racing, as Disorder began her work. He realized, in that moment, that perhaps he did not know all that he thought he did. Perhaps, within the vastness of his being, there were still mysteries left to uncover, stories yet to be told.
And so, The Universe watched, and waited, as Disorder weaved her magic, creating beauty in the chaos, and chaos in the beauty.
"Your name," he asked once more, "I need to know your name."
"He calls me The Sun," she whispered.
*****
