FF – Waiting for the End
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Jennifer Pendergast.
I saw some sort of ancient monolith this week.
To read the other stories, click on the blue froggy.
Copyright Jennifer Pendergast
The entity had been waiting since the dawn of time. It had seen life crawl from the oceans. It had been buried in mud, worshipped, buried in sand, transported, stored away and displayed.
And all the time it had been watching. Gathering information. The deadline had arrived. It compiled its report.
Planet overrun. Ecosystem dying. No hope. Recommend sterilisation. Prepare culling.
A small human approached, touched it. The human’s face was full of hope, its eyes gentle, trusting, curious. The entity reconsidered. It compiled a new message and transmitted.
Situation dire but hope remains. Recommend hold. Final decision in two generations.
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
Best leave the decisions to the children. By the time they grow up, hope tends to dwindle.
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Very true. Let’s hope at least a few of them retain their hopes though, or the entity might get a bit annoyed.
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It does look a giant timepiece! I think the entity has it right; humans are on the brink of doom!
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The brink – but not quite there yet 🙂
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Hope springs eternal 😀
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Still a bit of time to get it right then. I’m not holding out much hope.
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Me neither. But you never know!
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Awww nice hopeful end.
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My original early thought for a last line (I tend to write the end first so I know where I’m going) was “Let the harvesting begin”, but I decided to be a bit more optimistic 🙂
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That’s quite chilling! (The line – not you being optimistic!)
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Me being optimistic is quite chilling too! Or at least a bit strange 🙂
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I was glad of the second chance
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We all are!
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The last line is rather touching. Great one, Ali!
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I’m glad you enjoyed my slightly optimistic story 🙂
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I’ll take slight optimism to extreme optimism any day (the latter makes me suspicious and sometimes even nauseous 😉).
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Extremely optimistic people maybe aren’t living in the real world 😦 Not my real world anyway 🙂
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Exactly. 😊
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Almost Kubrickian …. More colorful than a monolith though but did you hear the opening of Strauss’ “Thus Spake Zarathustra” in your head while you were writing this? 🙂
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I was thinking more of the monolith in “2001” 🙂
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Right! The black monolith? Stanley Kubrick was the director. I should have known mangling his name like I did would make the reference incomprehensible 😦
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I got the reference to Kubrick but didn’t know he was the director 😦
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Thank God for that kid. When there is at least one…. there may be more. Enjoyed!
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And may they grow up to save the planet!
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Aw, that one brought a serious lump to my throat. Scary but sweet.
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I’m glad you liked it! Saved by the hopes and trust of a child – for now.
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One generation at a time…
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Hope is a good thing. We need that. Thank you for not giving up. Yet.
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We have a stay of execution.
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Phew! That was close! Nice it had a “heart”…
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Lucky for us 🙂
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And then the boy looked around to see if anyone else was watching, and with a mischievous grin yanked down his shorts and took a leak on the goofy structure…
Oh wait, you mean we’re not supposed to add the next line to the story? Sorry!
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That’s probably what’s going to happen, but it’s clicked “send” now. And you can’t suck it back once it’s gone!
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That’s a lovely happy ending, Ali. I hope it happens again in a couple generations. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Fingers crossed! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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That was a touching end, Draliman. We Loved it! Pawkisses for a Happy Thursday 🙂 ❤
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I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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I love this. Hope and whatnot. 🙂
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And trust and innocence saves the day and all that shizzle 🙂
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You’re straight up gangsta!
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Da word 🙂
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Hmm, that’s all the gangsta I know…
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Da word 🙂
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Dear Ali,
And a little child shall lead them. Nicely plotted. Love the turn at the end.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Maybe the children should lead 🙂
Ali
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kids do make a difference. they can melt even the harshest hearts.
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They can, for sure.
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Children are our hope for the future. Well done.
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Thanks! They are all we have to keep things going.
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Beautiful! Well done!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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So two generations to turn things round, not much hope then!
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No, not long at all. We’re doomed, Captain Mainwaring, doomed!
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Live in hope, optimism rules! Nice one.
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Fingers crossed for a cull-free future! I’m glad you liked it.
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Somehow I doubt they would be sympathetic after centuries of observing human behavior. But, there is always hope. Nicely done, Ali.
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I doubt it too. But we can but hope. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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That is an awesome take.
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Beautiful! Your versatility never ceases to surprise me.
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Thanks! That’s such a lovely comment, and I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Those trusting kids will get the aliens every time. Let’s hope there’s another one around in two generations. Really enjoyed your sci-fi take on this.
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Me too, no alien can resist an innocent little kiddie. I’m glad you liked it!
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Ooooooooo good one. Yeah let’s hope the next couple of generations breed out a bit of self destruction.
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Yes, let’s be optimistic about this 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
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I like the sequences you’ve created – moving from pre-human through hope for humanity. Enjoyed it.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it! I liked to think of this thing having seen all the ages through time.
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Nice optimistic end, it’s a good job the entity was capable of feeling before that I thought it was all reason and no emotion.
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Yes, not just an unfeeling computer, fortunately.
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If we could all be like children so many problems would disappear! Great story.
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They would! I’m glad you liked my story.
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Your story is hopeful…
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Fingers crossed for a better future. Or indeed, for a future.
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A reprieve. Thanks be!
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Another 100 or so years to make good…
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Teetering but hanging in there … sounds about right! Nicely told Ali
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On the brink but there’s hope yet 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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I’m thankful for the reprieve, if only for a couple of generations. Very well told, Ali. 🙂
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Thanks, let’s hope it’s enough time to turn things around 🙂
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Great story. Let’s hope that two generations are enough for all of us to finally learn.
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I hope so too. I’m glad you liked it!
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Nice post:)
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Thanks 🙂
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