SHORT FICTION
Do You Want To Live Forever?
How does it feel to be immortal? What is life without death? What would you ask a man with an eternal life? (Interdimensional Talks — Episode 4)
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Ladies and gentlemen, alien or domestic, Welcome to Interdimensional Talks with your host Mike!
The only fictional radio show in the world broadcasting across the universe and the multiverse. Listen in as we talk to the most diverse bunch of guests you can possibly imagine. We’re talking aliens, ethereal beings, artificial intelligence, and even humans from parallel universes.
Suspend your disbelief, open your mind, and join us on a journey of fascinating exploration of ideas. Grab a drink and enjoy the show.
EPISODE 4:
Etherious Maximus — A Life Eternal
MIKE: “And we’re live. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of “Interdimensional Talks,” where we dive deep into the unknown, the mysterious, and the borderline impossible. I’m your host, Mike, and tonight we will discuss something that may very well trigger some easily offended types out there.
So before we go on, if you find yourself in one of the following categories, please change the channel and save us all some grief. Passionately religious, an overzealous “for life” advocate, or a gentle soul that can’t handle talks of death. Now, let’s move on.
Tonight’s guest will challenge some of your deep-rooted beliefs about yourself, the sanctity of life, and the ever-elusive concept of the purpose of life.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now live with our guest from another dimension. Please welcome Etherious Maximus of the family Ados, from Earth 6215. Did I say that right?”
MAX: “Close enough, Mike. Just call me Max, if you will. It should make things easier.”
MIKE: “All right, Max, it is. Welcome to our show, Max.”
MAX: “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be among such inquisitive souls.”
MIKE: “That we are, that we are. Ever searching for answers to questions that remain unanswered through the sands of time. I have a feeling we are about to wish they stayed unanswered, he he. Max, tell us a little bit about yourself. Maybe starting with how old are you?”
MAX: “Straight to the point, ay? I’m 347 years young if you can believe it.”
MIKE: “Young, you say, hm? I’m not sure I can. You sound awfully good for someone who’s supposed to be dead for 250 years. Please explain how that is possible for our audience.”
MAX: “Well, on our world, that’s still considered a young adult. You’re barely a few cycles in, but by now, you’ve learned who you are and what you want from life.“
MIKE: “So, one hundred-year cycles? I guess that would be like decades for us.”
MAX: “Yeah, I suppose so. Only, you know, ten times longer.”
MIKE: “No shit. Ups, I said the “S” word on air. That’s, am … a lot longer, actually. (laughing) As we’ve talked off the air, our expected life span these days is about 80 to 90 years or so. It’s been a lot shorter throughout our history, though. We consider our elders extremely lucky to have reached something like 90. Most don’t.“
MAX: “I can only imagine, unfortunately. I hadn’t even finished my studies in my nineties. If I’m honest, I find it quite sad. You’ve barely begun living, and your story is already over.”
MIKE: “Tell us a bit about your first 100 years, if you will.”
MAX: “Well, there isn’t much to tell. I grew up on Earth in a loving family and had a pleasant childhood. Nothing much happened until I was about 40. It was normal childhood and adolescence, I suppose.”
MIKE: “What happened then?”
MAX: “I finished my basic education on Earth and decided to traverse the Universe in search of deeper knowledge. I then spent the next 80 or so years traveling and studying, primarily focused on philosophy. Well, you know, after the mandatory sciences and engineering studies, we all have to complete to be eligible for space travel and fulfill the family’s obligations of contribution to society.”
MIKE: “I’m gonna have to stop you there. Can you please tell us a little bit more about those obligations? Unless it’s too personal or something?”
MAX: “No, that’s fine. We have a system where every family’s fortune is determined by their contribution to society and reputation. In our technologically advanced society, we don’t work for wages. We haven’t for thousands of years. We are all supported by the global pool of resources.
An individual’s position in the system is determined by the size and lineage of one’s family and their contribution to the whole of society. So in the first hundred years or so, we focus on fulfilling our obligations to our family name, ensuring our future family members participate in the wealth distribution system, and giving them the best possible starting position in life.”
MIKE: “And that’s why you studied sciences and engineering first, right?”
MAX: “Yes. We consider it a great honor to be a scientist or an engineer in our society. We’re a very technical people, and we depend on technology and technical evolution above all else.”
MIKE: “What happens if you don’t do that when you’re young? The whole contribution to society thing?”
MAX: “You make up for it later on in life. You’re got time. Nobody starves in our society. Everyone’s basics are taken care for regardless. Just not much more with your willingness to contribute to society.”
MIKE: “Is it safe to say that you have then eliminated the problems regarding basic human needs, food, shelter, water, and so on? I mean, permanently?”
MAX: “Haven’t you? That was resolved thousands of years ago by our ancestors. Even before we became an interplanetary society. There’s plenty of everything for everyone. Why would anyone spend time worrying about that? I’m afraid I don’t really understand… no one actually thinks about how to get food or shelter anymore. I can’t even imagine…”
MIKE: “It’s all right. I see, we’re not just a little bit behind you on these matters. Any tips for us on that topic perhaps?”
MAX: “Not really. I don’t believe there’s a magic formula for every society. I would require a complete assessment of your resources, distribution capabilities, production processes, and requirements to even start contemplating the issue. Then I would require a full biological datasheet and nourishment optimization recommendations and cross reference that with…”
MIKE: “All right, all right. I get your point. Let’s not get distracted. That’s not for us to figure out.”
MAX: “You’ll get there, I’m sure. It’s not a scientific problem, really. You’ve survived all this time. I’m sure you will manage somehow.”
MIKE: “No need to make us feel even dumber, thank you.”
MAX: “That was never my intention. I apologize.”
MIKE: “It’s ok. I was just kidding. So, let’s get back to your education. What made you switch to philosophy?”
MAX: “When one gets to a certain age and has done all the mandatory things in life such as education and societal contribution to science or something similar, and then all the voluntary things like travel, starting a family, exploring your hobbies, trying out everything you ever wanted… one is left with an inner void of sorts. A question that lingers for the remainder of your days — what now? That is an extremely difficult question for many of us.
Some choose to end their lives at this intersection, as they simply cannot find anything more to do, see, or feel. Nothing more to look forward to. It’s not a light matter for most people by any means. Some transverse the galaxy in search of that something new, unknown. Some even fall into insanity, unfortunately. But some of us find a completely new interest, like I did.
I allowed the questions at the forefront of my thinking to guide me. And they let me down a path of philosophy. Luckily, that is a never-ending, ever-expanding field of inquiry that can easily keep a man busy for a millennium or ten. Every answer begs more questions. Every question entails multiple possible answers, and none of them necessarily the right one.”
MIKE: “I’m going to have to stop you a little bit here, Max. You’ve just thrown us so many bones we could chew on them for hours on end. Let’s start with the lighter topic — family. How do families work when people live for as long as you do?”
MAX: “Family is an expanding social and biological structure that spans through millennia and sooner or later through multiple planets in the Galaxy. But you see, we’re still only human and can only hold a certain limited number of tight, warm relationships and maintain them. You find a person you like, a spouse, and you create children. They grow up and create children of their own. Some of us continue to repeat this cycle numerous times, depending on personal preference. And with time, you may lose contact with some of your family members or simply get to see them more or less only on the rarest of occasions.”
MIKE: “How many children do you have, If you don’t mind me asking?”
MAX: “I was fairly focused on my profession and on traveling, an ever curious mind if you will, so I’ve not got that many. I have 9 of my own children with 4 wives, 23 grandchildren and 34 grand grand children and then I’m not even sure about their children. You see, I haven’t seen some of them in decades. We’re a very scattered family, living in all parts of the Galaxy.”
MIKE: “That’s aaaa… not many on your world?”
MAX: “Well, not for someone my age. You see, I had my first child when I was 73 years old. And the last one was when I was 275 years old. I suppose there are seasons for children. A few years, maybe decades, you’re fine without them in your life. Then, you may fall in love all over again with a new partner, and the biological need for offspring and a deeper connection to your partner emerges all over again. And you restart the cycle. The kids grow up and have families of their own. You are left with an abundance of free time, you find new interests, and so on, and so on…”
MIKE: “And how do the multiple wives get along?”
MAX: “He, he. I see your confusion. I believe when people on your world get married or have multiple families with different spouses, there isn’t much time in between. You don’t get to cool off your emotions. You’re still attached. But after 60 or 90 years with someone, you’re both different people, and you’re both open to new experiences in life. It’s something you accept when you live eternally. Change is the only constant in the Universe, and without change in a span of hundreds of years, one would regress to the mental state of a plant. We need evolution, change, and growth, or we stagnate, and stagnation is just waiting for death.
MIKE: “Wait a minute, you live eternally? You don’t ever die?”
MAX: “Not of natural causes, no.”
MIKE: “But how is that possible? That’s… I mean, the body, the cells they age. How?”
MAX: “They do not necessarily age. They go through cycles. Every few years, your body is completely renewed to the last atom of the last cell. If nothing interrupts that process, there is no deterioration of the cells and, therefore, the body. Not to mention the environmental impact on your body. If you live on Earth, you look a certain way. But if you’ve moved to some other planet in the galaxy, the environment has its effects on you. You change. Your whole body changes in a span of years or decades. But it’s still you. And we’re back to philosophy, and it’s the fundamental question: who are you? What are you?”
MIKE: “Indeed.”
MAX: “So, who are you, Michael? Are you your body?”
MIKE: “I think so.”
MAX: “Or do you use your body?”
MIKE: “Well, I am, and I use my body.”
MAX: “Which is it? It cannot be both. Are you your arm, or do you use your arm?”
MIKE: “I guess I use my arm, but it’s a part of me.”
MAX: “And then things get really complicated. Are you your mind, or do you use your mind?”
MIKE: “I … am. I use my mind to think.”
MAX: “So you are not your mind. Object vs subject. If you can use something, you cannot by definition be that something. Correct?”
MIKE: “Technically, maybe, but…”
MAX: “Is there ever a voice in your head that talks when you don’t want it to talk?”
MIKE: “Of course.”
MAX: “Who is that voice? Who is saying these things?”
MIKE: “Me. I mean, who else? I don’t have a little person in there talking to me. It’s my subconscious mind talking, right?”
MAX: “Are you your subconscious mind, or do you use it and hear it? Perhaps it even uses you to do its bidding?”
MIKE: “I don’t know how to answer that.”
MAX: “That’s the right way to go about that sort of question. That’s philosophy. We ask the questions and then ponder them. The answers might come to you, or they may not. That’ll keep one busy for a few years or decades. (laughing)”
MIKE: “Food for thought, no doubt. Let’s get back to the question of eternal life. Has it always been eternal for your people, or was it somehow achieved at some point in time, perhaps by science? Did something change? Did you evolve, maybe?”
MAX: “I’m no historian. We’re an ancient civilization spanning back hundreds of thousands of years. Much of it has indeed been lost or deduced to myths and legends. As far as I know, it’s been that way forever. Our oldest people are thousands of years old.”
MIKE: “How about the problem of overpopulation?”
MAX: “What about it?”
MIKE: “I would imagine, with no natural deaths, that you would have a huge problem with overpopulation. Even just touching on the topic of resources…”
MAX: “We don’t have such problems. We are a multi-planetary society spread across dozens of systems. Besides, there are plenty of resources if you know how to recycle them, have a good distribution system, and allow the natural cycles to complete on their own. I think these things sort of balance themselves out if we just don’t interfere too much. We are still a part of nature. If the resources were few, I would imagine we would have fewer offspring. It makes sense, no?”
MIKE: “In theory. I’m not sure people on my world understand this point. The poorer we are, the bigger our families. The better educated, and well-off financially, the smaller the families. It’s weird, really.”
MAX: “Interestingly counterintuitive. But perhaps if you don’t focus on some field of interest, be it a career, study, or building something, you are left with your more basic human needs and wants, and a lot of time on your hands. Therefore, you make babies. You have different priorities than those focused on career or business. Hm, I guess it does make sense.”
MIKE: “Yeah, I suppose it does.“
MAX: “I think that with an elevation in education and an uplifting of the standard of living, the priorities tend to shift toward non biological needs and therefore again, it sort of sorts itself out. Still not really seeing the problem here.”
MIKE: “How many children do your people have, on average?”
MAX: “Oh, that depends on so many factors. Some have none, others dozens. It depends from family to family, planet to planet.”
MIKE: “Makes sense. Do you believe it to be natural to live without end? Is eternal life a natural occurrence?”
MAX: “Natural, yes. Is it sensible? Well…”
MIKE: “Please explain.”
MAX: “Everything in the universe is, on the deepest level, just energy. Energy is fluid, it changes shape, but it doesn’t just disappear, end, or die, if you will. It transforms. So yes, fundamentally, eternity, accompanied by cycles of transmutation or change, is a completely natural occurrence in everything that is not artificially made. We may think something dies. But it’s all just change.
The star that exploded and changed into a black hole didn’t die. It transmuted into something else. Water that evaporated from the lake didn’t vanish. It changed into vapor and rose into the air, forming clouds that again fill up the lakes as it rains. Whether it is sensible for people to live eternally, now that’s an entirely different question.”
MIKE: “How so?”
MAX: “We’ve touched upon this earlier. It’s the problem of the mind. People go through these cycles of experiences, some more fulfilling, some less. But eventually, all of them become less and less appealing and interesting. Even the most basic of human needs, such as eating good food, procreating, and having children, lose their appeal after a few hundred years. And the more experiences a person has lived through, the less he is interested in trying new things as he simply doesn’t get the same level of satisfaction from it. Diminishing returns and whatnot.
When one goes through these cycles of desire, struggle, achievement, and then apathy, he realizes that they are, in a way, pointless. They never really permanently change your level of happiness and satisfaction. You’re just spinning and spinning in endless cycles of ups and downs. It wears on a person. As you get older, you lose interest in such games because you see through them. You see them for what they are. Just games and nothing more. But now we’re delving into philosophy again.”
MIKE: “You mentioned earlier that your people end their own lives sometimes.”
MAX: “Not sometimes. Most lives end that way.”
MIKE: “Most lives? By suicide? What?”
MAX: “There comes a time in a person’s life when he decides he’s had enough. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but it’s by no means rare in our society. I think the statistics are saying over half of all deaths are the result of people ending their own lives.“
MIKE: “In our society, suicide is considered the greatest of sins, the biggest tragedy that can befall anyone’s family.”
MAX: “Interesting. That’s a religious connotation, is it not?”
MIKE: “I suppose so. The sanctity of life? Yeah, I think it originates from religion.”
MAX: “That would explain it.”
MIKE: “How do you see the act of taking one’s own life?”
MAY: “It’s your life. It’s your body. You can do with it whatever you want as long as you don’t inflict damage on others. If you don’t want to live anymore, what gives anyone the right to force you otherwise? I really don’t see the problem with ending one’s life. It’s the most natural thing where I come from.”
MIKE: “Well, I do. What about their families, their children, partners, brothers, parents…? Those who get left behind. Don’t they get a say in it? Aren’t they hurt by the act of suicide?”
MAX: “I think I see where you’re getting at. Most people who decide to end their lives have lived fulfilling lives. In your terms, multiple of such lives. They are not acts of desperation, a resolution to some sort of pain, the end of suffering. I believe, and I cannot speak for everyone, that people simply come to the conclusion that they’ve done what they came to do, seen what they wanted to see, and lived through what they wanted to experience.
Their families usually have their own offspring and their offspring to worry about, and we tend to drift apart as decades pass. Some simply don’t feel like repeating the cycles and just wish to rest now. We have many traditions in regard to personal departure. We celebrate it. We celebrate their lives. We honor their contributions.
It’s not really a sad moment, but one of exploration. You see, one question remains unanswered to this day for every one of us — what happens when we do die? Where do we go? What’s it like there? It’s the ultimate journey, one of the few unexplored destinations for our people.“
MIKE: “That’s an interesting way to look at it. I don’t believe many of our listeners will agree with you on this.“
MAX: “That’s because they lack about 300 years on me. But that’s beside the point. No one has to agree on anything with anyone. Even among my people, there are numerous different philosophies and religious views regarding the topic of ending one’s own life. I just happen to subscribe to the scientific view of the cyclical nature of the Universe.”
MIKE: “We tend to see death as something to be feared, something finite, something horrible. How do you perceive it?”
MAX: “I don’t see it as permanent anything. I believe it’s just a change of form, like with everything in life, and change is not something one should ever be afraid of. Most of the time, things change for the better, don’t they? It’s stagnation I’m afraid of. (laughing)”
MIKE: “I suppose you make a good argument there. It’s not a bad philosophy to live by.“
MAX: “Besides, not all choose to end their lives. Some, for instance, embark on exploration missions into the unknown parts of the Universe. Those are the sort of missions that guarantee you won’t be coming back for at least a few decades if not centuries. Therefore, people who have a vast amount of knowledge and experience, coupled with a settling of their personal affairs, are the most sought-after explorers for these sorts of voyages.
It gives us a scientific exploration of the very furthest frontier of the known universe, and them a sense of renewed purpose. They are almost guaranteed to experience new things, meet new civilizations, and explore new worlds. I, for one, plan to embark on one such a journey in a few decades. Depending on how long this philosophy will keep me interested. Well, that and my new wife, he he. She still gives me butterflies in my 347-year-old belly. I might even begin a new family cycle with her. You never know. I’m still young.”
MIKE: “He, he. What a way to conclude our conversation. I really wish we had more time, but I am grateful to have had the privilege of talking to you. You have definitely given me much food for thought. You’ve lived longer than anyone I know by a few hundred years, so I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you — what is the meaning of life? In your opinion, of course.”
MAX: “The meaning of life is to live. To explore, to grow, to learn, to experiment, to play, to change. To try as many things as you can and seek to answer this very question for yourself. In the strictest natural sense, the purpose of life is simply the continuation of life. Isn’t it? I find meaning in the smallest of things, not large endeavors or philosophy. In the smile of my child, a kiss, a beautiful moment shared with someone you love. In those moments, when time stands still. Purpose, however, can be anything. For me, it’s exploration and learning about things I don’t yet know.”
MIKE: “Well, that’s quite an answer. I like it. I have a sense you’ve thought of this a lot, haven’t you?”
MAX: “Don’t we all? I’ve just had more time and a wider variety of experiences to narrow it down for me, than most.”
MIKE: “You most certainly have. Any last thoughts before you go, for our listeners maybe?”
MAX: “Sure. (takes a second to think) Having a time limit imposed on one’s life can be limiting or it can be freeing, depending on your point of view. With a limitation on time, you get a sense of purpose to really live this one short life you have been given. I suppose you could argue that the finality of life, therefore death, gives life meaning. Don’t waste it. Immerse yourself in your life experience and live life like it could end tomorrow. From my point of view, you all life but a small moment in time. A blink of an eye. Use it wisely!
And whatever you do, don’t fear death. See it as change. A transformation. Perhaps all of you live eternally, too, just not in the same body. Nature, with its eternal cycles, would certainly suggest that death is not the end but the beginning of something new. Eternal life is overrated, anyway.”
MIKE: “Perfect Max! Thank you very much. I hope to hear from you again sometime. Just don’t wait for millennia to call me.”
MAX: “Will do. I might get back to you in a few decades to see where you’ve come.”
MIKE: “Sure, I won’t forget to wear my adult diapers when you do. You know, ’cause I’ll be old and…”
MAX: “I get it, I get it! (laughing) Now how fun would it be to be able to just pee wherever you are? Something to look forward to Mike!”
MIKE: “Not funny, Mr. Glass is half full! We don’t like them optimist characters making fun of us miserable souls, now do we, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us on this episode of “Interdimensional Talks.” I’m Mike, and I hope you enjoyed this exploration into the sensibility of eternal life. Stay safe out there. Mike out.”
THE END
EPISODES on Substack:
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Etherious Maximus — A Life Eternal
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What is it like to be immortal? To never die? To live for hundreds, even thousands of years?
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