Into the abyss

—Well, here we are— the elder said—. You know what you have to do.

They, the elder and the young man, had traveled for two days in the vast plain of the strange land from which the elder hailed. After climbing up a hill, the young man with some effort and the elder with a little help from his staff, they had finally arrived to the edge of the abyss.

—So, I just …— the young man stopped to think for a second—. I just jump, down there?

—Well, that’s what we came here for, isn’t it? You needed to find a reason for your presence in this world and this is the only way you can learn it, as far as I know.

—I’m not sure if I still want to know it— the young man looked down into the abyss. It resembled a crater, an active volcano that would erupt at any minute, but that’s not what it was. It shone in shades of light blue and green, covered in white mist. It seemed to reflect the sky, and the young man thought that he could make out some familiar shapes, as one does when lying on the grass and staring at the sky—. I think I can live without knowing the answer to this.

—Are you sure about that?— The elder walked around the young man, supported by his staff—. You made me guide you all the way here and you’re having your doubts right at this moment?

The young man looked into the elder’s eyes. The old-timer didn’t look angry or disappointed, but he was certainly waiting for a response as he stood, staff in hand and with his other fist clenched.

—Look, I’m sorry for making you bring me all the way to this place, I know it must be …

—No!— the elder interrupted him—. I may be old, but I’m not that old. I’m certain that I’ve still got a few good decades left in me. I’m not disappointed in you for not wanting to jump. I know how scary it looks. I’ve been there, myself, and I’ve brought many others here who ultimately decided against going for it. This wouldn’t be any different.

—So, it’s all right by you if I don’t jump and we go back to the village.

—Sure, it’s all right! In fact, I can’t wait to go back. I’m starving. I knew I should have bought more food for the road, but I can hold my hunger until I get back home.

As he said this, the elder went to sit on a nearby rock, right at the edge of the abyss. The blue-green light surrounded him, and it seemed as if a light push were all it would take to make the elder fall into the crater.

—Well, you can have some of my food— said the young man—. I have plenty to spare.

He took off his backpack, which he had brought from his own world, and unzipped the main compartment. As he took out a few cans and packets, the elder leaned forward to take a closer look.

—What is that?— he asked.

—It’s food. It’s what I eat.

—That doesn’t look so fresh. Is it any good?

—It’s perfectly fine. Here, take one— the young man said, as he handed a can of mixed vegetables to the old man—. Just pull from that tab to open it.

—This thing?

—Yes, just … that’s it.

The old man looked into the can and managed to recognize a few vegetables, floating in some strange, cloudy liquid. He leaned over to smell the contents of the can and quickly sat back with an expression of disgust.

—This is what you eat? Every day? I’ll be surprised if people from your world actually make it to my age.

—Come on, old man, it doesn’t taste as bad as it looks. Give it a try.

Saying this, the young man threw a metal spoon, which the elder managed to catch with his non-staffed hand.

—Careful, young one. You can never tell if an old person has reflexes. Lucky for you, I still keep mine. Otherwise, I’d have knocked you down with my staff.

They both laughed, and the young man sat near the edge of the abyss, taking out another can.

—You’re right. This isn’t nearly as bad as it looks— the elder said, as he dug into the odd mix of vegetables and ate silently.

The young man did the same and, after an hour, they had each gone through two cans of food and all of the water in the elder’s leather flask.

—Not a problem, I’ll just fill it back on my way to the village.

—Wait, I’m not going back with you?— the young man quickly responded.

—Ah, so you are still set on not jumping— the elder stood up from the rock and held his staff with both hands—. I would have thought that a quick meal and some time to think would change your mind.

The young man stood up and looked down into the blue-green light.

—I’m still having second thoughts about it.

—See, that’s something I noticed from the moment we met. You’re always having second thoughts about things. How will you get anything, anywhere or anyone when you don’t even try?

At this point, the elder was standing right behind him.

—You’re not going to push me, are you?

—Oh, no. I’d never do such a thing. After the first few attempts at that, I learned that it doesn’t work.

The young man turned around and looked at the elder’s face. They both had a serious expression, but the old man’s mouth quickly drew a smile.

—That was a joke. You need to lighten up, young man, or you’ll never make it to half my age. This isn’t the most significant moment in your life. This is barely a small step. You shouldn’t be so serious about this.

The young man looked back into the abyss. He could hear something … was it a voice? A woman’s voice? It seemed familiar. He turned back again.

—I hear something. Can you hear that?

—A voice is what you hear. No, I cannot hear it. Only those who are ready to take the leap can hear it. The voice of somebody important to them. You can only hear it this one time and never more. When I was about to do it, I think it was my father’s voice that I heard …— the elder looked up, trying to remember that distant moment, when he had explored all of his world and ended up right at the edge, looking for more.

—All right. I think … I think I’m ready. I’ll do it. I’m going to jump.

Determination seemed to flow through the young man’s veins. He was standing right on the edge, and was about to take that final step, when he felt something pulling him back.

—Wait … you won’t need this— the elder said, holding on to the young man’s backpack—. Where you’re going, you won’t be needing this.

—How can you be sure?

The elder placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder and smiled.

—Do I not look old and wise? Trust me on this. Besides, I’d like to have this, as a keepsake from yet another young adventurer who dared take the leap into the abyss.

The young man knew that the elder was more interested in the contents of the backpack, namely the canned goods, than in the backpack itself. Still, he took it off and taught the old man how to wear it. It didn’t look very fashionable, being worn over the elder’s old robes and against the leather flask, but the old-timer seemed to like it, taking a few steps around to make sure it wouldn’t easily come off.

—All right. I’m ready this time— the young man said—. I hope you won’t hold me back again.

—Oh, I won’t— the elder took a few steps back.

—I … I want to thank you for all you’ve done. It’s …

—You don’t have to thank me— the old man said with a smile—. Even without me, you would have made your way here, all on your own. I know this because I did just that, and you remind me of … well, you remind me of me, when I was that young.

—Okay, then. Well, here I go …

As the young man readied himself, wanting to take some impulse to make a long jump, the elder kept on talking.

—This is your time. Seize the moment, every moment. Once you’ve done this, you will forever know that you can do anything. As long as you never forget that, you’ll be able to lead a happy life.

One, two, three long steps the young man took before finally jumping. He heard the old man’s voice, “Never forget that!” once again before being shrouded in mist, blinded by that blue-green light that became so very intense that it appeared white before his eyes.

Suddenly, the light began to fade out. It was white at first, but things quickly became dark as he heard some electronic noises around him. A synthesized voice surrounded him.

—Simulation ended. Terminating program …

The young man was standing on a flat surface. He heard a voice behind him.

—So? What do you think, Jake? Is it any good?

Jake removed his virtual reality helmet and looked back.

—That was incredible, Elgin. I can’t believe you did this.

—Well, I can’t take the credit for all of it. It took an entire team of highly–

—Yes, highly professional developers. You said it at first. But, this … there are no words for it, it felt so real. And this suit —Jake pointed at the black skin-tight outfit, all covered in small sensors, that he was wearing—, it made everything so real. I could really feel that I was falling, and the wind, and the food that actually tasted like food, and …

While Jake kept on talking, Elgin nodded along proudly. He had heard similar comments before, from the many others who had tried this simulation, but the comments from his best friend Jacob meant more than the rest.

—So, was everything all right? Was it fun? Did any part of it feel uncomfortable.

—Well— Jake looked up, trying to think for a bit—, I can’t recall anything that was particularly uncomfortable, or annoying, or …

—Really? What about the elder asking about the food and wanting to keep your backpack? Didn’t that seem a bit silly?

—What? No! That was actually pretty good, I think it added some charm to the elder character. Whoever wrote his lines …

—I wrote them— Elgin quickly acknowledged.

—Oh, well, that was good. That was very good. Of all of the characters, I think he was the best.

—Okay, then. Well, let’s get you out of that suit. I’ve tried it on, myself, and I know that it gets uncomfortable after a while. Not to mention that it looks silly. We need to work on that.

As they both made their way out of the simulation room, Jake asked:

—Wait, what happens after jumping into the abyss? Is that the end of it, or is it just …

—We don’t know yet. We’re writing this as we go, so we’re not entirely sure about what happens after that. I’m open to any idea you might have, as long as it’s good.

—Well, as I was about to jump … you know, in the game …

—Simulation— Elgin corrected him.

—Fine. In the simulation, I thought that maybe …

Their voices faded out as they walked out and the doors of the simulation room swung shut. Voices could be heard down the hallway, as the motion-detection lights went out, leaving the room in darkness.

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