Written: Sunday. November 17, 2019.
As soon as the pyramid started talking, the party went outside of the house, and to the open lot just beside Toby’s house. Toby figured that if his mom sees this thing, they’re in big trouble. Adults tend not to think as wise as kids these days. Or at least, they wouldn’t ever know what to do in this kind of scenario, where you have a talking pyramid from outer space inside your house, and your child — and their friends — have been around the thing for a couple of days already, trying to figure out what it does, to no avail. Until now.
“What the hell is going on?” June yelled.
“Okay,” Tom said, “if you pass out on us again, Judy, I swear — “
“It’s June!”
“Shh!” Toby urged. “Can you guys do that later? Clearly,” he points at the pyramid, “there are more important problems to deal with.”
“Why are you pointing at me for?” the pyramid queried. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“It spoke!” June exclaimed.
Toby looked back at June, “What did I say?”
“Sorry.”
“Now, where was I?” as Toby looked back at the pyramid, it wasn’t there.
It moved over to some part of the open lot. To where there were bushes, broken pavements, and a slow moving snail. The pyramid seemed to be following it, moving just as slow as the snail. Toby and the others were just looking at it. Amanda started giggling, calling the pyramid ‘cute’. June stepped back a few, and was doing a very silly-looking karate pose. Tom squatted down, put his arms on his legs and just observed the pyramid — no, wait — he was now busy looking at his phone, browsing through his unread messages. Toby took a deep, long, and very slow breath. Drew was just there, standing.
The pyramid didn’t really have a face. It didn’t have a mouth. But it spoke. There were words coming from its direction. Maybe it was manipulating the vibrations in the air, to emit a kind of English-sounding noise. “This is a slow fella, isn’t he?” the pyramid said, “I wonder what it’s called.”
“That’s called a snail.” Drew replied to the pyramid.
“Cool.”
“Now that just doesn’t make sense.” Toby walked towards the pyramid. “Aren’t you supposed to be like a very intelligent, super-advanced, artificial intelligence — from outer space, mind you — or something like that? Why don’t you know what a snail looks like?”
“I don’t even know what half of what you just said means, dude.” the pyramid replied to Toby. “I think you’ve got me all wrong. I’m a…huh. Come to think of it, the only thing I know is my name: Omnius. Oh, and according to that guy over there, this little fella right here is called a snail.”
“Then how do you know how to speak our language?” Amanda asked.
“I dunno.”
Tom snickered at the background, “now that’s funny. If we call the government now, and tell them about this thing, they’d never believe us.”
“Even I can’t believe it.” Toby said. “You’re lying, aren’t you?” he asked the pyramid.
“I mean, what’s there to lie about, Toby?” Omnius asked, “That’s your name, right? And that tall one’s called Drew. The squatter there is Tom. Amanda’s the one with the hair braid. And June there, she fainted last night because those aliens were after us. Or just you guys; I couldn’t tell. I was so sleepy that time.”
“Wait,” Tom got up, “you can recall past events?”
“Then you can remember where you came from!” Toby added.
“I came from the sky!” Omnius said.
“And then?”
“And then I remember being tossed around on the floor. And then being played on this thing with a needle pointing at the side of it. And then being tossed inside a dusty old bag. I couldn’t remember what the color of the bag was. Either Black or Orange, not sure.”
“Those were things I did to the disk!” Amanda exclaimed. “I have a vinyl player at home, and I tried putting the disk on it. My bag’s color black. Tom has an orange bag. That means — “
“It’s remembering things you did when it was still a metal ball and a metal disk.” Drew completed. “And now that both pieces were merged together — “
“Omnius could finally talk!” Tom said.
“Yep!” Omnius cheered.
“Wait, no.” Toby mused. “You’ve gotta go back just a little bit further for me, Omnius. Where did you come from? You said you came from the sky. I think you came from somewhere far away in the galaxy. It might not even be the same universe, for all we know. You could be the answer to the question mankind has long wanted to answer: ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ And here you are!”
“I’m bored.” Omnius croaked. “Whoa, where’d that snail go off to? Ah man! Now it’s gone. Wait, no! I could see it. It’s eating a leaf. Wow! I wonder what other cool dudes are hiding in these bushes?” Omnius moved towards where the snail was.
Toby was just standing there. They were all just standing there. Except for Tom, who went back to a squatting position. June patted Toby on the back. “Maybe he really doesn’t know anything, Toby.”
“Yeah, man.” Drew said, “Maybe Omnius needs to be taught things, like how he’s able to talk in our language. He’s been hearing how we speak for a couple of days now. Maybe that’s how it learns.”
“Though I have to admit,” June looked at the pyramid, “that is rather disappointing. It’s like a child that we have to teach in order for it to know things.”
Toby started walking back to his house. “I think I need to lay down in my bed for a while, and just meditate. I can’t believe this.” Then he continues up the road, and enters his house.
Tom looked up, “Why’s he going back inside?”
“Can’t blame him for hoping.” Drew answered.
“Hoping for what?” Amanda asked him.
“So a pyramid just broke Tobias Luna…nice.” Tom rises up and starts calling out Omnius.
“I’m not following,” Amanda looked at June, “why’s he so bummed out about all this?”
“Guys,” Omnius yelled from afar, “I found another snail!”
As soon as the pyramid started talking, the party went outside of the house, and to the open lot just beside Toby’s house. Toby figured that if his mom sees this thing, they’re in big trouble. Adults tend not to think as wise as kids these days. Or at least, they wouldn’t ever know what to do in this kind of scenario, where you have a talking pyramid from outer space inside your house, and your child — and their friends — have been around the thing for a couple of days already, trying to figure out what it does, to no avail. Until now.
“What the hell is going on?” June yelled.
“Okay,” Tom said, “if you pass out on us again, Judy, I swear — “
“It’s June!”
“Shh!” Toby urged. “Can you guys do that later? Clearly,” he points at the pyramid, “there are more important problems to deal with.”
“Why are you pointing at me for?” the pyramid queried. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“It spoke!” June exclaimed.
Toby looked back at June, “What did I say?”
“Sorry.”
“Now, where was I?” as Toby looked back at the pyramid, it wasn’t there.
It moved over to some part of the open lot. To where there were bushes, broken pavements, and a slow moving snail. The pyramid seemed to be following it, moving just as slow as the snail. Toby and the others were just looking at it. Amanda started giggling, calling the pyramid ‘cute’. June stepped back a few, and was doing a very silly-looking karate pose. Tom squatted down, put his arms on his legs and just observed the pyramid — no, wait — he was now busy looking at his phone, browsing through his unread messages. Toby took a deep, long, and very slow breath. Drew was just there, standing.
The pyramid didn’t really have a face. It didn’t have a mouth. But it spoke. There were words coming from its direction. Maybe it was manipulating the vibrations in the air, to emit a kind of English-sounding noise. “This is a slow fella, isn’t he?” the pyramid said, “I wonder what it’s called.”
“That’s called a snail.” Drew replied to the pyramid.
“Cool.”
“Now that just doesn’t make sense.” Toby walked towards the pyramid. “Aren’t you supposed to be like a very intelligent, super-advanced, artificial intelligence — from outer space, mind you — or something like that? Why don’t you know what a snail looks like?”
“I don’t even know what half of what you just said means, dude.” the pyramid replied to Toby. “I think you’ve got me all wrong. I’m a…huh. Come to think of it, the only thing I know is my name: Omnius. Oh, and according to that guy over there, this little fella right here is called a snail.”
“Then how do you know how to speak our language?” Amanda asked.
“I dunno.”
Tom snickered at the background, “now that’s funny. If we call the government now, and tell them about this thing, they’d never believe us.”
“Even I can’t believe it.” Toby said. “You’re lying, aren’t you?” he asked the pyramid.
“I mean, what’s there to lie about, Toby?” Omnius asked, “That’s your name, right? And that tall one’s called Drew. The squatter there is Tom. Amanda’s the one with the hair braid. And June there, she fainted last night because those aliens were after us. Or just you guys; I couldn’t tell. I was so sleepy that time.”
“Wait,” Tom got up, “you can recall past events?”
“Then you can remember where you came from!” Toby added.
“I came from the sky!” Omnius said.
“And then?”
“And then I remember being tossed around on the floor. And then being played on this thing with a needle pointing at the side of it. And then being tossed inside a dusty old bag. I couldn’t remember what the color of the bag was. Either Black or Orange, not sure.”
“Those were things I did to the disk!” Amanda exclaimed. “I have a vinyl player at home, and I tried putting the disk on it. My bag’s color black. Tom has an orange bag. That means — “
“It’s remembering things you did when it was still a metal ball and a metal disk.” Drew completed. “And now that both pieces were merged together — “
“Omnius could finally talk!” Tom said.
“Yep!” Omnius cheered.
“Wait, no.” Toby mused. “You’ve gotta go back just a little bit further for me, Omnius. Where did you come from? You said you came from the sky. I think you came from somewhere far away in the galaxy. It might not even be the same universe, for all we know. You could be the answer to the question mankind has long wanted to answer: ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ And here you are!”
“I’m bored.” Omnius croaked. “Whoa, where’d that snail go off to? Ah man! Now it’s gone. Wait, no! I could see it. It’s eating a leaf. Wow! I wonder what other cool dudes are hiding in these bushes?” Omnius moved towards where the snail was.
Toby was just standing there. They were all just standing there. Except for Tom, who went back to a squatting position. June patted Toby on the back. “Maybe he really doesn’t know anything, Toby.”
“Yeah, man.” Drew said, “Maybe Omnius needs to be taught things, like how he’s able to talk in our language. He’s been hearing how we speak for a couple of days now. Maybe that’s how it learns.”
“Though I have to admit,” June looked at the pyramid, “that is rather disappointing. It’s like a child that we have to teach in order for it to know things.”
Toby started walking back to his house. “I think I need to lay down in my bed for a while, and just meditate. I can’t believe this.” Then he continues up the road, and enters his house.
Tom looked up, “Why’s he going back inside?”
“Can’t blame him for hoping.” Drew answered.
“Hoping for what?” Amanda asked him.
“So a pyramid just broke Tobias Luna…nice.” Tom rises up and starts calling out Omnius.
“I’m not following,” Amanda looked at June, “why’s he so bummed out about all this?”
“Guys,” Omnius yelled from afar, “I found another snail!”
End of Chapter.
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