Civilization
The universe appears to be 13.8 billion years old, Earth, like four-and-a-half billion years old, while the history of mankind is about 7 million years long; however, in our time we are able to look back only a few thousand years into human prehistory, and so the picture of the past which we have gotten must definitely be one of considerable simplification—the sort that even a child could draw with his crayons. In front of all of these basic common senses, most of us, human beings, have decided that we are the only advanced intelligent beings ever on this planet. Arrogance has its uses, but it can also lead people astray. If the world is really as young as the Bible would seem to suggest (as though God were not at least a bit older than Adam), then there might have been others before us, or some other species of life besides humans; if it is much older than what we think, then perhaps we should revise our ideas about where we stand in nature's scheme. In either case, there are no living examples of those early ancestors, only because they died out eons ago, their fossils have turned into dust. Or, are we just ignoring them somehow?
In 1991, tiny objects that look like coils were found near the banks of Russia's Kozhim, Narada, and Balbanyu rivers. These objects have continued to be debated up to this day. Some people think that this proves there was a culture capable of developing nanotechnology 300,000 years ago.
These manufactured coils were found in the Ural mountains while researchers were looking for gold. The coils, spirals, shafts, and other unidentified components were all found. According to a Russian Academy of Sciences study, the largest pieces found are mostly made of copper, while the smallest are made of tungsten and molybdenum. These objects are very small. The largest is 1.18 inches, but the smallest is only 1/10,000th of an inch. They have a special shape that suggests they were made by people, not nature. In fact, they look very similar to the miniature parts of modern technology that is called nanotechnology. How did people in the past make tiny components? What were they used for? Until now, scientists haven't got an agreement on it.
As for the Cube, simply put, it was a civilization that existed a long time ago, earlier than the age of dinosaurs. So early that there were no traces left except that Cube.
"This civilization emerged, developed, thrived, and ended mysteriously. After that, the world started over from the very beginning again. The only things we could possibly know for certain about this culture are this Cube and the documents in it. There are no photographs or drawings; no recordings or movies, either. What we have here are the words themselves, and they tell us what happened to that society and its members: who they were, where they lived, and how they got along with one another. These texts describe their daily life as if it were our own, though we must remember that it was not, and never would be, because we live now, while they lived then. They were not like us, and we have lost them. They will always be strangers. This is why I love those books so much—because they reveal me to myself in such startling clarity. And I can't help thinking that these people are my friends. We may never find out exactly what happened to that society and those people, but at least we know some pieces. In some way, it has survived."
Owen narrated in a monotone voice, but soft, almost whispering, and he paused frequently to let Ellie catch up with him so that even when he did not speak for several minutes, the words remained echoing in her ears as if he never stopped. She listened intently, as if she had been told something important, and wanted to remember every word.
"That Cube, sometimes I think, may be just an item left over by a student at that time, who was interested in literature, history, and society. It perhaps might not mean much to its owner, but to me it means everything. I've spent most of my life, the best stage of my life on it; however, I feel so lucky compared to Mr. Samuel, who discovered it but never got a chance to know the truth about it, and all the other people in the world who haven't got a clue about its existence and probably never will. Thanks to Mr. Samuel and his friend, Mr. Rober, Mr. Smith, and Madam Doris, the team of this project, and much more people, because, without them, I wouldn't have witnessed this miracle and that marvelous world. I feel so lucky and grateful. And you, my daughter, should be proud because you are the first and maybe the last person I shared this story with outside my workplace. You should listen and remember all the stories that I may forget anytime because of my disease. Keep them in your mind just like keeping treasures in a box. Because once you get involved with it, you realize it's more than just a discovery—it's a gift, a treasure, a miracle, a dream, a wish, a hope, a symbol of the greatest possibilities of mankind, the most marvelous thing in the world. You'll see. You won't be able to stop yourself from falling in love with it."
She nodded heavily as she was promising Owen she would never fail his trust.
Ellie was surprised at herself. She didn't understand why she felt as though Owen had taken hold of her heart and led her into a past that she never went through. His tone, his gestures, his face, his voice, his whole being, himself, was making a speech, playing his part.
"Have you deciphered and browsed all the documents and books in that Cube?"
"Not all, but a big part of them. Because I was only in charge of some of the whole pile of documents."
"You have scraps like photos, translation documents, or something like that in your phone or computer? I really want to have a peek at what it's like."
"Wow, big girl, watch out! You are really going wild with your thoughts. Every time I went into my office in that building, I had to go through two metal detecting doorways, one on the gate, and one on the second floor, and get my whole body searched including my suitcase. When I came out of that building, I went through all those again. And the cameras in that building, have already been recording even from 100 meters away from the gate. The only thing I can bring in and out? It's my brain."
"Gosh!"
"Yeah. Think about it." Owen smirked.
Ellie saw her father's hands a little shaking, not knowing if it was because of the disease or his emotion. She took his hand in hers, as though to calm him down or reassure him. He squeezed back as if it were a promise that he would never let go. Then he sighed deeply, like the end of one chapter and the start of another.
"What is that world like? It is the same as or similar to our world now?"
"It's different in some way. They only had two continents mainly, instead of six pieces. Their landmass is much bigger too, and their climate is different because of it. They have plants that grow everywhere, especially in water. They eat fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, and grain. They wear clothes made of cotton, linen, wool, leather, silk, and fur. They have houses built of wood, brick, or whatever materials available. They use tools made of steel, bronze, copper, brass, tin, silver, and gold. Sounds like it is pretty much the same as how we live now. According to what I read, I believe they had been living on earth for 20 million years from the start to the end. I don't know how they emerged on earth, and the Evolutionary theory is the only theory I can use to explain their presence and their existence. Without a doubt, their civilization advanced to a very high level, even higher than us, and that Cube is proof of their high technology; however, we may not know much about it, because the data in that cube is all about their history, the early stage of their development. They left us some writings, and many mysterious things, and some clues that might lead us to discover more about them."
"Then why they had vanished, the whole civilization, if they were so advanced?"
"I don't know. we never got a clue from their writing and what they left behind for us. It is possible that they were wiped out by natural forces, or maybe they had a big war, or maybe they died of natural causes. Maybe they were destroyed by some kind of supernatural force, or they were destroyed by their own hands. We only know that they disappeared suddenly. That's the only answer we have."
"What is their society like? I mean, the people, the relationship among them, the government, their religion, their culture, their way of life? Are they happy? Do they have wars, do they have crime, do they have drugs? What about the death penalty? How did they treat criminals?" Ellie bombarded a load of questions.
Owen paused. He seemed to be thinking deeply. "All we can really say at this point is that they were peaceful people, who lived together, worked together, loved each other, and respected each other. The people shared the same knowledge and skills and culture. They had a well-organized government, with laws, courts, and punishments. They believed in God, they prayed to Him, and they worshiped Him. If someone is guilty of a crime, he or she would be punished by the law. They have a strong military force. They have religious holidays. They build temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues of different religions a way similar to ours. They have rituals, celebrations, ceremonies, and festivals. They have their own calendar. They have their own language and alphabet. They had their own customs, traditions, and beliefs. The people of that civilization were civilized human beings."
Ellie's eyes sparkled, and her lips smiled. "That sounds wonderful."
"Yes, it does sound wonderful," Owen said softly.
"Are these people our ancestors?"
"Well, I believe not. They just vanished completely. We started from the very beginning again all on our own, from inorganic to organic matter, from single-celled organisms to higher life forms, from bacteria to mammals, from reptiles to birds, from amphibians to fishes, from fish to land animals, from land animals to primates, and finally to homo sapiens. We, humans, are the most advanced species now, and we are still evolving."
"How much time passed between their disappearance and us? Did it take millions of years? Or hundreds of thousands of years?"
"We are still searching, and we may never find the answer." Owen was trying his best not to give any false hopes to his daughter. "Maybe one day we will understand why and how they vanished."
"Can you tell me more about them? I'm so curious about them."
Owen smiled. "There are many stories told about them. I'll tell you one. The best one that I love the most among many of them. It's about the legend of a man, or two men to be exact. I love this story so much, it pops up in my mind from time to time before I noticed it was there. I learned so much from it, about love, brotherhood, friendship, loyalty, and trust, what we could accomplish if we try, courage and determination, how we can change the world and make it better, and how we can make the future by our own hands. And I have to tell you about that legend—the one that inspired me the most about them."
Ellie nodded with excitement. "I'm all ears."
Owen was quiet for a moment like preparing himself for a long journey. Then he continued.
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