orb 2.3

Below is chapter 07 from The Orb Evaluation – each chapter is separated into the following sections:

04. decision

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Running up the terminal, you check the time.

“I can’t believe this.”

The closer you get, the more you know the outcome. Through the window, you see the plane lifting off the runway. Your shoulders slump. It may be a different plane, but your gut tells you otherwise.

After approaching the desk, they confirm your intuition. It’ll be hours before your next flight. You sit with your head leaning on your hand. You exhale. Defeated.

Hours pass before you stand up.

“Maybe I’ll get something to eat?”

You walk past airport restaurants.

Pizza. Sushi. Tacos. Burgers.

Your intuition spikes again. Although, it’s not a restaurant you pass, but a long hallway. It’s empty. Looks like maybe a bathroom door at the end or a janitor’s closet? You walk towards it. At the halfway point, you glance over your shoulder. No one’s behind. You pause for a moment, then keep walking to the door. It’s a regular door. White. Wooden. Metal knob.

You glance back again.

No one’s there.

You reach your hand towards the knob, but stop.

It’s silent on the other side, or as much as you can tell.

You don’t even know why you’re down this hallway.

“I shouldn’t do this?”

You walk away from the door, but only get a few steps.

You shake your head.

Spin back around.

Walk towards it.

Grab the knob.

Turn it.

And...

Your entire body pulls through the doorway. Sideways in the air. Spinning. All goes white. A pungent scent of fresh mulch and burnt rubber surrounds you. Nausea brews. Somersaulting through the open space. Artic breezes and short molten breaths fill your mouth. Your body stretches further and further until a flash of blue and purple blinds your eyes. The colors dissolve.

You’re floating.

Scenes of your life drift through the air.

You’re an infant.

A child.

In elementary school.

High school.

You stare down at the endless shimmering colors.

“Hello,” says a voice.

A floating object hovers forward.

It’s spherical.

And glowing.

Bright colors swirl inside its translucent shell.

“Your connection to the universe is very strong.”

You try to speak, but words don’t come out.

The scenes around you fade.

“Just think thoughts, my friend. Words don’t work here.”

“What’s happening?” you think.

“You opened a doorway to another world, but don’t worry, you’re not trapped. You’re only here for a short while and I’ll have you back to your flight in no time.”

“What—what do you mean?”

“I opened this gateway and placed it at the end of the hallway. Then I waited to see who would sense the portal. Your intuition led you here, and as a reward you have the privilege of casting the deciding vote.”

“Deciding vote? What is this? This makes no sense.”

As you drift further into the abyss, the Orb transmits a blue and orange cloud of smoke into the air. It crystallizes into four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. A chair forms beneath you. Your body hovers downward, settling into the seat.

“I know this is overwhelming. It’s not every day that you meet intergalactic travelers. But because of a gut feeling, here we are.”

“A gut feeling?”

“Of course, I’ve witnessed it firsthand. You knew your plane departed before the front desk confirmed it. Sure, it could’ve been an obvious guess, but the sixth sense was real. I’ve analyzed your timeline and throughout your life, that gut feeling has led you to make many important decisions, and avoid dangerous situations, achieve success, and overcome obstacles. Opening this door is just another example. You could have crushed that intuition and turned away, but you didn’t. Now you can use that same feeling to decide which secret government program comes to fruition.”

“Wait, what? Government program?”

“Yes, my friend. There are four of them and you can decide which one receives a breakthrough.”

“What?—I don’t understand. I’m supposed to use my gut feeling to choose some program? Based on a hunch?”

“Correct. Here, let me show you.”

Out of the air emerges a holographic rectangular box. Inside the box are four small items.

A miniature planet Earth.

A portal.

A translucent pair of lungs.

And an orange and blue planet.

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Option 01: Climate Control

The Orb floats the miniature planet Earth towards you.

“Climate control is the first secret government program in need of a breakthrough. And as it sounds, the purpose is to keep planet Earth’s climate under control. With global warming and the unpredictable habits of winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, droughts, and flooding, the government has developed adjustable ecosystems.”

“Adjustable ecosystems? Is that even possible?”

“It can be. With this technology, they will monitor and produce the weather from city to city and state to state. The entire world will be equivalent to a global thermostat. If farms need rain, then at the flip of a switch, they use advanced computer models, satellite systems, and drones to produce the exact parameters, creating a storm and controlling the duration. This is a lot of power at the governments’ fingertips, but it may have the potential to save our planet as the climate continues to shift. The problem is that it will never work without a breakthrough.”

“And you’re saying, I just tell you I want this program to work and you magically make that happen?”

“Yes, I provide them with the breakthrough they need.”

“How?”

“I will set the stage for a series of events to unfold. These events will lead to the breakthrough. But don’t worry, you’re not connected to the program. Your intuition only begins this entire process.”

“So you’re like some invisible hand just setting everything in motion?”

“You can view it that way.”

You stare at the floating planet Earth.

“But, before you think too hard, you have three more programs to consider.”

Option 02: Teleports

The miniature planet Earth dims, retracting backward.

The portal icon moves forward.

“The next program is quite a timesaver. Imagine showing up at an airport minus the planes.”

You tilt your head.

“Yes, just imagine, instead of planes, you enter an assigned room with all the passengers. The crowd gathers inside and then ZAP! Everyone teleports to their destination. Can you fathom appearing in Hawaii, Italy, or Australia, in a matter of seconds?”

“Seconds? It transports you there?”

“Instantaneous travel. And best of all, this program is so close to cracking the code.”

“That’s amazing.”

“But it needs that final breakthrough.”

“Same deal, I just pick and you make it happen?”

“That is correct, my friend. Let’s look at the next one.”

The Orb dims the portal icon.

Option 03: Intelligent Organs

The translucent pair of lungs illuminates green.

“Now the 3rd secret government program is not only groundbreaking but also beneficial to many people. Waiting lists for organs are often never-ending. Whether it’s a new liver or a heart, an intestine, a kidney, or even a pair of lungs, countless people die never finding a perfect match. But what if there was never a waiting list again?”

“How is that possible?”

“With synthetic organs.”

“Synthetic—you mean fake organs?”

“Yes, but they’re only fake in the sense that they’re not coming from a human. Research teams have repeatedly fine-tuned and retooled them. And when perfected, they will blend seamlessly into a patient, performing stronger and outlasting human organs.”

“That’s incredible.”

“Not only would they blend, but the scientists equipped the organs with intelligence. This allows the organs to adapt to the person’s body, maintaining health and wellness. They even filter out what your body no longer needs to keep you going strong. However they won’t ever be ready for the public without that final breakthrough.”

“And that’s where I come in again?”

“Precisely.”

You lean back in your chair.

“Look—these programs are unbelievable. And if, they’re all real. They’re groundbreaking. But, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to pick one.”

“Let me assure you, they’re real. But before you evaluate them, there’s one more.”

Option 04: Colony

The Orb dims the pair of lungs. Then activates the orange and blue planet, moving it forward.

“Many believe colonizing another planet is much further in our future than it really is. But the government has planned to leave Earth for decades. And they’ve already discovered another planet to colonize.”

“A planet we could live on?”

“Yes, and it’s ideal for life-forms like you. The climate is nearly identical. It’s full of streams and rivers, oceans, and forests. The air is breathable. The atmosphere strong and healthy. They have found no known threats. A virtually untouched oasis, ripe for beginning Earth all over again. But only if they complete the fleet of vessels to get there.”

“If they haven’t been there, how do they know all this?”

“They’ve built vessels that can travel that far, but only with robots aboard. These robots tested the air, the soil, and setup camp for years. They gathered data, relaying it back to Earth. After a decade of exhaustive research, they deemed it ready. However, transporting humans creates many new challenges. And their completed vessels need to be powerful enough to make the voyage with humans aboard. In doing so, this will pave the way to colonize the planet before Earth’s eventual demise.”

“Demise? When’s Earth ending?”

“Oh, not anytime soon, but it will inevitably. And without this final breakthrough, humankind will never escape the planet. But if you choose this program, I will provide the team an ultimate burst of inspiration to forge forward with their plans, achieving their breakthrough.”

You gaze at the orange and blue planet. It’s difficult to imagine you hold the power to make something like this happen.

“I—I don’t know how I’m supposed to decide. Based upon what exactly?”

You stare at each icon.

Planet Earth.

Then the portal.

The lungs.

“You want me to pick whichever one I prefer the most? That’s it?”

“Pick the one your gut tells you to go with.”

“Easier said than done.”

After a few minutes, you peer at the Orb.

“What happens to the other programs I don’t choose?”

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The Orb moves closer. Colors swirling.

“The remaining programs shutdown. Each one continually attempts to succeed, but they fail.”

“Forever?”

“Forever. Only the one you select will happen, which is why it is very important you rely on your intuition. And then ask yourself, which breakthrough is most important? When you’re ready, walk to the icon and press it. After you make your choice, you appear in the hallway, having no recollection of this.”

“I don’t remember anything? But I have to choose, at least, one of them?”

“You won’t remember this encounter, but you don’t have to select. By not choosing, you shut every program down.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. But if your intuition says to do so, then it’s a perfectly valid choice.”

You peer at the icons.

“This—this is a lot to take in.”

“Take your time, my friend, no need to rush your decision.”

The Orb glows a bright red, then shrinks to the size of a pinpoint. In a gust of wind, the Orb vanishes.

The holographic screen floats towards you.

“Good luck, may your intuition guide you.”

The Orb’s voice sounds further away, but still clear enough to understand.

“You’re leaving?”

“I must be on my way. But I trust you to make the right decision. If you choose to decline every option, just say, ‘I decline’ and you will appear in the hallway.”

A rush of wind erupts and then silence fills the room.

You stare at the screen.

Your eyes jump from icon to icon.

You shake your head, standing up from the chair.

“I don’t know what to do? This can’t be real.”

You circle the table.

Glance at the icons again.

“If this is real—it, it could change everything. But I won’t remember any of this? Does it matter what I pick or don’t pick? But—but if I don’t pick, am I throwing away the greatest breakthrough humankind could ever have?”

Thoughts keep racing.

“Listen to my gut? What does that even mean?”

And yet, you know what that means.

You knew it the moment you heard that option.

The one that sparked something inside you, saying pick that one.

You’re just not sure if you’ll listen.