The Rescue

Rescue Game Justice Work Balance Ode One Trees Truth

In a barren land, people piled rocks together. Sometimes the only point to life seemed to be work, eat, and sleep. People had a few pleasures, some accumulated various "toys,'' and others acquired recognition. But, for the most part, existence was usually just work, eat, and sleep. However, one person, known as the searcher, began to wonder, "There must be more."

Just then a person in a long white coat walked by and said, "What you see is all there is!

Think rationally, and don't be swayed by all the superstitions." Pointing to a far away mountain, he continued, "That volcano is the origin of all existence: the land, these rocks, all life, you and me, those clouds, and even the sea out there. It's all the result of one mighty eruption eons ago." Just then a distant rumble and puff of smoke came from the volcano. The person mumbled, "There won't be another major eruption for many more eons."

A short distance off shore, the searcher was

surprised to see a person wearing a grass skirt and sitting on a driftwood log. He cried out: “Stop! You're upsetting the unity of life! Better to let that divine creature eat you!” The searcher asked, "This snake? Divine?" The person yelled back, "Don't be ignorant! Everything is part of the divine unity. You are part of it, too." The person was waving a flag with a "DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS" slogan on it.

Nevertheless, the searcher began to fashion a small tub out of driftwood and sticks. In shallow water, he sat in his tub and tried to imitate their lily-pose. The tub weaved and bobbed in the waves. The searcher fumbled around, lost his balance, and plunged into the sea headfirst. Not knowing how to swim, he splashed around in the shallow water. Finally touching the bottom, he stood up and ran to the beach. Disappointed, the searcher sat down, but not in the lily-pose, and watched smoke puff from the volcano. He thought, "I desire... therefore, I am!"

That "noble” person pointed, "Carry your ancestors like this person, also return to your traditions, and you will become peaceful and respectable!" Halfway there, the person carrying his ancestor fell into a drop-off in the sea. In stunned silence, the searcher watched as sharks hurried into shore and ate them! The wave also inundated the stone ship so much that the "noble" person and other people on board had to swim around the flooded deck. Confused, the searcher complained, "What tradition... piling rocks?" With that, he turned and trudged down the beach.

Further along, the searcher saw a large black craft. He noticed a sharp points at each corner near the waterline. There was a multi-patched banner hanging from a central mast. The patches had writing all over them. This black craft had four oars on one side and only one larger oar on the adjacent side. Periodically, the adherents, all dressed in black robes, would come out in a line and walk on the four oars, from front to back. Occasionally, someone would fall off into the sea. If they didn't get out in time, sharks would eat them, while the others continued to walk on the oars. Next, many of them would make a jump onto the single larger oar and then back into the black craft. Finally, they started waving pointed sticks.

Bewildered, the searcher looked at all the sharks swimming around. Then, he saw an old barge float near the black craft. The black craft tried to ram the barge, but missed. However, someone with a torch jumped from the black craft onto the barge. When the barge erupted into flames, the people on the black craft cheered and waved their sticks again! The searcher started backing away from the beach. The person on the black craft yelled, "Where are you going?" With a trembling voice, the searcher said, "Following you and still eaten by sharks doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for." Many people yelled back, "Then you deserve to die!"

Eventually, the searcher saw the same barge that had been on fire approach the shore again. Even though it was damaged, the searcher saw that it was very ancient. It had a rectangular shape, but with a rounded front. It had four oars coming out of one side and six oars on the opposite side. The oars were not used very often. There was a one-piece sail with writing on it attached to a front mast and the rounded side. There were many openings torn into the sail with the flaps hanging down. A person on board said to the searcher, “A long time ago, a man built this barge for our ancestors. That mountain over there made a lot of fire and smoke then." Pointing, the person continued, "That man gave us these ten oars and this sail. He also told of another man called the Rescuer who would come someday." After a pause, the person continued, "The Rescuer was supposed to help us out of our troubles. Some people still look for the Rescuer, but we have waited for ages since he was promised. Most of us don't talk about that anymore. Our tradition is probably just a myth.”

Looking around, the searcher realized that he had

walked around to the some place he started from. He was actually on an isolated island! Dejected, the searcher fell down into a slouch. Rumblings came from the nearby snake's hole, but the searcher just didn't care anymore. He thought about the last person in the ancient barge; even though he didn't have the answer to escaping the doom of the island, he did talk about someone who could. The searcher realized that the barge was just an extension of the island. And, all the other vessels were dependent on the island as well. He said to himself,"We are all in the same 'boat!'" Then the searcher understood that everyone else's fate would be the same as his. The others only gave the searcher some assorted opinions or impossible actions to perform. At best their remedies were inadequate and at worst, no solution at all. As smoke billowed from the volcano and waves rushed into shore, the searcher wondered, “Is self-preservation worth all these false starts and frustrations?”

Suddenly, the searcher saw a vessel riding on the waves. It was similar to the ancient barge seen before, only larger and longer. There were two large sails, without tears or patches, and with writing on the top and bottom. Beams supported the sails, which were stretched like wings over the barge. It came right up to the shore of a shallow cove. The searcher saw a unique man standing on the deck. He was like no other, yet like the person in that ancient barge. Almost in slow motion, this unique man placed two oar-like planks from his barge to the island. Then, he actually came down the planks onto the beach. At that same moment the snake came out of the hole. This unique man hurried to position himself between the searcher and the snake. The unique man instructed the searcher to climb over the planks into the barge. The searcher saw writing on the planks: "Love the Creator above all" and "Love other people sincerely." As soon as the searcher was on the barge, the unique man backed up, fell on the planks, and stayed there.

Many people on the island stopped piling rocks and came together as a yelling mob. They forced the snake toward the unique man. Rocking in the waves, many watercraft, filled with yelling people, came near the shore. The island quaked as the volcano started belching out a threatening cloud of ash that darkened the sky. The unique man looked back at the searcher and said, “Whoever trusts in me will be renewed. Do you believe?” Then the ravenous snake approach and fatally bit the unique man's foot. Yet, the unique man managed to crush the snake's head with one powerful dying kick. Both fell off the planks into the sea. Then a giant fish came and swallowed the body of the unique man as it floated on the water. The giant snake changed into a blind and deaf sea serpent, which began encircling the island in confusion and wrath. Just as quickly as this hateful clamor had started, all was again quiet.

The words that foretold the Rescuer's coming said that He didn't come from just another land across the sea, but actually came from beyond the clouds. It was foretold that the island will one day actually end with the "feared" cataclysmic eruption of the volcano, and sooner rather than eons away. Since the Rescuer's first coming was predicted, and then happened, there is now a realistic hope that he will return before the end. The writing of the sails also foretell that the Rescuer will take his followers to the safety of a new world beyond the clouds. Since the Rescuer has not returned for such a long time, many claim he never will. However, the Rescuer told his followers to be especially watchful for his return when the sea waves increase, at the time the volcano threatens, and watercraft multiply. "It's looking more like that than ever before," the searcher exclaimed!

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