The biggest fireworks display - ever!
In the endless infinity of nothingness, there is a flash. It’s not possible to say whether it is big or small, or whether it lasts for a short time, or for a long time. In an infinity of nothingness, there is neither time nor space to measure these things.
The flash is simply a positive anomaly that compensates for a negative anomaly somewhere else in the nothingness, and so keeps the balance of nothing.
There is also no being or consciousness to witness it, but if there was, and if they looked closely, they may notice the development of swirling patterns within the anomaly. They are quite complex while they last. On the largest scales are fronds and sheets of brightness surrounding ‘bubbles’ of darkness, made from…. whatever the anomaly is made of! All in all, the whole thing is sort of, frothy.
A closer inspection of the brighter parts shows little discrete dots of light which are themselves made of hundreds of millions of even tinier dots of light. These are arranged in either smudges, or spiral shapes of various sizes and styles.
All of these things seem to be subject to various laws of interaction which are peculiar to this anomaly. These laws are shaping the way the flash evolves and all the ‘matter’ in it.
In the seemingly never ending depths of complexity to this anomaly, even the bright dots aren’t the smallest things. They are made up of particles so tiny that there are billions and billions of them inside each of them. We are already looking at detail so fine it is incomprehensible, so let us stop here and study this level for a while.
There are reactions between the smallest particles - the atoms and molecules, which are subject to the laws of the anomaly. For example, the brightness of the individual dots is caused by reactions between the molecules and atoms, which are being squashed together under a force called gravity (one of the laws here). In these reactions, some of the ‘matter’ is converted into energy which shines out - hence the brightness. Interesting things are happening to the molecules and atoms during this, they are binding together to make bigger molecules, which are collections of the smaller particles stuck in a relatively stable conglomeration.
Over time - the briefest of moments I suppose, or perhaps the longest of times? - the joining together means that there are no longer enough ingredients to hold the bright dot stable anymore, and depending on how big it is, it might squash some more and start joining the bigger molecules into even bigger ones, or it might explode and spread the new molecules out into the anomaly.
Moving forward in the evolution of the flash, we see these molecules coming together in new ways. The matter ejected from earlier dots form clouds which eventually pull together into new ones, which begin a new cycle. This time though, there is the heavier matter, made from these bigger molecules, and this can form a disk around the revolving bright dots and often these disks further evolve into clumps of matter orbiting it.
These bigger molecules all have differing properties which mean that as they interact with each other, following their laws and rules, they create interesting effects.
On one tiny dark dot, orbiting a bright dot, within a spiral collection of other bright dots, in a cluster of smudges and spirals, which is in turn within a huge sheet of clusters, all within the anomaly, there are some very special reactions going on. Some molecules have accidentally come together in just the right way, under just the right conditions, to be able to make copies of themselves. This could get interesting, let’s look forward some more.
Oh look! After some more time they have developed yet more. There are things going on around them which cause slight errors in the copying process. Most times these ruin the result and it stops the new molecule from continuing, but occasionally the changes are for the better and the resulting molecule is improved and better able to survive.
Now here’s one that has attracted a fatty protective shell, another accidental improvement which we shall now call a living cell. A few billion generations further on and individual cells have accidentally found that by sticking together they have an advantage over single cells and countless more generations forward again sees the individual cells specialising in their function. Some stick to a hard surface, some wave to create currents or propulsion, some collect food and pass it on to cells that can’t because they have specialised in some other way. All help the colony to live and produce the next generation.
To cut a very, very long story short, some of these organisms eventually evolve to become aware of their surroundings and even of themselves. In a truly amazing adventure of chances and determination, there eventually comes into being a race of organisms that look out from their dark dot and begin to learn about the anomaly in which they live.
Their most intriguing trait is their curiosity. They are never content with what they have already learned, they continually strive for more.
Over time they learn to travel from their little dark dot, they gave it a name - Earth. They go looking for more knowledge, but even more than that, they go looking to find other organisms like themselves who have evolved into intelligent and self-aware beings. They don't find any. They are a most special and unique accident.
So clever do they become that they learn to cheat some of their anomalies laws and travel over most of their spiral structure. They become very adept at harnessing the matter and energy of their home.
The flash has a limited life however, and despite their cleverness, they can only see within the anomaly. Even if they could travel far enough to maybe approach its edge, they would cease to exist beyond its boundaries.
So there comes a time when this ancient, wise and unique race of sentient organisms have to face the fact that their time is coming to an end. They eke out a few more billion years by collecting and scavenging huge quantities of hydrogen and helium in order to create new bright dots, stars as they call them, as needed. When even this strategy is futile, because the anomaly itself is coming to an end, they face up to their fate as countless billions of their forebears have had to do, with dignity and good grace. But most of all, with a grand plan for a huge send off.
The last few stars that they make are all set at precise times, sizes and positions. And then they wait as they live out their final few generations. Those that die naturally during these times envy those that will see the very end, and then simply cease to be.
Eventually that time comes. The careful preparations taken by those of their kind a few billion years earlier are now coming to fruition. At the allotted time in the now dark and lonely universe, except for a few hundred man made stars that are reaching the end of their lives, something they call music begins to play. It is a piece that had been written so many years earlier that it was almost at the very beginning of this story. It is known as ‘The eighteen twelve overture‘, by someone who had been called ‘Tchaikovsky‘.
It begins steadily, almost somberly. Fitting for this time. It rises to a few early crescendos interspersed with wonderful melodies which remind the remaining people what great works of such artistry their kind have produced. It makes them feel warm inside. The people watching are wide eyed and many are sobbing openly. Not because they are nearing their end, but simply because they are lost in the beauty of the moment.
Then the music builds to the triumphantly rousing finale, and as it plays, the stars begin to explode in time with the music. But no-one is thinking about the fact that they are about to blink out of existence. No-one is bemoaning the end of their kind. Quite simply, they are enjoying the biggest fireworks display - EVER!
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