Just for kicks ... again !!
Disclaimer:
This story is once again a figment of my imagination and is not meant to be taken seriously. This story does not attempt to malign anyone's faith or beliefs. It is meant to be taken in a lighter vein.
Billions of years ago, God took his disciples on a tour of the Universe, to showcase all the wonderful creations He had created.
By and by, they reached our Solar System. As God started showcasing Planet Earth, there was an unmistakable hint of pride in His voice and a glow on His face.
"This is Planet Earth, the finest of all my creations." He said to His disciples.
"What makes it so unique, is the fact that among all my other creations, this is the only self-sustaining planet capable of supporting LIFE." He said to His followers. And saying so, He took them on a tour of our planet, showcasing all the wonderful creations which abound it.
After the tour was completed, the disciples clapped heartily for their Master. After the applause died down, God said "Thank you for your praise. This is just a prototype. If this model turns out to be a success, I have plans of replicating it in other planets of other Galaxies. But there are some impediments to be overcome."
The disciples were mystified, thinking about how such a perfect creation could have any problems.
"Perfect as it may seem, this Planet does need constant watching over. It can't be left unguarded. The last time I left it alone, the Ice Age and other things happened and all that I had created so painstakingly was destroyed. I had to start from scratch all over again." God said.
"So this time, I am creating a new species. This new species will watch over the planet and ensure that all the forces on Earth stay in harmony and balance is maintained. This species will be my shadow. It will have special powers and gifts which will enable it to thrive and become the most dominant species on Earth." He said. And saying so He brought forth a screen with a cloth covering it's content.
"Behold my most ambitious creation as yet, the HUMAN" He said and saying so he lifted the cover to show His disciples His new creation.
The HUMAN
Image Courtesy: pixabay.com
And God looked up and lifted His hands in the air, expecting another round of rapturous applause. But surprisingly, there was none. He looked at His disciples to see them staring at the design with a certain bit of apprehension on their faces.
"Does my new creation not impress you?" God asked to His followers.
There was silence in response as no one ventured to speak.
"Please do make yourself clear if you have any apprehensions. I am most willing to hear them out. Speak freely and without fear." God asked gently.
At this bidding, one disciple spoke thus: "My Lord, we do not dare question your logic, but I have a few questions about your new species."
"Ask away, I am all ears." God replied.
"So Your Holiness did mention that this new species will thrive and turn out to be the most dominant species on the planet." the disciple asked.
"Yes, that is correct." God replied.
"Is this new species, this 'Human' powerful enough to fight beasts like the Tiger, Lion or the Elephant bare handed? Does it have the raw brute power and the sharp claws to tear apart it's prey?" the disciple asked.
"No it doesn't." God answered promptly.
"Can it run as fast as the Cheetah or the Deer on land?" asked the disciple again.
"No, it can't." God replied.
"Can it climb trees and swing from branch to branch dexterously as the apes do?" asked another disciple.
"It can't." God replied again.
"Can this species swim and make the water it's home like the Fish?" another asked.
"Dear me, no! It can swim and stay underwater for a brief duration maybe, but not permanently." God replied.
"Can it fly to great heights like the Birds?" came yet another question from another disciple.
"No, I'm afraid it cannot. It was not made to support flight." God replied.
"Can it survive beyond the earth's boundaries, where there is no air present?" asked yet another.
"Goodness No! It can't survive without air for an instant." God replied.
There was a long silence while all the disciples drank in what God said.
At length, one disciple spoke up.
"Forgive my impertinence My Lord. If all that you have mentioned is true, then this new species is doomed right from the very start." said the disciple.
"How can it withstand the vagaries of nature? How can it defend itself from attacks from powerful beasts bare-handed? How can it survive the rough weather conditions of extreme cold and heat? How will it forage for food and water? It cannot make the water it's home like the fish do, and soar high in the sky like the Eagle. All it has are two puny hands and legs, neither of them which will carry it far. Why, far from being the dominant species, I fear it will soon be hunted to extinction." the disciple concluded.
God was patiently listening to all this dialog. When the disciple concluded, he said "All that you say is true. It does not look to be as powerful as the other beasts in the planet. But do you think I haven't planned for that? Don't worry. It has the one thing that sets it apart from the other species."
"And what would that be My Lord?" the disciple asked, all agog with curiosity.
"That quality is intelligence. It is that one supreme quality which will help it rule the planet." God replied.
The disciple was all confused. "Can You elaborate further My Lord?"he asked.
God smiled and replied "All the other species I have created on planet live on their instinct. They are born, they hunt or forage for food, they eat, they sleep, they try not to get hunted or killed, they breed and replicate their species and at the end of their life span, will die. That's all there is to them."
"But humankind will be different. Humans will be social animals. They will still do the same as the other animals do. But this trait that I call Intelligence is what is going to set them apart from the others. It's not going to be easy for them initially. But they'll will soon realise that they won't be able to survive alone against nature. So they'll group together to form human colonies. They'll learn to question about things, learn about things and use their intellect to harness nature to their will. By and by, they will gradually cease to be the hunted and will turn out to be the most dominant species on this planet."
However, the disciple looked unconvinced.
God smiled and said "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." And saying so, he started implementing the plan to introduce Humankind to Planet Earth.
At first, the disciples apprehensions turned out to be true. Humans had a tough time competing with the other species and for a while, it looked as if Humankind would definitely be wiped out of the surface of the planet. But gradually, the social instinct took over. Humans started evolving. They organised themselves into groups. They started using their intellect in learning more about their environment and started harnessing nature for their survival. By and by, they made new discoveries such as fire, the wheel and agriculture, which helped them to sustain themselves. They built tall and strong structures like forts, castles, walls and temples to withstand all the extremities of nature. They built vehicles which would transport them from place to place swiftly. They built aeroplanes which could fly high in the sky. They built massive ships which would ferry them across the wide oceans. They built submarines which could take them to great depths underwater and huge spaceships which took took them to the moon and beyond.
After seeing all this progress, God felt happy and satisfied. He felt confident that His new species would take over the mantle of watching over the planet and left to fulfil His other duties.
Sometime recently, God stopped over Earth just to see how things were going. He took one tour of the Planet, came back with tears in His eyes and face covered with a facepalm.
To His astonished eyes He said just three words:
"I SCREWED UP !!""