Henry's Discovery
The Plight of Knowing Too Much
By Joe Chang

"What is conscience?" queried Henry who had been pondering this question for over ten years. Henry Mortimer, age thirty-five, neurobioligist for fifteen years, has been studying why humans have conscience and other animals don't. "Life is great for the naive," Henry proclaimed, "I've been studying this thing called conscience for so long. Now I'm not naive and therefore can never have fun." "What do you mean, dear?" asked Henry's wife. "What do I mean?!? I'll tell you. I know too much for my own good," he replied. With that said, Henry brusquely stated, "I'm going to the lab to solve this thing called conscience. Goodd-bye." "Good-bye," she called after him. She knew Henry would come home in a few days and he'd be really dependent. "Oh, well. Maybe he'll finally solve it this time and we can have a normal marriage," she thought. Henry lay out all the materials he had concerning conscience. On his left were pictures of microtubules. The hollow tubes found inside cells might possibly generate a quantum state in which random configuration generated conscience. In front of him was a book entitled: Understanding Quantum Mechanics. On his right were his notes. Henry decided he'd first read his notes, but since he had so many, it took him the better part of the day. Late into the next day, he read and re-read his book about quantum mechanics. After studying the microtubules for five hours, Henry started to think how those things were related. He tried and tried to see connections. Days went by. "Wow." That was the last word Henry Mortimer, the neuroscientist, ever spoke. He looked at his hands, feeling the raw, unfocused power in them. "I am a higher being now," he thought. Henry pondered what he should do for fifteen seconds, then walked out to his car, got in and started driving. Henry knew exactly where he was headed. In the endless, uninhabited fields of Kansas, he thought, there I shall hone my skills to absolute perfection and then I'll decide to do with this world, this universe. While in Kansas, hundreds of miles away from everyone, Henry honed his newly acquired skills. Amazingly, Henry discovered the secret of conscience and with this the secrets of the mind. Every power of the mind was at his disposal. He was in truth a new species of human. He had gained the most powerful form of telekinesis, pyschokinesis and telepathy. Henry also had enhanced intelligence. Six months were dedicated to the development of his telepathy. He reached a point where he could reach into the minds of those anywhere on Earth and extrapolate any data he wanted. Henry had faint imprints of the minds of aliens. Using his telekinetic power, Henry could manipulate any object including himself and celestial bodies. Objects as big a the Sun were not eve a strain for him. Henry no longer walked; he hovered everywhere. Years later, when Henry felt ready, he started to think about what to do with the people of Earth and those not of terrestrial origin. His favorite thinking spot was at the heart of the sun. Occasionally Henry pondered his dilemma on Earth, but most of the time he was in space, thinking. Henry decided he could do three things. The first thing he could do is guide the human race out of poverty, out of hunger, out of all the bad things and lead them into an era of tranquility. Another choice he had would be never to interfere with the affairs of Earth. Finally, he considered the third possibility: he could destroy the entire universe, which was probably the most plausible thing to do. The universe is chaos. With the universe destroyed, chaos would end and things would be back to normal for once. Henry decided to leave the Earth be for a while. When the earth people were ready he would lead them to "the good life." In the year 5003 Henry came swooping down upon Earth. He chose the year 5003 because five plus three is eight and 5003 is prime: eight-prime; the name of a secret government project called Eight Prime. It started in the year 2222 and was in charge of researching the mind and all it's powers. He communicated telepathically to the people of Earth. He didn't speak a language, but rather used a primal form of communication that was more clear than any language. "People of Earth," his speech translates, "I am Henry Mortimer. I was born in nineteen hundred fifty nine. I have been waiting of the right time to reveal myself. I will lead you on to a world of no hunger if all of you decides to join my cause." Not everyone did. They were skeptical. "Fools." Just as Henry was about to cause a black hole to swallow the universe, another being suddenly entered his mind. "I am Joe," he said, "Stop." The battle raged on for days. Such high beings as those wouldn't fight physically! They fought a battle of mental might. And man, was it a magnificent battle. Good versus Evil! Light versus dark! Oh, the splendid power of two wills fighting on another. In the end, sadly, Joe lost. The universe was no more. All that remained was Henry. Vast nothingness enveloped Henry Mortimer, age three thousand forty four, neurobioligist for fifteen years, and higher being for three thousand twenty nine. "I'm lonely," he thought.

"Ignorance is bliss."

Anon.