Challenge #00640 - A275: One Fine Evening in a Filthy Spaceport Bar

We believe that the universe itself is conscious in a way that we can never truly understand. It is engaged in a search for meaning. So it breaks itself apart, investing its own consciousness in every form of life. We are the universe trying to understand itself.- Delenn, Babylon 5

“Well that doesn’t make sense,” said Hwell. He, too, was propping up a bar and ingesting something bad for him. “Humans, we all well know, are insane. Lots of them spend their entire lives in a bubble of ignorance that they made for themselves.”

“Well, yes,” said the other human. “That’s what I’m trying to work out. Is it the universe compartmentalising? Is that why there are so many human colonies? Is the universe going mad?”

Hwell glared at the man. “Someone’s going to have to rock me to sleep, tonight. Thanks for that.”

“Self-awareness is a bitch,” shrugged the other human. “Sorry.”

“Shoulda never got involved in religion or politics…” Hwell mumbled into his pint. “Here’s one - how about all this effort’s made the universe go bonkers or given it cancer or something? We’re a tumour.”

The other human glared back and delivered a flat and snarky, “Thanks.”

Hwell chuckled. “Gotta give as good as you get.”

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