First, there was nothing, not even consciousness. A limitless mass of energy constantly rolling in upon itself and existing in the void of what was to be. It is so easy to look back now, with hindsight, and say, “There. That is creation.” To draw a line in the sand between that which was and that which was not.
The reality was quite different.
The energy existed, inert, for an eternity. Constantly shifting but never moving. Until, ever so faintly, a sound was to be heard. In the absence of all else the sound was the focus of the universe, sending vibrations even through the void.
And then, a wondrous thing, the energy located the source of the sound - itself. It was the recognition of self, the individual, the One - and with it, the energy exploded. Sounds of all different frequencies appeared, each part of the One but forming the Many. Out of the void they created a new existence - Chaos. The sounds were now individuals; they stretched, explored, searched for limits, and found none. Chaos reigned, and was loved by all, for curiosity’s sakes alone. But eventually, as an age-old truth, like began to attract like. Sounds of a similar nature and vibration began to group, joining with each other, and harmonies were created. Joyous were the entities, for this was a time of great learning - the creation of a third through the union of two.
But from this carefree experimentation, a disturbance began to form. Sound-filled spaces, formerly ephemeral, started to clump and thicken. Low sonorous sounds grew heavy and brittle and it seemed that in some cases the sound no longer affected them at all.
At this, the entities knew fear. It was creation beyond and out of their control. They sang ceaselessly their silent concern as nature newly formed ran her course. Masses of the unknown solidity moved, defining space, and when they collided with each other, the effect was staggering. Some impacts caused mighty and violent reactions that scorched the void, others were gentle and harmonious, but both created new matter.
The entities watched in awe; their own creation and exploration was mirrored here in physical matter, an existence opposite to their own. Did it have consciousness, as they did? Did it also feel the wonder of its own existence? They sang to it, using the only language they knew, surrounding it with their essence, and inadvertently influenced it. And the corporeal began to grow.
Sound, which had once filled the void completely, was now rivalled by matter. Each existed in their own form while overlapping and impacting upon the other. From the fierce explosions of matter, light was forged, eventually giving birth to planets and worlds. The ethereal realm of the original sounds mirrored this segmentation, forming levels and spheres; hierarchies.
Above universal sound, one voice spoke, claiming to be the original Sound that had ignited Creation. All knew this to be true, at the same time as being false, as there had been only One then - all sounds were the original Sound. Some accepted this and stayed, becoming followers of the Claimant, while others peacefully moved along on their own, or formed new assemblies elsewhere. For those who stayed, none questioned the authority of the Claimant - ambition had not yet been discovered.
Creation continued, the entities now fixedly focused on the areas that matter had shaped. They sculpted identical places in their realm, so that each one was a mirror of the other. From matter, ‘life’ blossomed, and the entities rejoiced, for in it they saw the potential for their own intelligence and awareness.
They marvelled as life expanded with the velocity of a star’s explosion. Single-celled organisms grew into many, living in watery environs before venturing on to land and adapting to suit. At last, they wept, for within the animal kingdoms, speech was to be heard. Matter using sound to convey intelligence, thoughts, and emotions. One branch of primates valued this skill as no other, and sought to master its use.
In time, the newly-evolved mankind became aware of the entities who were watching them with interest; they put the Claimant and his followers above themselves as the unknowable, and they called him God.
Chapter One: A Preview
