Hello World by Colin Crowley
Hello World” takes place in a distant world, when the Earth was dominated above by the Gods, led by Zeus, and tended below by the Humans, a simple-minded, mute, lifeless crew of male servants. Previously, the rebellious God Prometheus had attempted to wake the Humans out of their trance-like stupor by attempting to give them the gift of fire and other knowledge besides – but he failed. Zeus took revenge by...
Hello World” takes place in a distant world, when the Earth was dominated above by the Gods, led by Zeus, and tended below by the Humans, a simple-minded, mute, lifeless crew of male servants. Previously, the rebellious God Prometheus had attempted to wake the Humans out of their trance-like stupor by attempting to give them the gift of fire and other knowledge besides – but he failed. Zeus took revenge by having Prometheus chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus, his liver plucked out daily by birds, and exiling his well-intentioned, if rather dense, brother, Epimetheus.
“Hello World” opens as Epimetheus finds himself welcomed backed into the trust and affection of Zeus and the other Gods. An oddly-friendly Zeus even designs a new present for Epimetheus – a human, but a female one – named Pandora. Without further ado, Pandora is sent to the Earth and she and Epimetheus quickly become smitten with each other. In time, the God and the Human marry, but, curious and full of questions, Pandora pesters Epimetheus to distraction.
In good time, the placid, laid back Epimetheus finds himself disturbed by his wife’s interest in everything and her kind treatment of the Humans. Pandora also expresses interest in a vase given her by Zeus as wedding present – a vase which she’s warned never to open, But Pandora’s thirst for knowledge is too intense and, after some commendable restraint, she accidentally knocks the vase onto the ground. Out pour a retinue of dark creatures – the Miseries – who, now unleashed, will spread darkness, storms, winter, age, and death into the perfect Earthly world.
After the release of the Miseries, the Earth has changed; the sky occasionally becomes dark, the wind occasionally becomes fierce – perfection is gone. Prometheus and, farther off, a shamed, hidden Pandora, shutter in fear at the new world before them. Epimetheus, estranged from Pandora and embarrassed at his past love for her, is similarly distraught. The Humans, too, who have confronted “death,” now pester the Gods above with their newfound ability for emotion.
Before too long, the Humans, enraged, but finally alive, are on the hunt for Pandora – the destroyer of their old world. Eventually, they find her hiding with Prometheus, but Epimetheus stops them from doing her any harm. He has learned from the other Gods that the vase affair was a trap by Zeus to try and scare the Humans away from further curiosity. The Humans are ashamed of their actions, but Epimetheus has a plan to enact – and a renewed love to pledge to Pandora.
In good time, Zeus and the Gods discover that the Humans, at the direction of Epimetheus, have set fire to the world. An enraged Zeus threatens to do away with the Humans once and for all, but Pandora convinces him that the new Humans – emotional, knowledgeable, curious beings – aren’t a bad thing. Touched, Zeus agrees to give the Humans their freedom, but warns that he therefore won’t always be there to help them – a sacrifice the Humans are willing to make. As a result, the Humans are given their world – Epimetheus and Pandora are given each other – and the world is given its future.