The Human Spirit

Damien asked us to think about the human spirit and write a short piece around that topic for homework. This is what I came up with. I cringe now, but it was fun to write.

Anne flicked through the channels on the television, with the sound muted. Every few minutes she looked at her flat-mate, Belle, who was leafing through an out-of-date celebrity magazine.
"Hey, it's nearly eight o' clock," Anne said, breaking the long silence. Belle put the magazine down. She checked her watch.
"And what happens at eight o'clock?" she said.
"There's this thing I've been watching. Sci Fi, called Babylon 5". Anne blushed, but Belle didn't sneer, wince, or snigger. Her expression said 'go on'.
"Well, I've always wondered, you know. If it could be true," Anne said. Belle stayed quiet and interested.
"There's this battle. A war really," Anne said, "between the humans and the Minbari".
"Minbari?" Belle said, "okay, never heard of them. And?"
"Well, they're winning, these Minbari. They're about to destroy all of Earth. But they grab hold of a human and they torture him a bit. As you do. But then they realise that he has a Minbari soul. It's reincarnated; Minbari to Human."
"And you're wondering, what?" Belle said.
"That we could, well, be reborn on another planet somewhere. I know, I know, it's stupid."
"I don't think it's impossible, "Belle said, "why not?"
"Well, if it's true," Anne said, "Then that could mean that there's no such thing as the human spirit, that's just human."
Anne turned up the sound on the television. Both of them settled down to watch something that could be true, or could be just someone's imagination.

After Anne had gone to her room, Belle sat the window, watching the sea. She carefully pressed a tiny button on her watch.
"Agent 10?" she said softly, "Agent 5 reporting."
"Go on Agent 5," a far distant voice whispered.
"They're not as unaware as we beleived," Belle said. "There's still a long way to go, but they're beginning to understand where they fit in."
"Not yet time to roll out the welcome mat?" the voice said.
"Oh god no, not yet, They'll get there in their own time."

Belle switched her watch transmitter off and gazed back at the sea. As each black wave swirled into the dark sand, she counted how many times she had been Human, and often, somethig else. But not Minbari. Not yet.

::back::