Watching and waiting, the Malthusian visitors from the Moon orbit the planet. Their mission: Conquer Earth. Of course, that’s the easy part…
Moon people have no religion. They are technology-oriented, science-oriented.
If you can’t prove it, it’s not there.
If anything, that’s their religion. God remains the Unknowable. They are actually quite devout about it.
The ship’s chaplain, Will Argus, made his way to Level D. Argus was especially skeptical. This made him an excellent minister. Today he would visit Paul Hussenian, master engineer, aged ninety-six. It was no secret his days were numbered. However, it is bad form to mention it.
Will greeted Hussenian in propulsion, waving and smiling. After small talk, he got to the point. Or the non-point.
“Paul, we haven’t seen much of D Level in chapel lately. Any chance of giving them a nudge?”
“Why don’t you do it?” Hussenian was busy with a wrench. A thruster was backfiring.
“Oh, you know. We like to work through others.”
“So does someone else.”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
After a few platitudes such as The Unknowable Works in Strange Ways and The Unknowable Giveth and Taketh Away, Paul Hussenian lost his patience.
“Look, Pastor, I know why you’re here.”
“You do?”
“You think I’m a goner. Like everyone else, but let me tell you something. I’m not dying today. At least not until I get this thruster fixed. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Will Argus was a thoughtful man, as befitting his position. He waited. Then spoke.
“So you are okay with the Unknowable, Paul? I mean, when the time comes?”
“How can I not be? I don’t even know what it is!”
The minister left the engineering office, quite satisfied.
As a declaration of faith, he could have hardly done better.
Richard Donnelly lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Classic flyover land. Which makes us feel just a little… superior. He publishes a weekly column of essays on the writing life at richarddonnelly.substack.com