My Friend in the Mirror

The adventure starts at the mirror. Oh yes, this is where I met him. I stood there and opened my eyes to this strange being staring back at me; imitating my moves, replying with the same words I use to ask him questions…

Credit: pxfuel.
And the closer I looked, the more perplexed I became, for he was no longer one. He was many. MANY!! Billions and billions of them staring back at me! Colonies and colonies of cells, each with a different shape and differentiation, yet all under the control of the grand designer … the DNA. For he has managed to make them all his slaves. He has made billions of himself … And utilized those poor cells for his own advantage. I saw them there standing strong as ever, bound by the matrix, nourished by the vessels … Yet I heard their desperate screams. "HELP!" But I could not help, for the DNA master has taken over, and I can only watch with sympathy as the agony continued. And then … with the blink of an eye … it vanished!

I stood there, mesmerized, for I only saw a big lump of jelly material standing before my eyes. It moved as I moved, but this time the sounds and faint images it made sounded familiar…Very familiar. And it wasn't until minutes later that I was struck with the truth. This was a BRAIN! I panicked! Those were my memories! Freezing sensations raced their way down my spine, as those synapses unfolded their content, and unleashed the codes that were locked within.  I closed my eyes swiftly, and wished they never opened again. But then it stopped. I kept my eyes closed, in case it was lingering there, somewhere!

And as minutes passed I began feeling safe, and opened my eyes gradually. But there it was, smiling at me. The same lump of jelly. But this time there were no sounds, for it seems the synapses have finished unfolding. Happiness dominated over me, from tip to toe, as I realized my friend was no longer storing memories. Just receiving. Perceiving! Making note of every move I make and everything I do.

I saw the premotor cortex light up in display, in a pattern that seemed familiar.

I decided to extend my hand to the mirror; to thank him.

And then my hand moved. I felt the cold surface of the mirror as soon as my fingers touched it. But I felt good nevertheless, for I finally made peace with him and …
Wait! What?!! The pain of betrayal squeezed my heart and made my limbs go numb. I thought I controlled him!! How can he give the order before I decided to take it myself?!
I closed my eyes again, wishing for the nightmare to end. And then … nothing! Complete silence. I opened my eyes slowly and watched the colony again. But this time, they were different. They were silent. Hollow. Heavy and light. Particles and waves. Mere recombination of a billion-year-old star dust.
"No! This is not true!!" I screamed to the mirror, with the loudest sound my voice box could generate. I held the perfume bottle in front of me and nearly struck the mirror.
"Don't hurt us! Please." The sound was strong as ever, unified and pleading. My hands shook and I dropped the bottle. I bent down to put it back only to see many lumps of jelly scattered throughout the mirror. Each containing a tiny figures in synapses that resemble me to various degrees. "This is where you live!" They said. I stood in silence. My sweat cold and my pupils dilated.

My body started decaying and my jelly lump too, but the smile did not leave my lips.
"Indeed, " I thought. "That is where I live…"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The story basically describes me as I look in the mirror and start wondering; who am I? Am I a colony of cells with their master DNA? Am I the memories that keep my brain occupied? Am I the mere perception and awareness as it occurs in real time? And indeed, do I REALLY have control over my muscles and body (watch this if you don't understand what I mean by this).

Or am I really the atoms and molecules that make me up? The stardust, that is? The story ends with the recycling of my molecules back to nature, but the place where I truly live is in the memories of others … for this is where I could truly make a long-lasting difference. That is, if I do really exist.

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