Advanced Beings and a Fork in the Road of Evolution. Fidess

believe it! We’ve found it! We’ve finally found it!» Pharoum, the most athletic of the travelers, yelled as he saw a thin blue line in the distance. «A river!»

      The word «river» seemed to be the sweetest and dearest sound in the world for the travelers. It filled their hearts with joy, overshadowed the sense of fatigue caused by the grueling journey, and gave them quite unexpected strength. The travelers ran as fast as they could. The large and deep river was rich with fish. The travelers were saved.

      After they quenched their thirst, washed their bodies, and bathed in cool waters to their hearts’ content, they got back to the shore. They hadn’t felt so happy in a long time. For a while they all just sat on the sand, enjoying the view.

      «There’s no point in further wandering,» Pharoum broke the silence. «This place is the best we can find.

      From now on, this place is our home. This is our land and our river. We are staying to live here.»

      Pharoum was supported by all the travelers. He was their leader and he held such a position due to his wisdom and strength.

      One of the women, Noana, who was Pharoum’s beloved one, was pregnant and went into labor, apparently due to the surge of emotions.

      The day seemed to be already filled to the brim with happiness but the joy that Pharoum and Noana felt was even more overwhelming now that their baby was born. However, the happy parents had no idea that once their son grew up and reached manhood, he would not be satisfied with the little he had. His desire for greater power and self-confidence would become extremely powerful and soon would be able to get him much farther than his parents had ever gone, so far away from them that a fork would appear in the road of the evolution of humankind (a fork no one saw coming). His name was Pharaon, it was an elaborate combination of the names of his loving parents.

      Pharoum and Noana could not stop looking at the cute face of their son under the last golden streaks of the sunset.

      «Pharaon, we love you! You were born on a happy day and it means you will be happy. That’s what your father and I want for you very much,» Noana whispered to her son, looking into his beautiful eyes that looked like two jewels, iridescent in the sunlight.

      «Mark my words, Noana! He will be happy,» Pharoum said with confidence. «Our son will grow strong, and fortune will favor him because you and I want the very best for him with all our hearts.»

      As Pharaon grew older, he hardly ever cried. He was a cheerful, affable, and very curious child. He enjoyed playing with other children of their settlement. They competed to see who could catch the biggest fish, run or swim faster, hold their breath underwater for a longer time, and so on and so forth.

      As Pharaon’s parents watched him play, they dreamt that when he grew up, he would easily provide food and water for himself, have decent clothes instead of rags, and become strong and brave. Pharoum and Noana enjoyed those dreams, they helped them take their minds off the pains of their lives.

      One day the boy’s parents noticed something strange in his behavior. Pharaon was running around in the sand as if he was playing catch-up with someone and they heard him talking loudly and laughing as if he was in someone’s company rather than alone. But no one else was there.

      «Pharoum, have a look. Who is he talking to?» Noana asked, sounding very anxious. Pharoum watched his son closely.

      «It’s not fair, you are faster than me!» little Pharaon shouted joyfully, trying to dodge something. He moved his little legs quickly and shrieked with excitement.

      «It’s alright,» Pharoum said to his beloved Noana. «Many children have imaginary friends. It’s ok, as long as it goes away eventually.»

      Pharoum was right. Soon those games were forgotten and the parents’ concerns melted away.

      Nineteen years have passed since Pharaon’s birth. One evening, while the women were taking care of the children, the men of the settlement went to the river to have some man time, telling astonishing stories and trying to guess whether they were true.

      Here’s what Pharoum, Pharaon’s father, said at that meeting:

      «I once met a man who told me about snow, i.e. cold white sand falling from the sky. Every single one of the snowflakes has its own unique pattern. When snow is warmed by the sun, it turns into a river. Do you believe it?»

      «That’s impossible!» the men, sitting around the head of the settlement, were saying.

      «And yet it is absolutely true!» Pharoum exclaimed.

      «It is hard to believe. Tell us something else,» the listeners asked.

      «Those cold lands are infested by fantastic beasts,» Pharoum continued. «According to the story of this man, his father once came face to face with a huge cat. It was a mountain lion. It had huge paws, sword-like claws, a strong club-like tail, and a massive jaw. And his fangs were as big as my thumb,» the men were open-mouthed with astonishment. «It was a very strong and fast beast. There was no escape from it!»

      «But how on earth did the man survive?!» the men of the settlement were excited to learn the outcome.

      «The mountain lion roared and bared its fangs like this,» Pharoum imitated the roar and fangs, which scared the gathered men. «No man with bare hands would ever stand a chance against the beast. That man’s father had no choice but to try and placate the wild cat in spite of his fear. He talked to it gently and tried not to move.»

      The listeners didn’t dare to move or make a sound, in anticipation of the attack. The most impatient ones asked: «Did it attack him all the same?»

      «The brave man kept on talking to it. Slowly, the mountain lion closed its mouth and headed towards him.»

      «That’s it! It’s going to attack him! That’s for sure!» the listeners tried to shout one another down.

      «That man’s father held onto the hope. The mountain lion was slowly approaching him,» Pharoum’s voice fell to a whisper.

      «That’s it! It’s over!» someone let out a desperate scream.

      «You will never guess what it did!» Pharoum said in a teasing way.

      «What?! What did it do? Get on with it!» the shouts came from all directions.

      «It began licking his hand, purring loudly,» all the men were amazed at such a development. «And that man’s father took it home, tamed it, and they lived together ever since. The puma even protected him from other predators,» Pharoum said self-contentedly. «Do you believe it?»

      «No!» a wave of indignation rippled through the gathered men. «You can’t tame a predator! And they can’t purr!»

      In the meantime, while the men were shouting, trying to figure out whether the story was true, a small group of strangers was energetically approaching the settlement, using the cover of darkness. They had heard the voices and were now following them.

      «It’s the truth!» Pharoum kept saying but no one believed him.

      «I’ve also heard a story about taming wild cats and it’s even more improbable!» they heard the loud jolly voice of Etan, a young man with raven-black curly hair that reached his shoulders. He was one of the two Pharaon’s close friends. «Somewhere in the hot lands, people managed not only to tame cheetahs but also to turn them into their hounds.»

      «What is that supposed to mean?» someone asked.

      «It means that those cheetahs were taught to hunt on command of a man and give their kill away instead of eating it themselves,» Etan said so proudly as if he was the one who tamed the cheetahs.

      «That’s impossible! A predator that gives away its kill to a man?! That will never happen!»

      A ripple of laughter ran through the men.

      «Shush!»