Shattering Humanity-Chapter 106: Our Cyclic Universe

While Daisuki is still at a loss while looking at Katsu’s engraved pocket knife, the rest of Takamagahara continues their conversation.

Aiden: "Well Katsu, if your father’s theory were true, then our existence would be classified as something of a Cyclic Universe."

A light bulb goes off in Shelly and Katsu’s head. Aiden sees Sol, Dom, and Char in absolute confusion.

Sol: "How did we even get on this topic?"

Dom: "I’m pretty sure it’s cuz you asked why people suck..."

Char: "Bro, I surf and shoot rifles. Not physics shit. You lost me at ’the Big Bang was both creation and destruction’, but I guess I get the jist of what you’re talking about."

Nobody notices that Daisuki isn’t even blinking while transfixed on the knife, tears stuck in his eyes while in a PTSD induced vivid flashback, hearing a man yell at him with distain and disgust.

PTSD Yelling: "There were infants in there! I told you! No I don’t care about rank, anymore! My son is at home right now, while I’m here, ’protecting my county’ by killing another man’s child!"

Daisuki mouths "I’m Sorry" without a sound.

The brief lecture of astrophysics from the most intelligent in all of Takamagahara and the Sister Mountains begins.

Aiden: "Ok, so I don’t know how Katsu’s father was able to ’simplify theoretical astrophysics, but I’ll try for you guys. I’m not even sure I’ll be completely accurate, since that field of study can change just from one new finding within the observable universe."

Aiden looks at Shelly and the ’2nd smartest’ gives an assuring smile and a nod. Aiden takes a public speaking specific technique of deep breathing.

Aiden: "Ok, in the ’Cyclic Theory’, there’s only one self-sustaining universe that exists at a time, unlike the multiverse theory, that has a branching ’timeline’ with multiple versions of ourselves that have made different decisions, but I digress. In a Cyclic Universe, all the energy from the universe allows it to continue existing. In theory, this universe we are currently in, was ’born’ from the ’death’ of the last cycled universe."

Dom looks even more puzzled than before.

Dom: "I’m close to tapping out, but how the hell does a universe die? Do you mean the universe recycles itself? That sounds wild to even say out loud."

The two geniuses are amazed and look at each other.

Aiden adjusts his glasses.

Aiden: "That- That is a simplified way to put it, yes, it recycles itself. Thanks Dom."

Dom puffs out his chest with his fists on his hips, showboating.

Dom: "I gotchu, Cap. I mean...!"

Dom remembers he and Aiden no longer represent Squad 32 and slowly looks at Saku, but the Izanami Captain didn’t hear the mistake.

Instead, Saku is in deep thought, looking at the floor, the second knuckle of his pointer finger under his chin. Aiden scratches his head trying to remember the details of the theory.

Aiden: "There are two possibilities for the ’death’ of the previous universe that allows it to use that recycled energy. One, is the possibility of all life, as well as all the planets, stars and other sources of energy within the universe is ’erased’ or destroyed. Without any active energy to continue infinite growing, the universe begins shrinking down to the size of an atom. Is everyone still with me?"

Nods all around except from Daisuki and Saku, seemingly not paying attention.

Aiden sighs.

Aiden: "Ok, so where was I? All the physical matter, energy, and the black holes that existed in the previous universe, within that atom of space. Oh yea, the combination of all the inescapable gravitational pulls creates a *BANG* that releases all the astral storage from the different ’spacetimes’ to create the next universe’s ’life-cycle’ after imploding on itself. That was seen as the most likely of the two ways. The other possibility is, the previous universes contained ’too much energy’, and it expanded for what we would consider as living beings as an infinite of years. Once the universe couldn’t expand anymore, it bursts like a balloon, erasing all unfortunate still existing energy sources that made the universe finally *POP*. Or *BANG*."

Itsuka has her finger to her bottom lip, thinking.

Itsuka: "But if the universe can *POP* like a balloon, what happens to the black holes that get released? If this theory were true that would mean the universe actually isn’t infinite, right?"

Aiden nods and smiles at her participation in the ’class’.

Aiden: "Correct, because the observable universe has no actual evidence of an edge or the limit that it can grow to, that lack of evidence ironically and figuratively ’bursts’ the ’universe-balloon’ theory. As for your question about the released black holes, it’s possible the black holes are like the ’symbiotic alien eyes’ Shelly described to us. If the universe as a ’host’ dies, the ’symbiotic black holes’ then releases their unimaginable amount of matter and energy that was collected for billions, possibly trillions of years. See? Any piece of new information can change the entire probability of possibility."

Shelly gets excited after hearing her fellow ’smartypants’ link the black holes and symbiote IceEyes together.

Shelly: "I hadn’t thought about that, Aiden! I loved listening to Katsu’s father talk about the universe and the amazing theories he would be so confident in, then be on an entirely different mindset the next day. He would compare the fun and the imaginative freedom of theoretical physics as a more scrutinized and factually combed through form of fiction writing. ’What if’s are the driving force for humanity’s success and interest in advancement."

Scylia: "The previous universes shrinking down without any energy to help it expand doesn’t sound too farfetched. The universe would have to be bare of all forms of energy, not just the exerted and consumed energy by all of Earth’s life, but also the energy from all the stars, all the waves/currents on all the universe’s Celestial Bodies with oceans, the wind energy that can’t be detected with the human eye, radiant energy that is known by humanity to be ’indestructible’, and the possibly infinite amounts of other energy sources in other galaxies, nebulas or cosmos, that we as humans don’t even know of, from our ’point of view’."

Itsuka looks at Saku while he isn’t noticing and she gets an idea. She looks over at Aiden.

Itsuka: "Yea, but black holes have to exist, specifically for a reason, no? From what we know as humans, a black hole can’t be stopped. From what I know, their entire purpose is to destroy anything and everything but what if it’s not destroying what it absorbs, but deconstructing? Is it possible, black holes actually exist to deconstruct all energy and physical matter it ’absorbs’ and stores, for the start of the next universe?"

The word ’absorbs’ makes the group look right at Saku, as he is picking his ear. Except Daisuki, who looks back and forth between Katsu and the faded initials on the pocket knife.

Saku sarcastically responds to the group’s connection.

Saku: "Yep, you all got me, I’m a human black hole incarnated. Pfft, please, if any of us were going to be a human ’black hole’ it’s TayTay."

Saku grins as he walks up to his buddy, now eating a loaf of bread and he pats the huge man on the shoulder.

Saku: "Right, TayTay? If someone throws any edible object into your gravitational pull, you consume all traces of said object?"

Taylor giggles and goes to pat Saku’s back. Saku stays upright but tries to hide his grimace as the giant open palm lands perfectly on his back with an alarmingly loud SMACK! Saku comically doesn’t move out of pure pain from the "5-Star Slap".

Shelly: "Cyclic Universe Theory? I have read a few studies by Einstein on the topic, since he was considering and studying that theory for a while. I kind of lean my universal perception towards something of that idea. To be honest, I have cherry picked and added a few of my ’hopes’ into the theory."

Shelly jokingly laughs off her next comment.

Shelly: "Like how we all sometimes get dejá vu or feel like we’re reliving a moment. I’ve had perfect memory ever since I gained a mental consciousness so when I get those moments, like right now, that phenomenon is our ’conscious energy’ or simply ’thinking energy’ released by the previous ’us’ in the previous universe’s cycles."

Katsu quietly bites his lip, bothered by something.

Shelly:"The energy can possibly be an ’overlap’ at the same ’time’ or ’period’ as it did in our previous universe lives, making our brains recognize the energy and connect patterns even though they aren’t actually there."

Katsu’s fist tightens and Saku notices. He looks at Itsuka but she is deep in thought about the universe along with everyone else. He then remembers his first dream with the alien symbiote eye.

Saku: "What if- What if those clouds that the researchers always fail to catch, are actually the last of a soul’s energy? What if the red clouds that come from the Icemen, are pure negative energy and the black holes don’t ’absorb’ them, making that energy perfect for Leviathan to create more Icemen vessels."

Aiden’s eyes grow wide and the entire room can ’hear the gears turning’ in the young genius’ head.

Aiden: "Saku! Itsuka! That’s it!"

Saku flinches from the scholar’s over enthusiasm.

Saku: "Alright, take it easy, goddamn."

Aiden continues, too excited to care about being ridiculed.

Aiden: "If what Itsuka and Saku are theorizing is correct, black holes may not actually be the negative thermodynamic entities made of dark matter we view them as, and the ’universe is like a balloon’ theory is back in play. From the inescapable gravity absorbing and storing all of that extra matter and energy in a separate timespace from the actual universe, the black holes are dark matter symbiotes, relieving the amount of tension on the ’universal balloon’. But with the negativity, the universe survives a lot longer by storing the over abundance in black holes separate and kept safe for the next generation of the universe."

Everyone is dumbstruck while Dom is holding his head rolling on the floor.

Dom: "I’m sorry I asked! I’m sorry I asked! I’m sorry I asked!"

Daisuki, who wasn’t paying attention the whole time to the young adults debate, yells and startles everyone, especially Katsu.

Daisuki: "KATSU! WAS YOUR FATHER’S NAME YUZAI TAKESHI!?!"