The patterns morph endlessly, beautiful to behold but with no eyes to see them. Here an eternity lasts an instant and an instant lasts an eternity. Time has no meaning and neither does space. The universal is subatomic and the subatomic universal. Each new iteration of the totality of fractal patterns contains infinite new universes spontaneously birthing and living out their existences until returning to the void. So many to choose from. The subconsciousnesses of infinite life forces exist in this place, between lives. Each one resting and waiting for what it feels to be the perfect snowflake before connecting with it and entering into it to live again. This realm is the domain of deepest endless wisdom. Wisdom without thought.

Within each snowflake exists a universe full of super clusters and clusters of galaxies. Within each galaxy there are star factories, supernovae, black holes, solar systems, vast expanses of nothingness, and everything in between. Within each solar system there are whirling discs of gassy, icy, and rocky matter orbiting and crashing together to form planets. Each planet is an experiment for the sake of it with no experimenter. There is no hypothesis and no assumption for what constitutes a successful outcome. Within some planets, complex, self organizing, competing systems emerge. In some circumstances a complex, self organizing, competing system develops the capacity to contain a life force. These are the hosts that infinite subconsciousnesses are drawn to when they enter.

Within this universe, galaxy, solar system, planet there is a system of life that has spawned over a minutely short period. At this point in time there is one dominant species evolving to be master and destroyer of its environment. Societies have organized and adopted ideologies. Entire populations are subject to varying degrees of control or freedom by centralized institutions under the guise of protection and security. Some are centralized autocracies. Others are more socialist with increased freedom. Seemingly perfect systems of organization are devised and then implemented by deeply flawed coordinators, who find ways to capitalize on their position of power. Similarly, entities consisting of thousands of enslaved beings adhere to rigid instructions to earn the necessary means for survival. The enslaved find ways to circumnavigate the processes in order to find a balance that they can live with. Hierarchies form with the mediocre finding ways to survive and thrive, leeching off of the abilities and successes of others. As with the governments of societies, so the ideologies for organizing these entities vary and change according to the circumstances, or whoever happens to be in power this week.

It is in one of these entities that our hero has found himself after birthing into a life form 30 years earlier. Ignorantly unaware of his previous life as a hero and destroyer of evil, he now survives the ennui of each day by imagining how he would love to aim a sniper to his bosses face from a mile away and pull the trigger. Or just chop the fat face from his head with an axe while he was stuffing it with gourmet cuisine, talking so the whole world can witness his digestion begin. Of course, he would never actually do this, but the thoughts were at least a release for the boredom and frustration he felt. You see, he always felt that he was destined for greatness. Like he was the star of a movie. A thrilling white knuckle ride of a car chase blockbuster, or an emotionally varied rollercoaster adventure where the exciting part was just about to start. Something really memorable where he defeats evil, gets the girl, restores peace to the galaxy, and walks into the sunset with humility while everyone else watches on in admiration.

But no, Steve was a cyber security professional for a small to medium sized global enterprise that helped to make rich companies richer by convincing poor people to buy their useless shit; shit they didn’t realize they needed.

Steve did not remember the endless fractal patterns. Steve did not appreciate the vast unpredictable miracle the he had helped to save in a previous life and was now a part of. Steve was unfulfilled.