A Short Story - The Third Secret

The Third Secret

I still can not believe what is happening to me. I would like to think, as the others did, that my superiority has led me to this situation; However, now I realize that it has been my own stupidity that has made me here, alone, waiting, I do not know what, with no company other than a girl who has not yet turned eleven. When he looks at me, I have the impression that his eyes accuse me. I do not blame her I am here of my own free will, while she has been locked here for the sole purpose of serving the egotistical interests of an endangered species. At first, it seemed like a great idea to deceive fate, but now I just wish we both disappeared. But there is a problem; rather, two. The first, I have no way to self-destruct and the second,
I will begin at the beginning.
That morning I woke up a little earlier than usual, because all the media had announced that that day, August 12, two thousand and eight, the Pope would unveil a secret that Humanity has wanted to know since he learned of his existence. If only it had been a question of religion, I, because of my agnosticism, would not have paid any attention, but the Holy Father emphasized that what he was going to say was not only important for Christianity, but for all men, regardless of their religion or belief. For that reason, with my coffee and my muffins, I prepared to listen to the revelation of the great secret, although I admit that I was more concerned about preventing the wet pieces of the half-eaten muffin from falling into the coffee, something disgusting to me, that what the Pope could tell us.
At last the television connected with the city of The Vatican. Pedro's successor had not yet appeared, so they offered us varied panoramas of the crowd concentrated in the Plaza de San Pedro. Shortly after, the Pope went out onto the balcony, causing an ovation among the crowd gathered in the square. He raised his arms for silence, cleared his throat and went to the microphone.
Brothers all - began - Thank you for coming to my call. The first thing I want to do is to deny that this is a maneuver by the Church to recover the faithful. Absolutely. If I have gathered you here it is to give you to know something of which we have only been informed the successors of Peter: the third secret of Fatima; that is, the date of the end of the world.
I smiled skeptically. Almost two months had passed since the last time the Apocalypse had been announced and I was surprised that the Church also participated in that game, since they used to be the leaders of the different sects who announced the end of the world over and over again. From the commotion and laughter that was heard, I knew that I was not the only one who doubted the truth of that statement. The Church has played too many times with that of "sorry brothers, the end is near" so that we would now listen without question. The Pope waited patiently for silence again before continuing to speak.
If I show you today it is not on a whim - he continued - but because the Virgin, when she transmitted her message to Sister Lucy of Jesus, left precise instructions on when her message should be made known. According to the Virgin, whoever was the head of the Catholic Church at this time, should reveal it exactly three months before the event took place. Therefore, I will repeat it to you as it has been transmitted by my predecessors in charge to one another: the end of the world will take place on November 13, two thousand and eight.
The Pope had to face a new wave of skepticism and ridicule. He asked for calm to continue.
Finally, I will tell you that on that day the Earth will not explode into a thousand pieces nor will the third world war begin nor will a comet hit our planet. According to the Third Secret, that day Humanity will simply disappear. As a man that I am, I do not know what to think. As the head of the Church, I advise you to prepare yourself spiritually for what may happen, so that you can be calm and at peace when the time comes. I would also ask the leaders of the nations to take this warning seriously, and prepare everything necessary to face what is to come. I can not tell you exactly what will happen because I do not know. What I do ask is that you act calmly, without hasty decisions, since, as you know, when we leave this life, the judgment of God awaits us.
That said, the Pope disappeared from the balcony. I could not suppress a mocking smile. That reminded me of a father telling his children that if they did not behave well, the man with the bag would come. I ate the last muffin, wiped the crumbs off my tie, and set off to get to work.
However, the announcement made by the Pope was going to have more repercussion than I had imagined. Deep down, the human being continues to feel an atavistic terror of death, of the beyond, of what awaits him later; not in vain, all religions have a Good and an Evil, a Heaven and a Hell, each in its own style. When death is announced as next, there appears in us the imperative need to take stock and the fear of thinking in which dish we will fall. For all this, the news began to sow fear in the hearts of men; not only the fear of death of each one, but also the total extinction of the human race. As much as we do not want to admit it, we are far more anthropocentric than our ancestors. We are annoyed by the idea that our species, at the top of the pyramid, disappears. What was really hard for me to understand was the reaction of the followers of other religious confessions; I had assumed that they would not believe a word of what the Pope said; even more, that they would use it to criticize the decline of the Christian religion. But, surprisingly, the leaders of the other religions confirmed this date as correct, although they never indicated what had led them to know it so accurately. All this caused that our life was deeply disturbed and that, perplexed and indecisive, we asked ourselves what to do. I guess we were waiting for what is always expected to appear in the difficult trances: a leader. Someone who takes charge of the situation and shows us how to solve it. Interestingly, that leader appeared here, in Spain, a morning in which the listeners of a radio station were invited to participate in a gathering about the Third Secret. They called hundreds of them, giving each one their opinion, to which one more pilgrimage. When there were a few minutes to finish the program, a Madrid listener intervened, to whom the announcer warned that he had little time to speak.
I know - the man replied - But I think they should listen to me, because I have found the solution to our problem.
All the previous ones that have called us too - the speaker answered dryly, a little fed up already of enlightened listeners.
Yes - admitted the man - But you will agree with me that none has given a realistic solution. What I propose is very simple and, most importantly, it is feasible.
Go ahead, then - the announcer invited him.
First of all, I think I should introduce myself. My name is Sergio Fernández and I'm calling from Madrid.
Anytime, Sergio - the announcer invited him.
What I propose is a very simple solution, which consists of three points: first, I think we should accept that, indeed, in three months we will not be here, so we should change our way of life. Friends: we have three short months of existence, so instead of continuing with our usual routine, we do what we have always wanted to do, anything that comes to mind, as long as we do not harm others, of course. It is not time to get up early or get into endless traffic jams. Let's enjoy the time we have left; in that way, we will leave happy life, having realized our desires, and we will feel that our time on earth will have been worthwhile.
Good advice - praised the announcer.
The second point of my dissertation is addressed to the powerful nations - Sergio continued - They must think one thing: the world, as we know it now, will only subsist for three months, as we already know. After that moment there will be no market economy, free competition, capitalism, socialism, inflation or unemployment; For all these reasons, I think that it is the right moment to donate the immense amount of surplus that the developed nations keep and give it to the most disadvantaged. Thus, a double effect will be achieved: on the one hand, doing justice with these poor people, and on the other, consciences will be comforted. It will be a work of charity that, surely, will be taken into account at the moment of presenting ourselves before God Our Lord. And, if only for a while, these people may have something that they have never enjoyed: food, drink and abundant medicines. I believe that it is a measure that would favor us all. And the last thing I wanted to say, and with this already finished, is that, although most of us do not survive, we could avoid the extinction of Man. From what the Pope said, we can assume that everything else, nature, what surrounds us, will continue as it has been until now. I start from the basis that that prophecy was formulated a long time ago, when man had achieved little more than peer into the infinite world of possibilities that science and technology would provide later. Fortunately, nowadays it is not like that anymore. My proposal is to design an enclosure where a man and a woman, previously selected, are safe until the fateful day arrives. Once this one has passed,
The news of the intervention of Sergio Fernandez ran like wildfire, first throughout Spain and then spread to all corners of the world. The scientists received it with enthusiasm and the statesmen decided that it was politically correct. Scientific and political conventions were organized to which Sergio Fernández attended as the main guest.
From a certain point of view it can be comical, but to me it seemed disappointing that someone who did all he did was speak using common sense would be considered a very bright mind. I suppose it was because, at that time, the media had almost completely managed to make the human being forget that he can and should think for himself and form his own opinions about the events that take place in their lives. Instead of chanting what others are saying. It seemed that, finally, world leaders had managed to make citizens what they had always wanted: sheep unable to think.
A month after Sergio Fernández spoke on the radio, the inhabitants of the Third World countries were inundated with food, medicine, economic and humanitarian aid as they could never have imagined. They, I think fortunately, did not have the slightest idea of ​​the proximity of the end of the world nor did they know Sergio Fernández; they simply believed that, finally, countries with resources and citizens with feelings had truly been moved by their situation. Televisions around the world broadcast the images of smiling skeletal children who, for the first time, satiated their hunger and thirst. Most of them had to be provided with special foods, due to the severe malnutrition they suffered. For the first time, too, they seemed happy.
The scientists, meanwhile, went to work as quickly as possible. They had begun the construction of an underground chamber, fully armored to protect its occupants of any event that took place abroad. Its operation was quite simple: at 00:10:00 hours on November 13, two thousand and eight, that is to say, ten minutes after the day of final judgment had ended, a gate would be opened that would allow the protected persons in the interior access to the surface by a tunnel prepared for this purpose. It was simple, easy to design and to put into practice, so the solution was accepted immediately and, a short time later, it began to be built.
Then the biggest problem of all was raised: Who would be in the camera? Who would meet the requirements to be the new Adam and Eve? The matter was somewhat thorny. It was decided, in a more sample of the machismo that prevailed in our society that, being its primordial mission to repopulate the earth, the woman who was there should be as young as possible. A girl was chosen; In this way, the man who was his partner would have time, while she grew up, to build a suitable place to live and raise their children. The male should be young and strong. Both, good looking, without diseases or physical or genetic defects, intelligent and capable of solving the problems that were presented to them; With the information about all the citizens that could be candidates, the scientists made a first selection,
I was one of the five men.
At first I did not like it. They would say what they said, rebuilding the world was a task that did not seduce me at all, so I refused in a round. Then, after knowing my refusal, I began to receive thousands and thousands of letters begging me to accept, telling me that I would be remembered as a great hero, and that I would have in my hands the opportunity to build a better world. Little by little my vanity overcame my reluctance. Perhaps all this was a second opportunity, a new beginning from which a new human race would be born that would live in harmony with Nature, without depleting natural resources or destroying the planet that gives us shelter. This idea was seducing me and, soon, I accepted. They took me to the Higher Center for Scientific Research, where they did the last tests. After contrasting them with the other four candidates, I was, among almost three billion, the only man who met all the requirements. Once elected, I was introduced to Claudia, a lovely eleven-year-old girl, who would be my future companion. His parents were very proud of their daughter's fate. I could not help but wonder if they really did it for their daughter or for themselves.
It was the third of November when the scientists took us to the camera. They showed me the compartments where the food was, the water, everything necessary for Claudia's care, the tools ... etc. They assured me that they had not forgotten anything. As they did not know if there would be electricity or not when I surfaced, they gave me a generator and a dynamo; as well as gas masks, water purification tablets ... everything necessary for any adverse situation that may arise. They showed me how I would know I had the free path to the surface. I confess that in those moments I felt like a true hero, a special man, with an almost divine mission. That was fabulous. I could see the envy reflected on all the faces, both those who knew me and those who did not.
Our entry into the camera was broadcast by all media and qualified as the most important event since the appearance of Man on the face of the earth. They decorated me with everything that came to mind, and they gave me a small chest containing the decorations to impose on Claudia when she was older. We descended to the camera and closed it. We could only wait until 00:10:00 on the thirteenth of November, the start date of our great mission. I waited impatiently for the arrival of that moment. Satisfied, I threw myself on the bed and watched, smiling, Claudia sleeping peacefully.
Today is November fourteen, two thousand and eight. I look at the clock and bring it close to my ear to check that it works correctly, since it marks 03:00:00 and I have not heard the click that tells me we can leave. Several times I have tried to open the gate that opens to the surface, but I have not succeeded. Exhausted, I sit on the bed and light a cigarette. I have no way of knowing if Humanity has disappeared or if, on the contrary, life on Earth has not undergone the slightest change and, simply, they have forgotten us, now that they do not need us. I am distressed. Periodically hit the walls and scream with all my might, waiting to hear something that gives us some hope to get out of here. I look at Claudia. I'm terrified that I have to grow up in this cubicle, But I'm even more afraid of having to explain why he's here. How is it explained to a girl who was locked up for life with the enthusiastic consent of her parents, just because it was part of a conceived plan, without asking her if she wanted to be part of it or not? When I look at her, my eyes fill with tears. My hands, bloodied from so much hitting, can barely take care of it. I wonder what will become of us. I'm afraid that soon I'll lose my mind. The idea of ​​being buried alive is driving me crazy. my eyes are filled with tears. My hands, bloodied from so much hitting, can barely take care of it. I wonder what will become of us. I'm afraid that soon I'll lose my mind. The idea of ​​being buried alive is driving me crazy. my eyes are filled with tears. My hands, bloodied from so much hitting, can barely take care of it. I wonder what will become of us. I'm afraid that soon I'll lose my mind. The idea of ​​being buried alive is driving me crazy.
I still can not believe what is happening to me. I would like to think, as the others did, that my superiority has led me to this situation; However, now I realize that it has been my own stupidity that has brought me here. I am the only man on the face of the earth who knows his destiny. I discovered, too late, that this is the greatest torture a human being can suffer.
END

(photos are collected)