Father Ben’s quill glided gracefully over the vellum page. Every sentence, every word, every letter deserved to be copied perfectly with the full beauty the Book contained. It was easy to lose oneself to the activity; meditating on Christ’s glory while copying His story for the sake of others’ salvation.
Footsteps echoed down the stone stairs, drawing the monk from his work. He frowned.
“Oh wow, is that it?” An ecstatic voice asked.
“It is.” Father Alaska acknowledged.
Unable to concentrate on copying scripture, Father Ben turned and acknowledged the intrusion. In this case, the intrusion took the form of Brother Alaska, towering over a small, weakly-built man. Father Alaska’s simple robes conveyed a humility and groundedness that were nowhere to be found in the stranger’s clothes. Even their faces, one worn and lined and the other soft and plump, spoke of the divergent lifestyles of the two men.
“May I offer assistance?” Father Ben asked.
“Our friend here has traveled many miles to see the Server.”
Father Ben sighed. “If you ask me, it’s a waste of space. We should have thrown it out decades ago.”
The stranger looked as if someone had just struck him.
“A waste of space!? Do you understand what this server contains?”
“All the knowledge of the Golden Age, as well as the total history of mankind, including the art, architecture, stories, plays, and creations.” He recited automatically. He’d heard people gush about it before.
“And you’d get rid of it?”
Father Ben sighed again. “Okay, it contains everything we could ever want and hope. Now tell me, how would you get it out?”
The stranger looked around the server before finally finding a series of rectangular holes. “These.” He said, pointing.
Father Ben was unimpressed. “Well? I’m waiting.”
The stranger frowned. “Well we don’t know what to put in there right now, but eventually we’re going to relearn how to build the old machines and we’ll be able to-“
“But for the time being, the server’s useless?”
“Well no.” The stranger said slowly. “I mean, it’s a testament-“
“You want a real testament that’s filled with infinite knowledge?” Father Ben turned, grabbed one of the ornate Bibles, and held it out toward the stranger. “I’ve got two… They’re the Old Testament, and the New Testament, and they contain all the rules for living this life and the Hope for the world hereafter.”
The stranger frowned. “I do not mean to disrespect the Faith, but that’s not exactly what-“
“I know what you meant.” Father Ben nodded. He walked over to the server and rubbed its dusty, cracked surface. “It would be incredible if we were able to read what the ancients wrote, but you’ve got to admit it seems a foolish endeavor. Throughout the centuries our guest book testifies to dozens of men like yourself who believed they were capable of cracking its secrets. They came, they spent their lives on a fruitless quest, they died… And what do they have to show for it?”
“It would be an honor to give my life to such a noble quest.” The stranger said. “Even if I never see the end of the journey, maybe someone in the future will carry on the research.”
“That’s what everyone says.” Father Ben said.
“Not to mention there are those who believe the knowledge on this server is what led to the Ancients’ destruction in the first place.” Father Alaska added.
“Those are just rumors.” The stranger said. “The ancients were like gods.”
“Exactly.” Father Ben answered, then seeing the stranger’s confused expression, continued. “The ancients were believed to have been capable of flying through space, communicating across vast distances instantly, and even said to have stopped death itself. Tell me who could stop a race of people so powerful?”
The stranger thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure.”
“There are only two possibilities. Either the knowledge they achieved led them to destroy themselves, or God Himself grew displeased with them and destroyed them Himself. Undoubtedly there’re fantastic things to be learned from this ancient technology, but it could also be that this server contains dangerous, world-ending information.” He gently rubbed it in thought. “That’s our charge… We’re either here to preserve the knowledge of the past, or do what we can to contain its evils… And we’re not sure which.”
There was a small shelf of Bibles along one wall… None too ornate, but accurate all the same. Father Ben walked to the shelf, took one, then handed it to the stranger. “You may spend your life seeking the Fruits of Man, and perhaps it’ll lead somewhere, or perhaps it won’t. If you succeed it could bring about a golden age, or it’ll once more damn us to the same destruction that befell the ancients. However I know there’s a surefire way to ensure your life carries meaning, one that guarantees a way to avoid damnation.” He nodded to the Bible. Study God’s Word, son. Dedicate your life to a Truth that won’t lead to destruction.”
The stranger eyed the Bible skeptically, then looked back toward the server.
“There’ve been so many who’ve come and gone who felt like they would be the ones to get the knowledge out of the box.” Father Alaska said, leading the man away. “There’s no need to feel bad. Maybe we’re just not yet ready for what it holds. “
The pair walked back upstairs, allowing Father Ben to return to his desk. He looked to the server darkly, and a flash of memories filled his mind… Memories of joining the monastery and eventually being allowed to read what was on the server… Written documents, photos, blueprints, histories, videos…
“Were he to know what you contain, he’d never again ask for anything more advanced than a candle.” Brother Ben whispered to the ancient machine. He picked up his quill and resumed his work.