The fact is, almost every single person that has ever existed is insignificant. Every life that comes and goes in this world makes no more impact than the tiny ripple of a rain drop hitting the surface of a pond. The ripple dissipates, and the droplet is absorbed into the body of water just like all the others. After a short period of time, there is no memory of that droplet ever existing. It is no more significant than the ones around it, before it, or after it.
Every once in a while, though, some of us make a bigger splash than others. Sometimes instead of a rain drop falling into a pond, our lives are like a branch falling off of the old willow tree that hangs over the side of the water. The sudden impact is unexpected. The fish scatter, the sound echoes into the distance, and the nearby wildlife seize up to assess if there is a threat. That branch will rest at the bottom in the still sand beneath the surface and, for a while, be visible to those standing on the edge of the water looking in.
For a while is not forever. Eventually, the fish will forget what startled them, the wildlife will realize the noise they heard poses no danger, and even the biggest willow branch will be withered away by nature's slow janitorial process.
The interesting thing about human beings is that none of them want to believe they will be forgotten. They all feel like fate has chosen them to make a difference in the world. They all fancy the idea that future generations will somehow care that they ever existed. This is, of course, a delusion. The vast majority of people will be forgotten shortly after their death.
Immortality is the ultimate fantasy. Through our actions, we seek to immortalize some memory of ourselves in the history books, or in our children. As an insurance plan, we seek to immortalize our souls. We tell ourselves that even after we close our eyes and our heart stops beating, some part of us will live on and be able watch time pass in front of our eyes and still feel like we are a part of something important. This is, of course, another delusion.
Nothing is eternal or immortal. Eventually the last pages of the history books will turn to dust, and the last heir of a family tree will die off without producing a child to pass on their memory. This will all happen in the blink of an eye as far as the grand timeline of the universe is concerned, yet we continue to delude ourselves into thinking that we are somehow special. We tell ourselves that we are somehow different, and that the universe will remember us even when it has forgotten everyone else. We do this because we have no choice. We do this because it is human nature.
Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.
Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.
In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.
What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.
They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.
Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.
Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – PG-13
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