Chapter 6

SATURDAY/ 10:30 AM PST

"Everything is in every thing!" Copper gets up from his chair, gingerly takes off his headset, and let it dangles over his neck. He then walks towards the large picture window, breaths in the cold breeze gently blowing and caressing his face and body, and let the brilliant morning sunlights hit him on the face, his thick eyeglass sparkling gold as he dreamily surveys the seemingly endless sparkling blue waterworld below. The white lab coat he wears flaps in the morning breeze. Seconds later, a rather unsettling sensation, more like a thousand small knives constantly poking and digging on his flesh, spreads like grassfire over his cheeks and neck. Copper quickly hides behind the safety of the red curtain with a pained and despaired look creeping up his pale face.

Four pairs of sharp, yellow eyes fix upon him.

"Stop using drugs, Copper." Tesla chuckles, then glances back at the television screen, hugs the red heart-shaped pillow, and then chuckles again as someone throws an apple pie on someone else's face. The boy slides his feet under the fluffy blanket and tosses and turns upon the sofa, sniffing and sneezing. He is grasping a hanky on one hand and a remote control on the other.

"That's interesting, Copper." Hawk smiles thinly, nods, then slowly shifts his gaze back at the canvas he is working on. He raises his hand holding a small paintbrush dripping with red sticky substances. "Can you please elaborate? I would like to hear what is on your mind, brother."

"Everything is every thing?" Newton muses to himself, quite loudly. He is lying on the carpeted floor with his laptop in front of him and is looking up at Copper, forehead creased. "What do you mean?"

Leo, on the other hand, is sitting on the floor with Newton with his laptop upon his lap. He throws Copper a quick but curious glance, sees the familiar look on Copper's excited face, then realizing he will not be interested to hear what is on his brother's mind anyway, passively glances back at his laptop to resume what he is writing.

Caressing his left cheek, Copper turns to Newton and gently shakes his head.

"No, Newton. I said everything is in every thing." Copper's face is now stern and thoughtful. "Inside the atoms of living things are living things made of atoms which themselves have living things made of atoms, and so on, to the infinitely small. The universe itself is contained in an atom inside of another universe, and so on, to the infinitely large." He strokes his chin, index finger pressing his lower lip. "And because of the difference of mass, the activity of life inside a living thing's atoms would undergo many millennia before enough time passes for that living thing to take a single step."

Newton drops his eyes upon his own hands, wondering about the possibility of the atoms inside them harbouring millions of living things. Can it be? He knows that a human body contains millions of smaller living organisms and cells which themselves were made of atoms. But atoms having living things made of atoms and so on? Astounding. And almost stupefying, to say the very least.

"Do you have any proofs to support your claim?" Tesla's eyes are still nailed on the glowing television screen. "Show us some proofs and peer-reviewed evidences, why don't you? And citation needed."

"It is only a mere hypothesis, Tesla, I admit."

"Scientific?"

"No. Not yet."

"So you don't have any proof, correct?'

"Well, yes, that is correct but-"

"Therefore, it is only a philosophy, right?"

"Right," Copper says dryly. "But my hypothesis is still possible."

Tesla covers his nose with a hanky and blows.

"Yes, Copper. It is possible," Hawk agrees, not taking his eyes off his canvas. "Everything is possible, I guess."

"Thanks, Hawk."

"It's a good thing that Hawk is an open-minded boy," Newton mutters before returning his gaze back to his laptop, fingers pressing the keyboard. "Unlike some boy we know."

"Indeed!" Copper throws a sharp look at Tesla and then crosses his arms.

"Don't be silly, silly boys. Hawk is just being a pacifist as always." Tesla scratches the tip of his nose which is almost as red as Rudolph's. "He's just letting you two with your childish fantasies and wishful thinkings because both of you are still immature, ignorant, and prone to stupidity." He cackles, cranes his neck, looks at Copper and leer. "As a matter of fact, Hawk is already laughing at you because of your stupid hypothesis, Copper. He thinks-"

"Stop putting words into my mouth, Tesla."

Tesla throws a bewildered look at Hawk.

"Are you accepting Copper's hypothesis?"

"Not accepting, Tesla. Just entertaining it." Hawk gently taps the paintbrush against the edge of the small can of red paint, dips it in, and then taps it again against the edge before lifting his hand towards the canvas.

"Euphemizing words won't work, Hawk."

"Yeah, sometimes."

"You're kidding me, right?"

Hawk did not answer.

"Okay. You're serious. I can see that. Fair enough, Hawk. But beware. By all means necessary let's be open-minded but not so open-minded that our brains falls off," Tesla reminds smugly, quoting the late Carl Sagan, one of his favorite scientist of all time. He then throws a spiteful glance at Copper and Newton.

"Oh, come on, Tesla. Just admit it. My hypothesis is possible," Copper insists.

Tesla snorts.

Copper crosses his arms and makes a face.

"Well, I'm not forcing you to believe it though."

"Sure. And you better not." Tesla gives Copper one last glare before dropping his head upon the pillow. He looks up the ceiling and squeezes his eyes shut. "The very last thing I want right now is an over-idealistic boy who will shove his ridiculous belief down my throat just like what those deluded priests and clergymen always do."

"Priests? Clergymen?" Copper blinks. "What about them?"

"Yeah, what about them?" Newton reiterates, brows furrowed.

Tesla flutters his eyes open and glowers at Newton.

"Oh, boy, don't act as if you don't know. Those people are forcing us to believe that God exists. They promote child indoctrination and sold their imaginary cures for their imaginary diseases. They want us to believe that we were all born sick and sinners, and that we need someone, purportedly a God, to save us from our sins. Only gullible people will fall on that."

"But there really is a God, Tesla!" Newton eagerly rises up and sits on the floor, staring at Tesla contemptiously. "And no one is forcing you to believe it. But it's your loss because God exists."

"Look! My contradiction radar is tingling." Tesla's pointy ears start wiggling and wriggling, a skill that only Tesla among the five of them can do. He grins. "Guess what, Newton? You just contradicted yourself. Way to go, creep!"

"I'm not forcing you, Tesla. I'm just stating my belief."

"Euphemizing words won't work, Newton."

"But I'm not!"

"Sure. Fair enough. Can you prove that your God exist?"

"Yes, I can. God exist!"

Tesla bursts out laughing.

"Hey, don't laugh!"

Tesla stifles another laugh.

"Sure, Newton. Now, which God?"

"Huh? Which God? What do you mean?"

Tesla grins sourly.

"There are hundreds of gods societies believe in. Which one do you believe in, Newton? Yahweh? Allah? Apollo? Zeus? Vishnu? Krishna? Thor? Who? Which God?"

Recognition dawns on Newton's face. He lifts a hand and let his slender fingers touch the silver crucifix dangling on his neck.

"But of course, the Bible God! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Newton crosses his arms. "Don't be absurd, Tesla. You already know which God I subscribe to. And He is your God too. We're both Christians, Tesla, remember?"

Tesla titters.

"No, Newton, it's not my God. I don't believe in your God. In fact, I don't believe in any gods whatsoever. I may be a Christian, sure, but it is only in the paper. It's as simple as that."

"Sure. Suit yourself."

Tesla shrugs.

"Very well. Now, where are your proofs about your God's existence?"

Newton grins contemptiously.

"Simple. The Holy Bible."

"You are kidding me, right?"

"No, I am not kidding you."

"And how did the Bible become a proof? And since when?"

"The Bible is proof because it was written by those ancient prophets divinely inspired by God. In fact, it is the words of God in case you already forgot, Tesla."

"Jeez, Newton, I'm afraid that's circular reasoning and a special pleading." Tesla shakes his head.

"Bible is not a proof because the Bible is also a claim. It claims that the stories written in it really happened. Seriously? Talking snake and donkey? Walking on water? Water turning into wine? Stone turning into bread? Worldwide flood? Virgin birth? Resurrection? Huh! Jeez, Newton. Seriously? You really believe in those silly craps?"

"Some stories in it are not meant to be taken literally, Tesla," Newton rebukes icily. "Besides, don't re-interpret the Bible based on your limited knowledge. Don't even dare. You did not study hermeneutics. What do you know? Nothing! You're just talking nonsense."

"Look who's talking. As if you studied hermeneutics yourself. Huh!" Tesla rolls his eyes. "Like I said, that's circular reasoning and a special pleading. Saying that the bible is true because the Bible says it is true because it is the words of God, or that God is true because God is real are very self-serving, don't you think? Besides, how sure are you that the Bible is divinely inspired? Is it because the Bible itself said so? Is it because the prophets who wrote it said so, or because those priests and clergymen said so? Oh, jeez, come on, Newton! Give me a break!"

"Then don't believe it! Like Copper said, no one is forcing you to believe it."

"Jeez, Newton, see? You can't even give me a valid proof." Tesla raises his left hand and begins forming a caricature of a mouth with his index finger rhythmatically pressing the other four. "You're just always with your blah, blah, blah."

"If there is no God then who created you? Who created the Sun? The universe? If not God then who, Tesla? Don't tell me you happened to just popped into existence just like that? Randomly? By chance? You think no one created you? Ex nihilo?"

"Your question is loaded, Newton. Besides, why who? Why not what?" Tesla's eyes sags a little. "The answer to your question is simple. The universe created itself from nothing. How? By this thing called gravity. Just like what the late Stephen Hawking said on his best-selling book The Grand Design, and I quote, 'Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.' End of quote."

"Just because something is not needed doesn't mean it don't exists," Newton rebuts matter-of-factly. "Sir Isaac Newton said, and I quote, 'Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done'. End of quote."

"There you go again, boy. Who again. You really assumes that someone did it. Always. Pathetic!"

"Oh, yeah? On the other hand, you assumes that it is a what. Always. Pity!" Newton shakes his head. "Besides, God is the one who created the Laws of Physics and Chemistry. Therefore, He also created the Law of Gravity, in case you don't know. Well, obviously, you don't know. Too bad."

"Really now? Can you prove that your God created gravity?"

"I can't! But can you prove that gravity created the universe?"

"I can't."

"See? You also don't have any proof to support your claim. Looks like we are on the same leaky boat, Tesla."

"Spare me, Newton. You're the only one sailing on your leaky boat. I'm completely satisfied with my yacht, thank you."

"Just prove it!"

"There is proof for the existence of gravity. Why, you don't believe it? Try jumping over that cliff in the backyard and see if-"

"Tesla, you're being a jerk again!" Hawk glares at Tesla. "Stop talking nonsense."

"Wearing a parachute, of course, Hawk."

"Now that's better than-"

"A broken parachute." Tesla cackles.

"Tesla! Quit it. You're being reDUMBculous again. It's not funny."

"Okay. As you wish, Hawk." Tesla stifles another laugh at the mere vision of poor Newton plummeting down the cliff with his broken parachute. He looks at Newton and half-smiles. "Try throwing a ball. What comes up must come down. Isaac Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. You should know that, Newton."

"I know that!" Newton purses his lips. "What I really meant was that you also have no evidence that the universe created itself by means of gravity. But nice try misconstruing my point, though."

"Well, let's say I have none. So what?" Tesla shrugs. "Ever heard of Occam's Razor before, Newton? Gravity is far simplier to use as an explanation for the origin of the universe than your God, don't you think?"

"Nope. Not a chance. Never gonna happen."

"As expected," Tesla mutters wryly. "Your God is much harder to explain on itself, Newton. If your God created the gravity and the universe then who or what created your God?"

"Again, you're being reDUMBculous, Tesla. You're talking about a created god. You're talking about a god that I don't believe in." Newton sighs. "Like I said I believe in the Bible God who is eternal, no beginning or end. Nothing created Him, Tesla. He just is."

"Sure." Tesla shrugs again. "You can believe in any god you want. Even that one with the capital G." He grins. "Just like I said, there are so many gods that societies believe in. Yahweh. Allah. Shiva. Vishnu. Voldemort. You-name-it. Need I say more? You don't believe in those gods? Therefore, in a way, you're also an atheist just like me. Richard Dawkins said and I quote, 'We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further'. End of quote."

"It's only according to you and your precious Dickhead Dorkins."

"Obviously, Newton. But it's Professor Richard Dawkins not Dickhead Dorkins. Calling him names won't earn you points, twerp."

"Whatever."

"Suit yourself."

"How about your gravity?"

"What about it?"

'Who or what created gravity? If not God then what? Any brilliant idea, Mr. Knows-It-All?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You have no idea? Huh! I thought you are a genius." Newton shakes his head. "You just disappointed me. You should know. After all, you are a genius, right, Tesla?"

"Your sarcasm is very stunning in its breath and depth, Newton."

"Look who's talking. You said nothing-"

"Short-term memory, Newton? I said nothing. Nothing created gravity. I just quoted Stephen Hawking, remember?"

"Fantastic! You also has a strange and deviated definition of gravity. Wow. Just wow."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the last time I check the standard dictionaries they define gravity as a fundamental force that makes two physical bodies attract each other proportionally to their masses."

"And in Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity," Hawk adds, eyes fixed upon the canvas. "He describes gravity not as a force but a consequence in the curvature of spacetime caused by the uneven distribution of mass and energy."

"Exactly, Hawk." Newton nods his head. He turns his gaze back to Tesla. "So how could there be gravity if the universe came from nothing? Was there already any physical objects, or better yet, was there already a curvature in space and time before the Big Bang? I thought everything existed after the Big Bang? So how could gravity exist if there were no objects to attract each other and spacetime to curve prior to the Big Bang?"

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟