My father played a prank on me when I was young. He forced me to watch two hours of nothing but the cold, clumsy, damage-less violence of nature. He then proceeded to tell me that at the end of the movie there was a message for me, a message of survival of the fittest and of animalism. I believed him. He promised he would explain why in my study at the castle.
"You should know everything I know, my son," he told me, "I have studied all the natural sciences. If there is one thing the people and animals have unified to create over the years, it is science. It is the one thing that makes life possible. It is the only thing worth knowing." He said it was the one thing that was constant in this endlessly changing existence. He could feel free around me now, but the time would arrive when I wouldn't have faith in him. However, he didn't have much time to wait; only a couple of hours more.
I turned my head to my mother. She had her hair completely and professionally white-washed, so much so that it looked painted onto her face. It sure was an awful sight to wake up to.
"I'm going to study science with father now, mom," I said.
"It's a hard study," she said, "It doesn't fit the typical image of a human."
"I know," I replied, "That's what I want. An image of a human that is above all the other images of humans. One that knows everything, and is unstoppable."
"But don't abandon your feelings for what is human," she pleaded, "Do not abandon your feelings for us."
"Don't worry, mom," I said, "I won't." I smiled and went up the stairs to my father's study.
"Ready, darling?" he said.
We went in and sat across from one another. This was the moment he had been looking forward to for years. He puffed at out his pipe and started to speak without holding any stupid long-winded lecture, "Life is not easy, but there is one thing I think is clear in this world. That's human sciences." He paused for a moment, indicating for me to question him.
"It is human sciences that make life possible, human sciences are where we analyze the universe to survive it, human sciences are where we know everything to better survive it. However, human sciences is most important of all. It is by perfecting this science that humans are able to help other humans, it is the point of evolution. If you want to change, if you want to evolve, if you want to survive, you must join us. You must be a scientist. You must know everything, even though you can't."
For years, he had been working towards this moment. He had nothing else to do except this future, because his past was too sad and his present was too beautiful to consider. He let it all out now and I was the recipient. He knew that this would be the last time he could share all of his secrets, the secrets nobody else knew, with me. He started to shake. I might have been the final masterpiece of his life, the artwork that was just what was missing, the last thing he could create.
"I want everyone to know what I want everyone to know," he said, "I want everyone to know science, but only my son knows it. If they know this, they'll be able to make use of it. If they know this, they'll never need my help. They'll be capable of changing. If they know this, they'll be equal to everything in this world. If they need my help, I'll gladly give it, but I want them to evolve for themselves. I want them to change for themselves."
He stood up and turned to me, tears in his eyes.
"This is the last time for me to tell you about the world. I'll be dead soon." He turned back to me, smiling. "I'll be dead soon."
I was a little surprised, I hadn't thought about that.
"Don't worry, I'll come to you soon, too," he said.
I heard the doorbell.
"That's the police," he said, frowning, "I don't want you to see this. Just remember, everything I've ever said about the human race is true. You must know everything you can about everything. You must interpret everything you know. You must be able to interpret how the whole world works.