The divider

(This is by far the most fantastic dream I have ever had).

A robot-like, organic entity that looks as if it was made out of cardboard and tape, with squarish, reflective eyes, is found floating in space above Earth. On its chest there are three buttons, one which reads “Earth Solution”. The other two are engraved with the numbers “2″ and “3″, respectively. The being, or thing, is barely alive, and it mutters incomprehensibly in numbers and weird syllables.

The strange creature is taken down to Earth where we start trying to decipher its constant flow of inapprehensible speak. It seems in distress, trying hard not to be understood. I feel sorry for it, and I want to know what it is it knows.

While all of this is going on, there’s a sense of fear and near-doom all around us, as if the planet is about to break out in total chaos, from wars, diseases, loss of faith and the abundance of hope. We’re working against the clock while the planet is falling apart.

Someone dares to suggest that we press the button on the creatures’ chest. After all, the words make sense, and it must be what we’re meant to do. What could we lose by trying? Some are sceptical, including me. I have a bad feeling about it. We decide to vote for it. The majority wants to press the button.

As soon as the decision is made, the creature raises its arm and presses the button itself.

My point of view changes. I’m looking at planet Earth from space. It has stopped spinning. A giant crack appears near the North pole. It extends down the center of the planet and the two halves start to tear away from each other. It’s a profound and deeply shocking event. The Earth divides, shreds of land and billions of tiny particles of water slowly stretch out between the two halves, and a hazy, green fog surrounds the planet. The divided parts of the Earth now starts to tilt in a slow, majestic manner, and the open ends end up facing each other at a slight angle. Bits and pieces float in the space between them. It’s dead silent and I fear everyone has died.

Suddenly I’m back on Earth. Looking up, I can now see the massive, dark innards of the other half of the planet hovering above us. It is a breathtaking spectacle; beautiful, impossible and horrible. I fear I’m about to lose my mind.

I snap back as the creature catches my attention. It is floating in mid-air right in front of me. It starts singing a song. It’s a happy tune, and though I don’t understand a word of the lyrics, it still occurs to me that it’s a song about peace and unison, love and harmony. It makes me angry, and a bit wary – what comes next? The creature hits the button on its chest marked “2″.

Thousands of small creatures, the same as the first one except in size, start emerging from everywhere around me. People flee in panic. I can’t move, and I’m not sure I’m even trying to. The creatures now start dividing people, cutting them in half. Everyone gets split down the middle. This thing is happening all over the planet, on both divisions. And although split in two, everyone is still able to stand upright.

Then the creatures start joing people together again, only they mix the halves from different people to form new ones. It’s so very, very surreal. Most halves don’t fit at all, but still they become whole, and there are no signs or wounds showing they were ever separated. They are perfectly joined at the middle.

The first creature approaches me with a stern look. It says to me: «You asked for it». It starts dividing itself. I look at myself and I see that I’m being cut in half as well. I can’t describe what it feels like, but it’s nothing like pain at all. It feels like flying, or falling, it’s a relief, an escape, a sigh of completeness.

The left half of the creature merges with my right, and vice versa. The creature points at the button marked “3″ on my left half. I understand, and press it. From above Earth, I now witness the joining of the two planet halves. There are no stars in the vicinity, only blackness surrounds the slowly moving domes. It doesn’t merge where it is supposed to, but still it fits perfectly. The Earth starts spinning again like usual, and I feel good about it all.