Chapter 1
Center Square was a town full of good, Cube fearing people. The pews were full on Sunday morning, as they always were.
“Beware those who are not from here!” said Father Moses to his congregation. He raised his arms in violent pantomimes as he shouted.
“Beware those who come from beyond the Uncanny Valley!” Father Moses continued.
We have a title.
“We are a peaceful people, but we are also an isolated people. Like the Chinese or the Amish or the Shakers before us, we have chosen to cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, and the Cube has given us much glory for doing so!”
The congregation erupted into a chorus of “Amens” and “Hallelujahs”.
Above Moses’ head dangled a golden statue of a Cube. Around the Cube were tall golden candle holders, each one holding a white candle lit.
The congregation looked on to Father Moses for guidance and to the Cube above for its everlasting love and forgiveness.
“Neal down before the Cube and confess your sins my brothers and sisters.”
Each person kneeled.
“Recite with me the words of our Father’s prayer, given to us by…”
Carlos Nina’s eight year old mind began to wander. He was more interested in the pattern of the grain in the wood on the back of the pew in front of him as he kneeled. His eight year old eyes couldn’t even see over the top of the pew to see the Preacher, so why listen if he couldn’t see him? He took the song book out of the slot in front of him and leafed through it. Each page had lines and weird symbols on them along with the words to the songs. An adult hand, his mother’s, took Carlos by the shoulder gently.
“Put that book away, we don’t need it until Father Moses starts to sing.” She whispered.
Carlos looked up at his mother, her golden hair shining the same color as the gold adorning the Cube and the candles beside it. He put the book away with his tiny eight year old hands, obeying his mother and answering “yes mommy.” Carlos’ father put his arm around his mommy and smiled. He looked down at Carlos and smiled too. He ran a hand through Carlos’ hair and whispered “just a little longer and then we can go get breakfast.” Carlos loved breakfast after Church, it was the only reason he liked going to Church. Actually, he thought Church was pretty boring, but he did love chocolate milk and scrambled eggs and bacon and pancakes and French toast and sausage. In one half of an hour, or three songs, a cube sized snack and a priest speech, he would be sitting in a booth at the Center Square Diner waiting for his delicious breakfast.
That was what he found most rewarding about religion, the food.
His parents would say things about how they wished they could eat like him because he never gained weight, whatever that meant. They would drink coffee after eating and Carlos’ dad would give him quarters to play the arcade games in the entrance-way next to the cooler with the elaborate cakes inside.
A few minutes later Father Moses informed the congregation that it was time for the Eucharist.
From the sacred altar the Preacher produced the Cube and the water. He held them above his head and sang in the ancient language words Carlos knew not. Carlos’ father got in line with the other church goers. They all stood patiently waiting, their hands folded in front of them, to eat a piece of the Cube and drink from the sacred Cube water. Carlos was not old enough yet to eat from the Cube, his mommy said. He would have his first communion next year when he turned nine. Carlos was only allowed to eat afterwards. He knew that Cube had to be delicious, why else would all those people wait in line for some?
Carlos’ mommy did not get in line with his daddy to eat the Cube. Carlos did not know why.
After everyone had their snack, the Preacher directed everyone to embrace each other in a spirit of peace and forgiveness. Carlos’ mommy kissed him on the forehead. His father tousled his hair again. After that the Preacher asked the Cube to smite their enemies.
Everyone started to sing after that, a song Carlos did not know.
“The Cube brings us joy and light
The Cube brings us love
The Cube watches all we do
From high above
The Cube smites our enemies
Into a pit of despair
So we challenge anyone
Who calls our Cube a square…”
When the mass ended, Raul Nina led his wife, Dina, and Carlos out of the church and into their car. It was a brand new Car Bizarre right off the line at Center Square’s very own Car Bizarre factory. Raul brought it home last week to a crowd of neighbors all admiring his new ride. Very few Car Bizarre’s had been made available to the public yet, only Car Bizarre employees and government officials. Raul’s job at the factory- which was filling out paperwork for installing specific electronics to the Cars- got him high up on a list of few for the first Cars available for testing. The Car Bizarre was an automaton automobile, i.e. it drove itself. The element of human error had been completely erased because the Car Bizarre was in complete control. Sensors all over the Car prevented any kind of accident. Car Bizarre was also fully online, so you could text your friends, download songs, or surf the web while driving on a digital windshield display. Several other features include a dashboard record player and electric telegraph machine, for the hipster at heart who loves anything old and ironic. Each Car Bizarre also came fitted with its very own patented A.I. personality that conforms to the likes and dislikes of the owner. Oh, and it flies too.
Presently, Raul Nina and his family climbed into their Car Bizarre.
“How was Church, Mr. Nina?” Car asked.
“Church was fine, Car. Thank you for asking.”
“Did you enjoy it as well Mrs. Nina?”
“Church was fine, Car. And you can call me Dina, you know.”
“Very well, Dina.”
“And you Carlos, did you learn anything today?”
“Those music books have a lot of pictures of dicks in them.”
“Carlos!” Raul and Dina shouted in unison.
“But mommy, they do. I must have seen hundreds of them.”
“Take it easy, Dina” Raul insisted, “He’s just using his imagination. Those are music notes, son. Car, can you take us to the Center Square Diner, please. I think someone wants some chocolate milk and scrambled eggs.”
Raul turned around and smiled at Carlos in the back seat.
“Yes sir, right away” Car said.
Raul Nina’s Car Bizarre pulled out of the church parking lot to the astonishment of the other congregation members. Raul Nina thanked the Cube for the gift of such a wonderful family and job as Car Bizarre raced them to the diner.
While driving, Car said, “Sir, can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead Car” Raul answered.
“Sir, my computers have access to every book in the Center Square library, but I can’t find one that has any information on where the Cube came from. Do you know sir? Where did the Cube come from?”
Carlos’ little eight year old ears pricked up in the back seat.
“Yeah, Dad, where did the Cube come from?”
“I’ve even gone through the Holy Book of the Cube, page by page, and while it explains the many facets of the Cube’s personality, its forgiveness, its jealousy, its anger, its love, it never actually says where the Cube came from. The book begins and the Cube is just there, and we are to believe it was always there, before the book even began. Is that what it’s asking us to do?” Car wondered.
“That’s a very good question, Car” Raul said, “and its one that I’m not sure I can answer. I guess we just have to have faith that the Cube will provide for us and love us. I was baptized in the church we were just at, and my folks taught me from day one to believe in the Cube and have faith that the Cube believes in me too.”
“But what does that mean?” Car added.
Raul was stumped. He had no answer to give to the Car. He was saved when he realized that Car had just pulled in to the parking lot of the Center Square Diner.
“We’ll talk about this later, Car” Raul said.
The Nina family exited the Car Bizarre and went into the diner. A round woman with dark hair led them to a booth in the back. She slapped three menus on the table and pulled a pad from her belt.
“Can I get you something to drink for starters?” she asked.
“Two coffees” Dina Nina replied. “And a large chocolate milk for Carlos.”
The waitress winked at the boy and then disappeared into some swinging doors behind a long soda bar.
Raul leaned in close to his wife and spoke in a whisper.
“Can you believe what Car just asked me? Where did the Cube come from? The nerve! I might just go down to Mr. Tamahori’s office tomorrow morning and have a word about this.”
Dina Nina put her hands over her husbands.
“Going into your boss’s office in the morning with a hot head is not going to solve anything. It’ll probably just get you fired, and besides, Carlos asked the same question.”
“He’s a little boy. He’s supposed to be curious. My car, on the other hand is not. He’s supposed to shut up and do his job.”
“Then why did you give it a voice?”
“That wasn’t my idea.”
“It sounds like a slave to me. You shouldn’t give something intelligence and free will if you are going to subjugate it” Dina said.
“What’s free will” said Carlos.
“It’s what we call our ignorance of the future” said Raul.
The waitress returned with their beverages. Carlos took his straw and blew bubbles into the milk upon receiving it.
“But honey,” Raul went on after the waitress left with their orders, “That car is supposed to serve us, not to question our faith.”
“Car didn’t question your faith, Raul. It just wanted to know where the Cube came from. Is that so threatening a question? Nobody knows, you could have told it that.”
Carlos blew more bubbles.
“I don’t have to know where the Cube came from Dina, I just know that it loves me and wants me to be happy and well, and it wants the same for you and Carlos, too.”
Dina couldn’t quite say she agreed with him, but she kept it to herself. A question of faith was a sign of weakness to Raul, and she knew it.
“What about all those people who aren’t happy and well, though? Does the Cube not want it for them, too?”
“They must’ve done something to upset the Cube, I don’t know. Maybe they have lived impure lives.”
“Daddy, what’s impure?” Carlos interjected.
“It just means that they were bad” Dina said.
“Oh.”
Carlos went back to the bubbles in his milk.
“Do you really think the Cube knows the thoughts of every person? Does it see every sparrow fall? Do you think it judges us upon what we do?” Dina asked.
“Yes I do. And I also think that it’s wrong to question the Cube as such. The Cube demands our devotion and we are but ants to it. Questioning the Cube will only anger it. That it why it was wrong what Car said. This is blasphemy.”
The waitress appeared with their breakfast. They ate in silence. After the meal, Raul and Dina drank another cup of coffee each.
Raul gave some quarters to his son for the video games. Carlos plunked the change into his favorite machine, “Pay it forward”. The object of the game was to do as many good deeds in the time allotted as you can. Carlos’ high score was a staggering three thousand seventy two and his initials, C.F.N for Carlos Ferdinand Nina, were on the seventh place marker on the high score screen.
After coffee, Raul paid the bill and led his family out into the bright Sunday morning. As the Nina family walked down the ramp from the diner, Raul took his wife and son by the shoulders and led them onto a patch of grass beside the Car Bizarre. He held them close and looked into the sky.
“Look at it family. Ask the Cube for forgiveness and mercy for ever having questioned it.”
Miles above them in the sky, a massive cube shaped moon sat seemingly motionless. Its massive metal hull gleamed shades of dark gray and silver over all of Center Square.
“Come family, the noon hour is here” Raul Nina said to his family as he kneeled on the grass facing the Cube.
