Tyler Folkedahl

Emily Cherry

HUM 212

13/2/17

Ganz

Hello a cool voice called out from above. Light started to fade in from darkness, and

a persons face started to swim hazily in his vision. A womans face. She smiled pleasantly

down at him. Nice to see youve come to.

H...hello he stammered. His head was swimming and he had trouble focusing on

anything. He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there, or who this strange woman

was.

Did you have a pleasant journey? She reached out and stroked his arm, cocking her

head inquisitively to the side.

I I dont know I think so He braced himself against the ground and realized that

he was lying on a sandy beach. Looking around, he saw palm trees swaying gently in the breeze

in front of him, and a vast ocean expanding behind him. Um Where am I?

This is Ganz. She reached out and helped him to stand up. Her hands were very soft,

and he started to feel more at ease now that he was back on his feet.

And how did I get here?

Youve been summoned.

Okay. Uh, by who?

You ask so many questions. Come with me. She grabbed his hand and tugged him

forward toward the forest spanning in front of them. He thought about putting up a fight, but
decided that it would be better to let her take him where she was going and figure out the details

later.

The forest they were traipsing through was lush and smelled fresh. Plants tickled the

bottoms of his feet as he tread barefoot (he only had on a small but trendy pair of shorts) and

gazed around. Animals peered at him as they passed, seeming to be entirely unafraid of his

presence. Here and there he saw a person relaxing on different kinds of naturally formed seating

carved in rocks or made of downed trees. They all smiled pleasantly at him as he passed, and he

smiled back, feeling lulled into a sense of security by the warm, idyllic climate.

Why arent the animals running away? He asked after they passed a fourth marmoset

hanging on a tree right next to the path they were walking, not more than a foot away. He could

have reached out and stroked it.

The animals here have no natural predators, so they have no reason to fear us. She

reached out and scooped up a bright yellow bird and cupped it in her hand. It tittered at her

before lifting off and flying away.

They pressed on through the forest for a few more minutes, and he gazed around in silent

wonderment. The canopy grew thick above them, and sunlight streamed through the thin leaves,

imbibing everything with a green hue. The fresh, earthen scent only grew more pungent the

further they went, and he felt like he was being integrated into nature itself. Rich colored

apricots and pomegranates hung from the trees, with grape vines winding their way around their

trunks. The woman guiding him stopped to grab an apricot and handed it to him. The juice

trickled down his arm as he took a bite, and the tangy sweet taste washed over his tongue.

Seemingly out of nowhere, they emerged from the forest directly into the outskirts of a

city. Stunned, he looked back, wondering why he hadnt noticed them coming on the buildings
sooner. The forest stood behind them like a great wall, protecting the hamlet from view. Small

but ornately decorated marble buildings dotted the land, and stone pines and cyprus towered

above them. Artichokes sprouted on the ground in small clusters.

Im sorry, where are we?

Were in Ganz, I already told you.

I know, but in the grander sense, where. Like where in the world are we.

She cocked her head again and gave him a strange look. Where in the world?

Yes, the globe, earth. You know. Where in the world.

There is only Ganz. She replied, smiling pleasantly at him. Your kind always have

trouble with that bit at first.

My kind? What do you mean?

You are a man.

Yes.

We have no men here, aside from you.

What? There are no men here?

Had you not noticed that weve only passed women so far? She looked at him and

giggled.

I suppose not He looked around. There were no other people in sight, so he didnt

have anything to compare to. But then, what am I doing here?

Its the festival, one of you arrives every year. Speaking of which, I need to alert our

spirit of your presence. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her toward the

nearest building.

Your spirit? Excuse me? Where are you taking me?

 She spun around and took his face in her hand. No more questions. Everything will

make sense soon enough. Her words were stern, but not harsh. She gave him a look that cut

through him with honesty and good will, and he felt his muscles start to relax.

Okay. he said, convincing himself that nothing that terrible could happen in such a

peaceful seeming place. She spun around and guided him through the uncovered arch into the

building. It was sparsely decorated with elegant wooden furniture and marble counters cut out of

the stone that made up the very structure of the building. There seemed to be no appliances, and

nothing sat on the table aside from a square marble cube about the size of an orange.

Are you hungry? she gestured to a chair for him to sit. It felt comfortable and

supportive.

I suppose, yes. he said.

She brushed her fingers across the top of the counter, and a bowl lowered down from a

platform that seemed to appear from nowhere out of the marble cabinet that cropped out from the

wall above the counter. She approached a nondescript marble block standing in the corner, and

upon tapping it a door swung out from its seemingly seamless face. She piled the bowl full of

fruits and grains, and placed it on the table in front of him. He stared at it.

She seated herself across from him and tapped the small marble box. It hinged open in

various directions and a small blue orb glided out and levitated in the midst of the angular

contraption. She took the blue orb in her palm, held it for a few moments, and slotted it back

into the round notch in what was previously a cube. A few moments later, a small hologram of a

woman sprang up from the device. Thank you for your retrieval. All arrangements are in order.

We await for your arrival at the festival in a few hours time. The hologram vanished.

Why are you not eating? she asked, looking at him from across the table.
 What just happened.

Oh, thats right. I forget that youre not from here. I just sent a message to my

supervisor about your arrival. I apologize, Ive only been working this position for a few years, I

still have yet to adjust to the act of bringing in newcomers. Its all still rather exciting for me.

She smiled at him and stood up, fixing herself her own bowl of food.

How does that thing work? he gaped at the device which had resumed its shape as a

cube, and like the other devices in the building appeared entirely seamless.

It reads your genetic makeup through the brush applied to the top of the cube, and then

the interface opens. When you take this sphere in your hand- she grabbed it and placed it in his

hand, it records your thought to be processed as a hologram from the receptor. She grabbed

the orb and clicked it into the device. A hologram of her face appeared, and his own voice

mumbled why is she putting this in my hand, what is going on here- before she tapped the orb

and the device slid shut again, each piece intuitively snapping back together. She set the cube

aside and began eating out of her bowl.

He turned his attention back to his own food, and started eating. He wondered for a

moment how he could even manage to take food in when he was so astounded by the workings

of this world, but the thought passed quickly as the taste hit his mouth. It was fresher and more

delicious than any food he had ever tasted. It looked like a simple meal of fruits and oats, but the

flavor was so strong and rich that he was blown away. He didnt understand how something so

average looking could taste so amazing.

You like it? She said. He looked up and realized that his bowl was already two thirds

gone. She was smiling at him, contentedly munching at her food.

This is the best meal Ive ever had. I dont understand.

 Our food growing processes work with the natural environment to create perfectly

ripened fruits and vegetables with the richest flavors possible. Nature gives us everything we

need.

When they had finished their meals, she deposited the bowls into a bin in the counter,

whose lid appeared upon her touch as well. Shall we continue?

Yes. He said, springing up. He was eager to see what other fantastic creations this

world would hold.

This time she walked in front of him rather than leading him by the hand. After a short

distance, they entered a clearing where there was a reflecting pool surrounding a strip of lush

green grass. Lining the green inner path was a row of gorgeously carved marble sculptures,

stretching out in a long line. She led him across a bridge over the pond, and they approached the

first sculpture. It depicted a woman standing next to a small aeroplane, holding a map in one

hand, the other resting on the planes wing.

Is that Amelia Earhart? He asked, feeling once again like the world had been tipped

on a slant underneath him. The statue seemed to stare down into him, her short hair and sharp

cheekbones starkly contrasting her soft eyes.

Yes! She was the first person to arrive here from away. Most of you do not recognize

her. She beamed at him, seemingly impressed with this fact.

He approached the statue and read the plaque affixed to its base.

Amelia Earhart, the woman who revolutionized

our society and ushered in a new golden age

 I dont he looked up and she was already strolling down along the path past the

subsequent statues. He rushed after her.

The remaining statues lining the path were predominantly men, with a woman dropped in

here and there. The plaques all read mainly the same thing for the men:

John Francis, the man who allowed the continued

Success of our society in 52. Thank you.

Darren Ashby, the man who allowed the continued

Success of our society in 73. Thank you.

So on and so forth. The statues were all simple and realistic portrayals of their subjects,

but something about them seemed to be filled with a unique energy. He was drawn into each

sculpture, and could have studied each one for an hour. As they drew to the end of the path, he

saw that a new statue was almost finished being erected. They drew nearer and he saw that the

woman leading him was smiling. Another woman was smoothing out finishing touches on the

legs, amazingly, with her bare hands. His eyes drifted to the face, and what little sense of the

world he had was blown out of him. He was staring up at a statue of himself.

But what did how did you his mouth stopped working. The woman he had been

following almost started questioning him on his confusion, when suddenly a child ran up and

snatched her attention. She played with the young girl for a moment, and then sent her scurrying

off.

Why isnt that child in school? He asked, trying to get some grasp back on the world

that was spinning around him here.

 Oh, we have no need for school here anymore. Our communication systems have

become so advanced that we can pass skill training on instantaneously, and children will not

begin philosophy training until the age of 12. Her attention focused back on him, they resumed

their tour of the hamlet. He had finally resigned himself to stop asking questions, as she had

suggested, and rode along behind her in a sort of bliss-like ignorance.

The next few hours flew by him as he was assaulted and assailed with new sights and

social norms that pushed him outside of his sense of self. Everywhere, women lounged and

celebrated with each other, noting his presence but not dwelling on him. They were all having

heightened discussions about the intricacies of their crafts, the existential nature of their

existence, and seemingly everything in between. He felt like an imbecile. Everyone mingled

with everyone. He learned that they functioned as a we-unit, so that every woman on the

island was in a family with everyone else. Children were raised communally, and it seemed that

everyone accepted everyone else without worrying about the judgement of a label. There was no

discussion of the law, because there was no need; the laws existed, but had never been broken, so

why discuss their technicality?

They spent an hour working on a farm; he dug holes, planted trees, and harvested crops,

all by hand. He discussed the intricacies of the physical connection to earth over technological

farming with a wizened old woman while she dug next to him

.He observed a philosophy class with the 12-16 year old girls. They debated and

discussed the foundations of their society at great length; how did veganism bring them closer to

the true harmony with the earth that they sought to achieve? What does it really mean to have a

relationship with someone? Was tradition or technology more important?

 He watched for 30 minutes as people worked in labs; they conducted science experiments

on concepts he didnt even understand. The technology they used was so advanced that it defied

his very understanding, as it attempted to investigate itself to determine whether or not it was

valid.

The sun began to set, and they finally settled down to rest on the beach after what felt like

the longest day of his life. He felt like he had experienced the entire globe and beyond. Then he

remembered where he was and the questions came flooding back.

I still dont understand whats going on here. Why am I here, who are you people, what

is going on here? He sputtered out after sitting under the palm tree for 10 minutes wondering to

himself how he could ask the question eloquently.

You are here for the festival. she laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

What does that mean, I am here for the festival.

It happens here every year. One of your kind washes up, and we praise our spirit for

allowing us to live here in peace and prosperity. Weve been over it, remember? Its tonight,

everyone is getting ready right now. The whole family comes out.

So, its like, a concert?

Yes, like a concert! A sort of, spiritual entertainment gathering.

Do you do anything else for fun?

She laughed out loud at him. Of course we do. We have recreational experiences as

well, we understand the value of balance here. There is art to be viewed, natural preserves to be

explored. I did not know that you would be so inquisitive, I have not met one like you before.

One what?

Oh, a male. She giggled. Shall we go?

 Yes. Yes, lets go. he stuttered, a heat growing behind his cheeks. His stomach twisted

when she grabbed his hand again.

All of the women coming to the festival were clad in loose, flowing clothing. Everyone

wears their best out for tonight. We want to celebrate. She offered information up freely now,

sensing his increased interest. The food is freely offered for all to take, if you wish. She led

him to a table decorated with roasted vegetables and fresh fruits on spits sitting in the middle of

the road. People milled about, someone occasionally plucking one here and there. He grabbed a

roast vegetable kebob, and marveled at its flavor and freedom. He noticed the hum of far off

music creeping into his subconscious. His guide seemed to notice it simultaneously, because she

grabbed his hand and started pulling him along with the crowd toward the source of the sound.

By the way, whats your name? He asked, raising his voice as the noise of the crowd

and the music grew around him.

It doesnt matter! She shouted back, grinning as she spun and drug him forward. The

crowd started to part around them, and suddenly they stopped. Floodlights were shining down

upon them from up above, and the music had finally swelled to a starting point. The song

unleashed, and against all odds, he found himself once again, stunned.

Lady Gaga was descending from the sky, belting the opening lines of Come to Mama

from Joanne. He stared up, awestruck, and she dropped down toward him. He felt his guides

hand slipping away from his, and he turned to catch one last glimpse of her as she faded into the

crowd. He cried out, but could no longer be heard. The women had swelled all around him now,

the crowd swelling and swaying as the women moved to the song. He felt himself begin to leave

the ground.
 It was like he was being pulled by a string around his belt. He was powerless to fight, or

even really flail his body. He ascended until, at the perfect moment, he and Gaga lined up face to

face. She launched into the second chorus as the pair began to swirl around each other in the

atmosphere.

COME TO MAMA

TELL ME WHO HURT YA

THERES GONNA BE NO FUTURE

IF WE DONT FIGURE THIS OUT

They ascended up and up with the song, and the roar grew below. They spun out and out,

the song seeming to course through the two of them in spite of his best efforts. When the song

finally came to its ultimate chord, the two of them smashed together. A shockwave went out

across the world.

Below, the women picked themselves off of the ground. They collected their skattered

belongings, embraced their neighbors, and headed back home. The celebration had renewed

them, and there were 890 more days until the next one in which they would continue to search

tirelessly for the ultimate meaning in their existence.