Genomon

The other day I had a vision of a temple to the human genome.

In the fantasy in my head, this temple was built a little over one thousand years from now, in a non-divided world (hopefully stateless). The temple is situated in Olduvai Gorge, known as the “Cradle of Mankind,” as an homage to our place of Rising. It was designed as mankind’s own magnum opus, with absolutely no detail spared and no corner cut. There are no moving parts in the entire structure, but it is lit and “powered” by the highest of nanotechnology’s offerings at the time. Energy is stored in batteries when the Sun hits a metal plate that sits atop the temple, acting as a much simpler and more long-time effective version of photovoltaics. There are no copper wires or bulb lighting; the only electric pulse needed is “piped” through nanotrenches inherent inside the structural material and the light, which only comes on when there is a visitor, is piped-in (and stored) sunlight. The temple’s holy of holies is situated deep within the earth, as the temple is designed to withstand almost anything that could harm the Earth. It was built to stand as a testament either before mankind was destroyed by some outer or inner force, or before mankind had to evacuate Earth, and could someday return to remember his origin.

The structure is made of a uniform nano-formed substance which is impossible to break by any conventional means, and is perfectly proportioned according to statutes like the Golden Mean and also the ratio of man’s figure, as in the Vitruvian Man. Everywhere within the structure, inherent in the design and not elaborated by generated-culturally significant symbology, are testaments to the reality of the human race, as in a coded book. There is a reference to our understanding of when major evolutionary milestones took place, complete with pictures and most importantly stored DNA of everything from archaebacteria to the chimpanzee, and if possible a preserved specimen, directed in a tree of our evolution. The date of the consecration of the temple, recorded both as a number and as a radioactive isotope (universally understandable) is present. In the hall leading to the holy of holies there are 46 double-helixed pillars designed exactly according to the human genome (this hall is probably extremely tall). At the base of each pillar is a specimen, men on one side and women on the other, of people representing as diverse a gene pool as possible according to haplotypes, who have chosen themselves to be preserved as “offerings” to the eternal testament of our genome. Their blood sample is included at the base of the pillar as well. Inside the holy of holies, at the altar, is a depression the size of the average human hand, fingers spread out. Next to it is a ceremonial knife. When a visitor uses the knife to cut their hand sufficiently and presses it into the depression, the warmth and chemicals of the blood flow into tiny channels to activate a sensor which, if the person is a human, displays their own genotype against the backdrop, which I don’t know what that is specifically. It also plays a message appropriate to the discoverer.

I don’t know why that’s significant, but the day when man is peaceful, sapient, and united enough to produce such a testament will be a glorious one indeed.