The Shape of a Rose

On that day, centuries after the Great Cathedrals were built, the first Star-Ship waited on its launching pad. A small group of older men met in Chartres, France. They greeted each other with a secret handshake and descended silently down the steep and creaky wooden staircase to their ancient Meeting Room, hidden in the caves of the Cathedral.

They were known among themselves as "The Keepers of The Rose" and always wore a small red ribbon rolled and tacked in the left buttonhole of their jackets.

After pulling a curtain, their Leader pointed to the blank wall and waited for the appearance of the first slide. A soft humming of approval accompanied the projection of a small circle.

"This is the Ship which brought our Fathers and Mothers to this planet!"

These words had to be precisely and ceremonially spoken in a mournful tone.

The next slide showed that the small circle had become the center of an opened flower. It was "The Rose".

They closed their eyes and chanted softly, "We know Marduk wore it on his wrist. We know it heard and spoke to Oannes from the Sky. So we were told to remember, and so we remember to this day!"

They got up and filed slowly back into the Cathedral to begin walking the Maze. They had to look down at the design. All of them had followed that path silently, once a year, since they were old enough to walk on their own.

As soon as they reached the center of the Maze, each of them looked up at the Rose Window and whispered, "Standing on this ground I remember the ancient Oath, and I ask ‘The Rose’ to show me the way to our Home among the stars."

Usually, after looking at the Rose Window, they would leave the Cathedral and go about their business.

The day of the launch had been declared a global holiday. They went to one of the Bar-Restaurants with the largest screen to watch the lift-off. The tour of the ship had already started and as they sat, the screen was filled with the shape of "The Rose" in the most glorious and shimmering colors.

They barely heard the News Reporter explaining this latest advance in navigational and communication technology which would take the first human crew far into the Milky Way, because everyone was cheering so loudly. They were transfixed, totally silent and immobile in the middle of an enthusiastic and joyous riot. When the majority of the patrons stood on the tables to have a better look, they left one by one and returned to their homes.

They never held another Meeting because everyone else’s Future had finally caught up with their own Past.