A creation story…

Between Nothingness and Eternity
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This is the start of a “book” I have been writing for some time.  It was written some time ago, but I suddenly had the urge to share it.  Hope some find it enjoyable…

IN THE BEGINNING…
There was nothing.
This statement is inherently true, but also fundamentally impossible.  What is a “beginning”? The point at which something starts.  In terms of time as we know it it, when would this point be?  It would have to be that point in time in which there was not activity in time previous.  In other words, nothing can have happened before. Similarly, time would have to end with nothing. If time is linear, then it would begin and end with nothing, resulting in it starting and ending in the same place.  This suggests that time is actually circular, with no beginning and no end.
To further complicate the issue, what is “nothing”? Nothing could be defined as the absence of something.  It is one of those concepts that can only be understood by what it is not, not by what it is.  That said, it cannot exits.  For as long as we have a concept of nothingness, than there is something, be it only a concept. So in order for there to be nothing, we can not even have the concept of nothingness.   Can something exist if it can not even be conceptualized?
So we have established that nothing can and in fact does exist at the beginning and end of time, which basically means that time is in fact not linear, but cyclical in some manner.  So it is completely true to say that “in the beginning, there was nothing”.
This also suggests that nothing is impossible.
NOW
that everything is “clear”,  we have a beginning:
“This is very boring.  What does one do when one has a timeless eternity to deal with?  Especially with absolutely nothing to work with?  There must be some contrast.  After all, a picture without variations in color lacks appeal.  Of course, there are no pictures yet, or colors for that matter, because they haven’t been created  yet.”
These are the “thoughts” that ran through the “mind” of THE ETERNAL.  Why the quotes?  “Thoughts” implies that there was something in the beginning, which there wasn’t.  “Mind” suggests that THE ETERNAL functions in a manner similar to other sentient beings (if there were any), which idea would be foolish. Who, or what, is THE ETERNAL?   Now that would be telling!  THE ETERNAL is…ugh…well……suffice to say that THE ETERNAL is.  THE ETERNAL was.  THE ETERNAL does.  THE ETERNAL did.  Understand?  No?  Best not dwell on it!
THE ETERNAL pondered a bit.  “How can I make my existence more exciting?  Ah!  I shall create a game.  But no more solitaire.  This game will have teams.”  This proved to be somewhat difficult, since nobody existed at the moment.  “I’ll have to create players.  But not too many.  And the rules must be simple.  After all, I don’t want to overwork myself!”  THE ETERNAL, though all powerful, was a rather lazy being.  After a few eons of thought, THE ETERNAL had a solution.  “I will create two beings that will each have the power of creation themselves.  Each will be limited to one method.  I will allow them to compete in the shaping of my nothingness.  The one that creates the most interesting something will be the winner.”
THE ETERNAL snapped the proverbial fingers.  Now this was a good trick, since THE ETERNAL had no fingers.  In the blink of a non-existent eye, two other beings popped into existence.  They examined their lack of surroundings with a look of enlightened confusion (not an easy look to achieve, even for such powerful beings).  THE ETERNAL explained to them that they were the players in a great game.  Pointing a non-existent finger at one:  “You will create by using the strictest of rules.  I will call you LAW.”  To the other, “Your only limitation is that your creations may not be patterned.  I will call you CHAOS.”  THE ETERNAL, now exhausted, said “Let the game begin!” and wondered if this game would really be worth all the effort just expended.
The two players went to it with a will.  CHAOS started clapping non-existent hands (CHAOS no more had hands than THE ETERNAL had fingers) and random bits of energy/matter were called into being.  CHAOS sent these bits and pieces of something here and there.  Some would combine and make formless shapes.  Others would cancel each other out.  These non-shapes and bits of energy flitted about, or remained still, or did a little of both, some almost seeming to create a pattern but never quite achieving one.  THE ETERNAL was pleased.  “Now this is interesting!  But the game seems likely to end shortly, for LAW does not seem to be participating.”  Indeed LAW had so far done nothing.
“Have no fear, my Creator,” LAW suddenly announced.  “I have just been establishing my rules.  I will now begin my creation.”  LAW then began gathering the bits and pieces generated by CHAOS and organizing them.  The movements that approached patterns were suddenly locked into those patterns.  The formless began taking form.  All was gathered together in an intricate dance.  The larger forms tended to appear still, while the smaller forms and free energy/matter swung about in ever increasing non-randomness.  Some smaller patterns seemed to lack cohesion, but taken with the whole, all was well ordered.
“Beautiful!,” exclaimed THE ETERNAL.  “But again I feel that the game will end too quickly. Unless CHAOS can better this display.”  CHAOS had also been intrigued by the creation of LAW.  Responding to the challenge of THE ETERNAL, CHAOS waved one of those paradoxically existing hands and simply shattered the structure of LAW.  LAW concentrated harder and re-established the order.  CHAOS shattered again, only to have LAW counter immediately.  Back and forth went this tug of war for an eon or two.  THE ETERNAL started to lose interest.
“This is getting me nowhere!” CHAOS grumbled, and began changing tactics.  Instead of breaking what was made, CHAOS began adding bits of energy/matter.  Here a pattern was disrupted.  There a shape was malformed.  LAW began to have difficulty maintaining coherence.  THE ETERNAL’s attention was brought back to the game.
“This game will not be so simple.  The struggle has magnificent potential!  What will you do now LAW?”  LAW was concentrating too determinedly to respond.
THE ETERNAL continued to watch, but LAW did not appear to change anything.  CHAOS added more energy/matter with the anticipation of victory.  Still LAW seemed to do nothing.   However, as THE ETERNAL watched, the structure slowly regained its cohesion.  After another few eons, THE ETERNAL realized what was happening.  Instead of trying to counter the additions of CHAOS, LAW was simply incorporating them into the existing patterns.  CHAOS became angered, not perceiving what LAW was doing.  The harder CHAOS tried to disrupt the patterns, the more cohesive they became.  As the struggle continued, THE ETERNAL noticed another oddity.  The structure began to shrink.  The smaller the structure became, the harder it was to perceive the patterns.  Thus it was harder for CHAOS to perform the destructive magic.  The structure became infinitesimally small, and CHAOS could no longer easily determine where to make additions.
“Bravo LAW! I do believe you may win.”  CHAOS became enraged when THE ETERNAL said this.
“I will not be defeated!” CHAOS shouted.  CHAOS reached towards the structure and randomly grabbed an insignificant bit of energy/matter.
LAW saw this and yelled; “Now you’ve done it!”
The structure could no longer maintain itself.  CHAOS, realizing that the structure was about to be destroyed, threw the bit of energy/matter at it to speed up the process.  With a big bang, the structure exploded.  All the energy/matter flew away in an ever-expanding sphere.  Some of the elements retained their order.  Others broke back into random, formless bits and pieces.  The sphere continued to expand, and there was no evidence that it would stop any too soon.  Both LAW and CHAOS looked at THE ETERNAL.
“Who won?!” CHAOS demanded.
THE ETERNAL shrugged non-existent shoulders.  “Until the final results of the last action are seen, there is no winner.  The game must go on!  Now I am tired from all this exertion.  I will rest.  I will check on you two periodically to see how the contest progresses.”  With a flourish of a non-existent cape, THE ETERNAL vanished.
The game continued.
And so time truly began.