It felt like he was asleep a thousand years. Dean opened his eyes, and it was as though he was looking through a prism. He saw twenty small reflections of the same image. Once his mind focused on the image, he could make out he was some kind of a room, although the colors and textures of this room were like nothing he had ever seen before.
"Dsisomer nvjkdjw," said a creature next to him. Somehow he knew that meant, "Good morning Beautiful!"
He looked over at the creature. He almost had a heart attack. It was the most hideous thing he had ever seen in his life. It looked like a combination between a cockroach, a centipede and a praying mantis, and she must have been seven feet tall. He would have jumped up and began attacking it immediately, except that a small part of his brain let him know that this was his wife on this planet, and that she was supposed to look like that. He looked over at a mirror across the room; he looked exactly the same, except he was 7'5". He was freaking out inside, but another part of his consciousness was able to keep him calm.
The calm part of his consciousness was Chalice, only she wasn't a sexy woman anymore. She was a voice inside his head now…maybe like a sixth sense? She helped him feel like he wasn't alone and that he was always loved.
This new inner voice explained that these creatures were on a higher level of existence than humans, and they achieved this because they had no emotions, just like insects on Earth. These creatures had concepts of beauty and loyalty, but they only felt these so long as they perpetuated their own existence, like honey bees for a queen. He went though a day in the life as this alien creature, and it was pleasant enough. All the other ugly creatures were kind and friendly. Everyone accepted their station in life, there was no crime, no hate, no jealously, not even any complaining.
"They're hideous," thought Dean. He didn't want to seem shallow but he couldn't deny his true feelings, especially inside his own head.
"These creatures don't discriminate based on appearance, they all look pretty much the same," Chalice explained. "They're bodies are functional to environment they live in. God created animals to be functional…he created humans to be functional, but they're main purpose was to be beautiful. That was his first mistake. Humans were the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy. They were so beautiful, in fact, that God decided to create them in many different sizes and shapes and colors, just as an artist paints many different pictures and not the same one over and over. But of course the humans didn't see the beauty in each other; most saw beauty in a select few. Many humans led lonely lives because their appearance wasn't pleasing enough. Many humans hated each other because of their differences; racism and bigotry were rampant. The creatures here choose a mate based on availability; they procreate and continue the species. They have no love or lust. When their mate dies, they find a new one, again to continue the species. They're just like insects on your planet, and this civilization has existed for millions of years."
"But they don't feel love, no joy, no happiness…"
"No pain, no loneliness, they are forever at peace…isn't that what you want?"
Dean didn't want to be a bug, no matter how much better than where supposed to be than humans.
"There are more pleasant looking creatures in other plains of existence, but few will be able to surpass the attractiveness of humans. The highest forms of consciousness look like multicolored gasses, completely ethereal, able to experience all things in the cosmos and see all."
"Is God a ball of gas?"
"No, these are the archetypes, and all consciousness stems from them. God is a part of them just as much as you are. I just want you to realize the universe is so much bigger than the human mind can comprehend, you need to know all of your options…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Most humans, when they die, go to heaven or hell. But you and your brother are special…you can choose to stay connected to the Earth, or you evolve to a higher or lower state of consciousness. You will need to give up everything you have known before, but you would never have to deal with the failings of the human race again."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You have an important decision to make, but before you make it…you must see all the failings of humanity. It wasn't your fault you were unable to save them…"