Omniscience

Everthing about this story is mine. (Hopefully) The idea is completely unique and original and it came to mind while I was working on B. Limits. It's a one shot but if needs be, I'll work on it a little more, huh? Also, I refrained from putting area and location specifics so hopefully, everyone could relate to the story.

Goal: 15k

Claimer: This fic is all mine. Lawyers, go suck a lemon and leave me be! Unless you want to help me out by suing other people.

We've all been there. 'Boy, what a stupid question.' If an omniscient being existed on earth that could answer any question you had without any trickery or beating about the bush, what question is important enough? Any question? What if asking the question, removes ten years off your pre-destined life span as forfeit? Is the answer still that valuable?

XxX

Every year, it changed. Out of everyone on the planet, a person is seemingly randomly chosen by some otherworldly being or influences to become completely Omniscient. They would have the…'Gift' for exactly thirty days before they died. The 'lucky' person got the gift on the start of a month with exactly thirty days in it. Like April or June. But to just die without any causes found in autopsies? A bit spooky, isn't it?

Some view it as a gift. To be able to answer every question without fail, no doubt a miracle, straight form the throne of God, or any other Deity or 'Alien' one worshipped. It would be a philosopher's dream, to have every question answered. Only ten years? I can live without that, you might say. What if you were supposed to die in ten years? Is the question is still that important?

Others view it as a curse. To be able to answer every question without fail, no doubt a damnation, straight from the pits of Hell, or any other 'Bad' Deity or 'Alien' one worshipped. It would be a household's nightmare, to have every question answered. Only ten years? I can live without that, you might say. What if you were supposed to die in ten years? Is the question still that important?

"Is there life out there in space?" One could argue that it's an important question, saying that it would be good to know. Others would say it would be worthless knowledge. 'So aliens exist? Who cares? They don't care about us!'

"Where's the television remote?" One would say that it a most ridiculous question, why waste ten years on that question? Are you crazy? That could be either good knowledge or useless knowledge. The television could have faulty buttons and the remote's the only key to operating it? So?

Your favorite series is about to end on a certain channel. And the television…is currently on the wrong channel.

"So? Watch it later or find out later, I guess."

Due to a source of bad luck, it will only be aired once and all video streaming sites have the clip in horrible quality, near useless? Still unimportant?

It's all opinion.

Three years ago, an American maid became the oracle for the brief time period. Along with being fairly isolated, someone finally asked the question.

"What's the meaning and purpose of Life?"

He asked the question privately and when he came back out from the meeting, he was incredibly depressed and disappointed. He later committed suicide by hanging himself and left a small note, penning the words 'It's not worth living.'

And everyone in all their wisdom, although curious, didn't ask the maid what she had told him. They would have tried to find someone who already felt suicidal or something of the sort to ask her but by the time someone suitable enough was found, the maid's time as the 'Gifted' had expired, and so had she.

That's how it went. A scholar once argued that it was a horrible curse, knowing everything but to ask who would mean that you had to give up too much, the price was horrible. 'It was as if dangling poisoned food in front of a starving man.' To not eat, would mean agony and a slow death while eating it could similarly cause a slow death, or speed it up, depending on the poison's potency.

And the oracle was no different. Knowing everthing was already a mixed curse and blessing but one knew they would die inside thirty days and all one could do was sit and wait for it, maybe put one's own household in order. Or prematurely end one's own life on their own terms. But being the moronic creatures that the human race is composed of, we cling to life, although we all know it ends far too soon.

We don't need Omniscience to know that.

XxX

Keith was in a hurry. He was currently running late for his favorite show that was aired on his local station. He had been following it up for a long time and he had never missed a segment.

The warm June air made him perspire as he speed-walked through his frequently used shortcut to get home. He was cutting it close. His show would start in ten minutes and from where he was, he would reach home in twelve.

'Hopefully, the opening song will play and then the show will 'cut' for advertisements for another minute before it starts.' He thought.

In another minute, he was soon humming and whistling the opening tune from memory and he thought he was doing a pretty good job of it.

'Eight minutes left.' He guessed, counting on his internal body clock.

He rounded a sharp corner in a relatively unfrequented area and bumped into someone as he turned. He was promptly pushed back by a calloused palm out of the person's 'personal' space and he eyed them carefully. The person was dressed in some sort of halfway point between casual and party-going with a polo shirt that was unbuttoned to show off their neck and chest along with some three-quarter pants and crepe-soles.

They had one hand out in front of Keith to stop him and their other hand at their side with the palm behind him. Keith stared at the man who brought out his other hand from behind him to reveal a red spotted handkerchief and pointed it at the boy's chest. Keith's eyes widened as he eyed what was wrapped inside the fabric. He beheld a 9mm black steel pistol and the man smirked.

"Gimme everything you got, now. Money, cell phone, everthing!" The man hissed.

Keith stared open mouthed in horror as his heart-beat sped up exponentially. His pupils constricted in his terror and the boy stood, paralyzed.

"I said now!" The man snarled.

The boy still stared.

The man brandished his gun at the boy threateningly. "What are you, stupid?"

Hardly was the question spoken then man dropped his weapon and his eyes stared upwards, revealing whites. He crumpled into a heap on the ground, the gun falling to the ground, bouncing twice, then stayed.

"No, I'm infinitely wise." Keith said. Immediately, the lad clapped his hand over his mouth, amazed at what he had just said, coupled along with mixed confusion and horror at what had just transpired. The muscle responsible for pumping his blood let up some, but not much as he tried to gather his bearings.

'What…what just happened? And what did I just say?' He gazed at what looked to be a now dead criminal on the hard ground. Oh God, what just happened?'

He soon came to a more effective state of mind as he took out his cell phone and quickly dialed the emergency number.

Ring…ring…ring…ring…ring…

"Come on, come on, pick up, pick up."

"Hello, good afternoon, what is your emergency." The dispatcher said in slightly bored-sounding monotone.

"Yeah, I'm reporting an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"The emergency is that of a near robbery and death of my potential assailant." Keith said in a strange voice. He cleared his throat, starting to wonder what the hell was wrong with him.

"Where did this take place?"

Keith could feel the boredom and doubt in her voice but he answered again, nonetheless. 'Maybe she thinks this is a prank call.' He thought absentmindedly.

"At the corner of Main Street and Charles avenue." He replied in that new strange voice, confusing the hell out of himself.

"Hang on, we're going to send over a patrol shortly. He should already be in the area, though. If he fails to appear, call again. Good day."

The dispatcher hung up and Keith scratched his head, still wondering what was going on with himself today. It was his first time acting like this.

He looked down and saw the gun of his attempted killer and pushed it away daintily with his foot, afraid it might go off.

'Oh geez. I'm running late for my show. I wonder if it's filler or important to the main storyline?' He looked down at the man lying on the ground dead and shook his head.

'Here I am, thinking about my show and I nearly died and the crook dead at my feet. Something really must be wrong with me.'

This is my first story I didn't plan before hand and I'll be making it up as I go along. My aim is maybe ten to fifteen thousand words but I'll try to keep the story as practical and down to earth as possible.

In the meantime, what kind of question do you think is important enough to pay the cost of ten years? Don't worry, you can ask me a question or two. You won't die…

Today…Heh Heh.

Tell the world (and me) what kind of question you would ask, if any at all in a review.

Until next time.

Sayonara…wait a minute… this ain't one of my Naruto stories!

Goodbye people…Sincerely,

Mray 4TW.