Towering above the landscape, its many gears and wires glittering and glistening in the sun, stands the machine. It sits in the middle of a plain, its shadow stretching for miles, almost to the ring of mountains that encircles the level field. The identity of the creator is lost in time- it seems to have been there forever.
Around it in the fields, tribes of monkeys roam. They pay no attention to the machine- it has always been there, like the mountains and the grass and the river. They live their lives, and when they die their children live theirs, and so time passes for generations.
On a day like any other, a group of monkeys are playing in the fields near the machine, when one of them stumbles upon a wire lying near an outlet. Curious and delighted with their new toys, they play with them for a while before they realizes that they fit together. They connect them, and the machine comes to life with a grinding of gears and a spark of electricity.
Startled, the monkeys run away. The machine settles into a low hum, and the curious monkeys gather to witness this phenomenon.
For a long time they sit and stare at it, mesmerised by the moving gears and flashing lights. Finally a monkey gathers his courage and approaches the machine. With the masses watching, he reaches out a shaking paw and touches it.
Nothing happens. The machine continues to hum quietly. The other monkeys approach and touch the machine as well, rubbing their hands over it and marveling at its beauty.
A flash of light attracts their attention to a large door, set in the otherwise smooth wall. Behind it, a long hallway extends inside the structure. The lights set in the ceiling flicker for a moment more, then burn steadily. The monkeys stare at it for a while, and finally, huddled together and pushing each other along, they enter it.
The hall opens up into an enormous round room, its dome rising up to form a ceiling far above them. The walls are covered in rows of buttons, all blinking on and off with red light. The monkeys gather within and stare in fascination at the sight. They are unsure of what to do next, but as they huddle against the wall, one monkey accidentally brushes against a button, and a banana falls from the ceiling and lands in front of him. He eats it as the others watch, amazed at this new magic.
Another monkey pushes a button, and recieves a banana as well. Outside, another group of monkeys sit and stare at the machine, mesmerised by the moving gears and flashing lights. A few moments later they are joining the monkeys inside, who receive them with happy screeches and a demonstration of the powers of the machine.
Years go by. The monkeys all live inside the machine now. They pay no attention to it- it has always been there, like the mountains and the grass and the river. They live their lives, and when they die their children live theirs, and so time passes for generations.
On a day like any other, a group of monkeys are playing in the fields near the machine, when one of them stumbles upon a wire in an outlet. Curious and delighted with their new toys, they play with them for a while before they realizes that they come apart. They disconnect them, and with a grinding of gears, the machine dies.
Startled, the monkeys run away. The hum is gone, replaced by dead silence as creatures all across the plains stare at the machine, wondering at this new phenomenon. Inside, the monkeys continue to push buttons for a while, but nothing happens, and eventually they grow bored and wander away.