The Deathbed Confession Of The Monster "Dive" as witnessed and transcribed by Ms. Mary Shelley

This week's sentence was taken from Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein':

"When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it".

The Deathbed Confession Of The Monster "Dive"
as witnessed and transcribed by Ms. Mary Shelley

I dedicate this confession to my inamorata Katie, for it was she who located the fateful artefact in question, she who presented it to me, and it is she - in addition to your good selves, the remainder of humanity - who must live with the consequences of my subsequent actions.

Pray allow me the opportunity of this brief testimony, notwithstanding my fear perforce that you will never see it in your hearts to forgive me for what I have done.

Suffice that the inopportune happenstance of such a marvellous machine falling within the orbit of my influence is a misfortune the world shall rue for long ages to come.

And yet …

When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it.

The sheer enormity of responsibility it implied staggered the mind and I reeled, dizzy with shock, yet the thing lay within my grasp; it only remained for me to stretch out my hand and direct its power howsoever I willed.

I touched it.
How could I not?
I defy any among you to state on oath that you would have acted to the contrary.
The metal was warm from the sun and the moment my fingertip brushed it a sudden shock of realisation thrilled through me; the certain knowledge that this gift could be used once and once only, and that its effect would rely solely upon my own conscious choice.

That choice was laid bare before me, and what a dreadful doom lay in the choosing.

Should I - Could I? - endeavour to save humankind from itself?
For such a machine surely had this dream within its gift: in a single stroke to bring about an end to war, to hatred, to bigotry and persecution, to inequality and injustice.

Yet doubt gnawed at my fragile ego …
Were I to direct such awesome power for the good of the world would its effect consequently become so diluted as to not benefit me directly?

My parched, greedy soul screamed to keep this monstrous and wonderful discovery a furtive secret, perverting its power for the sole gratification of my own desire.

Yet if I did so, would that not equate by omission to using the thing for Evil?

I quailed before the very magnitude of my dilemma.

Again, if I prevaricated, might - in the meantime - another then discover the thing and take such opportunity to use it for their own purposes, depriving both the world - and more pertinently myself - of the glories of its beneficence?

Mea culpa.
I am but a man and as such am driven by greed and lust.
I am weak.
The temptation to reserve this gift unto myself overmastered my too feeble resistance; the choice was made.
Humankind must therefore suffer still the Purgatory of a loveless, conflicted world while I covet this gift and the wonder it brings.

I pushed the button …

The Marvellous Machine