Hupert

Chapter 1 (11/11+?)

Nona organized her files back into her fold, said her goodbyes and proceeded to go to the Island’s section where she lived: the skeptics’. Her commute was equal to the other philosophers’ with whom she worked, since the building of the Island’s Administration Center was situated perfectly in the center of the Island.

Succeeding her entering her section, Nona noticed a fellow skeptic in a steady position while staring at an engrossing wall.

“Aristipo?” she called for his attention “what is inducing you to willfully stare at a wall?”

“Nona?” he asks without changing the object of his sight.

“Yes”

“I have reached a crossroads: I can not be sure if it is more appropriate for me to doubt the existence of the wall I behold, once my senses are not as keen as the Gods’, and go on walking towards the location I suspect said wall is; or if I should question my ability to doubt in a justifiable manner and trust my senses that there is, in fact, a wall before me”

“Aristipo, what you speak of is the precise reason behind the Island’s arrangement of cushions for walls in our section”

“Nevertheless, Nona, what is making my spirits unsettled is not whether I am safe or not from the consequences of my decisions, but the very possibility of my competence of doubting. What keeps me from moving is not the question ‘will I harm myself by doubting my senses’; but, truly, my inquiry is ‘am I capable of rightfully choosing when to doubt my senses?’”

“It appears to me, my friend, that you are wondering whether your non targeted questioning could lead you to doubt unreasonably and, therefore, affect your capability of virtually judging your senses”

“Precisely. Besides, if I do not choose a criterion to select an action, how am I to resolve the extent that my questioning of the senses may reach?”

“Would you happen to have chosen said criterion?”

“Dear Nona, you need not to doubt the only possible induction from me standing here the entire morning as the answer to that question” she rolled her eyes.

“Well, indeed you appear to be with a greatly disturbing juncture. Commonly, when one finds oneself in such position, one transfers to the pragmatics’ section or deceases uttering one’s last words to this dearest wall”

“How is it worthy of me knowing if I should transfer to the pragmatics section, when I am not even able to confirm the justness of my inquiry?” Nona sighed.

“Perhaps I should write to your mother, then. I advise you to strive to choose those last words. I reckon that having the rest of your life to choose may sound like a great deal of time now; but it should feel like a minute to someone with such a capital inquiry as you” and, with those words, Nona distanced herself from her acquaintance.

Nona pondered about the wretchedness of her words, if the reason for such an unfeeling statement was her tiering of witnessing the skeptics’ method, when radicalized, lead them to a state where life becomes unviable. This weariness had, lately, been impelling her to take her little notebook to the other sections of the Island every afternoon. She alienates herself by registering the other philosophers’ arguing, classifying them into equal subject groups of which arguments she places in opposition, managing their exclusion of one another. Furthermore, the conversation with Aristipo only reinforced that the present day would be no different.