Microstory 658: See the Sky for the First and Last Time

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There are many separate denominations of Lightseed, most of which are amicable with each other. There are a few bad eggs in there, but the rest of us tend to excise them from the greater collective. Denominations often arise out of a fundamental difference in the interpretation of the Book of Light, or the Sacred Savior’s teachings as whole. Some believe him to have come down from some kind of heaven; others think that he never died. Some ignore some chapters in the Book, while others ignore others. One relatively small branch, known as Lightseed Science, rejects nearly all forms of medical treatment. They believe that the Light itself is not only powerful enough to heal them, but will do so with enough dedication. The trouble with their logic is that it’s impossible to prove them wrong. If a Lightseed Scientist prays for the Light to heal them of their disease, and this fails, they can always claim that the sick person was simply not faithful enough. If ever an infection clears up without antibiotic, or nanite, intervention, they can attribute this to their prayers. And it would be impossible to argue with them about this. True science has taught us that the body is often strong enough to fight off an infection on its own. Humans have the benefit of billions of years of evolution that helps organisms recover from disease, but a Lightseed would never listen to this reasoning. They reject the truth, because it threatens the safety of their respective identities. They identify as people whose prayers the Light will answer, and anything that endangers this concept must be ignored. Unfortunately for them, they are free to believe what they wish, and no one has the right to interfere with them, not even when it comes to the health and safety of a child. Little Kamira Zapatiri was born into a Lightseed Scientist family with a regrettable medical condition. She had a number of issues, but the most predominant of these were photoallergies. She was unable to be anywhere near the sun that their planet was orbiting, nor any artificial light source with too high of brightness. For years, her family used homeopathic treatments to keep her comfortable, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. Her conditions were growing worse, and unless their prayer thing started showing some positive returns, she would soon die. The family eventually gave up their efforts, believing that the Sacred Light was calling to the child. They started thinking that she was never meant to live, and they should let her go. Of course, they had every right to let their child die, and anyone who objected would be powerless to stop it. Without even realizing that it would satisfy the requirements for the latest taikon, Kamira’s parents brought her out into the sunlight so she could see it for the first time in her life...and then they watched her close her eyes, and take her last breath.