Nine billion names of God

In this poignantly haunting tale, a Tibetan lamasery buys an American 'automatic sequence computer', that can perform thousands of calculations per second, with data of up to 10 characters. They say it is for compiling a list of all of the nine billion names of God, such as Allah, Jehovah, God, Bhagwan and so on. They have been at it for 3 centuries, and estimate it would take another 15,000 years.

But a computer would do it in a thousand days.

Soon, the computer, installed in the high mountain tops, starts functioning, minded by a two-man crew from the American company. It churns out page after page that the lamas file neatly.

As the project nears its end, the head lama explains the project's objective to the American crew. It is their belief, the old seer says, that it is God's purpose to allow His creation to exist till Man, his supreme creation, knows all of the nine billion names of God. Once that is complete, He would simply shut down His creation.

The crew decides to return home, just in case the lamas were right. They escape on mules to the plane waiting to take them home. As their plane comes in sight, they look up to the clear night sky and see the stars going out, one by one.

In another reality, there is total silence and emptiness. A deep voice intones, 'Let there be light!' Another awesome celestial cycle of creation, perception, consciousness and destruction begins.