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                The face disappeared into the normal everyday dust.

                "You

did see that didn't you?"

                "Yeah,

I saw it. A lot of good a pile of transient art will do us," bemoaned Serrena.

                "I

think that was just a sign. Which is scary if you think about it, for it means

he can track us down. I don't know that I like that idea."

                "Why

shouldn't he be able to track us down? He is the creator after all. If he

created all this, then he has the power and the might to do anything he wants."

It seemed obvious that Veronica really had the hots for this creature.

                I stood

up. "I'm going back to the Brotherhood. If this guy is still wandering around in

there, maybe there is some hope for him yet."

                I stand

a few heads taller than most everyone else, as I think I've mentioned, so even

in a crowd I can be picked out. That doesn't mean I'm the only of my kind, but

I do get noticed. I was hardly out on the street for a few minutes when that

stupid taxi cab driver pulled alongside me.

                "Yo

bud! Who the hell was my mystery guest? Whatever he did to this old beast, I

owe him free rides for a lifetime!"

                I

stooped down and gazed at him. "Whose lifetime? He's already older than the

sorry life on this bloody planet. But I'll pass it along to him if I see him

again."

                The

cabbie was a little thrown off by that, and finding no logical explanation for my

words, passed it off as a joke. "You do that. This thing han't purred like this

in years. Now if he could just do the same thing with my wife!"

                The

thing roared off like a racer and vanished around the corner. I kept walking

until I was back to the boundary line between the Brotherhood HQ and the rest

of the city. It was deceptively quiet around the outside, though I knew from

experience that there would be trouble if I even looked like I was going to

cross the line.

                I

leaned against another building and waited. This creator had to have something

up that skinny sleeve of his. As I waited, I detected the sound of rain, which

was odd, because not only was the sky fairly clear, it hardly rained in the

city. Yet the sound was there. I twitched my ears until centered on the sound.

My eyes opened a tad bit wider at the sight.

                The

front of what he had called the library had a huge stone façade, put up a few

centuries ago by the Brotherhood declaring that this building was to be theirs

for eternity.

It was presently melting.

                I know

that sounds weird, but the longer I stared, the less of it was there. It was

transforming into an eroded chunk of rock. The area underneath it was growing

higher and higher with a pile of shifting sand. Underneath the slab was a

smooth faced area that I recognized as being one of the old time vidscreens. It

was enormous! There were a few broken ones still attached to various buildings

around town, but no one had the balls or the ability to make them that size

anymore. Legend had it these were used to promote news, learning, and to

transmit information in times of disaster.

                I don't

think anyone knew this one even existed anymore.

                It was

about then that things started to get really interesting. For one, the sand

pile began to move. It didn't do any neat tricks; it just smoothed itself out

over the terrace until it blended in. The only difference now was the odd

color. A few members of the Brotherhood were out, staring in dismay as their

building seemed to dissolve around them. I was having a great time watching

their stupid faces. Whatever I had managed to unleash in the warehouse was at

least good for a laugh. I almost hoped he brought the building down around

their heads.

                More

and more folks began to pour out of the building to witness this unusual event.

I had to wonder what their explanation would be once this was all over. After

all, they were the first ones really impacted. It was then that my sharp eyes caught

sight of the robed figure. Whatever the little son of a bitch had done, he had

done it well. But I could see his movements were slow. His body was probably

failing him.

                And

then he fell. I mean, he literally fell flat on the ground. It took a moment,

during which no one seemed to pay him any mind before he rose again, this time acting

more steady on his feet. He stepped around the milling and confused members of

the cult, down the steps and directly to me.

                "Hello

Veracity."

                His

voice sounded a bit different.

                "Hello

yourself. What the hell did you unleash on them?" I couldn't see his face of

course, thanks to that stupid rebreather, but he turned and shook his head.

                "Nothing.

My nanites need material to replicate and that stone had high silica content.

So essentially, they're simply feeding right now."

                The

vidscreen was nearly exposed as the sand continued to fall. I heard a slight

chuckle, and the timbre and tone of it made my skin crawl. This guy hadn't

shown any real flash yet, not the type I had expected. Whatever he was going to

be doing, I had a feeling that all of this was mere premonition, if you will,

of what was to come.

                "If you

say so. I ain't never seen anything break down rock like that before. I can

only think what would happen if you set them loose on people."

                "Bah.

Not a spits worth of silica in the living body. Well, these sort of living

bodies. It would be a waste of time."

                "So

then what's going to happen?"

                "For

now, I wait until I have word from these little beauties that everything is in

place."

                "And

then?"

                "And

then I unleash the great plagues."

                That

didn't sound too promising. "Come again."

                "Look

Veracity. As much fun as watching this is, I think that I would feel better

somewhere else. I believe you were at a café earlier?"

                "You

know where it's at chief. I'll follow you."

                And so

we went back and met with the others. I told them what I had seen, and our

little god explained matters even further.

                "What

he saw was me building an army. Everyone still likes to believe that bigger and

badder rules. That is always a bad assumption. 

Disease can take down an entire population, and the organism is no

bigger than the microtip of a steel needle. To hell with guns and bombs; if you

want to win a war, do so with an army of the microscopic."

                "So you

have created an invasion? People will not be expecting anything; they'll have

no means of defending themselves." That was Veronica, and I think her like for

this guy just dropped a few points.

                "Defend

against what? I am not attacking people, only a cause; a belief that is twisted

and wrong."

                "How?"

                "For

that, you'll have to wait and suffer it out just like everyone else. Let's just

say that a longtime ago, someone on my world said to give the people what they

want."

                I had heard

such nonsense before. "The people don't know what the hell they want. They want

someone to tell them what they want. They're silly, noxious idiots who don't

like thinking on their own."

                "Oh

come now Veracity. Really? Do you have such a low opinion of your fellows?"

                "Yes."

                "Good

boy. Still, I think that you should give them a little more credit. And yet

somewhere down the line, I think that certain strains of the DNA have come

forward, and they aren't the best features. This place has spiraled downward a

bit like my own world. But I think I can turn it around."

                "How?"

                "I just

told you. I'll give everyone just what they want."

                "And

that would be what exactly?"

                "A

god."

                There

was silence for a moment. I had an inkling what he was doing, but I liked being

contrary. "But you said there were no gods."

                "None

that I've met yet. But people get ideas stuck in their head and they can't seem

to let go of them. An afterlife for example. That was created by the human mind's

need for there to be something more than just the miserable existence of

regular life. The hope that there is something better. There isn't. It's

physically impossible unless you did what I did and transferred the consciousness

over to a different system. But outside of that, all life is is a matter of

biochemically induced electrical impulses stored in such a way as to create

awareness. And even then, the higher the awareness, the more there is likely

that can go wrong with the functioning of it."

                "Which

means dead is dead."

                "Sadly

yes. And there isn't a cure for stupidity. The great secret is not to try

living to get into another level of being, but to make the most of the one you

have in front of you."

                I

sucked in a breath. Somewhere in the back of my head I was holding hostage the

thought that maybe this guy could bring back my family. I now knew why I never

had much hope in things. They were false and disappointing. "I guess I didn't

expect much otherwise."

                Veronica

was leaning in, once again having her faith in this freak restored to pristine

condition. "So how are you going to convince everyone that you're a god? You

really are, you know."

                His

voice nearly crackled with anger. "I am not. But first I must show them that I

am. I must meet the expectations and then I must dash them. Only then will I

destroy what has been built."

                "I

don't get it. I don't see how you can do both things. If you appear as a god,

the people will venerate you as a god."

                "They

won't have that much time. This is all going to go down very quickly, and I

guarantee you that in the end, I will make sure that ninety nine percent of the

population understands the nature of things."

                I

snorted. "This I gotta see. I don't think ten percent of this stupid planet has

the brains to successfully pick their collective noses, and the rest should be

ground into meat."

                Arguing

with a god is never a good idea. From his sleeve came a snake, or a rope, or

something long, black and sinuous. It went into my nose in a flash and I felt

spikes emerge and anchor into the tender flesh. "I don't care how much discontent

you have in your heart. People can learn. Just like you right now. You're

thinking that maybe you crossed the line and that you wish I'd remove this

painful obtrusion in you sinuses."

                I

barely nodded.

                "Then

please shut up. I told you before that I don't blame you for your feelings, but

I am getting tired of your actions. Dwelling on your anger is poor ground to

build your remaining life upon."

                The

tentacle retreated.

                Veronica,

in all her mental glory had watched with rapt amazement."How did you do that?"

                A black

hand emerged from the robe. It reached up and pulled back the mask. The inside

of the hood was shadowed, but when the hand pulled it back, it was revealed to

show a black head. The face looked like sculpted stone. Everything about it was

black, except for a glassy appearance to the eyes.

                "I had

to leave the organics behind. There was too much flawed material for it to

last. This is much better and much more versatile."

                She

reached out and touched the face. He opened his mouth to show the black teeth

and the cavity leading to a mock throat. If she had been merely enamored

before, she was about to melt now. "This is incredible!"

                I

remembered him saying that those freaky little robot things could form into

solid objects. I guess I failed to understand their versatility. I never

thought he could reform his entire body out of them, and still manage to

function intelligently. That must be the other parts he mentioned, capable of

holding his brain together in some coherent fashion.

                He

pulled the robe together and put the mask back on. "It's technology. Just like

the body I created before was made by

a machine, now my body is a machine.

Then again, all bodies are machines in one form or another."

                I was

rubbing my nose. Machines indeed. "So now you have a body that's invincible?"

                "Not

invincible. It's just more suited to my present needs. It's malleable,

versatile and adjustable."

                "And

this will help you how? I mean, I saw your little things eating up rock, but in

the long run, what good are they going to do you?"

                "They

are not going to be doing me any good whatsoever. Everything I'm doing, I'm

doing for you. You aren't my responsibility anymore, and haven't been for a

very long time. But you did start out as my creations, and therefore I have a

bit of a soft spot in my heart for you. But once I set things back on course, I

will leave. This is your world, not mine. I will not play the part of the

overseer."

                That

left me a bit speechless. Just a tiny bit mind you.

                "You

won't stay?"

                "No."

                "How

will you get back?"

                "I

won't"

                "What?"

                "I am

still where I am. This is only a projection of a small part of my

consciousness, and then it's only a copy. It operates on its own and functions as

a separate entity. When the time comes it will be destroyed."

                Veronica

sat bolt upright. "What?"

                "I

think I made myself completely understood. When the ultimate function of this

body has been reached, it shall self destruct. It cannot remain behind. To do

so would undermine everything I hope to achieve."

                "No

dead god to put in a box to venerate?" I hoped I didn't sound insincere.

                "Correct.

My own people venerated bits of animal bones because they were told that they

belonged to saints. They worshiped rocks that fell from the sky. I intend to

take away every last shred of their belief."

                "That's

going to hurt."

                "Yes it

will. But pain often has a way of making you wake up and realize that you are

still alive. I may be an unpleasant sensation, but it is the only one that

matters in life."