By
C. Donald Martin
©Copyright 2001 TimeCrystal

They stood at geostationary and watched. There was little more they could do at the moment. A rogue had come through and ripped a mighty gash. This rogue, too big to be a planet yet to small too be a star had shattered Tiamet and Mars lay below them, mortally wounded. The sun was behind the planet as ArmanRoc looked out on the battered planet. All that could be seen was the glow of molten rock. All that they had built over the last several hundred million years was lost.

ArmanRoc had been studying the patterns in the lava now for thirty thousand years. Only now was it starting to get boring. But, this was not his destiny, his was to contour the land for the water to flow. He was of the Ki and the Ki were gone. He should have been allowed to pass on with them. But here was grate optimism that the body could be rebuilt quickly. But this had not been the case. The rogue had come through a second time before being flung off in the direction of the galactic core. This time The Great Heaven of the Crossing of Millions of Years had been too close to the rogue. The Great Heaven had been shaken hard and knocked unconscious. They had not heard from anyone since then, not The Great Heaven, or the Citys and Heavens of Earth. The Heavens of Tiamat were cast asunder by the rogue. ArmanRoc was on one of the Heavens of Mars that survived.

Now ArmanRoc was afraid he was going to pass into the underworld. This is a horrible thing to happen to a god. Each of the god’s many generations becomes isolated. If the generations can not be rejoined into a single experience the god will die. Once dead, each of its mortal remains will live to face death alone as every mortal does. What you get is many individual mortals, from infant to very old, each believing itself to be a god. For the most part the old die off quickly. The very young are raised as mortals and never know the difference. It is those in-between that can have strange reactions to the isolation of mortal individuality.

Eleven Dog Four of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey awoke with a start. He knew something was wrong. He had apparently fallen asleep at the view port. He was never aware of having slept before, at least not like this. Eleven Dog was aware of his comings and goings within the continuous experience of ArmanRoc. The goings were called sleep. But always before the awaking was as though he had not been gone. All the memory of the last several hours was available in ArmanRoc. Now there was a missing piece. He had come into experience from a void and ArmanRoc was gone.

Eleven Dog Four of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey looked out the port and tried to figure out why he was concerned that something was gone. He knew that there had always been an Eleven Dog Four of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey. However, he had only been so for fifty-seven years. Before he went to sleep, he found no contradiction in being fifty-seven years old and studying the lava seas for thirty thousand years. Now it was beyond his understanding even though he knew it to be true.

Seven Cat Seven of the Sky Goddess MishaLaw Snake walked up to Eleven Dog and spoke as though she actually knew what she was talking about.

"You appear to have individualized. It's not to bad once you get use to it," she started. "I'm Seven Cat Seven of the Sky Goddess MishaLaw Snake. You can call me Cat Seven. What is your name?"

"I am Eleven Dog Four of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey," he replied. He was still very confused. Very little of what he was experiencing made any sense.

"I will call you One Monkey," she said.

"But that is not a proper date name for me," he protested.

"It does not matter anymore," she said quietly, "we will all soon die."

At her saying this, he had a very uneasy feeling.

"Feeling fear for the first time I see," she said. "You'll get use to that also." An innocent that is fearful, she thought to her self. This one will be easy to control.

Again, a wave of confusion came over him. When he was one with all his brothers as ArmanRoc he has known that this Heaven and all on it would die when it crashed into the surface of the planet. At the time, it had not been a concern. Now it brought uncomfortable feeling. As though, it was something to be avoided.

"Our mission now is to find a place on the surface to place all our records. We can then pass on in peace."

As he was wondering why records should be placed on the surface he saw her become very tense as her attention shifted to the door behind him.

"Eleven Dog," came the voice from behind. He recognized it as his voice but he had not spoken.

"He's mine," shouted Cat Seven as she looked at the intruder with contempt.

"Eleven Dog, I am Five Monkey Three of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey. I am your brother. Your destiny is with your brothers.

"He is The Death Viper," she said to Eleven Dog, "you will be safe with me."

Eleven Dog didn't see who moved first but he was now aware of tools in their hands and he had a sudden sense of danger. Almost instinctively, he stepped behind Cat Seven as though he was looking to his mother for protection. She knew he would do this. She was actually pleased The Death Viper had come in when he had. It had solidified her control over One Monkey.

Five Monkey Three paused for a moment. He knew she wouldn't fire unless he tried to take Eleven Dog by force. He turned and left the observation deck. He headed away from the Holy Precinct. At least a forth of the generations of the gods were still a single self. He also knew his battle with Cat Seven was a hopeless cause. TiametJuno Lion, the birth goddess of all of them had completely disassociated and was solidly with Cat Seven. He continued to walk pondering his fate when he felt a great confusion, then another and then another. He turned feeling dazed to see Cat Seven come out of the observation deck followed closely by Eleven Dog. They turned and ran toward the Holy Precinct. As another wave of confusion crossed over him he realized that the remaining gods were disassociating. Cat Seven would be in the Precinct well ahead of him. He ran as fast as he could. Two more waves of confusion almost overwhelmed him.

Five Monkey Three slowed a little as he approached the Holy Precinct. No one could go in like this as long as one god remained as whole. He was certain that one god remained, yet Cat Seven was not at the Entrance. Slowly he approached and could hear Cat Seven inside talking the the remaining goddess. The remaining god said nothing.

"Your Holiness Air Goddess ElectChil Eagle, I am distraught at the death of the immortals. I am of your sister Her Holiness Sky Goddess MishaLaw Snake. I have the spirit of a warrior and petition you to transfer Kingship to me so I can see us through these troubled times." She hid her desire for the power behind her genuine sorrow for the death of the gods. The goddess, in here grief did not see this. She did feel Five Monkey Three outside the Entrance.

We will grant you this request on one condition. You must share power equally with your adversary The Death Viper, Five Monkey Three of the Earth God ArmanRoc Monkey.

"You may enter now Death Viper," called out the goddess.

"Five Monkey Three cringed as he came through the Entrance. He was not comfortable with this association with Death.

"You will share the Kingship and responsibility for the Kingdom with The Angle of Death, Seven Cat Seven of the Sky Goddess MishaLaw Snake.

"You will remain The Death Viper for you are the end of this line and you will cause much death before you mission is complete. And Cat Seven is The Angel of Death for her beauty and the duplicity she now hides from us. She to will be responsible for much death.

"Viper, one day you will be Angle's slave. But for now you will be her equal."

With that the god and goddess disassociated and became many. This final wave of confusion did not effect Viper much but he could see that Angle was very distracted by the grief. He started to bring weapons on line when he heard a weapons set become active to his right. He turned and saw One Monkey ready to turn him into a pillar of vapor before his weapons would become fully charged. He lowered his weapons and power them down. He knew he would be the lessor of two equals. He shuttered as he started to take his weapons off his arms. He was near firing a weapon in The Holy Precinct. This would have been unforgivable. But this is now he thought and things are different. He left his weapons as they were, on his arms and powered down.

Viper could see the disassociated gods were eating out of Cat Seven's hand. But many of the goddess' were skeptical. If he were to use this as an advantage he would have to do it now. Once out in the greater Heaven the influence of TiametJuno Lion, the birth goddess would be overwhelming. Since he had powered down his weapons One Monkey had lost interest in him and was staring wantonly at The Angle of Death. Yes Viper thought to himself, her beauty will be her undoing. And in that moment of gloating he lost any advantage he might have had. For at that moment a contingent of TiamatJuno Lion came into the Precinct and started moving among the gods and goddess answering questions and giving reassurances. His Fate was now sealed. He was the slave of The Angle of Death.

Suddenly The Angle of Death, Cat Seven, shouted, "I am your God! You will follow me and I will lead you out of this darkness."

Viper looked up in surprise. As he looked around he could see he was not the only one to react to this pronouncement of The Angle of Death. He could see concern on the faces of the TiamatJuno. He could gain favor with them and regain power.

The TiamatJuno Lion contingent did have thoughts of succession but they did not include The Death Viper.

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