World's Cleanup Crew by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview
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Warning: Contains adult content due to graphic descriptions of any or all of the following:
Battles, Language, Sexual
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World’s Cleanup Crew © 2025 D. A. Sanford
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I had had enough. Refilling my customer’s coffee, she swept her hand and caused the spill. Screaming that she was burned, she had a lawyer on speed dial.
“I’m suing you for all you got.”
I put her and the other customers out and torched the place in front of them.
I yell at her. “Congratulations” I hand her the keys. “That is all I had. FYI, no insurance.”
Got in my car and drove. I did not stop for three weeks. Gassing up, self serve but the store is closed. I realize that I am near the ocean. That usually would not be that far. I live only an hour away but this is the ocean on the opposite side of the country.
I had been using all the back roads. Only my music. I did not want to hear anyone except my own voice singing. I had resigned from the human race. I now am of the race called loner. I don’t want to deal with anyone.
I drive down the coast. This is fucked up. The whole coast has burned up. What happened here? Where is everyone? There should be at lease the scum bag looters. I stop at one foundation and see valuables in the ash. I’m tempted but I, at least, have morals. I drive off and head away from the coast.
How far has this burn gone. There is something extremely wrong here. I pull off the road. Even though this is a back road, there has been no traffic. I notice something that I can’t believe. The ash is actually moving. It is growing. It seems alive and consuming everything.
This triggers a memory, I pick up a stick and poke at the ash. Immediately the stick is getting shorter but the mass is growing. I throw it down and retreat to my car and drive. I now know that this is not ash. This is something that all the scientists assured the public that could not happen.
Nanotechnology
In hopes to terraform other worlds, they created self replicating nanites. They would be programed to build what you want with the materials at hand. Worries were raised that, if they can self replicate, what’s to stop them from consuming everything to make more of their own.
Those were dismissed with almost scorn. That could not happen. Their program cannot be changed. There is also a limit on replication.
Things right in your face cannot be seen. It was pointed out a known example called DNA replication. A cell divides. Those two divide to four. Those divide to eight. And so on. Some of those cells mutate into cancer and those take over.
That was dismissed.
It now seems that those fears were right. Somehow they were released and are now just eating to replicate.
I’m running but I know it is useless. The ultimate, dismissed, scenario was that, once started, they would replicate, eat and replicate until the entire world is consumed. Then and only then will they start their rebuild program.
With this much progress, it is now hopeless. There are too many. Why run? Why not just lay down and let them take me? Why not, oh hell no. I will fight to the end.
“That’s what we wanted to hear.”
I did not know that you could frustrate a god I am in front of a large group of people. Most look normal but there are quite a gathering of six inch people, partying. The rest of the people are trying their best to ignore them.
One of the normal look at another
“Time, this is a serious discussion. Did you have to bring them?”
“I don’t go anywhere without my fellows. They are not doing any harm.”
That one looks exasperated but continues.
“You are correct. Those are nanites. That company was running controlled tests. Their scientists forgot that they created them to eat and replicate. They ate their way out.
Those people felt that they did not need something to stop them. The nanites used their creators as material.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“I am the god of all. The rest of us are also gods. We report to the creator. This group is charged as his helpers, minions of sort. We can only do so much. That is where you will come in. We have chosen you and another . We need a clean up crew. That crew will go into worlds and do just that. Clean up mistakes like what happened to your world.
Also clear some worlds deemed as not savable but the world can be used for a good world’s population that is on a doomed world.
Your job will be literally to take care of those items. We have your counterpart already and your first assignment will be to clean up your world. It now is almost a bare rock.
We will give you the tools and knowledge to complete your tasks.”
I feel that I have no choice but
“You make it seem that I have no options. What is up with that?”
“You burnt down your own diner rather than letting someone take it from you.
Destructive but know, if your world was not being eaten, that woman saw how her actions did affect others. She only encountered insurance people settling. She was changed by your action.”
“Then she was eaten!” those imps were laughing.
I could tell that all except the god of all were visibly trying not to laugh. I look at them and give them a thumbs up. “They said it all. She got eaten. Exactly how do I fix a rock?”
“First, let’s bring your new partner here.”
A shorter woman. Actually very attractive. Medium build with black hair to her shoulders.
Does she have mouse ears? Must be a hair style.
“Terrance,”
I stop him right there.
“No one calls me Terrance. Not even my mother would call me that. I’m Terry.”
“Pardon me!. Terrance, this is Olga of the mouse folk”
Now Olga stops him.
“My ancestors may have been mouse folk but now we are called mouse humanoid. I am the proud fifth great granddaughter of the firsts. The great Rubin King and his mouse folk mate Serena.”
The god looks at us, then at the others while he hears the imps laughing hysterically.
“Really need to send you all to one of the Watcher’s worlds along with these imps for a vacation.”
We hear the imps go “Wooooooo” and shake their hands in mock terror.
I’m liking these guys. I look at the one he called time.
“Can we get a few of your fellows to go along with us?”
“I’ll think about it.” Is all he says.
“How did I lose control of this?” the god of all laments.
“AS I WAS SAYING, Terry, Olga mouse humanoid. Olga, Terry, human.”
“Human” She says and looks vary interested. “I will be the first of my race to have a human for a mate since the first.” She is ignoring everyone else.
“THAT’S IT!” He has blown a fuse. “Wisdom, take them and explain what they need to do. Guide them on this operation. Show them to their room and get them dressed and equipped.”
With that, he disappears.
Wisdom takes us to a room but it is like a combination of work shop and living space.
In the living space, there is a kitchen, lounge area, very large bath and a bedroom. I hope that there is another but there isn’t. Not that I mind, much. We are shown our work outfits. I must admit, they are sick. I’m all in black. Olga has my complete attention.
She is wearing what looks like a red leather body suit but there is also a black wrap around skirt with knee high leather boots. Seeing her in that, well let’s just say that my pants are tighter and I really need to suggest that she carry a whip, for work defense.
“That outfit really suits you, Olga.” Is all I can get out.
Wisdom is very amused. “I feel that you two will make a good team.”
Now we go to the work side. There is a computer setup. Wisdom has me sit and turn it on. She has Olga stand close to me so she can see the screen. She smells good.
Earthy fresh mowed lawn but with slight fruity tint to it.
“You will always go with the top assignment. Touch the top one. Good now you see the assignment. Nanites destroy the world.”
She has me, you got to know that she realized my interest in the new smells. She has me touch the equipment app.
“Olga, why don’t you stand behind him and lean in so you can better see the screen.
This is very important.”
Wisdom should change her name to wise guy. The warmth feels so nice.
There on the screen is the list. We need the protective gear. Masks, and gloves. For this assignment, a remote program sensing tablet, soil nutrient bombs and disintegration pistols. The last item is a whip. In my mind I do a fist pump.
“Now hit the button at the bottom of that list.”
I do and all that is now on the work bench. She explains that there is one last button that activates a door to that assignment world.
“As you gain more experience, you can add items to your equipment. You each have a return button on your belts. If you should be in trouble and can’t hit the button. I will now touch your heads and give you the thought ability to emergency return. To connect you both please stand shoulder to shoulder and hold hands as I touch each head.”
She does and we now have that…connection.
“I also put your basic survival skills in you but both of you will instinctively know danger.
You will find that with practice, you will find your pleasure in knowing each other’s strengths and vulnerability.”
She leaves.
We have a job, we have a job. I think over and over to myself.
I hand Olga her pistol and whip. I take my pistol and soil nutrient bombs. She picks up the tablet and puts it in the holster on her belt.
“I hope you don’t mind. You can always try to take it from me.”
We have a job. I think that it will be my mantra.
She takes the tablet and hits the door app. It opens and we step through. If I had not been told, I would not have known that this was my world. As far as I can see, there is nothing but that gray ash.
It’s strange. Its not moving. I hear laughing that I know as the imps. Time steps out and shoves us both.
“This was something I thought you would like. I have just shoved you out of time. You both are immortal. Being out of time, time no longer exists for you. Like myself and my fellows, you will never grow any older. Like us, you will be able to step in and out of other worlds time. Stepping out, like now, it will seem like time has stopped but you will only be between tick and tock. Enjoy but be warned. Both of you are forever young. If you want children, you both must agree to have one to be fertile. I suggest that since you have all eternity, there will come a time when you want to retire. Wait until then.
Have all your fun.”
Before he goes, he tells us that all we need to start time is to think that.
“One last word. You will find an app on the tablet, marked god home. That will take you to the main god home. It’s like a resort. Just beware of the pool. My fellows like to trick the god of all by faking drowning. He falls for it all the time.”
Time and all his fellows leave. I thought that wisdom was going to be with us. We hear in our thoughts that she is here but,
“I’m only going to watch. I will pull you out if I feel that you are in trouble. Right now, out of time, those nanites are stalled. You need to trigger the program to rebuild. Olga that tablet has a program that will read their program. It will guide you to trigger the build.”
She pulls out the tablet and it reads the programming. Now it brings up their program menu. We have two choices. Use external resources to terraform or use the nanites as material.
It was not hard to figure out which. The instructions were to start time and press nanites as material.
I think start time and at the same time Olga hits the button.
The progressive movement that was started when I started time halted and now there was a movement but it was that the mass was shrinking. Soon soil was present and some plant life was showing.
I set the soil enrichment bombs on the ground and turned the power on for each.. All elevated and flew away. In this area we heard the explosion and immediately growth accelerated. In no time at all, we saw forests and meadows emerge.
A short time later, the sound of streams filling with water. The last of the nanites were converted to water. Now the oceans were back. We realized a new app appears on the screen.
The message tells us that we need to visit a minimum of ten spots around this world before we can sign the home report as finished. Olga presses the app and a door opens and we step through. Now we are standing on a cliff. There are palm trees. The ocean looks and smells so clean. We stand on snow, in forests.
Every place pristine. Only one thing wrong, it’s quiet. The oceans need to warm up to start the breeze.
This world was now an Eden. We both looked at each other and Olga came over. I pulled her into a hug. That felt really good. I did not even see her push our return button.
We were back in our realm.
I go to the computer and log that ten locations looked at, all locations had pristine plant life. No animals or fish. World ready for populating. The computer screen showed mission complete. Next assignment to follow. We knew, with what Wisdom gave us, that time flowed differently here.
Olga went and sat on the edge of the bed.
We get a message back saying that this has been confirmed. New assignments to come.
Olga and I put our weapons on the work bench and they are automatically stored. She goes back to the living area. She disappears into the bath area. I can hear the water running but it sounds like the tub. What the hell. She will need her back washed.
God’s watch over me if this is a mistake. I’m going in.
She is naked and sitting on a stool washing. I hear
“Get in here, strip and help me with my back. What took you so long?”
I’m staring. She looks beautiful. Her lower body is covered with light downy almost silver fuzz fur. I can’t stop looking. She turns her head and sees me frozen and smiles.
Olga gets up to get me but slips near me. I was able to catch her and she grabs my neck and brings me down to her height and passionately kisses me for a long time then I cannot control my hands. That body is in need of touching and my hands are quick to oblige.
I put her back on the stool and get undressed myself. Funny, I feel that I am slightly different than I was. I am more buff. Not over blown muscular. I go over to her. Now she cannot help but stare. I pose for her.
We wash each other, rinse and then got into the large tub. It should be a time to sit and soak but I must admit that we both had a real get acquainted warm up. We dried off and I carried her to the bed.
I thought about turning the light down to soft and was pleasantly surprised when the light did precisely that. I say out loud.
“From this point on adjust the lights to this level then in ten hours bring the lights to normal.”
Olga just said, “Make that when we wake.”
Then she was all over me. In truth, I also was exploring her. I tell her that I cannot get enough of her. She reminds me that we have eternity but she wants to wait until we retire to have children. I agree but I don’t think that she could understand. All we both could understand is wild abandonment. Grunting and slapping skin. She on top. Me on top. Side by side. We explored.
Our pantry, breakfast and Time’s fellows The kitchen, in the morning, was my territory. I told her that I owned a diner and cooked.
A one man show. The kitchen was stocked with all the things I knew but some I did not.
Those I showed her and she squealed.
“Those are my favorites.”
I ask her if they were to be cooked or as is? She told me that it could be either way but she liked them cooked. I will have to taste them for flavor.
“Today, I will make you my best breakfast.”
Coffee, and there is a coffee maker. I make a pot. Putting the cup before her, I also put cream and sugar on the counter. She takes a sip and makes a sour face.
“If you add a little of the cream and a small bit of sugar, it will improve the taste.”
She does but adds just a little more sugar. When she now tastes it, she smiles and tells me that she likes it. I tell her that I like it black. She winces but her nose is going. So I ask her.
“Do you eat meat or just plants?”
“Both, I eat both.”
Good and I place her sausage and cheese omelet in front of her along with buttered toast.
She tentatively takes a small bite. Her face lights up. With a tone that I could detect as toying with me.
“I guess it will do.”
I reach for the plate and I was promptly warned that if I took it I would suffer.
We laugh but then we hear where’s ours?
There with us is Time, what I perceive as his wife and dozens of his fellows and their mates.
I go into high gear. I can see that the imps have cups plates and utensils. I pour a mug of coffee and set it down for them along with the cream and sugar. Now I have made five omelets. The ones for the imps were so they could take their own plate full.
Over the breakfast Olga and I introduced ourselves. We were told that we could call them what we would like because the nature of the office is that they will not remember what we call them. Just time will do.
“I have been over ruled so I cannot leave any of mine here with you. I am told that they need supervision. That is because he fell for the dead imps in the pool gag again.”
“Well anytime we are up and making breakfast, come on over.” I tell him.
“By the look on your mates face, she is telling us, once in a while so let’s just keep it at that.”
They leave and once again it is quiet.
There is a buzzing coming from the computer. We have our next assignment.
Pulling it up I see that there is a world that was going to global war. Not heading, going.
The wildlife, plant life and the peaceful sentients were to stay. They would inherit the world.
Olga points out that they each had enough weapons to do the job twice over and she points out that the ruling species is human. She shakes her head. The world is about to be destroyed over an island in the middle of the ocean that has no population. It is only disputed because one wanted it and the other then wanted it.
“Humans destroyed my world because they wanted to prove that what they made would not do what most of the population feared, global destruction. What is recommended?”
“We can kill them instantly with a species related virus. We can make them just vanish or a third choice which is to be left to our discretion. It is the vanishing method that would be the easiest..”
Thinking about it, I look at Olga and decide that it is time “My mate, is there a nice hat to disguise those beautiful ears of yours? I would like to visit a few of the human settlements and see what is their disposition. First though, I love you and want you for my forever mate. Will you have me?”
She turns to me and with a smile that actually frightens me.
“We already are, dumb ass.”
Escape plans A through Y are scrapped. Only Z is left, the truth.
“On my old world, it is tradition for the male to formally ask the female just that question.
This is so both officially proclaim their desire to become what we call husband and wife.
Now I get very formal, I go down on one knee, take her hand, look into her eyes and ask,
“Olga, I would like to have you as my forever wife. Will you marry me?”
She is besides herself.
“In my culture, we take mates. There is no formal asking. It just happens. I have known others that mate but drift apart. I like this. A formal contract. Yes I will become your wife and you will be my husband.”
In my mind, I do a fist pump and think yes.
She does like the idea of looking at the humans that are not connected to the governing bodies.
I do have one other thing to discuss.
“Time is almost living here with his imps. I would bet that they would have a way on making all the government weapons useless. Time, can you come here with your fellows. I need some advice.
A light appears and time, his mate and a great multitude on his fellows pour out. The imps all have cups, plates and their utensils. They are chanting over and over
“Coffee and breakfast. Sausage and eggs and toast..”
I don’t mind. “My wife, would you like breakfast?”
The two of us hear the multitude go “Ooooooo” then cheer but go back to the chant.
Olga makes a large pot of coffee. I start cooking but I’m watching the imps. The combination of caffeine and sugar had those imps bouncing off the walls. I do not mean figuratively. I mean actually bouncing off the wall. Well, in our realm, our stores never run out. Exhaust a carton of eggs, open the refrigerator and there would be a couple dozen in there. Same for everything we used.
This time I made scrambled eggs using heavy cream. Side fact, no matter how much we eat or drink, we do not gain weight so I use cream and butter. I shocked all with the maple syrup sausage. Not flavored, there is actually pure best grade maple syrup used to make the sausages.
With everyone fed, I give them a rundown on what our assignment is and our plans to visit human communities.
“I would like to know if you fellows have a way to make the government weapons useless?”
We see Time and his mate smile as Olga and I look at them. All the males are now holding their penis’s and yelling Pee on them. I notice time and his mate putting their hands over the top of their coffee. As a precaution we do the same.
Time looks at them and tells them to hold it. They would be allowed to flavor the drinks of the politicians. Then he told us that they liked to flavor drinks of unsuspecting people.
I look at Olga, grab her cup and mine. I put them in the sink and grab new cups.
Olga makes a new pot.
Why do they look disappointed?
We are now on the world. Times fellows have done their best. All the weapons that the government has are no longer functional. Defects started to surface. Firearms exploding, ammunition duds and others just melted. A lot of the officials are sick.
Time told me that they flavored the drinks. How did they do that, they operate in their realm. The gap between tick and tock.
Olga actually loves her leather hat. A flat top wide brim, It covers her ears. I love them but when walking in a human town. We walk and listen. We do hear some people that try to calm others down but the majority feel disrespected by the other country.
More often than not we hear that the next ones that need to go is all those animals that think they are equal. All they are good for is slave workers.
I am getting disgusted with what I hear. My wife pulls me back.
“This is just the first town we have visited. You need to remain open. We are going to nine other towns. I will give you this, if after the ten are witnessed, if we find that the vast majority are of the same ilk, I would like to see if we have something that will target only those who are both hateful and or racist,”
I give her a kiss and tell her that it is right. “
“You are my anchor who stops me when I go off premature.”
“Believe me, my husband, you never go off… prematurely!”
We finish our review and we call for a meeting of the gods. The god of all has us come to their home. He is showing us around and I think, here it comes. Sure enough, there are imps at the bottom of the pool. He does dive in, they laugh, he yells.
Once they walk off, he turns to us.
“They get such a kick out of pranking me. I know they can’t die, but for morale, I go along with it. Each group, it seems as if it is a badge of honor to fool me. If you notice, I’m not wet.”
I have a greater opinion of him. He does care and he goes along with things for the betterment of all.
We meet in a casual hall with all the gods. I let Olga start.
“Visiting the world, we had times fellow take care of all the government’s weapons so they currently cannot destroy the world. I repeat, currently. The ten towns we visited there were more haters than people that just wanted to get along. The problem is that there still is around forty percent of good humans.”
Now I speak. “We are not questioning the need to get rid of those rotten humans but to erase those who want to live in peace is not right. You have tasked us to be your clean up crew. We ask you now for input. Is there a way to extract those rotten humans? That will preserve the good of that world.”
Olga now finishes. “Is there a world that you can put them on that is deserted? We would show them exactly what aggression means. I know that Times fellows would like to try and perfect new tricks. We could erase all there without worry about the good being harmed. We ask your advice.”
Both of us sit down.
There is silence. This can’t be good. Then it is pointed out that punishing all, when it is the majority, really is not right. Then it is said that the Watcher has burnt up worlds that could be used.
She does, however, “I do not want them living on them. Those worlds are for punishment. If the clean up crew will use the erasing equipment they have at their disposal, I would agree with one caveat. The bones need to be left on that world. It would enhance that world as a warning.”
The gods say that they can do that. They agree that the god of mercy can extract select individuals. She does it with worlds who have mistreated people. She usually will heal the souls and place them on other worlds but she has found that their souls of some are so rotten that they cannot be healed.
Mercy has one request. She wants to watch them on that world. There may be a few that truly repent. Before they are erased, she just wants to make sure that some can move on to another life. The rest will go to oblivion.
Now we only have to figure out sequence.
I think of something so I tell them.
“I think that you, the god of all, should make a world wide announcement in an imperial echoing voice, pronounce judgment. Tell them that this is the first round. These are the worse ones. Tell them that we will be watching.
Explain that if they do not change from hate, you will send in the world cleaning team. If the team is sent, no sentient life will exist. They will see those just disappear. We will be on that burnt world. I hope that the imps will be there. Those need torment before Mercy can tell if they are salvageable. Once she extracts the ones she wants, we will erase the rest.”
I can see that they like the idea. The god of all decides that it will be now. The next thing is that we are on that world again as observers to see the reaction.
From the sky, a voice from heaven is condemning this world.
“I will extract the worse of you. They will be placed on a burnt world to be tormented and then it will be decided as to which can have their souls healed and which will be sent to oblivion.”
We could see that everyone there was shaking and most were crying, hugging and saying goodbyes. There were a few, mostly the one that were in charge that were yelling at those who are frightened. Most of those were flat out insulting. Then those along with the hard ass’s, the racists and swindlers vanish.
The voice once again speaks.
“We have made our decision. You will never see those people again but remember what they are like and do not follow them. If you do, you will be next.”
There is a world wide light like lightning but more thunderous.
We all are back at the god home. He is grinning ear to ear.
“That felt good. The first time I really felt god like.” He looks at Olga and I, “You see, we are the replacements. We used to be just advisors that went world to world giving out advice. One day, the old gods came to us and told us that they were retiring. They dumped all this on us and technically we are the new replacements.
Please, when you have something like this again, drop by and ask.”
Mercy tells him that he should be there when she makes her selection. He again brightened. He said that it would be his honor.
The Watcher brought us to the world they were taken to. You could see some actual fighting but a lot of finger pointing, Blaming each other for their predicament. There were groups off to the side.
The god of all pointed them out.
“They are plotting out how to beat us. Funny, knowing that you face oblivion, you were transported to a burnt world. They still are trying to work angles. Time please give your fellows free reign on those who are plotting. Those are going to be the first tormented. I want to see how the others act.”
With out a word, you can see distress coming over them. They are acting like they are being attacked by invisible animals. They are actually being torn apart.
Time looks at me,
“Don’t forget. We exist out of time. Normally my fellows are wild fun loving pranksters but they are imps. When they are totally let loose and told to torment those who they know need to die. They show their other side.”
Slowly those plotting were going down to the ground. Writhing in pain bleeding all over.
“They do not like people who abuse others. They are attacking in the time between tick and tock. They know that it bothered you that you may have had to erase innocents. So much so that they did not like it. You two will need to treat them to breakfast tomorrow.
“How does pancakes with butter and maple syrup. Fresh orange juice and maybe coffee. Your fellows get too wired. Maybe decaff.”
Now those are no longer moving. It is our time. The two of us walk calmly up to them.
We make it fully clear that we are not one of them.
“You have been declared the worst of the worst.” I tell them but some people just can’t stop themselves.
“Why is that rat with you? A play toy for us? You’re human.”
That is all he got out. I used my weapon on him and he screamed as he dissolved into a puddle.
“YOU INSULTED MY WIFE.” I dissolved the rest of those people.
I look at the rest. With the most angry look on my face I ask.
“Anyone want to make disparaging remarks about my loved one, my wife! You are not dead, Yet.”
I kiss her long and passionately then tell them that there may be only a few that may live to be reborn but know this, the wonderful fellows of the god of time exist out of time.
“You will not see them but in their realm, you are all frozen statues. That is the reason all you saw was those being torn apart. Say another remark!”
I stop there and take my wife’s hand and we walk off. Everyone there tried to keep their thoughts hidden. One by one some of them had become my target.
Now I’m mad. I yell to time, “Withdraw your fellows, None of these are worth saving.
Mercy, please make your decision. I am going to do the job you tasked us with. They all are racist bastards. Anyone left on this field by the count of thirty, all that will be left is the bones that the Watcher wanted.”
No longer even on that world, we are back at the god house. There are imps just sitting with us and they seem to be trying to comfort the both of us. Olga and I thank them but she is crying. She is upset to see me so angry.
“Please don’t get angry. I’m used to remarks”
I stop her, “No! you are no longer to tolerate that. I won’t stand for you, my wife, the woman that I love for all eternity is not to accept that. I will not allow that talk.”
The god of all is with us. “Have you calmed down? I cannot blame you but that scene was almost indistinguishable from the ones on that field.”
“I know that Gewue is your first wife. What would be your response if you heard someone calling her a racist and derogatory slur. Don’t tell me that you would not get mad. He called her a rat. That Is something that I won’t tolerate.”
He tells me that he understands but you need to be impartial in these cases.
“You asked us to help. You showed the proper judgment. From now on. If you get those remarks. Show no emotion. Look that one in the eye, put your pistol to the person’s head and shoot. Then with the same composure walk away. Yes, I would have shot him but you let them see that they could make you mad. Angry is seen as a weakness to exploit. Cold hard calm puts fear into them.”
He is right but now he asks if I am ready. He has them gathered and Mercy is going to make her picks. He tells me that he wants me, the cold calm me, to make the announcement that Mercy will take her picks with her. You can tell them that those are the only ones that will survive.
Now we are back on the field. I stand there and speak.
“The god of Mercy has made her judgement as to who is salvageable and who will go into oblivion. Just so you know, I have a request by the god who owns this world. She
wants your bones to lay around to scare others she sends to here for short times. Mercy take your ones with you.”
She does and only three vanish.
“I guess that all of you are doomed.”
I shoot the first. Olga follows my lead. They start to scatter but we chase them down. In a short time, but what is time to us. That is the tick tock not the man. As I was saying, we shot some but then we put on our protective gear.
Throwing the gas bomb, we step through our door. We had lunch but we were silent.
The computer told us that the effect had finished. We needed to check to verify that the task was complete.
“Do you want to go?” I ask Olga.
She says nothing but comes to stand by my side. I open the door.
There all over the field are the bones and the Watcher rearranging them.. she stops and comes over to us. A wave of her hand and two benches appear
“ I understand your anger. I also know that my father talked to you. I have one other thing to tell you. This, when you break it down, is just another job. Don’t you drag this back to your bed. Separate the work from the play.”
We get up then she said, “I hear that you are making pan cakes for the imps and time .
We all heard and would like an invite. Just so you know, we are coming whether invited or not.
The breakfast was a hit with all but the general consensus is that the imps do need decaff. All the coffee served to others was in cups that had lids. Precaution only.
“With everyone here, we would like to thank you for your help on that last assignment. I would like to apologize for my burst of anger.”
They all stop me there.
“That showed us that you are compassionate. You asking for guidance show us wisdom and your return to the field the way you both did show us that we chose right.” The god of all comforts us. “I have never seen time’s fellows comforting someone like they are doing for you two.”
Most of his fellows are in our laps. “Why are all of the female imps in my lap and the males are on Olga’s?
“I feel humble at your words but, from now on, we will conduct ourselves in that professional way. We will ask for advice but I request that, if possible, we be given tha ability to discern good people and bad.”
Wisdom tells me, “You have demonstrated that you already have the ability. You told us that you saw that there was a large portion of humans on that world that were good.,”
“Any question you may have about someone” The Watcher tells us. “You now know how to get to that now bone filled world. Take any questionable there. If you then find them still questionable, leave their bones. Never leave a live one. Call me if you think that they may need to stay there.”
“Maybe if you were to leave singles on different areas, I could have a good playground for my new imps. My couples have been busy.” Time tells us.
Half have left our laps and have found other recreational distractions with each other.
We now just know that it is their nature. They do perk up when I say that we may need to put in a pool. Why are they trying not to look at us.
The god of all now tells us that they want to have us go out on the next few assignments and come up with a plan. Then they will review and render judgement.
“But” the god of all tells us. “If we say that all life must go, all sentient life must go or all of a species needs to go and we tell you that it is non negotiable. What would be your response?”
“I would ask for an explanation. We were reading about another clean up crew. Their god of all had made several mistakes due to age. He had all sentient life on a world erased not before he accidently killed a human. He put him on that world then years later that human was killed along with his pets because it was found that all animal life was to go. If we feel that it is a whim of you gods. We will voluntarily go to the final life.”
They seem to know of that and are silent. They tell us that, if we detect any of that in them, they will all go with us. To the final life.”
This talk was good but then we notice that time and his fellows have gone. Olga and I know that they will be back soon. Maybe this time a barbeque. It’s Olga that has me reconsidering when she asks about what was I going to serve as drink?
Soom the computer sounded. Our next assignment was a world that had rudimentary space flight capability. This had to be a test. The biggest population was a aristocratic felid population. They were going to seek other worlds for sport.
She had told me about her history. How a human saved them from being hunted by such a race.
The last world had felids and others. Those felids seemed like nice people. They had excellent hunting skills but used them for hunting food for sustenance, not sport”
Olga said to me that she wanted me to remain calm. She said that, this time, we should use the cloaking devices. That way, we don’t get hunted.
“The cats on our original had the tendency for keeping their prey for other things before they killed and ate my people. The thing that bothers me about this assignment is, why are they going off world to hunt?”
I think about it and remember something.
“We’ll bring the cloaking devices but I need to call Time. Remember when he knocked us out of time? He said that we also could stop time. I want to see inside their homes.
Arrogant people like their mounted trophies. Is there any other species there? I get a sinking feeling that they hunted out their world.”
Olga tells me that she gets the same feeling. We call time and explain our concerns to them. He explains how to stop time and then he calls for his fellows to get their carts.
His mate comes with their cart but they have a trailer attached.
You can tell that there is a party going in there. I don’t want to know.
Time has us open the door and stop time. As he had explain, we do not stop their time.
We stop our time in their world. Time and his mate come through with the golf cart and trailer.
I really should have brought extra pants. A ramp opens at the back of the trailer. Out come small golf carts. All freshly painted olive drab. Each imp has on green fatigue pants. Across their bare chests are crossed bandoleros and tied on their heads is a red bandana . All are flexing.
My pants will dry.
“They watched commando movies all day yesterday. They got inspired.” Time says casually.
His fellows cheer wildly when I suggest that they hide some of these carts in the god home bushes. As they walk, quickly cross in front of them and disappear. It will confuse the hell out of them.
“Just let us know before you do it. We need to be there.”
I got side tracked. We see that the world has stopped. I explain to our commando’s.
“We need to infiltrate the mansions and manors in the areas that we choose. I need your reports on what you find. Are there trophy mounts? Different species? Cages for slaves? Also look into their freezers. You are at liberty to flavor as needed.”
Time and his mate went checking and we went to check on our own. Everyone came back. None looked happy. The cages were empty. There are trophies of all sentient species. The freezers have some of the last meat.
Even the common houses have trophies and meat. All the towns are the same.
Times people are asking if they can have some fun. I tell them to ask their leader but as far as I am concerned. I tell time that I am going to recommend total sentient erasure.
He tells his to go at it.
They come back satisfied, tired but satisfied. I never asked. I just opened the door and restarted our time. Time told me that I had the right idea but wait for a small bit of time to call them here.
“My fellows want to visit the god home while they are dressed like this.”
When I did call for the gods, there came a haggard bunch. For some reason Time and his bunch were not there. All I heard was that they wanted to go back to the imps in the pool gag.
“Commando imps on miniature golf carts popping out of nowhere was too much on the nerves.”
I can’t resist, “What happened?”
The looks I get. If we weren’t immortal, we would be dead right now. You would think that at least the gargoyles would have appreciated the ingenuity.
With some wine served, we give our assessment report.
“That world has killed off all the other sentient species and most of the game animals.
From the royals to the least peasant. They all are guilty. That species wants to hunt the universe. They must be erased.”
Olga asks the Watcher, “I know that the goblin race are your children. Also their children of the dragons are yours. Terry and I feel that a quick death is too easy on them.
Pending the other god’s approval, We recommend that they learn what it is to be hunted. How would your gargoyles like to get some vital training? Have them scope out the lay of the land, make plans and go on the hunt. One thing first, their space ships must be destroyed. All of them. Capture the last one on that world. We want that last one to be in charge of making sure that the imps don’t pull pranks. That one cannot harm anyone of them. The imps will have a wonderful distraction. You know they like a challenge.”
I give Olga a hug and a kiss. Voices that we all recognize go “Oooooo”
All the gods are looking as the imps appear. They all sit quietly like little angels. Even I am spooked by that.
I can tell that he is fighting back wanting to chase them but also he knows that might just be what they are looking for. The god of all asks for the Watcher’s input.
“My children have not had any major battles. I feel that, telling them first just how these felids really are, this would be an ideal way of them getting the experience. I approve.”
Not being able to let this go by. I sweeten he pot. “We have some items that Olga and I want to test. When they are finished, we have a renewal item at our disposal that will restore that world to pristine condition. The Watcher’s children, the goblins now have a few planets that they settled freed slaves on. Allow them to settle the freed there. All can
check in on them and help them with their needs. The felids killed every other races. Let that world rejoice by calling it god protected.”
Now I am really spooked. Those imps are sitting in chairs they brought. Dressed in business suits, tie included, are politely nodding and doing a royal clap.
We found out they had gone back to that world and used their best imp magic on the ships. The felids tried to enter space but each ship lost power and are in permanent orbit around the world. It did turn out that all the ships did not have a functioning air generator. Poor design. The goblins will be able to use them or destroy them.
The report came back that it was a wonderful experience for the gargoyles. All that scouting and planning paid off. The last few were disappointing but now you should see that last one at the god home. He is in a maid uniform and is finding that he still is being hunted by imps. We have been told that the gods have planned that after one year of that, they will place him on a dragon ruled planet to tell his tale of horror to all as a warning.
Now that world is empty of life other than some plant life.
“What would our ideal world look like?” I ask “My darling”
“I see a lot of open spaces. Fertal ground that will support the population.”
She goes on to want forests and mountains. I add that it also must be mineral self sufficient. That way they can make what they need. Naturally clean water for drinking.
Oceans to create wind and rain.
Once we finished the programming, we set the device on the ground. It opened and hundreds of globes flew into the air and started their journey around this world. We stepped back to our room.
We contact the gods and invite them to that world. When we receive the signal we asked both the gargoyles and Time to go with us to inspect. We open the door and emerge on to a world that is just perfect. The gargoyles are flying and having the most fun in the air one could ever have.
The imps, well they are imps, randy driven imps. I take Olga’s hand and we just walk to the edge of a near by lake. We embrace and know that this time imps may have the right idea.
But
All the others come and marvel at the work. Fate knows of a gentle world that she can transplant some of the wildlife. We suggest that some herd animals be brought here so the settlers can use them. Cows, sheep and such.
The Watcher brings some of the goblin leaders here and give then permission to settle ex slaves in exchange for defending the space. They know that they are the Watcher’s children. They do ask one thing.
“We have a large group of females that want to mate with dragons to bring the new race to our worlds. They all but a few have mates but those males also feel that it will be agreat honor to have sons and daughters so strong.”
She says that she will visit and interview those couples. “I see no reason not to have a schedule of visits to her room. There is the world of their origin that dragons have said the they are willing to donate their services.
Everyone is happy and they left us to do a final look around.
Being out of time, we now don’t even count sleeps. The gods no longer have us come to them unless it is something that we have questions about their orders. There has been more worlds restored to pristine as opposed to those who are now burnt out rocks.
We always come back to our room. Time and his fellows have had us over to their home for a drive in night. An event that you will never forget. It is exactly what has been written about the late 1950’s drive ins. They do have good movies.
The god house is always a treat.
Lately we have been looking at our “hole in the wall.” It is comfortable and functional.
You know that, when the word functional is used, your abode has stagnated. I have not talked with her about this but I can tell that she is in a rut. Just like me.
I need to do something about it. I have talked with Time about it.
Time’s mate asked Olga to their realm. She wanted to just talk, without all those men.
Time’s mate sent her males to my realm.
After describing what I wanted, He showed me how to remodel. He and his fellows helped. In a short matter, there before me was a world. Blue sky with puffy clouds. Birds flying. Forests and meadows. A perpetually warm climate with the only exception of an area that has snow.
Three prominent buildings are a wonderful home for Olga and I. Large enough to have a modest number over for meals. There is a very large kitchen for me to cook. There is our work shop and finally there is a pavilion large enough for all to enjoy outdoor activities.
At the pavilion, there are a number of secluded areas, imps. It must be said that we are all adults but there are a lot that have dealings with children and the fellows show great respect to them, so if a god wants to bring some there, we have no worries.
We all stand and admire our work. I thank them all for helping me.
“We are going to host a feast and yes, I will be having music,” I am deliberately stopping because I can see the fellows in anticipation.
“Lots of good food, and” They are leaning in but are bursting so I finish by having them come over to the pavilion.
“I’ll have drinks here but I think that you will like this more.”
Since they come over regularly, we now have all the things in their size. In making our world, I did realize that I could make things in their size. There was a large machine that has two taps for adults but on their level there was six.
They saw the cups and spoons there for them but they were looking at me. I take a normal cup and fill it with soft serve ice cream to show them. Each taste and their eyes light up as I tell them that those taps on their level delivers the same
“I do ask you not to get carried away. Have as much as you want but please respect others. Don’t try to suck it out of the tap.”
They are bouncing again. I turn to Time and say that the plans are in the system.
About that time, a door opens and all the females come through. The imps are running to the ice cream. Times mate goes over to him and I go over to the frozen Olga. She is in tears.
“I did all this for you. We now have a home befitting my love for you. I’m a male. If I did not have you, I’d be happy living in a cave with a blanket. It is you that make this a home. Without you, it would only be just another building.”
I lead her over to the machine and get her a bowl of ice cream. She sits at a table and still is trying to take it all in. it is a good thing.
Looking back to the machine, I excuse myself and walk over to the normal tap and close it. Looking down at the ice cream covered pile of dead imps, I just say to that dead pile.
“That is a waste of food. Water is one thing but I know that you are immortal. Make sure that you clean that up.”
Time and his mate are laughing. “I told you that they would not fall for it.” He was laughing because quite a few of the dead were now walking away completely covered in now drying ice cream. They were finding themselves getting very sticky.
I got a hose and sprayed them down. “Got to rethink your pranks. Next time you waste food, it’s decaff and no sugar!”
They didn’t even have a sarcastic answer. It hit home.
Now I start the grill and smoker then I open the food buffet. Here again there is dual level access. There is a ramp so they can serve themselves from the food that everyone has. I did that because despite their size, they are people. I respect them.
“Everyone, Olga, you have made a lonely man’s life complete. You are not just my working partner, you are my life’s partner. I saw you while we visited other’s realms. This was a conspiracy. I asked Time and his fellows to help me make you smile. Thank you for saving me.”
She is blushing, I love her.
The party is in full swing but I excuse Olga and myself. “I want to show my mate our new home.”
The new place has two sections. The public areas have the all important kitchen dining areas so we can entertain in the fashion we have. There are extra rooms on this level for those who need them. There is a little hotel there and we will encourage the imps to use it. We’re not prudes but the stains in the carpet, the cleaning spell.
There is a public theater and game room.
In the private section, naturally is our private cooking and eating area. Extra large bath with seated shower. The only other room is the bed room. A large bed and a lounge area.
The last thing is a door to the work shop. There is a screen on each floor that will alert us if something urgent comes in. Not that all assignments aren’t urgent. That is the good thing about being out of time. We have a tendency to halt time in our realm before I made this for her. That way we can relax until we decide to go to the work shop It is a wonderful sight to see Olga’s face.
“This is based on what you told me about your idea of a special place. Now it is all ours.
What do you think?”
She just glommed on to me and we kissed for a long time. Then she grabbed my hand and we went back to the party. On the way there she told me to stop time when they all left.
“This is a wonderful surprise. I thank you all for helping Terry. This is perfect. We will be willing to host gatherings.”
She hugs them all but a few of the imps were very sticky. They were giggling. We don’t mind.
Time pulls me over. He tells me that he always lived in warm places. He has never experienced snow. He asks me for permission to make a ski lodge there.
“I saw those shows that had vacations at ski lodges but never went to one . I’ll make it very tasteful with accommodation for everyone.”
“Why don’t we make a few sledding hills.” I tell him but I hesitate about this but. “I will ask you to have words with your fellows. We love them. They are welcome here anytime. What you cannot see is that there is a permanently frozen solid pond. I loved to skate and play hockey. I don’t want to see frozen under the ice imps. They would have to stay there until the thaw but it will never thaw.”
Time made the resort and it is wonderful but you just knew that someone had to pull the trapped under the ice. It actually was comical. Time put a trap over the entire pond.
Once someone tried, they would find that it was one way. Only a door can get that one out.
I saw the panic look on that imp’s face. I opened a door and let it out It’s the first time that one of his fellows needed a hug. That one did not want to get down even when Time gave him a lecture.
That never happened again. We were asked, by Time, if we could let that one stay with us for a little while. It seems that he was very traumatized by being trapped. Time came to talk with him and we did take him on a few cases and let him try a few things.
I am happy to say that he forgot the ice incident. Of course he stays on the sledding slope. The good sign of his recovery was he exploded out of a snow man. The god of all was ready to slide down the hill and ended up sliding most of the way on his back.
Seeing that, I need to rethink the carnival set up.
We got our next assignment. There was the standard for us. A world on the edge of destruction. The standard warning on being cautious. Total protective gear. Time stop recommended. The biggest thing was the warning that this was a nuclear world war.
Olga and I are immortal but we can be injured. We will feel the pain. I never felt that we would have to use it but when I made the work shop, I made a special door that would appear in a armored room. We stop time for us and open a door.
There before us is bright. That is the only way of describing it. My world had many videos of nuclear bomb explosions. This is it. As long as we keep it stopped, there is hope.
Olga sends out an emergency to the gods. We need them here. All appear and look through the door.
“This is the most urgent situation that we have had.” Olga says. “This world is dead the second we release time. The reason we called is that we need to know. If we go through to do our inspections, will this cause us to get radiation sickness?”
“No, even if you did not stop time, you would not suffer those effects. Burns and cuts would happen. You would hurt but you would heal.” The god of all tells us.
“Then what I will need all of you to decide right now is what about the innocents? This world is dead. Can anyone of you detect which are worth saving? Can they be pulled out.?”
Mercy tells me, “I have pulled out a whole worlds mutants’ population and was able to heal their souls. That worlds population had been decimated so the ratio of mutants was low. We would not be able to save them all.”
I ask, “Would you please wait here for us? I will go to our usual ten spots. I will relay the information to Olga. Olga, I will not compromise on this. With time stopped, I should be alright. The rest of you be ready. At least concentrate on the children. I really feel that you need to take as many as you can right now. I feel that they may be the only ones we may be able to save.”
I ask Times fellows, “I’m counting on you to keep my wife safe and keep her from going through that door. Olga please don’t.”
With that I go to another room and open the door to that room. I have on my protective gear. This town is in the process of being vaporized. I open other doors with the same results. The last one was in the only valley on this world that I have looked at.
It is moments away from being incinerated. I open a door directly back to our work shop.
Frantically I tell them that this is the only village that has not been destroyed.
“I recommend that we take all the people there to my field right now.”
With all the gods here, it was an instant and all were there. I closed the door. It hurt because I know that there are more like this but. I now feel like I am a murderer. I start time.
I just sit and cry while the gods explain the situation. I can’t see. I do feel a plethora of small hands hugging but I also feel my head being cradled in Olga’s arms. I feel the comfort but all I can say,
“Why do people have to do that?
She tells me that it is okay but in my state I can’t help myself.
“All the rest of those innocents. I murdered them. I started their time again. I should have held it until we got them all out. I have their blood on my hands.”
The gods come over and say that those people want to thank me for saving them. I wave them off. Before anyone can say anything, I open a door and I am now alone in the snow.
I find myself yelling and scream. I still have my pistol and I start firing at anything and everything. Just like that, my pistol disappears. Time just appears before me. He has it.
“You are not allowed. Now come back. All those people have gone to another world. You saved four hundred people. All families.”
I don’t say a word but I do go back with him.
Olga is there and she now will not let me go. “Don’t you dare quit on me!” she is in tears. “You are mine forever. We are married.”
“Married to a murderer, some husband I am.”
“You cannot save everyone.” Mercy tells me. “We gods can’t save everybody but hear me good you did not kill them. Those who pushed the buttons are the murderers. Your judgement saved four hundred that, but for you, would be ash. Nothing I can say now will make you feel at ease but you will come to see that.”
Now it is the god of all that comes over to me. He sits and grabs my chin then stares into my eyes. Then he hits me with the wet diaper of reality.
“Do you want my job? I would gladly let you try! I cannot save everyone or see that only evil people die. You are saying that you could have saved all the good people. I did not ask to take this job. It was thrust on me. You think you are better suited? Well here is what this job is like.”
I suddenly saw everything at once. Bombarded by all the universe. Feeling each innocent life lost and knowing that evil will never be eliminated. Then the horror of horrors. I see that world that is now a radioactive waste land. There were things you could see that lived. People that it would be more merciful to kill them now. The last thing that I was shown was all the worlds politicians and military leaders in their bunkers living large with enough supplies to last for years.
“If you think you can reverse this, you are welcome to it. I’ll go to the final life and enjoy a beer.”
I can see that he is angry. The remainder of the gods said the same thing. They would give up their roles willingly. Right now, they are going to see my feelings. I am mad.
“I am sorry for this Olga but you gods can not bully me into repressing my feelings. You may send me to oblivion but you will hear me out first. God of all, others gods, you all suffer from the poor me syndrome. Yes I am angry, yes I am mad at myself. I cannot see everything like all of you can. How come we get a notice at the burn time? Why did you let that go on so long before shucking it off on us so that we would carry the guilt, not you, of failure?
God of all, you are very angry at me? The sights I saw said that you knew about the way that world was heading long before it blew up. Fate, you had to have had knowledge of this end. Mercy why didn’t you remove those responsible for that before they could do this? Time, I’m sorry, I love you and your fellows. You have shown that you can take out the weapons, why didn’t you do that?”
Olga sees where I am going with this.
“If you want someone to blame, blame us. I will go hand in hand with my husband to the final life or oblivion. You have only caused this wonderful man heartache. Just like those burnt survivors you showed him, go to them and blame them for their state. Now my husband, let’s both go to that final life. Gods find some other scapegoat to take over.”
She takes my hand, kisses me and then shouts, “DO IT!”
We could see that this has hit a raw nerve. They all are not moving.
Olga does her research. She walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a bottle of whiskey and slams it on the table.
“You talk over our fate. Terry and I will be in the pavilion waiting to be erased for defying your great wisdom.”
She and I walk out of our home and sit at a table. She leans against me. We wait. It was only a little while until the imps joined us. They were not jovial. They told us that they would go with us no matter where we were sent. They just sat with us.
A man that we do not know, appears in front of us. He sat with us.
“Old hurts were just reopened for that lot. I was the god of all but I gave that role to him without even asking him. Olga, I do not know how you found out but you know. You put that bottle in front of him. You two are not in trouble for calling them out. They have been reactive instead of proactive. I will assure you that they heard you and all remember. They will be out. I recommend that you stop them from making excuses, they will try. Accept only proactive. If they insist on anything else, I will come to you and take you to the final life.”
He looks at the imps. “If it is your wish, I will take you also.”
He just vanishes.
What we did not know is that he, before he appeared to us, appeared to them and chastised them for throwing their failure over the fence. That is also why the imps came out because they had the same thoughts. They helped these when they were traveling as sages.
They came out. The god of all talks.
“Have you thought about what you accused us of?”
Knowing what we were told I say to hell with this. Using words that I know that they will know where they came from.
“Yes I have thought about it and I still say that all you have been doing is being reactive.
Throwing your trash over my fence. You have not been proactive. We know that a certain someone visited you just now. He came to us also. We are going to the final life with him. He has agreed to take all the imps also.”
Olga now says, “We thought we were doing good but were we? It’s time that you choose our replacements. You have come out with that haughty attitude.
“Ron, Gewue, Taresa, April, and the rest of you, how was your stint in your movie theater? You have forgotten your origin. Do I need to yank those chains? Ron, you never told them, until six months later about your hurt. Gewue and Taresa, you took advantage. April, you also saw what was happening as well as you others and did nothing to prevent events. None of you learned anything. As gods you are doing the same. When things go bad, blame others.”
The man reappears. “I’m taking them with me and there is nothing you can do about it.
Let’s just see what you can do all by yourselves. Sometime in the future, I’ll check back with you. These will come with me to heal.”
We were standing on a hill. Even the imps were silent. All the retired gods have come to us and make us feel welcome. Even a large dog called Hero came. He loved the imps and had them climb on him as we walked.
They talked with each of us including the imps who were unnaturally not trying to prank anyone.
All of the people there had their tales about the god encounters. Most could not understand the actions of this generation of gods. The old god of all put it in prospective
“When Ron, the new god of all, was just a sage, he had a problem with the king. These wonderful imps plagued that king and the town. Our mistake was that we told them to sit it out until the king came to them. They are still doing that. Then when we took that king away, the nobles came to him about their worries. He told them that they need to look at what they were worried about and that would be their solution. Ron did not learn.”
On a separate time he had me alone.
“Terry, you have a very kind heart. Keep it that way but you need to learn that you can only do so much by yourself. You said it many times. Olga makes you complete. Do you think, as an incomplete, you can do what a complete you could do? The panic of the moment made you ignore your gut. You said, before you ran through the door, can you at least save the children. They can do just that but you ran through the door. Ask yourself this question over the next days, why wasn’t your files filled with those children.”
Then he told me to do something while he was gone.
“I want you and Olga to go down to a home in a valley. You will see a tree by that home.
Sit on the ground and lean against it and sleep. That tree will show you what it means to look at the long view. I’m going to correct my mistake, my short coming. I will tell you that it may be that we may need to come out of retirement.”
With that he vanishes.
Now I see my Olga being led by a goblin woman. She introduced herself as Beez. She led us to her home and showed us the tree.
“Just like he told you. Sit on the ground, lean against the tree and let it sing you asleep.”
She patted the tree and told it to tell the whole story.
We sat on the ground and the tree sang to us. We slept and dreamed about a trip from a stick prized by a dying orphan to being buried to having that original girl’s spirit in another body finding it. When that girl died, it died and woke up as this tree.. The final thing it told us was not to mention that this group is the same that were in that orphanage.
I look at my wife and smiled. A stick to a staff to a tree as a reward. Perseverance over time paid big. Heart ache led to heartwarming. We learned that we were going to have hard times and good times but we had to endure. We both talk and feel that we need to go back.
The imps look very relaxed but now say that they want to go home. They are correct, This will be home someday but we have a job.
Now there is a meeting with the old god of all.
“You have been here for a month but as you know time is not the same everywhere. It has been five years since we left and we have been informed that they are suffering.
Once again, the old gods are going with us for a showdown. We have been told just to look indifferent. Even the imps are told to do that.
They tell us that they know that this is serious so there will be no pranks. I’m nervous.
It is surprising but we are back at our home. There is a change. We have a lower floor below the ground floor. There is a theater that is exactly like the one in their original home. We were seated looking at the screen. The old gods were seated with us.
Now the current team is summoned. The shock on their face is obvious. Mercy and fate have almost collapsed. But the others also have very old, very distressful and very hurtful memories come flooding back in an instant.
We are sitting and they are standing.
“Isn’t this nostalgic. Brings back fond memories.” The man says sarcastically. “You are once again in the same shit position that you were before. You did not do your role as gods. Monitor and proactive but now I need you to tell us how has it been for these past five years?”
They are as silent as they were before.
The old Watcher asks, “April, how are my children I entrusted to you? How about rescues?”
Silence
The others have the same answer.
“Time, how have you been? Arrogant as ever? Your fellows have had a good time.” The man asks.
He and his mate break down. “I want my people back. Not because I am fumbling, which I am but I miss them. Even if they do not want to go out, we want them back”
“What do you think imps? Are you willing to go back with them? On probation of course.”
They accept but insist that they will not leave until Olga and I come to our decision.
They need to throw in a twist,
“We want to be here just in case we need to say goodbye to them. That forever life is what they needed.”
I look at the others and see that they are worn down. I need to take the lead.
“April, you were asked a question. Being an orphan yourself that was rescued, I figure that you at least would be able to come out with at least a report on your children. So lets start with this. How is that planet we set as the new home for breeding the Gargoyles? How many of the new breed have been born?”
She does not say so I tell her to go and not come back from that world until you have a report.”
She leaves.
“What have the rest of you been doing? Lounging by the pool and wait for worlds to blow up?” I made it as sour as I could.
No one talked.
Now the man stands. “If that is your answer, we will call back your home now, send you back on the road and we will come out of retirement. You are the first to fail since the maker made this universe.”
He turns to us. “Terry, how would you like to be god of all? Olga you would fit perfectly as the god of mercy. April has not come back. Watcher, would you be willing to come back until you can find another orphan to elevate?” She agrees.
April has come back to find that their world has been ruined. They are being demoted.
“What do you have to report?” The Watcher asks her in a now official tone that showed the span of millennium.
“The new race population is thriving. The goblins have been transporting the females to dragon worlds and some have settled on the world. The orphans have been adopted but the demigods of the worlds need mercy to come and heal them.”
Now the man is livid. “Ron, what have you been doing? Have you let those two go back to old habits? NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THOSE CONDITION. THE
THREE OF YOU ARE FIRED ALL TOGETHER.! You are lucky that I do not put you each on a burnt world. You are to be put on a world to fend for yourselves.”
He turns back to us. “Are you willing to accept the jobs?”
He gets a yes from the both of us but I turn to April.
“Are you willing to step it up and really do this job but under the tutelage of the Watcher.
She is not to go easy on you.”
April asks, “What about my sisters, my brothers and husband?”
“On probation unless they want to go with the three. I would recommend they go with your parents. I can detect that you don’t like that. I will withdraw my offer.”
I ask the man if I can use the old ones in the interim.
The all look like they know that they are the first to fail and that they will live eternity in some back water as average citizens but having to either make no friends or watch them die.
Being immortal, they cannot even kill themselves.
“You thirteen ready to go?”
No answer.
“SPEAK TO ME YOU SONS OF BITCHES! MAKING ME COME OUT OF A WONDERFUL RETIREMENT.” The man is truly mad. Now he pulls out the big guns.
“Watcher, each of them vacation alone on one of your special worlds but I want Ron on that world that has that wingless dragon alone. Three years. Make it happen.”
In an instant all thirteen are gone. I know that the Watchers world’s times are longer than this one. After three minutes. He has each pulled back. They are ragged
“Watcher be ready, if each one does not talk to me, they will go back for eternity. Failed god of all. How was vacation? It seems like you are a bit tore up. Tell me now, who failed here.”
“I did” is all he muttered.
He went down the list and each said the same thing. They did not blame each other.
None begged, none cast doubt, none said that they would defend their actions.
“Failed god of all, what would you do if you were given a second chance?” I ask.
He is startled so I continue. “That world that I asked you to make a world wide announcement about those evil ones that you were taking away. What did you tell me afterwords?”
“I told you that it was the first time that I felt like a god.”
The man said to him in a kinder voice, “Why didn’t you continue? I know that you thought that I only showed myself a few times. I was not sitting around poolside sucking down beers. I was constantly going to borderline worlds. Sometimes in grandiose ways but most times, I was that stranger that lent an ear to someone who just wanted to be heard. Then in the background helped that one. This job is not one or two times an eternity.”
He looks at the old god of mercy, “Did I ever get on your case?”
“All the time. You at times could be a peckerwood bastard but it was always for a just correction.”
“Failed god of mercy. How many times has he even told you how you were doing?
Whether you were doing it right or letting you know that you weren’t?
“Never.”
“See where you are going to have to step up if you want to continue. The Supreme God, the maker of all, has instructed me to tell you that you need to review the gods under your control. You will be expected to be giving them a daily review, a debriefing. On what they did and did not do. They are not your family they are your minions. You will write your daily report and place it in a box marked supreme.”
He looks at us. “There has been a tattler put into your system. That is not to report on you. That will estimate the time to world self destruction. Any time less than a month, these will be responsible for gathering the information and retrieving the innocent. The ones with enough time, you two will be totally autonomous. What you want to do is up to you.
Time any weapons of mass destruction, on those these two receive with enough time, you and yours must go and neutralize them. To that end, your ship now has the same alert. Not a single one of those minions are to be hurt in any way.
April, mercy and the rest of you. Do your damn jobs. Know this, the Supreme God has ruled. Fail this time and each will be put back on those worlds you were on. Alone and you will never be allowed to gouge out your eyes, you will never be allowed to go insane and you will never return.”
With that, all the old ones vanish.
They are all just standing there. I tell them in almost a command voice. “You all were given your last chance. You heard your sentience if you fail. God of all start the reports.
You others will find that the system you put both of us on is now in yours. Keep those worlds you were on in the forefront of your minds. I do not need to remind two of you just what eternity on those worlds will be like. Now go. Olga and I need to clean up the five years of dust.”
Just as they were moving, Olga added. “Our imp friends are welcome here any time.”.
They all leave without a further word. The old god reappeared.
“That role you both agreed with, there will come a time that you will be asked again.
Keep eyes out for those who may fit into the other roles. You are allowed now to put those under your care. We will expect the same reporting. We now realize that giving those roles to a family was wrong. Know this, they will fail. It is not if, it is when. This time, even time will be replaced. One of his will be made the large imp and so will his mate.
Prepare yourselves but make sure that those you choose must know that they are being employed by you. You can be friendly but you two are the boss. By the way, the Watcher, not the current one, the retired one will choose the successor from the demigods of fools”
Olga and I sit at the pavilion and do not say anything but we lean on each other. I finally say to her that I do not want to be the god of all alone. She will be my co god of all. This way we can be impartial in choosing the other roles but it sounds like this last chance is just a bandage.
She looks at me and says that the ice imp would be the right one to be the large imp and god of time.
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Simple, he knows what it was like to fail and be trapped..”
“I have to say that it is sound logic.”
We both hear “The future god of time has been chosen. Excellent choice”
Both that imp and his mate are now with us. The voice says that the current time will not even remember this one.
Olga invites them to live in our home. They accept and pick out one of the rooms in our imp hotel. We talk and it is decided that it will be only temporary until I make them their own home on the top floor.
Olga takes the female and shows her around while I invite the male to my work shop. I am thinking about something special that the women would try to stop us if the knew.
The work shop computer boots up and I call up a program. I want to see something so I have the computer make a game simulator in his size. I first want to try something that I feel should work.
”My fellow, I want to try something if it works, it will make our life a little easier especially when your fellows come here. I think I have the power to make you remember your name. Can I try?”
He tells me that it will be fine with him. I concentrate and tell him that is name is Sam.
He just looks at me. So I try something.
“Sam, how would you like to learn how to fly?”
He is bouncing, “My name is Sam. I have a name. Yes, Sam would like to learn to fly.”
I explain that he will be the next god of time. He will be the large imp and his mate will grow also. “Until then, Sam my man, I intend to make you a pilot.
I have him sit in one of the small seats. I explain that this is a simulator and will not actually fly but it will act and look just like it.. He now knows the controls. I have him taxi around to get familiar with the feeling of them. He only hit one thing but he is a really fast learner so I have him go to the take off position.
“Notice that the wind is coming in front of you. Always try to take off into the wind. I tell him to go full throttle and when he gets to speed pull back on the stick.”
He does that and soon he is airborne..
Now I have him move the stick to the slight left, he does and now he is turning. Without needing to say any more, he has figured out the controls and soon he is climbing and circling.
Now for the last part. I tell him to line up on the runway and reduce speed slowly. He does but he does not have enough speed and he falls from the sky. He is angry with himself but I tell him that this is the reason for the simulator. I have him hit reset. He takes off but this time, I explain the touch and go principle. After a few close calls, he
can make the tires chirp then take back off. On the fourth time, I did not have to tell him.
He felt the wheels touch, they chirped and he throttled back and used the brakes.
He could not be more pleased with himself. I saw the door open and his mate immediately asked what was he doing.
“Sam, why don’t you show your mate what you were doing.”
Olga and his mate look at me as if I lost it.
“Who is Sam?” his mate asks.
He bows and tells her, “I am Sam your mate.”
I tell her that I made it so he would remember his name and any other name of the people he meets.
“Would you like a name?”
She is bouncing as she asks “Will I remember it like I remember Sam’s name.” She stopped and her hands covered her mouth. “My mate’s name is Sam, yes I want a name..”
“Olga, what would be a pretty name for a pretty lady?”
“Eva, your name is Eva.”
Sam, what is your mates name?”
He smiles and says “Eva.”
She is melting
“Sam, why don’t you have Eva sit in the seat next to you and show her what you can do.”
He starts the engine, taxi’s around to the runway then lifts off the ground. Eva is screaming, I don’t know if it is but it sounds like delight. They circle for a while then he lands. What surprises us is that she wants to learn.
Just as quickly she picks it up. They are naturals. I look.
“Yes, Olga, my dear. I will make a full size one for us. It is my intention to use these on worlds in distress. If I can make enough of both sizes, we can recon an area, drop
supplies and if necessary mount weapons on them. Put a few pistols on them. Smaller of course for the imp size.”
We do notice that they are sharing.
Olga seems like she remembers something. “We are getting hungry. Why don’t you two land and Terry, would you please cook us something special?”
This is the first time that Time, his mate and the imps have come over for breakfast since Sam and Eva came to us. Time and his mate do not even question them. We have our breakfast. Now to throw them.
The four of us discussed this and it was decided to spring the new things on them.
“I would like to have all of you come to the work shop. Sam and Eva would like to show you what they have learned.”
All of them are looking around. They get to the simulator. Sam is explaining the workings but the imps are looking at him.
“Sam would you hold for a minute. Just in case you missed it. My assistant here is Sam and his pretty mate Eva. Sam and Eva have learned how to fly with this. I am working on a real plane. We will be able to do some arial recon.”
Sam now has an imp sit next to him and he takes off. The reaction of the imp was priceless. The second he became airborne the passenger bailed out and was shocked that they did not leave the ground. Another took his place but got airsick on the first altitude roll.
This went on for a while then Sam let Eva take a few of the ladies for a flight.
The four of us sat and watched.
Time looked over at me. “So it has been decided already. Well, I have been Time for a long time, I guess that I will retire, some day.”
I will not acknowledge but he knows that I can’t or won’t.
We play for a while longer then he says that he has to be on an assignment. “They are watching. Take good care of those two. At least I know they will look after their fellows better than a stranger.”
At first, all the assignments are far out. We have those small planes. One modification to the plane, is the emergency button. If the flyer is in trouble, they push the button and the plane and imps will be safely on a hold fast pad in the work shop.
We now have a runway in our realm. Planes in both sizes. Each plane has the door program built in. We get our assignment and it is downloaded to the planes door program..
There have been worlds that we deem unstable and proceed to evacuate the good.
Those who want to leave are settled on another peaceful worlds. It is on the last one we did that I got a report from Eva of a felid that is helping others with total disregard to her own safety. A government soldier was injured. Without hesitation she healed him knowing that as soon as she was done, she would be captured or killed.
As she finished, the soldier pulled out his knife and was going to kill her. She’s a rebel. I stop time and gather her up. She along with the others she helped were now in my realm. The god of mercy was there and they all were taken, with the exception of the woman. Mercy gave me a look then nodded.
It seems they all know or at least have an inkling of what is going to happen.
We take the woman into our house. Our table now has a stairway to a platform that Sam and Eva are on the same level as we are. Olga has the confused woman sit and asks the same question I first asked her.
“Are you a meat eater, a plant eater or both?”
She tells us both.
I say good and start cooking a large breakfast.
As I am cooking, I ask he for her name. She tells us that her name is Mercy. The four of us giggle. Olga pours all of us coffee and shows Mercy the milk and sugar.
“Take a sip first. It may be bitter to you. If it is, just put some cream and a small bit of sugar to sweeten it.”
She does but really likes the taste of it black. She does have an interest in the cream so I pour her a glass of whole milk. One sip and she is purring.
“That soldier killed me and I am in heaven, aren’t I.”
“No, you are not dead. Far from it. We are a crew, a clean up crew for the gods. We get an assignment to a world on the verge of dying. We assess the situation and make a decision on how to handle it. Your world does not possess the weapons to destroy that world but enough to kill almost everyone . We are removing the innocents and they are being relocated to other peaceful worlds.”
Olga now hits her with an offer.
“We are currently just minions of those gods but the Supreme God, the creator of all has judged the current lower gods as unfit. Terry and I are to be the god of all. A joint rule because it is going to be a greater role than before. Sam and Eva have been chosen to be the next god of time.
You, our dear Mercy, have shown yourself to be selfless in your quest as a care giver, a healer. We are asking you to take some time and consider this offer. We have decided that you are the right person to be the next god of mercy.”
“That job you will be hired to do,” I now add, “will be to intervene and help people that truly need the help. Sometimes it will be to the extent that you will need to heal the souls of those who need it and relocate that soul to another world and have it reborn there to lead a good life.”:
Sam, from watching others in that job, seeing what happened to me, adds a somber note.
“You will never be able to save them all. You will come to a point that you will blame yourself. Just remember that, when, not if, that happens, we went through the same thing. I still have bad dreams about pulling a prank and being trapped frozen in ice. Eva, Terry and Olga help me at those times.”
“The breakfast is now ready. Enjoy, think and let us know when you make your decision.
Until then, you are a guest here. After breakfast we will show you around.”
As we eat, I can see that she is worried about the innocents on her home world.
Olga goes over to her. Gives her a hug and tells her that she is the right one. She pulls out her tablet and shows her that world.
“The noncombatants that wanted to leave have been removed. Your governments weapons are now defective or destroyed. It is only a matter of a week or two before the resistance will win. There is a fortress that has appeared near the capital. That has a sage and his family with him. They will advise your people but never will accept being rulers. They are on a world for around twenty years then they leave. By that time they are no longer needed.”
I add, “Your world is saved.”
She breaks down and cries on Olga’s shoulder. They are tears of joy, relief for those that are alive and sorrow for those that have fallen.
We sit down with her at the pavilion. She has now calmed down. A new reality is hitting her. I look at her and smile.
“We watched you as you helped even someone that considered you his enemy. Even when you knew that he was going to kill you, you continued. The job, and we consider it a job, will be the god of mercy. As we told you we will wait on your decision. We want to have you think about it. Do not rush a decision either way.”
Something catches her eyes. Both Sam and Eva have helped themselves to ice cream.
What they do not know is that I have additions. Even Olga does not know. I know imps have incredible capacity. I walk over and get two bowls and the spoons and put them on the tray but I have extras. I present the women with the bowls but show them toppings.
Sprinkles, nuts and chocolate syrup. They taste and both add everything. I set a smaller set up by Sam and Eva. Both are becoming less impulsive. They both show restraint.
We now talk, just getting to know each other. Since we are now the future co gods, I am letting Olga and Eva do the talking. I have Sam aside and we talk.
“Sam tells me that when the women of the imps start to talk amongst themselves. It is better not to even listen.”
“Well Sam, I have an idea. Want to help?”
He and I go to an area that cannot be seen from the home. We did a lot of work and then we finished. Sam and I went to see if it was safe for men to approach. He did tell me that if anyone of them has the evil eye, it’s every man for himself.
They seemed to be happy so we led them to our area.
“It was an assignment that we need to relax afterwords.”
There before them was what I remember as a country fair, well only the game and ride section. Everything is in dual sizes compatible. Unlike the old time, I set this one up an arcade style shooting games. The claw machines and of course simulators. Cars, bikes and aircraft.
After the arcade is the rides. Simple Faris wheel. A merry go round, a small coaster and a fun house with moving floors and such.
It has been a while but I put out a call to have everyone come. A good thought but it turned out to be a bad idea. They came, they all knew.
The imps love the new things. The gods however. Finaly the god of all addresses the elephant in the room.
“So how long do we have?”
I have decided not to sugar coat my answer. Olga knows and gives me a nod.
“The previous god of all, on orders from the Supreme, has told me to start selecting. He said that the one thing is that only Olga and I are to be related. Sam was chosen by us.
His mate Eva comes with him but only as his mate.”
Now for the hard part.
“They do not want us to be in any sort of relation, other than employer to employee, I’m sorry. I don’t know how long but all will be replaced. They still require you to fulfill your jobs until that time. I do not know what will happen to you but I have the feeling that you will all be allowed to go to the final life. From personal experience, it is a wonderful place. When you get there, find a goblin woman named Beez and ask her to let you hear her tree sing to you.”
I was thanked by them for being truthful with them. One by one, they disappear. Time’s mate has gone back but he hung back.
“I know that my fellows will be well looked after. Please make sure that you do them right. Any failure is against me. You have been a good honest friend and I thank you for that. I, with your permission, want to make a permanent open door between your realm and mine. When Sam takes over, he will have direct access.”
He cannot finish, he shakes my hand and leaves.
The old god of all is now here.
“You handled that well. We did not pressure you to do it but I am sorry that it came so soon. The information you related was true. We have your wish, they all will go to the final life. Beez has been notified.”
Olga comes over and sits next to me. She says
“Now that you are here, I need you to relay our thoughts to the Supreme. That group of gods reflects how it has been done forever. We feel that there are too many. Things can get lost or redundant. We feel that the system needs to be pared down to complementary fields.”
We explain that the Watcher uses mercy and fate. Those three are intertwined and necessary. The most needed is time. That office is correction. Those four are the only ones vital to all our missions. The other offices are redundant.
I finish, “Now that Olga and I will both be the god of all, we will take on the responsibility of saving or erasing whole populations. Individuals can be left to each of the four. Time
will work in coordination with us. All will need to turn in reports. I recommend that each be allowed to recruit people to be demigods on different worlds, like the Watcher does.
That will increase our information input. We would be able to intervene sooner and maybe eliminate the need to let worlds burn. Our replacements will be chosen from them.”
He is smiling and tells us that it is something that should have happened a long time ago. He says that it already has been approved.
“You almost have Mercy convinced but she will join you. The one thing that we will caution you both. Family dynamics are what caused the current group to fail. Mercy, Fate and the Watcher have been female roles. Keep your marriage closed, and make it known from the get go. Tell the three that casual partners will be allowed but they will never be allowed to live here.”
With that, he says that they want to visit our newest recreation..
After seeing what we do and what she would be expected to do. She comes to us after a few weeks and asks to speak with the four of us.
“You are doing wonderful things, hard things and also having to do horrible things. I have seen the anguish, when you need to send evil ones into oblivion. The loss of even them hurts you but you know it is for the better and part of the job. I know that you deal with the mass’. I know that I will have to make the same decisions but on the individual level. It is my job but the flip side is that I get to save most. Take sad lives and heal them. Then place them on a world of peace to be able to live a productive life,”
She takes a deep breath
“If the offer is still there, I would be honored to take the job. You have explained your closed marriage. That really was a relief for me. I do not want a mate. The times I get the urge, I have had casual relations. Knowing that I still can is what pushed this over the top.”
I tell her that she is welcomed and when we find the final person to take the fate role, then the current gods will be retired and we will be elevated.
Olga now needs to do one thing. “Since you have accepted the role and all that comes with it. The Supreme God has approved. I am now going to do something to complete the roles final requirement.”
Time appears with his fellows. He looks very tired. They all do. They now know that there is nothing to do to rescue them from history. They cannot quit or slack off. That is the only thing they can now control.
Slack off, it is eternity on a burnt up world alone. Do their job and al east they can go to the final life. The only thing that they have not been told, is that, if they are to go to the final life, the god portion will be erased from their memories along with any of their living offspring. They will not have the shame they now have.
We ask Time to take Mercy to his work space between tick and tock. It does not go beyond notice that the imps now see this as a formal ceremony. The act accordingly.
Once the push has been made, they revert and show Mercy their job.
She comes back and sits. The imps go to the amusements with time’s instructions to return to their realm when called but he leaves.
For the obvious reasons, Mercy now has a closed coffee cup.
The old Watcher has brought a wonderful young lady.
“She has been briefed on the fact that this is a job and has accepted all that goes with it.” The old Watcher tells us. She also tells us that she has already been made ethereal.
“I have a message from the Supreme that fate will be chosen by him. She will be totally under our supervision because she will never know that the Supreme chose her. We are to tell you that the Supreme also has acknowledge that he has not been involved as much as he needs to be. He will watch and send you messengers with items that escape our attention. Those items will be years away from happening, not at the point of destruction..”
The new Watcher is a bright young lady. She has a kind countenance but also has a don’t mess look. She is someone that would blend into a crowd but when necessary can have a controlling presence. All business when on the job but easy to talk with.
We can see why she was chosen. The only thing that we need to know is that she was an abandoned orphan. Was chosen to be a demi god and lived until old age. She was returned to a young woman when she accepted the role. The Watcher was able to make her an ethereal.
When we take charge, I will have Sam and Eva take her to their stopped time. It is always funny.
The imps are here so I take the opportunity to introduce the new ones to them and have a group meeting.
“I just want everyone here to know that we have been informed that the last member, Fate, is on her way here. Once she has accepted the role, the current gods reign will be terminated. Be assured, the Supreme has said that they will go on to the final life together. At that moment we will ascend to the positions we accepted.”
Olga now takes over. “Each of us will be required to do the job we accepted. The big change is that thirteen god roles are now five roles. You will be allowed to do what you see fit but you will need to send us reports on your activities. We will be doing reviews.
Praise when it is due and advice when necessary. Just know this Terry and I will be doing the world wide bull work. When it involves a total world on the brink, it will be us that make the final decisions. Right or wrong, it will be on us. We will always want your opinions and advice but if we say something is final, that is our decision.”
I take back over. “The reason we insist on that is not because we are ego driven. You will run into situations where you will lose someone you wanted to save. Watcher, I see that you have had just that, Would you like to relate an instance to us? It will help us to know just what will happen. Not what may happen.
She is reluctant because it hurts but she tells us about her lost ones. The ones that she was too late to restore to health. Those who a warm last meal and a warm bed allowed them to pass with a smile. Now she is angry with the current god of mercy.
“I called out to her but she never showed.” She started to cry hysterically.
The old god of all appears and comforts her. While holding her, he looks at us and says,
“This is one of the reasons you each were chosen. They were caught up in family dynamics and without realizing it caused harm.”
Now he talks to the Watcher. “Those souls were taken by the Supreme and healed.
They are now prominent people making changes for the good of all. That is the reason that these current came under his scrutiny.”
He tells us that the old gods have interviewed the candidate for the god of fate and give their approval. She is being sent here right now. Sam, Eva, in front of your fellows stand before them on the ground.”
They know what is going to happen and are smiling while holding hands.
“Sam, you now own the role of the god of Time. Eva his mate” They grow to around five feet tall.” The imps are cheering.
“Mercy, stand before me. “You now own the roll of the god of mercy.”
“Watcher, stand before me. You now own the role of the Watcher. Your casual name is April”
“Now, Terry and Olga, stand before me. You both are going to change the universe. You both have accepted the role of the god of all. You two have been and now forever are one. You own the role of the god of all.”
Now the old gods appear. They have a woman that is again fair to look at but also appears to be ready to take the role.
We step forward and in unison ask,
“Holly, you have been informed what the role of the god of fate is.”
She tells us that she has.
“Do you accept that responsibility?”
“Holly, you now own the role of the god of fate.”
The man now tells us. “For this one time only, the universe has stopped in time. It will remain so for one day. Get to know each other. Work well but also know that this is a solemn job. The gods you are replacing, that whole group are now in the final life. They will never remember their role as gods. They all will take turns to sit under a tree and have it sing to them.”
He looks at me and smiles. They all leave.
Not one of us can really remember how long we have been doing this but it has been a really long time. At first, we made mistakes but we always had been able to catch them.
Worlds saved and worlds destroyed.. Our lesson was one that we learned before we ascended to our roles. We cannot save all but the lesson I learned was save the children at all costs.
Each has had demigods on each world, working in the background. Our hardest workers were Sam and Eva along with their fellows. They did most of the corrections.
Still the favorite is flavoring. They all have found ways of making life miserable to correct others. They work closely with the traveling Sage’s One change is that the core group of imps have been allowed to breed and those children become assigned to those travelers. They grow and one couple are chosen to be the tall imps.
With the demigod system, all the roles can be refilled with experienced people. All know that not everyone can be elevated to godhood but all do their jobs because they want to.
Gone, thankfully, are the days of having a role thrust on you then dropped to fend for yourself. With doors, you can get help at a moments notice. You are never left alone.
The one role of the god of all is now the most burdensome but the most enjoyable. It is a job which now is delegated to a mated couple. The role is too much for one person.
Now it is our turn. From the universe, the Supreme chooses the best yet the most compatible to replace us. We asked for it. Our home has been designated as the main base. It will be cherished like we did but I tell the group that has just replaced us that it is theirs. Tear it down if they want. Keep it if they want. The roles are theirs. Make this place theirs.
The new imp fellows are shown the amenities. They are quite capable of fulfilling their role. I sit down on the ground and tell them of an old tale. Then I tell them to ask for a pool.
We’re done. We say our goodbyes. Remind them that it is their roles, their jobs.
My last words to them were,
“Don’t be the second group to fall asleep on the job. You will not like it if we need to come out of retirement.”
With that, I open a door that only I can. We all step into the final life. Funny thing is that we are greeted by Hero or should I say he welcomed back the imps. They were given the ability to, if they wanted to, change their height. All chose to stay at their six inch height. Even Sam and Eva reverted back.
“It was fun,” Sam said, “But six inches is the best. Now where is the pool ,but I still do not like ice.”
With them here, eternity will be more interesting. I always liked those guys.
A group came over and introduced themselves to Olga and I. It turns out there are a lot of people that have had encounters. They all like to tell tales and enjoy a beer or two.
We are told that we can create our own place. No limits but we keep it to a very large kitchen, a workshop a large bath and bedroom. We are out in no where but people are close. .
Even though I cook, we find that there is one of those diner car conversion café near, but everything is near.. Good eats, good coffee. The owner has been there for a very long time. She smiles as she pours me another coffee. She doesn’t spill a drop.
Authors note:
This is one of those stories that I had an AI drawing but no story for it. Then they looked to me to be a professional pair, people on a mission. That put me in mind of a few stories that had people that would go to worlds to clean out the troublemakers. Clean up messes for the gods. I let my fingers start to type but part of the way through, one of the comments from the god of all about the first time he felt like a god caused me to change course. I’m sorry for the sage crew but they had the whole god thing dumped on them.
One thing floating in my mind is the flying imps. Gloria and her attempted diaper bombing of her pompa. There could be a new task for the flying imps of dirty bombs. A new wave of food flavoring.
I like these guys. Maybe a story about how they became the fellows of time/ But maybe it is time for a goblin space adventure. I may need to see how the combination mouse folk goblin fleet is working out.
I do thank all of you at Free-ebooks.net you wonderful readers have downloaded 592
copies of my different books as of February 14, 2025. I thank you all and Free-ebooks.net for publishing my stories.
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