Four
Skyarid
Colin stood up and walked across the edge of the
saw-toothed plateau with the confidence of a young god newly sprung from the
head of Zeus. In a hazy, dusky corner of his mind he was still aware of who he
was, or used to be, humanly speaking. But for some glorious reason, Dr. Dutko
had had greatness thrust upon him.
The vision that began his new life had come to him
in an instant of time beyond time. A miniscule moment that lay outside the
realm of mere human experience. In that vision he had seen an entire alternate
reality, a shining cosmic kingdom that consisted of worlds within worlds,
pleasures beyond pleasures…treasures that fueled a furnace of deep desire
within him that he never knew existed.
He turned his head with an easy fluidity and looked
at the others: two men and a woman who had yet to awaken to their new lives.
There they lay in the circular carven womb, and there, many yards beyond them,
lay the coverings that now represented the former lives they had just shed.
Then there was the Voice in Colin’s head—thinking
thoughts not his own. It was a thundering Voice but a kind one. The Voice had
given him the vision of the shining kingdom as an unbelievable promise. Colin
knew that the others would receive the same vision, the same promise; that all
of them would vie for it…that all but one would die for it. Perhaps he himself
would be the chosen one, perhaps he’d be one of the ones who died. Right now it
didn’t matter. Right now there was only
hope and joy. Right now there was only desire—desire for the Power.
And here came, right on time, another team of suited
people from Petra City. Colin knew they must be a rescue party, concerned for
the welfare of the four poor victims who’d “escaped” from the hospital in the
dome. Colin understood now that it was only by the blood of sacrifice that any
of them could be saved. After all, the four of them had had to go through the
blessed suffering of blood to achieve their own godhood.
It was amazing…his eyesight was so keen now that the
expressions on the faces of the approaching team members were clearly visible,
even at this distance. Obviously they had spied him standing here—standing here
in this superheated wasteland void of breathable air—standing here without an
environment suit. They were gaping in stunned wonder. Colin laughed with a
spasm of spontaneous glee.
The wonder on their faces turned to mixed disbelief
and fascination. Colin could hear their conversations—mostly ejaculations of
astonishment. He supposed he and his three counterparts would have to become
accustomed to this kind of reaction from the normal humans from whom the
Skyarid demanded worship. What could one expect, he admitted, from people
steeped so long in the lies of a supposedly “naturalistic universe”? Ah, well,
they would learn to bow and obey…
And those who refused would render their
service in far more painful ways.
Now the other three were sitting up and beginning to
stretch their limbs like a trio of felines after a pleasant season of
canary-filled dreams. Colin had heard their names…what were they?
George…Deacon…and Cassandra—that was it. Actually, he did more than see
them. He was touching them with his thoughts, sensing their very essence,
feeling echoes of their emotions. This was another precious gift of the Skyarid
of Power. And with the combination of Colin’s adoration with theirs, the
satisfaction he felt was growing ever stronger and more intoxicating. The
memory of the new-birth vision was still fresh in their minds, mirroring his
own. The promise, the challenge, the mission the four of them had been given.
Confident, effortless, proud and obedient to the
Voice, the other three arose and emerged from the carven womb with long,
powerful strides. The four new god-lings stood abreast to face the rescue party
that was drawing near, laboriously cresting the ridge. Many of the rescuers
held scanning instruments that were undoubtedly registering bioscan readings
none of them could comprehend. Others were beginning to crouch and aim their
weapons, confused, frightened, unsure what to make of these clearly humanoid
beings who needed no external life support in such a lethal environment.
Colin supposed he ought to be the first to speak:
“Please, gentlemen, your weapons will not be necessary. We have no desire to
engage in violence of any kind. To answer the question that is surely in all of
your minds, we have no need of environment suits simply because we have
undergone a miraculous change. All four of us now live with the energy of the
Skyarid of Power. We welcome you as the
first human beings to visit the Skyarid’s temple—his very womb. As the
Skyarid’s first servants, we four invite you to share in your new master’s
happiness.”
Then all four of the servants chanted together:
“Kneel down and worship him. Worship and serve the Skyarid of Power!”
The rescuers, bewildered, looked back and forth at
one another. The four servants repeated: “Kneel down and worship him. Worship
and serve the Skyarid of Power!”
One of the rescuers barked at the others: “Enough of
this…stun them now!”
A second later, all twelve of the rescuers were on
the ground, covered with blood.
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