Oblivion

  Part 5: Brangot, Diotitus, and Dober Jung

 

  When Brangot and Diotitus were ready to leave the Conservatory, the Spirit Channel materialized at the station. An agent, this time a machine-person, beckoned them to board. “Spirit Channel to Oblivion now boarding,” it called.

  Diotitus and Brangot approached the agent. “We were hoping to change destinations,” Diotitus told the agent.

  “Your schedule is specific for a single round-trip between the Conservatory and Oblivion,” the agent said.

  Brangot loudly tapped his foot. “Then rebook it.”

  “Where do you desire to go?” the agent asked.

  “The afterworld of gods,” Diotitus said. “Afterworld eighteen, or eighteen A, I think.”

  “Eighteen is Bliss, and eighteen, adjunct A, is the mock-afterworld, Bliss Whip,” the agent explained, though was apparently amused thinking about it, and its mood lighting changed. “That’s one strange afterworld. The Tribold god’s idea of a joke, before the afterworld restrictions took effect.”

  “And the afterworld of gods?” Diotitus asked. “Nineteen?”

  “Damnation,” the agent responded. “The one you’re looking for is in administrative afterworld fifteen, adjunct D. Since there is no observation level, you can only enter by appointment and if you were made a god by worship. A god degree is not valid for entry. It’s a very cliquish afterworld.”

  The agent waited for a moment, then asked, “Am I to take it you’re a god?”

  Diotitus bowed. “Check your records. I’m filed under Earth, Greek gods, Appendix J, section two, titled Exceptions.”

  “Er,” the agent said, this time making a whirring noise. “I’m not sure that counts.”

  “He’s a god by worship,” Brangot said, “which was the only condition you mentioned.”

  “The only condition besides being invited,” the agent corrected.

  “At least ask,” Diotitus said. “I need to meet with the god who manages Creation Mathematics.”

  The agent looked incredulously, its lights blinking this way and that, at Diotitus. “Alright, I’ll ask. But if they get annoyed for being bothered, I’m blaming you.” The agent consulted a small hand-held computer and spoke in a machine-people dialect. After some time, the agent looked up with a surprised expression, denoted by brightly flashing headlamps. “You’ve been granted a two-hour pass to meet with Dober Jung.”

  Brangot and Diotitus were directed to board the Spirit Channel. “After two hours, you will be automatically relocated to the Spirit Channel scheduled for Oblivion.”

  Brangot and Diotitus boarded the Spirit Channel, and headed towards the afterworld of gods.

  As they rode, Brangot asked, “Haven’t you ever tried to enter an afterworld before now?”

  “I used to try all the time with the old delivery service. However, no afterworld would approve a temporary pass because the facilities to automatically kick the soul out didn’t exist back then. Anyway, I guess that is why all the afterworlds said no. I think I tried all of them, even the Hell pits and Damnation.” Nothing stunted faith like being rejected a visitor’s pass to Hell.

  “Do you think this Dober Jung is going to give use any details about Creation Mathematics?” Brangot asked.

  Diotitus shook his head. “No. All I’m interested in is the name. If we can get elementary schooling on Creation Mathematics and find out who invented it, then I have an idea on how to get the rest.”

  “And that is?” Brangot asked.

  Diotitus shook his head. “I don’t think it is wise to talk about it right now.”

  When the Spirit Channel delivered Brangot and Diotitus to afterworld fifteen, adjunct D, a scruffy god waited at the station to greet them.

  “I’m Dober Jung,” he said. “Gerard said you would be stopping by. I can’t help you, though, and wanted to be courteous about it rather than refusing your request without a visit.”

  “He didn’t waste any time,” Brangot said.

  “We were wondering if you could tell us more about Creation Mathematics,” Diotitus said. “We had hoped you might have some information to work with because neither of us knows if we even need Creation Mathematics.”

  Dober Jung shrugged. “It’s quite simple. I invented a set of theories and algorithms for creating and interpreting DNA sequences. At this point in the universe, there are many intelligent civilizations that can decode DNA. What they are missing is the equation to create the DNA sequence from a complex set of data.”

  “I thought that algorithm was known to In-Life species,” Brangot remarked.

  “It’s known now. I planted some of the theories in select individuals. It was encrypted in such a way that no one is able to decode it, but anyone may use it.” Dober Jung made a crooked smile. “The equation is necessary for time travel, and the gods desired certain civilizations to develop said technology.”

  “Could we use the encrypted version?” Brangot asked.

  Dober Jung shook his head. “Based on what Gerard told me, and assuming his information was accurate, you’ll need the unencrypted algorithms, which, as I said, I am unable to give you.”

  “Out of curiosity, what did Gerard tell you?” Diotitus asked.

  “Same thing he told you, I imagine. Same thing all the gods have been told. All time lines are being recycled in order to delay a Grand Disaster which will destroy many afterworlds, including this one and the Conservatory.” Dober Jung showed little emotion as he described the possible end of his own existence.

  “And Oblivion?” Brangot asked.

  “Oblivion cannot be destroyed,” Dober Jung answered. “Gerard told you the Grand Disaster affected the afterlife, right?”

  Diotitus nodded, though glanced at Brangot. “Yes. We wanted to compare notes. All afterworlds are in danger, and they need Tif’s idea to save them.”

  Dober Jung squinted and fell silent while considering his answer. “I think there is a disconnect here. Tif only knows part of the solution, and Gerard, you, and most recently myself, are aware of her idea. Another principle part of the solution will be communal between the three of you, and then you will be able to act on Tif’s idea to solve the problem.”

  “The problem of souls,” Brangot tested.

  “I’m not sure how Gerard described the problem, but it’s not really a secret between the gods.” He winked at Diotitus, evidently pleased at slipping in the joke.

  “When your kinsmen,” he motioned towards Brangot, “move to invade afterworlds two hundred ninety nine through three hundred two, they will not be able to pass through Oblivion itself, and will tear through every afterworld, starting with afterworld number one, which is where the Spirit Channel operates.”

  Diotitus looked at Brangot. “Those are the human afterworlds. What would they want with those?”

  Dober Jung smiled slightly and raised his hand don Brangot to wait for his response. “You’re asking about an ugly affair afterworld history. The human gods wanted to expand their afterworlds, but the administration wouldn’t grant them additional space. Not that they needed it since they had access to the infinite amount of space in afterworld Seventeen, which is the Void, and in their own infinite void, afterworld Seventeen adjunct A, which is Limbo. The Void and Limbo are very limited versions of Oblivion, and the gods can control them. You need extra room, plan accordingly and build in one of those areas.”

  “But, the humans didn’t want to build there?” Diotitus asked.

  Dober Jung motioned to Brangot.

  Brangot shivered and shook his head. “No, the human gods wanted to keep Limbo a complete void. My world was in another dimension.”

  “An unreal world,” Dober Jung interjected. “A universe spawned of a universe, and which seems utterly fantastic to the parent universe. In his case,” Dober Jung indicated Brangot, “his unreal universe was spawned from the universe that includes humans.”

  “The h
uman gods, who had power over their own In-Life universe, were able to tap into our universe and started extending their afterworlds into it. Eventually, my people’s universe was consumed. My people, only aware that humans were responsible, but not humans of the afterworlds, fought back.”

  “They started an In-Life war with humans, and the Earth was destroyed,” Dober Jung said.

  “What?” Diotitus cried and turned to face Brangot. “You blew up Earth?”

  “Have you been living in a hole for the last hundred thousand years?” Dober Jung asked. “It’s old news. Besides, the humans blew up their own planet. They were very underhanded in their diplomacy, his still nameless race destroyed Earth’s entire fleet of warships, and humans accidentally blew up their own planet.”

  Diotitus shook his head. “The story you told me was about humans?”

  Brangot nodded solemnly. “You understand why I never talk about it? After-Life humans don’t want to hear their heavens and hells stole space from my universe.”

  “No long-term harm done,” Dober Jung told Diotitus. “Humans and Brangot’s people colonized other planets and, for a while, all was well.”

  Diotitus discovered himself remarkably dispassionate about the news. “Why are they now coming into the afterlife if they got satisfaction from the Earth being destroyed?”

  Dober Jung said, “They didn’t get satisfaction. In all fairness, In-Life humans had no idea why Brangot’s people were upset. Humans haven’t had any real contact with their afterworlds or with their gods since the beginning. However, there are some gods who believe Brangot’s people have been manipulated by an insidious foe who seeks to claim Oblivion for itself.”

  “It seems like a long time to carry a grudge,” Diotitus said.

  “Yes,” Dober Jung agreed, “which is one reason why some of the gods don’t think Brangot’s species is responsible at all. Operating on future trends is a bit of a gray area.”

  “And how is tracking pieces of souls going to make one shred of difference?” Diotitus asked. “If they’re going to destroy the afterworlds, the various bits of soul will wind up in Oblivion, but there won’t be an afterworld to claim them”

  “That is why the Time Stream is so important. If someone could track every particle during a Grand Disaster, then such a process could be used to reassemble the particles immediately following the disaster.” Dober Jung looked at Brangot.

  And Brangot concluded, “Making the afterworlds invulnerable against an attack.”

  “Precisely,” Dober Jung said.

  “So this has nothing to do with souls and worship counts at all,” Diotitus said. “There shouldn’t be any problem if a god goes on a worship-whacker tour because the souls don’t matter at all. The gods are covering their own asses!”

  Dober Jung shrugged. “That’s one way of putting it. Of course, eventually, the assailants in this Grand Disaster will find their way into Oblivion and destroy everything. Granted, Oblivion itself is safe from harm, but everything in Oblivion is fair game.”

  “Can they destroy the Time Stream?” Brangot asked.

  “They can try,” Dober Jung said. “You really must visit the Time Stream to appreciate how well the machine-people manage it. There are all sorts of filters and by-ways built around the Stream. The Stream itself is absolutely invulnerable, the same way Oblivion is invulnerable. However, the inhabitants of Oblivion do not share the same protection. And, if the filters are destroyed then a lot of bad things will happen - again. Paradoxes caused by time travel would not be caught. One day you wake up and discover you never existed. And that’s a weird feeling. Experienced it myself a few times in the early days.”

  “Why don’t you tell us the algorithms to Creation Mathematics so we can solve this problem and defend the afterworlds?” Diotitus asked.

  “Because,” Dober Jung said, “the one thing I’m sure you have in the back of your head, and something I certainly know Gerard wouldn’t tell you, is whoever solves the problem and implements the solution will have god-like power across time and all afterworlds.”

  “Probably why Gerard wanted us to tell him everything,” Diotitus said.

  Dober Jung shrugged. “Everyone has an agenda.”

  “So, you’re not going to tell us the algorithms?” Diotitus asked again.

  Dober Jung shook his head. “I’m not going to hand a secret of the universe over to two unsaved souls. Doing so would require agreement by many, many gods, none of whom think it’s necessary, let alone that you’re worth saving.”

  “Then why did Gerard say it was needed?” Diotitus asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Dober Jung replied. “Why do you think Gerard spoke with me before you arrived?”

  Their pass expired, and Brangot and Diotitus did not have a chance to thank Dober Jung for his assistance. Instead, they found themselves on the Spirit Channel headed for Oblivion.