BEGINNING
At the start of a parallel universe next to the one in which the reader of this book resides, there was a great deity by the name Cathu. Cathu was a lesser deity who did not know what He looked like but He was whole in functionality. Though He felt Himself unique from His surroundings, He could not gaze upon His body for He had not created other things.
Given that His espying with regards to His identity rendered Him enlightened with a primeval spark, for another before Him had created the Light of Sentience, Cathu had to create a means to behold Himself from a delocalized perspective. Thus, Cathu said, "Let there be a mirror," and a mirror appeared. However, being one with the mirror, Cathu could still not see himself wholly. He had to find another way.
Cathu rendered the surroundings He was not all-pervasive in the term 'Not-Self.' He figured that this 'Not-Self' must be permeated by the chaitanya of another deity.
With His will acting as limbs, Cathu first fashioned tools from the 'Not-Self', the tools with which He would fashion the mirror. He made a chisel, a hammer and something with the functionality of sandpaper. Once completed, Cathu saw that it was well done. He knew that the remaining task would not be so difficult. Cathu created a mirror, it took him little time as Cathu existed up to this moment, in an era where the gears of time flow-relativity revolved mostly around Him and the few tools moulded from the 'Not-Self'. However, when He was done He had made one rotation around His axis.
Cathu was the kind of deity whose spiritual sight was localized on the ebbs of His universe that was mostly Himself, He used to revolve around His core most parts.
When Cathu was done, He gazed upon His reflection on the mirror He had crafted and He saw himself from a self-delocalized perspective for the first time. He was composed of many meaningful parts like tentacles, each with its own unique function, but He was so brilliant in appearance that only He can describe Himself with accuracy .
Just seeing Himself was not enough though, Cathu needed someone to interact with, someone to verbalize feedback, someone capable of thinking on his own. He also sought to do this so that He could stop revolving around Himself alone.
CATHU CREATES A SECONDARY INTERACTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Moments after creating a mirror, Cathu decided to create a Secondary Interactive Intelligence (S.I.I.) to act as his minion of praise. He would need to create this character as a semi-hybrid of Himself and the 'Not-Self'. He had to determine the level of chaitanya present in the 'Not-Self' and see to which level He should imbue it with His own chi to act as an intelligence co-pilot up to the point in which this S.I.I. would evolve its own artificial intelligence partner imbued with its own chi but built in the matrices hewed by Cathu to act as a co-pilot seat. In other words, up to the moment in which the S.I.I, would program and install its own self-internalized mind of Cathu.
Cathu set out to create the crucible for this to be fine piece of creation. He created a giant machine supplied with something akin to dark energy from something akin to dark matter energy bed that permeates the cosmos. The machine had many gears, levers and even levitating parts. It was designed to grow organs using 'Not-Self' raw materials, for Cathu was far too smart to use his own parts in the design of a prototype version of himself. He knew that suffering meant devolving as opposed to evolving, being limited in functionality and capability of functionality within the gap that is space-time continuum. Once created however, he would take a seat in the heart of his creation in order to guide its evolutionary trajectory.
Thus, Cathu the greatest, fed His creation machine with mined raw materials for the design of organs such as brain, liver, two hearts, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, endoskeleton, muscles, exoskeleton among others. He had a universal solvent to dissolve materials that had to be dissolved. He had a part of the machine with a sieve along with equipments for other methods of extraction. He had a microscope and a machine for sub-atomic particle engineering. He had a hadron collider and a particle accelerator. He had lazer-beam blasting equipments as well as shrinking and size-scaling up machines. He had all manner or laboratory equipments such as condensers, flasks, pipettes, burners, and tubes. He had them all.
Cathu the greatest used only the best raw materials He could source to create the S.I.I.. Being the best at what He did, once He began the work of assemblage, His first prototype came out as an exemplified perfection of His creative nature. Cathu had proved unto Himself that He could make an entity in His own likeness. The S.I.I. looked just like Him in manner of completeness.
Its skin color was amber. It had black hair with no beard, as of that moment.
It had almond shaped eyes that were black inside and shimmered when light struck them. It had a pair of white eyelids, one for each eye, that slid horizontally to shut and reopen the eyes.
It had two hands and two legs that were muscular and were penta-digitate. It had phantasmal limbs as well so it could control some forces telekinetically and as such feel more like its creator.
It had two hearts, one was its Spirit's seat, the other was meant to be the seat of Cathu's Spirit.
It had three-lobed brains within one skull. Its nose was finely chiseled in appearance and had a sharp pointed tip. Its mouth was like that of a lion, with sharp strong teeth(to chew through hard matter).
Its neck was shaped like that of a cobra with it's hood raised. Its sharp retractable finger-nails, like talons, were dark bluish in appearance.
AWAKENING OF THE S.I.I.
It took a while for the newly created S.I.I. to open its eyes. Once it did, it came to see a strange world unlike anything it had while in the darkness of Ylem espied. The S.I.I., named Tzaroth(no. 1) awoke feeling hungry for knowledge. It, or rather, he was zealous from the moment of his coming into day. He was lying on a rectangular bed covered with white comfy material like fur, and a wooly blanket. Next to the bed was a cube shaped foot-stool with a bowl containing sweetly scented spherical crystals, a cup, and a vase containing orange liquid. Cathu, who as we've established is all-pervasive, was right next to Tzaroth but could not be seen with Tzaroth's naked eyes for he had chosen to remain invisible, up to that moment.
Tzaroth stared at his arms carefully, then his feet, examining himself inquisitively. He then got up and walked over to the cuboidal stool. He was nine feet in height and built like an android machine. It didn't take him long to realize that the crystals were meant for food. Thus he outstretched his left hand and picked a crystal, put it in his mouth and chewed. After picking one, he picked up another and then two next, savouring the crunchy meal one munch at a time. The meal was delicious to the taste and it reacted favorably with his digestive juices. Just as he was about to take the fourth bite, Cathu the Greatest materialized His form. He did this by interracting with a cloud of blue colored steam in an open cubicle with vents in it, causing his avatar to bond together a form that was visible from the head up to his belly, his lower torso was hidden by dark clouds that looked like thick smoke flowing downwards to feet that were like unto sparks of golden fire.
At this, Tzaroth did not know how to react, for he had known neither fear nor excitement before, he just stood there puzzled until Cathu shot a miniature electric shock into his brain prompting him to exclaim "What...am I?!" Apparently he had been programmed with language. Tzaroth's voice sounded robotic. At Tzaroth's inquiry, Cathu the Greatest responded, "You are what you are clothed in organs of my creation. Your name is Tzaroth" After studying his expression, Cathu understood that Tzaroth had many other questions as he had not been programmed with all answers yet. To prevent other needless questions, except for a few while making normal conversation, Cathu circled Tzaroth at lightning speed while beaming rays of encoded information into his mind. When He was done, Tzaroth slumped back on the cube shaped foot-stool and exclaimed "hmmm, so much information, in, such little time!" With his right index finger pointed at his chin and head elevated upwards and leaning to the right on which direction was Cathu, Tzaroth said to his maker, "Thou art Cathu, my Creator." He then lowered his right hand to his side and added, "I am at your service, Lord Cathu."
"That is good, I have great plans for us," said Cathu addressing Tzaroth. He continued, saying, "Come, I want to show you something." Cathu then glided closer to one of the walls of the building, while Tzaroth followed him behind. He pressed a brick that was standing out on the smooth wall. Suddenly, that side of the bluish wall turned orange and rectangular yellow colored partitions appeared that then rolled over and inserted into one another transitioning into a large window spanning one corner of the room to another. It was then that Tzaroth discovered how high up they were in a giant castle.
"You see this world, I raised it from the dust of the 'Not-Self'. From this same dust I created you after my own likeness and in my own image. Though the handiwork of thee is mine, thy composition is entirely thine as I sourced ingredients from something that was not I but thee, simply put, I designed finished product you from raw material that was also you." said Cathu to His creation. "You organized me from Chaos, you gave meaning to that which on its own, without you, was meaningless," said Tzaroth to Cathu. "I see that you understand me." replied Cathu. He continued saying, "There are many things you can eat around here for you to grow stronger and thus be able to undertake more challenging quests, I have programmed you with information on edibles. I shall teach you how to mine for food and how to grow crystals within a short time. You are the first of your kind and so you need not worry about competition for the time being. Do you understand me dear one?" "Yes I do Lord" replied Tzaroth. At this response Cathu said unto Tzaroth, "You may call me Omni-Father, it sounds better" "Yes Omni-Father," said Tzaroth to his creator. Turning to look on the side opposite the window, Cathu continued, saying, "The rest-room is over there next to the purple brick," pointing ten Tzaroth steps ahead of him, "there also is a virtual reality gaming station down stairs, it has thousands of simulation games you can play. We have limitless space and time hence do not be in a rush, I will help you stay occupied."
THE FORBIDDEN TREE
Tzaroth found his new game quite educational. It taught him a lot concerning his muscle reflexes, asides from that, the game was quite mentally stimulating.
Cathu's created world was called Munda. The sun of Munda was brilliant white with a bluish Corona formed by splitting rays of light as they pass through Munda's atmospheric cover. In terms of movement, the sun would appear to twinkle on and off as it digitally moved across the dark sky which was decorated with myriads of stars, from Northern horizon to the Southern horizon and then along the horizon towards the side of west then move up when it reached Northern horizon going back to Southern horizon, and so forth. When the sun was moving across the sky, it was termed to as Sher time, when it was moving along the horizon it was said to be Nuit time.
Tzaroth played the game for one sher and had to rest for the nuit. When he woke up, after having breakfast, Cathu showed up, or rather, came into visibility.
Tzaroth then took a quick shower and brushed his teeth because Cathu the greatest had somewhere he wanted to take Tzaroth. When he was ready, he found Cathu waiting on the eastern balcony of the castle. He outstretched His right hand and a red scepter like unto a trident, zapped into apparition into his right fist. The scepter then morphed into a silver helmet with two miniature wings, and when He put it on his head, it extended to cover most of his body, rendering him bipedal and glamorous. He said unto his minion, "Tzaroth, it is time to test your wings."
Tzaroth knelt on his right knee with the left fist on the floor and the right hand placed against his left lap, big white wings then flapped open from his upper back portion in the blinking of an eye. He stood up, leapt into the air and flapped his wings, slowly at first, then quickening the pace when he realized he was losing altitude, making him soar higher until he caught up with his master and creator who was levitating slightly above him.
They journeyed in mid air for about ten kilometres, passing even terrain and spatially located skyscraping obelisks on the way. Tzaroth was still new to flight techniques and he would often descend to the ground, make leaps for short distances like a frog, before flying a longer distance like a bird. Cathu the greatest was patient with him and He kept encouraging him onwards. After the ten kilometres flight, with stops in between, the duo came to a place with a great wide rift and a whimsical forest at the bottom of the rift with what appeared to be orange rivers coursing through it like veins. They had to swoop down the steep and ragged terrain of the rift to get to the forest which Cathu called, the Crystal Forest. Once at the bottom of the rift, it did not take them long to get to the forest. The forest had trees, shrubs and climbers that grew crystalline fruits, though a few had sacculent ones. Not that the crystal trees did not grow elsewhere, only that there was quite a wide range of varieties here. They had to walk through winding paths in the forest in order to get a closer look at the vegetation. They went about half a kilometre deep in the forest and that is when they came across the strangest tree close to which they halted.
The tree had a green bark with tiny orbs of red and grey-black lights spiralling around it from beneath the ground where its buttress roots anchored to the soil. It had red glowing fruits that appeared to pulsate like hearts, the fruits hang low on long a slim pedicel. It had yellow leaves.
Cathu said to Tzaroth, "Never eat the fruits of that tree, it is poisonous and is the only object that has the ability to kill you here. Do not even touch it, let alone get close to it unless you want to die, do you understand?"
Tzaroth replied, "You mean I should not eat of that tree unless I want to revert to the chaotic state I was before you made me. I understand. I will try my best to avoid it." Cathu then continued saying, "A single bite is all it would take for you to feel the sting of de-creation, you would have your years rendered finite. It is the only one of its kind there is, I made sure of that. I only spared this one to give you the freedom of choice, if ever you were to despise my gift of life to you."
"Thank you for telling me this, Omni-Father. I will do my best to stay away from it," said Tzaroth.
For a miniscule moment, Cathu's eyes let out a brilliant flash of red light like burning flames, then he said, "It would break my heart to lose you, I don't know whether you can relate to these feelings but one day they will make sense. Let me take you around the forest a bit before we go back." After a slight contemplation pause, Tzaroth replied, "That sounds great."
They toured the forest for almost an hour and then Tzaroth had a meal of the most nutritious crystals he could find, he blissfully ate next to a river. Cathu taught him how to make offerings and libation so as to appease Him, not that he needed to eat, but the burnt offerings and libations gladened His Spirit more. After that moment they followed the river course down-stream until they came to a clearing, from which point they journeyed on towards the steep escarpments of the rift. Cathu clapped his hands twice and, voila, a carriage bound to two black steeds appeared. Apparently, Cathu had also created horse-like beasts. They had figures like horses with long fur, but their heads were shaped like mythical dragons, and they had long necks like dragons too. When they neighed, the sound made was like that of an electric guitar. Cathu spake unto Tzaroth and said, "I made these ones to help you travel. They are quite smart, though not as smart as you." Tzaroth responded saying, "thank you almighty, these are beautiful creatures." "What would you have us call them?" asked Cathu the greatest.
"Dlagons," replied Tzaroth with his eyes squinting with amusement, and a smile on his cheeks. Cathu agreed with the term coined, he seemed to understand its deeper meaning.
The dlagons could not only gallop but levitate as well. Their manner of levitation was akin to swimming under water, some would argue, they levitated like the reindeers of Santa Claus. Thus the two boarded the carriage and Tzaroth watched and learned as Cathu showed him how to handle the reins and navigate. The chariot levitated up the escarpments with ease and the dlagons displayed no signs of wearing out. Tzaroth and Cathu conversed about many things on the way back to the castle. Tzaroth enjoyed the company of his maker a lot, and when they arrived home, he just couldn't wait for the next picnic with his deity.
DAILY ROUTINE
From sunrise to sun-land(same as sunset, only that the sun in Munda sails along the horizon instead of setting) Tzaroth found that he had so much to do and so much to discover. His deity would often pay him a visit with additional creatures that he had created for Tzaroth to name. He wanted Tzaroth to rule over the creatures which He had made to be a little lower than him. There were all sorts of life-forms, most mimicking those of Earth in appearance but not in food-chain habits. Most lived in the forests, the seeds of whose vegetation Cathu had planted. It used to rain orange colored rain in Munda, although the color of this type of water was not due to alien residue but innate molecular composition.
Among the creatures, the extra-terrestrial names for which I shall not mention, there were: pink lions; brown foxes with blue trapezoid glowing eyes and no visible pupils or corneas; birds with two pairs of wings; bats with red eyes and long limbs; serpents with wheels like those of a panzer for 'legs'; fishes that looked just like Earthly fish; kangaroos with scales; fairy-like creatures, frogs that could morph into any shape and live not only under water but on land and in fire as well; rabbits and hares with flame-like fur and antennas for ears; ants with in-built antigravity and spiders that could change their shape into spheres. The list goes on, though these are just some of the few that were common.
Tzaroth spent time observing the creatures, especially their predation habits. He felt bad seeing some of them die, clearly he was not created equal to the animals, they could and did die easily. This was terrible to behold as he had developed attachment to every living creature in Munda. He was too afraid to question his deity with regards to creature mortality, so he began keeping to himself, and even talking to himself. Cathu saw a cloud of sadness hanging over Tzaroth and He knew that trouble was looming...