Agents of the Demiurge Read Online Free PDF

take a seat. Collection plates were passed
around. Hess and Elza each contributed a generous amount. Next on
the meeting agenda was a musical performance from the children.
    As they sat there, listening to young boys
and girls sing their hatred of the Creator, Elza reached one hand
over surreptitiously to tap his elbow. Hess directed a quizzical
expression at her, but at a shake of her head he dutifully returned
his attention to the front of the room.
    The tapping and caressing of his elbow
continued. Hess tried to pay attention to the words sung by the
children, but the mystery of Elza's behavior proved more
interesting by far. Was she initiating something now ? Hess
felt himself reacting to the possibility.
    It made no sense for her to become amorous at
the moment. No matter the chemistry of her body, Elza was rational
to a fault. She would not jeopardize their identities for a cheap
thrill. Unfortunately, there was no way to have a frank
conversation with her while surrounded by people . . . .
    A memory rose from the depths. An Observer's
perfect recall had limitations. First, they only remembered what
they had consciously experienced. They couldn't flip through a book
and instantly know its contents. They had to read the words one at
a time to permanently capture them. Second, they couldn't remember
all of it at once. Much as a normal person could only hold so much
in short term memory, an Observer could only hold so much in long
term memory. After that, things faded into deep memory.
    Some experiences never left his primary
memory – the moments that defined him refused to fade into the
background. The memories that did fade wound up in the depths and
could take some time to rise back to the surface when something
triggered their recall.
    Now, Hess remembered the lover's language of
Iteration thirty-two. It had been invented as a means of private
communication between aristocratic couples. After enjoying a few
generations of popularity, the language had gone out of vogue and
been forgotten by everyone except two Observers.
    The fact that he had misinterpreted Elza's
communications as foreplay meant he couldn't recall the exact
sequence to translate. He tapped on the back of Elza's hand. Start again.
    Her fingers stopped, then began anew. The
rituals match the typical profile of those used by popular
religions. They are all based around building communal identity and
reinforcing cognitive biases.
    Hess gave two gentle pinches in rapid
succession with his thumb and index finger, the signal for
agreement. I forgot all about this language.
    The children's music ended and a lecturer
pulled from the elders of the congregation went up front to speak
about the threats to human dignity. Apparently, the threats were
religion, atheism, homosexuality, and violent video games.
    Elza's fingers tapped at his arm. Ridiculous. Obvious theological flaws. They oppose the Creator
and any imposed natural order. So why oppose homosexuality? Non
compliance with biology should be a virtue.
    Hess waited until her fingers stopped to
reply. All religions are the same. They pick things they approve
and disapprove and worry about fitting things together later. It's
just people using a platform to get power.
    Her fingers pounded a response into his
elbow. Not all the same. Some allow people to question
assumptions and fix flaws. This one is incompatible with free
thought.
    Up front, the Deacon took the pulpit again to
read a series of stories from the news. Each story highlighted
people overcoming challenges in their lives. Throughout the
congregation, people nodded in earnest approval of every word they
heard. Elza's fingers remained still throughout his talk.
    Then everyone stood to sing a few hymns of
Opposition. When that was done, the Deacon delivered a benediction
about seizing dignity from the mess of everyday life. Everyone
raised a fist in the air, cursed the Creator a final time, and
filed out of the meeting room to chat in the hallway and