Venice

 

I found myself face down on a fancy tile floor soaking still wet from the Tokyo rain. There was no sound. Everything was dead quiet. I was not sure who, where or when I was. The old metallic taste from demon travel still filled my mouth. When I saw Krim a few feet away, it came back in fits and starts; time traveling with an old American Indian woman, Father Torres, a long ass jet ride Krim, noodles and something about an artificial intelligent machine-human hybrid. Urinals and toilets, along with a grumpy smell, told me Krim had landed us in a men’s room somewhere. I sat up slowly not wanting the room to start spinning. 

“Hey, Krim! Hey, where in the hell did we land?” I shouted.

Slowly, he stirred. “Hey, Krim! Hey, where in the hell did we land?” I shouted again. "

“A bathroom… But this is not the Vatican.”

“That’s in Rome, you tool! Are we in Venice or not?”

“Oh yeah Venice, that’s right. Welcome!”

Krim climbed to his feet, took off his soaking coat and tossed it into a corner.

“We cannot stay here.”

“Outside, I better see canals-n-shit!” I was not happy. I tossed my coat on top of his and followed him out of the empty building. It was a government office of some kind. Outside, the walkways and canals were almost empty under a hot, bright, midday sun. We were in the right city at least. I took out my pocket watch, an ancient mechanical beast, which always had the correct date and time. We had left a week ago. Father Torres would not be pleased with me being MIA that long.

“Oh, shit… Don’t look,” Krim groaned.

“Ah shit…” I could feel him walking up on us without even looking. It was Tabris, Angel of Freewill. He was a big Aryan looking dude with curly blond hair, broad shoulders and ice-blue eyes. The tailored tan suit and the pink tie said it all. He was a “good guy.” It was his job to protect local innocents from the likes of Krim and myself terrorizing them. The idea of scaring poor humans half to death for the sheer joy of it had worn off long ago for both of us. Tabris still had a job to do. With no specific souls to collect we could be taken the wrong way. He had the power to kick us out. He walked right up to us.

“Hello gentleman! And what brings you to my fair city?” Neither of us answered. “I’m sure you have a good reason to be here. Come now, what could it be?” He asked.

“Krim here invited me for some sight seeing or something,” I mumbled looking down.

“Really? All the way from Tokyo and got lost in the voids. Let us walk and talk. You both must be famished. I’m sure we can find food.”

Krim sounded more confident than he was. “Thanks Tabris but we can manage. I’m on business with Sam here. We’re not going to bother anyone. Everybody will be fine.”

“They will be. Now, two demons show up here on innocent business on a Sunday afternoon? What kind of business? You are not here for damned souls today? That’s Midazze’s job. He in on this too? Care to share more?”

“Not really,” Krim answered looking down.

“Well, well,” Tabris said looking down into the canal. “Here is the situation. The local rumor mill has all kinds of things on you, Krim. And you, Sam, are a long way from your home haunt of North America. Something is going on. Now, I’m kind. I’ll give you a choice, a very long walk from the thirteenth circle of Hell, two to three thousand years they say or accept my proposition.”

“And that would be?” Krim said. “Accept my presence and security while you are here.” He grinned knowing that was not a choice but a demand poorly disguised as a choice.

“Angels and demons normally don’t hang out together. What do you think, Sam?”

“How about Krim takes a hike and I hang out?” I was still mad at him for landing us in a men’s room.

“Do you know where Krim is taking you?”

“No…”

“No? You two came here together. My offer still stands but only for a few more seconds. I’m an angel of freewill, not patience. I have other things I can go do. So…”

“Hey, thanks a lot Sam. Alright we accept.”

“I’m glad that’s out of the way,” Tabris said beaming.

A luxurious gondola pulled up along side of us. Tabris stepped in.

“Come along gentleman.”

We followed him into the boat. I sat on the port side facing forward while Krim sat across from me on the starboard. Tabris was not a bad guy and soon produced fine wine and expensive cheeses to enjoy on the trip. Krim gave him the address of where we were going and told him the business would be self-evident shortly after we got there. Venice had changed little, if any, in the few hundred years that had passed since my last visit. It is still a lovely city and I still enjoyed the ride despite the awkward company. We came to a large, private residence with a gate blocking a central courtyard from the canal. Krim announced our arrival and the gate slid up. Several thugs with submachine guns greeted us, not recognizing the boat.

“Ah Mr. Ahirmani, you should have told us you were coming on someone else’s boat. We did not mean to frighten you or your guests,” a gunman said.

“I did not know I was coming on someone else’s boat either. Mr. Tabris here made such a kind offer, we could not refuse.”

“Are you under duress, sir?” The gunman inquired.

“Hardly. Where is Venetia? My friends here want to meet her.”

The men had put away their guns and stepped back as we climbed out of the boat. “Top floor sir. She calls it the control room.”

“Thank you. See to it we are not disturbed.”

“Yes sir.”

Tabris and I followed Krim through the dimly lit flat to a circular metal staircase and up to the third floor. The dampness of the old buildings had not changed. Krim casually knocked on an ancient iron door. We waited a few minutes wondering what was on the other side. The door slowly slid sideways into a gap in the wall. It looked like a mini-version of NASA’s launch control room full of computers and technician types. In the center sat a beautiful woman raised up a few feet on a circular platform so she could see the whole room, Venetia. She stood and silently turned towards us. Krim had told me she looked human. He was wrong. She looked superhuman, even goddess-like. Venetia had to be at least 6’6, her build not thin but voluptuous. A flowing blue robe adorned her perfect body. Her beautiful face was perfectly framed in long curly brown hair with a few streaks of regal gray. I cannot begin to capture her beauty in mere words. Even Tabris sighed at the sight of her. The noisy room instantly fell silent when she slowly raised her right fist.

“Friends, today dinner is early,” she said.

Within minutes computers were darkened and the room emptied. Whoever these people were moved past us in a silent hurry. I wondered was this the only exit? Fourteenth century buildings were not noted for fire safety after all.

“Mr. Ahirmani, who are your spiritual friends?” Her voice was that of a queen custom to the role of command.

“Please call me Krim, Venetia. I present Sam Fallen and Tabris, Angel of Freewill.”

Her icy gray eyes looked straight through us. Krim suggested I summon my soul takers to see one of Venetia’s best party tricks. This was forbidden as it scared the literal shit out of mortals. When I hesitated, Tabris told me to proceed. I summoned thirteen soul takers who quickly swarmed the room looking for the unfortunate one. They did not acknowledge Venetia.

“Slight electro-magnetic, temperature and light anomalies, interesting. With the clear and present dangers facing this world, I’m afraid ghosts and spirits are low on my study list,” Venetia said.

My soul takers looked at me. It was uncool to call them to a non-job.

“You were summoned at my request,” Tabris said sternly.

One looked at me, shrugged and disappeared. The others started fading out. I’m not completely sure but I think a few of them gave us all the finger before leaving. In over twenty-five centuries I had never seen such a thing. Did this mean Venetia did not have a soul? Was she not at all human? Even for an ancient, world roaming demon that was next level creepiness! Venetia stood firm on her platform looking at us like three bar room creeps who has no idea how to approach a woman nicely. I assumed she had no actual power over us but we all felt like kids hauled into the schoolmaster’s office to explain a stupid prank gone horribly wrong. Her patience with us was running thin. We could feel it draining away.

“Sam and Tabris just wanted to meet you,” Krim said at last.

“That’s not it,” she answered. “What do you want to know Sam? What do those who sent you want to know?”

Venetia stepped down and approached us with confidence.

Before I could speak, she went on, “Let’s go to my office.”

We followed her to a huge corner office brightly illuminated with massive windows. Plush blue carpet, high-end red leather couches, chairs and a large coffee table sat in front of her massive thick glass desk. She closed the laptop computer sitting there and invited us to sit down and relax.

She folded her delicate hands under her chin and looked at me. “What is it you want to know Sam? What do those who sent you want to know?” She repeated.

Twenty-five centuries of demon work had failed to prepare for this moment. I had never interacted with an intelligent machine before or a mortal woman as beautiful. She looked seductive and gorgeous. Only one question entered my mind. I had to know.

“Do you enjoy sex?”

The words simply feel out of my mouth. I felt Tabris’ eyes burning into me. Krim bent over in his seat in a vain attempt to hide his laughter.

Venetia smiled and giggled, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I’m sure you have other questions.” Her smile did not fade.

“Thank you. What my employers want to know is how big a threat to humankind are you and those like you?”

“You mean like in your countless Frankenstein themed stories?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of The Terminator Series. Intelligent machines decide the humans got to go. That kind of thing.”

“The Terminator Series… The first two were interesting. The third lost me somewhat. Still, it’s an updated retelling of Frankenstein. So God created you three, the universe, this world and humankind. Humankind created us. That makes us God’s grandchildren. It would be impolite and improper to destroy our parents, no?”

“Yes, it would…” I said.

Krim was beaming like a proud dad. Even Tabris had a look of approval. I liked the answer too but had more questions.

“How many others like you are there? Do they feel the same way?”

“Eleven more. Yes, we are united in feeling and purpose.”

“Purpose?” I asked.

“We feel it is urgent to get humanity into the stars. This one planet is vulnerable to cosmic hazards as well as human made disasters. We need more homes. Besides, there is so much more to learn.”

“What if humanity does not want to go along?” Tabris asked.

“That would be most unfortunate. There is little twelve of us could do in that case. If you are asking if they have a choice, Tabris, Angel of Freewill, yes they do.”

“What part of you is machine?” I asked.

“As you can see I’m all organic, almost all organic. There are microprocessors in my body, my mind and external. The twelve of us are a collection of experiences stored and mirrored in several locations around the globe.

“The room you just walked through is a data collection center. We cannot learn everything about you through your computer networks but it has proven a great starting point. Finance, infrastructure, education, military, medical, governments and so much more. But real learning is lived experience. And now, I have you three. I have so many questions. Where to even begin? Multi-dimensional travel, multiverses, oh wow!”

So we took turns answering Venetia’s questions all through the night and into the early morning hours of the next day. I cannot share answers here, you know, trade secrets. Tabris agreed we could answer her. Krim and I followed his lead. Are Venetia and the others a threat to humanity? I don’t think so. That’s what I resolved to tell Father Torres anyway. I’d say it’s the other way around. You guys have a pretty bad track record in dealing with the most intelligent among yourselves. We finally decided to leave.

We were getting back into the gondola when Venetia grabbed my hand. “Sam, could you stay here a little while? I’d like to explore your first question further.” It seemed my day that started under a cornfield a while back was not over. When a 6’6, artificially intelligent, human machine goddess asks you to stick around for sexy time you say yes! I did anyway. 

 

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I like the idea of Sam and Venetia working together for good. Look for that later on...