Chapter 1

And regret it she did ... polite or not. Vee turns into a demanding, insensitive bitch intent on her way or the highway, every time she uses the 'Gift' of the gods. That bunch of gods is not the Powers that Be. The gods have no beginning, no middle and no end.

"So, April ... if I may call you that?" said Vee.

"It's how we were introduced and one polite name is as good as another," agreed the ship, "As long as you be good, I be good."

"Fair enough. Vee works for me."

"You were about to tell me what you want me to do?"

"Adventure. Pure adventure. Ah ... I see you're intrigued."

"Yes," April said. If rubbing ones hands together was a sound instead of an anticipatory motion, April made it. Vee knew instantly.

"I'm looking for compatible planets," Vee said. "What's your range and speed?"

"How far do you want to go and how long do you want it to take?" April asked.

"Another psychiatrist," replied Vee.

"Huh?"

"Answer a question with a question," Vee said.

Suddenly they were inside the ship ... object ... whatever ... Vee was on a white couch and a white coated bespectacled April was seated behind her. Dr. April had a patient chart and was taking notes.

"How do you feel about that?" asked April.

"About what?" Vee asked.

The pair fell into gales of laughter.

"Seriously," April said. "I have this Universe and thousands of Sequential and Parallel Universes at my command ... and if you don't like this one we can travel to the next."

"Next Universe?"

"Certainly ... the gods have no limits," April said. "Man is forever trying to put god in a box ... be it a building, a real box or infinite bounds but they are bounds. There is a book ... and that in itself is a limitation ... that says, 'God made man in his image.' It's the other way around. You have met them ... what did they look like?"

"Like the pictures of the statues of the Greek Pantheon ... except for the Odd Whatever ... that one looked like nothing and everything," Vee said. "Except she ... I see ... She."

"There ya go," April said. "Made in your own image."

"They looked like I expected they should look."

"You were the only one to see them," April said. "Why do you suppose that was?"

Vee sat up and turned to face the Doctor.

"My family does godlike things."

April made that circular motion that speaks volumes of give me more.

"That could be bad in some circles."

April smiled, "So we need to..."

"Go places that are suitable but uninhabited."

"And that is?"

"We're not gods ... don't wanna be gods ... ain't gonna be gods."

"Very likely that's how myths get started."

"Lightning bolt starts a fire ... God did it. Ice Cap melts, causes a flood ... God did it." Vee saw.

"Wood floats ... must be a god inside," said April.

"Any sufficiently complicated device is magic until you understand it," Vee agreed.

"What does that make me?"

"April is Magic."

"Don't you forget it."