by Steve LeBel
“The lady in that doorway looks like my mother. The resemblance is striking. Except for the light green skin, they could pass for us.” It was hard for Michael to deny his senses and resist the temptation to call out to her.
“I don’t believe it. Do you see what I see? They have shimmers,” Jezelda exclaimed. “How can this be? No one has ever been able to reproduce our shimmers. Builders have been trying for millennia. Is it possible this Bernie has done it?”
“The kid’s a genius,” Michael said.
Thomas said, “They look like miniature gods.”
“Does anyone need to see any more?” Jezelda asked.
“No. I have seen more than enough,” Michael said.
“I’m satisfied, too,” Thomas said.
Bernie quickly wiped the tears from his face. The gods’ eyes gave up their far seeing and returned to their bodies. Each of the judges looked at him and flashed him a smile.
Judge Jazelda said, “The contest rules require us to take your universe with us, Bernie, but don’t worry. We will take good care of it. I can tell you we’re very impressed. We’re going to submit your universe to the full Committee. Your people are amazing, and the Committee will want to see them.”
“This was well done, son. Very well done,” Judge Thomas said as he gently lifted Bernie’s universe from the cradle on his desk.
“This is the best thing I’ve seen in a long time, Bernie. And that’s what I am going to tell the Committee,” Judge Michael added.
The Terrible Swift Sword
After the Committee left, Bernie collapsed in his chair. He thought about what the Judges had said. Was it possible? Did he dare hope the Committee would give him an award? The award, of course, was not what mattered. The only thing that mattered was saving a world and a man who lived there who was closer to Bernie than any father he had ever known. Don’t get your hopes up, Bernie cautioned himself. He desperately needed to talk with someone.
He stood and looked in the direction of Shemal’s office. Maybe Shemal would have answers. But the office was empty. In fact, he hadn’t seen Shemal at all that day. He hadn’t seen Billy either. He had been sure Billy would be there, making snide comments about Bernie getting one step closer to being fired. But even his enemy wasn’t there.
Bernie noticed dozens of heads above cubicles looking at him. Everyone in the office had seen the judges come and go. In this small office, they probably heard what the judges had said. Actually, it would be hard not to. The judges were elder gods, and their voices could be heard from far away.
Bernie heard a distant sound. And then the same sound from another direction. Understanding was slow, but as he heard more and more of the sounds, he realized it was the sound of clapping. What were they applauding? One god after another joined in until the sound came from every cubicle. Everyone was smiling and looking at him. Then a cheer broke out. And another. Bernie wasn’t really sure what was happening, even when some of them were pounding him on the back and shaking his hand.
Finally, he dared to hope.
* * *
As Bernie walked into the lunchroom, he discovered the news had preceded him. People rose from their seats and began clapping. Bernie gave an embarrassed grin and did his best to send thanks in every direction. His cloud got into the act, throwing handfuls of confetti—made of shimmering light—in all directions. Bernie didn’t even try to stop him, knowing the cloud would not listen. And his audience laughed and clapped even louder as the confetti of light filled all corners of the room.
Bernie was too excited to think about the lunch line, so he went straight to his table, where he found Suzie, Lenny, and Candi standing and applauding him.
Suzie ran up and embraced him. “I’m so proud of you, Bernie. I knew you could do it!” Bernie returned the embrace. He liked this hugging stuff. Maybe he and Suzie could practice it again later without all the confetti. It would probably also be easier when your best friend wasn’t thumping you on the back.
“Way to go, Bernie! You were outstanding,” Lenny said enthusiastically.
Bernie could even hear Sissy making “Ye-ye-ye,” sounds as loud as she could.
Candi, who stood next to Lenny, said, “Congratulations, Bernie. You did a fantastic job!”
“I think they really liked it,” Bernie said. “They said they’re taking it to the full Committee to review.”
“That’s excellent,” said Suzie, who had actually read the contest rules. “They reject almost all of the universes during the first review. When they bring one back to the full Committee, it’s a great sign.”
Bernie was immensely relieved. Here, among his closest friends, he allowed his anxiety to turn to excitement. “Do you know what impressed them?”
Lenny, as blunt as ever, said, “Not really.”
“They were impressed because my people looked so much like us. The judges said they felt like they were seeing people they knew. And when they saw the shimmers, they got really excited.”
“See! I told you the shimmers were important,” Suzie said as she wagged her finger at Lenny.
A moment of quiet peace followed as the group reflected on everything that happened in the last several months. Each of them had a stake in Bernie’s success. They all felt real pride in his accomplishment.
Suzie was the first to break the silence. “I have some news. I know I shouldn’t say anything, but this is one secret I can’t keep.”
“What is it?” Bernie asked.
“Billy’s in trouble. Big trouble. Shemal wants to fire him.”
“What?” said Bernie and Lenny at the same time. Candi raised her eyebrows.
“Billy came back to the office late last night. He was going to destroy your universe, Bernie. Everything. Just like he did to the duplicate universe you made. But Shemal caught him in the act and kept him from doing any damage,” Suzie said in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Oh, Chaos! That would have been awful.” Bernie shuddered at the thought. “Shemal stopped him?”
“Yes. When Ezrah and I got to work this morning, Shemal was waiting for us. He suspended Billy and sent him home, but not before he got Billy to confess to lots of things. Shemal was so angry when he was telling us about it, his shimmer set a chair on fire. We had to find a metal chair for him.” Suzie struggled to keep a straight face.
Bernie felt the weight come off his shoulders. Was it possible? After everything Billy had done, would he finally get what he deserved?
Lenny scratched his head and asked, “Why was Shemal there in the first place? It doesn’t make sense he would come back in the middle of the night to stand guard over Bernie’s universe.”
“I can answer that question,” said Candi. “At lunch yesterday, Billy told us what he was going to do. I… I couldn’t let that happen. So I went to Shemal and told him what Billy was planning. Shemal asked me a lot of questions. He said he would look into it.”
“Thank you, Candi. I know that was a brave decision for you,” Suzie said as Bernie and Lenny nodded their heads in agreement. Even Sissy chimed in with, “Ye-ye-ye.”
“There may be others who will benefit from this,” Suzie continued. “Shemal and Ezrah are reviewing all the termination decisions he’s made since Billy got here.”
“I’ll bet Ezrah insisted on that,” said Lenny, who still had doubts about Shemal.
“No, no. It was Shemal. He even insisted on working through the lunch hour so they could start contacting people right away. I think Shemal’s going to hire them all back.”
“Hmm… Maybe I misjudged him,” Lenny admitted reluctantly.
“What’ll happen to Billy?” Bernie wanted to know.
“Well, Ezrah has a policy that he won’t approve firing recommendations on the same day,” Suzie said. “He says builders are too precious. But, I can tell you what Billy did was really bad. To Ezrah, causing an employee to be fired for no reason is unforgivable. I’m sure Billy won’t be working here again.”
Candi raised
her glass of koamba juice and said, “To sunnier days ahead!”
Everyone joined in that toast.
Good News!
He won! It was official. The Committee had told him just hours before. He couldn’t wait to tell Alcandor.
As soon as he got home, he rushed to his viewing window, hoping the backdoor would still let him access his universe. He hadn’t told the Committee about it, knowing they would never let him keep it.
As Bernie slipped into the familiar universe, he felt something different. There was power here. Enormous power. As he scanned the universe, he detected godly shimmers on Alcandor’s planet. From this distance, it had to be the Universe Committee. A single god wouldn’t have been visible from so far away. Apparently, they were still looking things over. Bernie quietly withdrew before anyone noticed him.
It wasn’t surprising to see them there. He’d left the Committee with a lot of questions. They wanted to know how he’d created his people. He couldn’t admit they were the result of a lost jar of universe putty. They might withdraw the award. So he’d politely declined to answer.
Fortunately, the Committee thought Bernie was just being secretive about his techniques, which didn’t break any rules. In fact, it was common for award winners to hold back such information for the books and lectures that inevitably followed. Although they respected his right to silence, it didn’t mean they weren’t intensely curious.
When Bernie checked, two hours later, they were gone. He rushed to Alcandor’s office. He wasn’t there. He searched the building and found him in his living quarters, a thoughtful look on his face. For a moment, Bernie held back, enjoying the good feeling he had from seeing Alcandor again.
But his enthusiasm would not be restrained, and Bernie burst into visibility as he called out, “I won! I won!”
Both of them rushed to each other and embraced. Bernie said again, “Everything’s okay. It’s over!”
“Oh, Bernie. I’ve never heard more welcome news,” Alcandor said with a lump in his throat. They held their embrace for a while longer. Alcandor felt limp in Bernie’s arms. He could almost feel the tensions and fears as they drained from Alcandor’s body. For a moment, it was only Bernie’s embrace that kept him standing.
“Every day since we last talked, I was afraid it would be the last. I haven’t gone into my lab, or done any research, or even any writing. It just didn’t seem important.
“Do you know what I’ve been doing? I’ve been visiting old friends. I went to see Gondal, and we talked about how things were when we were young. I even met with Zardok. We used to be friends once. Did I ever tell you that? I told him I was sorry for what happened to Vianna. I told him I loved her too, and I’d do anything to bring her back. I told him I knew she had chosen him, and the best man had won. We talked for the first time in years.
“I was afraid every day would be the last,” he continued. “Every night when I went to sleep, I didn’t expect to wake up. Bernie, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.”
“Actually, I’m not sure I can take credit for it,” Bernie said with a twinkle in his eye. “As it turns out, you and your people are the ones who made it happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Committee decided this world has the most godlike race ever created. They think you’re quite an achievement. And apparently, I’m going to get credit for it.” Bernie flashed Alcandor a crooked grin.
“What happens next?”
“They took your universe away from me. They discovered a long time ago creators can’t resist tinkering, so after they make an award, they take the universe so the creator can’t change it anymore. They’re going to put you in The Museum.”
“But if they took us away, how is it you’re here now?”
“Lenny and I installed a secret backdoor that lets me get in whenever I want to. They don’t know about it.”
“That’s great. What about your job? Have they let you keep it?”
“Yes! My probationary period is over. They said they aren’t sure what to do with me yet, but they’ll probably use me as a troubleshooter, whatever that is. I’m going to stay with Shemal for now. If someone wants me to troubleshoot something, they ask Shemal, and he sends me to help them.”
“But you still have to work alongside Billy? That’s not good.”
“Billy got fired! Shemal fired him,” Bernie exclaimed.
“What happened?”
“The night before the Universe Committee arrived to look at your world, Billy snuck back in the middle of the night. He was going to destroy everything, but Shemal caught him. Shemal was so mad, he fired Billy.”
“So there is justice in your world.”
“Yes. And there are some perks, too. Suzie says we need to go out to dinner to celebrate.”
Alcandor laughed along with Bernie.
Finally, Alcandor said, “Will I see you again?”
“You can count on it.”
Awards Ceremony
The Annual Universe Awards Ceremony was a gala event. Everyone who was anyone was there. Even though they’d expanded the banquet room this year, it was still bursting with people. There was one award winner in particular the whole town had been talking about. A young god named Bernie. And everyone wanted to see him.
People had been streaming in for almost an hour, hoping for good seats. The best seats, of course, were at the front, where the award winners were seated. Each winner had been given four tickets for friends and family to join them at the front tables.
Bernie was flanked on one side by his mother and on the other by Suzie, each of them glowing with pride, confident Bernie would not be there were it not for her. They were both right. Lenny, an easy choice for the third ticket, was basking in Bernie’s reflected glory, while occasionally scribbling something in his notebook for whatever charm he was experimenting with today. Sissy sat proudly on Lenny’s shoulder.
For the fourth ticket, several Committee members had suggested inviting his dad. No doubt it would have thrilled the crowd to have the Great Simeon proudly overseeing his son’s acceptance of his first Universe Award. It would have been Bernie’s chance to show his father what he’d done. Bernie rejected the idea almost before they finished suggesting it. A father was a person who looked after his family, who stood by them through good times and bad. A father was there to protect, to comfort, and to encourage his children. Someone who believed in you and taught you to do the same. Simeon was none of those things. He hadn’t seen his father in years. He had certainly done nothing to contribute to this night. So Bernie hadn’t acted on the Committee’s suggestion. He had a better idea.
It’s true he wanted a father, but that role was now filled by another. Next to his mother, beaming with dignified pride, sat Alcandor. His eyes twinkled as he looked around the room, taking everything in. Noticing Bernie’s gaze, Alcandor gave him a big thumbs up and reassuring smile. Bernie could almost hear him saying, “You did it, Bernie!”
The evening began with officials thanking everyone for their work to make this another great Awards Night. Everyone who had anything to do with anything got to have their name mentioned at least once. Finally, someone took over as the master of ceremonies.
The master of ceremonies, a handsome god named Luke, said, “Welcome, everyone, to the Annual Universe Awards. We’re about to introduce you to some of the most amazing and creative talent we’ve seen in a long time. Remember, all the award-winning universes will be on display tomorrow at The Museum. So, without further ado, let’s meet some of the wonderful new builders who’ve, once again, set the bar higher than ever before.”
* * *
As the awards went on, Bernie grew more nervous. He hadn’t planned a speech. Some winners were talking about the source of their inspiration, what motivated them, special techniques they used, and all manner of things. Bernie hadn’t planned anything like that.
Lost in thought, he drifted over events that had led to tonight. Too many things could nev
er be explained. The problem, of course, was his world was a gigantic accident. His friends agreed this should be kept to themselves. Too many things could unravel if people knew his world was the result of carelessness. That secret must never come out.
There was more applause as the last award winner took her seat. Bernie was startled from his reverie when he heard Luke say, “It’s time now for the award presentation you’ve all been waiting for. I probably don’t need to do much of an introduction since the news has been talking about Bernie’s world ever since the Committee first saw it. But I will anyway.” Ripples of laughter spread throughout the room.
“This category has been the most fascinating in the long history of our awards. Many great builders have worked to create godlike creatures, and every year we have multiple submissions.
“Why is this category so popular? I believe the answer is simple. We all like seeing and hearing about ourselves. And why not? When a god can show us a view of ourselves, it’s fun. It’s like noticing your reflection in the mirror and liking what you see. It’s like receiving a compliment and feeling good about it.” The audience was listening to his every word.
“In spite of all these efforts, there hasn’t been a new award winner in this category in over seven thousand years. Let me repeat that. Seven thousand years! And here, some young kid named Bernie comes along and knocks it out of the ballpark.” Luke began sounding more and more like a country preacher.
“Bernie has a reputation as a god of few words, so I’m going to tell you about his universe, because I don’t want you to miss a thing.
“Let me begin with what the award judges told me. Bernie used a student model configuration—you know the one with a long continent around the equator and two lab continents. The judges found the planet a complete wreck. It had been banged and smashed and ripped in every way you can think of.
“To give you examples so you don’t think I’m exaggerating, the judges found earthquakes, asteroid strikes, tsunamis, melted polar caps, extreme weather events, nuclear winters, just to name a few. One judge told me he was so shocked by the wanton planetary carnage he wanted to scratch the entry and leave.”
