Novel Fragment: Where No God Has Gone Before

In the very early 1990s, I was a freelancer working for the gaming company Wizards of the Coast (before they became big news). Their original product wasn't Magic: The Gathering, but rather a roleplaying "capsystem", a universal-add-on for all or most existing RPGs titled The Primal Order, abbreviated TPO. TPO gave rules for running deities that allowed them to both be active in a campaign, and at the same time NOT be just like ordinary characters writ large. 

I proposed to write a supplement to TPO. Other supplements had been written -- a beastiary called Pawns: The Opening Move, a planar supplement called Chessboards: Planes of Possibility, and a description of the creation of religions and churches called Knights: Strategies in Motion. My proposed supplement was Unorthodox Strategies: Deities in Non-Fantasy Campaigns.

I completed the first draft and was well underway with the second when Wizards decided to dump its RPG work (for the time being) and concentrate on Magic. The rights to The Primal Order of course remained with Wizards, but I retained rights to all the non-TPO specific content. 

And that included some story fragments that were written to illustrate the principles of gods existing in settings that normally did not include them.

"Where No God Has Gone Before" is a fragment depicting a deity-driving spacefaring civilization -- written quite deliberately in a mode similar to the Campbellian era, inspired by the writing of Christopher Anvil. I'm still considering whether I might take this and turn it into a real novel. But whether I do or not, here's that early teaser-fragment!

Where No God Has Gone Before

Kieron surveyed the Guideroom -- the place from which the crew could guide the half-sentient, living starship Ierath -- and nodded. "Daracha's Victory." he said, raising his eyes upward; perhaps he was actually looking downward, if down was towards the immeasurably distant world from whence Kieron and his people came, but it was the gesture of tradition, not of strict fact.

Daracha is Victory. Ierath replied in the formula of old, acknowledging the arrival of its Guidemaster and anointed priest of Daracha. Your orders are awaited, Guidemaster.

"Status?" Kieron inquired, seating himself before Ierath's Eye and studying the view shown on that huge screen. A blue-white- brown sphere floated in space, one half in darkness but showing sprinkles of light even there.

We have determined that this is the homeworld of the race whose colony was discovered four point six lightyears away. As of this moment, there is no indication that we have been detected; probability of such detection is negligible unless the homeworld possesses technology considerably greater than that of its colony, and no such technology can be detected at this time.

"Evaluation of the inhabitants?"

Ierath displayed several graphs denoting things like sociopolitical inclinations, basic psychological tendencies, aggressive/passive comparisons, and so on. Evaluation of the main civilization confirms tentative conclusions reached at their colony. This is a definitely expansionistic, inherently combative race with excellent technological potential, no presently active Patrons of Daracha's level, and with above-average reproductive capacity.

"They'd seem to be excellent candidates for Enlightenment and Patronage then. Are there any problems with this?"

Two, Guidemaster. The first is that despite the non-activity of Patrons, the people of this civilization believe in the existence of such beings; more, they actually believe that such beings are already involved in their affairs, and have entire religious structures already in place.

Kieron blinked at that. "What? That's ridiculous. If there are no Patrons about, how could an entire race delude themselves into believing that there are?"

Unknown, Guidemaster. It may have some correlation with their other racial characteristics. It is also possible -- probability estimate of .39 -- that there was a Patron, or Patrons, operant in this area at some time in the past. In either case, all indications are that there would be considerable resistance to the Enlightenment from the established religions of this planet.

A sigh escaped Kieron. He'd been a Guidemaster now for two hundred years, and still he was surprised every time they encountered a new civilization; he should not have allowed the fact that these creatures were physically an amazingly close match to his own race to mislead him into thinking that they were any less alien. "You mentioned two problems. What is the second?"

This race has an abnormally high kho factor -- the highest recorded for any race in my memory.

Kieron winced, as did the rest of the crew present. Kho was a characteristic which combined aspects of xenophobia/xenophilia, independence/dependence, impulsiveness/deliberation, and a few other related traits, into a single measure. The higher kho was, the more contradiction was inherent in the racial makeup -- that is, the race was more attracted AND more repelled by new things, was both highly inclined to independence on an individual level AND inclined to social grouping, and so on. A high kho factor denoted a race living in a sort of permanent state of hysteria. "Could that explain the existence of the religious bent you mentioned?"

The living ship considered a moment. Yes, I believe so. Daracha's blessing has shown you great light. This race has a tendency to desire exploration, but fears the dangers of exploration just as greatly. Thus they maintain their independence by placing dependence on things which are both unknown and, since they are defined by the race, safely known.

"Pardon my interruption, Guidemaster." said Navigator Third Gorra, "but just what is this race's kho?"

"Ierath?"

Kho factor is 97.665.

"Daracha's CANNON!" The curse was involuntary; that was three times the previous record for kho factor. Kieron found his mind balking at the idea that such a species could have survived long enough to make a civilization. "Ierath, from now on, when you say things like 'higher than any on record', tell me just how MUCH higher."

Command modification noted.

He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "That's all right, then. We can work with this."

Query? I see any interaction as disastrous. If they react negatively, they will have rejected Enlightenment, and the Purifiers will insist on action.

Kieron smiled. "Consider your own statements, Ierath. They love the new; here we are, an alien race. But they want to deal only with the familiar; fortunately, those of R'alla (such as myself) are so similar as to be nearly identical with them."

But the Enlightenment conflicting with their present religions...?

"If they have more than one religion, surely they must have new ones arise on occasion?"

Yes. Though most new ones rarely make any headway against the large established ones.

He waved that away. "The point is that they have to be used to people with different religions. So we will be open about the Enlightenment, but show none of the True Power immediately. They will accept our beliefs as just another of their religions. Then, once we are familiar, we can begin showing them the Truth. In short, we will make their own traits work for us." He raised his eyes again. "Daracha decrees Victory!"

"VICTORY!"