My final version for fanfic

After posting the following comment, I had correctd my draft, and now, this is my final version (06/11/2008).


I'll chake my mistakes from now on. But this is my draft.


About the outline of original text

"Inherit the Earth" (1992) is contained in "Traces" that is a collection written by British sci-fi author Stephen Baxter. The following is the outline that is to beginning my fanfic.

Luke is a creature called Walker that has 14 spines and 7 tentacles and lives in the sea. His Clan believes Catholicism - the Jesuits.

It is said that five billion yeas ago, the Pope had sailed through the sky beyond the Surface. Then the Pope had fallen out the sky, built his Island, and – by helping the forefathers of the various species to develop awareness and understanding – had restored Catholicism to a heathen world in the sea. Everyone thinks that the Pope's Island is the only Island in the world, reared above the water, breaking the Surface and is to be found at the edge of the world.

It is also said that Christ was a human. The creatures in the sea believe that the form which humans took was round. Therefore, the Clan's precious statue of the Virgin Mary is a crude round sphere of sand welded together by Roller-spittle.

Luke had been a good Catholic all his life. However, there is nearing his end, and then, he suddenly finds his asking - what proof do we have that all this is true? How do we know if the Load - if humans, even - ever really existed? Then, he decides to go on the pilgrimage to the Pope's Island for resolving his doubts.

The best youngsters Michael and Margaret in his Clan, and the priest John (He is a Boater which is a different kind of creature from Walker, but they live close together) accompany Luke's pilgrimage. Although Luke is barely able to walk, he carries the statue of the Virgin Mary.

On the way to the Pope's Island, they are attacked by an Eater which is one of creatures in the sea. Margaret protects Luke who cannot manages to escape form the Eater's attack because of protecting the statue of the Virgin Mary, and then, Margaret is eaten by the Eater.

Luke, Michael and the priest John continue on their way and find the Pope's Island. Then, suddenly the Surface erupted in a noisy explosion of light and tiny bubbles and little fishe around the Island makes a Walker’s figure.

(I changed this Walker into God. Then the God heals Luke's sickness, although Luke dies at the end of the original text.)


My fanfic
Now, the creature bends all its tentacles towards Luke in the Walkers' universal gesture of friendship.
'Hello,' it says. 'I'm not used to visitors.'
Luke thinks the voice of the Pope-Walker is thin and high, but its words are clear.
'Pope-Walker… We're pilgrims,' Luke says, feeling his head droop between his front spines.
'Pilgrims?' The Pope-Walker's ghostly tentacles wriggle in amusement. 'Pilgrims. Two tiny crab-things and a swimming dust-mote…'

The Pope-Walker studies Luke, and says softly,
'You're ill, pilgrim.'
'I know that,' Luke snaps. 'Pope-Walker, I have questions.'
The Pope-Walker's head rolls complacently around its axis of neck. 'Questions, eh?'
'You brought Catholicism to us, form out of the sky. Or is that another fable, like the Messiah Himself?' Luck snaps again, ignoring the gasps of protest from the priest John who cowers behind him.
'We haven't any proof of it. Why should we aspect your faith?'
'You're not as bitter as your sound, pilgrim. Oh, the Messiah is no fable.'
'Is it true? The story that the Saviour came among us, five billion years ago?'
The Pope-Walker's shimmering head shakes.
'What a question. Do you know what a "billion" is, pilgrim? Or even a "year"? A year's about twice your lifespan…'
Then, it says stately, 'little pilgrim, listen, I'm not Pope-Walker. I'm God. Did I bring Catholicism to you? Too ridiculous. From the beginning, I made human to resemble me, and gave power over all animals. I have never intended to bring my words to you'.

Luke feels his head droop further as he straggles to make sense of these strange words.
'Did the humans really exist?'
Michael stretches his neck forward. 'Was the humans' figure like you? You said you made the humans to resemble you. But your figure is similar to us…'
'The humans must have been round! Like this statue!' Luck snaps.
'Round, eh?'
'We generalized from clues in the Scriptures. The humans had all their surfaces wrapped up inside them. They must have been round…'
'It may be about the souls I tried to build up in their bodies.'
'Souls?'
'Mm, the generalization is not bad. Of course this figure just imitates yours for the time being. This isn't my real body, though my body and human's are not round. But, the bodies aren’t so important... By the way, it looks like just a pebble. Statue, eh?'
'This is our Clan's precious statue the Virgin Mary.'
'Humph, what did your Saviour bring to you? I'm supposed I commanded that you worship no God but me, do not bow down to any idol or worship it, eh?' The God-Walker says sourly.

'Humph…　I loved human, though they were sinful, I brought them various warnings and salvation. But, they never penitent their sinfulness... So, I destroyed them like Sodom. Do you know the story?' The God-Walker glances at Michael.
Michael only nods. The God-Walker's voice becomes sadly. Luke rests his head against the gritty sand.
'I saved some who had righteous mind like Lot, you also know the story, eh?'
Michael nods.
The God-Walker adds halfheartedly, 'mm, perhaps one of them brought you the part of my words, but I have never checked what has happened in the world since then,'
'Pope-Walker! Our Clan-folk have followed the teaching of the Scriptures for generations. What was their faith for you at all?' Luke feels his tentacles grow stiff with exasperation.
The God-Walker's tentacles, however, wriggle in amusement.
'Sorry, yea, I had never thought there are the existence my believers like you, haha, yea, sorry, sorry, though I'm not pleased you say Pope, Pope for any reason at all…'

The God-Walker's shimmering head hovers before Luke.
'Now I'm checking what had happened since I stopped to care about the world…'
The God-Walker's head fills Luck's vision, soft and comforting.
'When I was built the Sun was hot and yellow. Now it has grown huge, red, cooling. Oh, yes, things changed slowly. A shallow sea, covering the Sun-facing hemisphere, humans had gone. And you lot, who had evidently inherited the Earth….'
'Pope-Walker…?'
'Humph, what a persistent pilgrim, I'm not Pope, I'm God. I'm superior. Far more superior to Pope, or any human, I dare say…　Even Jesus,' The God-Walker makes a sour voice.

'By the way, Luke…' The God-Walker whispers to him.
'How do you know my name?' Luke tries to lift up his head.
The God-Walker ignores his question, and says, 'listen to me. Your bodies are far different from my body and human's, but the important thing is soul, not body. Your souls are just like human, mm, not so bad. How about I give you power over all animals instead of humans? Yea, after destroying them, I have been alone at length. Lately, I have felt lonely a little...'
Luke feels his tentacles grow stiff again.
'For generations, our Clan had followed your words… Though you say you'll give us power over all animals, I can't get to rid of my doubt what their faith for you was, and my faith…'
The God-Walker’s tentacles wriggle in amusement again.
'Oh, it's no problem. During my carelessness about the world I hadn't judged anyone anything. They have been just hanging without their recognition of time and space. I can catch up from now on.'
Luke feels his head droop further again as he straggles to make sense of these strange words.

'Can't you believe my words? Humph, what a sinful tiny crab-thing. I said earlier, I'm Almighty God. For example, I can easily heel your sickness, too.'
The God-Walker's head fills Luke's vision again.
'Here you go. How is your feeling now, eh?'
'My sense of all tentacles and spines started coming back…'
'Humph, no sweat for me as I bring eternal salvation to your Margaret and your ancestor,' the God-Walker wriggles its tentacles in a burst of amusement. 'Can you believe I'll properly recompense for their faith?'
'Why do you know about Margaret?' Luke has a moment of confusion, but he rethinks, 'yea, you are Almighty God…'
'Humph, you had understood my words at last, hadn't you?' The God-Walker says with evident satisfaction.
'Yes… But, if Walker has power over all animals, how will be the positions of our clouds of symbiotes in the world…? Like the priest father John…' Luke mumbles.
'What lots of requests you have!' The God-Walker sighs, and says softly, 'well, I'll consider it in detail from now on.'

'I'll go down to your Clan and give my commands soon. Firstly, you should be eased your companions who look to fear for you.'
It appears that Luke had removed without notice. The priest John is calling his name with concern and Michael is frantically mouthing his tentacles and limbs, though they are far from him now.
'See you again soon,' the God-Walker resolves into s school of creatures like tiny fish.

Luke feels his faith settle over him once more. Now Luke doesn't doubt that the God-Walker's salvation will not only bring to Margaret and his ancestor but also to his clouds of symbiotes. Luke decides to leave the Clan's precious stature of the Virgin Mary here. He thinks that Michael and the priest John will never disagree with it. Luke starts to walk to Michael and the priest John.