I Am Become Death
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I saw a god last night.

I dreamt he had come to me, appearing by my bedside. I could not move, for I was blinded by his glorious visage. He told me of a new world, a new dawn, and that I would take part in it. He felt my skepticism in my mind, and assured me that I would see the signs.

His visit was short, barely a few seconds. I remained wondering if I was in a dream, and I still wondered when I first awoke.

I do not wonder now. He was a god. He foresaw what was to come.

We are at war.

And I fear that he was right. On this day, a date of infamy, I am to take part in this new world.

Dec. 8, 1941.



I saw the god again. Many times.

I saw him in shadows, in mirrors, at my vision's edge. He is certainly real, though I cannot explain how I know, I can only feel. But his presence is strong. Sometimes, when my back is turned and I sit still, it feels as though he is over my shoulder, watching my work. I could touch him, but I do not dare.

He only appears when I am in study, but I do not know what studies of mine he would find interest in. But I feel a sense of comfort when he is near. I am grateful.

Yet I still do not understand.

February 9, 1942



The god has begun to speak to me again, and what joy I feel.

He says his name is Vishnu, like the Hindu god. I have read of him in the Gita. The revelation surprised me somewhat; Vishnu is often described as nigh-alien in appearance, but the entity that guides me seems like a man. But I learned not to question it; he is a god, and gods appear as they please. His appearance is irrelevant. I feel his power, his love, his wisdom. Being near him is like entering a warm home, after walking in the snow. Indeed, his wisdom stands in stark contrast to the ignorance of the world.

His words are soothing, and happy. I have never felt more inspired than when Vishnu speaks to me. My mind expands tenfold. I see the infinite capacity of science, but I see the even further knowledge of what is beyond. For moments, I can see the realms of gods, of monsters. Those things that walk among us.

I have discovered so much, beyond what any man has found before. But I must not be too arrogant. What I have done, I have done through Vishnu, because I have trusted him. He has guided me so far, and he can continue to guide me further.

I will bring peace, he says. With his guidance, I know I can.

March 28, 1942



Vishnu's prophecy was correct.

I have been asked to change the world.

May 19, 1942



I am afraid.

The researchers, the government, they want me to build a bomb. I asked Vishnu what I must do.

His answer surprised me. He wanted me to continue. I do not understand how this will bring peace, especially if the bomb is what they want it to be. But I trust Vishnu.

May 21, 1942



We are approaching the bomb's completion.

Peace will come.

October 16, 1944



It's done.

We test tomorrow.

July 15, 1945



We detonated the bomb.

The whole experience seemed to be a dream. I knew the calculations, I knew what would happen. But my mind at those times could not comprehend what I would create.

As I was blinded by the bomb's light, I heard the voice of Vishnu next to me, repeating words from the Bhagavad Gita:

Now you are become Death, the destroyer of worlds.

For a brief moment, I was a god. A destroyer of worlds.

Vishnu's voice spoke softly to me. He told me of a world where such power and beyond was known, feared, harnessed. All would live in chaos, dread, terror.

I asked why he would have me create this. He said he didn't. He said he merely wanted me to know, to watch. The bomb would be made, whether in ten, or twenty, or a hundred years.

And then he told me the truth.

Humanity would have done it anyway, because no one would stop them. Vishnu told me what to do. To preserve the dharma, two worlds must be kept apart.

The bomb was a demonstration, he told me. The foundation.

I am afraid, but I know what to do. Vishnu has shown me, and though it is grand and terrifying, he has offered me a place to serve him.

July 17, 1945



I understand the visions Vishnu gave me now.

What no one must find.

What must be hidden.

July 21, 1945



I know what to do now.

July 29, 1945


To whom it may concern,

If I am contacting you, it is because of your knowledge, your trustworthiness, and your resourcefulness.

No doubt you've heard of me before. I know how I must seem to you, a warmonger. Allow me to be clear. I regret the bomb. I wish I had never had to make it.

But there are far, far worse things in the world, those that baffle even men of science. Of course, you know of this, which is why I am contacting you.

My eyes have been opened by the divine. I have seen the realms of gods, and have received their guidance. The machinations of gods are being engineered by mortals, if only to ensure that mortality thrives, through containing that which would poison it.

But I assure you, you are not being called by me, but by a higher power.

I encourage you, even for a brief moment, to have faith. Faith that we can succeed, and together, form the Foundation of a balanced and peaceful world.

- Administrator J. Robert Oppenheimer

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