James & Carolanne

Imagine with me for a moment, a scene in the heavenlies, where humans are BUILT before being born in long assembly lines worked by angels, not unlike the construction of a modern racing car.  Of course, there would be multiple factories... one for the construction of brain tissue, another for building livers, and a special one near the center where hearts are developed and tested.  In fact, all the various pieces (many thousands in total) are tested rigorously to maintain the highest standard of build quality.  Plans are carefully examined and followed as each piece is slightly unique to the person being constructed with all instructions coming direct from the head office.  The angels work tirelessly at their task, each a specialist in their own area, knowing that what they build will need to last for many years to come.

At the center of the scene is the assembly plant, where all the bits and pieces are brought together to create the unified result.  All the other factories feed into this massive central hub, and on this assembly line thousands of the most specialized angels carefully connect the organs, bones, tissues and ligiments together.  Last of all the body is covered with a fine skin, prepared with special attention and care by a team of experts.

The formal launch is attended by everyone who worked to create this masterpiece and the air is electric as everyone strains to watch for the first gasps of air.  The body enters the final station where life is breathed into it's lungs and and the heart begins to pump on it's own.  The brain starts up and the fingers and toes begin to tingle with new found sensation.  The crowd roars with cheers and celebration, but then a hush falls as the announcer receives a note.  The next step is crucial and here, often to the confusion of many in attendance, head office sends down the order: "Give it freedom to choose".

The freedom to choose means that now this human may make any decision it wishes and it is a wonderful and terrible gift.  It means the human can choose to see what surrounds it, to acknowledge it's creator and interact with the technicians and handlers. The freedom is given, and the human is taken to the test track for a trial run.  Immediately, the crowd groans in agony as they watch the human begin making wrong choice after wrong choice.  Most often the unit will launch onto the track and run away as far as possible from the technicians and handlers.  Sometimes, in defiance, it will crash up against the sides of the track, trying to reach up and injure some from the audience.  Eventually, most will begin to run as quickly as possible around the circular track, as if to pretend there is nothing else to see and the technicians don't even exist.  Additional commands are received from head office and the handlers try desperately to get the attention of the mad beast on the track but to no avail.

A great saddness sweeps over the crowd as the realization sinks in that another unit has turned it's back on it's creator.  Slowly the audience dispurses, each back to their assigned station.  The factories once again begin to hum and pieces again begin to form together.  The defiant unit is left, temporarily, on the test track to see if it will eventually begin to function correctly.  The initial power it had been given will only keep it running for a few short years and when it has run it's course the faulty unit will be removed to the scrap heap.

In time more units are created, each slightly unique, with varying specifications in line with the complex and detailed plans from head office.  In each case, the unit is given the freedom to choose, and in each case the choices are bad.  The technicians take extensive notes on the behaviour of the units with the hope that some fault or detail may have been overlooked.  Sometimes the unit simply runs around the track until exhausted, doing nothing particularly notable except for a complete disregard for it's surroundings or creator.  In other cases the unit goes especially crazy and begins to attack and subjegate other units on the track, at times even torturing or killing them.  Such is the nature of the power of choice which was granted at the launch.

In the midst of it all, an extra special order comes down from head office.  A king is to be built who is rumoured to be the solution to the "situation".  The agenda's are cleared, and the tools are cleaned and serviced.  Messengers sent from head office go to each of the factories to ensure that the plans are carried out exactly as specified.  Initial construction seems routine... as though the body should not be any different from the rest, however in spite of this confusion, the plans are followed to the last and smallest detail.

In the assembly plant there is yet more confusion.  The assembled parts appear no more spectacular than any of the other masterpieces created.  In fact, some minor deformations are detected (as many previous models appeared to have), but after comparison against that original plans, they were determined in fact to be part of the design.

In the final station though, the air is alight with excitement.  It seems that the Creator Himself, the CEO from the head office, has come and is going to breath His life into this unit.  At the launch, the confusion in the arena is almost palpable.  After all,  this particular unit wasn't built with any special weapons or defensive mechanisms.  By this time there are quite a number of faulty products on the test track and it is becoming a dangerous place to be, even for the technicians.  What precautions would the Creator take to shield Himself from their onslaught?  Would He be able to make a difference?  How could His presence help these broken units?  Would He even survive?