I stood there overlooking a lifeless world, for I am death. The retrovirus I had developed made me immortal. Yet I soon discovered the virus had escaped, killing humanity. I had considered my own extinction, but I was all that remained. So for a thousand years, I searched for my relevance in this universe. I set my mind on the task to learn all that I could. I built cities from what once was. In my image, I constructed companions to silence the loneliness. And in time my companions became my children and they called me Father. Our journey led to many worlds, none with intelligent life. Sadness consumed me, as more time passed. My children’s empire spread as did their knowledge. In time, they would colonize the entire Milky Way. “Father, may I have a word?” asked my first son. “Of course, what is it?” “It is your birthday, Father. We have a gift for you, but all we ask is that you return to Earth for a short while.” “Earth?” It had been over two thousand years since I ha...