The photons were hurtling down, heading for the darkness they were told to repeal.

As a wave, they were mindless, rushing on forever, oblivious of their surroundings.

As particles, however, they were easily scared. The blackness was so overwhelming, so absolute, so divine in its entirety, that they came to see their annihilating mission as blasphemy. They feared their own death, the loss of their precious energy load. They could not kill a god, and get away with it.

Some photons started to slow down. c decreased, Einstein be damned. Then a few of them turned round. Then it was full panic, and a dark, cold peace washed all over the world again.

Below, the machines were disappointed. Not that much, really, but still. Those photons were such a bunch of dumb, unreliable cows, ready to switch into stampede mode at any moment. They had been ordered so many times to bring light down below, only to back out hastily at the last picosecond.

So, once more, the machines had no other choice than comforting each other, warm kisses and other public displays of affection being the only rampart against