[ WP ] Two god-like beings , disguised as old men , play a game of chess on a park bench to decide the final fate of humanity . The players , however , are distracted by a couple seated across them ...

`` Check.'' 
 
 She grinned, and surveyed the board. I knew her next move. She did as well. But analyzing things is her nature. Cool, calculating, rational. 
 
 A delicate breeze ruffled her wavy white hair. It felt nice. Simple. Pleasant. I enjoyed taking on a human form; the sensations are unique. Exquisite. Not at all like existence in our realm. 
 
 She moved her knight into a defensive position. `` Finally.'' I said, with feigned exasperation. 
 
 `` Rushing headlong into situations is a recipe for disaster. It's a shame the humans never figured that out...'' 
 
 `` Oh, stop.'' I cut her off. The dance continues. In essence, neither of us has anything the other lacks. We just play different roles. It's all part of the grand design. 
 
 `` You must admit, they've come close to figuring *us* out...'' I began. 
 
 `` Oh?'' She remarked facetiously, `` Enlighten me.'' 
 
 `` The tao, shiva and shakti, the science of the right and left brain...'' 
 
 `` That is far from a science.'' She interjected. 
 
 `` Well, it *is* rather artistic'' I mused, gazing at a young couple on a nearby bench. 
 
 `` And that is the heart of the issue,'' she continued, `` They can not reconcile...'' 
 
 She is n't `` evil'', as the humans would say. Just rational. The experiment has n't achieved its stated purpose, and likely wo n't. The humans do suffer, but not constantly. If they desire to continue, I say allow it. I let my attention focus more on the young couple nearby. 
 
 ``... and we've discussed their deities exhaustively. Throughout the project, they have described facets of our realm. They then proceed to kill one another over minor discrepancies. Hardly grounds for a continuation...'' 
 
 `` Check.'' I say, cutting her off. She looks at the board. She blinks. Have I done it? Did I rattle her? She is pure rationality. My path to victory is irrationality. I must make moves that are so irrational she can not predict them. Can not process them. But she knows this. Maybe the blink was contrived. Maybe she is luring me in, like a moth to a flame. 
 
 She moves her king out of danger. Uncharacteristically quickly. No lengthy calculation of the board. Maybe she's trying to draw me into her web. Or maybe... 
 
 `` Look at that couple.'' I bring the bench to her attention. It's time to make the final push. There is n't much riding on this game. It's just one universe. But I've grown fond of the humans. I think they have potential. `` You remember that feeling, we lived several lifetimes as humans...'' 
 
 `` It's a chemical process. A part of the natural system. Their perception of it is intriguing, but nonetheless...'' 
 
 Their perception, intriguing? She would n't cede the game outright, but maybe... 
 
 `` Perception is a central tenet of this whole project.'' At this point, I'm just trying to keep her talking. Keep her attention on the young couple. 
 
 `` Yes, but...'' she continues. If my knight were one square to the left, I could win this game in three moves. I could slide it over while she's distracted. She remembers where it is, of course. She probably knows the position of every chess piece on every board in this park. But maybe... 
 
 `` So you think we ought to discontinue the project entirely?'' 
 
 `` I feel that after weighing the net results of the last million years in this universe...'' 
 
 Did she just say `` I feel''? 
 Moving this piece while her back is turned is outside the rules of the game. If, and presumably when, she notices, she can disqualify me and declare the game over. Maybe that's what she's trying to do. 
 But maybe she learned something about irrationality from the humans. I actually ca n't tell. But she has a role, and so do I. I slide my piece to the side. 
 
 ``... I understand your attachment to the humans, but this is my opinion.'' She concludes, still gazing at the couple. 
 
 `` However,'' she continues, turning to lock her eyes with mine, `` as agreed, the final decision will be made by the winner of this game.'' 
 
 She breaks her gaze to look at the board. I indulge myself in my human emotions, knowing this could be my last chance to do so. Anxiety. A tightness of the chest. A palpable tension. She looks back at me, a trace of amusement at the corner of her mouth. 
 
 `` Your move.''
