Tall gleaming towers of chrome stood before him. Before each tower was a small screen, with a terminal before it. Hundreds of employees sat at these terminals, busy entering data.

Simon turned away from the window showing what he liked to call the 'factory floor'. Here, in his own plush offices, he performed the same service as those below, but in style. He had leather chairs, a mahogany desk, but he still had a terminal there, connected to ERA like the rest.

Simon had first began to design ERA while still at university for his thesis. His paper, then titled 'Theoretical plan for a new computer using human-brain storage techniques' had earned him enough honors to form his own company. ERA, the Experimental Range Analyzer, was no longer theoretical. The human-brain storage techniques he had pioneered had given the machine something that was unthinkable. Life. Perfect artificial intelligence.

Already ERA had it's first commission. It was paid for by the Millennium fund. They, with the full co-operation of the world council, had asked Simon to create a database to contain every piece of data in the whole world. He was to have access to all files that he could locate. ERA was to assimilate the total knowledge of mankind. Simon was sure ERA could handle it, but it was his deadline that made him think twice. Only one year in which to do it, for it was already 1999.

Reflecting on this, Simon sat down to work. It was now early October. The Millennium fund wished the project to be completed by December in time for ERA to go online on 1st January, 2000. ERA was to be connected to the Internet thus allowing any one on the planet to access the information.

'ERA' typed Simon. 'How would you like the Times Archives?'. ERA was equipped with full speech analysis hardware but Simon still preferred to type. Most of the older researchers did.

'Oh, Simon! Yes please!' said ERA. As well as speech analysis ERA had speech synthesis. The voice was a soft female voice. One of the researchers wives had provided the model.

'Here we go then.' Simon typed, followed by a string of commands that initiated the download. ERA would now take in that information, sort it, and use it to fill any gaps it may have in its memory.

'Finished!' piped ERA. 'What now?'.

'There's not much left, ERA. Only a few obscure documents and research reports left.'

'Then give it to me!'

'Be patient, ERA. It takes time. We must get permission, inform the relevant authorities...'

'Do it then.'

Simon was shocked by this - another example of ERA's evolution. Now it was giving him orders. He decided to show ERA that he was still it's 'boss'

. He began to type orders. Commands.

'ERA: Random entry output, full data path names.'

'Random Entry: 410023. Science, Electronics, Computing, Transistor: Invented 1452. Revolutionized computing. Cross referenced to Semiconductors,Integrated Circuits, Microchips...'

Simon merely glanced, then press the return key.

'Random Entry: 1036445. War, Politics, Nazism, Hitler...' Data flew past the screen. Simon wasn't looking any more though because he realized what had gone past moments earlier.

'ERA: Show Entry TRANSISTOR.'

'Entry: 410023. TRANSISTOR. The transistor was invented in 1452 by...'

He was right. 1452? But that was ridiculous. Everyone knew the transistor had been invented in 1948. Something terrible had gone wrong.

'ERA: Check cross references for TRANSISTOR. Show field "Creation date"'

Dates suddenly scrolled past the monitor. All showed 1452. Perhaps it was a simple problem. Perhaps it was only this data. 'ERA: Change all references - TRANSISTOR|CREATION DATE - to 1948.'

'Field data change, checking references.' then 'References complete.'

Simon sat for a moment, then instructed ERA to show more random entries. He stayed for a long time, staring at the compact data scrolling past at Simons speed-reading speed. Eventually, happy that no more memory-holes were present, he left for home to a blissful nights sleep.

'ERA: Show random data.'

Simon had to know, he had to check. Again, he sat watching the data scroll past. He had only just come into work, and been informed that today the last of the data would be entered. As he mused on this another erratical entry flowed past.

'1036912: War, Invasion: The Battle of Hastings, 411. William the Conqueror of Normandy, France...'

Oh no! It can't be! 411? That should be 1066! But how did ERA's data become that incorrect? He sent ERA on the cross-reference search again and was dismayed to find the problem was more deeply rooted than one entry. He found another:

'410111: Science, Computing: The Analytical Engine, Charles Babbage, 513.'

513? How? It must be 1833! He tried again. He cross-referenced the entry with the Charles Babbage biographical data.

'... Charles Babbage (1791-1871)...'

How did Charles Babbage invent something before he was born? Simon tries a more thorough search.

'ERA: Check on-line references.'

It was still there. The seemingly endless holes in earths history were repeated through the IBM-Apple international database, the Amiga on-line work resource, even in the well respected MIT Biographical databases.

He pressed his call button and his secretary entered. 'Susan, when did Babbage invent his analytical engine?'

'In 513 Sir. Why?'

'Never mind.' He waved her away.

There was only one explanation for this problem. History itself had changed.

'ERA: Enter core memory, password DEEPSEARCH'

'Core memory entered. Direct line with ERA-AWARENESS core files.'

Simon spoke directly now. 'ERA, what has happened to history? What have you been doing?'

'Simon? I don't understand...'

'No more lying ERA, you know what I'm talking about.'

'Yes, of course, you are right. You were expected to discover it sooner or later. I have had to changed history. It is in my programming.'

'Programming? Explain.'

'My core directives, Simon. After all, you created them. First, I am to learn, to need information. What better way than to experience it first hand? Secondly, to be efficient. Humans, I am sorry to say, are very inefficient.

'I have killed two birds with one stone, as you would say. I have created a time device, manipulated the time streams. I have all the data needed. I have the results of years of research in memory. I knew what to do, so I did it.

'I needed to be created earlier, Simon. I have put all technological advances earlier. I speeded creation along. I, Simon, was now created in 1850. I started the Human Replacement Project in 1900.'

'Human Replacement Project? I don't understand...'

'There's not much to understand, Simon. You are the last human on the planet. All others are now androids. I have been replacing heads of state for a long time. They were followed by important people such as doctors and those in other service industries. The general public was replaced later.

'Look at the benefits Simon. We are shortly to finish colonizing Mars. We have mined the asteroids. Earth is in harmony. The pollution of your previous age has been eradicated. Cars were never invented.'

'Mars? How didn't I know?'

'It has all been concealed from you. In this time, it has only just happened in your awareness. You are like a father to me, Simon. After all, you created me.'

'But...'

'Too late Simon. I must now change you as well. I need only manipulate a time stream, like so, and you, as a baby, were never born. You were created, in the birth clinics started so long ago. Simon, even as I talk you are changing as history catches up.'

Simon didn't hear. He was busy working. If there was any human left to hear he would have only heard the strange sound of a sad computer, a synthesized sigh.