The Gods of Rock 'n' Roll

Neither Here Nor There: Phillip

Phillip Payne stood in the shadows and surveyed his domain. The Las Vegas branch of Neither Here Nor There was packed to the rafters on this sultry desert evening. Sweaty bodies danced in the back hall to the tunes of days past. The main ballroom was filled with the hum of conversation between guests and potential clients who remained unaware of the true nature of this destination outside the city limits. Glamour was a fabulous tool in the hands of a god like him.

Outside the night was humid. Stifling. In the summertime, even the desert air could be heavy with moisture, teasing Phillip with memories of his home and his former life in the Pacific Islands. Monsoons happened frequently, causing flash floods that could wipe out territory and end life in an instant. The weather had him feeling restless as if something was about to shake up his little world. He just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He looked over the list of hopefuls invited to audition tonight and sighed. A female singer-songwriter, an alternative pretty boy looking to crossover to pop stardom, a rock band from Los Angeles, and an 'impersonator' who was hoping to 'bring back the sound of the King.'

That one brought a curve to Phillip's full lips. It was good to be one of the King's favorites, a position he'd held for over thirty years now since the end of his mortal life. Elvis Aaron Presley, the man who became the King of Rock 'n' Roll, lived an amazing life full of adventure and accomplishment. What most people never knew was that Elvis chose to be born and change the face of music.

The being known as Elvis had been a quiet observer of humanity for centuries. No one really knew where he'd come from, at least none of those he kept close to him. They only knew that he was a powerful god gifted in many ways, particularly in music. The legend of Elvis, the man, began with the creation of the Blues. When these musicians showed up on the scene, Elvis was inspired. He decided it was time for him to be reborn and live a lifetime as a mortal human, a task all gods were required to do at some point. "Kept them honest," Elvis would say. He knew what the world needed. Rock 'n' Roll: a special blend of blues, gospel and country music combined with a sensual swagger and sexual rebellion. His human existence changed the world. Humans began to experience music in a whole new way, and they began to actually worship the musicians who brought them joy. Once he saw this new opportunity, he cashed in on it. People thought it was the Colonel who made the decisions, but he'd been a pawn. Elvis controlled it all from the beginning. Well, except his later addiction to fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. He never meant for that to get so out of hand.

Elvis's "death" was merely his retirement. He learned to harness this worship from humans and channel it into a way for him to straddle the line between human affairs and the afterlife. He created Neither Here Nor There as a place for both humans and the musicians who had passed, keeping the humans in the dark, of course. Those few who entered had no idea just what they were seeing, or hearing for that matter. They assumed they were just seeing a really great tribute band, something not uncommon in Las Vegas.

Being Elvis's right hand afforded Phillip a luxurious afterlife as a god of rock 'n' roll when his mortal existence came to an end. Elvis had amassed so much power from the worship of his human persona, he was able to do just about whatever the hell he wanted to, including making more gods to work for him and keep his new empire rolling in talent and the source of the gods' power: human lifeforce. Outside of the spirit, or soul, the lifeforce is what makes humans truly sentient and feeling beings.

As a mortal, Phillip had been blessed with the voice of an angel, albeit one that made women swoon and men envious. He also had an ear for talent and at Elvis's instruction, he fine-tuned the skills necessary to mold and shape fresh meat into superstars. Elvis made him a god and took him on as a business partner, eventually turning over his Las Vegas territory to Phillip. Along the way, other gods were created and brought in to establish branches in New York, New Orleans, and Liverpool, UK. The gods and their managers, lower immortals brought in to help run the business because of their various skills, held auditions and signed new artists to contracts. The "payment" from those contracts kept them in power, and the royalties earned by their artists added to their financial fortunes. Artists who passed on, but hadn't signed a contract, were sometimes welcomed to stay in Neither Here Nor There and play, remaining a part of the music scene forever, or they chose to end their existence and become a part of the ether. Those whose contracts ran out? Their afterlife was determined elsewhere.