  In pregeometry a metric arises as a composite object at large distances. For
short distances we investigate a Yang-Mills theory with fermions and vector
fields. The particular representation of the vector fields permits to formulate
diffeomorphism invariant kinetic terms. Geometry and general relativity emerge
at large distances by spontaneous symmetry breaking inducing masses for the
gauge bosons. We propose here a model of pregeometry for which the difference
between time and space, as reflected by the signature of the metric, arises
from spontaneous symmetry breaking of the local SO(4,\,$\mathbb{C}$)-gauge
symmetry. For a euclidean metric all fields have a standard propagator at high
momenta. Analytic continuation to a Minkowski-metric is achieved by a change of
field values. We conjecture that a quantum effective action of this type is
consistent with unitarity and well behaved in the short distance limit.
