Paranoia ✓

IX: Daniel - Party Chat

Daniel gave the man credit; he had to deliver a reason why something so terrible like this could have happened in a world created by an all-loving God. Although this was the most common accusation against the Catholic Church, it was one that was not easily answered.

But Daniel could've sworn Father Ryan came close to satisfactorily answering the question when he opened up his sermon in the midst of a depressed miasma that occupied the room. "The world is not perfect because of us. We've seen an example of this just recently. The world is stained by sin, sin that has grown from the seed of freedom. But does that make freedom bad? Should we abolish freedom because a few people abuse it? God doesn't think so. He allows us to keep our free will because he loves us so, but it is his love for us that also leads us inadvertently to our downfall. Daniel Mason Senior was a respectable man...he was a good man. Why must the good die young? Why would God be so cruel as to steal him away from us?

"Have you ever considered this—it may sound a bit rash but bare with me. Is it that we... are too selfish and clingy... that... we aren't able to let go of our loved ones so that they can live in harmony with their creator in a perfect world? Does the phrase, 'Misery loves company,' apply to us in this miserable world tainted with evil? Daniel Senior is now living in a universe where death will not touch him, nor will evil, pain, greed, gluttony etc. God will forever nourish him. Are we sad because we are not there with him? Are we angry because he has escaped this tainted world and is now living forever in peace and happiness?"

Father Ryan spoke besides a picture of Daniel's father. He was smiling in the photo as he wore a navy blue suit with the initials FDNY stitched into the fabric. "One may say that we weren't ready to let go of him, but when will we ever be ready to let go of our loved ones? We are conjoined to those we love. Sadly, death must be the one that separates us. It is through this separation that we can encounter a healthier, fuller life in the next world. After all, this life is but a preparation for the riches of the next."

Father Ryan glanced at the picture for a brief second in a motion of ending his speech. Then, upon staring at the photograph, a lightbulb went off in his head and he shuffled back towards the mic. "I've gotten the chance to speak and get to know Daniel. I remember people telling me how much of a crazy fellow he was for bringing a suitcase to work when he was a fireman. When I asked him why he did such a thing Daniel responded, 'A man's gotta keep his lunch some place, right?'"

A couple of people chuckled in the crowd at the memory.

Father Ryan continued. "But Daniel didn't just die innocently—he died a hero. While people were fleeing to safety he ran towards the chaos. While people screamed at the smoke billowing from the towers, he was marching up the stairs, yelling and banging at all the doors on each floor to make sure that no one was left behind. Don't get me wrong; the people fleeing were not cowards. They were surviving, but Daniel wasn't just surviving—he was serving. He was serving the survival needs of his fellow countrymen and women."

"People may come up to the Mason family members and constantly hold their hands mumbling, 'I'm sorry for your loss.'..." He turned towards Daniel and his mother, who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue while Daniel's arms interlocked around hers, afraid of losing each other like they lost Mr. Mason.

"But Daniel Mason Senior was not lost. He was sacrificed. There is a difference. You see what Christ did was a sacrifice. A sacrifice is a decision you make. Loss is a decision made for you. With the building in flames, Daniel charged ahead, knowing the risks he was taking. Like Christ, Daniel went into the fire—and came out in the resurrection."

Daniel couldn't help but smile at the memory of that last line. His father was like Christ. Although Daniel had fallen a bit far from the Catholic tree, he would always shed a tear of joy that a Catholic priest compared his father to the savior Jesus Christ. For a Catholic, that was the highest compliment you could give a person.

Daniel was drawn back into the conversation when he heard the mentioning of London. "Did ya know that the map Clock Tower is basically set in London beneath Big Ben?"

Raj agreed. "Yeah and that map Ruins, is basically the Royal Palace of Madrid, only in ruins."

Raj and Richard exchanged a laugh at some hidden joke that Daniel was clearly not in the loop of.

Then Raj chuckled. "It's funny how CTS can predict the future."

Richard snickered. "All they need is a map of downtown Chicago blown-up and in ruins, and they'll be more accurate than the bloody Oracle of Delphi."

A notification beep chimed through the mic and Richard stopped snickering. He moved about so much it shook the microphone. He was probably reaching for his phone, Daniel thought.

Richard laughed again. "Oh wait, it looks like it already happened."

Raj added, "And the coordinated strike commences. One down, two to go."

The transmission stopped there and Daniel checked the time. It was nearly 12:45 P.M. and he pulled out his phone to see what Richard meant by "it already happened."

Sure enough he had little trouble finding images and newsreel of a downtown Chicago Hospital in ruins.