Pembo sat in helpless silence, transfixed to the endless ballet of futile destruction dancing out its mournful choreography, as Kali's parting words now resonated with a new found sharpness. Envious of her foresight, she forced her head away from the carnage and out towards the peaceful serenity of infinity, picturing her aboard the Henbury, starting her new life, surrounded by those who loved her as they ventured out into the wild parts unknown.
'She was right,' she whispered to no one.
Her soft voice woke Gabe from his own melancholy. 'Hmm?' he replied, absently.
'Kali: she came to me before the negotiations to tell me she was leaving. She'd found someone who loved her and just walked away from it all to be happy. It just made me realise how much I've lost in the pursuit of revenge,' she said quietly, 'I could have done so much more. Monkey was right - only life can heal.'
Monkey's words were haunting Gabe deeply too, with each truth opening a deeper hole of guilt and sadness for him to climb into, undeserving of ever seeing sunlight again. They had given up everything for him, and in return all he gave was a selfish quest for revenge - a mask to hide his guilt for Nate. He could never take back what had happened, but he could now keep them safe from all this madness and finally see the treasure in front of him.
'Then let's go,' he said, watching another Civilian Mothership carrying in excess of 100 thousand passengers careen into the side of an EDEN tank, destroying both the tank and itself in the process.
'Only Susan can stop this, and there is only one way to stop Susan now.'
'We can't. Please, no more killing.'
'Then let's go,' he repeated, facing her and running his thumb across her smooth, soft cheek as hopeless tears fell. 'We've spent our lives chasing ghosts, now it's time for us to look forward.'
Her bright eyes glistened with hopeful affection, and in them he saw all his future happiness; an endless adventure into the unknown that would last them a lifetime. Treasure immeasurable.
'Okay,' she smiled, 'but there's something I need to do first.'
Susan sat motionless in her War Room, her Generals buzzing frantically around her. Her eyes transfixed on the craft cowering on the perimeter, guarded by EDEN Military Tanks engaged in open warfare. She was now blind to the destruction; blind to the staggering loss of life and blind to the hopelessness of the cause - all she could see was that one small craft in the distance and the man cowering inside it. What price the mortal soul?
'Your Majesty,' said a General, approaching her throne of black steel.
'What is it,' she replied, never taking her eyes off Abaddon's shuttle.
'There is a communication going out across your Justice for Earth frequency, we believe it's Miss Pembo.'
'Let me hear,' she said curtly, marching over to the ComsLink.
Static crackled the signal, caused by the endless ripple of explosions, but Susan heard her voice loud and clear as a rage gathered within. 'My dear friends, I can no longer be a part of this. When I started Justice for Earth, I wanted to free us by ridding the world of Abaddon, but I realise now, that would have accomplished nothing, for people like Abaddon have existed since the dawn of time. They never die, they are only replaced.'
Susan's Generals took half a step back as she gripped her golden Birdcage sceptre tighter. The rage of betrayal burned brightly.
'So, I hereby disband what I started and release you all. If you wish to join Susan's cause you are free to do so, but not under the banner of Justice, because the only way to truly get justice for Earth is to build a better one together. That is what we will be doing: turning our back on this march towards extinction to find a new Earth, for better or worse. We hope you will join us as...'
Susan cut the transmission and threw her sceptre clean across the War Room towards the distant shuttle of Abaddon, releasing all her rage in one hurt-filled scream. She took a second to compose herself in the frozen silence of the room. 'She is inconsequential, but they have lost all right to share in our victory and will be dealt with as deserters after our moment of triumph. Continue the assault!'
Gabe turned the Archangel away from the fleet and rested back in his seat. 'How's Monkey doing?'
'Still in a coma,' replied Jaibles, gravely, 'but the further away we get from here the better his chances will be.'
'Thanks again for letting me move in,' said Wildcard, taking her seat next to Pembo. 'Can't let you soft cocks have all the fun.'
On his scanner, Jaibles watched the Porlock, Henbury and Broadwick approach in formation and felt the warm contentment of brotherhood. 'Looks like we're all here,' he smiled. 'Shall we go find Kali then?'
All Gabe ever wanted was someone to go on adventures with, and now, as he attempted to take it all in: this moment of clarity, this overwhelming feeling of calm tinged with sadness; this family of friends - he finally had them. Sepia coloured memories of Nate, Wendy and Tiffany, sitting in those very seats, giggling with childlike excitement about what space might be like came flooding back to him. Funny how it never works out the way you think, because here, today as the human race teetered willingly off the edge of a cliff, Gabe had never felt so content or so hopeful. He looked across at Pembo and fought the urge to go over and kiss her as his heart filled. It didn't matter where in the Universe he was, he was home.
'Yeah,' he said, as Nate's words came back to him. 'Wake up Gabe, time to live a little.'
The rings of Saturn glimmered brightly in the distance, illuminating the hazy green marbled moon of Titan, making Gabe an endless promise of hidden worlds yet unexplored. His future lay anywhere but here.
He punched the throttle instantly bathing the Archangel in a milky-white light. 'No!' he cried, as the cloudy, liquid light continued to tear through the bridge, surrounding and suspended them. Feeling that familiar cold, weightless sensation he felt the first time God appeared. Gabe sighed like he never sighed before, or ever would again.
'You've got to be kidding me!'
Susan leaped from her throne as the guns abruptly fell silent and serenity returned to the fleet, as they were once more engulfed in the gentle, twinkling glow of containment. A mountainous, billowing continent of cloud and light heaved into view as Susan's heat sang.
His colossal frame located Susan and morphed into her War Room as her Generals cowered in fear.
'My Lord you have returned to me in my hour of victory! Come, I have much...'
'SILENCE you babbling manic,' he boomed, his infinite mass formed and re-formed rapidly in anger. 'What are you doing? You're wiping out your own species, for my sake stop it. Have you lost your mind?'
'My lord,' cried Susan, taken aback at this public dressing down, 'I only do your work.'
'My work? How is this my work? Do you know how many of your species have died? You're almost extinct!'
'But, the blood sacrifices...'
'What about them? I wanted the occasional nick or some livestock every now and then, not the total annihilation of your people.'
'Abaddon,' she scrambled, 'he conspired to undermine all we have accomplished but now I truly understand your words, the test you set for me back on Earth.'
'You and this Abaddon!' he yelled, exasperated. 'I'm putting you two together and you're going to end this, do you understand me, Susan?'
'Yes!' cried Susan, joyously. 'Put me with the creature Abaddon, I am not afraid of what must be done. I will show you what price the mortal soul.'
Alan flashed her a confused look, though, as a mass of billowing cloud and light, to Susan it looked no different than any other godly expression.
Alan quickly recreated the last venue Susan and Abaddon had conversed. A venue, he assumed, that held great symbolic significance to the humans, that this was just where all their business, political and judicial decisions were made.
'My kitchen!' glowed Susan, immediately going over to the view from the sink.
Abaddon, staggered around confused at this sudden, strange turn of events. seeing God he immediately seized his chance. 'My Lord,' he boomed confidently. 'What an honour it is to finally meet you, I couldn't be happier to see you, I tell ya, I have been worshiping you around the clock, and as for blood sacrifices, I'm sure you've noticed that no one has sacrificed more blood in your honour than me, it's all been for you my Lord, every one of them, but this woman,' he pointed harshly at Susan. 'This woman is trying to destroy your good name, trying to destroy everything we've done for you, I tell ya God, you got to get rid of this woman for us, she's killing you, just look at what she's had your people do to each other. You don't need her God. Sure, you picked her to write your book - great, the books written already. Now you need someone who can lead, you need an emissary who can build a religion to be proud of, I'm talking a church on every corner, I'm talking weeks of religious holidays, you know what I'm saying?' he chuckled frantically.
'ENOUGH!' boomed God, 'Susan you end this and you end this now.'
Susan pulled herself away from the eternal sunny morning in her little cul-de-sac and faced Abaddon with the welcoming smile of the righteous, opening her arms to him.
'What's happening?' said Abaddon, eyeing Susan suspiciously.
'It is time,' she smiled warmly. 'For what price the mortal soul?'
'Those words again,' thought Alan, but where had he heard them before?
Fearful of God, Abaddon took a hesitant step towards Susan and opened his arms to meet her embrace.
'In the name of Alan, Destroyer of Worlds, I forgive you,' she said, kindly.
Abaddon pulled himself away from her embrace with fear in his eyes, looking for something to steady himself on, but his legs quickly buckled and he crashed to the floor in a heap, the bloody knife drip, dripping onto the white linoleum floor. Susan placed it carefully in the sink and went to fetch the mop as more death and insanity hit Alan like an icy hand.
NO! he yelped with incandescent helplessness. 'Why would you... when I literally just told you... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?'
'I'm passing your test, my Lord,' said Susan, emotionless, straightening her Military cardigan. '
'WHAT TEST?'
'In the cave back on Earth. I was struggling with my part in killing Abaddon and you asked me what price the mortal soul. I took it to mean he should be spared, but now I realise his death was the price we must pay to save our mortal souls. That is why you abandoned us for so long.'
In that singular moment, Alan felt every one of his many failures rise up like a great army and laugh in his face. He was no God. For all his study, for all his efforts, for all his parents guidance and advice, he had failed yet again, and if he tried for another two million years, he would only have another two million years of failure. Whether they fired him or not, it was over. He was done.
'I can't do it. I can't work with you people anymore. I quit, I'm out, I'm done.'
'What?' said Susan, faintly. 'No, you can't. We have won, we have finally won! This is our moment of victory, we can now lead our people to the new Earth you promised to start again in my image.'
'There is no new Earth for you Susan,' replied Alan. 'It will take many hundreds of your Earth years to get there. Why do you think I also offered you Paradise?'
Susan's heart wept knowing she would never see her finest triumph complete. 'But there is still a new earth and it must be molded in my image. You can not desert me now, you can not desert your people, it is now we need your guidance most.'
'Guidance?' yelled Alan. 'How has my guidance worked out for you so far? Just look at what my guidance has done to you? You were one of the good ones, Susan and now look, there is a dead man on your kitchen floor and millions more outside, all by your hand. If this is what my guidance does, then you're better off without it.'
'Fine, then go. You're right, we don't need you,' screamed Susan, clutching her stomach. 'I have led my people this far without you, so I will lead them through our next journey without you as well. My people love and worship me, they will look to me for guidance now, not you. I am their God!'
Alan could only shake his head at the monster he'd created as he rose up to address what was left of humanity.
'Congratulations,' his voice boomed with sadness in their minds. 'Your journey is now at an end. The Tasks of Redemption are complete and you have all passed. The journey to your next home will last many of your years, so I open the gates of paradise to you; a paradise of your own making to luxuriate in as I guide your fleet across the universe to its new home.'
'To Hell with your paradise!' yelled Susan as he returned. 'I will lead my people to find a closer Earth and build a new society in my image. Take me back to my loyal subjects at once.'
Broken beyond repair, he began dissipating the quaint kitchen of the quaint little bungalow that once existed on a quiet leafy cul-de-sac in the gentle county of Kent, belonging, once upon a time, to a sweet young woman called Susan. If it was in his composite structure to cry, he would have flooded the galaxy. 'I'm sorry Susan, I tried. I tried so hard, but this just isn't for me.'
Susan found herself back in her War Room alone amongst the upturned chairs. She raced throughout the shuttle, desperate to find her people and galvanise them under her new plan. Pushing through the large double doors of the Great Hall she screamed into the empty space of the abandoned Hall. She was too late. With nowhere left to go, she wandered aimlessly towards her quarters.
Where once her door stood now buzzed an electric blue field - her personal portal to paradise. She slumped to the floor against the wall and cursed the day God chose her. Just then, a familiar sound of fluttering interrupted her despair as her feathered companion, Darwin, landed gracefully on her knee and looked at her with a glassy-eyed look of sardonic confusion. She gently stroked his beak, taking in the vivid greens and yellow of his delicate feathers. In her mind, he called for her to follow him, to not give in and to find hope even when there was none. 'Squawk!' squawked Darwin.
A solitary tear trickled down Susan's face as she led him into Paradise.