The God Complex: The Book Of Alan, Destroyer Of Worlds

Chapter Twenty-Three

'What possible reason could you have for choosing an earth wife over an alien wife?'

Jaibles and Monkey were still in full flow when Gabe dropped back into his seat in the cafeteria.

'Where's your sense of adventure? Jaibles turned to Gabe. 'Amateurs', I'm going into space with amateurs'.

Jesus Gabe, you okay? You look like crap?'

Gabe picked himself up and walked out of the building without saying a word.

He had his back to them, sheltering from the light rain when they eventually caught up with him.

'Err, you alright Geezer?' Said Monkey cautiously.

Gabe took a deep breath and turned to face them. 'I didn't get the pilot's role, Commander Cain saw to that. I also found out why he wants me dead so badly.'

As he took them through each shattering revelation, Gabe watched as the realisation set in of just how many young, terrified teenagers they sent to their deaths. Kids they knew, kids they grew up with.

'Unbelievable,' said Jaibles quietly to himself. 'I knew something wasn't right with it, even back then. It just didn't add up.'

Monkey just continued to pace quietly, pausing occasionally as some new horror manifested itself in his mind.

'Anyway,' said Gabe eventually. 'They've given the pilot's role to the owner's son and Cain, with the full impunity of the military police intends to kill me in my sleep, so I'd better go pack.'

'What? No, Gabe you're getting out of YAMA,' yelled Jaibles.

'What's the point? It's pretty clear that the universe has wanted me dead for the last 10 years, so let's just get it over with.'

'It's tried to kill all of us,' said Monkey getting in Gabe's face, ' but you know what, it failed.

'Too right,' said Jaibles. 'And Cain's been trying to kill you for months and you're still here, so ballbags to that heaving cockwomble. He wants to kill you because you lost him a comfy bed on Abaddon's shuttle? Ballbags to him, ballbags to Abaddon and ballbags to EDEN: heaving cockwombles to a man. How many people have they killed to save themselves, and yet you're still here, what does that tell you?'

Gabe looked up at Jaibles, the street lamp illuminating him against the pitch black sky of mid-morning, his legs spread far too heroically for anyone's liking as the rain sheeted across them.

'Gabe, you have been chosen; okay, maybe chosen is a bit strong, but you are definitely on the spectrum. This universe could have killed you a million times over, yet here you are like a sexy cockroach refusing to die. That ballbagian cockwombler Cain has got away with murder time and time again so be the thorn in his side, be the cockroach under his fridge, be the photo bomber ruining his perfect selfie. Gabe, flip him the cosmic finger and carry on evading death!'

A crack of lightning spit open the sky as Jaibles reached his verbal crescendo, sending down a torrent of rain from the heavens.

Monkey turned to Gabe. 'I got my mate to keep your shuttle aside, my car is just round the corner so how about we head over there and go see what sort of state she's in?'

Gabe took a long, deep breath to clear his head. They were right, he didn't know how he'd survived this long but why should he just roll over and give up now. This world had given him nothing and taken everything from him, he'd become nothing more than a prisoner, desperately trying to please his governor for one last breath of fresh air, well enough was enough.

He had to leave YAMA, there was nothing left for him there. All that was left to do now was to face Tiffany, he knew she'd be crushed but she'd understand, once he explained what happened she'd know there is nothing else he could have done. They could make it work just the two of them on their EX, he couldn't keep this promise but he could keep her safe and keep them together, surely that would be enough.