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

Chapter Thirty-Four

Gabe positioned the Archangel behind a seemingly endless row EX's that had gathered in front of the spiraling nebula of their God - Alan. In the stillness of space it looked like a vast spaceship graveyard.

The past 23 hours had been spent repairing her from the damage sustained by their encounter with EDEN HQ, a matter Gabe wasn't ready to forget, regardless of coming face to face with God for the very first time.

'We need to find a way to get to Abaddon - if we kill him then EDEN will fall.'

'For the love of God, Gabe,' said Jaibles wiping the grease from his hands, 'we just met God - the real God, not that guy I introduced you to, who claimed he was God because he could make cats blink on command - the real, actual God, who also, just happens to be really upset and wants us to compete in some task of redemption, whatever the Hell that is. Perhaps, we have more to worry about?'

'All the more reason to kill Abaddon then, no one did more to break our planet than him. We can call it a sacrifice in his honour. '

'Aren't you just the slightest bit worried about what's happening here?'

'What's the worst that can happen? If God wanted us all dead, he could have killed us by now. He just wants to make a point. He'll have us crawling and begging for a while before sending us to paradise, but it's what happens after that that worries me. What happens when we reach the new Earth and Abaddon's still in charge - what happens to us then?'

'Why now?' Interrupted Monkey, smoothing out his beard in concentration.

Jaibles and Gabe spun round to face him.

'I mean, he's God, he's been around since the dawn of time, watching our every move, so why now has he appeared and demanded we redeem ourselves?'

Before they had time to let that troubling thought seep in, a translucent blue wall appeared, beckoning them to enter.

'Bring your Champions to me.' Alan's voice boomed in their minds.

Slowly, fearful of a trap, the first few shuttles hesitantly crawled towards the translucent wall. As each one passed, it displayed the name and the crew of each shuttle it represented:

SS HAVANA - CUBA 7A. CREW - Jimenez, Corrales, Delgado.

SS VATICAN CITY - ITALY. CREW - Francis, Benedict, Pius.

SS LEICESTERSHIRE - ENGLAND 9C. CREW - Hallaton, Dreyton, Pemberton.

Then they went through in their tens, then hundreds, then tens of hundreds until it became a blur. The Archangel followed as it bottle-necked through to the other side, to what felt like a holding pen.

When there were no more left and all engines had stopped, an eerie silence fell among the forcefield. Gabe checked his watch, there were still four minutes remaining, so they waited with the mountainous cloud of Alan, looming silently above them.

When the timer reached zero, he spoke.

'There are 12 champions unaccounted for, 12 shuttles unrepresented, 12 crews of sinners who care not for redemption; who care not for making amends for their past indiscretions.' His blue light fractured, picking out the twelve shuttles from the fleet and positioned them at the front.

'All I do is show you love, my children. All I do is give you the chance to live free and happy in your own paradise and all I get in return is your spite.'

The 12 shuttles were systematically crushed into dust.

'You hurt me, my children. You hurt me by making me do this.'