In Their Eyes ((Shade's NaNo))

[Shadaras]

..y'know, Dies Irae is the third or fourth title I've had for this. First, the basic idea (angels in space) was called 'War in Heaven, Sci-Fi Style'. Then I think I called it Resurgam. Now it's Dies Irae, until I find a title that fits both Adrian and Luke. Because really, Dies Irae is the title for Luke.

Edit: And now I'm changing it to In Their Eyes. ^_^

Current Title: Dies Irae In Their Eyes

Setting

SPOILER: Click to show

Angels
-- Angels are real, space-traveling beings
-- Initiation into the Angels requires implants, and, at the end of training, wings. The wings have a half-chance of killing those who accept them, of course.
-- Angels are the super-beings of the world, with the ability (that nobody knows how they gain) to survive Space without any protection
-- Ten years of training are required before you can even try to gain your wings
-- The wings aren’t essential. They just give you a power boost. The implants are what really make you an Angel, and those are spread out over the ten-year training period
-- The first Angels were an experiment by Martian scientists on Venusi subjects, trying to see if there was a way to enhance humans enough to survive space on their own. They succeeded, more than they ever thought possible. But when their experiments escaped, they had a panicked conference with their fellows on Luna, and the Angel experiment was discontinued.
To ensure that the Angels died, they were put into cryogenic sleep aboard a spaceship headed for the Sun. The ship died, as was intended. The Angels, however, did not. They were sent to what they first believed was Heaven, but when the Phoenix spoke to them, they started to understand just what had happened to them, and slowly began gathering Inworlders to join them.
-- Legend says that the first Angels, though there were only ten of them, knew how to make more of their kind. Returning to Venus, they took fifty men and women, and an equal number from Mercury. Then, in a Venusi lab, they created the first generation of Angels. And they flew away, promising to the Innerworlds that they’d return and help them one day.
This faith is what keeps the Innerworlds themselves and stubborn, not wanting to give into the Homeworlds.
The Angels flew far, farther than any humans had gone before, riding on light itself. They were drawn to the nearest Phoenix, and there, they built a base and received instruction.
Thus were the Angels born.
-- Implants, etc. First one they get is the life-expander. Yeah, it’s common, but it’s still useful. Second, the enhancers. Strength, dex, etc. Senses, too. Then the ‘power supply’, as it’s fondly called. The tie-in to the Phoenix, in other words. Then the plasma (?) shielding, letting them travel through space. Finally, the wings. A sign of status, yeah, but also something that refuses to let them go anywhere unnoticed. The Outer and Inner worlds will follow anyone who proves themselves to be an Angel. Thus, the wings.

The Laws:
-- Never reveal that the Angels exist
-- Obey the Phoenix

Vow of the Angels:
I will love my country and do it no harm.
I will serve my people and never betray them.
I will be diligent in my duties, and always do my best.
I will be united with my fellows and help them as best I can.
I will make no gains at other's expense.
I will be honest and trustworthy,
I will not sacrifice ethics for profit.
I will be disciplined and law-abiding, not chaotic and lawless.
I will live plainly, work hard, and not wallow in luxuries and pleasures.
I swear to live by these rules.
I swear to gain understanding of these rules.
I swear to help others follow these rules and guide them back to them if they falter.
On my honor as an Angel, on the Phoenix the guard us, and on the Seraphim that lead us, to this I do swear.

Vow of Wings:
I am a Winged Angel.
I am a protector of the solar system.
Because I am proud of the wings I bear, I will always act in ways creditable to the Angels and the people it has chosen to guard.
I will be loyal to those under whom I serve. I will be loyal to those I may lead.
I will do my full part to carry out orders and instructions given to me or my unit.
No matter what the situation I am in, I will never do anything, for pleasure, profit, or personal safety, which will disgrace the Angels.
I will use every means I have, even beyond the line of duty, to restrain my comrades from actions disgraceful to themselves and to their wings.
I am proud of the Angels and the Phoenix that guides us.
I will try to make those I serve with proud of me.
I am an Angel.

SPOILER: Click to show

Phoenix
-- Legends. That’s what Phoenix are.
-- Some say that their eggs are suns, and when they go supernova, that’s because a Phoenix has hatched.
-- So what does that make black holes, then?
-- Not all eggs hatch, obviously. Not all suns go supernova; not all phoenix eggs are fertile.
-- Phoenix are to Angels as God is to angels. Am I the only one who’s amused?
--=-- Seriously. Phoenix are gods.
-- Anyway. Phoenix are suns, and black holes, and so on. It is possible to penetrate their surface, but only if you’re willing to enter their realm. Humans can’t exactly survive that realm very well. Even Angels get disoriented. And the Angels are the only ones who know of that system of transport.

Phoenicia
-- Phoenicia is the name given to the area of the Phoenix’s realm the Angel’s live in. It’s a realm of sunlight, of eternal spring. It’s a beautiful place, full of birdsong and flowers, shining streams and verdant greens. The Angels live in overgrown stone buildings. They’ve long given up trying to keep the stones clear of vines, and consider the vines beautiful.

SPOILER: Click to show

Humans
-- There are thirteen civilized planetoids; Terra ((Luna)), Mars, Venus, moons of Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune ((Ganymede, Io, Europa, Callisto; Titan; Titania; Triton)), Pluto, and parts of Mercury
-- Each has its own culture, though those close to each other are usually similar. Terra and Luna are considered the standard.
-- Order of colonization: Terra, Luna, Mars, Venus, Titan, Ganymede, Io, Europa, Callisto, Mercury, Titania, Pluto.
-- From Neptune’s moons to Pluto, there is little contact with the main worlds. Thus, the Outworlds, as they are called, have a different culture than the other worlds. The Asterworlds (Ceres to Uranus) have a separate culture as well. And the Homeworlds (Terra, Luna, Mars) and the Innerworlds (Mercury, Venus) have their own.

Mercury – Mercurite (Mercurites)
The stations on Mercury are underground, as a protection from the harsh sun. Those who live on Mercury are almost entirely criminals from other worlds, or their parents were. Few born on Mercury ever leave, and to them, an Outworld ship is a blessing from the gods, and the Outworlders make frequent trips to Mercury, knowing what it is like there.
Venus – Venusi (Venusi)
Venus, on the other hand, can support itself. A prideful people live there, the warriors of the Solar System. To those that live there, the greatest gift is to be hired as a mercenary or bodyguard and allowed to live elsewhere, though anyone born on Venus has a love for their harsh world.
Terra – Terran (Terran)
-- Luna – Terran (Terran)
Ah, Terra. A world-city, now. All non-human life is in it’s carefully protected oceans. Commuting to Luna is so easy now that everyone does it. Take a shuttle up, work for the week, shuttle back down for the weekend, and repeat the process. Only the biologists stay on Terra, and are the most respected people on the world, for they work with the (to normal people) icky living things that populate the water.
Mars – Martian (Martian)
Mars, however, has a population that is obsessed with computers and miniaturization. Terra focuses on larger technology. Mars has a certain amount of pride in the accomplishments it manages to make.
((Ceres – Ceran (Ceran)))
Ceres is a mining station, but they also work metal and gemstones. It isn’t considered a civilized place, however. The Asterworlds and Homeworlds have a standing feud over which of them owns it, but in reality, the Outworlds are the ones Ceres gives its loyalty.
Jupiter – Jovian (Jovian)
-- Ganymede – Ganymede (Ganymede)
Ganymede is the center of the moving arts. Dance, theatre, etc.
-- Io – Ian (Ians)
Io is unlike all the other Jovian moons. Instead of focusing on a form of art in the traditional sense, it focuses on the art of war. The Ians have a standing agreement with the Venusi, and they work together
-- Europa – Europan (Europans)
Europa is the center of sculpture, carving, and other such things, and the most Earth-like worlds other than the Home itself. It values beauty, and has a rivalry with Titan over whether Saturn or Jupiter has more beautiful rings. Neither of them has managed to satisfy the other on that count.
-- Callisto – Callistan (Callistani)
Callisto, despite being one of Jupiter’s moons, ignores the others, preferring to be its own self. The Callistans are writers, orators, and poets, raising words, whether written or spoken, higher than all else.
Saturn – Saturnine (Saturnine)
-- Titan – Titanite (Titanites)
Titan is home to all things music, as well as being brilliant at finding ways to hide from detection.
Uranus – Uranite (Uranites)
-- Titania – Titanian (Titanians)
Titania is regarded as Titan’s little sister, and the Saturnine have taken the Uranians under their wing. Titania focuses on drawing, painting, etc.
Neptune – Neptunian (Neptunian)
-- Triton – Tritonine (Tritonine)
Triton is home to anyone who travels space. Scarcely three hundred years old, it has made itself the best spaceport in all of the Solar System, recruiting Homeworld scientists and Martian and Ian engineers.
Pluto – Plutonic (Plutonian)
-- Charon – Plutonic (Plutonian)
Pluto and Charon are a testament to human pride. There is no reason for their outposts to exist, other than that. Still, they make themselves useful as a way to try and find intelligent life outside the solar system.

Characters

SPOILER: Click to show

Pathos
-- Born 1300 Jan 22nd, 3247
-- ((chinese zodiac: yang fire tiger, fire/fire tiger. western zodiac: aquarius))
-- Was born Adrian Carstein
-- Likes just about any shade of blue/silver/gray
-- ‘I never met my father, but it wasn’t hard to find him. A Mercurite dancer on Ganymede? Hah! Really, a Mercurite anywhere off their homeworld is out of place. My dad. Aaron Carstein. A good dancer. Strong. Not as flexible as some, but still quite good. That’s how my mom met him. They danced together as Day and Night, once, and decided they liked each other. Oh, they didn’t marry. They didn’t have time for it. But they had me. Adrian Carstein. Named for my mom’s dad and my dad. Hah. As if. My mom (Lilianne Baudouin) trained me. The Angels took me. And so I became what I am. It’s not that much of a story.’
-- ‘Dancing. I admit it, I loved it. The freedom of motion, the spinning and leaping. I combined the best traits of my parents in my dancing. If I hadn’t been picked up by the Angels, I would’ve become a gem, even among the Ganymede. It’s still something I think about. It’s why I never go to Ganymede. If I did.. I don’t know what I’d do. Oh, yes, if they knew that Adrian Carstein had returned, they’d make a great deal of noise over it. I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to be noticed. And yet, I use my real name, and nobody’s noticed. It’s a common enough name on Mercury, Carstein, so I guess they don’t think much of it. Probably think that a Mercurite and a spacer got together, and the spacer took the kid. That’s the background I say I have, after all.
But then there’s the dancing. I still dance, you know. I’ve kept myself flexible and strong. If I chose to return, I’d just need to learn the dances. But though I dream, that’s not something I’ll do soon. But I will do it. Someday.’
-- ‘Yeah, I wear jewelry. An earring in my left ear, a sapphire stud set in silver. A thin silver necklace with tiny sapphires in it, and an angel wrought in silver hanging on it. What’s essentially a bracer made of thin silver, tiny sapphires at the points where the lines cross. I wear it on my left wrist.’
-- ‘And yes, I wear gloves. They’re thin, white, and fingerless. The base of the gloves continues past my hand. The left one is wrapped around the base of that bracer, and the right one ends at the same point, seeming to blend into my skin.’
-- ‘Very little of my appearance shows that I’m half-Mercurite. Some people don’t believe me until they see my eyes. I have the clear gray eyes of a Mercurite. They don’t change color with my mood, or even with the light. My height can also be seen as a Mercurite trait. The rest of me? I’m Ganymede. Pale skin, pale hair. Slender, strong. Fine bones, long fingers, straight nose. The only complaint people tend to have about my appearance is that I have pale lips. I don’t care. Yeah, I tan, which is something most Ganymede don’t, for whatever reason. That makes me more like a Mercurite, but even so, I still look like an Outworlder.’
-- ‘Yes, I have an odd reaction to the Rips. Shut up about it. Yes, I end up avoiding everyone. Yes, I end up going sex-crazy if I don’t control myself. Yes, I should be able to control it. Heavens, I was there for ten years. ‘course, each implant made it worse, and being away makes it worse, since I basically get used to it and ignore it. Yes, they found this out when they first took me there. I’ve never forgotten that. Neither have they.’
-- ‘I would like nothing better than to have had a normal life, even if ‘normal’ means ‘boring’. It was bad enough being an outcast because of my parents, but then the Angels came along and stole away the rest of my life. Why do you think I love Luke so much? He’s the closest thing I’ll ever have to a child, and the closest bond I’ll have with a normal life. That’s why I’m with the spacers. That’s why I protect him. That’s why I stole him back and went on the run. Ten years of normality was enough for me to begin to love it. Six years of normal life while they tried to find me was fine. Two years of evading capture was worth it. I had Luke. I had love.’
-- ‘My dad.. yeah, I remember him. He was darkness to my mom’s light. But his darkness comforted me more than her blinding light. My strongest memory of him – other than that bomb – is when I got to watch him practice his dance for that show. He was beautiful.’
-- ‘The bombing. Gods. I remember it. How could I forget? I had nightmares for years afterwards. I think the only thing that stopped me from having them was the Phoenix. They still come back, every once in a while. Not nearly as often, though.’

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Luke
-- The product of a breeding project to create Angel-like beings.
-- Born on 0420 September 19th, 3274
-- ((Chinese zodiac: yang wood horse, water/earth snake. western zodiac: virgo <virgo is ruled by the planet mercury>))
-- Father (not mentioned) is called Noah Chaikin. Mother is Rajiya Chaikin.
-- Luke has darkish skin, dark hair, and pale eyes. At first glance, some people think he’s blind, much to Luke’s amusement. He’s not tall, but not short, either. He’s fairly muscular, though he’d be more so if he spent more time on a planet’s surface. A pretty average kid, all around.
-- Luke does think that Pathos is his father. He’s got no reason to think otherwise, after all. His appearance is rather typical of Spacer half-breeds, and Pathos acts like a father towards him. ((excepting for the incident when Pathos took him to the Angels, of course. Always excepting that.))

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Hyperion
-- The Phoenix. Or rather, what the Angels call the Phoenix, since he never gave a name.

Angels—
Michael
-- Michael is Terran by birth.
-- Is 18 when he comes in. Born December 23, 3271.
-- ((chinese zodiac: yin (metal) metal/wood rabbit. western zodiac: capricorn))
-- Dresses in close fitting clothing in dark, conservative colors. Accents those colors with white. Black hair, blue eyes, tall, pale-ish. Seems to have an unending supply of patience.

Shirin
-- Rin is Titanite by birth.
-- Is 18 when she comes in. Born January 13, 3272.
-- ((chinese zodiac: yang (metal) metal/wood tiger. western zodiac: capricorn))
-- Dresses in loose clothing that she keeps under control by wearing various bracelet/armband sorts of things. Usually wears silver, black, blue, and red. Her light brown hair is kept in a ponytail, barely under control. Light brown eyes, golden-tan skin. A temper that tends to make sure that nobody really likes her.

Thaddeus
-- Born on April 4, 3248
-- ((chinese zodiac: yang (earth) earth/wood dragon. western zodiac: aries))

Esther
-- Born on August 28, 3249
-- ((chinese zodiac: yin (earth) earth/wood snake. western zodiac: libra))

Kazimir and Tuan
-- About twenty-five when they take Adrian
-- Kazimir is dark, Tuan is light. Kaz is taller than Tuan, too.
-- Act rather like lovers, but aren’t.

Father Zaman
-- The eldest of the Angels
-- Part of the Seraphim, the Inner Council

SPOILER: Click to show

You see, I feel like explaining something about how I came up with these characters. So. I'll do this roughly in order.

Pathos: He started out as a drawing. A fantasy drawing, at that. Then he decided to come into my head one night and took over this story, which hadn't really been more than a series of ideas about the Angels.

Luke: Pathos introduced him. Orignally, I was going to call him Lucifer (..yes, I love that name), but then I decided Luke (which is the natural shortening of Lucifer, to me) worked better. I'd love it if he came along and fleshed himself out more, since he's rather important.

Michael and Rin: Again, drawings. Originally, they were me trying to draw characters for a different story (one that I've been thinking about sine March or so), but then they became something else. Pat was drawn to complement them, actually. But.. yeah.

Thaddeus and Esther: I needed some older Angels and got lazy. *shrug* ..some of you may know where I got these two from.

Father Zaman: Someone to reference. That's it.

The Malak's crew: Started writing about Malak, and got these guys out of it.

Plot

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Timeline (more or less)

2789: The Angel Experiment begins
2802: The Angel Experiment ends – Prologue (?)

3247 (Jan): Adrian born
3248 (Apr): Thaddeus born
3249 (Aug): Esther born

3251 (Dec): Adrian’s father dies – dream flashback
3252 (Jan): Adrian begins dancing

3252 (Jan-Jul): Figuring out what was up with the bomb, negotiations, etc.
3252 (Jul): Saturn and Uranus go to war against Jupiter
3252 (Aug): Ian warships begin patrolling
3252 (Aug): Callisto proclaims its neutrality in the war

3253 (Apr): Minas ((Major Europan city)) blown up
3255 (Feb): Io strikes against Titan, but their warship is neutralized and boarded.
Venusi mercenaries prove their worth.
3255 (Apr): Terra tries to broker peace between Saturn and Jupiter
3255 (Jun): Terra forces Uranus out of the fight; Saturn begins turning its attention towards Terra
3255 (Aug):

3257 (Jan): Adrian’s birthday; he dances, an Angel tells him he has talent. – Part I (Adrian) begins around here
3257 (Feb): Adrian taken to Angels
3258 (May): Thaddeus and Adrian begin Angel training
3259 (Sept): Esther begins Angel training

3263 (Jun): Adrian takes a liking to Esther

3266 (Jun): Adrian becomes an agent
3267 (Oct): Thadd and Esther become agents

3271 (Dec): Michael born
3272 (Jan): Rin born
3274 (Sept): Luke born – Part II (Luke) begins – Pathos is 27, Thadd is 26, Esther is 25.

3274-3284: Stuff happens. Pathos tries to figure out how he can be a spacer and take care of Luke, among other things. He also finds out how much he loves Luke.

3282 (Jan): Michael taken to Angels
3282 (Feb): Rin taken to Angels

3284 (Oct): Luke taken to Angels – Thadd is 36, Esther is 35. Pat is 37, Luke is 10.
-- 3284 (Nov): Pathos takes Luke back – Thadd is 36, Esther is 35. Pat is 37, Luke is 10.
3284 (Dec): Thadd and Esther dispatched to retake Luke – Thadd is 36, Esther is 35. Pat is 37, Luke is 10.

3286 (July): Pathos gets Malak – Pat is 39, Luke is 11. Thadd is 38, Esther is 36.
-- 3286 (Aug): Johan and Nell join Malak
-- 3286 (Dec): Kay joins Malak
-- 3287 (Jan): Flame joins Malak
-- 3289 (Sept): Luke joins Malak – Pat is 42, Luke is 15. Thadd is 41, Esther is 38.

3290 (Oct): Michael and Rin are assigned to find Pathos – Pat is 43, Luke is 16. Thadd is 42, Esther is 39. Michael and Rin are 18.
3290 (Nov): Michael and Rin stumble upon Malak – Pat is 43, Luke is 16. Thadd is 42, Esther is 39. Michael and Rin are 18.
3290 (Dec): Michael and Rin confront Pathos; Pathos fights them, wins, and starts running away.

3290 (Dec) – 3292 (Dec): Pathos being chased by the Angels

3292 (Dec): Pathos and Luke are taken into custody – Pat is 45, Luke is 18. Thadd is 44, Esther is 41. Michael and Rin are 20.
3292 (Christmas): Pathos takes first Luke’s life, and then his own – Pat is 45, Luke is 18. Thadd is 44, Esther is 41. Michael and Rin are 20.

SPOILER: Click to show

Part I – Adrian (They All Wound) ((Vulnerant Omnes, (Ultima Necat) "they all wound, (and the last kills)”))
Adrian is the child of two dancers; one (his mother) is from Ganymede, and the other (his father) is from Mercury. He grows up with his aunt, and doesn’t really know his father, for Aaron (as his father was called) died when the theatre he was in was bombed by a group of Saturnine who disliked the arts of Jupiter in general, and of Ganymede in particular. Adrian was in that theatre, but he, like his mom, survived almost unscathed. In the days that follow, people say that they must’ve had something to do with it, since so many others were hurt. Adrian tries to dissuade his friends, but they ignore him, and slowly drift away.
As a result of losing most of his friends, Adrian throws himself into dancing, taking solace in the music and movement, and on his tenth birthday, Adrian dances one of the most famous plays, Angels, which is about the Angel Experiment. Adrian’s part is that of the Angel Lucifer. Afterwards, everyone’s congratulating him on how well he did, and saying things like ‘I’ve never seen a child dance so well!’
About a month after that, the Angels take Adrian. They come in the night, when everyone’s asleep, and he doesn’t get much of a chance to see them, as they sedate him. He wakes up when they enter Phoenicia, struggling and trying to get free. Why? His reaction to the power of the Phoenix is to have an insatiable sex drive. Pity those who found that out.
So he’s locked in solitary confinement for a couple months while it’s debated whether or not to send him back to Ganymede. They’re about to say they should, but then an Agent comes back with the news that Adrian is presumed dead, a victim of the Saturn/Jupiter war. So now they’re stuck with him.
Poor Angels. Poor Adrian.
It’s September, by the time Adrian’s released. During the time he was stuck, he was almost catatonic, responding barely enough to survive. Released, he acts younger than he is, but at least his body is almost used to the power of the Phoenix, so he seems normal enough.
He’s placed in the same class as Thadd and Esther. Why? They’re the children closest to his age that aren’t in training yet. The Angels want to watch him for a bit, now that they’re letting him interact with people again, before they send him into training.
So he ends up being pretty good friends with Thadd, and deciding that Esther is pretty cool to hang around. Due to this, he begins Angel training at the same time as Thadd, and they’re the best of friends for the next few years. Then hormones start engaging on both sides.
You see, Esther is a year behind them, but at the top of her own class. She is often with them, and they realize that they like her at the same time. She stays neutral in their quiet war for her affections, not telling either who she likes better.
But Adrian’s Phoenix Reaction is what ends up destroying everything.
One night, the three of them are walking from the school building back to their home. It’s dark out. And in that darkness, along the river, it’s like they’re the only three In the world. Adrian’s tired. He isn’t as much in control as usual. So.. his control snaps. He tries to take Esther, then and there. Thadd stops him, but from then on, they aren’t friends anymore, and Adrian is forced to find a new place to live.
And they start calling him Pathos.
Nobody’s quite sure how that started, but by the time anyone thought to wonder, it was too widespread to question. Adrian’s name was Pathos, and everyone called him that, even the Angels and their Agents.
Nobody questioned it when Thadd asked to be held back a year and be with Esther. Nobody questioned that Adrian left everyone alone. The reason? Adrian doesn’t trust himself anymore. Thadd and Esther were his best and closest friends, and he betrayed them. He blames himself as much, if not more than, everyone else.
And so, when he becomes an Agent, he doesn’t take a partner, though it’s customary, and he begins making himself a home among the spacers, where he can be as anti-social as he likes and not have anyone really care.

SPOILER: Click to show

Part II – Luke (Dies Irae (Day of Wrath/Day of Judgment))
Pathos finds himself drawn to Mercury. In one of the pods, he finds a pregnant mother, who he claims is the reason he came. She and her relatives look at him suspiciously, but he ignores that. When she gives birth, it kills her. The boy-child, now without parents, Pathos takes into his own hands. Nobody argues with him. He stays on Mercury long enough to be sure that the boy will survive space travel, and then leaves for Neptune on the next spacer ship. Pathos raises the boy on his own, and when the boy – Luke – is ten, he takes him to the Angel’s base.
While the Angels aren’t exactly happy to see him, they’re intrigued by Luke. Pathos refuses to let them perform the experiments they want to try (seeing why his physiology is altered as if he already had the first few implants), and leaves, breaking Luke out of his cell on the way. This results in the Angels sending a pair of agents after them (Thadd and Esther), but it’s difficult to find someone who’s hidden among those he knows best.
Pathos takes refuge with the spacers, and uses his powers to blank Luke’s memory of the time at the Angel base. ((Along with.. a few other things. Like what Pathos did to him when the first surge of Rip-power hit.)) Luke is seen as an ordinary spacer kid, and the general opinion is that Pat, as they call Pathos, is his father, and that Luke just takes after his mother.
Pathos encourages this rumour. By the time Luke is fifteen, old enough to help Pathos, he’s the captain of a spaceship. His ship, called Malak, is one of the fastest there is, and it’s outfitted with enough weapons to fight off bandits. Pathos enjoys his life as a spacer. His small crew all looks up to him, and he’s well-respected. The Homeworlds use him as a messenger or a small, discreet transport for one or two people, as that’s all he’s able to carry. He’s not rich. He’s just fast and smart.
The Malak’s crew consists of four people, other than Pathos and Luke. Kay, the tech guy, is female. Flame is named for his personality (his real name is Fenton), and is the weapons specialist. Johan is the diplomat, other than Pathos himself, and usually regarded as the smartest person aboard. Excepting the captain. And then there’s Nell. Nell is a Mercurite, and obsessed with computers. He barely speaks, unless it’s about his precious systems.
But, of course, the most interesting day comes about a year after Luke joined the crew. Pathos goes to Terra for passengers, and gets two. They wait for the shuttle to connect, and when it does, he and Johan are the greeting committee, and everyone else has been told to be at their stations waiting. When the airlock slides open, Pathos finds himself staring into the eyes of an Angel.
He hides his reaction, greeting them neutrally and introducing himself as Captain Pat Carstein, before showing them around Malak. He can see their recognition of the name, but since they don’t ask, he doesn’t say why he named it that. But if asked, he’d say ‘It’s a perfectly fine name. Why shouldn’t I use it?’ the fact that it means ‘messenger’ secondary to his amusement as the person tries to think of a reason why he shouldn’t. On the off chance that someone ignores that and asks again, he just shrugs and says ‘I like the name’, and doesn’t really say anything else on the subject.
Michael (or Mike, as Pathos calls him (much to Michael’s annoyance)) get suspicious of Pat’s actions, namely how he manages to avoid Michael and Rin most of the time. Luke also gets his share of suspicions, as Pat endeavors to try and keep him away from the two guests. Rin is rather oblivious to the entire thing, having become a touch fascinated by Flame and Johan.
It takes three weeks to get from Earth to Neptune, and those three weeks are full of general irritation. During the journey, Michael calls Thadd and tells him that they’ve found the targets. When Malak lands at Triton’s main port/station (Poseidon’s Port), and let Michael and Rin off, Michael calls Pathos over to discuss the matter of payment. Pathos tries to get away from it, saying that the Terrans have already paid him, but Michael won’t have any of that.
((not sure where it goes from here, but I don’t need to. ^_^))

The ending. Gods. It must be thus: Pathos and Luke are captured by the Angels and taken to Phoenicia. There, Pathos is given a choice: Give Luke to them, or die. After much internal debate, he tells Luke to go to them. While Luke is walking towards them, Pathos draws a gun and shoots Luke, killing him. The Angels retaliate by shooting Pathos. He dies, and the story ends there, I think.
((Should call that last chapter ‘Dies Irae’))

Verses 7, 14, 16, and 17 of ‘Dies Irae’. I should have Pathos quote this at the Angels.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? ((What shall I, frail man, be pleading?))
Quem patronum rogaturus, ((Who for me be interceding,))
cum vix justus sit securus? ((when the just are mercy needing?))

Confutatis maledictis, ((While the wicked are confounded,))
flammis acribus addictis: ((doomed to flames of woe unbounded,))
voca me cum benedictis. ((call me with thy saints surrounded.))

Preces meæ non sunt dignæ: ((Worthless are my prayers and sighing,))
sed tu bonus fac benigne, ((yet, good Lord, in grace complying,))
ne perenni cremer igne. ((rescue me from fires undying.))

Oro supplex et acclinis, ((Low I kneel, with heart submission,))
cor contritum quasi cinis: ((see, like ashes, my contrition;))
gere curam mei finis. ((help me in my last condition.))

~Dies Irae ((Day of Judgment (or Day of Wrath)))

SPOILER: Click to show

Heh. I wrote Part II of the plot before Part I. Started out with Luke's birth and went on from there, extrapolating as I went. The ending was a scene that Pathos gave me, though. I love it. It's going to be so much fun to write. ^_^ ..oh, and how I got the part names? I looked through Wikipedia's list of Latin phrases and found two that fit. *shrug* ..easy enough to say, harder to do.

Other

SPOILER: Click to show

Malak (Specs)
-- 50 ft length (main), plus 12 (engines). Additional 15 (hyp engines). 25 ft width (main), plus 25 ft ‘winglets’/maneuvering jets.
-- Can spin to maintain Earth-like gravity, but usually doesn’t bother. Malak typically isn’t away from planets long enough for it to matter.
--

Malak’s Crew--

Flame is named for his personality (his real name is Fenton), and is the weapons specialist. But that’s his hobby. His job aboard Malak is to keep track of shipments and politics. Johan does this too, but Flame tends to be more fascinated by it, and thus knows a lot more. Especially about history. Flame’s a spacer, born and bred. He’s got red hair (also a reason for being called Flame), freckles, and insanely pale skin. He’s also tall.

Johan is the diplomat, other than Pathos himself, and usually regarded as the smartest person aboard. Excepting the captain, of course. He’s the default second in command, too. Dark, short, and the opposite of Flame in just about every way, except for their mutual interest in politics and such, Johan spends much of his time with any passengers Malak may have. When there aren’t any passengers, he tends to take over Malak and let Pathos do whatever he wants.

Nell is a Mercurite, and obsessed with computers. He barely speaks, unless it’s about his precious systems. He keeps most of Malak running, along with Kay. It’s understood that they have a relationship of some sort or another. He’s relatively tall, but he spends most of his time slouching or sitting, so nobody notices.

Kay, the tech guy, is female. She, like Nell, can speak in tech-jargon, and half the time, nobody understands what they’re talking about. But they keep Malak running, so no-one complains. She’s a half-blood, and mostly shows the Inworld half. Short and lithe, Kay get compared to a cat fairly often.

On the Malak, Pathos is the captain. He’s also the navigation person and the comm person, though he shares those duties with Johan. Some people joke that Pathos and Johan are closer than they should be, but those people tend to get glared at by both parties. ((Not that the assumption isn’t true. They are lovers occasionally.))

Luke’s essentially the cabin boy. He tends to get yanked from job to job as another pair of hands is needed. He usually ends up with Kay and Nell, though, since they usually need the most help. As a result, he knows a lot about Malak.

SPOILER: Click to show

Age Gaps:
If (person1) is (age1), then (person2) is (age2), and (person3) is (age3).
Not taking into account birthday junk, of course.

Pathos—Thadd—Esther
11 — 10 — 9

Michael—Shirin—Luke
10 — 10 — 8

Esther—Michael
31 — 10

SPOILER: Click to show

Yes, I need that list of ages. It will save me from much trouble. I hadn't thought about the age differences until I wrote out the timeline. Heh.

Oh, and if you can help with Malak, that would be much appreciated.

..yes, I've thought about this too much. And I have this all nicely color-coded and formatted on my computer, but I'm too lazy to do that for this.

Edit:

Since I'm writing another NaNo (The Angel Experiment), I may as well post a few things about it.

I'm sure you've read the post a ways below this one, where I wrote out the history of the Angels. That is the basis for what I'm writing right now. Or that was the idea. xD ..TAE part I, Prison Planet Prelude (..what? I like the name) is about Jasper, Lucifer's eventual dad, and Amanda, Lucifer's eventual mom. And as you might be able to guess, it's set on Mercury. It will end when TAE takes off.

[Deleted]

Wow... This is intense. ._. I'm really, really impressed with what you've come up with here. I wish you the best of luck with this year's NaNo.

[Kathleen]

Wow. Impressive. I bet it's going to end up awesome. ^^

[Rikku]

... Awesome.

I'm somewhat jealous, though - in my book the god is a phoenix who is the sun, and I doubt I'll be able to pull of the concept anywhere near as creatively as you will. D= But ah well.

[Zylaa]

I'm amazed at the detail you've been able to put into this by now. This'll be a stunning story. ^_^

[Shadaras]

Sept 21, 2008 18:18:44 GMT -5 @sammywalkers said:

Wow... This is intense. ._. I'm really, really impressed with what you've come up with here. I wish you the best of luck with this year's NaNo.

Sept 21, 2008 21:41:04 GMT -5 Kathleen said:

Wow. Impressive. I bet it's going to end up awesome. ^^

Sept 22, 2008 1:09:28 GMT -5 Zylaa said:

I'm amazed at the detail you've been able to put into this by now. This'll be a stunning story. ^_^

Note that I started plotting this out in mid-August, when the ideas of angels in space and Pathos joined forces. But thanks. ^_^

Sept 22, 2008 0:11:07 GMT -5 Rikku said:

... Awesome.

I'm somewhat jealous, though - in my book the god is a phoenix who is the sun, and I doubt I'll be able to pull of the concept anywhere near as creatively as you will. D= But ah well.

Now that I've thought of that idea, I'm wondering why I haven't seen it used before. It makes perfect sense. I mean, cultures have thought that the sun died and was born again, and it's a common fact that phoenix do that.

Not that I'm entirely sure how I thought of this to begin with. But whatever. *shrug*

Oh, and random note. Originally, this idea centered around black holes. Then I decided that suns made more sense, and allowed me to just use the solar system instead of a larger scale thing.

[Shadaras]

Did I mention that I'm writing this in first person? I don't believe I did. Isn't the ending going to be awesome, written that way? I hope it will be.

And I'm trying to think of a better title. 'Between' comes to mind. So does 'Stand Between'. But.. gah. Dies Irae is the title for the second section. I know that. They All Wound is likely the title for the first. And a title that has relation to both of those would be nice. And Stand Between doesn't quite have the right feeling. Though the word between does fit. Um. Between the Worlds. Between the Lines. *shrug* ..I like the word between for this story. It fits Pat. And Luke, I guess. Whatever.

'In Their Eyes' is now trying to stick itself into my head. And I think it's succeeding. Oh, and 'In Their Eyes' comes from 'In Her Eyes', a song by Josh Groban. Part of the chorus goes 'I am not a hero, I am not an angel, I am just a man'. The angel line amuses me, seeing as Pat is an Angel.

And if you guys want to throw out ideas for stuff to happen on the timeline (for the Saturn/Jupiter war, for what could happen between the Angels finding Pat and capturing him, stuff like that), feel free to suggest stuff. I'd appreciate it. There's only so much I can come up with on my own, after all.

[Shadaras]

So.. for no other reason than I want Adrian to be taunted by them, Thadd and Esther are going to be Angel children, born and raised in Phoenicia. Well. There might be other reasons why, but that's the first one. And I have a sense of humor. I want them to be the ones to give Adrian the name of Pathos. Which I'm still not sure how he gains, but he does, seeing as he introduced himself to me as Pathos.

And the name does suit him. Pathos means (more or less) suffering. Which Adrian does quite a bit of when he's first on Phoenicia. And I'm going to enjoy writing that part a tad too much, I think. Ah, well. It gives me something to look forward to while I write about his (odd) childhood. Which is also going to be fun to write, I think.

..well, actually, Pathos is the perfect name, seeing as he's the main character, and thus likely to be put through all sorts of suffering. So is Luke, to some extent. xD ..when Pat takes Luke to Phoenicia, that'll be fun. So many idiotic ideas for that. And for Pat's interaction with Phoenicia in general, actually.

And I really should make Pat younger. It'd make his interactions with Thadd and Esther easier, and I keep thinking that they're closer in age than they are, anyway. So.. yeah. Should do that. Question is how much younger I'll make Pat.

Edit: I've made Pat younger. He's now about a year older than Thadd. Which is about right for them having the oppertunity to be either good friends or enemies. Probably friends, for a while at least.

.. *now has another random subploty thing* ..I pity my characters. I really do.

[Shadaras]

SPOILER: Click to show

“Class, we have a new arrival. Please meet Shirin Glass.”

I glared up at the teacher. I hated my name. I called myself Rin for a reason. It was the only part of my name I liked. Glass was too fragile, and Shirin too pretty. But Rin. Rin was a boy’s name. It suited me. The teacher pushed me forward, and I took a stubborn step.

“Shirin will be sharing Michael’s desk,” the teacher continued, seemly oblivious, “as he is the only one without a desk-mate.”

The boy she gestured to opened his mouth to speak, but the teacher cut him off. “Yes, Michael. I know you would prefer to have your desk to yourself. So would Shirin, I’m sure.”

I nodded, glaring at Michael. He glared right back.

“Now, if you would please take your seats, we can begin.” The teacher pushed me forward again, so I turned my glare onto her. She smiled. “Now, I know this is all a new experience for you,” she murmured, “but it’d really all be for the best if you cooperated.”

I ignored her and began walking to where Michael sat. He was at the back of the room, and though there was another chair by the desk, he’d planted himself right in the center of it. “Move,” I said, stopping right next to him.

He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. “No.”

He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. My hands clenched into fists. “Oh?” I said. “Then I’ll need to make you move.”

“No, you won’t,” he said patiently. “Because if you start a fight, we’ll both be in trouble and end up needing to suffer with each other even more. So you won’t make me move.”

I stared at him.

“No, really.” He grinned. “I’ve seen it happen.”

“Yeah. Right.” I shook my head. “Point is, I’m supposed to sit at this desk. You aren’t letting me. If I tell the teacher, then she’ll make you move.” I crossed my arms. “Problem solved.”

He just raised an eyebrow and sat there, grinning at me. “Prove it.”

I hesitated.

“See? You won’t call her over. So I get the desk, and you get the floor, like any good—” he paused. “Where’re you from, anyway?”

“Titan,” I said. “Let me guess, you’re one of those stubborn, proud, Terrans.”

“Like you’re any less stubborn and proud.”

“Hey! It’s not our fault that Jupiter’s prickly.”

“It’s not their fault you’re prickly, either.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Prove it!”

He stood up, staring me right in the eyes. “Shirin,” he said, “Terra is the most advanced planet in the solar system, but we have nothing on the Phoenix. Nothing. Do you understand what that means? It means that—”

I punched him. I honestly can’t say why I punched him, but I did. Something about his condescending tone, I guess. But I punched him, and he stepped back, only to trip over his chair.

The room was silent. I turned towards the front of the room, where the teacher was staring at me. “Excuse me,” I said, very innocently, “but I think Michael might need some help moving his chair. It doesn’t seem to be in the right place.”

First one kid started to laugh. Then another. Pretty soon, the entire room was laughing, except for the teacher, who seemed to be trying to ignore everything that was going on, and Michael, who was staring at me. There was respect in his eyes, now, but also hatred. I grinned at him.

“I’ll get you for that,” he whispered.

I shrugged. “So long as I get my seat, I don’t care,” I said, kicking his chair over to the side even more, and placing my own. “Now, I’m sure we’ll get along for the rest of this so long as we remember how important cooperation is.” I turned to face him and grinned. “Just like the teacher always says.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

I laughed.

Short little story-thing that more or less explains how Rin and Michael met. xD ..which I wrote because I could, and because I sort of needed to flesh them out a bit more. I'd do something like this for Pat, Thadd, and Esther, but that'd feel like cheating.

Anyway, what I have determined from this story-thing is thus: they act like me and my brother. Seriously. It's odd, though, since I hadn't thought they'd act like that. But it suits them.

[Zylaa]

That's a fun short story. I like it. *quietly ships Rin and Michael*

[Shadaras]

Sept 25, 2008 21:48:16 GMT -5 Zylaa said:

That's a fun short story. I like it. *quietly ships Rin and Michael*

Thank ye. ^_^ ..and I 'ship Rin and Michael. I have since I created them. Which is why having them act rather like me and my brother is so odd.

[Shadaras]

..huh. Just realised that Michael has the angel-eyes. Which means nothing to anyone other than me. xD ..you see, I love how my brother's eyes look. Blue, but with a yellow ring around the pupil. And I associate those eyes with angels, due to a story that I may or may not eventually write. ((That story was going to be my NaNo. And this this came along)) And it does make sense for Michael to have those eyes.

..now that I think about it, it's more of a surprise that Michael doesn't look more like Adrian does. Huh. Well, except for how I came up with him. Shall I ramble about that? Sure. So, y'know that other story idea? Rin and Michael came from me trying to draw the MCs of that idea. But they didn't look like what I'd imagined, so I tried to figure out what story they did have. Another character (who's probably Zaman, in this) came along, and then I drew Pathos. He was originally some sort of air-mage-trickster.

I'm not exactly sure anymore how he became who he is now. I think he just came along and insisted upon this, dragging Luke with him. So.. yeah. Fun ramble, isn't this? If you give me a topic to start talking about, I probably will. xD ..so if you want to do that, feel free. It'll make me think about the setting more, and that's a good thing.

[Shadaras]

I just realised something. I only really have the first three weeks of November to hit 50k, since then there's my mom's birthday, which my grandma is coming up for, and on Thanksgiving, my brother and I are going to go visit friends for the rest of November. So.. yeah. I can do that. It'll just be harder. Should be fun. I wonder if I'll actually hit the end. It'd be sort of nice if I didn't. I don't want the end to be rushed.

Oh, and I updated some stuff in the main post. The Characters and Plot sections. ^_^

[Shadaras]

Angels

It all began seven hundred years after humankind established the moon base. That was the first real step into the solar system, if you think about it. It was the beginning of a true empire. Wars raged, when the first colony ship to Mars was sent. Everyone wanted to have more of their kind than others. It didn’t matter, in the end. Everyone got something. The desolate planets were nothing compared to Earth, but they were space, and that was desperately needed. That was all they agreed on, but that was all they needed to. Everyone worked together on the colony ships, on developing space travel to the highest point in history.

Seven hundred years of relative peace, and then the Angel Experiment began.

It was based on Mars, and used volunteers from every planet, as well as conscripts from Mercury. The Angel Experiment was a testament to human ingenuity. Christians had taken hold of the government centuries before the experiment began, and they had shaped the world into their view. They named the experiment after holy figures, after the supernatural beings they hoped to shape humanity into.

Depending on how you look at it and how much you know, they may have succeeded. The Angel Experiment lasted thirteen years. In that time, humanity created monsters. They created beings that should never have existed. The children bred for that program were the worst of all, for some of the genetic changes in their parents carried over, creating new patterns for the scientists to study.

One of those children, named Lucifer, was why it all fell apart. He was the first child born to the Angel Experiment, and his parents named him bitterly, not understanding why they’d gone through all the pain and suffering of the experiment and now their first child, their precious son, would be a part of it. The scientists didn’t care. They kept experimenting, planting things in that child that they had never tested before. Things that created a shield to prevent death in space. Things that increased his strength and agility.

Most importantly, perhaps, they increased his intelligence so that even as a child of five, he thought like an adult. They didn’t know that they had done that. They reasoned that it was a mutation from the genes they had changed in his parents. Perhaps they were right. We can never know.

And they gave Lucifer wings.

Perhaps that was their folly, in the end. The wings that they gave him, along with the mythology they fed him, made him think of himself as a true angel, sent to the Angel Experiment to save everyone who was a part of it. He came to think of himself as the Morning Star Lucifer had been before his fall, not the devil he had become. He taught the children this, and they followed him. The children told the parents, and the parents, though they hesitated, slowly became a part of Lucifer’s plan.

Lucifer never let word of his plan leak to the scientists. He helped this with everything he could, learned all he could, and encouraged the other Angels to do the same. The more they learned, he reasoned, the faster they could break free. So they studied all the reports the scientists made, and then, when they had learned all they could, they broke free.

Their rebellion almost worked. They almost succeeded in taking over the base they had been trapped in. But when it began, the scientists called for help. That help arrived at the last moment, and began killing any Angel that continued to offer resistance. Lucifer was one of those. He was shot clean through the heart. That stopped the Angels. That allowed the military to bundle them up – including Lucifer’s body – and send them on a course to the sun.

It took their ‘box’ a week to reach the sun. In that week, the Angels resigned themselves to their fate. They would die, and all their work would be for naught. One of the oldest men pointed out that they had succeeded in stopping the experiment, for surely it would be deemed too dangerous, and the rest agreed. And yet, there they were, stuck in a box heading for certain death in the sun.

So they prayed to everything they could think of, asking for relief from death. And when they reached the sun, their prayers were answered. They didn’t die. They were taken to another world inside the sun, a world that looked like a perfect Earth. Eden, they called it to begin with. That was the first miracle. The second was Lucifer’s revival. He was just as he was before he died.

He became their leader. He organized them, led them in building shelter. And when he finally asked the question of where they were and how they would get out, he was answered. A burning being appeared, calling itself Hyperion, and told them that he was what they would call a Phoenix, and he was the sun.

Needless to say, the story of the Angels continues, but that is nothing that you need to know right now. But the way most of humanity thinks of the Angels death? That is a story.

They said the Angels had rebelled and killed all the scientists that were working with them. There was no sign of rebellion until the moment they had attacked. All the records agreed on that. They called it madness, and a reason to discontinue the experiment. Soon, the Angel Experiment became history, a story to be told and learned from, and nothing more.

* * *

That was helpful. So. The Angels still follow Lucifer's vision. He's the driving force behind them. He began the breeding program that led to Luke being born, and he wants Luke for that purpose. He also wants Adrian to be part of that program, since it's obvious his genes would be good, from how he reacts to the Phoenix. So yes. ^_^ ..that means that the entire second half of the story makes sense. Isn't that wonderful?

[Shadaras]

And so it begins. ^_^

SPOILER: Click to show

I waited, bouncing up and down in delight. Mamma and Dad were finally performing! They’d finally be coming back home and spending time with me again, instead of always being at the theatre! And they were dressed all pretty, with Mamma in a shiny white dress and Dad in a black and gold uniform. I’d watched them as they dressed, though Mamma didn’t know I had. She thought that the peek-hole was blocked up. But I knew better. I’d watched them as they got all pretty, and now I’d watch them be all pretty.

They weren’t the stars, but that was only because they were too old, Mamma had said. So they got the second-best roles. They were acting as the parents to the star. The kid that was playing Lucifer was just as good as I was. I’d watched them practice, day after day, week after week. I’d learned his role as well as he had. Mamma had even let me fill in for him a couple times at home, when she and Dad practiced. I’d loved those bits. I hadn’t gotten to wear the costume, though. I liked Lucifer’s costume. It wasn’t as shiny as Mamma’s or Dad’s, but it had wings. They didn’t work, but they were still wings.

A burst of music caught my attention, and I stopped bouncing, returning to simply fidgeting as the curtain slowly opened. Standing in the middle was a figure clothed in fire and light. He was facing away from the audience, but he slowly turned towards us. The lights were focused on him, making him glow even more. He didn’t speak until the curtain was fully rolled up and there was no noise in the theatre. Then he stepped forward and bowed.

“Welcome,” he said as he rose up. “Welcome, all of you. Tonight we perform Angels, but you knew that.” He smiled, waiting out the laughter. “You know what you will see, for all who live know the story of the Angels, but it is my duty to remind you.” He began slowly walking towards the left side of the stage. “Lucifer. That name has been in our mythology since before history truly began. Or perhaps it came into our mythology when history began.”

I giggled, but quickly silenced myself when Aunt Rhianne put her hand on my shoulder.

“But that name has another meaning now, another reason to be cursed than the ancient mythology that spurred Lucifer’s parents to name him so.” Having reached the edge of the stage, the figure paused, head bowed. “Lucifer was the best and brightest of the Angels. And yet he engineered the treachery that forced us to destroy them all, for fear of our own destruction.” He spread his arms, looking at us. “How could we do otherwise, when the Angels destroyed the research that had led to their creation?

“But before I leave you,” he said, turning and beginning to pace to the other side of the stage. “There is more to the story I must tell. This night, this eve of Christmas, marks so many things. It has been a holiday, along with Christmas itself, for thousands of year. This night, we relearn why genetic modification is forbidden. This night, we remember the greatest failure in our history. This night,” he turned around to return to the center of the stage, “we will celebrate, for we triumphed over our own foolishness!”

He raised a hand, having returned to the center of the stage. The lights shut off, and I thought I heard the quiet sound of footsteps running across the stage. When the lights turned back on, the scientists were on stage, and they began moving. I tuned it out soon enough, for I had heard them practice every day, until I knew the script as well as the actors did. I knew Lucifer’s part and that of his parents best, of course, since those were the ones I’d heard the most, but I knew them all well.

It was the music I listened to, since I hadn’t gotten to hear that much. There wasn’t much music, but the soft tones of the piano were perfectly suited to the story. They were quiet and measured, just like the scientists themselves as they worked on reports and experiments. The story went on to Lucifer’s birth, and the beginning of his changing. They had already modified him, since they’d modified his parents, and now they were changing him even more. I’d asked Mamma why they’d done that, as she hadn’t answered.

But Dad had. Dad had said that it was because they wanted to improve humans. I’d said that we were fine as we were. He’d laughed and ruffled my hair. He’d said that I was smarter than those scientists and the ones who had ordered the experiment to happen. I was proud of that. I didn’t get Dad’s praise often, and I got Mamma’s even less. Aunt Rhianne was easier to be with. She was quieter and nicer.

The scientists froze, the lights went off, and the next scene began. My parents and the boy playing Lucifer – his name was Harahan – were the only ones on stage. The music had changed to something more powerful, though it wasn’t any louder. I mouthed Lucifer’s lines along with him, watching the black-haired boy as he moved around stage. He was the one everyone watched, I suspected. The wings on his back moved, their motions directed by someone watching from the edge of the stage. It made the performance even more powerful than I knew it was going to be.

The scene was the once that talked about the beginning of Lucifer’s plan. The scientists had never found out about it, which I found amazing. How had they not noticed? They’d supposedly monitored everything the Angels had done, and yet they’d missed this? I shook my head, my attention wandering again. At least it made for a good story. Until I saw the records, that’d been all it was to me. A story. It was so perfectly suited to the stage, how could I think otherwise?

The story wound on, each act shaping the story more. The scientists, unwittingly showing the Angels what they did. The Angels, playing along and being told the story and the mission as Lucifer and his parents found the time and safety. The children slowly growing up and being born. And then the end. I loved that part. It was always so well played. I watched, eyes fixed on Lucifer and my parents, as the Angels took over the base. They killed all the scientists, but did nothing to the data.

It was only when they’d gotten outside that troops arrived. One of the scientists had called them. It was shown briefly as the Angels swept through the base. A scientist talking into a phone, whispering and glancing around nervously. What he said was barely audible, but it didn’t matter. Everyone knew what he’d done, when the troops arrived. They shouted at the Angels, told them to stop. The Angels stopped, but Lucifer stepped forward boldly. He told the soldiers that the Angels wanted to be treated like everyone else in the solar system.

The commander laughed and ordered Lucifer to be shot.

A gun lowered, and a soldier shot. Lucifer didn’t try to dodge. He was hit in the heart. Harahan’s expression was one of shock and fear, and I heard a strangled cry from him. My eyes widened, and I shrank down in my chair. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to look triumphant. Blood began flowing out of him, and I shrank even more. Aunt Rhianne noticed it too, and leaned down to try and comfort me. So when a huge explosion shook the theatre, we were more out of the way than most.

Aunt Rhianne cried out, falling down to cover me with her own body. I curled up into a ball under her. The cracking wood and the screams couldn’t be blocked out, though. Neither could the smell. Burning flesh and wood, smoke and sawdust, and some blood. I couldn’t tell how long it lasted. It felt like it lasted forever. When it stopped, and Aunt Rhianne let me up, I began running to the stage, frantically calling for Mamma and Dad. They didn’t respond. I got up to the stage, Aunt Rhianne shouting at me, and found where they lay.

Dad’s arms were around Mamma, and blood covered the white fabric of her dress. I couldn’t find Dad. I stared in shock. They were dead. Destroyed. Tears filled my eyes, and I fell to my knees, crawling to where Mamma lay. I hugged her, not caring about the blood. “Don’t go,” I whispered, crying. “Don’t leave me!” Aunt Rhianne was talking to me, trying to pry me off of Mamma. I didn’t let go until someone came to help her. When I was pried off, I clung to Aunt Rhianne as she carried me out of the theatre.

I could feel her tears falling onto my head, just as my tears soaked her. “Don’t take me back there,” I whispered. “I don’t ever want to go back there.”

I felt her nod, her hand running through my hair, smoothing it over and over again. She took me home, washed the blood off of me, and when we slept, she held me, just like Mamma had held me when I had nightmares. “Adrian,” she murmured as I drifted in and out of nightmare-filled sleep. “Adrian, don’t fear. It’s just dreams. Just dreams.” I’d fall asleep again, only to wake again, crying, and start the cycle over again.

The next morning doctors came to look at us and make sure we were fine. Aunt Rhianne let me sleep, as best I could, while she told them that we weren’t hurt at all, physically. Just emotionally. They left, and Aunt Rhianne returned. It was a long time before I slept without nightmares. It wasn’t as long until I learned to sleep even with the nightmares. But those wounds never healed.

Never.

Some things in that I'd change, like actually saying Adrian's name sooner, or perhaps his parents names, but hey, there's only so much I can do writing from the perspective of a kid. He's only five in the prologue, after all. So. Have fun reading this. Or, y'know, not. It's not happy, after all. Not happy at all. I really want to make the ending better, but there's no point in it right now. So yeah. I'll go back to writing now, I think.