Posted by Thanatos on May 19, 2000 at 10:04:24:
Father Seven-Nine (c) Thanatos Reborn 2000
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Praise be the Lord!
I strode forward that morning along the city streets of Nu London, in my assigned patrol area in the Parish of St. Sands, and my soul was filled with the word of the Lord. The sun shone, the people were intent on their business (that indirectly served the workings of His will), and the streets were pure and untainted with sin.
'Morning, Father,' said a citizen, bowing her head in acknowledgement.
'Good Morning, citizen,' I replied, and then my attention was distracted as I spotted another and altogether different female coming through the crowd. She was dressed in a highly revealing calf-length skirt, and provocative one-and-a-half inch heels, and I thought I detected makeup.
I slipped behind a prayer board at the street corner, and scanned her quickly with my Sin-o-scope. It showed a small reading, consistent with the normal random female thoughts, or perhaps musing on her day ahead, but I wasn't really interested in her; I just needed a reading for calibration.
I eyed the crowd for anyone looking at her, and instantly found a male, aged approximately thirty-five years, who looked at her twice, no three times. I aimed the scanner at him, and got a good reading.
'STOP, CITIZEN!' I bellowed, and instantly all faces were on me, but I was marching to where he stood, in shock. Yes, he knew what he had done. His face went pale as I walked over to stand in front of him.
'Do you see the reading on this?' I asked, thrusting the scanner into his face.
'Y-yes,' he stammered.
'It shows a fornication reading of SIX POINT FIVE!' I bellowed, so that everyone could hear. 'What were you thinking, citizen!'
'I, I don't remember,' he tried, then instantly regretted it.
'Then maybe I can refresh your memory!' I said, and reran the thought display. The luckless citizen cringed as a small cut scene showed the female with her clothes removed, and the citizen fondling her breasts.
'What have you to say for yourself?' I demanded.
'Er, a momentary lapse of control, Father; I don't know what came over me. I am very sorry.'
'What would your wife and children THINK of you if they knew that this was how you filled the Lord's time?' I asked hotly.
The citizen hung his head in shame. A small crowd had gathered, and onlookers were shaking their heads in pious pity at his transgression.
'Identity card, please,' I demanded crisply.
The citizen sighed, pulled out his wallet and proffered the card, which I inserted into my card reader.
'Hmm, no previous sins, Mr. Kelleher. You are lucky on this occasion that the compassion of the Lord has smiled on you, and that this transgression will be punished with nothing more than a contribution of one hundred Nu Britmarks to Church funds.'
'A hundred Britmarks!' he yelled.
'Perhaps you would rather that the matter was dealt with by the Inquisitional Courts?' I hissed, bringing my face close to his.
His eyes widened in terror at the mere mention of the feared Courts, and he caved in at once.
'Uh, OK. I was, er, misled by the Devil into thinking impure thoughts,' he managed, as I punched in the fine into his card, and he pressed his thumb onto the ID scanner to authorize it.
'The Devil is in us all, Mr. Kelleher,' I intoned, as I returned his card. 'One must be vigilant at all times, lest he...'
My admonishment was interrupted by the sound of an alert coming from my communicator.
'Go with God, and sin no more,' I dismissed him with the sign of the Cross, and raised the communicator.
'Father Seven-Nine, we have detected a death fetishist in the Parish of St. Martin. She has evaded questioning and is headed into your parish. You are authorized to Forgive on sight.'
'Father Seven-Nine, acknowledged.' I raised the scanner and quickly adjusted it for maximum sensitivity for this most heinous of all perversions, and raced into the crowd, the scanner extended.
I located her almost immediately, the scanner locking on to her strong signal. She was heading straight towards me, and I raised my Forgiver.
I saw her through the crowd, running; her long hair flying behind her. Although I was immune to all calls of the flesh, I noticed that she was extremely attractive, and I regretted for a moment the necessity of instant Forgiveness, but I quickly thrust such impure thoughts from my mind, and I aimed my Forgive at her.
'SINNER!' I yelled, and all around me, people were falling to the ground, ducking, trying to get out of the way.
The sinner was still running, and I had a clear sight on her. The Forgiver had targeted her automatically with a Sin-seeking cartridge, using the data from the scanner.
'Halt Sinner, and face judgement, or prepare to be Forgiven!' I yelled.
She heard my warning, and desperation gave her a fresh rush of speed, and she feinted to one side, ducked behind a bumbling citizen, and ran off in an unexpected direction up one of the many sidestreets.
I gave chase, leaping over the people that were lying facedown on the paving slabs. The sinner was fast, and I didn't have a clear shot, and I didn't want to risk a Sin-seeker unless I was sure there were no citizens in the way.
I shouted at the citizens in the sidestreet to get down, and as they dropped, I had her in my sights, her back towards me as she ran.
'Forgive her, Lord,' I whispered, and the Forgiver jerked in my hand.
The Sin-seeking bullet tore off down the street, and exploded in her back, tearing her apart. Her arms flew up, and she gave a brief scream as pieces of flesh burst from her back, and she staggered to the ground.
Blood was spattered in a wide arc behind her as I ran up, but she was still struggling on the ground, her arms and legs working. I knelt at her side.
'Do you repent of your sins?' I asked sternly.
Her mouth worked, and a trail of blood came out.
'I'll take that as a Yes,' I said, and stood over her dying body.
'The sinner repents! Praise be the Lord!' I cried.
The crowd that had gathered chanted in unison:
'Praise be the Lord.'
And then I aimed the Forgiver at her head, and sent her on her way.
* * *
I stood at the scene for several minutes, waiting for the pickup crew to come and clean up the street and remove the body. The pickup vehicle eventually hovered into sight, and moved over the body, its grabs extended.
A pure white light played over the scene as they scooped her up and washed down the bloodstained stones, but I frowned at the heavenly music. They really were overdoing it; this was a Sinner, after all, and I made a note to raise this at the next Prayer Meeting.
'Father Seven-Nine, acknowledge,' came the voice from the communicator.
'Father Seven-Nine.'
'Father, you are to return to Nu Westminster Abbey at once.'
'One my way. Seven-Nine, out.'
I hurried back on foot, pausing only to bless a small child who had placed his litter in a trash container, and to bless a female with child.
'Go with God,' I pronounced, and surreptitiously ran a DNA scan on the unborn fetus as I made the sign of the Cross over her.
I glanced at the scan as I strode on my way. The chromosomal scan showed a high probability of homosexual tendencies in the fetus. I made a mental note to have her contacted for early termination.
I rounded the corner from Ken Livingstone Square, and then Nu Westminster Abbey was in front of me in all its glory.
'Praise be the Lord,' I sighed, taking in the ethereal beauty of the flying buttresses and satellite uplinks, and the omnidirectional Sin detectors that had been carefully crafted in the shape of gargoyles.
I kicked aside a few of the Anglican Brotherhood that were begging at the steps, and I strode through the doors of the Abbey, my cloak flapping behind me. The foyer of the Abbey was busy today, and the auto-confessionals by the main doors were doing brisk business. Here, citizens who had sinned could confess, and the details were cross-checked with unsolved Sins, before the appropriate fine was deducted.
There was a flash of bright blue light from behind the curtain of one of the booths, and a scream, cut suddenly short. A serious sin had been forgiven.
'Hail, Mary,' I said at the door to the Cardinal's Chambers, and Mary, the main computer responded:
[voiceprint identified... father seven-nine... request status update]
'Two admonishments, and one citizen Forgiven for death fetishism,' I responded. There was a brief pause while Mary uploaded the details and updated the main Sinning database.
[thank you father... the Cardinal will see you now... go with god]
The twin doors, decorated with the sign of the Cross, swung back and I entered the Cardinal's main chambers. He was in a meeting with several of the Inner Circle.
'Ah, Father Seven-Nine.'
He stopped the discussion that had been in progress with a wave of his hand, and bade me come closer. I swelled with loyalty to this old man in his red gown that was the ultimate authority for Purity and Truth in Nu London.
'You called for me, my Lord Cardinal,' I said quietly, going down on one knee and kissing the red ring on his finger.
'Yes. But perhaps you are thirsty after your morning's work. Some Holy water, perhaps?'
The Cardinal motioned to one of the acolytes, and they went to the font and drew a pint of the sacred black liquid from the pump.
The acolyte carried it over carefully, the foam slowly settling, and I took it from him and raised it to my lips, giving thanks to the Lord for his holy refreshment.
The Cardinal waited until I had drunk sufficient of the libation to sustain me, and continued in a serious tone:
'Father, I called you here to inform you of grave portents. Our Prediction Brotherhood have detected a high probability of an unusual event in your parish.'
'Unusual, my Lord?'
'Yes.' The old Cardinal steepled his hands and pressed them to his lips as he pondered the prediction. 'We don't quite understand the event that is going to take place. We can't decide if it is the work of the Devil or the Lord. We ask you to be vigilant, Father.'
His words held steel as he held me in his clear cold gaze.
'If the Devil is about to perpetrate one of his foul works in this city, Forgive on sight, and confess later. Do I make myself clear, Father?'
'Perfectly, my Lord.'
'Then return to your parish, Father, and I want status reports on the hour.'
* * *
I was troubled and puzzled as I paced the streets that afternoon. Unusual events, such as Tube trains functioning in sufficient numbers to convey the citizens to and from work, were not unknown, but nowadays could be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy. If the Prediction Brotherhood had been unable to decipher the portents, then it could be ill news indeed.
I maintained a constant and enhanced vigil that day. Nothing escaped my attention.
A couple who glanced at each other in a meaningful way were sent away for detailed questioning.
A child who asked his mother why people died if God loved them all was packed off for two weeks reindoctrination training, and a shopkeeper who could not remember the relevant verses from the Nu Bible regarding supplying credit without a license was admonished.
The afternoon wore on, but despite my constant vigil nothing untoward happened. Then, as the sun worked its way down the sky towards evening, I was drawn on an unknown impulse, and I found myself heading towards Gerry Adams Square. A crowd had gathered there, perhaps drawn by the same impulse that had moved me, and they stood, murmuring, as if waiting for something.
Then, as if the clouds had parted, something happened.
The crowds in the square went suddenly quiet, and stopped in their activities, and some raised their eyes to the sky.
I felt a shift, a translocation, and an incredible joy that filled my heart. A white light sprang from the sky, and when it faded, a man had materialized in the center of the square.
He was staring up at the sky with a smile on his face, and as he lowered his eyes to greet us all, I saw a face that exuded wisdom and perfect peace. His gaze swept over the expectant crowd, and their features were transformed from the dull resignation that we tried so hard to foster, to expressions of joy and contentment.
I closed my mind to such tricks of the Devil and raised my scanner.
The screen went blank.
No reading.
Not even residual levels of sin. I tapped the display, and pointed it at a nearby citizen for a rapid recalibration. The display cleared, and showed the normal background level of sin. I swung the scanner back to the strange man, and it went blank again.
I fingered the hilt of my Forgiver.
This was looking more and more like the Devil's work.
'Halt, Sinner, and repent!' I demanded, and the man stopped and gazed at me. I felt as if his eyes were looking through me, deep into my soul, and for a moment he was there, inside me.
Then the sensation vanished, and he was walking towards me.
The crowds parted as he walked, and closed behind him again, following him like sheep.
'Repent, Sinner!' I warned him again.
'Let he who is without guilt cast the first stone,' said the stranger, nearing me at last, and the words seemed strangely familiar.
'ID, please, citizen,' I demanded.
'Thou shalt not put the Lord to the test,' he answered, calmly, sounding a little puzzled.
'Identify yourself!' I demanded again, and unholstered my Forgiver. It hummed strangely in my hand, sensing the presence of the creature in front of me, and at that moment, he raised his arms and came towards me, his hands extended, a smile of enormous peace and tranquility upon his features.
'Come here, Father, and confess your sins and be cleansed.'
'I do the Forgiving round here!' I shouted, but the stranger kept on coming towards me, his hands extended.
'You don't need to fear me, Father,' he said.
I increased the pressure on the trigger, and I felt the Forgiver select a round and chamber it for firing.
'Halt, Sinner! This is your last warning, or prepare to be Forgiven!' I said, but I could back away no further; I was up against a wall, and he had me where he wanted me.
He kept on coming.
He raised his hand to touch me on my gun arm, and I realized that he was about to take hold of my weapon.
I had warned him enough.
I squeezed the trigger, and the stranger's eyes flew wide as the muffled bang of the Forgiver sounded against his robes, and he looked down in surprise. Blood flew out of his back in a spray of droplets that rained down on the grey stones, and he sagged to his knees.
A strange look crossed his face, a mixture of surprise and disappointment.
The sky darkened, and a bolt of lightning tore the sky and struck the paving near where I was standing.
The stranger struggled to remain upright, and on his knees, he looked up at the sky, and cried:
'No! Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do - still!'
Then he fell forward at my feet, and he was gone.
I glanced about myself in some concern.
Bolts of lightning flew from the sky now, striking down citizens, and tearing lumps of masonry from the buildings.
My communicator beeped.
'Father Seven-Nine,' I responded, shakily.
'Father? Father! Is that yourself? It's the Cardinal here. Listen, everyone, I've got hold of him!'
Sounds of distant cheering in the background filtered through the comlink, and the Cardinal's words sounded slurred - had he been partaking overmuch of the Holy water?
'I can hardly believe it! In my lifetime, too!' he continued.
'But, my Lord Cardinal, what is it that is happening?' I asked, a strange feeling of unease nagging at me.
'We've completed the analysis of the event taking place in your Parish, Father! It's the Second Coming, my boy! The Second Coming of the Son of God! He's going to materialize in your Parish, today!'
My hands went numb, and the rest of the Cardinal's words went unheard. I glanced down at the pile of clothes at my feet, at the body that had mysteriously disappeared, and the choir of heavenly angels that had materialized from nowhere, and were busily carrying a glowing form skyward.
The sky had darkened to an ominous, inky black, and the lightning increased, flickering over the city like a harbinger of doom. The crowd was running everywhere, trying to take cover.
The water in the fountain at the center of the square had turned a deep crimson, and the ground beneath my feet was trembling.
With some effort, I raised the communicator to my mouth again and rather shakily, managed the words:
'Cardinal? Father Seven-Nine here.'
'Yes, Father? What is it? Have you joyful news for all of use here in Nu London?'
I struggled to frame the words that would accurately the gravity of what I feared had happened:
'My Lord Cardinal, I think we may have a situation here.'
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Thanatos@reborn.com