“Yes, thank you. I thought I would come by and see how they are all doing.” Dr. Pearson smiles and notices that the nurse’s yellow and green mold patterns mark her as a new conversion.
“Oh, very well, Doctor. There were many screams and protests at first, but it did not last long. The only real issue was that some of them wetted the bed during the process, but that happens from time to time with children, I hear.”
“So I hear, Nurse. I’m very interested in how Jacob here responds to treatment. Please let me know when he wakes up,” Dr. Pearson replies as he looks closely at the boy’s mouth. The signs of the mold are already starting to form around his temple and slowly vanishing from his lips.
“Very well, Doctor. Is there anything else?” the nurse asks, watching the doctor look at his notes.
“No, that’s all. Thank you, Nurse. Have a good evening,” Dr. Pearson says as he takes a quick look at his notes and then leaves the ward feeling very optimistic.
Samael, angel of death, once a leader of millions and imprisoned for more than ten millennia, emerges from the exploding breaching pod just as the prototype vanishes into phase warp, his anger for revenge blinding him at first to the many eyes now watching him. Slowly Samael understands and remembers the main fact: he’s escaped at long last; he’s free from his imprisonment and now free to get his revenge on the galaxy.
“You have stood guard for all this time, and now your charge has escaped his prison. Come now, stand before me, and we shall conclude your duties,” Samael calls out and waits for his wardens’ response.
Slowly, one by one, lights the size of small candle flames ignite and grow in size. This continues until a host of angels stands before Samael. One of them comes forward. “We were chosen to ward your imprisonment; return now, or we shall force you to.”
Samael watches as the angels reveal themselves. He smiles broadly at the assembled host and transforms himself to his ancient form, towering above the other angels. His eyes begin to gleam with fire. Wherever he looks, his gaze reveals the hidden, leaving no place to hide.
With sword and shield in hand, Samael strides forward and begins to slaughter all in his path. With his shield no angel can harm him, and with his sword no angel can withstand his wrath, and the angels of light perish in moments. Not a single one is spared, and as each angel of light dies, a small fragment of pure-white crystal is all that is left, and the galaxy dims with their passing.
Jerad Bar stood upon the impressive ledge miles above the ancient machine. He knew that his life would be over with a misstep from this height, but death held no power over him. Very little in life did. Only this current project caused some elevation of concern, but after months of work, his scientists and engineers insisted that the machine would work.
The great vault turned out to be more than anyone ever expected. The discovery took everyone by surprise. Deep within the hollow planet, the research team discovered the world machine. However, this machine was unfinished. For reasons no one understood, the empire of Cain could not or would not complete their great work.
The followers of the great dragon activated the world machine, and the air around Jerad Bar grew warm. Adjusting his eye protection, Jerad Bar watched as a ball of light appeared at the center of this hollowed-out world. His scientists had chosen a remote area of space for this first test’s target location. Moments later, the light vanished.
Jerad Bar turned back to the control room as his team read the final results. “Why did it close?” he asked.
“We are unsure at the moment, sir, but our long-range observation post reports a substantial increase in solar mass in the targeted system. Preliminary results would suggest that an artificial black hole existed in the area for nine-tenths of a second before collapsing.”
Zophiel has been receiving many reports of late, but this one causes him some anxiety. Confirming the report, he leaves his station and enters the great hall. As always, eyes turn to regard his passing. This has happened more often since these reports have been arriving, and each time Zophiel enters the great hall, all within know immediately that news of great importance is about to be revealed.
“It is how we feared. Samael, the angel of death, has escaped his eternal imprisonment. More than a thousand of our kind are vanquished. What shall we do?” Zophiel says.
The archangel of the watchers stands and addresses the great hall, answering Zophiel’s question.
“We shall do what we have always done. We shall continue to watch.”
Author Biography
Robert D. Gallagher has worked in information technology for over thirty years. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, prompted his love affair with books, particularly science fiction and fantasy. He currently resides in Devon, in the United Kingdom.
Prototype: The Lost and Forgotten Series Page 31