deep red landscapes seen as Heaven roared away from its atmosphere paled in splendour compared to Eden’s bright surface. Samyaza had no interest in remembering what her world had become, nor what she had lost upon it.
Hundreds rest amidst the artificial foliage and flowing liquids, gazing out at the mesmerising view of Eden. The malakhim outnumbered the other sets of her race a hundred fold, making up the vast majority of Heaven’s masses. She pitied the mere sight of these beings, a strand of her species that was oblivious to its own purpose, but more because she knew, that in the darkest circumstances of events upon her home world, they were nothing more than slaves. To the seraphim of her planet, an insignificant means to an end, billions of them were left to perish as Heaven roared away into the cosmos. It was obvious none of them knew of the troubles now facing the watchers, even Samyaza was clueless.
Their set was ruled over by Yahweh, one of Heaven’s three seraphim, a military mind, placed upon the ship for reasons Samyaza was never told. His word was carried by the high-malakhim Michael, who too was a leader in times of war upon Samyaza’s home world. Often did the commander wonder why a space bound vessel launched in the name of research might require an army, it frustrated her that these two individuals, in the absence of Azazel and Heylel, now controlled the actions of the watchers too.
She believed Heylel to be different to the others of his set, in times past he had always been a voice of justice, he brought order from chaos and understood the importance of her species’ objectives upon Eden. It gave some ease to her constant anxieties, despite Azazel being gone, and he, Heylel, her only remaining hope for the success of the watchers’ intervention upon Eden, laying at rest fighting for his life. Since departing from Eden’s orbit the seraphim had fallen into a vicious cycle of unconscious fevers. The watchers feared dearly for the seraphim’s health for he took a personal interest in their affairs, without his backing their set was powerless.
On approach to the sick bay’s door a powerful hum began to echo throughout Heaven’s walkways, a harmonic melody, which came from no particular source, but simply filled the causeway through which Samyaza paced. She greeted passersby frequently, both watchers and malakhim whether she knew them by face or not, for she felt it her duty to acknowledge all, no matter their standing in the eyes of the seraphim.
Heylel’s chamber identified her before she reached it and slid open revealing a pitch black room, its interior identically barren to the rest of the ship. At the midst of the space an enormous platform supported a basin which was itself illuminated by some dim light from above.
“Heylel?” She whispered, approaching the seraphim’s resting place with gentle steps. He lay dormant. His eyes open, yet lifeless. They had once been brighter than all of his kinds, lit with a burning strength and passion to discover a new strand of life for his people, yet with his failing health, so they had faded to near darkness.
“The sound of this place,” a frail exhalation flared his flat nostrils, “it’s alive.” Samyaza released a quiet stutter of laughter. She moved towards Heylel and rest a hand upon his forehead. Heat surged from the enormous entity’s skin raising her concerns for the seraphim ever greater.
“Eden?”
“Eden.” He repeated causing her to smile.
“I hope you stay well, Heylel. Has seraphim Yahweh visited?”
“I have heard his voice, but have not seen his face.” For some moments the huge entity fell quiet. “Perhaps he has lost hope for this set back-” the seraphim winced, his breathing became heavy causing his face to quiver in desperation. The sight plunged Samyaza into despair, she grasped her leader’s arm squeezing it tight.
“You must hold on, Heylel.”
“I am weak, Yaza, I know not why Yahweh does not act, but instead sits silently in his chamber.”
“Have you been informed of our dilemma?”
“I have,” he mumbled, staring upwards.
“Zebub said you wished to see me before we take down the ark.” Heylel’s pale eyes began to fall shut, “stay with me, Heylel. I beg you. Speak to me.”
The slender watcher pressed her small webbed hand against the seraphim’s chest causing the colossal being to shudder. With a struggle he moved his hand beneath hers, and clutching it, pulled her close.
“I fear Someone is watching me, Yaza.” His voice was light for his decrepit state.
“We are all watching you, Heylel.” At her words his breathing deepened, he shook his head slowly.
“No... Something, something is not right.” The giant entity shivered uncontrollably, trying in vain to lift his body.
“Don’t, Heylel. Rest.” The being whimpered as he lay back in his holding bay, still he held Samyaza close.
“Whatever you learn upon Eden, whatever you find in the ark... Keep it amongst the watchers. If I have passed by your return, speak only to those you trust.”
“Heylel?” Tsss, with a pearly substance welling in her tear ducts the commander jumped at the abrupt racket of the sick bay’s door releasing.
Samyaza, report to docking bay, gate four. The message reverberated throughout the room yet her focus remained upon the chamber’s door. For much time she watched yet no one came to the open way.
“They’re watching, Yaza.” Again Heylel wheezed his words to the commander. “Be careful.”
Samyaza, report to docking bay, gate four.
“Go.” The seraphim said, squeezing her hand softly for lack of strength. The commander wiped her eyes and left the room with pace, feeling a sudden grip of confusion, and presence press upon her, as though her every step was known, her every word and action being documented and examined by those who now controlled Heaven.
2.
High above Heaven’s hull and quarters a single being sat gazing out across its home. The seraphim’s command centre rest at the pinnacle of the ship’s halls granting an undeterred view of the magnificent structure which coursed silently through space’s expanse.
Four stout limbs protruded from Heaven’s obsidian hull, the gates allowed leave and access to smaller crafts from docking bays. The vast majority of its malakhim inhabitants dwelt within the ship’s bowels, at its rear was an array of depots and facilities in which its population could live some sort of existence which might have resembled something they once knew. The protective dome which rest at the midst, covering Heaven’s living quarters, gave it the appearance of a gigantic shelled beast, floating gracefully through an infinite ocean without aim.
Extending higher than any other station, at the rear of the ship was the seraphim’s chamber, from within a constant surveillance could be made of every space throughout Heaven. The entity observed its people living their oblivious lives, it looked over them as they rejoiced within the vessel’s upper quarters, as the watchers worked away endlessly to find a place in which their kind could produce themselves a future. However this world is not it. Their experiments are detrimental to our own survival. They will have this crude and unintelligible species replace us by integrating our sets’ genes into their own, and see their own kind die to give rise to another. It is sacrilege. This motion combusted in his mind at all moments.
His thoughts were sprawled across holographic screens all about him, contemplating the things he had seen upon his home world, the same mistakes cannot be made. The enormous entity had witnessed the entirety of a depleted world grown and break as Heaven fled its imminent death. This world will fall as our own did, it will be wasted, and perhaps another chance never discovered. The malakhim will not be what they were, they are my responsibility, my kin. I will see them suffer no more. The masses will not kneel to the few.
The figure’s lone glare became fixed upon the great blue sphere beyond Heaven’s protective dome. Such potential cannot be thrown away, such crude creations cannot be left to run rampant across this pristine haven. The abolition of these experiments will be the first stepping stone to allowing my own species a fertile ecosystem to develop as they we
re intended to, without the corruption and wickedness forced upon all without choice by those who came before us.
I have sought those of influence over their peers who I am certain cannot be swayed to my cause, they will be discarded, for the greater good, not just for my kind, but for this world upon which we are about to inhabit. Heaven, forgive me, though know that these actions are committed so that all of us may live, not merely those few who believe themselves just, and worthy of such a gift.
It was not until he witnessed Samyaza leave the sick bay that the room was emptied of words and imagery. He stood, stepping through a small doorway into an open space, it carried him rapidly down, far into the ship’s bowels, keeping him from the crowds of his vessel, away from the unrest which was stirring Heaven’s watchers.
Coming to a halt it opened out into a black room. From here the entity walked on through another sliding doorway and along a brief corridor. Down a flight of steps the being turned to press at some digits at the end of the way. A final concealed chamber was revealed at his touch, in which a minute pale figure sat slouched. Its tiny glowing eyes lifted from its trance, falling upon the giant who entered with a look of relief strewn across his face.
The little body raced across the room to embrace its father who held onto the young one with a loving squeeze. Carrying the