The Divine Paradox

Out in the Pacific Ocean,

“God’s Gift” Jeremiah Vastrix stands on the deck of the HIS (Hammer Industries Ship) Corax. It’s a battleship in the small Hammer Industries navy.

Jeremiah watches as diving teams in small boats are lowered down to the water. Jeremiah, looks to the shore where smoke still rises from underground fires from the destroyed compound that the Blob controlled. Captain Liam Vargas joins Jeremiah. He looks down to the diving teams getting ready to go into the water.

CAPTAIN VARGAS: If Abishag and the Blob-thing are down there. We will find them, sir.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: The Blob was suspended in water. I wonder if Abishag even has to come up for air now?

CAPTAIN VARGAS: From what you described, I would imagine not. He’s more aquatic monster than man now.

Jeremiah grunts in agreement, lighting up a cigarette. He blows smoke into the air.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: And Sonar hasn’t found anything yet?

CAPTAIN VARGAS: We found sea life. Which is what Abishag and the Blob would show up as. That’s why we’re sending diving teams armed with harpoons to check it out.

Jeremiah nods, turning his attention down to the diving teams below as they slip beneath the waves.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: I should be down there with them.

Captain Vargas shakes his head.

CAPTAIN VARGAS: We’ve gone over this, sir. You’re not trained in undersea combat like the divers are. You’d be a liability if they should confront Abishag down there. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for more deaths?

Jeremiah twitches as he takes another drag from the cigarette and blows out a cloud of smoke. The raid against the Blob cost the lives of many Shocktroopers. Each of which weighs heavily on his shoulders as leader of the company.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: No. I don’t want that. Well, if I am not needed here. I need to be in Portland to meet an old friend. Is the helicopter ready?

CAPTAIN VARGAS: And waiting for you. We will contact you right away if we hear of anything.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Thank you.

Jeremiah boards the helicopter and makes way for Portland.

An hour later at the Rusty Nail, Jeremiah Vastrix walks up to the bar where sits Johnny Melange. Johnny is drinking two fingers of whiskey and had ordered a fruity fufu drink for Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Johnny!

Johnny Melange gets up from his barstool to greet his friend with a warm embrace. They both take their seats and take a sip from their drinks before saying anything.

JOHNNY MELANGE: It’s been some time. How ya doing, man?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: It’s been brutal. Facing a civil war within my company, a possible revolution within the country, and hunting down an evil god. That doesn’t even count the battles in the wrestling ring.

Johnny drains his glass and orders another round for the pair. He shakes his head.

JOHNNY MELANGE: No wonder you haven’t seen me earlier. Fighting a god? One of those bozos from Atalar Robotics still?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: No, those have been integrated into the military. They act like gods no longer. This is a bit of whale blubber that transformed into a god through the worship of its followers.

Johnny gasps in shock.

JOHNNY MELANGE: The Divine Paradox in truth?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: So it would seem. I do not know how old this Blob is. Wall paintings inside the compound suggested thousands of years. We are searching for any sign of Abishag and the Blob in the Pacific Ocean. They will be destroyed for the good of the entire world.

Johnny sits in silence for a moment, paying the bartender for the drinks being brought. He takes a sip of his fresh drink.

JOHNNY MELANGE: If you do manage to track down this homemade god, I think that it would be a bad idea to go for its destruction.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Why is that?

Johnny orders a glass of ice water.

JOHNNY MELANGE: Say that this Blob. This god. Is this glass. It is filled with the energy from the worship of its followers is the water and the ice. Following so far?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Yes.

JOHNNY MELANGE: So, say you kill this god.

While the bartender isn’t looking, Johnny knocks the glass of ice water to the floor where the glass shatters, sending water, ice, and glass everywhere.

JOHNNY MELANGE: Oh, how clumsy of me. I’ll get that.

BARTENDER: It’s not a problem. I’ll get it. Just stay in your seats so you don’t slip into the broken glass.

The bartender leaves to go get cleaning supplies. Johnny looks to Jeremiah.

JOHNNY MELANGE: Now. Where did the energy from the god go?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Everywhere. Wait, are you saying if we kill the Blob that it could explode? How big of an explosion are we talking about?

JOHNNY MELANGE: If we are talking about thousands of years of worship like you say? It could be nuclear in scope.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Shit. Hold on.

Jeremiah dials a number on his smart phone and waits for someone to answer.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Captain Vargas, this is Jeremiah. If the divers find Abishag and the Blob, they are to only capture the Blob alive. Do not kill it. Kill Abishag, but capture the Blob. It could explode if killed! Yes. That kind of scale. Thank you.

Jeremiah hangs up the phone and puts it away with a sigh.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: They will only capture the Blob, not kill it. That is, if they even find it. The Pacific Ocean is a big place and Abishag had a good head start.

JOHNNY MELANGE: Good. Shall we move on to lighter topics? You won your war against Lulu Biggs, who are you facing next?

Jeremiah gets a blank expression on his face as he tries to think of who exactly he’s facing next.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Who am I facing next? I don’t think I know whom I’m facing next. I’ve been so busy fighting god and keeping control of my own company that I have totally forgotten to check to see who exactly I’m facing next.

JOHNNY MELANGE: No worries. I can pull that up.

Johnny gets out his smart phone and looks up the card for UOW.

JONNY MELANGE: You’re facing Valora Salinas and Takuma Sato for the number one contendership. Probably for the Franchise title.

Jeremiah raises both eyebrows and breathes in deeply, letting it out with a chuckle.

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Guess I should have been getting ready instead of trying to hunt down a god. Chances are Valora might get arrested just for showing up to the arena so it’s really just Takuma Sato to worry about. I think he might be with the ROS, but he hasn’t been declared a terrorist by the President quite yet like Valora has. Though there’s always the chance that Ares Metaxas might give them up. I do feel sorry for them as I did indirectly tip them off about the immigrants being used for slave labor.

JOHNNY MELANGE: Are you joining the ROS? I mean, you’re not on the President’s side?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: The President is a buffoon, but open rebellion? It’s no way to behave either. I’m on the side of law and order I guess.

JOHNNY MELANGE: So you know that it might really come down to you fighting against Valora and Takuma outside of the ring as well as inside?

JEREMIAH VASTRIX: Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t want to kill them, but I will do what has to be done to keep this nation whole until election time when we can vote in someone more reasonable. In the meantime, you wanna meet tomorrow at a local gym to help be my sparring partner?

JOHNNY MELANGE: Tomorrow? Fine. For tonight, we party!

Johnny and Jeremiah clink their glasses together with a laugh as they continue to drink into the night.