“Well, Michael, it seems you scared Satan off. Do you mind getting rid of that thing?” Ethan asked, pointing at the demon. “It’s attracting more attention than I like”.

“Of course,” Michael replied, grabbing the demon. He propelled himself into the air, and headed for the sea.

Ethan walked over to Elsie and Dawn.

“Are you all right?” he asked Elsie, bending down to inspect her for wounds.

“I’m okay,” she replied.

Ethan turned to Dawn. “That there,” he said, pointing to where his confrontation with Satan and the demon took place. “Is going to go a long way to help you accept a few things I’m about to tell you about myself. Is there somewhere we can talk”?

Dawn took Ethan and Elsie to her parents' apartment. Ethan told them, as well as Elsie, as this was news to her as well, how he was from a different time and space and had come on a quest. He said he wasn’t completely sure of the purpose of the quest, but it had Apocalyptic overtones related to Revelations in the Christian bible. He then told Dawn he had met her in a previous quest, and how they had worked together to overcome Whitehead.

“The main thing,” he said, “is I’m here to do something about the direction this world has taken. Dawn, I know you desire change too. From having worked with you in the past, I know you’re very accomplished. I want you to help”.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Dawn replied. “My parents and I are going through our own thing right now. We have to get out of Consortium and that’s not as easily done as you might think. Not when they’re looking for you”.

“What do you mean”?

“Whitehead Industries, which means the Consortium, is in the process of purging redundant employees. It does this occasionally when technology can replace us. When the Consortium purges an employee, that person then holds unauthorized information on the organization. It’s considered unlawful possession of information, and punishable by death. I, as well as my parents, are scheduled to be purged in two days at 6:00 PM. We’ve heard there’s a man in Central Park who can remove our implants”.

“Is that how they kill you? With the implants?”

“Yes”.

“Who is this man who can help you”?

“His name’s Bill”.

“Bill!” Ethan exclaimed. “I should have known. Elsie and I are going back to Central Park right now. You and your parents can come with us. We’ll take you to see Bill as soon as we get there”.

“Really”?

“Absolutely, will you come”?

“Thank you. You’re saving our lives”.

“Well,” Ethan said. “With your help, maybe we can save more”.

“Michael,” Ethan called, guessing Michael was somewhere within hearing range.

The door to the outside hallway opened where Michael was standing guard after disposing of the demon.

“Yes, your holiness”?

“Aw, let’s just go with Ethan for now,” Ethan said.

“Oh course”.

“We’re going back to Central Park. There’ll be seven of us. Let’s go find something we can use to drive us back”.

“Seven, my Lord,” Michael replied. “I count only six”.

“Ethan,” Ethan said.

“Ethan,” Michael repeated.

“Yes, seven,” Ethan continued. “We have someone to pick up along the way. Dawn, do you know of a good pizza place? Elsie wants to try it before we leave”.

“There’s one right around the corner”.

“Why don’t you take her and your parents for a slice while Michael and I are gone? We’ll come back and pick you up once we find a vehicle. We can meet you in front of your apartment in a half an hour. How about that”?

“What about Whitehead? Won’t he be looking for us”?

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“You should be alright while I’m in the Consortium. I think Whitehead has had enough of us for one day”.

“Sounds good”.

It took Ethan and Michael exactly one minute to find a vehicle to take them back to Central Park. Just as they were leaving the apartment building, a transit bus stopped in front of them. They agreed it would work as well as anything and commandeered it. It was a driverless bus. Michael switched it to manual operation, and the two waited for the rest of their company to return.

“What exactly is your deal Michael,” Ethan asked, as they sat waiting.

“My deal”?

“What are you doing here”?

“I’ve been sent here to serve you”.

“By who”?

“God”.

“God!” Ethan exclaimed. “What could God possibly have to do with my going ons”?

“You’re Ethan,” Michael replied. “This is your world under God’s domain”.

“Well, I suppose that’s true,” Ethan replied. “But if that’s the case, AI is serving as a proxy God. You are a computer simulation. Nothing more.

“Yes and no. I’m also from Heaven”.

“But Michael, we have found Heaven in the New World. It’s not the same thing as the Heaven written about in Revelations. There is no want or need. Everyone lives in harmony. We’re eternal beings. That’s our Heaven”.

“You’re not in Heaven. You’re evolved beings with God like AI assistance. That’s a long way away from being in Heaven”.

“Sure we are,” Ethan argued. “We’re connected to the Universal Frequency, the undying source of all that is God. All that is known, now and in the future, is in the Frequency”.

“That’s not God. That’s an expression of God.

“What about the particle/wave duality where we’ve also found the presence of God can be found”?

“But not God. An expression of God is found in the wave/particle duality,” Michael replied.

“Well what are you doing here then?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t know. That’s up to you. Maybe to help you find God”.

“Hmph. What do you think is taking those guys? We said half an hour. Do you think we should go look for them”?

“They’re all right”.

“You sure about that”?

“Yes”.

“I suppose being from Heaven you’re all knowing”?

“No. I see them right over right there”? Michael said, pointing to the group.

Ethan looked to where Michael was pointing. Sure enough the four of them were about half a block away. Everyone of them held a handful of boxes. Elsie, who seemed to be leading the party, had on the brightest red lipstick Ethan had ever seen.

“Sorry we’re late”, Dawn said once they boarded the bus. “We had to make a few stops”.

“I see that,” Ethan said.

“Well, I have a bunch of Consortium credits. I saw no harm in spending some of them. It’s not likely I’ll be back”.

“I stopped a Sheriff Bob,” Elsie said excitedly.

“From what?” Ethan asked.

“From taking Dawn and her parents”.

“Really? What happened”?

“It grabbed Dawn, and I told it to let her go, and it did. Then I told it to go away and it did that too”.

“Hmph. Sounds like you have some administrative control there Elsie,” Ethan replied. “That’s your superpower”.

“My superpower,” Elsie repeated. She immediately started looking out the windows of the bus for a Sheriff Bob she could tell what to do.

“And by the way, Ethan said, changing the subject. “Did I not specifically say no makeup? What is all this stuff”?

Elsie appeared so preoccupied with finding a Sheriff Bob, she must not have heard the question. In fact, she moved further towards the back of the bus.

“It’s makeup and other things we needed,” Dawn answered tactfully in her stead. “We brought you pizza”.

“I said no makeup. She’s too young”.

“Oh? And do you know anything about women, Ethan?” Dawn asked.

“According to my wife, no”.

“Then maybe you should leave the women stuff to the women”?

“Yeah,” Elsie seconded, apparently regaining her hearing.

“All right!” Ethan said, putting his foot down. This was something he could trust Dawn with. “But you just remember this Elsie. I’m no pushover. Let this be a lesson to you. Don’t try to push me. It won’t work”.

“Okay,” Elsie replied innocently.

“Should we get going?” Michael asked, smiling at Ethan from behind the wheel.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Ethan answered. “We just have to stop by the hotel we were at this morning and pick someone up”.

“All right. Where is that”? Michael asked.

“Just a few blocks that way”.

“Since we’re stopping at the hotel anyway,” Elsie said. “Can I get the dress we saw this morning”?

“No! Absolutely not”.

“It’s not that short”.

“I said no”!

When they got to the hotel Ethan went in to find Alicia. Elsie was right behind him, as well as Dawn who was more curious to see who would win regarding the dress than who they were going to pick up. Michael remained guarding the bus with Dawn’s parents.

“Hello, Mr. Strong,” Alicia greeted them with a wry smile. “Come back to pay for your clothes”?

“No. Came back to see if you want to come with us”.

“Oh? Where would you be taking me”?

“Out of the Consortium. We’re going to start a new world”.

“A new world,” Alicia repeated. It didn’t seem to interest her. She was more interested in Dawn who noticed, and looked down. You might say she blushed. Dawn’s skin was almost ebony, but you might say she blushed.

“Who’s your friend”? Alicia asked.

“This is Dawn. She’s coming with us”.

“Well then,” Alicia replied. “I guess I’m coming too”.

Dawn smiled and snuck a glance at Alicia. All knowing Ethan, ruler of worlds, missed all of that.