Mother Earth.

Chapter 12: Fear.

Lydia Armageddon, Svivla Falla, Saffi Kalashnik.

Saffi's Underground Laboratory,

The year 2168.

 "Saffi, about what you mentioned earlier, could we talk?" Svivla asked, stirring the pot of tomato soup. The two of them stood in a modestly sized kitchen. It shared many of the same attributes as the laboratory, being it was a direct hidden extension of it that she had built a while ago. Lydia was in the next room over, Saffi had offered her the bathroom to wash up, to which she accepted almost immediately.

"About what?"

"When Lydia introduced herself," Svivla told Saffi. Her happy demeanour seemed to take the backseat now.

"Ah, is it about my reaction when she said her name? Was that rude?"

"No, no, you couldn't help it, I know. I should've known, you know too, right?"

Saffi crossed her cybernetic arms and leaned against her kitchen counter while Svivla continued to stir.
"Armageddon, I didn't think anything of it at first, but-"

"-It's the Church of Armageddon."

"...I think so."

"It always comes back, somehow. It never leaves, does it?"

A moment of silence struck the room, it was an uncomfortable tension as they thought to themselves.
"I don't know how I could've just glossed over it, I..." Svivla said to himself, letting the wooden spoon drop in the pot, leaning on the edge.
"Svivla, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't have to mean anything, what if it is just her last name?"
"I know, I know, but since when has there ever been someone with the last name Armageddon? Can you speak to anything about it? Anything at all?"

"I'm a scientist, brother. I don't have the facts to explain her name. I'd be better of re-doing my research on thermonuclear fusion and The Blight Gene."

Moments passed, and Saffi plunged herself deep in thought, holding her chin with her metallic hand. Passing through all scenarios and possibilities, fishing through all her knowledge of things she had been taught and all the things that were drilled into her during her indoctrination in that place. Finally, she had an idea.
"The Church of Armageddon worships the end of humanity, they welcome it with open arms and will do anything to usher it forward; an age after the bloody embrace of The End, all for them. Not too long before I left, they had begun spreading the word that a divine figure would bring forth The End, and when that time came, all that they had taught would follow, and they would enjoy the paradise of the barren world with only them standing. Lydia's parents lived on the edge of the American Blight, correct?"
"Yes."
"The only way they could have any idea what they were saying would be through the network... they could've had that. It's a hopeless existence, living on the blight, maybe..." Saffi thought, reciting words she had read a thousand times over, drawn to it in a prophetic trance:

'At the largest tree in the world, nearing death, it is said the Child of Armageddon will be strung up on its branches with wire through its hands. Hung up, outstretched for all believers, gushing life from its palms down to Her roots. From that act, a new world will be born from the blood pouring from its palms that may bring forth The Second Dawn; one forged from it's blood and tears converging in a single formation for the annihilation to come. The Saviour of our holy Mother Earth.'

She then opened her mouth to speak once more:
"Her parents could've changed her last name in their delusion and blind hope that their child would bring forth everything they believed in. Being on the blight to have the right conditions to bear a Child of Blight, the horrific conditions to show the harsh reality of the world, selling her to the World Capital Military-"
Svivla stood there stunned.
"There's... no way they would do that. No way." Svivla muttered in disbelief. Saffi sighed, looking at the concrete floor.
"Desperate people do desperate things, even if it's complete and utter nonsense. Svivla, know it's just an idea of what could be the case, we have no proof of this being true." Saffi assured him, and herself. His face mirrored his sorrow as he stood there with Saffi, mourning the loss of a childhood robbed and a life forever tainted by a name she didn't want, nor deserve.
"... She's just a kid. I just want her to be happy, that's all I want." Svivla said aloud. Saffi then put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to look down at her once more.
"We can give her that, you know that right?" Saffi reminded him. Svivla shook his head, exhaling in a huff for a moment, perplexing Saffi.