Columbia: Chapter 02: Welcome to Columbia

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So far today, I've found my family missing, traveled to Maine, blasted into the sky strapped onto a reject ACME rocket. But discovering a flying city over the Atlantic Ocean was kinda the trump card.

As my pod continued go down into the building, the words engraved into the metal rafters caught my eye but I was still in shock from what I just experienced for them to get my full attention.

By the time my pod came to a stop, my brain finally seemed to register what I just saw. A flying city. A FLYING city. A FLYING CITY! Ok, maybe I did die.

The sounds of the clamps retracting brought me out of my daze, as the door opened, the mural depicted a old man pointing towards the city. Stepping out of the pod, I found that this place had a pipe problem. The water just went over my feet and was surprisingly warm, "Okay, focus. Find out where the hell I am, and then find the girl." I said, going over my tasks. Fallowing the flow of the water, I came into a separate chamber with a statue of the man I saw in the mural.

The sign beneath it read: The seed of the prophet, shall sit the throne. And drown in flame the fountains of man.

Seed of the prophet? Ewwwwww. Just... ewwwww. Okay, trying to get that image out of my head. Circling around the statue I was pretty surprised to see someone else here. He wore a white robe and was what looked like praying by a stairwell, "Hey man, do you know exactly where I am?" I asked.

The man gave me kind smile and replied, "Heaven friend, or as close as we'll get to it for now."

I nodded and went down the stairs. Obviously I was in a church, it fit, the the mural, the praying man, all the candles everywhere, the singing. Wait, singing?

As I reached the base of the stairs, I could pretty much confirm I was in a church. A long corridor spread out before me, at the end a preacher was giving his sermon.

Making my way towards the circle if white robes, I saw that there was light emanating further down the way, I thought of what the man I ran into said earlier, about getting close to heaven.

As I reached the circle I gently pushed my way into the crowd. The preacher seemed to notice the black sheep, "Who is it, is it someone new?" he asked. The people parted ways for me to step forward, "Uh yes? I'm sorry, I'm trying to get into the city, could you help me?" I asked, the man chuckled, "Passage into the city? Brother the only way into Columbia is through the sweet waters of baptism."

Okay that gave me a answer to where I was, but... okay, I'll be honest, I'm may be a tad fearful of heights, but I am Terrified of water. When me and my family went up to Lake Michigan last time I nearly drowned, I'm fine in a boat though, but anything smaller than a canoe and I'm scared half to death.

"Uh... is there any chance I can get in another way into the city? I'm not a big fan of water." I said, trying not to let my phobia get the better of me. The man shook his head, "If you fear that The Lord will let one of his flock pass in his water then I fear that the only path you may take is the one that leads to the sodom below."

Crap. So it's either face my fear or go back the way I came. Great. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I... I'll do it." Score one for peer pressure. The man smiled at this and held his hand out towards me, "Then let us begin my son." he said enthusiastically. I clasped my hand over his and let him pull me close, "I baptize you in the name of our prophet, in the name of the founder,-" wait, why is his eyes grey? "-and in the name of our lord!" he finished as he pushed me under the water, barely giving me enough time to hold my breath.

The moment I went under I began to panic, my hands grabbed onto the man's arm for dear life. Thankfully it was over in a second. I began to gasp for air when I broke the surface. I was about to sprit down the tunnel but I was stopped by the preacher. "I don't know brothers and sisters, but this one doesn't look clean enough." Wait what!?

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