Radicle (Terminal trilogy #2, can stand alone)

Sinners

I didn't think of Heaven as much as I used to. In fact, I seemed to mostly think of it when I was telling others of it- and since I generally disliked this, thinking of Heaven became associated with a certain negative feeling. I started to think of Hell instead. I wasn't fond, not yet, and hopefully never. I still had my pride. But I was close.

Stacy didn't seem to care much for the media, and I had in fact been featured in the back pages of the tabloids a few times. But no one had yet to recognize me, so mostly I would buy them to laugh at. But one day, a Friday actually, Stacy did more than meet me for lunch. He came to the church.

No one paid him mind, of course. The church was a mostly closed door, but we did have a visitor area meant to attract converts on the first floor of the housing complex. The members did not acknowledge his authority in the slightest, which bothered me in that I had a natural leaning to bow before my superiors, but also made me proud, as they were doing what I had taught them to.

I wasn't allowed to be seen in the visitor area for longer than the few seconds it took to walk through, but luckily I had caught Stacy on the stairs. We were alone in the room.

"What are your numbers?"

"Hundred and fifty? More? You'll need to talk to Lilith about it. I am not good with numbers."

"You're going to need more." I thought the achievements of the church were very impressive, especially since I had only been leading it for a couple weeks. But Stacy curled his lip as he examined the visitor center and riffled through a brochure explaining the church's philosophies.

"How many?"

"Many many. And I hope you're not forgetting the other goal this group is meant to have? Revolution?"

"It's not forgotten but... we haven't been putting as much into it. We're really working on figuring out the daily lives of our members at the moment, and recruiting."

"Recruiting needs to be stepped up. Revolution needs to be stepped up. Daily life has rules, correct? Keep those tight. These people have to understand that you, and only you, are their salvation."

"Yes." I said. "I'll do my best."

Stacy had been dressing me lately too. He took me to places that sold stiff and uncomfortable clothing for men and bought me two suits. I was expected to wear them anytime I saw him, and I suspect he thought I was just wearing them everyday. I was not. They were horrible. My one relief was when I came to church and could wear my angelic clothes.

"Act nice." Stacy reminded before he left. "Make nice. Isolate. Reap. Rinse and repeat. I want another hundred by tomorrow noon."

I checked my watch. It was ten AM.

Three hours was my personal limit, but Stacy was essentially my employer. I had to obey.

I called a meeting. We couldn't fit all of the members could comfortably in any one room, but luckily they didn't mind discomfort if it meant hearing me speak.

I recalled I had to put on a certain persona when it came to my followers, and it took me a moment to find the ego.

"Brothers! Sisters! Children!" I said in my own language. It was a taken from a traditional greeting that Michael always started his announcements with. But I added the 'sisters' part, and changed 'angels' to 'children'. The words for both were similar anyways, so it didn't sound that odd on my tongue. "We stand together, united. But there is one problem: too many are unbelievers. The streets outside are dark. And the demons on them are coated in filth. You are not allowed to go outside to keep you pure for the coming Day of Angels. But we must break that vow. For I am not cruel. We must save as many of our brothers and sisters as we can, before it is to late."

They seemed very impressed. My wings may have influenced it more than my words. I was having trouble speaking clearly, and had to pause every so often to regain myself.

"So go out! Walk the streets cautiously, and save whomever you can. Seek out old friends and lost loves. You must take care though- not all have the beautifully open minds that you do, and some may try to tell you you're wrong or insane. They are the fools. Only those with a pure heart deserve to join our community. So find them. Bring them here. I will be the judge. Impress me."

I remembered Stacy's words. "Some have open hearts but closed off minds. You must appeal to the heart firstly. Be kind. Be their friend. Some will have to move slow. The only thing you have to do make the church their pillar- and soon, when everything else crumbles, they will trust us more than anything else. We'll have a seminar tomorrow for the new recruits. And I expect our numbers to have doubled by then."

As happy as everyone looked with the idea of going outside, I couldn't let them feel that. So I stepped up my offense a little bit more. "Everyone must bring a friend for the seminar tomorrow. You want the angels to like you, yes? You want Heaven to play favor to you? Then please, make the right choice. Don't let me down. And don't let your brothers and sisters let you down! If you see someone slacking, or getting lost to sin out in the dark world beyond these doors, they do not deserve to return here. Tell me. And I will cull them in the same way Heaven would."

This seemed to motivate them much more, and I stepped down, satisfied and happy to finally fold my wings back again. I let one of more favorite members to open the door for the mass, and they slowly made their way outside for the first time in a week. They were so polite. I felt proud for them.

Lilith didn't go out with the crowd. I guess I really couldn't expect her to. She was fine with giving up most of the duties of leadership to me, but she still held great power in the church. She grabbed at my tunic like a child might. "Let's head to my room for the night." She swayed when she talked. I guess she thought the endorphins from a speech well done might charge me onto her.

"That's disgusting." I said to her at last. If there was one thing my temporary courage was giving me, it was knowledge that people around here held me in pretty high honor.

She didn't look the slightest hurt, and my confidence grew. Instead she gingerly put a hand on my chest before lazily letting it fall off. I didn't understand her intentions. But at least I knew how to drive her off.

I simply left.