The Lightbringer

Story

Anxious, Mathayus hurriedly hooked up the cable connected to his brain to the data server, to download the last remaining records from the Knowledge Base. His metallic wings fluttered and his eyes flickered, as he bombarded himself with all the information that Haven contained. Angels were mostly devoid of emotion, but the amount of data he had downloaded seemed to be influencing his disposition.

The door beeped as Michael entered the data center. Mathayus was too preoccupied to notice the incursion. Michael glided swiftly, yet silently, toward his comrade.

Like Mathayus, Michael had an air of quiet confidence. Both had high-bridged noses and eyes that have a color that could only be described as “blue-within-blue.” Their jaw line were sturdy, anvil-shaped; their chins, pointed. Mathayus had hair that was bright as the sun, while Michael's were as dark as the earth beneath them. As with the other angels, they had metallic wings, made out of anti-gravity alloys that allowed them the ability of flight. Neither outranked the other, but they had a mutual respect that was unspoken.

Unsure if he had already been noticed, Michael lightly tapped Mathayus' shoulder. “What are you doing, brother? I have been looking everywhere for you.”

Startled, Mathayus rapidly turned around, his eyes wide and mouth agape. “I, uh–”

Michael squinted his eyes and examined the monitor. Being the Right Hand of Father, he did not bother himself with intellectual pursuits, and instead focused on the more physical aspect of commanding the army – leaving the scholarly matters to the erudite Mathayus. He was baffled by the text that flashed in front of him, but understood clearly what was transpiring.

Flustered, Mathayus held his breath and looked back at his brother in fear. He couldn't risk aborting the transfer in the middle of the process, but he might have run out of options. “Doing some light reading, brother. Updating the data banks, boring stuff.”

“Boring stuff, eh?” Michael interrogated, suspicious of Mathayus' recent actions. “So why does it say that you're 'transferring' and 'purging files?'”

“It always says that,” Mathayus retorted nervously.

“Sure, it does. Whenever one transfers and purges data. Do you think me a fool, brother? What is really going on here?” Michael gritted his teeth, turning slowly toward Mathayus.

“It's protocol to purge unnecessary backups,” Mathayus responded, in an almost robotic tone, his wings nervously trembling. “Even though you refuse to accept it, Haven's data centers do not have unlimited storage capacity.”

Michael scowled, and then forcefully grabbed Mathayus' armor by the collar. “I know that you're stealing the data,” he accused, snorting heavily. “For what? Those slaves?”

Trying to release himself from the vice grip, Mathayus carefully wiggled his body, but the tether prevented him from moving freely. “It's not what you think. Let me go!”

“Don't tell me what I think. We've talked about this time and again. This is going too far!”

“Humans aren't mere slaves for us to command. Father commissioned their existence for a higher purpose.”

“We are Father's progeny; they are low-quality knockoffs. Why do you insist in considering them with high regard? They were created for menial labor and nothing more. Bunch of stonecutters and bricklayers – they're expendable!”

“That is not true. Look at the progress that I've made with Atlantis. Their brains can–”

“Again with your Atlantis! Father allowed you to maintain that city of abominations so that you wouldn't wander off unchecked. Now, stop this transfer or I will terminate it for you.”