Head Cheese

Super Nova

Hut stopped at the security booth were Batair was on duty. "Can I help you?" Batair asked. "Yeah I'm hear to see Star." "Who?" "Matt Star, you know your great messiah." Hut said laughing alittle too hard. Batair looked at him suspiciously as he picked up the walkie. " Who wants to see him?" He asked . Hut didnt answer but grabbed his wrist and said. " No I think I'll surprise him." Once Batairs eyes reddened Hut let go and ordered. " Kill anybody who wants to come in." Then he headed up the road towards the crowd gathered around the stage.

Before Hut left the states he saw Stars three messengers on the talk shows. Before he watched Lux, Faith and Taggart be interviewed he thought Star might have the same power as him, but now knew he didn't. Star could heal or resurrect and his power was to control or kill. Now in Huts mind there'd be no room for a partnership. No room for competition either.

The red eyed Batair was standing outside the security booth when Aberdeen walked up. Aberdeens' target was Taggart but he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way so with a twist he had the silencer on his gun. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice by chit chat first so as soon as he approached Batair at the booth he pulled out his gun and put it to Batairs head. As soon as he pulled the trigger Batair grabbed Aberdeens remaining arm and ripped it from his body. Batair fell back dead with a bullet to the head. The armless torso fell back and soon would be.

Hut walked into the massive crowd gathering around the stage. He was excited to start amassing his own red eyed zombie army. Hut whistled inconsuspiciously as he walked through the crowd looking for his first soilder. He saw a man standing alone. Hut paused his whistling to say to himself. "He'll do." Then as he continued his tune he grabbed the mans wrist. Once the transformation was complete Hut put his cheek against the mans and whispered. "Get in line and once close enough to the healer, Kill him." As Hut pulled back he gave the man a quick slap to the face. The adrenaline was pumping through Hut as he scanned the crowd for his next victim when he saw Star walking in the distance. Even with the hat and sunglasses Hut recognized him. He came up behind him and said. "Star". Star spun around thinking his cover was blown. "Hut. What are you doing here?" After he asked it he knew the answer so said. "Hopes smoke. You have it too?" "Been hearing all about you." Hut said. " Your going to have the whole world tuned in to your magic show. There's one problem though." Hut laughed. Star smiled and said. "I Got more then one problem." " But none as big as me" Hut said laughing as he slapped him on the back. Just then Father Jebidiahs voice came over the loud speakers welcoming the crowd. "I gotta go." Star said. "We'll catch up later." Hut did a bow and said." It's show time."

Matt came up to the microphone. He looked over at father Jebidiah.
"A wise man once told me to preach whats in my heart." Matt turned to the crowd ." Isaih prophesied, The earth will mourn and wither; the world will languish and wither; the highest people of the earth will languish. The earth will lie defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant with God to protect his creation . Therefore a curse will devour the earth, and its inhabitants will suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth will be scorched, and few men will be left." Matt paused then continued. " That sounds to me a warning from Isaiah, a warning today our science community is screaming. Our planet is warming at an alarming rate.
The two years we had with Covid is going to look like a cake walk next to what's coming. In a way the entire population of the world is like cigarette smokers. We're addicted to a lifestyle that's slowly killing us. In our dna is the flight or fight response. A split second decision we have to make for our survival. But when the threat comes slowly over years we tend to ignore the warning signs because they come so slowly. Like a cigarette smoker, who starts coughing but to late we're addicted, we're addicted to a life style that we think we can't change or want to change. We must change because its survival. Not for you or me individually but for us as a collective. For the sake of future generations. In a split second decision we would give our live's for our children so why do we refuse to change our life style for them.
It's funny how we seem more interested in what's going on with the Kardashians then what the scientists are telling us. Ignoring it is for the politicians, that's what they do, always kicking the can. We can't kick the can any more. What we need to do is start ignoring our politicians, in fact get rid of them and start listening to our scientists. It's crazy to think that a system that was created back in time by men can't evolve, can't change as we learn new facts and face new challenges. If enough of us agree to react and face this threat with sound reasoning then we will only stand to gain. To do nothing isn't in our dna."

Meanwhile off the stage a man in line waiting to be healed caught Taggarts eye. Taggart had seen that look before. He had seen the effect of pufferfish venom as it turned the men of Haiti into zombie slaves. As he approached the man he noticed the red eyes, thats not a zombie symptom he thought. When he got close enough Taggart asked the man. " Can you tell me what ails you?" The man just continued staring ahead. Something didn't feel right to Taggart as he gently grabbed the mans hand. His hand was cold and stiff as if rigor a mortise had set in. Still no response from the man so Taggart put his hand to his throat. No pulse. "What da fuc." Taggart said out loud. Had the dead heard of Matt and left their graves. Taggart felt this man, this corpse, was somehow a threat to Matt so he attempted to pull him out of the line. The mans hand shot to Taggarts throat and with a single squeeze crushed his wind pipe. The crowd backed away from the man and Taggart who was know lying on the ground gasping for his life. A security guard jumped on the zombie but was swatted away as if he were a nagging fly. Another guard realizing the mans strength could not be restrained pulled his gun and put a bullet to the dead man's head. What ever voodoo motor was controlling him instantly shut off.
As the bullet rang out Matt went silent and walked to the edge of the stage. Hut was watching from a distance. " Ah fuck it" he said as he ran to the stage. This ones for you dad, hands on, he thought as he fought through the crowd until he was on stage facing Matt. "Shows over Star" he yelled above the crowd as he grabbed his wrist. Star pulled back but Hut held tight. But it wasn't the response Hut was expecting , no frozen man, no red eyed zombie, just a look of puzzlement on Stars face, so with his other hand Hut began to strangle Star. Stars puzzled expression vanished along with the color in his face. He gently cupped both his hands to Huts face and through blueing lips whispered "Why?" Hut growled with a low gutterly voice that wasn't his. "Wake up Star. You're just a fucking pawn and I'm checkmating your ass." The sound system around the stage began to pop sporadically as the feed back screeched constantly from the speakers. The crowd stared as they saw the blue leave Stars face and turn to a glowing green. The glow streched down Stars neck and traveled down his arms, then hands, to Huts head. The speakers cracked and went silent. The TV cameras flickered then went dead as the green glow overtook Huts head then his neck and arms until both men were glowing to the point you couldn't tell one body from the other. A mesh of two polar opposites, the good and evil merged into a ball of such an intense brilliant light that the crowd stood mesmerized, unable to look away though the emense pain from looking was telling them to. The ball of energy on the stage began to shoot beams of light from its core. Like a rubber puffer ball its spikes protruded out in all directions. The thousands of points of light went out into the crowd finding their target in the peoples eyes. As the thousands of beams emptied, the fire ball on stage diminished until the last spark. When the end of the light rays caught up to the people and enter them, they were knocked back off their feet . A crowd of thousands were laid out flat on their backs, some stacked on top of one another. They slowly sat up rubbing their eyes, trying to make sense of what just happened. As they stood they all began looking around in search of an answer. For some, the powers that they had just inherited would take awhile to show, for others, the first anger, the first kindness will take them on their journey. A power none of them asked for, but is theirs none the less. Each to take their own individual path into the light or dark. A struggle we have faced for millenia.
The mini gods have a choice for which road they will take. Their destiny is and will always be theirs to control. They will choose between right or wrong. The power is in them to use it the way they choose. So will greed and control rule their decisions or will caring and empathy rule the day. Will we perish by our own swords or will peace guide the planet and love steer their hearts.

The end

Epilogue: Who won the coin toss on Angela's prayer?
Coin flipping used to resolve a dispute between two parties has a sortition which inherently has two possible outcomes. A third possibility happened here, when the coin landed on edge.