The Unwritten Sin

Chapter 21

"I was tight with at group from the far end of Phase City. They were kind of seen as hoodlums. We stole things and broke into houses. My sin at the time was greed, and I was not handling it well. The three of us stuck together, and advanced pretty quickly after joining Theodore in the ministry. We became first breach faster than usual, in just a mere three years."

"When the attack came, we three were in one of the alleyways behind market street. One of their droids had come down. It looked just like a PCP officer, but faster, with a harder, shinier shell. It was equip with more weapons than I could count. It crashed into us and killed my.....my friend in his tracks. I held him while he bled out." James wiped a tear from his eye. "He took out his dagger. "I killed that son of a bitch and hunted down their army. I saw it, Wil." He turned and said, "I went into their ship."

"Ship? What do you mean, like the R'ell ships?"

"Worse than that. It was huge. There were so many....strange things. Shiny floors with no seams. And the creatures." He shuddered. "Wil. I have no doubt there are other civilizations out there. We have explored R'ell. We have explored other small planets. But if it was another planet, sending an army here, we would never, ever have a chance."

Wilder felt fear creeping into his blood like ice. James stared at the sea.

"My friends told me about the last attack too," he said. "They think the same thing you do....does this mean you don't believe in Heaven?"

"After so many years following this faith," James said, "there is so much I still do not understand, and I am confident we will never know all there is to know. That's the part of faith that retains people. Faith gives that little amount of wiggle room. Where we don't know, but we believe. It's what makes our conviction so strong."

He grasped Wilder's hand. His eyes were piercing in the dark. "If it gets to be an all out war," he said, "please promise me you will take the pill. It's much easier than becoming their property. Who knows what their plan is, other than killing us." His voice choked up. "I've known you for too long, Wil. Please don't make me go through that again."

"Who was this, James, if I could ask? I have friends, but every time you talk about them...."

James had tears in his eyes, collecting like a rain trap. A river of saline ran down his face. His lip trembled. "I found love, Wil. I didn't think it was even possible. We have no need to reproduce, so it was believed that love was dead. Nothing happened in our body to make the so-called love chemical anymore. But Wil, I have never been more serious about anything in my life." He choked, and looked as if he were about to fall over the edge. Wilder held him as he sobbed.

"Tell me about them," Wilder said softly. "My friend Neptune was in love once too. I don't think it's impossible." He glanced at his tattoo. "My sin has never given me a problem. Never once have I wanted to have sex of any kind....never have I blown anyone in alleyways," he added. James gave a little hiccup and laughed. 

He looked at Wilder through teary eyes. "His name was Ness."