00 Dramatis Personae, and Prologue

Dramatis Personae (Spoilers For The Entire Series):

Hugh: A pilot, shot down during WW2; returned at the 200 Year Mark, and took to the truth relatively quickly. He was instrumental in helping Isobel accept the New World, was married to Kasumi, and they adopted a young Returnee named Megan. (Just See Yourself) Hugh worked as a pilot instructor, until the technology evolved; and now he only flies his hobby plane, a restored WW2 Bomber that he rebuilt himself. He and Kasumi now live in an Arcology Tower that they helped construct. (Set Free)

Kasumi: Died very young from a long illness, and was Returned before Hugh. She traveled extensively, until settling in one place to raise a family. She was later a member of the original crew for the first Deep-Sea Restoration Mission. Kasumi also respects the ancient things, such as the tea ceremony that her mother taught her; a ritual that continued since before the New World. (Just See Yourself) Realizing she was in danger of becoming stuck in her ways, Kasumi joined the Arcology Project in Israel with her husband, leaving the house to their daughter. (Set Free)

Megan: A street kid, rescued from an abusive orphanage at an early age, Megan's only contact was an older teen named Erica. Erica died from an accidental overdose, and Megan committed suicide, whereupon she was Resurrected and placed into the care of Hugh and Kasumi: A family she did not fully accept, until Erica was also Returned, only to be 'removed' from Paradise during a deliberate attempt to kill her estranged father. (Just See Yourself). Megan came through the heartbreaking trial, and worked for almost all her time in Paradise to find loving homes for young people who were Returned earlier than their relatives. This Orphanage is how she met Biggs, who later became her husband. (Set Free)

Biggs: A former violent criminal, who worked as a Prison Enforcer for a criminal leader named Grant. Biggs became a Believer in Prison, thanks to the efforts of his sister, Kit. Biggs left Grant's service and was accepted as a Witness just in time to endure Tribulation, but had trouble acclimating to paradise, after so long as a social outcast. After traveling for some years, Biggs took ownership of a cafe, where he met Megan. The two of them ran her Orphanage together, with Biggs also keeping the cafe as a part time job. They married and live together now in the Alman family home on the Mediterranean Coast. (Set Free)

Isobel: A Romani woman, who died in the death camps of the Second World War, Isobel's loyalties on Returning were to her Caravan, who had not been returned yet. Kasumi was her guide, but it took meeting Hugh, who was a contemporary of her time, for Isobel to accept the Truth. She was later instrumental in helping her extended family adjust on their arrival, and in Hugh's romance with Kasumi. (Just See Yourself) Upon the eventual Return of a loved one named Vano, Isobel was married; but the marriage ended as Vano 'Aged Out', not wanting to live forever in a world without his son. Isobel blamed the insular nature of the Caravan for Vano's unwillingness to change, and the Caravan broke up, after centuries of living together. Isobel was taken in for a time by Hugh and Kasumi, and now works as a trader, moving back and forth between communities on her own. (Set Free)

Atxi: An Aztec in the old world, Atxi was a priestess, who voluntarily offered herself to the Aztec Gods as a human sacrifice. On waking up in a Christian Paradise, Atxi rejected everything she saw; and nearly waited too long to accept the idea that a Christian God loved her; after learning that her whole culture was wiped out by Churches who also claimed to represent Christianity. Upon encounters with other former devotees of former false religions, Atxi was able to discern the True God from the false ones, and became a Believer. (The Undecided)

James: A 16th century pirate captain who was killed in a mutiny, James almost waited too long to accept Paradise; not wanting to submit to any authority in any form. After spending some years trying to recover his stolen treasures, James was horrified to learn that such wealth held almost no interest in the world. Spending most of his time apart from the New World community, he fell in love with Atxi, who was also refusing to accept Paradise at the time, and their relationship helped them both to embrace Eternal Life. James and Atxi married, and now live at a former Pirate Colony in the Caribbean Sea, where they manage a shipping company that ferries goods across the ocean. (The Undecided)

Benedict: An Elder in the Old World, Benedict was the one who ultimately baptized Biggs in a Prison Ceremony. Benedict took Biggs under his wing and helped him through the turbulent times that soon followed. (Set Free) As a respected Elder, Benedict was instrumental in The Conference, which set the agenda for the world in the early years of Paradise. He was later part of the Teaching Committee and spoke at several conventions before a Global Audience. (Now On Earth)

Ingaret: Living in the middle ages, Ingaret was largely self-taught. As a maid in a time and place where it was illegal to own a Bible, Ingaret kept hidden pages of scripture, and struggled to understand them; but knew enough to disagree with Church Teachings. Executed for heresy, she was Returned early to Paradise, as all the genuinely faithful people were. Suddenly finding herself in a place where she could have both a Secular and Spiritual education; Ingaret stayed with Rachel; and helped set up The Expo. (Now On Earth) Ingaret now works on the Teaching Committee, and helps with the Restoration. (Set Free)

Rachel: An Academic in the Old World, Rachel saw that the system was falling apart, and came to the Truth only a few months before Tribulation. She had trouble adapting at first, since most of her oldest friends did not survive. Making new friends as she went, Rachel focused on Academic studies, and became a major figure in the reconstruction of Infrastructure, and the creation of a Research and Development Center that later became known as The Foundation. (Now On Earth). Nevertheless, she found it hard to trust other people completely, after seeing the way eternal life made relationships change. This reluctance almost led to the end of her relationship with her future husband, but she realized she was only hurting herself in her desire to not be hurt again, and the two married; now fully focused on plans of what to do after the end of the Thousand Years. (Set Free)

Nick: Brother to Hugh, Nick was also killed in WW2. Upon his return, Nick took longer than most to accept the New World, fearing that a life without struggle might cause humanity to stagnate. On touring the Expo, Nick realized that growth as a person, and a species wasn't held back by eternal life; and accepted the Truth, dedicating himself fully to becoming part of the Foundation. (Just See Yourself) Nick's life goal, out of his reach until Paradise, was space travel, and he spent much of his life preparing for the day when Earth's problems would be settled once and for all, and Humanity would be allowed to travel the stars. With his wife Rachel, they are now preparing for the end of the Millennium, and that journey. (Set Free)

Dexter: Estranged father to the late Erica Knowles, Dexter had to make many personal changes on coming to Paradise. Even after achieving this, he blamed himself for the loss of his daughter, as did Erica's adopted child; Megan. Dexter vowed to live a quiet life, where he'd never contact Megan again. A promise he has kept for centuries afterward. (Just See Yourself)

Diaz: Captain and owner of an airship named the Stargazer, (a name taken from James' original sailing ship) Diaz was inspired by her father, who wanted to be a pilot; but was not allowed due to social and racial factors of his OS life. She now lives in the air in a luxury liner; which she has built herself. (Just See Yourself)

Zann: Zann was an early Gold Letter, and followed all commandments gladly. But even when being obedient, he held on to old thinking regarding opposition to foreigners in his homeland. This led to conflict when his Brother began a massive construction project, causing the 'Futurists' and the 'Luddites' to forcibly coexist for the first time. (Set Free)

Eben: The leader of the original Arcology Project, Eben invited several people, including Hugh and Kasumi to live in his city-tower; in exchange for helping with the construction. Not approving of his brother's views on 'foreigners', Eben reported Zann's wrong thinking, causing a rift between them. (Set Free)

Prologue:

Hugh had finished his workday at the Tower. It reached well into the clouds, and so it was often easier to transport passengers and cargo directly to the upper levels. The vehicles capable of ground and air travel were legion, and could drive themselves; so Hugh had settled into a teaching position; giving the principles of flight to the relatively younger people. The number of students had started to dwindle at last; but Hugh had other duties in the Tower. As did Kasumi, who was teaching about aquatic ecology in the lower levels, where the Expo worked.

But at the end of the day, they both went to the top level. Several floors above the clouds, the Dome had started out as power generation, in direct sunlight a lot longer than anything at ground level. As the Expo started providing new ways to generate electricity, the Dome had become an arboretum; taking trees and orchards to the sky; and finally became a public plaza; including restaurants and cafes. Pressurized against the thin atmosphere outside, it was a really popular place to eat. Enough people found joy in cooking. With food one of the guaranteed promises, a lot of the time it was cheaper and easier to go out to eat, rather than cook for yourselves. People had found ways to contribute what they loved to do; and spend far less time on what they really didn't enjoy.

Kasumi was waiting for him when he arrived… and so was another familiar face. "Megan!" Hugh said happily, embracing his daughter. "I didn't know you were in town!"

"It was a last minute trip." Megan admitted, hugging him back before they sat down. "I really needed to get out of the house."

"Something wrong?" Hugh's eyes flicked to his wife.

"I've been trying to get that out of her since she arrived." Kasumi admitted. "She was waiting for you to join us." She smothered a smile, and Hugh could tell what she was thinking. She's always been her father's daughter.

Hugh sat but ignored the menu. He was a regular at the Restaurant. They knew what to bring him. "Well, I know it's not work. You were all for joining the Transition Committee. I know it's not family trouble, because Biggs didn't even hint at a problem when we last spoke… One of the kids?"

Megan sipped her juice, not looking directly at him. "When they figured out the pattern of the Returning at last, we all knew there was going to be a moment when it just stopped." She sighed. "And we all expected it to be happening at a breakneck pace. Why wouldn't it? The world filled up with faithful people, ready to lead newcomers through the transition; surely the rate would accelerate…"

Hugh and Kasumi said nothing, letting their daughter get there. Human memory was so improved with time that they could remember when she was a girl, and it was a fight to get her to speak about anything. After centuries and centuries, conversation had evolved. People became more discreet as the world filled up; more observant of the unspoken as they got to know each other; more circumspect in what they talked about as the routine conversations had settled into such a complete rhythm that they needed to converse less. It all shook out enough that they knew when to speak, when to listen.

And the topic she had started with was a global conversation. The Returning had been the defining part of the Millennium. And it had taken more than three quarters of that time for the brightest humans to understand the pattern of when and how people were Returned. Everyone had expected the pattern to accelerate as more people were taught how to teach. It would give the most people the most time in Paradise. In actuality, the Returning had peaked, and slowed. It had given the most people time to adjust to having no new people to teach once the graveyards of the world ran empty. The dead were a finite number.

(Author's Note: There's very little information on specifics about where and how the Resurrection will take place. I elected to take this route, purely because from a storytelling perspective, the Bible Education of Returning people has been done in every book before. That formula has been well and truly explored; and I was looking for something new. As a result, I elected to let the Returning slow down, and take longer. If everyone in the world was focused on training newcomers, it would be jarring for the world when those Returning ones ran out. Let people find new directions for their lives as needed. Gradualism is a theme that comes up a lot in my version of Paradise.)

"Me and Biggs felt it first, y'know? More than most people; it affected my Orphanage before any other group." Megan admitted. "Everyone knows when there's a newcomer at the Meeting in your Local Center, but… God put billions of families together; and then brought in all the kids who needed a family. And through it all, the Returning kept going. For a lot of people, having a child to be responsible for was the push that got them thinking seriously about eternal life."

"We were terrified when we first got you, baby." Kasumi admitted. "This'll sound silly, but… I really wanted you to like us."

Megan chuckled. "I'm foster mom to hundreds of kids who adopted out. I know all their families." Megan tapped her forehead. "And I actually have it in me to remember them all. Something I never thought I'd be able to do." She took a breath. "So when Rika, of all people, was assigned to meet the last Returnee-"

"What?" Hugh blurted with a laugh.

Megan nodded seriously. "I know. Amazed me too. Nobody in our Congregation had received a Letter in years; and then Rika calls me up to tell me that it came to her. A Green Letter. As far as the Database knows, it's the last one to come."

Hugh and Kasumi traded a look. This was not a typical day at all. "What does Biggs think?" One of them asked finally.

"Biggs is freaking out, and I don't know why." Megan told them. "It's the first time I've seen him freak out. I mean, the first time since we met. Biggs is a Trib Survivor. And even before that, his life wasn't one where you could just go to pieces. This one has him worried; and I don't have the nerve to ask him why."

"So you did the next best thing and came to us." Kasumi guessed.

Megan pulled her head in a bit. "Of all my former charges, there are still moments they call me for reassurance about something. I figured I could always come to my mom and dad…" She shook her head. "Rika is thirty years old. She's never gotten a Letter before. She came along too late for any of the Returning to happen to her."

"Don't be so sure." Hugh warned. "We weren't given our assignments at random. A lot of the time, it made little difference who met them first. Some of the time, it mattered a great deal. Rika's a bright kid, and whoever's coming back today? He's going to see her as an adult because I doubt he's used to the idea of five hundred years being 'middle-aged' by modern standards."

"I know. Rika's only thirty. Still a baby." Megan sighed. "I just need to be sure. When I was taking in kids, I never worried about them getting cyber-bullied, or kidnapped, or any of the million things OS parents have ever had to worry about… But when I saw her holding that Green Letter yesterday, I was suddenly nervous. She's going to meet the only person left who doesn't know the rules have changed; and-"

"Megan." Hugh said warmly, sounding like a schoolteacher. "What do you know for sure?"

His daughter settled a bit. "I know that she's protected."

"What else?" Kasumi put in.

"I know that… she can only do what she can do. And I know that her only job is to welcome the guy. It's up to everyone to show him what Paradise is all about, and it's up to him what he does with that information… And up to God to decide what the ending of this story is."

"You taught her well." Hugh smiled. "Every time our granddaughter stayed with us, she was full of questions about OS, about the Returning. She's been doing interviews with everyone she could find about their Returning. She's a natural snoop-"

"Journalism Student." Megan corrected absently.

"Right. Same difference. She's been getting her doctorate by talking to people from all over the spectrum. She'll find some common ground with this one."

"That's what worries me." Megan admitted quietly.

Kasumi glanced up at the Dome. "Ohh. Not to interrupt, but take a look at the view, sweetie. Trust me, you don't want to be distracted right now."

Outside the Dome, at the top of the Tower, they were above the clouds. The Climate had been stabilized, the atmosphere scrubbed clean, even at this altitude. The Dome was so transparent, it was borderline invisible when you looked out at the world. To the west, the sunset lit up the clouds like a tapestry of the most vibrant colors, as though a blanket of rainbow fire was laid at their feet. To the east, where the sky was clear, the stars started to come out, one by one; and they almost felt close enough to reach for. At this height, it was almost like they were on eye-level with the stars themselves.

But it wasn't just the sky. Laid out below this Arcology was the rest of the world. They were high enough to see the curve of the earth clearly; and cities below. The lights came on in each city, creating more starfields across the horizon. At around eye level, there were a few airships visible, making their way sedately across the clouds like ships on an ocean. Birds couldn't fly so high, but there were a few winged dinosaurs, returned from extinction and large enough to be visible from above, gliding on the air currents back to their nests. The Dome was filled with the perfumes of wildflowers and the spices of prepared meals.

Up here, there was a timeless feeling, like time had stopped; still and eternal. Megan felt something inside her relax, like she was sliding into a dream.

Her father stepped in behind her, taking in the view. "Dinosaurs from the pre-human days. Towers from the 30th Century. Spices from every nation; some of them still carried by camel train. Workers from every era. Trees from the northern forests; flowers from the southern jungles. You're looking at the whole world, offering its variety."

Megan smiled. "Jehovah then said: "Look! They are one people with one language, and this is what they have started to do. Now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be impossible for them."

"Babel, at its best, could never hope to get half this high." Her father told her warmly. "Jehovah God jumbled the languages because He knew what people could do with that kind of 'war footing' back in OS. Back there and then, it would never be for something good. When Paradise came, one of the very first things Jehovah did was make everyone understand each other again. Because with that kind of 'united front', we've done amazing things."

"We have." Megan agreed.