"Wake up Mahdy!"
The Arab stirred at hearing Albin's voice. He moaned slightly. The child nudged his shoulder. Mahdy's eyes fluttered open. He gazed into the child's placid face. Albin smiled slightly.
"Good morning." he said softly.
Mahdy sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He had tried with all his might to stay awake. But the fatigue he felt was just too strong. Even the horrors of the previous night could not keep him from falling asleep. He looked across from him...
And saw Benton. Sitting up.
He was staring out the window behind Mahdy, slack-jawed. His wide, glassy eyes showed no life whatsoever. Mahdy gazed at him quizzically.
"I told him what happened to his friends." said Albin, matter-of-factly.
The child shrugged and walked over to the door, opening it. A cool, dry breeze blew gently into the lobby of the inn. Albin stepped outside, disappearing for a few moments. Mahdy continued to gaze at Benton with rapt curiosity. The American didn't even acknowledge Mahdy's presence.
Suddenly, Albin ran back inside.
"The bus to Atibrattion is on its way here!" he exclaimed. "C'mon guys, let's go!"
Mahdy rose to his feet. Benton didn't move an inch. He was unresponsive. Albin turned towards Alfredo, who was still reading his book.
"Hey Al, can ya give me a hand with this one?"
The old man looked up from his reading at Benton. He sighed slightly, rolled his eyes and put down the book. He walked around the counter, over to Benton. He shook him by the shoulder.
"Hey. Get up. The bus is coming to take you to Atibrattion."
Still no response. Alfredo turned towards Mahdy.
"You. Help me get him on his feet."
Mahdy walked over to Benton's right side. Together, both men pulled Benton to his feet. Alfredo leaned towards Benton, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Stop acting like you're in a coma." he said with a edge in his voice. "I know you can hear me. Start walking. Let's go. I'm not gonna hold yer hand for ya either."
Benton began to walk. Slowly. He headed outside and Mahdy followed.
"The road is off to your left." said Alfredo.
Mahdy looked out in that direction. To his surprise, he saw what appeared to be an asphalt road. Soon, he could see a shiny metal object approaching, gleaming in the sunlight. Mahdy picked up the pace, leaving behind Benton, who was walking along sluggishly. Eventually, he reached the edge of the road.
In moments, Mahdy could make out the bus. It was a shiny, lavender vehicle. It slowed down and headed over to the side of the road Mahdy was on. Eventually, it slowed to a stop. Mahdy looked through the windshield. An old Caucasian woman was driving it. She glared back at Mahdy, waving at him impatiently to get on board the bus. Mahdy quickly obeyed. He ran over to the right side of this bus. The door sighed open. Mahdy climbed the steps.
The old woman had snow-white hair. She was short. The woman wore a white shirt, a navy blue bow tie and pants, and shiny black shoes. Mahdy looked towards the back of the bus. There were several other figures sitting in the rear, but he couldn't make them out too well. The old woman glared out at Benton with annoyance.
"What is taking that young man so long to walk over?!" she snapped.
She slid her driver's window open, leaning towards it.
"Hey you!!" the old lady shouted. "C'mon, lard-ass!! I'm not gonna wait the whole century for ya!!"
Benton kept moving at the same pace. He was unresponsive. The old lady rolled her eyes. She leaned out the window again.
"Hey Al!!" she shouted. "Alfredo!! Think you can get this young man ta move a bit faster??"
She could see the old man shake his head in exasperation. Alfredo took a slow jog out towards Benton. When he reached him, he grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward. Benton nearly tripped, but Alfredo held him up. He walked with a brisk pace towards the bus, tugging Benton along. The old woman then turned towards Mahdy, who still stood at the top of the stairs. Her eyes narrowed.
"Go sit down!" she snapped. "Stop being so nosy!"
Mahdy swallowed hard.
"S-Sorry."
Mahdy found a seat near the front and sat down. He looked out towards the front of the bus, and saw the heads of Alfredo and Benton pass it. In a moment, Benton climbed the steps into the bus. Alfredo followed close behind. The old man then clutched Benton by the shoulders and pushed him down into a seat near the bus entrance. Alfredo turned towards the driver and shrugged.
"The kid's not himself, Carmen."
The driver patted Alfredo's right arm.
"Don't worry about that, hon. It's to be expected."
"Are you gonna pass by after your shift?"
"Sure!"
Alfredo smiled warmly.
"Good. I'll see you later then."
"No problem, dear. Have a good day."
"You too."
Alfredo climbed out of the bus. He walked across the front of it and disappeared. The old woman put the bus in gear, and it headed off down the road.
Mahdy looked behind him, taking a closer look at the other passengers. One of them was a young woman, wearing a shawl. She appeared to be Arabic, and in her twenties. The woman gazed out the window. her face showing signs of anxiety. A few seats behind her were two men-one Caucasian, one black. The Caucasian appeared to be in his fifties, the other man in his thirties. Mahdy couldn't make out what they were wearing. They sat across the isle from each other, gazing out the window. Mahdy bit his lower lip and turned around.
Shortly, the bus began to increase speed.
Mahdy gazed out at the breathtaking view before them. The mountain range reached far into the blue-green sky, its snowy tops shining brightly in the light of the double suns. They continued in the direction of the sunrise for quite some time.
Eventually, the road began to curve off to the right. In moments, Mahdy saw the beginning of an enormous valley. The bus picked up more speed. The road curved further to the right and straightened out. The bus raced along the road. Eventually, the road began to dip.
Rising up in the distance was the valley floor. At its center appeared to be a small town. Most of the buildings were similar to the inn Mahdy had stayed at, but they were somewhat larger, and these were gray in color. The one that stood apart from them was located directly in the center of the town. It was round and white, with a flat top. It was taller than the surrounding buildings. As Mahdy watched, he saw that the road ran straight down a long, steep hill right up to this building.
The bus sped down the hill. The driver began to slow down. The incline started to level out and the bus headed towards the large white building. Mahdy looked out both sides of the bus. He spotted a few people walking about; they were all dressed in black. As they got closer to the central building, Mahdy could see that the road wound around in a circle just before it. In front of it stood five people. They were all dressed in black suits. The bus slowed down further and soon drove onto the circular part of the road. It took the curve gently and came to a stop in front of the building, just before the five people. The driver turned to her passengers.
"We've arrived at Atibrattion, folks!" she said. "Let's go!"
Mahdy and the others rose to their feet. The door of the bus sighed open. Benton was the first to get out of the bus, followed by Mahdy and the others. The door hissed shut, and the bus drove off. It went around the circle and sped away. Mahdy watched the bus as it departed. Then he turned around.
Standing before him was a tall Negro. He was bald and had a medium build. His eyes were a dark brown. A stony expression was on his face. He was dressed in a black suit. His companions were two women and two men. They also wore black suits. One woman was Oriental, the other Caucasian. The men appeared to be Asian Indian and Hispanic. The Negro gazed at the five new arrivals. He walked over to the last one-the dark-skinned man, and began to speak.
"Matumbo Kawabe." he began in a deep voice. "Thirty-five years old. You were part of the Dbwasa cult in Kenya. You assisted in the mass suicide of six hundred people. You killed twenty five of them personally; some by poison, others by handgun, and others by throat slitting. Among the twenty-five people you murdered were nine children."
He walked over to Caucasian.
"Harold Wildenbush. Fifty-three years old. Part of the cult run by Ignasio Valencia in Zulia, Venezuela. You assisted in the mass suicide of one hundred people. You murdered eight people, all by poison."
The man then walked over to the young Arab girl.
"Haadiya Sulayman. Twenty-two years old. Suicide bomber for the terrorist group Haamas. Boarded a bus in Jerusalem and detonated a bomb, killing eighteen people, including five children."
He walked over to Benton.
"Benton Mills. Forty-one years old. Part of the organization Crusaders for Christ. Assisted in the takeover and suicide bombing of an abortion clinic in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Sixteen people were killed. You murdered one woman by gunshot."
Mahdy gazed at Benton, raising an eyebrow. The Negro finally walked over to Mahdy.
"Mahdy Qasim. Twenty-seven years old. Member of the terrorist group Al-Qaida. Part of a five-man group that used a bus bomb to blow up the Port Authority building in New York City, USA. Six hundred fifty people were killed."
Benton immediately turned towards Mahdy. His face filled with rage.
"You killed six hundred Americans?!"
Benton leapt at Mahdy, tackling him to the ground. He began to pummel him with his fists.
"You fucker!!" he screamed. "You fucking Arab bastard!!"
The Negro reached down and yanked Benton off of Mahdy with incredible strength. He tossed him onto the road. As Benton struggled to his feet, the man turned towards him. His eyes began to emit a red-white light. Suddenly Benton felt himself forced down onto his knees. Some invisible force wrapped itself around his throat and began to crush it. Benton's eyes dilated in agony. The Negro walked over to Benton, glaring down at him.
"Hypocrite." he said coldly. "You have no right to talk. You're as much of a terrorist as he is. You helped blow up an abortion clinic. You shot a woman in the head."
The glow in the man's eyes disappeared. Benton collapsed onto the ground, gagging and coughing. The Oriental woman walked over to the tall man's side. Benton turned towards them, his eyes full of fear.
"B-B-But they were baby killers!! W-We were soldiers for Christ!! We were fighting the war on a-abortion!! We were doing the right thing!!"
"Mahdy was a soldier for Allah." said the Negro. "He was fighting a holy war against America. He felt he was doing the right thing."
"His Allah is not the true God!!" Benton exclaimed angrily. "Mine is!!"
"Infidel!!"
The three turned towards Mahdy, who was now at his feet. His face seethed with fury. He pointed a finger at Benton.
"You Americans soil the name of Allah!! You soil Islam with your Western ideals!! You are the enemy of Islam and Allah!!"
"ENOUGH!!!" roared the Negro. His thundering voice shook the ground around them. Benton, Mahdy and the other new arrivals recoiled in terror. A few moments passed. The Oriental woman shook her head. She turned to the Negro.
"It never changes, does it Joseph?"
The Negro sighed.
"No Yuki. It doesn't."
The woman walked over to Benton. She spoke.
"Get up."
Benton shakily rose to his feet, rubbing his throat.
"W-Who are you people??" he uttered, his voice full of fear. "What is this place??"
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"We are the Appraisers. We are here to see if you are worthy of a second chance."
Benton stared at her quizzically.
"S-Second chance...?? What do you mean??"
"There are those that are truly good, and there are those that are truly evil." said Joseph, walking forward. "And then, there are those that are like the five of you. You're all in that gray area. The desire to do what is right is there, but it has been corrupted-warped by what you were taught. And the results have been, in your cases, catastrophic."
"I-I don't understand." said the young Arab girl. "What do you mean, that we have been corrupted??"
The Asian Indian walked up to her.
"You'll find out soon enough." he replied.
"You have been each assigned an Appraiser." said Joseph. " You'll be taken into this building behind us, and your evaluations will begin. Please follow your Appraiser inside."
The Hispanic Appraiser walked over to the young Negro, and the Caucasian Appraiser walked over to the middle-aged Caucasian man. Yuki gently took hold of Benton's forearm.
"Come with me." she said.
The four new arrivals and their Appraisers walked towards the building. Mahdy gazed at them.
"Mahdy, follow me."
He turned around to face Joseph. The Appraiser walked ahead of him, and Mahdy followed. They entered the building. It appeared to be made out of white marble. A giant hallway stretched out before them. The four other pairs walked ahead of them. The center of the hallway was lit from high above with bright white light. As Mahdy walked, he saw one pair walk off to the left. The next pair then walked off to the rght. It continued alternating this way until only Mahdy and Joseph were left. They continued on straight. Eventually, they reached a white door. Joseph turned the knob and opened it.
Mahdy and Joseph entered a large room. The walls were white, and seemed to be lit from behind. The floor and ceiling were black. In the middle of the room was a small black table. On either side of it were two chairs. The Appraiser walked over and sat down at one chair. Mahdy gazed at him apprehensively. Joseph motioned Mahdy to sit down. Mahdy licked his lips, and obeyed. Joseph folded his hands, and leaned towards Mahdy.
"I'm sure you have questions." he began. "Ask them."
"W-What is this place?? Why am I not in heaven with Allah, like I was promised?"
The Appraiser sighed slightly. He sat back.
"Before I answer, I have a question to ask you."
"What? What question?"
"Have you always accepted what people taught you? Have you ever bothered to question what you were taught as you grew older?"
"W-What do you mean? What does that have to do with anything??"
"In your case...everything."
"I-I don't understand."
Joseph frowned. There was a weariness in his eyes. He sat back, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You and your comrades were responsible for the deaths of six hundred fifty people. How does that make you feel?"
Mahdy's brow furrowed.
"W-We were doing the will of Allah!"
"Says who?"
"My superiors! The men who trained me! We were in the middle of a jihad!! This was war!!"
"And you just accepted what they said blindly?"
"Blindly?! These were my brothers!!I trusted them!! I trusted them with my life!! They cared for me!! They taught me!! We all had the same goal!! We were to make the infidels pay!!"
"And what were you promised, in return for martyrdom?"
"We would go to heaven and be rewarded by Allah!!"
"You did everything you were supposed to. Right?"
"Yes!! I was a good Muslim!! I did what I was told, and I followed what was taught in the Koran!"
"Then why are you not in your heaven? Why are you here, in this room with me?"
Mahdy's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?? What do you plan to do with me??"
Joseph licked his lips. He leaned forward again.
"I'm here to see if you can be redeemed, somehow."
Mahdy's eyes widened in confusion. The Appraiser sighed, and spoke again.
"You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you. The religion you were taught was not quite correct in its teachings. They were correct about what humans call an "afterlife." They weren't correct about the kind of afterlife you would be facing."
Rage began to fill Mahdy's eyes. He immediately rose to his feet.
"You are not Allah!! You're Satan!! You are here to corrupt me!!"
Joseph's eyes narrowed.
"Sit down, Mahdy."
Mahdy turned around and grabbed the chair, lifting it over his head. He rushed towards Joseph. Suddenly, the Appraisor's eyes glowed a bright reddish-white. Mahdy stopped instantly, his body completely paralyzed. He tried in vain to move, but could not. At that moment, the chair was wrenched out of Mahdy's hands by some unseen force. It floated through the air, landing gently onto its original spot. Mahdy suddenly felt himself forced back towards the chair, step by step. He tried with all his might to stop whatever was pushing him back, but he could not. He stepped back stiffly, nearing the chair. When he reached it, whatever was pushing him back forced him into the chair. Hard. Mahdy's head whipped back from the impact, sending a sharp, stinging pain from the back of his neck.
Joseph's eyes stopped glowing. He sat back.
"Don't do that again." he said in a quiet, cold tone.
Mahdy rubbed the back of his neck. He stared at Joseph in fear. The Appraisor's features softened slightly.
"I'm not Satan. I'm just an Appraisor."
"What are you going to do to me?!"
"That all depends on you."
"I-I-I don't understand!!"
The Appraisor sighed slightly. He leaned towards Mahdy.
"You're one of those who is responsible for the deaths of six hundred fifty people. That is a horrific crime. It's not something that can just be allowed to pass."
"I committed no crime!! I did the will of Allah!!"
Joseph shook his head.
"You were lied to by your superiors." he responded. "You were taught fantasies by those who brought you up. You never bothered to question them. You accepted everything you were taught about your religion at face value. Worst of all, you never allowed yourself to open your mind to other possibilities."
Mahdy gritted his teeth with rage.
"I...don't...believe you!!"
Weariness crossed the Appraiser's face.
"Most of you never do. Not at first."
Mahdy pointed his finger at the Appraiser.
"You're Satan!! Blasphemer!! Allah shall smite you down!! A curse upon you!!"
Joseph's eyes began to glow again. Suddenly, Mahdy's mouth was sealed shut. His arms were forced down at his sides. Mahdy tried to rise out of his seat, but could not. Joseph got out of his seat, walked around the table and stood before Mahdy. The young Arab struggled in vain. He grunted loudly, his voice filled with fury. Joseph leaned against the table, shaking his head sadly.
"There are so many like you." he said softly to himself, his voice overwhelmed with pain. "Too many like you."
Joseph regarded Mahdy for a few moments, seeing the rage, hate and terror that filled his eyes. He closed his eyes for a short time, then opened them again. He spoke.
"I'm sure you've wondered what happened to your comrades. I'll tell you. Their souls were destroyed. The whirlwinds you saw contained the souls of the condemned. Your comrades were filled with bloodlust. They enjoyed seeing their victims suffer. They didn't care about whether it was the right thing or not to do. Their souls were beyond salvaging. You, on the other hand, had doubts. They may have been the enemy to you, but you didn't wish to kill. Something did not feel right. It is that doubt, and that desire not to kill, that has kept you from joining your friends. You have doubts even now. And yet, you suppressed those doubts and went on assist in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. Men, women, and children. The families of these people are distraught. Many of those affected by this attack will never recover."
Joseph sighed. He paused for a moment, and continued.
"It's my job to open your eyes, to make you see how this terrorist attack and your religious ideology affected others."
He raised his hand, passing it across Mahdy's face. The young Arab gasped, suddenly able to speak again. He instantly looked up at Joseph.
"You're telling me lies!!" Mahdy cried out, tears rolling down his cheeks.
The Appraiser raised an eyebrow.
"Am I?" he responded calmly. "You're not sure of that. I sense your uncertainty, Mahdy. It's growing."
Joseph stood erect.
"You will be condemned to thirty years of solitary confinement. You will be made to feel the grief and agony of the families who's relatives you killed. You will be awake every single moment. You will know every thought, every feeling they have about this event, and what you've done. You will not know one moment's rest. After this time, you will be reincarnated. You will be given only one more chance. Whatever you've learned in those thirty years will stay in your subconscious. Hopefully, the instincts gained as a result of your confinement will make you a better person. If you fail in leading a productive life the next time around, your soul will be destroyed."
Mahdy's eyes widened in horror. He immediately got to his feet.
"No!! No, that's not possible!! You can't do this!!"
In that instant, a glowing, transparent blue-white cylinder formed around Mahdy . He tried to rush forward, but was stopped instantly by the blue-white wall of energy.
"Allah, save me!! ALLAH, SAVE ME!!!!"
Joseph frowned. He walked up to the cylinder.
"If you only knew the truth. If you and people of other religious denominations knew the truth."
Mahdy gritted his teeth in rage.
"What IS the truth?!"
Joseph shook his head.
"You're not ready to know, yet. Maybe one day, you will be."
"LET ME GO!!!" Mahdy screamed. "LET ME-AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGAAAAAA!!!!!!"
A violent blast of pain shot through Mahdy's body. He flipped his head back, screaming in agony. He began to bend backwards. Then, Mahdy's body began to emit a brilliant red-white glow. Mahdy's screams grew deafening. After a few moments, the glow lessened in intensity. Mahdy's screams began to fade. Within moments. Mahdy was gone. The screams echoed throughout the room, fading more and more, until they were gone. The glowing cylinder disappeared as well. Joseph hung his head. His body sagged slightly. A few moments passed.
"How much more of this...??" he said in a quivering voice. "How many more souls do I have to see like his??"
He shook his head in disgust. Joseph walked over to the door, opened it and stepped out. He heard footsteps coming from his right. Joseph turned in that direction.
It was Yuki.
She walked up to him, her face filled with sadness and pity. Yuki placed a hand on Joseph's arm.
"You look terrible."
Joseph rubbed the back of his head.
"How long have I been at this now??" he responded wearily. "A couple of millennia?"
Yuki nodded knowingly.
"Mmmmm. I'm getting near that myself."
The pair began to slowly walk down the hall, towards the entrance to the building.
"If all these people only knew what their so-called god was like." Joseph grumbled.
"He had a good thing going for a while." answered Yuki. "But then, he started to grow insane."
"I'm glad the rest of the Council decided to intervene. Some of the things he's done are just..."
Yuki squeezed his arm.
"Don't think about it too much. It's only going to make you worse."
Joseph sighed.
"I try not to...but..."
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I keep looking at humans, and what he's put them through. How confused they are. How savage. That young man, Mahdy ...he and his comrades brought incredible pain once again to a city that lost twenty-seven hundred people twelve years ago. And like then, Mahdy followed a erroneous ideology, using that to justify the murder of those people..."
"I know." said Yuki. "Benton Mills, the one I just finished with, was crying when I told him he would have to spend several decades of his life reliving the anguish of his victims' families. He shouted to me over and over that he was just trying to do what was right."
"And that's what troubles me." responded Joseph with an edge in his voice. "These people wanted to do the right thing, live the right way...and they were taught faulty ideals...ideals they felt were right, that were worth killing for...oh, how horrible it is to grow up in an environment like Earth's. The way knowledge is repressed, and the way ignorance flourishes...what a nice environment their creator provided..."
Joseph looked towards Yuki, his face filling with disgust and shame.
"If humans knew what their so-called "god" was really like, they would be very disillusioned."
He looked forward again. Yuki spoke once more.
"The one that bothers me is homosexuality. Why would he create a person this way? Look at the way homosexuals are treated by others in society! Shunned, ridiculed, tortured and killed...and many of the torturers use a religious ideology as a reason for this treatment. People who were born homosexuals through no fault of their own...who now have to suffer because of their sexual orientation-"
"Yuki, hold on." interrupted Joseph.
"Huh?"
She looked forward. A glowing, whirling ball of light rotated before them. It emitted a soft orange glow. Yuki smirked slightly.
"Looks like our superiors want to chat with us."
"Let's find out what they want." answered Joseph.
They walked over to the glowing orb, stopping just before it. At that moment a deep, female voice came from it.
"Hello Joseph. Yuki."
The two Appraisers bowed slightly.
"What can we do for you?" asked Joseph.
"The Council has decided that Earth will be destroyed."
The Appraisers' eyes widened with shock.
"D-Destroyed, ma'am??" responded Yuki in disbelief. "Why??"
"The Council feels that humans have little hope of evolving. They are too chaotic, too belligerent."
"How will they be destroyed, ma'am?" asked Joseph.
"A blue giant star has been sent on a collision course with Earth's solar system. When it arrives there, it will supernova, destroying everything in it. It will arrive in five years."
Joseph and Yuki looked at each other. Joseph then turned towards the orb.
"What happens to the souls of those who die?"
"Those who have led decent lives will be given eternal life. Those who are evil will be destroyed."
"What about those who fall in-between? Those who are not so easy to characterize?"
A pause. The female voice spoke again.
"They will also be destroyed."
The Appraisers stared at the orb incredulously.
"B-But why, ma'am??" exclaimed Joseph. "That isn't fair to them! We just received five arrivals that are going to be reoriented!!"
"It isn't my decision." came the response. "It is the Council's decision. They don't want to be bothered any more with humans."
"Then why wait five years?" said Yuki. "Why not destroy Earth now, if that's their attitude?"
"I asked them these questions myself, but they grew annoyed with me. They told me that this was how things would happen, and to not ask further questions."
Yuki and Joseph looked at each other. The female voice spoke again from the orb.
"These five arrivals must be destroyed."
"But ma'am," began Yuki, "...isn't there any way we could save-"
"No." the female voice answered with finality. "They are to be destroyed. The Council has ordered it. All souls destined for reorientation will now be destroyed. You and the other Appraisers will be needed elsewhere for other work. I will contact you later as to where you will all be relocated."
"Yes ma'am." responded Joseph.
"Farewell."
The glowing ball then slowly faded from sight. Yuki turned to Joseph. She frowned.
"Well...that's it then."
Joseph looked at the floor, closing his eyes and shaking his head in disgust.
"Damn..."
He looked up.
"Gather the other three Appraisers that were with us. Give them their new orders. Then we'll see about gathering everyone else to find out what happens next."
"Right."
Yuki walked off. Joseph stood there, slowly shaking his head, bathed in light from above.
It had all come to this.
The fate of humanity had been decided.
Joseph thought about the countless souls like Mahdy that he sent to be re-taught. Some had been able to live better lives the second time around, and others had to be destroyed.
But at least, the ones he had dealt with in the past had been given a chance. No longer. That loophole had been closed. For Mahdy, Benton, and countless others in a similar position, there was only one fate-
Annihilation.
Joseph ground his teeth.
It was unfair. It was so damned unfair.
People who had been brought up in environments where freedom of thought was repressed. Environments that only allowed for a singular point of view. And it didn't matter how detrimental that point of view was. It would be taught. It would be adhered to.
And in some societies, straying from such ideologies would mean certain death.
Yes, there were those that adhered to such ideologies with frightening enthusiasm. But for many of those people, it was because they could use such ideologies to wield power. To try and bend others to their will, and destroy them if necessary. The ideology itself didn't matter. It was what they could do with said ideology that mattered.
And then, there were the impressionable, the idealistic ones-those who had the misfortune of being born into such environments. Those who truly wanted to do the "right" thing, to live life the "correct" way. They would be tricked. Brainwashed. They would be made to do whatever was necessary to follow through with a given ideology, no matter how twisted the ideology was.
It would be made to look right in their eyes.
So right that they would do anything to adhere to it. To make sure this ideology was respected, worshipped, protected.
Anything-including murder. Mass murder, if necessary.
These were the souls that fell through the cracks.
These were the misguided souls, the ones that Joseph had given a chance to in the past...
And these were the ones that had to be annihilated.
That gray area mattered no longer.
Joseph had to obey the will of his superiors. And it disturbed him. It disturbed him to the core of his very being.
The Appraiser gazed up into the light, squinting at it. He let out a ragged sigh.
"Some justice." Joseph snarled in disgust.
He turned around and walked down the hallway ...
To follow his orders and destroy a soul.
A soul that was spoiled, and that would never realize its full potential.
THE END
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