Season 05 - Episode 24

‘after the gathering’

The God Empress Pho stands ready.

The people of The Levels have gathered in their devotion, keen to pledge their lives to her and welcome her as the divine ruler of all of humanity. Their love for her is such that they will wait for her for days if she so wishes. She decides they can wait a few minutes more.

She and The Archangel are alone in a small, empty room. Through the door before her stands the platform overlooking The Collapse, the impossibly vast, tall and deep amphitheatre that will provide the setting for her final, total victory.

Her eyes slip out of focus as she recalls marching back into The Innersides at the head of her holy army. Like a great torrent of water, as if every pipe in the world had burst, they swept straight into the very heart of power, dispatching any and all who stood in their way.

Before she knew it, The Eight were grovelling before her, despoiling their pretty robes as they squirmed on the grubby floor. Those eight men who had deposed her, imprisoned her, presumed even to try and execute her, she drank their fear like wine.

Their public execution had been a long, slow affair and she smiles now at the memory, recalling what came after. The gathering of all in the Innersides, the pledging of the oath. The unimaginable feeling of power that flowed through her at the sound of so many voices declaring their love for her all at once.

Not even her revelation that she is an actual god brought her as much satisfaction as those voices and now she gets to do it again. Her stomach flutters, her mouth is dry, her palms are sweaty. She wants it more than anything, needs it more than anything.

Finally, she moves towards the door, The Archangel in her jet black robes following silently behind. Giddy with excitement, everything begins to blur and before she knows it she is on the platform, looking out over The Collapse at the endless, gathered masses.

There are so many more people here than in The Innersides, so many more voices to raise to her greatness. She takes a moment to compose herself and then speaks into the microphone before her.

“People of The Levels,” she says. “We have liberated you from you oppressors and brought you into a new and holy age of peace. We are your empress and your god and through the words you speak today, this relationship shall be set in stone for ever more.”

The expectant silence of a million people weighs heavily over the void.

“You will all repeat our words,” says Pho, closing her eyes and breathing deeply to contain herself. “We, the people of The Levels...”

She holds her breath, waiting for the great chorus of response. It doesn't come. The silence holds firm, drags on, drags out. Pho opens her eyes but refuses to repeat herself. Gods do not repeat themselves. But nothing is happening, the people are motionless, silent.

Then there is a sound, a great fizzing pop and it begins.

The first group of people to disappear are off to her left, many floors below. One moment they are there, then they flicker and falter and suddenly they are not. Then, as Pho watches, all the people begin to vanish, stuttering out of existence section by section.

The countless floors above and below, across from her and to either side, are emptying second by second. Here and there, lone Seraphim stare about startled, moving as if to give chase even though their quarry has already flown.

“What...” Pho hears her own amplified voice say. “...is happening?”

The Collapse echoes with emptiness now as the last few groups disappear. The last few remaining Seraphim hurry from view, fleeing as if for their lives. Pho turns in horror to her own Archangel. Ri is standing, silent and still, staring straight ahead. Then, as Pho watches, Ri shudders to become half transparent and then vanishes altogether.

She takes a quick step towards the edge of the great void, her mighty robes flapping about her, her hands clasping desperate, in and out of fists. She peers over the edge and around but every room and corridor is empty. Then she stares down into the deep, black abyss and sees entirely human tears tumbling down and away from her.

Pho, God Empress of all The Innersides and The Levels, is completely alone.

She begins to scream.

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