Judge Jehoel, the chief elder of the Grand Council in Heaven gazes proudly at the Cherubim commander dressed in a ceremonial white robe with brass shields across his broad chest and eight large sickle-claws set on two gold epaulets that flare back like wings. The Cherubim order grew from the ashes of the Holy Nuclear War. Back then, they were a ragtag force sworn to fight to the death if necessary to enforce the Six Rules of Life. Over the centuries, their spears evolved into heavily mechanized techo-munitions, and they assumed the role of the grand protectors of Heaven against interstellar threats. They carried out their quest with gusto—and brutality, according to some.
The Cherubim commander, still standing at attention, nods smartly. “Our agents will track and monitor the Korbibtorians at home, at work, at rallies, and in their churches. We’ll even monitor their holographic video calls. Have no doubt. We’ll zap ’em out.”
Now Judge Jehoel frowns at the thought of QUEST snatching up the Korbibtorians and sending them to Gehenna—a fiery place that orbits a giant red star. They’ll probably call this “The Great Rapture,” he muses. But what about forgiveness? Surely, there are people of faith who are also tolerant of those who don’t believe.
The judge motions to the others and says, “We should offer amnesty to those who promise not to evangelize or impose their faith on others in Heaven.”
The room remains silent as the other judges nod in agreement.
But then another judge asks, “Can’t the Korbibtorians evade being zapped away by just not using QUEST to travel?”
“Motorized travel disappeared centuries ago,” another judge jokes. “They’ll have to revert to bumpy rides on the backs of donkeys.”
The Cherubim commander smiles. “We thought of that. So we’re reprogramming the QUEST network to conduct random body print scans of the population.”
Judge Jehoel sighs. “Now no one can hide from the electronic eyes of QUEST, not in buildings or caves or tucked under a rock in the middle of the ocean.”
“That’s correct, Your Honor. Millions more Korbibtorians will soon find themselves zapped to Gehenna without warning.”
One of the younger judges turns to Judge Jehoel. “What was that ancient proverb that talked about the Korbibtorian rapture?”
Judge Jehoel, an old history buff, recalls his school days and then offers a half smile to the junior elder. “‘And their bodies would soon be caught up and stretched into a golden blue flare that shot straight up from the ground as they were taken away to another place.’”
“Amen to that,” the Cherubim high commander concludes.
