CHAPTER 2

The Day of the New

 

After stepping through the ring of light, there was a bright flash, after which he appeared standing beside … himself … lying in a hospital bed. Somehow, he knew—he knew he had just died. He was too focused on the empty shell of himself lying in the bed to notice the power coursing through his own body. As the doctors worked frantically to save the lifeless shell, everything around him began to dissolve into white.

He was in the midst of a luminous void, with the only sensation being that of hurtling upward at a fantastic speed. Then, stillness.

From the nothingness, an azure expanse materialized around him. He gazed downward to behold a vast carpet of white clouds about a hundred feet below. He realized that he was flying—floating, rather—in midair. This is unbelievable, he thought, and in that moment of disbelief he instantly began to plummet. Into the white of the clouds he fell, and, after passing through, he saw the ground—an expanse of green, rolling hills interspersed here and there with lakes and ponds. A beautiful landscape, indeed, but approaching ever more rapidly.

“I believe, I believe,” he said aloud, steeling his nerves. With that, his descent slowed to a halt and again he found himself floating in midair. He sighed in relief and folded his arms. Like in a dream, he could fly, but this was no dream, and he knew it. He knew that he had died, that his earthly existence as he knew it had ended. This isn’t what he had expected, though. Rather than going into the white light as he had often heard tell, the white light had consumed him and brought him to this place. Where were his dead relatives to greet him? Where was God? He hovered there contemplating what would become of those still living for whom he cared and who cared for him. His mom. His dad. Julia. His friends and family.

His squad! Had the ambush resulted in their deaths as well? Were they here somewhere?

Well, if they were here, he wouldn’t find them by idling in the sky. With that, he focused and willed himself forward in flight. The more he focused, the faster he flew, over rolling hills to grassy plains and descending from the flats was the coast, contrasting the green with its golden sands, its line expanding horizontally as far as his eyes could see. Beyond the coast lay a great sea, nearly indistinguishable from the blue horizon. He touched down on the coastal plateau to ponder his next move. From the sight of his initial materialization, he figured he had traveled at least a hundred miles to here—in roughly twenty minutes.

As he stood gazing at the horizon, he felt that all along he had been drawn to the sea. Somehow, he knew that whatever he sought lay in its midst. He decided to find whatever it was and, feeling more confident in his ability, see how fast he could get there. He dropped into a squat and kicked off from the ground with all his might. He didn’t know his own strength. The force of his push-off formed a fissure in the face of the cliff, causing tons of rock and earth to go crashing to the coast and into the adjoining sea. He barely noticed the tremendous boom from the destruction he’d caused over the whoosh in his ears from the great speed of his flight. A few seconds later, he glanced back to behold the extensive coastline now miles behind and the cloud of dust and debris engulfing the spot where he’d taken off. He turned his focus back to the sea ahead. He dove closer to the water, speeding now ten feet parallel to its surface—the force of his speed causing the water to part in his wake.

In the distance before him, he could just make out what appeared to be a mountain so colossal that its peak was shrouded in clouds. He slowed his approach to behold a vast island continent, its border with rocky islands and coastal mountains heaving sharply from the sea. The mountain appeared to lie in the heart of the island, far beyond the serrated peaks of the border. He raised himself to a point above the highest peaks of the lesser mountains and proceeded. He flew over the mountains to discover an immense valley. The pristine divide of the horizon was broken only by the silhouette of the massive mountain, surrounded by a forest in the center of the island. A great river flowed through the forest, dividing the valley and running out through the mountain ranges and into the sea.

The majesty of the unspoiled, beautiful landscape had distracted him from noticing the life-forms frolicking about in the valley and around the river. Upon noticing them, he found the creatures to be just as awe inspiring. He sank down for a closer look.

This is some weird stuff, he thought. At the riverbank, an assortment of what looked to be dinosaurs of various periods were gathered, drinking, and resting. There were various herd mammals roaming and grazing on the plain. In the river, the fins from who knows what were rising periodically and then submerging. He hovered for a few moments to take this all in, and then decided to follow the river upstream, through the forest and toward the mountain, where he somehow knew that he would find some answers.

He followed the river upstream until he came to the point where it emerged from the forest—a rapid, fortified on both sides by the expanse of towering trees. He hovered upriver, fifty feet above the current but well below the canopy formed by the tallest trees where the river narrowed. His heightened senses were aware of the diverse sounds emanating from the forest all around him. He observed giant grizzlies standing on their hind legs—easily twenty feet tall—watching him pass. Deeper in the forest he noticed huge shapes flashing through the trees. One stopped, and he saw that they were enormous apes, just as large as the grizzlies, powerful and nimble. As the width of the river expanded and diminished, the breaks in the canopy revealed the increasingly immense mountain ahead. He picked up his pace in anticipation of what he might find.

As he sped toward the mountain, the river widened and forked in two around and behind a mass of land—an island in the midst of the river. Behind the island loomed the mountain, the source of the river. A glimmer from the island caught his eye. There was a complex in its midst, with various buildings spread about and a marina on its edge. He could see that the marina housed many vessels, and he floated closer to have a look. He saw many fishing boats of various lengths and colors docked in a row. He thought it was odd that some of them were emblazoned with the names of his friends and family members.

Hovering a foot above ground, he made his way up the dock and over a high flight of stairs. At the top, there was a trail that appeared to wind around the circumference of the island. The further inward he moved, the higher the ground rose—the island being a massive hill. The first of the buildings he came to was a replica of the boxing gym he had trained at in his youth, except much larger. The gym, as he remembered it, was a rinky-dink, rusty metal building, with barely enough room to fit the ring and a half-dozen heavy bags. This new gym was a huge facility, made of a glossy metal with the words “Darion’s Gym” in red over the entrance. He touched down and walked through the door. Inside, he beheld the gym of his dreams, the gym he would have purchased in life (had he the funds). An indoor track ran the perimeter of the building in the center of which stood six, fullsize boxing rings, encircling a seventh more elevated one. There were numerous racks of heavy bags, speed bags, and double end bags—essential equipment for a serious boxing gym. He gave himself a complete tour of the gym: the Olympic-sized pool, the upstairs dormitory and recreation room, the weight room. The weight room particularly piqued his interest.

He strolled in, eager to test the strength of his new body. The first thing he noticed upon entering was himself in the mirrors covering the walls. He looked essentially the same but somehow more radiant. He noticed that he was a bit taller and more toned in build. He was clothed in a sleeveless white, hooded, robe-like top with overlapping lapels that fit snuggly over his well-muscled torso. A wide, metal band of gold girded his waist. The top widened below the band, stopping at mid-thigh. In the center of the golden band were etched two parallel vertical lines with two horizontal parallel lines connecting them in between. The shirt draped over loose-fitting white pants tucked into white, leather boots with tightening straps above the ankle and at the top, with golden buckles.

He walked over to the dumbbell rack and noticed that the weights were the same size and aligned in the same manner—smallest to largest—he was familiar with, but the poundage on the weights just couldn’t be right. The smallest weights on the rack, which would have normally been ten pounds, were in this case 1,000 pounds. The weights of the dumbbells on the entire rack were increased by a factor of one hundred—dumbbells the size of the ten-pound ones he remembered weighed 1,000 pounds here; twenty-five pound dumbbells weighed 2,500, and so on. He decided to play it safe and went for the 1,000- pound weight. To his delight, he lifted it as easily as he would have a ten-pound weight. He tested increasingly heavier weights until he reached the one labeled 5,000 pounds—fifty pounds being a strain for him to curl before. He figured that if the conversion held true, then in this world it would be just as difficult for him to lift the 5,000-pound weight. His assumption seemed correct; rather than lifting the weight from the rack in a flexing curl, he strained to pull it up and off with his arm straight, mostly using his shoulder. He strained to curl the weight, but was only able to bend his arm slightly. He tried and tried, but he was unable to complete one full curl. He used both hands to put the weight back on the rack and exited the gym.

He explored large houses, cabins, parks and recreation facilities as he made his way to the complex in the center of the island. As he approached the great wall of the main complex, he was humbled and grateful. A towering letter D fashioned of jet-black stone formed the gate of the high wall. He walked through the gate to see a magnificent mansion crowning the hill, fashioned from the same black stone as the wall. He was filled with awe at the realization that all of this was his. He strolled up the walkway through the meticulously manicured grounds and gardens—crystal ponds and streams, arching bridges, fruit trees, exotic plants and flowers, and paths—to the mahogany front door, which was also in the shape of the letter D. He noticed that the door had no keyhole as he opened it.

“Ahhh …!”

As Darion opened the door, he was pounced on by a massive black tiger. The tiger’s front paws struck Darion in the chest and sent him tumbling backward to the floor in the doorway. Fear gripped Darion as the tiger pinned him to the ground, its face moving closer to his with its teeth bared.

Darion was relieved when the tiger merely nudged its nose into his and licked him playfully. “Salina!” someone shouted, and the tiger looked back and stepped off of Darion, still eyeing him with wide-eyed jollity. Julia and I had a cat named Salina, Darion thought. She died a year ago.

“Welcome, Master Darion.” He was greeted in the large entrance hall by a welcoming chorus from a line of four humanlike beings. Their skins, or exoskeletons rather, were a silvery metal. They all had rather large heads with big eyes and sharp, linear features instead of the rounded features of humans. Darion wiped the Salina slobber off his face as he got back to his feet.

“We’ve been expecting you, Master Darion, for twenty-one years … since you were born,” said a silver-skinned female in housekeeping apparel, stepping forward from the rest.

“Uh … hi,” said Darion. “Maybe you could help me. Um … Who are you? Where am I? And, what is going on?”

“My name is Alice. I am your estate manager. These are the heads of your household staff. Virgil, the butler—the valets report to him.”

The humanoid in a black suit gave a bow with his head.

“Pleased to finally meet you, Master Darion,” said Virgil.

“Uh … pleased to meet you,” said Darion.

“Robert,” continued Alice, “the chef—he is in charge of the cooking staff.”

“I’m sure we will become well acquainted Master Darion,” said the humanoid attired in toque, checked pants, and doublebreasted jacket. “I am skilled in the preparation of all of your favorite dishes. Beef stroganoff, lasagna, barbequed ribs … not to mention pepperoni pizza—stuffed crust, extra cheese, and extra sauce.”

Darion laughed. “Yeah, those are my favorites.”

“And this is Wilson,” said Alice, “head of the grounds-keeping staff.”

“Hello, Master Darion,” said the strongly built humanoid in black overalls, his exoskeleton articulated to resemble human musculature. “Are the grounds to your liking?”

“Everything is great, Wilson. Thank you,” replied Darion.

“The heads of staff and the maids all report to me,” said Alice.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” said Darion. The staff gave a short bow in unison. “You’re robots?” Darion asked.

“Anthropomorphic mechanical beings, Master Darion,” replied Alice. “But, yes, robot is an accurate term as well, as our common designation is Bot.”

“So you’re my staff?” asked Darion.

“Correct.”

“Cool. Then maybe you can answer a few questions for me. Let’s start with … is this heaven?”

“Correct, Master Darion. This is a plane of what you commonly refer to as heaven. You will find that, in actuality, it is merely reality as it is meant to be. You were deemed worthy … ”

“So I can stay?”

“Yes, Master Darion. This whole … ”

“Whooo!” Darion did a cartwheel and cradled Alice’s head in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. With eyes wide with maniacal joy, he walked up to each of the robotic servants. “Whooo!” He kissed the butler. “Whooo!” He kissed the chef. “Whooo!” He kissed the groundskeeper. The robot servants and Salina watched him as he lunged around the entrance hall, pumping his fists frantically. Occasionally, he would stop, look one of them directly in the eyes, and give a resounding whooo while simultaneously throwing up his arms in triumph.

This continued for five minutes, until he made his way back to Alice. “Sorry about that, Alice. So, what is this place?”

“As I am sure you are aware of by now, Master Darion, the physical body that once contained your soul degraded to a degree which would no longer permit it to sustain its functionality as a vessel of your essence.”

“Huh!?”

“Your physical … ”

“Kidding! I got it. I’m dead.”

“Right, Master Darion. Upon the demise of your physical body, your essence was transferred here to Darion V, your planetary endowment, at which time you … ”

“Wait, wait. Darion V? Planetary endowment? Are you telling me this whole planet is a gift? It’s mine?”

“Yes, Master Darion. The universe is an astronomical … ”

Darion repeated his earlier antics.

“Okay, I’m good now,” Darion said after making his way back to Alice. “So you were saying this planet is mine. Got it. I’m a little confused, though. When do I get to meet God? Aren’t my dead family members supposed to meet me or something?”

“Precisely, Master Darion,” said Alice. “A banquet has been prepared for your arrival. As we speak, the houseguests are awaiting you in the courtyard.”

“Sweet.”

Alice led him from the black marble floors of the entrance hall through a labyrinth of arched, lengthy corridors with brilliant white carpet with adjacent doors of various design—some wooden and carved with intricate designs, some of glistening metal, and others plain slab—to a hall with a large glass wall and door, through which lay the courtyard. Through the glass, he could see a diverse crowd of hundreds, and no one he could recognize.

“I don’t recognize any of these people,” he told Alice.

“Most of them you have never met, Master Darion,” she said. “Some are your ancestors and relatives. Some are the relatives of your friends back on earth. The bonds you form on earth are often mirrored here by those who watch over you and your friends. For instance, that woman in the red kimono is your friend Lee’s grandmother. She and your relatives became close friends in the time they spent watching over you two.”

“This is all a lot to take in,” said Darion. “All of these people here for me … I don’t know what to say. I’m nervous. Do I just go out there?”

“I do believe that is why they are gathered here, Master,” responded Alice. “I recommend that you dive in, as they say.”

Darion gave Alice a nod and made his way through the large glass door, which parted for him as he approached. The sun shined down, illuminating him as he entered the extensive courtyard. The courtyard was so vast that it was nowhere near filled, even with hundreds of occupants. There were flower gardens dispersed throughout and a pond in the center. There was a covered serving area with robot servants attending to the guests. The guests were standing around, eating and drinking, some sitting on the artistically hewn stone seats that were part of the courtyard landscape, others floating in midair and conversing casually. Robot servants were moving throughout the crowd, bringing food and drink to the guests, some even floating up to serve guests in the air.

All of the guests were peculiar in appearance, human, of course, but unique. They seemed to glow, as if radiated from within. Everyone appeared to be no older than twenty-something and was physically toned. Some of the men were very tall, easily seven feet in height.

“The guest of honor,” called one of the men loudly. “One, two, three … ”

“Happy birthday!” the crowd said in unison.

A man with his arm around a woman, both in white robes approached Darion, along with another man in a white polo shirt, khakis, and golf shoes.

Darion recognized them at once from pictures he had seen that showed them in their youth.

“Paw-paw! Nana! Granddaddy!” exclaimed Darion.

He gave his grandparents long, jubilant hugs, looking on each of them with wonder.

“Happy birthday; you made it son,” said Paw-paw.

“You look good, kid,” said Granddad, the man in the polo shirt.

“We’re so glad to see you … well, in person. Because we’ve seen you,” said Nana. “We didn’t miss one special occasion. Birthdays. Graduation. We were there.”

“What’s up with the outfit, Granddad?” asked Darion.

“Will here got to heaven and decided to take up golfing,” said Paw-paw. “He spent a year straight practicing in seclusion with his server-Bot, golf buddy”—then added in a low voice—“and he’s still terrible.”

“Is that all you do here, recreational activities?” asked Darion.

“Now, that’s a good question. I’m sure you have many more as well,” responded Nana. “What we do here is live our lives how they were meant to be—in happiness and with gratitude to the Lord. We are free to pursue unlimited interests, some of which we weren’t given the opportunity to on earth. For your granddad William, golf was something that always intrigued him, but due to unfortunate circumstances that prevailed when he lived, mainly the deception of racism, he was unable to pursue that desire. He’s terrible at golf, but here he can practice and play as he wishes.”

“I’m terrible huh?” asked Granddad, glaring at her through narrowed eyes.

“Here comes your uncle,” said Nana.

A tall man in a white suit approached with his arms spread wide and grabbed Darion in a powerful bear hug.

“Un-cle Tee-ee,” Darion sputtered as his uncle hugged and shook him.

“Man, it’s good to see you,” said Uncle T.

“It’s good to see you too, Unc,” said Darion.

“So, when do I get to meet God and Jesus?” asked Darion.

“In due time, my boy,” said Paw-paw. “In times past, upon ascending, people would be transported directly to the Lord’s throne room. An overwhelming experience, to say the least. Now, people ascend right to their planetary endowments and are greeted by family members to gradually acclimate them to things.”

“So, you’re angels? We’re angels?” asked Darion.

“I got this one,” said Granddad. “No, we’re not angels. Angels are the ancient beings that were created at the dawn of the universe. Heaven was always their home. We, on the other hand, are the Ascended—humans who have died and been granted ascension into heaven. Reborn, so to speak. Hence, the happy birthday.”

“So, now I have two birthdays? What is today anyway?” Darion asked.

“September 1, 2005,” said Nana.

Darion’s head drooped, and he gave a painful smile.

“I remember talking about ten days and a wake-up with my friend Jacob,” Darion said. “Ten days and we would have got to go home. It’s funny that on the day I should have returned home, I end up dead.”

“Don’t grieve, my boy,” said Paw-paw. “For a time, such is the way of all flesh. Though you miss those you’ve left behind, this is your true home. It always has been.”

“He’s right, Darion,” said Uncle T. “I know why you joined the army. You risked your own life for the sake of others, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

“What happened to my friends?” asked Darion. “What happened to Jacob? Is he okay?”

Paw-paw placed a hand on Darion’s shoulder. “That, and many other things, will soon be revealed to you,” he said. “For now, allow us to rejoice in your homecoming. Come on, there are many people who would like to meet you.”

Darion’s grandparents introduced him to everyone at the party, guests and robot servants alike. He met many ancient ancestors and their friends, people who had ascended hundreds of years ago. Some of the people he met surprised him more than others.

Paw-paw introduced Darion to a gentleman with short, spiked blonde hair, dressed casually in a white T-shirt and jeans. “This is your great, great, great, great, great … uh, how many greats would it be, Luke?” Paw-paw asked the man.

“A lot, James,” the man replied.

“Well,” said Paw-paw, “this is your really great-granddad, Lucas Elmore.”

Darion was taken aback and looked back and forth between Lucas, his grandparents, and his uncle. After a moment, Darion spoke. “You’re white,” he said to Lucas.

Luke and the others all began to laugh hysterically. “See,” said Paw-paw. “Same thing I said when I met him.”

“Yeah, that’s very perceptive of you guys,” Luke laughed. “I can’t wait for the next prolific insights.”

They continued making the rounds, joking and conversing with everyone at the party. He met the ancestors and relatives of his own friends, including some Ascended relatives of his good friend Jacob. Though he honored his grandfather’s wishes for him not to discuss it, the fate of his friend Jacob and his team weighed heavily on his mind.

Finally, Darion’s grandparents introduced him to a formidable looking man in sleeveless robes similar to Darion’s, but accessorized with golden spaulders, and greaves over his boots.

“Darion, this is Joseph Hughes,” said Paw-paw.

“It’s good to finally meet you,” said the tall, brawny man as he shook Darion’s hand. Hughes’s brown hair was cropped low, and he had a gentle face with penetrating green eyes.

“Watch out, Darion; he’s a recruiter,” said Granddad with a smile. “They’re tricky, son. Don’t let him fool you into anything.”

“Will, the only person here trying to fool anyone is you, going around impersonating a golfer,” Hughes responded.

“Any time, Hughes. I think you’d be surprised if we had a match now,” said Granddad.

“Darion, you voiced concern for your friend Jacob and the rest of your team. I’m sure Joseph here can give you some answers,” said Paw-paw. “He serves in the Host, the warriors of heaven.”

“I know of the Host of Heaven from the Bible,” Darion said. “You’re an angel, Mr. Hughes?”

“Nah,” Hughes replied. “I’m Ascended. Class of ’65,” he said with a smile.

“I thought angels made up the army of heaven,” said Darion.

“All who populate heaven,” said Granddad, “the loyal angels, the Ascended, and the Supernals, essentially comprise the Host, though there are some who opt to serve in the Host directly, taking an active role in what is called spiritual warfare on earth. We were given a choice, as will you, of whether to take a more active role in the conflict on earth—a job that can be extremely disheartening even for those of us who have seen glory—or forsake such involvement for the inheritance of eternity. Whichever you choose, you will be blameless, because Lord knows earthly life was a struggle in itself. As for me, James and Martha here, we’ve chosen to live post ascension in relative peace. There have been times when we have had to take part in earthly conflicts with the forces of the enemy, but our activities pertained more to the defense of our own families, rather than the global effort perpetrated by the Host.”

“Man, Will,” said Paw-paw, “Did you have that little spiel prepared?”

Granddad gave him a cutting glance.

“I hope you have time, Hughes,” said Darion. “I have a lot of questions.”

“I have a lot of answers,” said Hughes.

“Can we discuss this in a more private place?” asked Darion.

“I have an idea,” said Hughes.

Hughes’s eyes began to glow with a golden light. The light connected between his eyes and formed a circle around his head—a halo. The ring of light began to grow larger until it brought Darion within its circumference.

“See you in a bit, Darion,” said Paw-paw.

His other grandparents and Uncle T said the same.

“Uh … okay. See you in a little bit,” said Darion as he looked about questioningly at the ring of light surrounding himself and Hughes.

“You saw the large mountain at the center of this continent, right? Let’s go there,” said Hughes.

With that, the ring collapsed—bringing them both into a miniscule ball of light—and disappeared.