Distant Cathartic

Distant Cathartic III (Soul 5)

Athlon stared out into the endless expanse of stars and worlds. There were so many countless souls, huddled together in bunches on the .0001% of the galaxy that was made up of habitable planets. Life clung to every rock, every inhospitable crevice of every atmospheric moon. Lucifer wanted to claim them all. Somewhere, hidden in the trillions of miles that made up the Dopinephrine Galaxy, the Dark Lord was plotting his next move. Whatever he was planning, Athlon know it would mean the death of millions.

Orbiting Heaven, the Android had retooled his long range sensors to pick up even the faintest hint of Lucifer's presence. It had been three days since Lucifer had escaped Athlon and the Elysians, and Athlon had spent most of that time up here, searching for the ultimate predator.

While the sensors spun endlessly, searching for a signal, Athlon had considered the nature of Lucifer, hoping to garner some insight. He built complex algorithms to analyze every encounter he had with Lucifer, and extrapolated a model of behavior. He added to this the memories of his 4000 years in hell, examining every twisted soul, every psychological horror.

At his core, Lucifer hated life. He saw how people had swarmed to Boris' teachings, how they had given up on the grand potential of life in exchange for mindless slavery. Lucifer was a lonely being, a creature that destroyed or imprisoned every form of life he had ever come in contact with. He was bitter, and had used his bitterness to bury himself ever deeper in the lustful allure of evil.

Athlon saw that what Lucifer truly desired was an empire. He had collected billions of souls, just as Boris had. But where Boris wanted personal power, Lucifer wanted an army. For him, it wasn't enough to be lord of the damned. He wasn't satisfied with the souls that came to him willingly; Lucifer wanted to prey on the basic instincts of man, driving them to fear him and each other. He wanted to plant his dark flag above the entire galaxy, and move from planet to planet, collecting the souls of everyone, good and bad alike. Athlon considered this a long time, and came to realize that Lucifer was his greatest foe to date. He made Osiris look like an angry puppy, and Boris like a lazy fool.

Deciding to rest, Athlon turned his sensors to maximum power, and headed back down to the shiny planet where the Elysian warriors were waiting. They had reclaimed their strength, and were meditating in a circle when Athlon landed. After a moment, they stirred, and rose to welcome their leader.

Athlon sat with them, and asked the question he had been pondering since meeting them. He asked why the Elysians wanted to help him. They existed on a different plane, and easily could have remained unknown to the rest of the galaxy, going about their long lives in peace.

The Elysians looked around at one another, and Athlon sensed that they were communicating privately. After a few minutes, they turned to Athlon and agreed to share their story. One of the six stepped forward, and took Athlon's head in his hands. He stared into the Android's eyes, and began a mental transfer. Athlon was gently tugged deep into his mind, and he closed his eyes, feeling the calming effect of the Elysian's telepathic presence.

Athlon saw the beautiful dimension that the Elysians had called home for eons. Millions of Elysians moved about, floating in space instead of residing on a planet. They reminded Athlon of jellyfish, glowing softly against the blackness of space.

Athlon came to understand much more than just what he saw. His ally on Heaven had opened a remarkable door in Athlon's mind, and had given him unlimited access to the memories of the Elysians. They had existed here, in Elysia, for millions of years. Having ascended from carbon- based lifeforms to beings of energy, they had achieved long life that bordered on immortality. They existed in space, feeling the solar winds passing through them. They collected ancient knowledge from the rest of the universe in the whispers of the stars.