"25 years ago, God disappeared." "His angels held man responsible, and declared war on humanity." "The Archangel Gabriel led this war of extermination, hoping to rid the world of humans and claim dominion over it." "Some higher angels refused to take sides, but the lower angels joined Gabriel." "These lesser spirits lacked bodies, so their first line of attack was to steal ours." "But Michael, the greatest of all archangels, chose to fight for man." "With his help, the survivors struck back and built strongholds to defend themselves." "Soon, word spread of a baby Michael had saved, a child who would grow up to be mankind's savior." "This chosen one would be known by the markings on his body." "Finally, Gabriel and his army retreated, and we were left with the realization that not only are angels real... they are our most hated enemies." "Join us." "We have an empty seat." "A. Lannon, pass code 2271." "Open the gates." "2271." "Respond!" "A. Lannon, pass code 2271." "I've got an angel in pursuit." " What have you got?" " 2271, respond!" "Distress call, sir." "One of ours." "Where the hell are you guys?" "Open the damn gate!" "Should I let him in, sir?" "Open the gate!" "2271." "Open the damn gate..." "A. Lannon!" "Passcode..." "Warning, perimeter breach." "Warning, perimeter breach." "Now entering security zone five." "Now entering security zone five." "All right, all right, easy." "Yeah, okay." "Possession negative." "Lannon!" "What the hell were you doing outside the city without authorization?" "It was two-for-one buffet at the Flamingo." "I just couldn't miss it." "What do you think I was doing?" "You saw the eight ball." "It wasn't just one of 'em." "There was a whole group of 'em." " We need to tell Riesen." " No." "Take him to the archangel." "He's one of his men." " Aw, man." " I'll report to Riesen." "You were a naughty boy tonight." "You shouldn't indulge me." "These evenings would be much more enjoyable if you didn't hate yourself after." "Any risk, no matter how small, that I might have children is too great." "Would it be such a bad thing?" "Vega needs children." "Not children like that." "This has to stop." "Then stop." "Market access is restricted to V-4 and above." "Market access is restricted to V-4 and above." "A regal Jubilee, only at the Whele Arena." "Don't miss it!" "This city's going to hell." "Exiting the city with a vehicle is a realigning offense." "You're gonna get purged down to V-0 for this." "It's an untouchable." "It's better than making a home in Michael's ass to be a V-3 like you." "How'd you do it?" "You reprogram one of the gates?" "Crack the surveillance?" "Leave the whip." "You know the rules and why they exist." "Everything in Vega has a purpose." "That's how the city survives." "Founding law." ""For the protection and good of all, gates are inviolable."" "We have a right to leave." "We all do." "No, you don't." "Tell me about the angels." "There were three of 'em, all eight balls." "But something about them was different." "One of them could change his body." "A soldier." "He had wings." "Where were they?" "A couple miles down the strip." " What were they doing?" " Playing Texas hold 'em." "Not kidding." "And what were you doing out there?" "You know the punishment for going outside the walls." "I'm gonna be purged?" "No, you're Archangel Corps." "But if you ever do anything like this again," "I'll not spare you." "Do you understand me?" "Stand up." "I think that's enough, Michael." "He's learned his lesson." "Right, boy?" "Tell no one about what you saw." "Not a word about the eight balls to anyone." "Now, go report for duty." "He shouldn't be outside the walls." "The ruins are too dangerous." "The boy has been sneaking out since he was a child." "He knows Vega better than anyone." " He needs discipline." " Perhaps." "But after what he did for Claire," "I owe him." "The eight ball came right up to the gate." "They're back." "In the war, the entire lower rank of angels joined Gabriel, but unlike archangels," "Gabriel's lower angels, the dogs of heaven, they were lesser spirits without a physical form, and they couldn't visit earth without a body, so they stole ours." "Then came whispers of a chosen child who would grow up to lead mankind out of darkness, and his legend quickly spread, giving humanity hope, a reason to fight back, and the angels hated it." "Now, it's said that Michael acted alone, saved the child, and hid him in such a way that not even Michael knows where he is." " You're late." " Yeah, sorry, I got held up." " Asshole." " You're an asshole." "We continue to hope..." "No, to believe that the chosen one, our savior, will someday reveal himself to us." "Is there anything else" "I can help you with tonight, ma'am?" "What happened to your head?" "There were eight balls by the truck." "What?" "Your father told me not to say anything, so you have to keep quiet." "Alex, they attacked you." "That's what they do." "I'm fine." "You need to speak to your dad." "I know." "I know." "I will tonight." "I've asked to see him." "I'll tell him about us, and I will get his permission to marry." "But you still have to do the knee and the ring thing." "It just so happens I have a knee and a ring." "What?" "Alex, he'll say yes." "Trust me." "I know him." "You're my shield." "You took a knife for me." "There is no me without you." "We're different, you and I." "Yeah, what?" "You think you know him better than I do." "I know the system better than you." "Claire, the truck is ready." "We have enough supplies to easily make it to Delphi." "Claire, they don't have numbers there." "Everyone is equal." "We could start a new life, but it's got to be tomorrow night." "The city will be busy with the Jubilee, and you could slip out." "But it won't come to that." "He'll say yes." "But if he doesn't, wherever you go," "I follow." "Okay?" "What's your name, soldier?" "Alex Lannon, V-2." "The House Riesen, AA Corp." "Alex Lannon." "It's against our law for you to be alone with Claire, Alex, so next time make sure you're accompanied by another guard." " Principate." " Please, Claire, not you." "I'm still the same William you played marbles with in this room." "Yes, and always be." "Yeah, maybe you should call me Principate." "It does sound much better when it comes from you." "You missed services tonight." " I was teaching." " That's right." "You know, I admire your work with Vega's less fortunate." "You of all people know how important it is that our faith must be nurtured." "It must be kept like a promise." "It troubles me that so many of Vega's citizens have forgotten this simple truth." "Yes." " Well, let us pray." " Yes." "Hey, Bix." "What'd you do now?" "I got on the wrong side of the peacock." "Riesen stepped in." "You should keep out of anything to do with the tops." "Yeah, they're no different than us." "They just got a better number." "When's the last time you ate?" "Here." "I ate at the palace." "You want to know a secret?" "One day, we're gonna live somewhere where there aren't any numbers, where we aren't told what to do, what to eat, where to sleep, and whom to marry." "One day, we're gonna be free." " Promise?" " I promise." "Stay close the next day or so." "Something big's gonna happen, and whichever way it goes, you're coming with me." " Consul." " General." "Oh, lookee here." "I asked the horticulturist to grow these on the agri-towers." "I never much cared for berries." "There was an angel attack on a soldier outside the walls today." "Small group, three angels." "Easily destroyed." "Not all of 'em." "One survived." "Don't worry." "It's been taken care of." "But the archangel is concerned, and you should be too." "Michael sees evil portent in everything and everyone." "It was an isolated incident, nothing more." "No further sightings on our long-range scans." "We deployed the drone." "All clear." "We don't want it getting out." "It could cause panic." "Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing." "We've done our jobs too well." "Vega has grown complacent, lazy." "So are you looking forward to the announcement at the Jubilee?" "Yes." "Tomorrow, then." "I've been guarding David Whele for six months." "I finally saw what he feeds that tiger of his." "It's not a tiger." "It's a lion." "Is there a difference?" " Yeah, stripes." " Whatever." "It gets steak for dinner..." "dry-aged porterhouse." "When was the last time you even tasted beef?" "Cat's one of a kind." "We're a dime a dozen." "Speak for yourself." " Hey, boys." " Noma." "Hey, Ethan, can you weasel your way into a bottle of Scotch for me tonight?" ""Weasel"?" "Really?" " She means charm your way." " Nooo..." "I mean "Weasel"!" "You know what goes great with Scotch, Noma?" "Porterhouse steak, and I can get some." "My gift to you." "Alex, I'll grab one for you too." "We're gonna eat like tigers tonight." " Lions." " Tigers." "You've been logging some serious overtime" " at House Riesen." " I go where I'm told." "So General Riesen's just decided to tighten security?" "Why wouldn't he?" "He's lord of the city." "The man's concerned about his daughter's safety." "Who said anything about his daughter?" "No one." "It's just you know how he is about Claire." "Yeah." "He cares a lot about her, doesn't he?" "Don't the Wheles ever sleep?" "Not if there's money to be made." "It's a delegation from Helena." "It's been a while since you seen anyone from Helena around in these walls." "Have you ever seen one of their kids before?" "They keep 'em hidden." "It's their law." "You think that kid's the one?" "The chosen one's a myth." "That's something they tell children to give them hope." "I don't understand why you'd have me travel all this way to see another of your factories." "Well, this isn't one of our factories." "Has Evelyn considered my proposal?" "She's not ready to join in a treaty with you which may pit us against New Delphi." "Trading, yes." "Armaments, a mutual defense pact, not now." "Evelyn wished to give you this." "A derringer." "One of these killed Abraham Lincoln." "A thoughtful gift." "You obviously learned a lot about me on your last visit." "A passion for weapons is hard to forget." "I would prefer you remember me for something more inspiring." " And what would that be?" " Hope." "Gone are the days when darkness is something to fear." "With this technology, the lights of Vega will shine as a beacon of hope for 1,000 years." "Along with food and our medicines," "I can offer 500 brides, all of childbearing age, in exchange for the technology to build our own reactor." "There'll be time to negotiate later." "My men will show you the bungalows where you can rest and freshen up after your flight." "Thank you, David." "And tomorrow night, you'll be my guests at the yearly Jubilee in the Grand Arena." "It's a small gesture the house of Whele makes to inspire and entertain the city." " Good night, Arika." " Good night." "I wonder if the brides she was offering would be spies." "Possible." "We have so much that they don't." "Helena has the only air force in the cradle, a fleet of aircraft they inherited from hill air force base." "The cripple Riesen won't be an obstacle much longer." "Once we have consolidated our position and you've been made lord of the city, we'll want her as an ally." "Jeep." "I see you still like the highest perch." "It's been 15 years." " I thought you were dead." " Hmm." "14 1/2, but who's counting?" " What does everyone else think?" " The same." "David Whele built you a statue in memoriam." "That's creepy." "It's not a good likeness." "It looks more like Whele than you." "He hasn't changed." "We all assumed the tattoos were lost to us." "No." "Have you deciphered any of them?" "It isn't just a language to decipher." "It's something else." "And from what I could find, there's no historical equivalent." "Much of the last 14 years was spent on wild goose chases, looking for the names of prophets I'd misspelled or tasks I thought I was commanded to carry out." "Unfortunately, the tattoos are indecipherable." "How is he?" "What's he like?" "Undisciplined, strong-willed, passionate, mercurial." "Good." " Can you bring him to me?" " Yes." "Everything's about to change." "War's coming." "People have lived inside these walls so long they've forgotten they're not prisoners." "Father, there's something that I need to tell..." "I'm stepping down from ruling Vega." "The city's strong enough to give power back to the people." "Let them make their own way going forward." "The people are not ready." "Vega is not ready." "And Senator Whele will never give up power that easily." "He won't allow the people to govern themselves." "Father, if you step down in the name of democracy, he will turn this city into a dictatorship." "And what do you think it is now?" "You're a good man." "Am I?" "Why now?" "We have worked so hard to build this city into what it is." "You can't just give up." "I'm not giving up." "I'm moving forward." "So should you." "You have the strength of character that Vega desperately needs, Claire." "You'll be important to its survival, and soon, you'll be called on to protect it." "So what was it you wished to tell me?" "Nothing." "It was nothing." "You're as paranoid as ever." "If that were true, you'd be dead." "Tell me about the boy." "I've never seen any of your children before." "Why bring him here?" "Roan isn't one of our children." "He's favored by Evelyn." "She dotes on him like an adopted son." "Oh." "Why?" "He's a savant." "Knows 20 languages, can play a Bach piano concerto, recites Shakespeare." "His knowledge of history is astonishing." "He's amazing, teaching us many things, but he's painfully shy and needs to be treated gently." "Roan wanted to see the great city of Vega, and Evelyn denies him nothing." "She believes he's special, very special." "And you?" "I've never seen a child quite like him." "A boy with those gifts could be useful to Vega." "He's not for sale." "Everything has a price." "She wants to see you upstairs." "Needs some stuff from the supply center for tonight." "Yes, ma'am." "I need these filled by early afternoon." " Yes, ma'am." " Listen." "Something is happening with my father that could change everything." "I couldn't bring it up to him." "So tonight after the Jubilee, we leave as planned." "That'll be all." "Thank you." "Come with me." "Okay, okay, okay." "You've trained him well, Michael." "Dad?" "How did you get here?" "I came back last night to see you, to talk." "I'm not interested in anything you have to say." "You gave me up." "A scribbled note left in the night made that clear." "Do you remember what it said?" "I do." ""You'll be an orphan now, Alex."" "I didn't think I'd make it back." "I was 11." "You left me alone." "You had Michael." "He isn't even human." "Human enough to side with us against his own." "The only one to fight for us." "Without Michael, we would've lost the war." "Alex!" "Nothing's been done that wasn't necessary." ""Necessary"?" "Do you realize by making me an orphan, you put me in the lowest caste?" "A 1." "If I hadn't become a soldier," "I wouldn't have had anywhere to sleep or anything to eat." "You basically left me to die." "It isn't the life I would have chosen for you." "None of it is." "You." "You knew this all along." "Alex." "You go back to whatever hole you crawled out of." "You don't have a son." "We need to bring the council together today before the Jubilee." "Did I do the right thing for Alex?" "That remains to be seen." "They found this at the altar." "I don't understand." "The angels took everything from us, and there are idiots who still worship them." "I know, but the acolytes are still a small and secretive group." " They can't hide forever." " Good." "My followers will find them." "Keep them searching." "Come on inside." "He was caught outside the city walls this morning, trying to find a way inside." "You... you brought one into the city?" "People need to be reminded of what we're up against and who's protected them all this time." "You're sharpening that like you're gonna kill somebody." "Yeah, you." "You're late." "I was working in the laundry, and they wouldn't let me go." "I'm sorry." "I had a bad day." "You want to talk about it?" "It's in the past." "Bixby, gonna meet me at south entrance of the arena." "Access is restricted to V-2 and above." " Can you get in?" " Yeah." "10:00 P.M. tonight." "Do you understand?" "You can't be late." " What's going on?" " You'll see." "And, Bixby, you can't tell anyone." "You got it?" "She's more of a man than you." "What's Michael being so cryptic about?" "Yeah, I'm alive." "How?" "Thick-headedness." "I haven't been able to decipher anything of substance from the tattoos." " Can Michael?" " No." "But more importantly, I found Gabriel." "What?" "I guess it was wishful thinking that he might have died in the bombings." "He built a fortress and an army of the possessed in the mountains outside of Boulder." "They seem to have adapted." "Gabriel is massing for another war." "It gets worse." "A few of the higher angels have joined Gabriel, and they can appear perfectly human." "In the same way as Michael and Gabriel?" "Yes." "They belong to the second sphere of angels, the powers." "They were born to be warriors to keep the other angels in line, and like Gabriel, some of them have always hated man." "The powers are far more dangerous than the angels that possessed mankind during the extermination." "I had hoped they would sit out this war." "Gabriel's obviously persuaded some of them to join him." "His name is Furiad." "We should cancel the Jubilee." " Alert the city." " Agreed." "All of this has convinced me it's time to reveal the chosen one." " You know who it is?" " Yeah." "Who?" "We will tell you soon enough." "I don't have time for this." "There's no chosen one, no one coming to save us." "Never was." "We're the chosen ones, not some imaginary savior." "That isn't true." "The savior's real." "The baby lived." "That's your delusion, not mine." "So the baby lived." "Many babies lived." "We lived." "Hear them out, David." "Michael has never misled us." "Michael may not be a mystery to you, Madam Consul, but he is to me." "What were you planning on doing?" "Find some random child, and tell us he's the baby?" "What proof do we have?" "How do we measure him, on your word alone?" "You have faith." "Oh, that died a long time ago, Archangel, when your kind laid waste to my planet." "And "War Is Coming"?" "Not news to me." "It never ended." "We are the angels' natural enemy." "It won't be over until they're extinct or we are." "And what we have to do is prepare everyone for that inevitability." "Lead them!" "And we lead them by attending the Jubilee." "People need a release from the stress of this city, but more important, they need something to inspire them." "So, General, tonight has to go forward." "We cannot cancel." "After that, I mean," "I'll be the first to reconvene here, roll my sleeves up, and do whatever it takes to keep us safe." "But don't ask me to put my faith in some child god." "A savior." "I'll never do it again." " How could you allow it?" " Allow what?" " Allow him to have you." " It's work, nothing more." "Evelyn won't see it that way." "I've got nothing to say to you." "Then I'll do the talking." "I never knew there were any pictures of my mother." "This is the only one." "It's been my good luck charm all these years." "Now it's yours." "Welcome, Vega!" "Tonight we celebrate our resilience, our fortitude, and our collective courage!" "Every year we use this, our Jubilee, to be reminded of the past, but also to look forward, and it is in that spirit of looking forward that I have an announcement to make of incredible importance to this, our beloved city," "to Vega!" "Tonight... tonight our city will become stronger." "It will become unified, because tonight it is my great pleasure to announce the engagement of Claire Riesen... to William Whele." "Come on, son." "Come and take a bow." "Come." "Come on, Claire." "Stand up." "Through their marriage, we will join Vega's two greatest houses, the house of Riesen and Whele, thus securing the safety and future of this wondrous city." "Now, as is our custom, at the Jubilee, we celebrate the soldiers who stand on our walls, who protect us, keep us safe so that we can enjoy this life, but tonight we have something extra special." "Thomas Ford is one of Vega's greatest champions, a legend for killing 22 eight balls in battle with nothing but his knife." "Let's hear it for Thomas." "Well, Thomas, it's time to meet the 23rd." "Okay, settle down now." "There's nothing to fear." "We are in complete control." "You allowed him to bring one into the city?" "But it's good." "It's always good..." "I had no idea." "To be reminded of what we face, what is out there waiting for us, the thing that asks nothing but takes all." "It must be destroyed." "Gabriel." "Oh, my..." "Let's go." "Come on." "Let's go!" "Warning, security breach." "How did they get that close without us knowing?" "Warning, security breach." "Ah, hell." "Fire!" "Code Red." "A citywide attack is imminent." "Get Claire and Riesen to bunker eight." "Stay there until I come and get you." "Go, go!" "Bunker eight!" "Code Red." "A citywide attack is imminent." "Bixby!" "Bixby!" "Bixby!" "Bixby!" "Bixby!" "Code Red, Code Red." "Report to designated safe area." "Get back!" "Get back!" "Let's go!" "Move, people, this way!" "Come on!" "Bixby!" "Bixby!" " Come on, come on!" " Alex!" "Claire!" "I'm so sorry." "I didn't know." "Listen, we don't have enough time right now." "We gotta get out of here." "No, no, no, no, no!" "Claire, Claire, this way." "Go this way!" " What am I looking at?" " Three angels, sir." "They breached the city's defenses." "We managed to destroy one of them, but two made it over the wall." " Where are they headed?" " The reactor, sir." "Incoming!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Let's go." "Leave right now, tonight." "Leave the city?" "It's under attack." " This is a Code Red." " It's perfect." "By the time they begin looking for us, we'll be half way to Delphi." "I can't." "Not right now." "My father needs me, and Vega needs us." "We have to stay and protect the city." "We'll work this out." "Nobody is gonna tell me who to marry, Alex." "What makes you think you're gonna have a choice, huh?" "If we go through that door, Claire, we're staying." "We're never gonna leave." "Alex, I promise." "I promise I will make this right." "Trust me." "Please, don't leave me." "Sir, what's..." "Sir, every camera in the city is dark." " What are you doing?" " Michael needs my help." " Michael can handle himself." " Get out of my way." "If this bunker's breached, all of Vega's leaders are within these walls." "Claire?" "She's your responsibility." " You're needed here." " I'm needed out there more." "You can't help him now." "No one can." "It won't take long to restore power to Vega." "We'll soon get our defenses back online." "I have every confidence in you, David." "I was so worried." "Thank the savior you're all right." "I am." "Stop firing!" "Cease fire!" "I need a med kit!" "You're ready." "I believe in you." "You... you are the chosen one." "The last words from a dying brain." "The man was hallucinating." "Ridiculous." "Get up." "Arrest her." "You have to believe me, David." "We had no part in this." " And round up her entourage." " I had no idea what Roan was." "He was deceiving all of us." "What would we have to gain?" " Please think." " I am." "General, please, you must listen to me." "Go!" "Go!" "I don't want her hurt." "Arresting Arika could spark another war." "We're already at war." "They brought that thing into the city, and it killed Jeep." "And you unleashed that monstrosity at the Jubilee." "How is this any different?" "You knew what you were doing." "It's not sure that she did." "Vega has become unfocused, and so have you." "My little demonstration couldn't have worked any better." "Now we'll all be ready for the battle that's coming." "So, Alex Lannon, show us your arms." "Who's that?" "Bixby." " Designation?" " V-1." "V-1..." "What... what is she doing here?" "She's with me." "She's under my protection." "The protection of House Riesen." "Well, she better be able to keep a secret, because no one here is gonna breathe a word of this to anyone until we've figured out what it all means." " Is that understood?" " She'll be quiet." "I promise." "I'm fine." "What happened?" "The reactor was damaged, but containment held... for now." "The boy was an angel, another member of the powers." "That's why he was able to pass through our scanners." "Jeep was right." "More than one higher angel has joined Gabriel in his war against us." "Cover up." "Make sure none of the tattoos show." "Alex is the baby I saved all those years ago." "He's under my protection." "I don't believe this Alex Lannon is the chosen one or even that the baby was ever real." "You saw the tattoos." "You saw what happened." "I saw the tattoos transfer from Jeep to Alex, but I've seen more extraordinary things happen since this insanity began." "The tattoos are a harbinger of what's to come." "They will usher in a period of hope." "Save it for your flock, William." "Religious theater is one thing." "This is politics." "My faith is not a theater, nor is it a delusion." "I don't know what it all means, but I'm not bowing to anyone, and you aren't either." "Alex Lannon is now our greatest threat, and Claire Riesen is in love with him, which makes your union that much harder." "What?" "You're wrong." "Oh, William, come on." "I'm sorry, but your feelings for Claire have obviously blinded you to what was plain to see in that room, which makes it more imperative than ever that we take full control of Vega." "Evelyn isn't gonna like us holding Arika in prison." "Riesen thought she was innocent." "She seemed to be speaking the truth when she said she had no idea what Roan was." "I don't care." "That city is full of assassins." "How do you think Evelyn came to power?" "You know Arika is Evelyn's wife, don't you?" "Don't agree with Riesen about anything ever again." "You were never alone." "What?" "When Jeep left, you were never alone." "I watched over you." "I made sure you joined the army." "I formed the Archangel Corps so that I could stay close to you without arousing suspicion." "Everything was done so you could train in secret." "No one could know who you were." "Am I supposed to thank you... thank Jeep... for all of this?" "No, it just is." "As your father, Jeep held the tattoos on his body for when you were ready." "He knew it might mean his death." "I'm not ready." " I'm no savior." " You are." "It's up to you to decipher the tattoos." "I bore them on my body before they were transferred onto Jeep's, but they were always meant for the chosen one." "First the tattoos were on you." "Then they were on Jeep." "Then they're on me." "How do I know they're not meant for someone else?" "What are they?" "Our fate..." "Our hope... written in a language long since forgotten, one even I don't know." "Can you show them to me?" "Can you read them?" " I can't." " You must." "This is war, and only one side can win." "What's in those tattoos will guide you through what's to come." "They will lay out the path through which mankind can be redeemed and Gabriel and his legions pushed back, but this path will not be easily traversed." "At every step, you must choose which course to take." "I believe you are the only one that can end this war." "I'm just a man, Michael." "How can you be sure?" "Nothing is ever certain, but Jeep had hope, Alex." "He had faith in you, and so do I." "Try." "Can you discern anything?" "No." "My son," "William." "We found him."