Chapter 14 Melchior Forces Metatron to Give up the Zetan Technologies.

Metatron was feeding Sabina with a feeder bottle. Melissa was ill, and he didn't want to expose his daughter to virus-ridden breastmilk. Besides, he loved spending time alone with Sabina, his and Keila's biological daughter. Although Metatron had learned to love Melissa, he did not feel the same way that he had felt for Keila.

When Metatron looked into Sabina's lively green eyes, he saw the Keila he had fallen in love with before Rangda had possessed her. Metatron sighed and felt a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand, he missed Keila, and his daughter reminded him of her. On the other hand, Sabina gave Metatron a sense of purpose that he had never felt before in his very long life.

Samael rushed into the room. Metatron gave him a stern look and spoke.

- Samael, haven't I told you to not disturb me when I am spending time with my daughter.

Samael:

- I know Metatron, but this is important, and it can't wait. The traitor Melchior is here, with a large fleet requesting an audience.

Metatron:

- Melchior? Isn't that psychopath busy tormenting the poor Martians? What does he want from us?

Samael:

- Well, he is from Eden, and some of his family still lives here. I assume he wants to add Eden to his growing domains.

Metatron:

- I won't allow that to happen. I have sworn to lead and protect the Edenites from danger.

Samael:

- How do you intend to scare off a large hostile fleet?

Metatron:

- Samael, do you trust me?

Samael:

- Yes. Why do you ask?

Metatron:

- Because you must follow my lead, regardless of how outrageous it might seem.

- Let's go meet our prominent visitor.

Metatron authorised Melchior's command ship to dock with B528B. Metatron studied Melchior as he disembarked the ship. Melchior seemed to have aged many years, although it was just a year since they last met. And what was the thing with Melchior's eyes? Was he wearing tinted lenses? Metatron decided to find out. He shouted to Melchior:

- Hey Melchior, you got something in your eyes.

Instinctively Melchior rubbed his right eye before he replied.

- No, I haven't, what are you talking about?

Metatron had seen enough. He knew what he was dealing with. During Melchior's eye-rubbing, the tinted lens had moved out of position, revealing Melchior's real eye colour, purple. Two years earlier, When Rangda had possessed Keila, Keila's eye colour had changed to purple, and that had ended in disaster. Now Melchior was under Rangda's evil influence. Metatron decided to tackle the question headfirst:

Metatron:

- How is your old friend, Rangda?

Melchior:

- I don't know what you are talking about!

Metatron:

- Rangda has possessed you. That's why you have turned from an altruistic freedom fighter to a power-hungry tyrant. That's why you wear tinted lenses to hide your real eye colour, glowing purple!

Melchior:

- That is preposterous! Do you think anyone would believe this?

Metatron:

- I have proof. A high-velocity camera took this photo of your iris when you were rubbing your eyes.

Metatron streamed the photo of Melchior's iris onto the large displays in the spaceport of B528B.

Melchior responded nonchalantly:

- Those manipulated photos won't convince anyone. Besides, I am disappointed in your lack of hospitality.

- As an Edenite and soon to be emperor of Mars, I would have anticipated a more courteous reception.

Metatron:

- Don't call yourself emperor yet, there is plenty of opposition to your tyranny, and besides, you never won the presidential election.

Melchior:

- Oh, but I won the presidency fair and square.

Metatron:

- That was because all your opponents died the day before the election.

Melchior:

- What better way to prove that God is on my side? God wants me to rule Mars!

Metatron:

- It only proves you are a murderer and a fraud!

Melchior:

- Look who is talking, the man who helped Abraham to deceive us Edenites for 60 years!

- When I become emperor over Mars, I will rule it with Abraham's rules. But I will use doctrines suitable to the conditions of the 29th century.

- But let's talk about why I am here.

- I am here to take control of Eden and the Divine Control Centre. Being a generous man, I am offering you and the other angels amnesty if you surrender immediately.

Metatron:

- As the leader of Eden, I cannot grant you that request. Instead, I have a counter-offer. Leave us alone, or I will deactivate Eden's atmosphere. This will suffocate everyone, including your parents, your siblings, your nephews and your nieces.

Melchior:

- Impressive! I didn't think you had it in you. Then again, I could have my men shoot you!

Metatron:

- Killing or incapacitating me will trigger the release of cyanide gas into Eden's atmosphere, killing everyone on the surface.

Melchior:

- Okay, so be it. You can keep your Bronze-age colony for all I care.

- But I must have what I came for. I need the Zetan technologies and The Divine Detector machine. Give me those and I'll leave you alone. Refuse, and I don't mind if you kill everyone, including my own family!

- To prove myself, I'll show you what I am capable of.

Melchior streamed a video hologram into the room and continued speaking.

- Do you recognise this woman?

Metatron:

- Yes. It's your mother.

Melchior entered a command on the device on his arm. The video showed how a laser from Melchior's command ship incinerated Melchior's mother.

Metatron:

- Nice try, but I am not falling for that bluff.

Melchior:

- Oh, am I bluffing? Ask the AI for confirmation.

Metatron:

- AI. Did Melchior kill his mother using a laser cannon?

AI:

- I cannot deduce who fired the laser, but a laser did kill Mrs Dorevitch 20 seconds ago.

Melchior:

- Happy now? That's how dedicated I am. Hand over your Zetan technologies or no-one is getting out of here alive!

Fear overwhelmed Metatron and didn't know what to do. He knew that he had the moral duty to stop Melchior by not handing over the technologies. But he was also responsible for the lives of the Edenites. The most important aspect for Metatron was to save the lives of Melissa and Sabina. Metatron felt trapped between duty and love. Love was a dual-edged sword that stopped him from doing the right thing.

Metatron decided to give in to Melchior's demands. Regardless of what he did, Melchior would find a way to steal the Zetan technologies, so it was pointless to resist. Avoiding bloodshed was the best solution, as he had no other options.

Metatron:

- Okay, Melchior, you have proven your point. We will assemble all the Zetan technologies and deliver them on a portable drive tomorrow.

Melchior:

- Wise move! And don't even think about double-crossing me, or I'll expose you to a fate worse than death!

Having said this, Melchior returned to his command ship and undocked from B528B.