The Last Bastion: Bunker Chicago (Collab) A Theological Discussion

Persephone

She Who Destroys
Florence Morgenstern and Ozymandias - A Theological Discussion
@Persephone & @Grothnor

Florence paced back and forth, the sound of her footsteps echoing within the confines of the dilapidated church. It had, at one point, been a worthy place of worship, with services attended by some of the less fortunate residents of the Inner Ring, but now it was nothing more than another ramshackle building for squatters and vagrants to use as shelter, Florence among them. In the days that followed the failed rescue of Ezekiel, she had kept a low profile, eagerly awaiting Eve’s call. After a week had passed without any contact, she began to go out into the streets of the colony, attempting to spread her doctrine to any willing to listen. When that led nowhere, perhaps in part due to her appearance and zeal, she recalled that Ozymandias had seemed well-versed in religious matters, at least when compared to the rest of the heathens and sinners of the colony.

Having made inquiries into the whereabouts of the man, Florence had left a simple message for the King of Kings, inviting him to visit her humble refuge. It had been some time since they’d last seen each other, but they were finally going to have that long-awaited theological discussion. Perhaps he would come away with a greater understanding of the true nature of God, courtesy of Florence’s experiences with the Holy Mother. For now though, all she could do was wait for his arrival, pacing back and forth among the ruined pews as she did so.
 
Ozymandias stepped into the building, looking around in undisguised wonder at the church. "Glorious," he said in awe. "I have seen shrines such as this before, but never so large, nor so ancient." He placed his hands on his hips. "And to think, there are even older, greater ones across the sea." He finally turned to face Florence. "A fine place for a theological discussion, O Agent of God. It has been some time. I'm glad to see you didn't forget."
 
Florence smiled in amusement at Ozzy’s visible wonder at the church. Of course he would be amazed at the grandeur of such a place, even if it was in a considerable state of disrepair. “How could I forget you, O King of Kings, when I’m surrounded by sinners and heathens who care little for the religious beliefs of people such as you and I? But enough of that for now, come and sit, we have much to discuss.” She gestured to an empty pew. “I’m eager to hear about what you have learned since our last encounter, and I hope to share some of what I’ve learned with you as well.”
 
"Ah, you've had a revelation?" Ozymandias took the proffered seat. "Come, share your Apocalypse with me."
 
“Aye, I have had a revelation, but I have seen no Apocalypse.” Taking a seat opposite Ozzy, Florence continued. “In all the years I have served God, I have never truly seen her in the flesh, but I have heard her voice speak to me from the flames. Before I came here, I knew that God had chosen me to lead a crusade against the sinners and heathens of the wastes, to cleanse the land with holy fire. But now, I know that all my actions were truly done in accordance with God’s will, that everything I’ve done has led me to where I am today. Do you understand, Ozymandias?” As she spoke, Florence’s voice took on an increasingly passionate tone, and her eyes stared intently towards him. “I have seen the face of God, and basked in her divine presence. She is the Holy Mother, and she has plans for all of us. Even those who have lost themselves to sin and heathenry. That is what I has been revealed to me since last we met. That is my revelation. Now, tell me, what have you learned during your time within the colony?”
 
Ozymandias nodded, smiling serenely as Florence's passion grew. “I too know what it is like to have divine purpose. I am glad you have found your calling.” His response hid a degree of patronization. Whatever she believed, it was not what he held true, and he ultimately could not abide her decision, but he hoped it was simply misguided enthusiasm that guided her, rather than the machinations of his Enemy. He nodded when she asked for his revelations. “Have you heard of the titans?”
 
Florence shook her head at Ozzy’s question before responding. “I have not heard of the titans, my friend, but I’m more than willing to hear about them.” While she did indeed want to hear what the man had to say, she was fairly certain that any so-called ‘titans’ were merely false idols made up by faithless heathens. Regardless, it would be interesting to find out what the man knew, especially if it would help her serve the Holy Mother.
 
“There was an old civilization, thousands of years dead, that told tales of the birth of their gods. According to them, in the beginning there were the titans, and they birthed the gods. However, the titans feared and reviled their children, and sought to imprison or kill them. However, the gods rose up and defeated the titans and inherited the universe.” His smile grew wan. “Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
 
Florence listened intently as Ozzy told her the story of the titans and their godly offspring. Of course, she didn't believe any of it, but she would go along with it for now.. "It does indeed sound familiar, Ozymandias. The titans are the heathens and sinners of The Coalition and U-ARM, and the gods are the Listeners of Bunker Chicago. The Listeners of this colony must rise up against the tyrannical forces of The Coalition and U-ARM, lest they will suffer unending torture at their hands. I presume that's why you wanted to tell me about the titans, in order to discuss this further?" She returned his grim smile with one of her own.
 
“You're close, but not entirely accurate. Just as the titans were cast down by their children, so too were the gods. 'Dead are all the gods: now do we desire the Overman to live.' Such are the words recorded by the historian Nietzsche, spoken by Zarathustra of old. The gods are dead, and we, mankind, have killed them. We are Overmen, the masters of this world, free to choose our own destinies!” He paused, bringing his rising voice under control. “But time is circular, and where something happens, it is bound to happen again. The aptly named Children of Adam and Eve, the children of mankind, seek to annihilate us.”
 
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Florence stared in silence at Ozymandias for a moment, unsure of what to say at first, before she finally managed to reply to what the man had just said. "I see. So, the Children of Eve seek to annihilate us, do they? That's quite the disconcerting thought, King of Kings. I assume you have some sort of knowledge on how to prevent this from happening?" If she were to reveal her true feelings about the Children of Eve, her opportunity to gain valuable information that could be used to aid Eve and the others would be lost. Thus, it would be in her best interests to pretend that they shared a common goal, if only to coax more information from him.
 
Ozymandias smirked, and simply stated, “I'll kill them,” as if it were the most obvious thing. “I'll smother the Children of Man in their crib before they grow strong enough to strangle us.” His smirk vanished. “If you think you'll get anything else out of me that easily, you're sadly mistaken. You're too entrenched in your dogma to shrug it off so easily, aren't you?” He smiled again. “Such is the nature of faith, after all. You shut out all dissent and firmly, wholeheartedly give yourself to the one thing that must be true. I bet you think I'm just a madman, spouting lies and heresy. I will admit, I have a distinct perspective on the world. I suppose one must in order to seek to usurp destiny.” His smile faded, replaced by sincerity, “Where others see dust, I see divinity. Where others see hell, I see holiness. Every act of man is sacrosanct, be it good or evil, because it is done by our will and none others'. Do you know why I named myself Ozymandias? Because even though I be but a poor wandering nomad with no lands, titles or power to speak of, in my heart of hearts I am King of my own destiny and neither force nor time nor fate may rob me of that.”
 
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