A/N: I have finally finished this story. I knew it was coming, I was torn between wanting to conclude it and not wanting it to ever end. So, savor this last chapter and may it make a good impression on your own thoughts and philosophy as you navigate this world.
Also, there are several good books on Atheism/Religion/Morality out right now. I would highly recommend "Away With All Gods" by Bob Avakian. There's a You-Tube debate between Chris Hedges "I don't Believe in Atheists" and Sunsara Taylor promoting "Away With All Gods". Look for AtheismGodMorality.
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"What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous ... it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God! Get out of that seat ... You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon." -- Monique Davis, Illinois State Representative, Democrat, of Chicago; MSNBC Countdown's 'Worst Person in The World' for Tuesday, April 8, 2008, for her tirade against Rob Sherman to talk-show host and atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield; in "Get Out of Here, Atheists!" from (7 April, 2008); Sherman is the same reporter to whom Vice-President George H W Bush decreed, "No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.")
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The police were rolling hard through the neighborhoods right now, given what had happened at the docks. On top of that, anti-meta-human squads roamed the streets, and a curfew had been enforced by the mayor, so I abandoned my scooter and rode on Static's glider with my head strategically covered by a plastic bag (yeah, yeah, not smart, but it's not like I'm an infant). We spotted three police helicopters, two over by the docks, and one flying all around.
With this atmosphere, and the fact that it was four o'clock in the morning, too early for gang bangers, too late for crackheads, the streets were completely empty.
Which is just as well. Any merits my plan had dissolved once I breathed in the sweet pre-dawn air. My attention soon focused on the singing birds. It was actually quite loud, I don't think I'd ever heard them so clearly. But I had never been awake at this hour, no matter what project I was working on, what criminals we fought, what things I were bound and gagged to, even being with Shenice… I had always gone to bed by 3:00 in the morning.
The sky faintly hinted at the sun hovering just below the horizon, but the moon still shone clearly in the dark sky. Such mesmerizing craters… I tried to remember what I used to know about the moon. A twinge of sadness accompanied the memory of looking out at the beauty of the universe from the windows of the Justice League's Watch Tower windows.
"Ritchie?"
"Hmm?"
He guided us to the clock tower, a favorite hang out (although admittedly much easier to cling to as Gear than as myself). He made sure I was seated securely on top of the number 7 while easily connecting himself to the metal inlay.
"Want to just talk?", He suggested.
"Hmm", I answered.
Although I had tried to give an affirmative "hmm" the conversation lapsed. My mind turned back to the events of the night. I vaguely wondered how my parents were doing…and I felt a special pity for Elizabeth. I didn't like Elizabeth or Mathew, and yet now I could remember fondly one of the many Great America adventures we'd shared as youth…I think there's a picture somewhere from one of the rides, I was cowering in fear, Elizabeth nearly threw up and Mathew enthusiastically waved his arms in the air, a carefree child that had so much potential.
"This night really changed a lot of things", Virgil commented.
"Yeah", I agreed, carefully steadying myself as I awkwardly shifted my weight. I never realized how uncomfortable the cold, hard, dewy strip of metal would be for a mere mortal wearing sweat pants.
"I can't believe your powers are gone."
"Yeah…I kind of wished I hadn't accepted that scholarship to Harvard as a Nuero-Micro-Chemist major."
The conversation lapsed again, but only for a minute.
"You know I…I'm not going to college" Virgil announced.
I jerked my head up to look over at him, almost losing my balance in the motion. He reached out and grasped my arm to steady me back into position. Our eyes met and for just a split second it felt just like it did in the bathroom. To me, anyway, there was no indication he felt anything at all. But his hand remained gently squeezing my wrist.
"I've been accepted to the Justice League. I leave after graduation. I'll be doing a lot of training and fighting and…"
Again we lapsed into silence. The birds chattered away.
"Congratulations" I finally responded.
"Yeah, I know", he replied quietly, "I found out earlier today…might as well tell you now and just…get it all over with in one night."
"Thanks, I appreciate that", I replied, perhaps a little more bitterly than I meant to. I was too emotionally drained and physically exhausted to be angry or sad, so in a way it was the perfect time to tell me that my best friend would be leaving me in less than a month.
"I really wish you could join me. It's going to be hard enough with out my pops, or Sharon or Daisy but…I can't imagine being with out you. You're like my brother, you know. At least as Gear you could have..."
He trailed off.
"I guess that's all part of growing up", I sighed.
"I guess", he replied.
More lapses of silent, until the sun came into view above the horizon. He stood up and helped me step back onto his glider. My instability caused me to slip and fall clear off, fortunately he was right there to pull me up back up again. There was nothing intimate about the motion, just a typical saving-best-friend's-life gesture, but I filed it among my most treasured moments. And I made a big decision about my own life.
"Can you drop me off at the gas station? I just kind of want to be alone for a while", I requested.
He turned to look me in the eyes worriedly.
"You're okay, right? I mean, you're not going to…"
"Dude", I sighed, "I am way too tired to commit suicide. Besides, after this day, things can only go up, right?"
He nodded, assured by my sarcastic optimism, and soon I was left at the gas station.
I rubbed my arm where he had squeezed me when I fell off the glider. No, suicide hadn't crossed my mind…but something else had.
First I grabbed a full, hot cup of coffee from the espresso machine, something I could still operate even down to my last brain cell. Then I sat down at our computer and let my work begin:
RESUME:
RICHARD FOLEY
OBJECTIVE:
IT support for Watch Tower
(Or Janitorial/Maintainance Support)
(Or File Clerk/Secretary)
(Or chef)
EXPERIENCE:
2004 – 2008 Gear Dakota, Earth
Superhero
Stop super-powered criminals
Built and maintained equipment for Partner Static Shock
...
One way or another, I'm joining the Justice League.
The End
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Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon - Imagine - 1971
- Some artists, disagreeing with the song's anti-religion stance, have changed the line "and no religion too" into "and one religion too" in their cover versions.
- The song was included in the list of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks.