“What about Cora? The Apostle, I mean. Did she come through too?”
Shrugging, the Sage spread black-gloved hands. “The servant of my enemy is my enemy. Why would I save her?”
“She saved us all,” Gabriel protested.
“We all wouldn’t need saving if it wasn’t for her.”
“True,” Gabriel acceded as he got to his feet, swaying slightly with weakness.
“You dealt with her exactly as I had hoped you would. I knew you had what it
takes. Good job. For the first time in your life, you’ve done something selfless and heroic. Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? I am a granter of wishes. Or perhaps an answerer of prayers. Gabriel, did you think all those prayers and wishes you made as a child went unheard?”
“What?”
“Let me start from the beginning. I am bound by rules that I cannot break. If I do, I die, and someone else is chosen to take my place. One of these rules is that I must keep balance in the universe. Part of balancing things is that I can grant any wish that anyone desires in return for equal payment. That leaves me with something of a conundrum. The bastard in me wants to send you on your way without another word, however, my duty requires that I maintain balance. You gave payment in what you did on Ethos, and now it is time for your reward, something of equal value to your ordeal.”
“What does that have to do with childhood wishes?”
Raising one hand, the Sage snapped his fingers. The latest remix of the Doctor Who theme song began playing somewhere.
“This,” the Sage held up a purple crystal on a leather cord, “is for you. It’s not a police box, but it does about the same thing. My employer instructed me to tell you that he hears every prayer, but if, when and how he answers them is his business. Sometimes a man needs to suffer through hell to become who he needs to be later in his life. Could you have done what you did had you been spirited away from your father as you prayed for as a child? It may be twenty years late to save you from an abuse-ridden childhood, but your wish has been granted. With this crystal the whole of time and space is opened up to you with the exception of Earth within ten years of your birth and death. I’m afraid that could cause far too many problems, as I’m sure you’ll understand. That part of your life is over and gone forever now.”
Reaching out, Gabriel grasped the crystal, feeling power in it almost like an
electric charge. Turning it over in his hand, he was startled to see that he was missing the pinky finger and part of the ring finger of his left hand. When had that happened?
“There are worlds without end,” the Sage continued. “All of them are connected to mine by something called the Gate. That crystal is a shard of the Gate. With it, you can freely travel through space and time. I normally restrict these so that the bearer does not realize they are traveling through time as well as space, but you seem to understand the consequences of meddling with timelines, so I have given you full access. Just keep an eye out for the Lords of Time, they don’t tend to like outsiders meddling with what they see as their domain.”
“You mean I just became the Doctor,” Gabriel asked. “Cool!”
“This is your reward for services rendered. I knew you had what it takes. That’s why I chose you in the first place.”
Staring at the crystal, Gabriel could hardly believe that what he had dreamed of for his entire childhood was his at last. He didn’t even really know how to feel about that.
“I guess I didn’t do too well earning my redemption though.”
“Is that what has you worried? I put a word in with my employer, you know, the big guy,” he looked upward meaningfully. “And he agrees with me that the murder of Allison Meers falls upon the ones that mutilated her body and ripped her mind and soul from it. What you did was a small mercy, the answer to her prayers.”
“I told you so,” Allie whispered smugly.
“What about the others,” Gabriel asked.
“Defending yourself and those you love is not a sin. Those men would have
killed you and done worse to Sam. You worry too much.”
“And . . . my father,” Gabriel almost choked on the words. The Apostle had
ripped away the false memories he’d placed over that night of his life to protect himself from it. He wasn’t sure whether he should thank or curse her for that.
“You weren’t completely in your right mind, and he was killing your mother,” the Sage shrugged. “Fair game. Look, killing someone is a grievous thing, and when it’s done out of anger rather than mercy, or protection it is one of the worst sins. There is such a thing as killing for a righteous cause. Though it has been said that you should turn the other cheek, the big guy does understand that sometimes circumstances do not allow.
He is god after all. Anyway, I did not send you to Ethos to learn this lesson. I sent you to learn another extremely valuable thing that is the first step along the path to redemption. Do you know what it is?”
Searching deep into his heart and soul for the answer, Gabriel was silent for a long time before answering.
“Remorse,” he said.
Folding his arms across his muscular chest, the Sage nodded. “That is the first step to forgiveness. You realized that you had done wrong and you feel remorse for it.
That is only the beginning. The next step is to make reparations, and your selfless sacrifice to save an entire universe full of people goes a long way toward that end.
Lastly, you must strive for the rest of your life to overcome your past, and never commit the same sin again. There’s no quick and easy way into the greener side of the afterlife.
The test of life lasts a lifetime. It isn’t over until the day that you die. But for now, you’re doing all right.”
“Hey,” Allie stepped into Gabriel’s view. “How about you ask him what I get out of all of this. I gave up more than anyone!”
“I haven’t forgotten about you, Allie,” the Sage looked right at her.
Starting visibly, Allie gaped at him. “You can see me? But that should be
impossible. I am only in Gabriel’s head. No one should be able to see me but him.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the substantial software and hardware
upgrades you’ve received,” the Sage raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were the most sophisticated computer ever created.”
Allie’s brows drew together and she seemed to be considering where best to bite him. Her eyes popped and she looked to Gabriel, or rather to the Sa’Dhi in his left hand, which was now a golden yellow color.
Stepping forward, the Sage cupped her cheek in one hand.
Drawing in a sharp breath, Allie stared at him, raising a hand to touch his, as a tear rolled down her face. “I-I can feel.”
“I borrowed the technology for solid holograms from someone who will probably not put it to as good a use as me. Everyone can see and hear you when you project yourself as you are now, and you will be able to fully interact with the world around you.
Additionally, I’ve removed the remaining strictures of the programming that dictated your behavior. You’re free now, able to think and act completely to your own desires.
Your reward is the ability to experience the life that was stolen from you. God has rules to follow, and is unable to interfere, as that would negate free will. That is why he did not swoop down and save you when you were screaming for deliverance. He hopes that you will forgive him, and take this gift as recompense for your suffering.”