But for the Grace of God 1

[Rand Al'Tor]

and we've got the ten year research stasis explained


The first council was a simple affair. After a prayer Sister Godwinson had explained their first priorities. Making New Jeruzalem self-suffient was of course the first priority. Afterwards they'd start finding out more about their surroundings and found a second city. This was followed by handinmg out titles and responsibilities.

A broad man of Polish descent called Alojzy Sanzky was named chief engineer, a middle-aged African-American woman took the responsibility of running the colony's every day affairs, Lieutenant Martinez became Knight-Commander Martinez and given command of the few soldiers they had.

And he, Doctor Nielsen, he had been named science officer. It hadn't been unexpected. The only person whose education and experience rivaled his own was Doctor Petersen, and he was dedicated to provide medical assistance rather than research. Doctor Nielsen on the other hand had been approved on the mission by Zhakaroiv himself.

And that was, of couyrse, part of the problem. The animosity between the psych chaplain and the science officer of the Unity had been a public secret. And now she had given him the position his former superior had had.

So when she had asked him to stay a bit longer, Doctor Nielsen had been nervous to say the least. Sister Miriam had given him a glass of water, as if he was a visitor, and then sat herself opposed to him, calmly sipping her own glas.

"Are you a man of faith Dr. Nielsen?" The question was asked out of the blue.

"Yes sister.'' The answer came immediately, and part of himself was surprised. Before the Unity's end his answer would have been... hesitating. He had been raised Anglican, but over time his faith had been muted, his church visits slowed and stopped and he had carefully avoided thinking too much about it. Now, he felt the same sense of awe at this new world and the one Who had brought them here, as well as at the woman sitting in front of him, as he did when he first entered a church.

Miriam smiled, then gave him a solemn look. "A rift has grown in earth's final decades, no centuries. A rift between science, the knowledge of the mind, and faith, the knowledge of the soul. Because of this, men of faith know too little of matters of science to judge it, and men of science lack the wisdom to do so. The results have been... horrendous."

Nielsen nodded.

"I intend to put an end to this Doctor Nielen. Once, knowledge and faith were banded together. They will be so again, with your help." She leaned forward. "Doctor Nielsen, as part of your duties as science officer, you, and those you believe to be of sucficient faith and skill are to study the Holy Bible under my guidance. You shall be the first priests to be ordained on this world."

Doctor Nielsen felt his breath catch. There had been talk about Miriam teaching new priests for the future, but everyone had assumed it'd be Lt. or rather, Knight Commander Martinez, or perhaps Brother Carson who had been her personal assistant. Unable to conceal the smile on his face he bowed. "I... thank you SIster Miriam, I will gladly accept your lessons, and am honoured you see me as righteous enough to accept this responsibility."

The leader of the Believers rose and put a hand on his shoulder. "Your lessons will start in three days. In the meantime, do not seek to discover the secrets of this world. You are not ready for them yet. Also, any discoveries you make, you keep them from the rest of the flock until we have decided otherwise. Some knowledge is dangerous, and best kept from those whose pure, simple souls might be tainted. But you, Doctor, you shall be the one to venture in the unknmown, and there seperate the miraculous from the infernal."

[Rand Al'Tor]

When Miriam left the house, the village seemed to be in an uproar. One of the soldiers reported something to Martinez, who looked absolutely furious.

"What is going on, Brother Martinez?" she asked.

Martinez scowled. "Some bastards have broken down their house and made off with some gear! Doctor Duchateau is with them! The ****ers must have..."

"Brother Martinez, mind your language!" Miriam thundered, and the tall Hispanic man seemed to shrink. "Now, how many have left, when did they leave and how much did they take?"

Martinez shuffled his feet. "Just two dozen men and women. They left about two hours ago, and took batteries, solar cells and filters with them, as well as some material to build housing. They left individually, so our guards didn't stop them."

The red-haired woman considered this. She knew Doctor Duchateau to be an atheist, and he had often expressed concern over the direction Miriam had taken the colonists. There were a few people she expected would have joined him. In a way, this could be for the best. They wouldn't fit in this society, and this was more pleasant than the alternatives. Enforcing God's rule against those stubbornly defying His will cost more than they could afford and... to kill them... she would make any sacrifice for the Lord, but if it could be avoided...

"Shall we pursue them, Sister?" Martinez asked, having a few armed men around him.

"No," Miriam said. "we have enough air filters and batteries for now, while we lack people. I regret that these people did not see the righteousness of our society, but the loss for them shall be worse than for us. Have it be known though, that they are no longer welcome among us. Let them live in the wilderness and the darkness that they have chosen."

Martinez bowed. Miriam nodded. "Now, we shall hold council in my quarters in ten minutes. It is time we started to get some work done!"





Rand: Yes, we're actually going to start with the first turn soon

[Rand Al'Tor]

Miriam left the church under guard by Martinez, who had several men standing around her with weapons drawn. As they headed towards Miriam's small house, hunderds of Believers erupted in a psalm that could no doubt be heard far over the Chironian landscape.

Martinez quickly made a scan of the house, then, with a reverend bow he left to stand guard in front of the door. Miriam took the time to sit down and take herself a glass of water. She was thirsty. She felt she could drink half the water they had in stock and still not be sated. But she was happy. The people had chosen to follow God, and she would guide them in this. As soon as things calmed down, she would start with appointing advisors, and they would start creating a new world under God. She was just going to sit here for a bit and listen to the hymns coming from outside... once they had calmed down... she would get up. She was tired, but it wouldn't do to... sleep...

She dreamt of magnificent churches, and people smiling as they sung praises to the Lord Christ in them.

"Sister Miriam...?" The sound roused her from her slumber. Quickly she snapped to attention, resisting the urge to ignore the sound for just a bit. Asleep at a time like this! What a way to set an example.

"Ah... yes, Lieu... Brother Martinez?" Would she retain military ranks, or call all military people 'brother'? A question for another time.

"Forgive me for interrupting your rest, but there are people that insist to see you. I can tell them to wait if you like."

Miriam quickly straightened her clothes and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "No, no, that's fine, I should not sleepat this time anyway." She stiffled a yawn. Martinez' expression suggested that as far as he cared she had the right to sleep all day and whoever was outside deserved a thumping for having him wake her. "Who is it, and what do they wish to speak about?"

"Mehmet Ankhar and Abraham Silverstein." he said the names slowly. "They said you would probably know what they wish to speak about hearing their names."

All thoughts of sleep immediately left Miriam, the importance of the next conversation falling down on her like a yoke. A wrong decision here, be it too harsh or too soft, can endanger the souls of people years from now, or even bring this holy work to a bloody end "Let them in. Do search them for weapons, but treat them with courtesy."

Martinez bowed and walked out. A moment later two bearded men entered. both of them were dressed in pragmtical work clothes, though one of them had a small piece of cloth covering his skull. the other one had a tanned skin. Miriam rose from her chair. "Good day, gentlemen."

The two men nodded and bowed in greeting. "Good day, Sister Godwinson," the man with the arabic descent said with a slight accent. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mehmet Ankhar. I have been chosen as imam by the community of muslims here."

The other man nodded. "I am Abraham Silerstein. To my regret, I can not call myself a fully ordained rabbi, but I am the closest there is right now, and I speak in the name of the jewish here."

Miriam nodded. "Welcome gentlemen. I had expected a visit of this nature. I am glad you came so soon." She sat down. So did the two men.

There was a moment of tense silence. it was Mehmet that broke it. "Your speech, Sister Miriam... it was... astounding. You said that what we were all afraid to think. You forced us to face the corruptness of the world we left... and our guilt in letting it come so far."

Abraham nodded. "Indeed. Even among my people, there are few who deny that the words you speak, are the words of God"

Miriam smiled. An auspisious beginning. She inwardly thanked the Lord for speaking through her. "I rejoice to hear this, and am glad that we agree on those matters." She gave them a solemn look. "But I have the feeling it is not the matters we agree upon you came to speak me about."

The acting rabbi sighed. "We find ourselves in a torn position, Sister Miriam. On one hand, we feel your cause is right, and we wish to help you in building a new land of God, on the othe rhand..." His voice died away.

Mehmet took over. "On the other hand, we feel some of your beliefs are... fundamentally incorrect." He was forcing himself to look her in the eyes, and she narrowed them. "I am of course talking about the prophet Jesus."

Miriam nodded. The words were out, the genie was out of the bottle. But this matter had to be dealt with sooner rather than later. How many muslims and jews were there? Would they fight for their belief? Could she root them out right now? What would the cost be in men and materials? More importantly, what would the cost be on her conscience if she ordered the two errant faith's rooted out? Her dreams had not included the new nation to be baptized in blood. These people were godly, they were just misguided on important matters.

On the other hand... she might never get an opportunity like this. Islam and Judaism, its followers overawed and few. If she tolerated them, they might grow stronger once again, and she'd always carry them with her. Many people would come to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was nothing but a man, their sins would not be forgiven and their souls would be damned. Dared she take that risk?

When she spoke, her voice was firm. not unkind, but firm. "I do believe that Jesus Christ was God's only begotten son, and that he died on the cross and rose three days later, and it is through him we obtain forgiveness for our sins. Any righteous nation must carry out this message, for all people are sinners and so need forgieness." The two people tensed.

"However, I feel that it is not God's will that you are forbiden from worshipping Him in your own way, eventhough I believe it is not as He intended. But I cannot allow you to lead christians into damnation. So here is my decree. All muslims and jews are allowed to worship in peace. However, they may not try to convert anyone not their children, and their children will be taught about our Lord Jesus Christ in school, so they may decide when they come of age what faith they will hold. Also, all jews and muslims will fully obey the laws of the Lord's Believers." She took a deep breath. "What say you?"

The two men listened solemnly. They exchanged a long look and then nodded. "We accept your decision, Sister Miriam, and thank you for your consideration." Mehmet said.

Abraham put his hand to his heart. "This only convinces me further that even if I disagree on that matter, you truly do speak His words."

Miriam allowed herself a smile. "Thank you. I hope your believers will not bring up old feuds?" She asked.

Mehmet scowled. "Not if I have anything to say about it. Young hotheads that mistake being willing to fight for Islam with being eager to fight for hatred have caused us to lose... too much already."

Abraham shook his head. "Jerusalem. Oh, it truly was a prologue for the rest of the world what happened to that holy city."

Miriam nodded and shuddered. She had remembered the day when the news came that the Holiest and most fought over city in the world had ceased to exist. Accusations had been made, but nobody had ever found out exactly WHO had planted the nuke.

She held out a hand. "Then today, brother Silverstein and brother Ankhar, let this be a new start. Let those that serve God never fight each other again. May this city be the start of, as you said, a new Holy Land. And we shall call this city 'New Jeruzalem' so that we may never forget that which was lost."

Mehmet and Abraham put their hands on her. "Let it be so."

Miriam nodded. "Then I shall let you talk to your faithful, brothers. And I shall make sure that it is known that while we all pray for your souls, you are not to be persecuted." She stood. "And then, there are many other matters that need my attention.

The two men undrstood the dismissal and excused themselves. Miriam allowed herself a smile. She had to have the sin pride stain this moment, but she did think that went as well as could be expected.

Martinez entered, and she gave her orders. Martinez nodded, but seemed to fret over something.

"Is there something amiss brother Martinez?" She asked.

"Well... Sister Miriam it's that... eh... I know you're protestant and all... but... I'm raised catholic..." he looked genuinely worried. "Do you think I'm going to hell?"

Miriam sighed and took his shoulder. "Brother Martinez, there is no more pope, so that takes away a great deal of the difference. But you SHOULD remember that Mary was just a human woman that did the task God asked of her, no more, no less. She is not a god or close to it"

"Like you?" Martinez said.

Miriam smiled. "Exactly, just like I am a perfectly normal woman, with human shortcomings."

Martinez nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, Sister Godwinson, it is all much clearer now!" He bowed and left.

It was only a second later that Mirian's empathic finetuning caught on to her poor choice of words. She slapped her forehead. "Oh..." She groaned. "My Lord, I truly did not mean it to come out like that."

[Rand Al'Tor]

The first hours after the news was spread and several people came out to take stock of their new home were joyous. Men and women freely wept as, for the first time in decades, they felt land under their feet.

Time for celebration was short however. The pod held only a limited supply of air, power, food and water. Fortunately, the people that had been allowed to board the Unity had been chosen for their skills, and soon a small village of pre-fabricated houses started to form.

Some of the plants they found there proved to be edible, if not particularly tasty. The few seeds they had with them grew at an astounding rate, promising rich crops in the future. Dr. Petersen smiled, saying that the ground held plenty of water for plantlife, and the climate was likely . Ironically, mere moments after he said this, the colonists were surprised by the first instance of rain, which was carefully filtered an stored. Doctor Duchateau who had been nearby jokingly said that, once they could have beach holidays, Doctor Peterson was banned from talking about the weather.

Lieutenant Martinez and his men had scouted the area further, careful not to stray too far from the escape pod. They reported that there was an ocean to the west, and that the land sloped upwards in the east. A blond girl called Susan was trying to coax the damaged computers to give up some of the scans it must have made of the surroundings as it fell. In the meantime, she sent out messages across different frequencies, trying to get someone to respond. There came no answer, and Miriam started to realize that while others might hae survived, for now she should act as if they were the last that had survived of humanity.

There was little time to think on long terms like that, though. She had always respected Captain Garland, but feeling first hand what supreme command demanded raised her oppinion of him all the more. And besides the thousand-and-one decisions that needed to be made, she still had a job as Psych Chaplain.

Each day, at dawn, she would hold a service in the escape pod, both preaching her faith as outlining the tasks that presented themselves that day. And always her eyes would scan the multitude of people, barely a thousand strong. When she would see doubt or scepsis, she made sure to arrange an opportunity to talk with that person. Faith was like a plant... in its early years, it was vulnerable, and needed encouragement to truly find its roots in someone's soul. She couldn't save all of them, but most of them she could reach, and every day, more and more people sung firmly along when it was time to sing psalms.

There were also tragedies. Some people had been injured in the crash, and despite the doctors' best efforts, not all of them survived their wounds. They were buried in the fertile soil, pieces of debris marking their graves, as no other material could be spared. A single piece of wreckage had a long list of names scratched in it. Names of other people that hadn't made it to the escape pods, lost loved ones. And then, there were the people they had left behind on that far away planet. Even if humanity had managed to avoid destroying the world God had made for them, they were now so very far away... countless of miles and more than forty years. But as Miriam reminded those mourning, time and space meant nothing when held in the face of eternity.

During all this time, Miriam wore her UN uniform, and was addressed as Lt. Commander. Her position as leader was undisputed, and the few times someone hesitantly mentioned her actions weren't entirely according to UN regulations, they were ignored. And as the settlement began to be able to sustain itself, and thoughts turned to the future, Miriam spend a great deal of time in prayer and contemplation.

The United Nations... the mission... I pledged myself to their purpose, eventhough I did not agree with everything they did. I came to this mission because I believed this was the best place I could help people. Now... I am in this position, where I can do more than merely protest against immoralities. Where the UN guidelines I feel are sinful are no longer enforced, yet my duty as an officer is to enforce them nonetheless. Should I remain loyal to the charter I signed, and guide these people in a way my soul knows is wrong, or should I forsake that oath, and follow the path of righteousness.

Once she asked the right question, the answer was easy.

At the consacration of the remnants of the escape pod as the first church on Chiron, or the planet or Planet as some people started to call it, Miriam Godwinson stoof for the first time without her uniform. Instead, she took a pragmatical green suit, her cross prominently over it. The mood in the church was tense, the people felt that what was to come was important.

"My fellow faithful, it has been many weeks since our fateful arrial on this world. Through the Lord's favour, and everyone's hard work, we can now truly say we have made our home here, now that the Lord God has a home to live among us." She saw the smiles on everyone's faces. Behind her hung a cross on an orange background she had found.

"Now that we have done these things, it is time for us to consider what brought us here. I do not believe in chance. There was a reason why we surived all this. There is a reason why the world was in such a state we had to flee earth." She spoke in a normal voice, so that those in the back had to strain to hear.

"SINFULNESS!" She shouted, then took a deep breath and spoke normally. "Sinfulness. Not just in those that ruled, but those that followed as well. Greed drove corporate leaders to defile the lands the Lord gave in our keeping, and greed drove their servants to lose sight of their godly duties as they pursued vain luxuries. Pride made scientists believe themselves gods, create unnatural monstrosities and made people think they could 'learn' God out of existance. Wrath for the endless wars for this nation or that, lust for the mindless acceptance of perversion, gluttony for the vile chemicals that people used to desecrate their bodies, envy for the hold of crime on the streets and people's souls. And sloth? Sloth because we didn't do anything about it until it was too late!"

The church was deathly quiet. Miriam let her gaze go over them all, knowing each of them was considering his own actions back on earth. After a few seconds, she continued. "If we go on like we did on earth... if we continue to accept sin because we are too lazy or timid to fight it, we shall harvest the same bitter crops. And if we scorn this second chance God has given us, His wrath shall be worse than the ravages we left behind."

She looked down, looking almost ashamed of herself, avoiding the eyes of her congregation. She didn't need to see them to know they were distraught at the idea, that they saw the problem as she did, and might see the same solution. When she raised her head, she knew her eyes burned with the conviction she felt. "And so, we will NOT make the same mistake again! Here, we will build a new nation! And it shall be a righteous one! It will care not about the colour of one's skin, or the country of one's birth, it shall care only for the purity of its soul, and the favour of the Lord!"

Miriam stepped forward, arms wide, eyes up, tears flowing freely now. If she had any doubts, they were gone now, the Lord filled her with conviction. "I renounce the United Nations, the mission and rank they gave me! What happened on the ship clearly showed they are too tainted with wickedness! I renounce America, and all loyalties I might have left to it, whatever it might have become, it became nothing! My heart now serves only the Lord! Let me be known as Sister Miriam Godwinson, and may I and those with me be known as the Lord's Believers!" She looked at the people and extended a hand. "Now who among you is my brother?"

The church exploded in roars of approval.

[Rand Al'Tor]

Reading some old fics; I felt inspired; and decided to put some new fiction in this old forum.

Decided writing Miriam. Now, I don't intend to write her as pure evil, nor do I plan to make her too 'nice'. However, it should be noted that Miriam's views are her, and not my own. (for starters, I'm not religious)

Hope you like it, and Iùll probably end up making this a 'describe the game' thing, as Iùve read some very good ones from Hydro

The horrible sound of the crash faded, its echoes mingling with the sound of heated metal cooling.

Miriam Godwinson did not open her eyes, forcing air in her lungs, feeling her bruised body ache with the effort.

“Amen.” She finished the prayer that had lasted for the entire fall from the sky. Her voice was calm, she was calm, in many ways she felt calmer than she had during this entire mission. There were people who needed her here.

“Amen” Came the answer from hundreds of shaken, scared men and women, the only response as they boggled in amazement of being still alive.

Miriam wasn’t surprised. Providence. She could almost see Zhakarov roll his eyes, but there was no engineer that could have convinced her the pod wouldn’t have delivered them safely on the surface of Chiron.

She opened her eyes. It was dark, only the emergency lighting still working, and even those had been damaged. Quickly, with trained efficiency she loosened the straps that had kept her in place during the hellish descent. Her arms felt heavy, but she knew she’d better get used to it. Chiron gravity. “Doctor Duchateau, doctor Petersen, you take care of those with life-threatening injuries, Lieutenant Martinez, gather some people with martial training and suit up. Doctor Nielsen, gather what you need to make a scan of how hazardous the air is to us. Mr. Carson, please get a suit for me.”

In the few panicked moments before the ship came apart, Miriam had taken the time to get acquainted with the people. People who had lost contact with the rest of the ship and had spent the Unity’s last hours in even deeper confusion and terror than anyone else.

The hallway was slanted downwards, which meant she had landed with her eyes towards the heavens. Grabbing the handles, she walked lower, taking the time to deliver a comforting touch, a confident word or even just an smile and a nod. The terror of the descent and the crash had ended, and now, after the relief, came the fear of what was outside.

By the time she arrived at the place where they’d make an exit, the rest of the team that was to go outside was prepared. There was one more suit. Hers.

Calmly, with a beatific smile, she took the suit and began to protect herself from whatever might be outside. Martinez gave a salute. “Lieutenant Commander. I must protest you accompanying us! The danger outside might be…”

“I know about the danger outside, lieutenant Martinez.” Miriam interrupted him, an intense look in her eyes. “But the Lord kept me safe through worse this day. I know He will provide for us to survive whatever we will find beyond this door.” She turned to the people watching. “This is a new world, a new chance. It is not coincidence we survived. We fled a dying planet on a hastily built ship and escaped the exploding ship in this humble pod. Is there any doubt that someone watched over us? That our prayers were heard?”

There was an awed silence. Miriam finished zipping down the suit. “What is outside will not be Eden. Humanity has brought corruption and destruction upon itself and the world , why should we be rewarded for it? But that we live shows that He still cares for us, and, like a loving father, wishes to give us a fresh start. This time, we must not fail Him.” She closed her helmet and crossed herself. Many of the others mimicked the gesture.

Miriam used the personal communicator. “And thanks for the concern, lieutenant Mrtinez.” She said on a private frequency. “I know you are a courageous man. I expect I will ask people to walk into danger in the future, and I am glad to see you’re a person of valour.”

“I… ah… thanks, Lieutenant Commandeer.” Martinez answered.

“Now, let us face this new world together.” The message was given to the others in the team, and the inner seal opened. Four soldiers, one scientist and Miriam stepped into the airlock. Behind them the door they had walked through was sealed hermetically. Miriam held back a shudder. The moment of being sealed between those two doors was always the scariest moment she felt. Like being caught between two worlds.

And then the door opened. Bright light shone in their eyes. They were looking straight into the rising or setting suns. Miriam walked forward, her boots leaving a mark in the sand. The armed men followed carefully behind her, shredding rifles aimed at the land around them.

Miriam looked at the ground. Little plants were growing there, green with chlorophyll. The land around her was covered with the vegetation. Tears came to her eyes. As in a dream, she walked forward. A pristine clean world… without cities turned pools of crime and corruption, without sinful corporations making people sell their souls, without the constant fear that those in power would destroy everything the next day…. without the looming feeling that humanity had failed its maker, and He had left them to destroy themselves.

Doctor Nielsen’s voice shook her from her reverie. “The scan is complete.”

She turned to him, as did the soldiers. Much depended on this. It would be a miracle indeed if the air was something humans could breathe unaided, and thus Miriam hoped for it. But they had filters for many possibilities. Filters that could last them for a while, and that weren’t that difficult to produce more of.

But if the atmosphere held insufficient oxygen…

“It’s… it has too much nitrogen for humans to breathe but… otherwise we should be able to walk around unprotected.” The man’s voice broke. “We… we can build our home here.”

Miriam dropped to her knees. Looking directly at the sun, forcing her eyes open as much as she could. “Thank You, my Lord! Thank You for this chance!”

She heard the ones behind her fall to their knees as well.

Miriam bowed her head when she could no longer bear to look in the light. “I promise You, I shall make sure this world shall be as You want it.”