"We're nearly there Boss, are you ready?" Orun said, pulling me out of my meditation.
"For what exactly?"
"To be ejected in T-minus forty seven seconds."
"Ejected? And what, die?" I replied, in a calm panic, not actually believing I would be abandoned with no landing gear.
"To avoid the launchpod being seized, sabotaged, or tampered with upon touching the ground, it shall remain in the air, with you needing to make your own way down." Replied Orun.
"That's impossible." For anyone unqualified. Archangels are trained to tackle cosmic level tools for war, meaning a fall from height should be akin to getting out of bed. Of course I started the race at the finish line, still unable to harness aura on command, instead relying on subconscious instinct to harness my talisman, or mere faith in my souls ability to draw power from it. This time around, I had no faith, and was sure that I was meeting an early grave.
"Orun, request backup immediately." I blurted.
"Access denied. I've been blocked. Something's interfering with my network."
"Well what do I do? There must be some sort of- No, you're trolling me."
"Launchpod ejecting in four... three... two..."
*SWOOF*
I was expelled from the vehicle, abandoned, flightless, with just my thoughts to hold on to. I screamed, shouted, and made all sorts of primal noises, flailing my arms about like a helpless animal as I plummeted towards the afterlife.
"Orun! Tell my family I love them and... " What more was there to say? I could barely breathe. The air forced its way into lungs more harshly than any wind pressure caused by a blow drier, and tears began leaving a trail behind me. I covered my face, blocking the wind, and with my entire soul I began praying, speaking in tongues for the first time, using anything available, physical or metaphysical to save me, and then it happened. That familiar feeling that told me I've been in this situation before. Orun mentioned time decay, but there was something different about this deja vu. It felt etheric, like some sort of dream was taking place, and for a split second I let go, bringing myself to a level of zen, deluding myself into the belief that the sound of hitting the ground would only be as loud as my morning alarm. Was this all just a dream? And if so, how long had it been going on? This is what was meant by time decay... Dream amnesia. I always admired the birds not for their eloquent whistles, but for the freedom they embodied, with even angels being depicted with these same appendages. In the moment, a memory struck... "AWAKE YOURSELF CHILD!" Violently bringing me back to reality, grabbing a hold of my consciousness.
"fifteen hundred feet until impact."
I shielded my head, preparing for impact. If my talisman is on my side it wont let me die. I'll suffer unimaginable pain, but I'd regenerate.
I could see an extremely fast moving object from the corner of my eye. Was it heading toward me? It crashed into my side, completely stopping my momentum, expanding and enveloping me in what could only be described as a pocket dimension of hydrospace, from my perspective. Still enveloped, I fell on top of a rooftop, with the water absorbing the impact, dispersing upon landing, and I burst out laughing, immediately gaining knowledge on what was going on.
"You bastard, you planned this?" I said, still laughing and high off of adreneline.
"So you can take on Hulegu Khan, but cry like a baby when falling from height." It was Gre'ce.
"Listen... It was a first time experience, and before you say I wasn't breathing enough, I literally couldn't." I replied.
"We must be brief. The reason I sent you here was to ensure you weren't intercepted, or worse, killed."
"?" ...
"You work for the National Defence System now, meaning you have unrestricted travel across all 10 Country-States that form planet Alkebulan. That doesn't however, mean you can just fly into New Nubia from space without being flagged on a private organisation's quantum radar. The head of an Archangel can feed families for generations, and corrupt F.E.Ds would do everything in their power to get information out of you. On paper we don't exist, labelled as cleaners when it comes to our profession, but we exist in reality, with battle always a footstep away."
"I see."
"It won't be a problem once you master yourself, as we carry the souls of a small number of the strongest beings in recorded history, however right now you're vulnerable, not even able to survive a trip back home."
"I appreciate your concern, but since when did you care? We're not on any mission right now, so why spend your time on me?" I enquired, without trying to be rude, but getting straight to it.
"Fate brought us together for a reason child. I'd be a fool to not witness the story play out." Fate he says, as if everything ever hasn't already happened an infinite number of times. Well, I guess that is fate in a way, but he makes it sound linear.
"We failed to retrieve the talisman containing Genghis Khan, however with your aid we retrieved the Otboa, an acronym for the Original Third Book of Avraham, an impossible find in this era. Regardless, you completed your first mission outside of Alkebulan and lived to tell the tale, granting you Archangel status. Unfortunately, like me you are now a dog of the N.D.S, and we can be called upon in a moments notice, so stay ready. The next time we meet will be for our next mission. Survive until then."
I didn't see him move but he had vanished, that's the type of speed I wanted one day. Also, I'm not sure why he was being so dramatic, no one even knew I was an Archangel.
"Orun, tell me what I get in return."
"You may have signed your life away, but the perks gained aren't something to brush over. To equip you for your role as an Archangel, I have been granted access to the National Defence System's quantum data stream, allowing direct access to the Black Web. You can't command armies, but backup can be requested at the drop of a hat. Organs? Just name your price. In addition to your responsibility to handle national security threats, you can now instantly access the personal information of anyone you see, down to their blood type, mainly for discovering weak points and possible biological advantages, like the tribe they're from, and power they wield . This isn't to be abused, but rather to help you navigate your way through or around missions. I've observed your good nature over the years, so I know you won't use this information nefariously, however its not hard for the snowball of evil growing once it starts rolling, so proceed with caution."
"I see... What's actually in it for me though?" I replied.
"Well you're basically a ghost now. You cease to exist in recordings, your location is obscured, and your data is ultimately impenetrable. Every device you interact with and network you tap into, is quantumly encrypted to some of the highest levels, with me being able to detect and neutralise any digital intrusion before it even registers. Not only are you safe from hackers, but you now have access to scary amounts of data, with no one can ever able to touch yours. Oh, and you can also share this encryption with those around you."
"Perfecto, now I don't have to worry about anyone stealing my kissanime password." I replied.
"Correct, now if you're done making me talk about work, I'd like to say congratulations! You made it to New Nubia! Unlike Santome, everything here is powered by tiny machines that work in harmony to ensure society's correct functions. You're now free to roam the Capital: Yaunde, where you can find everything from-"
"Stop acting like I'm a foreigner. Request an airlift to drop me home, my mother is waiting for me."
"Sure thing Boss!"