The Rise to Godhood
Chapter 20: Trouble in Paradise

As Podixa woke up on Zetani Nova, she opened her eyes and marvelled at what she saw. After spending 50 years in cryogenic sleep en route to Disyerto-2 and 30 years on the planet, she finally experienced beautiful scenery again. The fertile valley reminded her of Ronesia on Zetani, and she couldn’t wait to eat the berries and the nuts that would exist in such a lush dale.

Podixa spotted a tree with beautiful fruits, and she was about to grab a fruit and eat it when Arish exclaimed, “Don’t eat anything. We are on an alien planet. We need to scan the fruits and nuts for toxins before eating.”

Arish scanned the fruit in Podixa’s hand, and the health scanner flashed: ‘Toxicity level - lethal’. Podixa threw away the apple-like fruit and got back to her sense. As paradise-like as the planet seemed to be, it was still an alien planet, and carelessness could have disastrous consequences.

The group kept exploring the valley, and a short while later, they found edible banana-like fruits and almond-like nuts. Podixa started a fire, and she made a dessert with the nuts and the bananas. She smiled as she ate her warm dessert and exclaimed, “Praise the Maker. Finally, after 30 long years, I am eating food that is not made of maggots and mushrooms!”

Areela tasted the food and gave Podixa a confused look. Her friend’s warm mashed banana and almonds mixture didn’t taste good, yet she ate it with such joy and delight.

“Wow, you must have missed our Zetani sweets? This porridge didn’t taste that amazing,” Areela joked.

“Yes, I do. You never know what you have until it is gone. I have not had real edible food for 30 years.” Podixa exclaimed and glared at Zelinko.

Zelinko looked away and didn’t say anything. He understood that Podixa, Arish, and the other inhabitants of Disyerto-2 would always hate him for what his caste had done to them. It was inevitable, and the only reason they brought him on this trip was that he knew how to charge sapphires with the power of the Zeto Crystal. If the others found out how to do this, he would no longer have value, and Areela would not be able to save him.

“I’ll retreat to my tent,” Zelinko said dryly and walked away.

“I am coming with you,” Areela replied and brought their child Thorax with her.

As they reached their tent, Areela felt worried. It didn’t bode well that Podixa and Arish hated Zelinko. She prayed that they could learn to forgive each other. The future held so much promise, and it would be a shame to dwell on the past.

***

They were still exploring the valley a few weeks later, and Areela was getting restless. While the dale was a paradise, the disagreements between her husband and her friends were ruining her mood. They needed to replace the Zeto Crystal and tell the others; otherwise, they would give up on their goals. The loss of equipment due to the teleportation problems didn’t help, and she feared that it would be too late to save humanity if they didn’t hurry up.

While humanity didn’t mean anything to Areela, saving them was a part of the True Maker’s mandate, and she couldn’t disobey the supreme deity.

As Areela walked around to gather her thoughts, she saw her brother swimming in a river. Her younger brother looked healthier than ever, as the serene wilderness did wonders to his physique. Yet, upon closer inspection, Areela sensed an immense sadness coming out of Kailow, something she had never sensed before.

Areela walked up to the riverbank and shouted, “Hey Kailow, can you come here, please?”

“Why don’t you come here instead?” Kailow asked.

“Because I sense a lot of sadness in you. Is it something you want to talk about?” Areela said kindly. Kailow nodded and swam to the shoreline. He got seated next to Areela and spoke, “Yes, I am sad, and I feel lost.”

“Why is that? You are safe, and this place is paradise.” Areela objected.

“Zetani was also a paradise, and yet our last year wasn’t paradise-like, was it?” Kailow snapped. “Please, don’t be angry. Just tell me what is bothering you.” Areela suggested.

Kailow took a deep breath, looked away, and mumbled, “Desire… Desire is what is bothering me.”

“I don’t understand what you mean?” Areela replied.

“I am the fifth wheel in this group. The rest of you hate each other, but at least you also have someone to love. I am an outcast, and my desire for Podixa’s luscious body drives me insane.” Kailow revealed.

“I see. That’s why we must replace the Zeto Crystal. Once we have found the crystal, we can bring more people here. That will make it easier for you to replace a mate.” Areela said.

“I guess we must have faith that things will work out for the best,” Kailow replied, jumped into the water, and swam away from Areela.

‘At least I pray for things to work out,’ Areela thought as Kailow swam in the direction of Zetani Nova’s minor sunset.

***

“No…! Please don’t tell me this is our end….”

Gaia kneeled next to a dead boy in a frosty Mesopotamia, while crying silently. The Mount Toba Ice Age was in full swing, and her brethren were dying wherever Gaia walked on earth. She thought of using her powers to resurrect the boy, but what difference would it make. Unless she saved humanity, the life of one boy was inconsequential.

Why was the True Maker allowing this to happen? Although the planet was a frozen hellhole because of the volcanic eruption, it had the potential for life and beauty. Humanity was supposed to keep living.

Gaia had a vision of a different outcome. With the power of the primordial Zeto Crystal, she could save one tiny area of her planet and turn it into a lush paradise, isolate it from the biting cold outside. She had seen the Garden of Eden in her vision, and it would save humanity. Yet time was running out. She would not replace the Zeto Crystal unless True Maker allowed her to, and even if she did, she lacked the technical knowledge to build this garden.

The Zetans… The Zetans were far away, yet they were her only hope to save humanity. Gaia used the innate powers she had gained from having the True Maker inhabit her body, opened a portal, and left the frozen earth.