The Rise to Godhood
Chapter 42: The Neanderthal Intervention.

Gaia woke up and studied the naked Areela Kheeran, who slept next to her. She felt happy to seduce the beautiful Zetan, yet she couldn’t let go of her guilt. She could have saved Zelinko with the Terran Zeto Crystal, and she hadn’t. How could she ever have an honest relationship if she didn’t reveal the truth?

Gaia got up and made herself some tea. Then, she walked to a nearby hill and watched the full moon reflecting in the quiet Tigris River. It was such a peaceful night, yet she couldn’t replace peace. “Mother, what shall I do?” Gaia telepathed, but True Maker didn’t reply. It seemed that her mother did not want to intervene in her love life, or was everything progressing as her mother intended?

Gaia felt how the wind was increasing, which itself was not strange. They had built a wall around the Garden of Eden, and it was summer, so there was no reason to waste power by keeping the forcefield on. Yet, as the wind got stronger, she had an ominous feeling. It reminded her about how Arish had flattened Arishome Valley when he arrived on Zetani Nova three years earlier.

“Mummy! Mummy! Help!”

Gaia heard how her twins Ava and Adan were shouting her name. Something was amiss.

She rushed back to her cabin, and she saw something terrifying. Arish and a dozen mercenaries were holding Areela and the twins at gunpoint. Arish shouted to Gaia, “Gaia, I had hoped to never return to this shitty planet, but you left me with no choice. Give me the Terran Zeto Crystal.”

Gaia closed her eyes and telepathed to True Maker: “Mother, please help me.”

“What do you want me to do? Even if I made you powerful enough to kill the mercenaries, any violence would lead to the death of Areela and your children. So, you’ll have to make a choice. If you choose violence, everyone you love will die.” True Maker revealed.

“Why don’t you intervene and kill every assailant with a snap of your fingers? What is stopping you?”

Gaia pleaded.

“Because I do not make choices that affect the lives of mortals. Only mortals can make those choices.” True Maker replied.

“So, how do I save my loved ones and my species?” Gaia asked.

“Have faith, my dear daughter. You are not the only force of good on this planet. Give in to Arish’s demands, and everything will work out.” True Maker reassured Gaia.

*Kaboom*

Gaia opened her eyes and screamed in pain when Arish shot her left shoulder. “Don’t try speaking to your deity, Gaia. Next time I’ll shoot one of your children. Now take me to the Terran Zeto Crystal. It is at Mount Sinai, isn’t it?” Arish threatened.

“Yes.” Gaia whimpered.

“I knew it! I should have checked it out myself after replaceing out where you went with Zelinko. Such a fool I was to trust you. Yet, you were the bigger fool. No one crosses me!” Arish barked.

“So, what happens now?” Areela asked.

“Get on the hovercraft. It is time for an excursion on this miserable planet!” Arish said, which prompted the mercenaries to shove Areela and the toddlers onto a hovercraft.

Gaia hesitated for a bit. She was in pain and couldn’t understand why her mother wouldn’t help her. Yet she knew of the True Maker’s mysterious ways. Gaia pushed aside her doubts and got on the hovercraft, which took off in the direction of Mount Sinai.

***

“I am so angry with you. Why did you lie to me?”

Gaia didn’t catch a break when Areela cleaned her bullet wound with a cloth. Instead, the scenario she had feared had finally occurred; Areela had found out about Gaia’s lies and refusal to save Zelinko’s life.

“I couldn’t tell you the truth. It was Zelinko’s idea to give Arish a false Zeto Crystal. I didn’t know what to do about his death.” Gaia replied.

“Why didn’t you save him at Mount Sinai?” Areela accused.

“I… My mother would not let me.” Gaia said gently.

“You have denied her in the past. She never approved of your relationship with my brother.” Areela replied.

“I… It made sense to obey her wishes as Zelinko stood between me and what I desired.” Gaia admitted.

“So, you let my husband die so you could sleep with me? Did you kill him?” Areela exclaimed.

“I didn’t kill him. He fell while fighting a Neanderthal human. However, I did follow my mother’s wish not to resurrect him. I am sorry,” Gaia replied.

“I hate you. You chose to let Zelinko die. You might as well have killed him yourself.” Areela shouted and took a few steps away from Gaia.

“Please don’t say that. I love you, Areela.” Gaia said and walked towards Areela.

*Slap*

Gaia fell backwards when one of the mercenaries slapped her right cheek and taunted her. “Arish told you to stay in the back of the hovercraft, bitch.”

Gaia bit her lip and prepared to fight. She had enough of these people, and she was on the verge of exploding from losing everything.

“Be calm, my daughter, and everything will be okay. Lose your temper, and you’ll lose everything.”

Her mother’s words echoed in Gaia’s head, which prompted her to close her eyes and meditate to replace inner peace.

***

“Get up. Lead us to the Zeto Crystal.”

When Gaia opened her eyes, she woke up next to a puddle of vomit. The bullet wounds in her shoulder had festered, which caused nausea and fever.

“I can’t. It’s in a shrine near the top of the mountain. I am too weak to climb it.” Gaia said while holding in pain.

“Bah, too weak? Aren’t you the Chosen One, the supreme deity’s daughter? Do as I say, or I’ll kill everyone you care about in front of your eyes.” Arish threatened.

“Do as he instructs. He shall soon face judgement on the narrow path.” True Maker whispered.

Gaia got up. She was in pain, and she felt nauseous. Yet, knowing that the narrow path was near, she pulled herself together and got up.

“Well, let’s go then.” Gaia said and walked as fast as her injuries allowed her towards the mountaintop shrine.

***

“Eeeeeek!”

The sounds of dozens of falcons swooping against Arish and his mercenaries surprised Gaia. Was her mother controlling the birds, and how would it be enough to defeat her enemies?

“Shoot those fucking birds,” Arish shouted, and the mercenaries started shooting after the falcons.

*Swoosh*

Gaia saw how one of the mercenaries fell off the cliff with a spear sticking from his back. She looked up. Neanderthal humans had ambushed the Zetan mercenaries by throwing spears and shooting bows.

Arish tried to blast the Neanderthals with psionic blasts, but like Zelinko, he experienced how psionic discharges didn’t affect these humans. So, he ended his days falling off the cliff with an arrow through his windpipe.

Seeing how the Neanderthals vanquished the Zetan mercenaries, Gaia was about to take a sigh of relief when she noticed something. She felt excruciating pain as she breathed. She put a hand on her chest, and she felt how blood and air were pouring out. A stray bullet had punctured her lung.

“Is this how I die?” Gaia asked True Maker, who didn’t answer as darkness shrouded her eyes.