Chapter 12: Path of Damnation

I had finally gathered five willing volunteers and couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had fulfilled my part of the agreement with Eva, the leader of the Heaven Gate club, and now it was time to learn more about the next steps. I made my way to my school, specifically to the courtyard where the club usually gathered.

“Eva,” I said. “I’ve done it. I’ve gathered the five volunteers as we agreed.”

Eva’s face lit up with a smile. “That’s great news,” she said. “May I know who they are?”

“It’s Beth, Ted, my mom, my dad, and me. Five volunteers as you asked.”

She nodded. “I knew I could count on you. And with that, we’re one step closer to making history and paving the way for humanity’s future in space.”

I asked. “How many volunteers do you have now in total?”

She said. “I have gathered 8 volunteers including myself, so we have a total of 13 ready for the mission.”

I was impressed. “Wow, you’ve been busy,” I said. “But I have another question. How do you contact the Confederacy since they are in space?”

Eva smiled. “That’s a great question. Our club has branches in many cities. I know a friend from Portland who is now with the Confederacy in space. He found out about our plan and offered to act as a mediator between us and the Confederacy’s headquarters. The Confederacy has set up a secure communication network that we can use to reach them, and he gave me a special device that allows us to encrypt our messages and send them directly to the Confederacy’s headquarters.”

She pulled out a small, sleek device from her pocket. “This is the device,” she said. “It’s a bit complicated to use, but I’ve learned how to use it. All we have to do is enter the correct coordinates, send the message, and wait for a response. If the Confederacy is interested, they will send their space marines to pick us up at the designated location.”

“I can’t wait to see it in action,” I said.

“Neither can me,” Eva replied. “But first, we have a lot of preparation to do before the pickup.”

Eva told me that the pickup site would be at the old abandoned gas station on the outskirts of town and that the pickup time would be midnight. “It’s a secluded location, perfect for the Confederacy to send their space marines without being noticed,” she explained.

“We understand the gravity of this responsibility,” Eva added. “But we have faith in you and the volunteers you have gathered. We will all meet at the designated pickup site at precisely midnight. The Confederacy will not wait for anyone late. It’s your job to pass along all the information I have given you to your group and make sure that all the prepacked families are at the pickup site on time.”

“I understand,” I said. “I will make sure everyone is ready and on time.”

“Good. I will contact the Confederacy tonight and let you know the pickup date.” Eva said.

With that, I left the school, my mind overflowing with thoughts of the secret plan ahead.

Eva called me the other day, informing me that the Confederacy headquarters had taken an interest in our plans and confirmed the pickup for the following Tuesday. I suddenly felt frightened that now I had a few days left on Earth, the planet I was born into. I was sad feeling as if I was about to leave a home I had been living all my life.

I informed the others of the Confederacy’s plans for the pickup, and we had a group meeting at my house to finalize our plan. We decided to have a farewell dinner on Tuesday evening at my house, while Ted would spend his last hours on Earth with his family. At 10 PM, we would embark in five vehicles. I, Alicia, and Will would ride in the first car, with Judy serving as the driver. Dad would drive the second car, accompanied by Patsy and Jessy, and Granddad would come along to observe the pickup. Jessy’s dad would drive the third car with his wife and Mom as passengers. Ms. Camilla would drive with Ted and another concubine, and Beth’s family would drive the last car, picking up two more of Beth’s concubines before heading to the pickup site.

Every car is expected to be at the pickup site before 11 P.M.

On Saturday, I reunited with Liv. After indulging in our favorite sexual intercourse, we lay down naked on a blanket in the heart of the woods, where I shared the details of our final evacuation plan with her.

“So, what’s your final decision?” I asked, hopeful for her answer.

“Will you leave without me?” she replied, turning the question back to me.

“To be honest, I would have to, but with a very broken heart,” I admitted.

Liv said after a brief moment of contemplation. “O.K. I’ll go with you. I don’t want to see you sad.”

Overcome with emotion, I hugged her tightly. We rolled around on the blanket, lost in the moment.

“I knew you’d say yes,” I said, smiling. “Living without you would have driven me suicide up there.”

Liv laughed, filling the air with joy.

“You should move in with me. I should introduce you to my family.” I said.

“So, you can make me join your family fuck? What a perverse!” She said jokingly.

I laughed. “No way.”

“I don’t think I should move with you just yet, Neetz. But I promise to show up at the abandoned gas station on time.” Liv said.

“Why?” I asked, curious.

“There could be a problem. Alicia and I had a disagreement the last time we met. I don’t know how she will react to my presence.” she explained.

“She will forgive you. We’re all in this together and there’s no reason to let petty differences ruin everything.” I replied.

“Of course, she will forgive me, but it might be safer for me to reveal myself at the pickup time.” Liv insisted.

I understood that I didn’t have the power to change her mind, so I agreed to her plan.

The next two days passed slowly. I returned to my home to spend my final moments with my family. Beth and I had decided to join the Navy to fight the Swarm in space, while my parents had opted to join a breeding colony. Our paths would soon be apart, and the reality of being separated hit me hard.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness at the thought of leaving everything and everyone behind. At the Monday afternoon orgy party, I made love with Mom and sister one last time despite all the weird feelings I had. Then, I moved on to Jessy. I had a list to be completed.

Dad also took advantage of Beth one last time. I witnessed the famous dad-daughter swapping scene as Patsy was riding Steve next to them. The other disturbing scene was when the girls decided to play naughty. They ganged up on my granddad, trying to give him a heart attack, so he would die in heaven instead of facing the Swarm. Despite my disbelief, he managed to live the other day.

I sat on the couch, observing the people around me as they interacted with one another. The Confederacy may have had its flaws, but one thing they did well was bring about a realization about sexual freedom. We used to believe that sex was governed by strict rules, designed to fit within a specific societal structure. However, as the social crumbled, these rules may no longer serve us anymore, leaving us with no reason to cling to them.

The most important principle behind rules, ethics, morals, and laws is that they are all man-made manifest. They exist to serve our needs and better our lives. Therefore, when they are no longer effective or even become a hindrance, it is crucial to discard them rather than allow them to hold us back like shackles.

The bell rang at 9 P.M., and by that time, many of us were already heavily exhausted. Thought, Dad was still sliding his prick in and out of Alicia and soon managed to reach his climax for their last fuck. Some of us, including myself, had already taken a bath. The remaining rushed to the bathroom to freshen up. An hour later, everyone was in their clothes, ready to go.

We carried out the plan as scheduled. Beth’s family car rolled its wheels out to pick up her other concubines. Then, the other vehicles followed suit and headed to the outskirts of town.

We arrived at the pickup site ahead of schedule at 10:48. I stepped out of the car to take in my surroundings. The once bustling gas station now stood desolate and decaying, with its tall, rusted pumps surrounded by weeds that had taken over the concrete. The once vibrant store now displayed broken windows and a door that hung off its hinges, giving the building a haunting and forgotten appearance. As I approached the store, I saw a large group of people gathered in front of it, led by Eva and her prepacked family. I approached them and engaged in a brief conversation with Eva.

As more people arrived, the group at the abandoned gas station grew to around thirty individuals. Ted arrived with Ms. Camilla and a black high school girl at 11:14. However, Beth was still missing and I started to become concerned. I called her to check on her.

“Beth, where are you?” I asked, trying to hide the worry in my voice. “I know the pickup isn’t for a while, but it would be safer if you were here now.”

“There’s a problem, Neetz,” Beth replied. “The dude I was supposed to bring with me isn’t home and isn’t answering my calls. I don’t know where he is, but I’ll be at the pickup site in 5 minutes whether he’s with me or not. It’s his funeral, not mine.”

“Okay, give him a chance and come to the pickup site. If he doesn’t show up, you can still take my granddad. You might be able to sway his mind with that magic pussy of you.” I joked.

“You jerk!” She said.

I laughed. “Please hurry up. See you love.”

“See you.”

I put my phone away and joined my family. I was searching for Liv, who had texted me minutes ago saying she was on her way.

“Looking for your concubine?” Alicia approached me.

“Yes, please help me find her.”

“Do I know her? I’ve always wondered who she is.” She said.

I smiled, thinking it was finally time to introduce her. “Get ready to be surprised! She’s your big sister, Liv.”

Alicia’s expression changed to shock. “What the fuck?”

“Yeah.” I laughed. “I know you two have had your differences, but...”

“No, you don’t understand.” Alicia interrupted. “Did you tell her the time and location of the pickup?”

“Yes, I did. So she could join us on time...” I replied, but my words trailed off as I noticed the fear on Alicia’s face, it went pale as if she had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, holding her shoulders.

Alicia spoke slowly and quietly. “She ... she’s with them.”

“With whom?” I asked, confused.

“Our stepdad promised to take her with him. When he left us to get pickup with his new bitches, Liv was devastated. Then she found consolation in a group of people she met in the woods and joined them. They’re the same group responsible for attacking the Club, Neetz. Liv has become an opponent of the Confederacy and has been speaking out about the idea of ending our existence.” Alicia explained.

The information was a shock to me and I struggled to process it. It was very difficult to believe that Liv would betray me. I kept questioning the possibility of it being true, but I couldn’t find any reason for her to lie. Despite my doubts, I couldn’t ignore the fear in Alicia’s voice and the fact that Liv’s hatred for the Confederacy was well known. It was difficult for me to accept that Liv would so easily agree to join me in space, given her strong beliefs about ending the eternal recurrence of humanity.

“Oh fuck!” I exclaimed, realizing that Alicia was correct. I struggled to process the information. I could hardly believe that Liv would do this to me. My mind raced as I thought about what to do next. I quickly looked for Eva. At the same time, I took my phone out of my pocket and called Beth.

“Where are you, Beth?” I asked, as soon as she answered the phone.

“On my way there,” she replied.

“Don’t come. There’s no pickup. Just go home. I’ll explain later.” I said, speaking quickly.

“What? Why?” Beth asked, confused.

“It’s not a joke. I mean it. I’ll explain later. Just go home.” I shouted into the phone.

“Okay. When you come back, you have to stop by my house first,” she demanded.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon. I love you.” I said, hanging up the call.

Alicia tapped my shoulder and pointed out Eva near the broken gas pump. I quickly approached her.

But before I could reach her, the sound of car engines suddenly filled the air, their headlamps beam shining on the gas station. I quickly looked around and saw a group of black-clad individuals had surrounded us. Without any warning, they emerged from their cars, guns in hand, and started firing at the group of volunteers.

People were diving for cover, screaming in fear and confusion. I saw Jessy’s parents fall, struck by the bullets. Jessy was crying out for help. My granddad had pushed my mother and sister to the ground, using his own body to shield them from the bullets. My dad ran to the Robinsons, trying to help them in any way he could.

The scene was one of chaos and death. People were dying all around me, their cries of pain and anguish ringing in my ears. Some of the terrorists were not armed with guns but instead were using close combat weapons like machetes, baseball bats, and knives. They charged at us, attacking people in brutal melee combat.

To my surprise, I saw Eva fighting back, firing a gun she had brought with her. “Eat this shit, you Earth First motherfuckers!” she shouted as she shot at the attackers.

Judy shouted. “I have a gun in my car!” Then Will and Judy quickly ran to her vehicle to retrieve it.

Right! This is America. Everybody has their guns. I realized.

I heard Alicia’s familiar voice scream in terror as I noticed one of the terrorists, armed with a close combat weapon, running toward us. I knew I had to act quickly to protect us. I readied myself, prepared to face the attacker head-on.

I stood my ground as the terrorist swung at me with his machete. I quickly sidestepped and grabbed his arm. We grappled with each other for a moment, both of us trying to gain the upper hand.

The moment I felt my opponent was a little off balance. I pulled him in close, swung back my right leg under his inner tight to sweep his body up from under him, and threw him to the ground.

The terrorist hit the ground hard and knocked off his consciousness immediately. I turned to face the other attackers, ready to defend myself and the people I loved.

My mind was wildly alert as my body was filled with adrenaline from the fight. Thanks to my ability to delay panicking, I felt no fear or tremble. I was determined to survive and protect the ones I cared about.

The rest of our group fiercely fought back. People were shouting and exchanging fire with the armed terrorists, while others were fighting hand-to-hand with the close combat attackers. Most of the people, however, were running, screaming, hiding, or helping the hurt one. I could hear bullets whizzing past me, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The fight was intense, but it was clear that we were no match for the large number of terrorists. Some of us had weapons, but most were defenseless and struggling to survive. By that time, more than half of the people on our side were not on their feet.

I looked at Judy and then glanced back at Will, who was wrestling with a terrorist. Judy was lying still on the ground, soaked in blood. I stepped forward to help Will, but then someone pulled my arm. It was Alicia; she was shaking and scared from the attack. I couldn’t just leave her alone. As I turned back towards Will, I saw that he was now lying lifeless on the ground.