Season 1, Episode 11: Market Research

Bill's POV

Bill Parker guided the plane as carefully as he could, just like he did for every other flight. He had to make sure that his distracting thoughts and fears didn't distract him.

Rohit's POV

Rohit Sharma and Kade Gordonhurst entered the church, both feeling slightly tired. Before the disappearances, neither of them would have done something like this. But they needed to gather all the information they could.

Paul Karoski was waiting for them in the basement.

"We don't mean to bother you, Paul, but…", Rohit began.

"You're not bothering me at all", Paul said. "I'm more than happy to help."

"Okay, then", Rohit said. "I remembered something about Carpathia. When I was two years old, he made some kind of agreement with the prime minister of India. That same year, that prime minister died. Would you find some kind of ulterior motive hard to believe?"

"Actually, I would not find that hard to believe", Paul said. "With the way the world has been recently, almost no one can be trusted. Even before the disappearances, men have lusted after money and affluence in their own greed and imperfection. This isn't some new concept. Any of us would just love to have as much money as possible."

"Just out of curiosity, is it really a bad thing to want so much money?", Kade asked.

"Of course, not", Paul said. "God gave us this life to enjoy. But we have to remember that life, like all things, is temporary. When we die, we can't take any of the money we earned with us. Just some food for thought."

"It is an eye-opener", Rohit remarked.

"You could say that again", Paul said, with a slight smile on his face.

"I want to be completely sure before I accuse Carpathia publicly", Rohit said. "If he is a good man and that prime minister did not die by any cowardly deed, then everything is fine. But if Carpathia dared to commit this insulting act in my country and had that prime minister die from that illness, I want to make sure the world understands that injustice."

"Even if it is true, would the public believe us anyway?", Kade asked. "Most of the world already seems to view Carpathia as a God."

"As I feared they would", Paul said. "We need to somehow warn some of those people. An immense soul harvest will occur in the world during this Tribulation period. I want to warn as many people as possible, because the Antichrist will try to deceive millions of unlucky individuals, and he will succeed unfortunately."

"Let's see if we can find more evidence to accuse Carpathia of", Rohit said. "Do you have a computer here? Maybe there's something on the internet that could somehow help us."

"I'll put in the password", Paul said.

Thirty minutes later, the three men searched for news articles that described Carpathia's accomplishments.

"He was the valedictorian at his high school graduation in Romania", Rohit said. "How different is the education system in that country, anyway?"

"He graduated from college with a Master's degree in only two years", Kade said. "That does look shady, but nothing that we can use to accuse him with."

"Here's an article from the year he graduated from his high school", Paul said. "One of his chemistry teachers died that year. He was found with multiple stab wounds on his body. They never found the person responsible. According to the article, he seemed to be a tough grader and strict educator."

"So maybe Carpathia had some involvement with that", Rohit said. "He may not be directly killing people, but he could have easily paid someone to carry out the deed. He is affluent, after all."

"He may not have been as rich back then, though", Kade pointed out.

"According to an article about Carpathia's college graduation, it says he was one of the five wealthiest young males in his hometown in Romania. That is an eye opener", Paul said.

"It says in another article that Carpathia seems to have some sort of an alliance with Salvatore Corsetti, that friend of his that was seen briefly on-screen when Carpathia was talking to President Calhoun", Rohit said.

"That technically isn't a transgression", Kade said.

"True. But it wouldn't shock me if Carpathia was some sort of mobster", Rohit said.

"You mean, like those crime lords in those Italian mafia movies?", Kade asked.

"Yeah", Rohit said. "I will never understand some of these white people."

"Dude, that's racist", Kade said, laughing.

Paul and Rohit also laughed.

"In all seriousness, though, Carpathia does seem to know numerous people", Rohit said. "He also seems to be aware of all the loopholes in the United Nations."

"Having that kind of knowledge isn't the problem, though", Kade said. "The problem is using that knowledge, power, and affluence for the wrong reasons. But if we find more articles, we could make more connections."

"I found an article", Rohit said. "A married couple spoke out against Carpathia in Romania just one month before the disappearances. They were both arrested and accused of spreading hate speech and making threats against the Romanian government."

"Now that seems to be some form of incrimination", Paul said. "Arresting two people for speaking their minds and voicing their opinion? Why is it being classified as 'hate speech'?"

"Seems that Carpathia may have had some involvement", Kade said. "I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not anymore. I wouldn't be shocked if he had that married couple arrested just to silence them."

"Speaking of that married couple", Rohit said. "It says in another article that those two people were taken in the Rapture."

Silence fell. The three men looked at each other with knowing glances. This couldn't be some coincidence. No, something clear seemed to be forming. A pattern.

Paul then broke the silence. "I'm feeling rather sleepy, maybe…"

"We could probably crash here", Kade said. "I'm feeling tired as well."

"I do feel lethargic currently", Rohit said. "Maybe we should just get some blankets and spread them on the floor."

So, the three men slept in the church basement.

Tony's POV

Tony Cataldo was taking a walk in his neighborhood. He felt more paranoid leaving his abode since he survived the deadly shooting in that grocery store. Silas Tysens wasn't the only murderer in the world, after all. Tony knew that he couldn't hide in his house forever, but he didn't want to risk making a decision that could cost him his life. If he was going to die, he would rather that he would die for a noble cause, something that would somehow glorify God.

Tony continued walking when he all of a sudden, spotted someone familiar walking down the block. It was Perry Warden.

Tony called out his name, then rushed to him.

"How are you, Perry?", Tony asked. "I haven't seen you since we were on Flight 248."

"Things have been complicated since the disappearances", Perry said. "I had plans that were ultimately disrupted by what had happened. I was upset about that for weeks."

Perry looked at the ground, then looked at Tony and smiled.

"But then I saw Nicolae Carpathia on my television screen, and that was entertaining enough", Perry said.

"Yeah, he definitely is not a typical politician", Tony said. He wasn't, of course, going to say that Carpathia was the Antichrist in front of Perry. At least, not yet.

"What do you think about the disappearances?", Tony asked, hoping to make some progress with Perry.

Perry sighed. It was evident that he had no interest in engaging in this discussion.

"I don't know what to believe", Perry said. "Maybe aliens took those people away. Whatever happened, I refuse to believe that God had any involvement in that. Christianity and religion are things I want no association with."

"Perry, I used to feel the same way about Christianity", Tony said. "I hated it, and anything related to Jesus or the Bible. But I went to this church, and met this pastor. Perry, I'm a believer now."

Perry looked disgusted. "You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not joking, Perry", Tony said. "I survived a shooting in a grocery store, and then I prayed to God and asked him to show me mercy. I'm so glad I did. You can do the same as well."

"Forget it!", Perry shouted. "I want absolutely nothing to do with it. I would have thought that you, of all people, would have had more sense. I would have thought that you were self-aware. But even you have been brainwashed to becoming a moronic Christian."

Perry then stormed off, clearly incensed.

"Perry, wait!", Tony shouted. "Let's just talk about this."

Tony sighed heavily. He had to wonder if everyone would respond this way when hearing about God's mercy and about the second coming of Christ.

Pete's POV

Pete Alessandra was listening to heavy metal music on his laptop. Music was something he was truly passionate about. Listening to any type of music helped to take his mind off of his family.

His family. Hearing about their deaths from Lawrence Klebold had been the worst news of his life. Why wouldn't it be? What could be worse than finding out your entire family had been killed on the same day?

Pete had traveled to Wisconsin to see the exact location where the deadly crash had taken place. After that, he went to the morgue to find the bodies of his parents and brother. He felt so inconsolable and despondent when he saw their bodies. Pete then buried the bodies in his backyard. He didn't want to arrange a funeral for two reasons. The first reason was that so many other people had lost friends and family members themselves in the disappearances, so they were probably either extremely busy or in mourning. The second reason was that he wanted his privacy to be valued. He had an aversion to being bothered during the worst part of his life. He would be extremely upset if people kept asking questions about how his family had died. It would just annoy him. It would be best if no one else knew.

Pete had mixed feelings of anger, sorrow, and nostalgia. If there was a God out there somewhere, he couldn't understand why that God would feel inclined to let his family be killed. He had no right to allow his family to die for no reason. Did his family deserve what had happened to them? Did he deserve this?

Pete wasn't sure if the theories of God taking his people to heaven were credible. He was sure he would be thinking about this often in the months to come. Pete currently had no interest in turning to God. If God wanted people to respect him, slaughtering innocents would not be an adequate way to get attention and veneration.

Pete turned off his music and sighed. He knew that this would be constantly in the back of his mind. He then turned the music back on. He needed a healthy distraction.

Larry's POV

Larry Levine had to admit that a walk with God did offer him comfort.

He knew that there would be terrible and ghastly occurrences that were supposed to happen in the future. If Paul Karoski was right about Nicolae Carpathia being the Antichrist, then he would imagine that the fate of the world would only get worse, seeing how many people had given him respect and attention.

Larry wasn't sure what the best form of action would be to take. Should he and the other passengers from Flight 248 head to New York and fight with him? No, that would not work, he thought. That was completely absurd. Still, they had to do something about Carpathia before he took over the entire world. They may not be able to hinder his conquest, but they could at least prepare for what he was planning. They could strategize on what they should do so they would be able to prolong their inevitable deaths. Of course, if Larry would be forced to defend his Christians beliefs, then he would gladly give his life for it.

Larry had to wonder if the other passengers from Flight 248 were prepared to give their lives. The other eight people that Paul had spoken to might be willing to if necessary. Larry couldn't say the same about the other passengers from that flight.

Larry knew that he would not be alone in this fight, at the very least.

Joyce's POV

Joyce Dancer was filled with excitement as the plane landed in New York. She knew what she had to do. She would find a hotel somewhere in the city, and then stay there while she planned and prepared for the meeting in the United Nations building. It would be a day she would not forget about.

The thought of being able to meet with and speak with Carpathia certainly made Joyce feel ecstatic. The Romanian president had been able to give hope to a world that had experienced so much grief and despair. Regardless, it was likely that Carpathia would be very busy. There was no way he would be able to speak to every reporter and bystander in the United Nations building individually. Still, there was a chance Carpathia would notice her and maybe even be thrilled to be interviewed by her. That would be a blessing.

But she had to careful not to get too excited. There was a chance that something would go wrong. The disappearances were proof of that.

Sandy's POV

Sandy Comstock smiled as the plane he was on reached New York. Everything seemed to be fine so far. He had slept comfortably during the night. He guessed the thought of being able to speak to Carpathia seemed entertaining enough. He had interviewed numerous politicians before. But he never had a chance to speak to a politician who had this much popularity and influence. This would be an unprecedented experience.

Yet, Paul's warning was ringing in his head. Sandy knew that if Carpathia was the Antichrist, he would be treading on dangerous ground. He could even be killed, should something go wrong. With people dropping dead left and right, being cautious was a top priority. Sandy certainly didn't want to lose his life over something petty.

Sandy turned to Howard Hillside, who was a fellow writer from Global Weekly. Howard was three years older than Sandy. They were on good terms, but they weren't exactly friends.

"Are you excited to see Carpathia?", Sandy asked.

"Of course I am", Howard said.

Sandy hadn't told Howard about his conversion to Christianity. He knew that the older man needed to know the truth behind the disappearances. But then again, there was no guarantee that Howard would believe Sandy anyway. Howard seemed to respect Carpathia and as far as Sandy knew, Howard did not seem to show any religious inclinations since they spoke to each other after the Rapture.

"What do you think he will be discussing in the United Nations building?", Sandy asked.

Howard shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not completely sure. Whatever he talks about, I'm sure that the others in that building will treat it with the utmost respect."

Sandy nodded. But he hoped that nothing lethal or destructive would occur during the meeting. He didn't want to have any regrets about coming on this trip. Then again, if Carpathia did something malicious, Paul's assumption would be proven correct.

Zoey's POV

Zoey Harper was in her apartment. She had woken up and eaten breakfast. She decided she would drive to New Hope Village Church to talk to Paul. There was still so much about the Tribulation that she needed to know about.

Zoey walked outside and got inside the car. As she drove the car, she wondered if she would get any clues about Nicolae Carpathia being the Antichrist. She only hoped she wouldn't have to wait long. She didn't want to be tricked.

Zoey parked outside the church and knocked on the door. When no one answered the door for five minutes, she then tested the doorknob. When she did, she realized the door was unlocked.

"Hello?", Zoey called out. "Paul?"

Zoey checked out the rooms in which Sunday school classes used to be held. She walked through the aisle in the room where services would take place. She checked all around the ground floor, and there was not one single person in sight.

Zoey then walked to the basement of the church. There, she found Paul, Rohit, and Kade all sleeping on the floor.

"Paul? Rohit? Kade? What is going on?", Zoey asked.

The three men woke up to the sound of Zoey's voice. They all seemed shocked that Zoey found them sleeping in the church basement.

"We were looking up information about Carpathia online", Rohit said. "But after a while, all three of us got tired."

"So, we decided to sleep here", Kade said.

For a few minutes, Zoey looked at the three men incredulously. Then she started giggling.

"What's so funny?", Rohit asked. "What is amusing about this?"

"I never thought I'd see the day", Zoey said, unable to keep a straight face. "All three of you came to the church in the middle of the night and decided to sleep here overnight. Who would have thought that would have been the case? Before the Rapture, a church was probably the last place anyone would have stayed overnight at."

"Well, you have to admit that this is the last thing anyone would have expected", Kade said.

Zoey then stopped giggling.

"But in all seriousness, what did you discover about Carpathia?"

"We found some surprising information", Paul said. "Seems like the Romanian president has been involved in some illicit activity. It doesn't look like he is so innocent, after all."

Zoey looked intrigued as Kade, Rohit, and Paul presented all the information about Carpathia they discovered to her.

Zoey then said, "We have to show this to the others from Flight 248. They need to hear about this."

Hiram's POV

Hiram Calhoun smiled as the plane reached New York. He grabbed his backpack and headed to the aisle. He noticed Carpathia was speaking to Salvatore Corsetti and Aurora Pichler. Hiram was glad that he didn't bump into Jennings when he walked out of the plane. The vice president was really irritable.

Hiram looked around for Carpathia when he reached the terminal, but he lost the handsome Romanian president in the crowd. The meeting in the United Nations building was something he would be more than happy to attend.

Hiram then grabbed his luggage and flagged down a taxi. He would travel in that taxi to a hotel he would be staying at during his time in New York.

Bill's POV

Bill Parker successfully landed the plane in Florida. He planned to fly back to Illinois and try to talk to Marlene Kingston about his new beliefs, if she was willing to listen.

Bill then received a text message from Paul that said, We need to talk about Carpathia.