Chapter 303
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Friday Febuary 29th marked, quite possibly, the world's last leap year. It was also 142 days until impact. Tomorrow marked the third lottery drawing. This night reverand arnes addressed the sector on television. Jamal watched this. Eve tried to watch, while also trying to get Hope to sleep.
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Barnes: My friends, tomorrow the secular world will be choosing more people for their Arks. They believe this will protect them from the asteroid. But God will judge them. I implore you all, be not decieved by their propoganda. The world was given more than three years to repent. I am grateful that God gave us this time, and that many of you have come to Christ these last three years. But most did not repent. They turned to sin, drugs, sexual immorality. Even Mason's new media admit that theft, rape, even murder are constantly on the rise. Had God chosen to destroy the world on Febuary 4th, far more people would've been damned. But some turned to God for help. To Christ, to Allah, to YHWH. For our sake, God gave us time to prepare. Only those communities who remain faithful will be spared God's wrath. This is why we imprison those who break God's laws. The courts have a presumption of innocence, but many defendants simply plead guilty to avoid hard work. Those who are convicted beyond reasonable doubt, will be punished. We must all remain vigilant, against the cult of "Finis generatium" or the "Voluntary human extinction movement." The secular world might be wicked, but they do not wish humanitys extinction. Perhaps they fear death more because they know they could be damned, the fanatics don't have any such concerns. God promised Lot he wouldn't destroy Sodom and Gommorah, if they could find just five rightous souls. But God could not spare these sinful cities, because they could not find five. I believe God will destroy the Arks, that he will not find even five rightous souls. Do not be decieved, man cannot offer salvation, only God can do that. So again I ask you to stay, and make this a rightous community that will be spared the wrath of God.
Jamal and Eve tried to sleep. Tomorrow sector guards were expected to be at their posts, no exceptions. There would definitely be panic, more than other times. If those selected weren't allowed to leave the sector, panic would increase. This government came to power less than three weeks ago in a violent uprising. They could very well be overthrown fairly soon. Eve and Jamal were still hoping to be selected. When they saw it was after midnight, they checked the lottery results online. The new government allowed this. Barnes seemed to be gambling that few, if any of them, would be selected. If they saw they had no chance on the Arks, they'd be more likely to follow Barnes' philosophy. Eve, Hope, Jamal, all said "Not yet chosen." Jamal and Eve cried in each other's arms. Things were still getting worse, scarier, but at least they had each other to get through the hard times.