Chapter 349
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On Thursday May 29th Zoey asked Jed and Eve to join her at a ceremony. Eve was suprised by the nature of the ceremony. Two people, friends of Jed and Zoey, were planning to die together. This was a ceremony of Finis Generatium. Eve had never seen this up-front. She had seen movies like this in the Brooklyn sector, meant to shock the audience into embracing monotheism. It seemed the movies were at least somewhat accurate. They embraced death, not only honored suicide, but congragulated murder. This religion believed life was pain, a prison. Death was a sweet release. Killing someone spared them the pain of this world, it could be considered a gift. Eve had seen priests and priestesses at the colliseum, honoring the victors for releasing their opponents from this world. These priests didn't deny that killing was hard, but believed that this hardship was a sacrifice for the greater good. Zoey confided to Eve her experience in the games. Carmen had run off, fearing death. But Zoey found her, convinced her she could be spared the pain the other, crazier tributes, were planning for her. Carmen came out, and Zoey slit her throat. Eve doubted that Finis Generatium was highly organized. Most likely several of these death cults were using this name. There was no "Pontifax Maximus" running things behind the scenes. This particular sect wasn't hung up on specific theology. They didn't care whether there was one god, several gods, whether God was male, female, or an animal. What they believed was that death was better, either getting into Heaven, or just an end to the pain. The cult gave people a reason to live, a reason to die, maybe that's all these people wanted right now. The two young lovers took poison, and died in each other's arms. The priest performed a version of the last rites, "Forgive and have mercy upon them. Protect them from the grave, and the torment of the fire." Eve wondered if Zoey had a specific agenda in asking her husband and their mutual mistress here. Perhaps she wanted them to join her in suicide, before the mob and/or the next ice age brought more pain. Eve had to admit, these two lovers did look peaceful in death, maybe this death cult had the right idea.