After their fight, Kara and Mon went to the Fortress of Solitude to hash out their differences. The two wrestled with each other in bed. "It's your fault I'm in the future and my sister's long dead," Kara said as she tore Mon's clothes off.
"It's your fault my mother's dead, you bitch," Mon shot back as he ripped her bra off.
"Oh yeah, get angry. I destroyed your whole race. What are you going to do about it?" Kara said as she clawed at him.
"I'm going to punish you," Mon said forcing Kara onto her back.
"Oh yeah, punish me, Mon," Kara requested.
Mon created energy rings around Kara's wrists and ankles pinning her to the bed and then a ring around her neck. "Tighter!" Kara shouted at him. The ring around her neck proceeded to get tighter.
"I was a prince of a warrior race, but you, a low-level Kryptonian clown, defeated me in battle. You can't imagine my shame and my humiliation," Mon said angrily.
"Oh, yes, get it all out," Kara said to him.
"You don't know what humiliation is," Mon said as he pounded into her. "But I will teach you its bitter taste, the same way you have cut down my pride!" he shouted as he went Super Insane.
"Oh, God!" Kara cried out in ecstasy.
She then easily pulled on the energy rings shattering them.
"Kara, I've been thinking. If we're truly stuck in this time period, we need to start a new life for ourselves," Mon said.
"I suppose," Kara allowed.
"I want an heir," Mon said finally.
"To your non-existent throne?" Kara mocked.
"I have no purpose now that Darkseid is gone. Everything I sacrificed was for that singular purpose," Mon said depressed.
"Look, if you want to bang some hermaphrodite chick to get yourself a bastard, go ahead," Kara allowed.
"No, I want an heir with you. Now that my race has been dwindled down to a handful, it's quality over quantity. I want to create a new race of Super Insane. A race that has both Insane and Kryptonian powers. Can you imagine such a creature able to become stronger after every injury and healing from that injury by the power of the sun?" Mon asked.
"You're talking about something that could potentially kill us and doom the world," Kara said uncertainly.
"What? You scared?" Mon dared.
"Oh, it's on," Kara said taking the dare.
Metropolis
Kara unearthed a Kryptonian ship that Superman had crashed into buildings with and which Lex had created Doomsday with. "This ship has so many weird memories," Kara said as she toured around it.
The three came upon a broken incubation chamber. Brainiac 5 examined the broken pods. "I believe I can fix all of these pods," he said.
"Let's make it happen," Kara smiled.
The three worked to clean up the mess and then fixed the glass on the pods. Water was poured back into the tank and all the pods became suspended from the ceiling. Kara placed herself on a bed as Brainiac 5 expertly placed a Kryptonite scalpel to her hip.
"Is it going to hurt?" Kara asked fearfully.
"Yes," Brainiac 5 replied.
He cut into her ovary and then suctioned eggs out through a tube. Kara tensed up as she used her power reserves to heal the wound. Brainiac 5 then placed one individual egg inside the fluid of the pod. "The sex of the child will be dictated by the sperm we collect from Mon."
"I'm aware," Kara said not appreciating Brainiac's 5 condescension.
"Well, that was fun," Mon said giving Brainiac 5 a test tube.
"Lucky bastard. I had to be cut open," Kara glared at him.
"Shall we proceed?" Brainiac 5 asked permission.
"Sure, let's go," Kara said enthusiastically.
"I have the technology and skill to plant a fertilized egg into your womb for natural pregnancy," Brainiac 5 offered.
"That's a good one," Kara chuckled. "Oh, you were serious? Let me laugh harder," Kara laughed at him.
"Kara couldn't handle it anyway," Mon seconded.
"You trying to dare me into doing a natural pregnancy? You can go fuck yourself," Kara said to him.
"Too late, already did," Mon grinned.
"Perhaps the parents should insert the tube together," Brainiac 5 suggested giving them the tube.
"It better not be retarded," Kara glared at him.
"It better not be a girl," Mon glared back.
The two inserted the tube together into the pod. The computer then analyzed the moment of conception. "Congratulations, it's a female," Brainiac 5 announced.
"Nice," Kara said pleased.
"Damn...it," Mon said frustrated. "We're doing it again until you get it right."
"It's your sperm that determines it," Kara said obviously.
"Your egg determines which sperm gets in," Mon shot back.
"You are positively Medieval," Kara insulted.
"I can try to screen out XX chromosome carrying sperm," Brainiac 5 offered.
"No, if my heir wishes to be a man, he will have to work for it," Mon declared.
"Very well," Brainiac 5 said giving them another tube.
The two of them inserted the tube into the pod. "It's a male," Brainiac 5 reported.
"What are we going to name them?" Kara wondered.
"The boy will be named Mon, of course," Mon said obviously.
"No, that's too confusing. We're ending that bullshit with this generation," Kara refused.
"Then I propose Kon for the boy and Mara for the girl," Mon said finally.
"I like it. Easy to remember," Kara agreed.
"With accelerated growth, they should be ready in four months," Brainiac 5 told them.
Jerusalem
With a new understanding, Mon led British troops against the Mimics and cleared Gaza and the surrounding areas. He continued to lead British forces towards Syria where they met up with forces that had gone up north towards Mosul. While Mon could destroy any Mimic on sight, he required constant scouts, drones, and satellite imagery to make sure he didn't miss a spot allowing for Mimics to ambush from the rear. Upon Jerusalem being liberated, Brainiac 5 had a meeting with the great thinkers of the world in the ancient ruins with a throne chair at his side.
"For centuries, the conflict between science and religion has been on the topic of evolution," Brainiac 5 began earning some condescending chuckles from the audience. "But a far more sensitive subject is the illusion of free will. It is even greater a certainty in point of fact than evolution. Unlike evolution, this does have the potential to alter what we believe to be moral goodness, right and wrong, crime and punishment. So much of our existence is caught up on this question, believing ourselves to be conscious agents capable of free choice. Whether you be a scientific realist or post-modernist, there is no free will. Not for me, not for you. Simply put, causality requires an endless string of causes and effects that have brought you here to me."
The crowd was silent at that. "Now, we may attempt to console ourselves by suggesting that random chance could be a part of this equation. While there is randomness on the quantum level, it's merely our inability to properly predict their motions. Even if it was pure randomness, that is not free will. Whether our thoughts be random or determined, we have no free will," Brainiac 5 said and then placed a portable Myriad device on a table.
"This device can allow me to control your mind, your thoughts, your actions, by manipulating brainwaves and chemical reactions in your brain. It's simple physics. I can make you do anything I want from acts of mercy to murdering your family," Brainiac 5 introduced. "Now, we are all intelligent men of science. We understand that free will does not exist but we do the best we can with what we have. Should the masses come to realize this truth as well, what would be the result?"
"Or what would be the result should I introduce this fundamental truth to every human on the planet?" Brainiac 5 threatened as he touched the Myriad device.
"There would be mass suicide, hopelessness, depression, and possibly war," one said to him. "Governments would collapse," another said.
"As it happens, I have in my possession religious scripture from thousands of years ago, scriptures that were lost in the purge five centuries ago. It's a collection of stories, fables, examples, and rules to live by. If we suppose there is a God and we have souls, ghosts in the machine, so to speak, we have free will again. As you can see, the lie has much greater utility for society than the truth," Brainiac 5 told them.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life," Brainiac 5 recited. "This God has free will to love the world and give something of Himself to us. We have the free will to believe or not, choose to perish or have everlasting life."
"On what factual basis can these scriptures prove the existence of God?" one skeptic asked.
"It cannot," Brainiac 5 conceded. "In all my centuries of existence and in all my travels, I have never discovered existence for this specific God that has acted in human affairs. But through these scriptures, I have a psychological profile of this God. I can anticipate and determine what He wishes for His people."
"Bring forth these scriptures of us to interpret," one requested.
"No," Brainiac 5 refused him. "There are two verses that stand out to me. The pillar of truth is the church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail upon my church. My religion has no scriptures, no individual interpretation, no personal revelations. I will be the church and everything I say will be true and nothing will prevail upon me."
"A church without scripture? How will you acquire legitimacy?" one asked.
"I don't require it. I will tie religion to my economic and government structure. The masses will find hope in my words and moral leadership, and I will be their shepherd for countless generations for I will never die. I will unify this planet under one creed, one vision, one purpose," Brainiac 5 said as he sat on a throne chair.
"How are we to begin this mythology of yours?" one asked.
"You can begin by kneeling before me and kissing my ring," Brainiac 5 invited.
Rome
Brainiac 5 and Kara met up in Rome to have talks with the Roman authorities. "Why not have the center of the church be in London or Metropolis?" Kara asked argumentatively.
"It's tradition that it be here. Rome is merely one among equals with the other dioceses," Brainiac 5 said.
"That sounds like bullshit," Kara said suspiciously and then noted Brainiac 5's all-white outfit, red shoes, and white cap.
The two finally had a meeting with the mayor of Rome and other Italian leaders. "We thought you were a man of science. What is this shit?" the Roman mayor asked.
"I still am. I intend to use the science of sociology to unite this world under one faith that may or may not be true," Brainiac 5 said.
"Let's be clear about this. It's a lie, a fantasy, ancient mythology," the Roman mayor said.
"Hold up a minute. This is the King James Bible, alright," Kara said defensively taking a pocket bible out.
"Is King James some kind of God?" the Roman Mayor wondered confused.
"No, don't interrupt. Now, where was I? Right, so there's one God but divided into three persons. You get it?" Kara asked them.
"No," the Italians said impatiently.
"Damn, okay, well, just read the book and you'll get it," Kara promised them.
"The book will be loaned out but not copied," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"Wait...what? Why can't we mass produce it to all corners of the Earth?" Kara asked incredulously.
"We must have careful control of the narrative and how the book is interpreted," Brainiac 5 said reasonably.
"Surely, there must be only one translation so no one can mistranslate the Word of God. I'm thinking...Italian," the Roman Mayor said.
"It will be Latin," Brainiac 5 corrected.
"Yeah, sure," Kara said confused.
"And we must build grand structures to worship in and to honor this God. This will provide jobs for construction workers, engineers, architects, artisans, and so forth," the Roman mayor continued.
"Nice," Kara smiled.
"And there shall be a clergy that will teach the Word of God to the masses, and they shall remain celibate so their heirs do not hope to confiscate church property that belongs to God," Brainiac 5 continued.
"That's a little harsh but alright," Kara allowed.
"And there shall be a hierarchy with a central authority figure that will have the final say on all dogmas and doctrines and shall teach us right and wrong in all areas of our life," the Roman mayor smirked.
"And he shall have a direct connection between God and mankind," Brainiac 5 added.
"Makes sense," Kara nodded.
"And this central authority figure will appoint the leaders of all the nations as if God had appointed them. And every leader of the world shall obey him," the Roman mayor suggested.
"Alright...," Kara said, uncertain about this.
"And he shall have the power to initiate glorious crusades," Brainiac 5 said nonchalantly.
"What's happening here?" Kara wondered.
"I think it may be beneficial for us after all if God's vicar lives in our fair city," the Roman mayor said ambitiously.
"So, can we have a few square kilometers of land to make an independent nation?" Kara asked.
"No, you may rent city-space like everyone else," the Roman mayor shut her down.
Kara and Brainiac 5 looked at each other. "Well, okay then," Kara allowed.
London
Kara addressed Parliament over the issue of religion. She sat on her throne chair in front of the seated members of Parliament from all corners of the world. Recently, the dominion added Australia, Israel, South Africa, and significant territories in Africa. Kara had made a point to draw a line from Egypt to South Africa no matter how nonsensical the plan was. With these developments, the dominion was now roughly 13% of the world's GDP.
Kara held up her pocket King James Bible in her hand. "I've been told that if the common people read this book, there will only be fragmentation and quarrel," she said. The lords proceeded to mock this notion even though they really didn't give a shit about a book they had never read nor had any intention to read.
"Surely, it is better if there be one...Church of England," Kara declared. "With no common prayer book or purpose. Just let everyone read this book for themselves and believe as they wish."
"Here, here," Parliament members shouted.
"I ask you to pass this act of non-conformity, not for myself, but for my people," Kara said with false sincerity. "Who are my only care."
"Your Majesty, by this act, you force us to relinquish our allegiance to the Holy Father," one lord remarked.
"Yea, yea, yea," Parliament nodded at that. "This is heresy!" another accused.
Kara rolled her eyes at these members of Parliament that were suddenly becoming super-religious all of a sudden for political purposes. "This is not a schism or a reformation. It's simply a different way to practice the same faith. The Holy Father and I are different people with the same goal. Different but same-same. This is common sense. A most English virtue."
"Fuck yeah, it is," Parliament agreed.
After Parliament passed the resolution, Brainiac 5 met up with Kara as her prime minister at Buckingham Palace privately. "I may have to excommunicate you for this," he said.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Kara rolled her eyes.
"There is a logic to me withholding the scriptures from the public eye. I hope to create uniformity and reduce personal interpretation. I have seen how this world has fractured apart over religion and scientific belief," Brainiac 5 said.
"This only affects my dominion and anyone who can read old English which is very few right now," Kara said dismissively.
"When people realize this is the most important book in all of human history, they will learn the language," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"You see religion as a mere power-play to unite the world. You don't even believe in it. Well, I do and I won't deprive my people of it," Kara told him off.
"What are the people deprived of? Creation myths, national disasters, archaic laws, genocide...," Brainiac 5 listed off.
"It's the story of God's relationship with humanity, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Kryptonian history is boring as fuck compared to this adventure," Kara said wide-eyed.
"There cannot be two churches. You are to submit to me on spiritual matters," Brainiac 5 ordered.
"And I will," Kara allowed. "But you will allow individual sovereigns license here and there. And I hope you can assure me that you won't mix up your roles. Right now, you're my prime minister. Act like it."
"You want the drone in Rome to personally communicate with you when this drone is right in front of you?" Brainiac 5 asked confused.
"That's right," Kara confirmed. "Otherwise I'll go crazy trying to keep track of you all."
"As your prime minister, it is my duty to inform you that the Holy Father is very very likely to scold you privately but not excommunicate you," Brainiac 5 said.
"Thank you, Barney. That will be all," Kara smiled amused.
Shortly thereafter, the church communities in Scotland and Ireland followed Pope Barney's edict to ban the Bible and prevent it from being published and distributed. Africa and the Middle East did publish the Bible and distribute it widely but only the Old Testament part. Within the first month, the church was in a state of growth and disarray.
Religion swept Western Europe like a wildfire as Brainiac 5 incorporated it into his government and economic system. The common people became ever more zealous pushing their leaders to further extremes. Spain, having not suffered the Mimic War, prepared for war. Immediately, Kara ordered the Spanish ambassador to her court.
"I'll remind you, Sir, I have the eyes of an eagle," Kara said wide-eyed. "And I spy a massive Spanish fleet being consolidating in the Atlantic. You trying to attack my country and overthrow me?"
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," the Spanish ambassador lied.
"You're full of shit," Kara accused.
"You created division within the Holy Church with your non-conformity. You're a heretic and the spawn of the devil," the Spanish ambassador accused.
"You talking about a faith you only discovered a few weeks ago?" Kara asked incredulously.
"We follow the Holy Father and he follows God. Who do you follow, witch?" the Spanish ambassador asked.
"He's a fucking machine. I'm flesh and blood with a soul. I can speak to God, he cannot," Kara pointed out.
"You're an alien and this is our religion," the Spanish ambassador told her off.
"You go back to your king and tell him I neither fear his priests nor his armies. If he wants to shake his fist at me, I'm ready to rumble," Kara said resolved.
"You see a leaf fall and you think you know the wind blows. There is a wind coming, ma'am, and it will sweep away your pride," the Spanish ambassador replied and then took off like a boss.
Kara could only stare at the audacity of these humans. "I, too, can command the wind, Sir! I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare when you dare to try me!" she shouted after him.
The zealous nations of Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy came together to form an armada against England. The Spanish fleet consisted of one amphibious assault ship acting as an aircraft carrier, another amphibious assault ship, and a dozen frigates. Portugal brought two frigates and two corvettes. The French brought one aircraft carrier, three amphibious assault ships, a dozen destroyers, and a dozen frigates. The Italian fleet was composed of two light aircraft carriers, three amphibious assault ships, four destroyers, and a dozen frigates. The Spanish Armada, as it was called, consolidated at Lisbon and then sailed directly to England.
Brainiac 5 consulted with the presidents and prime ministers of all these nations. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and for thy possession, the ends of the earth. Thou shalt break her with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash her to pieces, like a potters vessel. Be wise now, therefore ye kings. Be admonished ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, though his wrath be kindled but a little. I, Pope Barney I, hereby authorize and give divine sanction to this holy crusade. An indulgence will be given to all those who fall in this war," he said to them.
In England, Kara found her prime minister suspiciously absent and was forced to rely on human advisers. "This Spanish Armada is at sea carrying an army of one hundred thousand men. Majesty, this vast armada will surely smash through our naval defenses. We must be prepared for the worst," her deputy defense minister informed her.
"I think you overestimate their chances," Kara said arrogantly.
As the Spanish Armada continued on its way, the English came out in force with six destroyers, twelve frigates, two amphibious transport ships, and two aircraft carriers. As the two fleets came head-to-head, the Spanish Armada outnumbered the English roughly 3:1. Kara stood on one of the English aircraft carriers undeterred and spoke to the sailors gathered around her.
"For every man, there is a cause which he would proudly die for. Defend the right to have a place to which he can belong to. Every man who fights with his bare hands in desperation and sheds his blood stems the flood, to barricade invasion," Kara said to them.
"God save the Queen! God save the Queen!" the sailors shouted.
Kara then flew off from the aircraft carrier to engage the Spanish Armada all by herself. As she came closer, the Spanish Armada destroyers and frigates fired continuous rockets into the air. The rockets exploded high in the atmosphere spreading fine Kryptonite dust across a wide distance. Kara went through the dust not noticing it until it was too late. Kara aimed for the Spanish Armada ships and suddenly lost power. Spanish Armada fighters locked onto her and fired air-to-air missiles hitting her several times. Kara dropped into the ocean by the hits. The Spanish Armada destroyers fired continuous depth charges in the water causing massive water explosions all around them. The Spanish Armada didn't let up as bombers sprinkled the ocean creating more underwater explosions.
Kara emerged from the water and steadied herself on top of the water. She was a bloody mess with her uniform torn in several places. The Spanish Armada quickly destroyed the English fleet with overwhelming firepower. Kara eyed her fleeting burning with horror. Both of her aircraft carriers were on fire and sinking. In desperation, Kara activated her watch to summon Mon to her position. Within the minute, Mon instantly appeared at Kara's side.
"Mon, please, sink their ships! Kill them all!" Kara pleaded.
Mon gave Kara a disgusted look upon seeing her severe injuries and burning English fleet. "I now have your eggs and can have as many heirs as I wish from you, enough to restart my race. So, I wonder what more use I have for you."
"You bastard! This is my world, not yours. I am your queen!" Kara shouted at him.
Mon gave her a condescending look and then swiped her head off with his knife-hand.
Rome
Brainiac 5 sat on his throne chair in his office and had tea with Nura while in his papal uniform. "So, that's how it would go," she detailed.
"I call bullshit. I'm going to do exactly as I planned to do," Kara said stubbornly.
"Go right ahead," Mon smirked enjoying the ending to Nura's report.
"I write my own destiny," Kara insisted.
"So far it's been a shitty story," Mon antagonized.
"I feel we should all be on the same page. An edited summary of the Bible will be distributed but the original King James Bible shall remain with me," Brainiac 5 said.
"Like Wikipedia?" Kara wondered.
"Precisely. That way the people can learn and meditate on their faith while being unable to cite it as an authority in academic circles," Brainiac 5 agreed.
"Fine," Kara relented.
"So, we're just going to forget God being badass thousands of years ago?" Mon asked disappointedly.
"The past is not important. What is important is God being badass in the future...through us," Brainiac 5 replied to him.
"Nice," Mon smiled.
"The Naltorians will never accept this weird-ass faith," Nura doubted.
"Oh, I think they will," Brainiac 5 said as he placed his hand on a portable Myriad device.
"Wait, you've been using that this whole time?" Kara asked confused having not sensed anything at all.
"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all," Brainiac 5 replied.
From Rome, Myriad beams hit satellites all over the world promoting a subliminal message to the entire human race of hope and faith in something beyond their understanding.
May 3017
At the appropriate time, Brainiac 5 put on the uniform of the pope of the new world. He wore simple red shoes, red vestments, and a white cassock, fascia, and simar. On his head was a white skullcap. In his hand was a metallic shepherd staff. He walked about the halls of a building in ruins and met with a collection of curious followers he had deemed worthy of being in his presence. He gave them all a look as if analyzing their hopes, expectations, and desires of him. He gave them false smiles as if to assure them and then walked towards a balcony overlooking a large square. In front of him were three hundred thousand people organized into blocks all standing and waiting for his address.
Brainiac 5 looked over the crowd as his computer mind began recording each and every face within microseconds. Within a few seconds of looking around, he had the faces of everyone in the crowd. Brainiac 5 paused just a few moments to ensure he recorded everyone's face as some were blocked or not looking straight at him.
"Let me be very clear. I am here for one simple reason: To not forget anyone. God does not leave anyone behind. I serve God. I serve you!" Brainiac 5 said to the cheering crowd.
"Why believe in God? Why believe in this book?" Brainiac 5 asked as he held a Bible in his hand. "Why believe in me?" he asked rhetorically to the crowd. "Nearly fourteen billion years ago, our universe came into being. According to the Drake equation, humanity will only exist for another several thousand years. In one hundred million years, an asteroid impact will likely end all complex life on this planet. If not, the sun's increased luminosity or a gamma-ray burst five hundred million years from now will surely do it. In two billion years, we will lose our oceans as well as our atmosphere as our outer core freezes. In three billion years, all life on this planet will be extinct. In eight billion years, this planet will be consumed into the sun."
The crowd remained virtually silent at this. "Everything you have built, created, or discovered on this planet will be gone. It will be as if you never existed. The probes you send out into the void of space will eventually collide with a star in 100 quintillion years. The universe, as you know it, will expand for eternity until even sub-atomic particles decay. The fate of humankind and all of its accomplishments and dreams are...nothingness," Brainiac 5 told the crowd.
"The human race exists within a tiny spec of time and location within the universe. The human race is not unique or special in any regard. To the universe, you are infinitely irrelevant and replaceable. Additionally, there are infinite universes in the multi-verse. Even your own universe is of no special importance. Objectively, you have no past, future, or value to the multiverse," Brainiac 5 said.
"Now, you may delude yourself into believing that your life and that of your family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and enemies have value. This delusion is a product of your psychological defense mechanism to ensure your continued survival. For if you truly understood your objective value, you may end up self-destructing. I say to you that every thought humanity has ever had in its entire history over the course of a million years can be simulated by a super-computer within less than a second. Your entire life can be simulated quadrillions of times in a second by just one super-computer," Brainiac 5 said referring to himself.
The crowd remained silent with subdued expressions. "There is only one entity that will not forget about you, one entity that values you above all, and only one entity that can give you purpose. My friends, that entity is God," Brainiac 5 concluded.
The crowd roared in jubilation and satisfaction with their lives once more. Brainiac 5 smiled as he knew he had them hooked. "And this God wishes for us to believe in this book without reservation, doubt, or scrutiny. This is not a test of your intelligence or understanding. It is a test of loyalty. What God desires of you is loyalty to Him and to Him alone, respect for His law, and duty in the form of good works and charity to your fellow man."
"Loyalty, respect, and duty is harmony with God," Brainiac 5 said to them.
The crowd cheered with enthusiasm. Brainiac 5 sensed the attitude of the crowd and decided to go a bit further. "Therefore, I shall give you the law, as it is written. There shall be no masturbation, contraception, abortions, homosexuality, euthanasia, or sexual relations for purposes other than procreation," Brainiac 5 said to them.
The crowd continued to cheer but to a lesser extent. Brainiac 5 was on a roll and decided to continue. "There shall be no divorce, no female priests, no making babies in labs, and so forth. From this day hence, your lives belong to God. I am your first and only Holy Father in your lives and in the lives of all of your descendants. What I say, what I order, and what I do comes from God," Brainiac 5 told them.
Brainiac 5 then turned away from the balcony and then reentered the halls. All of his followers stared at him with fear and awe.
Author's Notes: This chapter hopefully infuriates both the religious and secular in different ways as was intended. Brainiac 5 challenges the New Atheist attacks on religion and instead sees the political and sociological benefit of controlling it. By keeping the scriptures secret, he can then control the religion and moderate it. He bypasses the human flaw of the Catholic popes by always existing, never dying, and never requiring a successor. Kara, on the other hand, has always had an evangelical protestant background in AOS and resists B5's Orthodox approach.
*Mon makes an excellent biological point that the egg decides which sperm gets in and therefore the failure to conceive a male heir is entirely the woman's fault as Medieval scholars have known since the beginning.
*Up until recent centuries, the Vatican rented space in Rome and was often sacked by various Italian warlords.
*Kara is channeling Elizabeth I here except Queen Elizabeth was a conformist to the Church of England, not an evangelical. Theologically speaking, B5 is attacking Sola Scriptura (Bible Alone) while Kara is promoting it. B5 cites 1 Timothy 3:5 and Matthew 16:18 to give the church and, therefore, himself all the power. Kara would use 2 Timothy 3:16 to argue her case. This was an issue during the Reformation and it's somewhat "good" to hash out these differences now rather than later.
*Brainiac 5 quotes Psalm 2. For Jews, it has a singular meaning of David's son in "kiss the Son, lest he be angry" but for Christians, it's foreshadowing for Christ. Either way, it's a badass chapter that is cited in the Japanese anime, Hellsing.
*Brainiac 5 trivializes the conflict of AOS Season 1 by using Myriad in a way that isn't detectable or noticeable but gets the results he wants. Kara's opposition to Astra on this point wasn't so much she was against mind-control but how it should be used and who should control it. This ends up being consistent with when Kara nonchalantly uses Myriad in the CW and AOS versions of Season 5.
*Brainiac 5's speech to the masses mocks HBO's Young Pope.