Beyond the Farthest Star: Chapter 25 (revised)

Miles once again saw the world around him vanish, but this time the effect did not startle him. Since he was now connected to the network he understood what Amy was doing. He watched as she selected a star that was thousands of light-years away and plotted a course that would take them there. All of this took less than a second to accomplish, but he was able to see it all and grasp it without any effort. Then, in the next moment, the nanites grabbed Miles and Amy – and as quickly as that, the trip was over. One moment Miles was in familiar surroundings, and in the next he found himself standing under an unknown sky.

As the old man looked around and tried to get his bearings, he was struck by the utter bleakness of this planet. Overhead there was a cloudy sky that blotted out all signs of the sun. The air was cold, and a bitter wind made it feel even colder. He was standing on a beach – the first one he had visited in a lifetime – but there were no signs of life. He could see no birds flying overhead and no plants growing up against the shore. In the distance an endless line of waves crashed against the rocks. The whole world looked despondent and almost colorless.

“What is this place?” he asked.

“This is my world,” Amy replied. “My family forced me to come here when they decided to make contact with the survivors on Tau Ceti. They said it was a security risk to have my sister and I on the same planet at the same time. They thought it would be better to separate us, so if something happened to one of us the other would be spared.”

“That was very wise of them! If they had not done that you wouldn’t be here right now. In fact, I wouldn’t be standing here either, for that matter. A lot of things would have turned out very differently.”

“I hate this place,” Amy said bitterly. “This isn’t a planet; it’s a prison. It’s a cold, desolate wilderness.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” a voice called out behind her. Amy turned around and saw that the Sentinel had appeared on the beach. He looked at her, paused for a moment, and then continued. “Amy, you had the power to turn this world into anything you wanted it to be. You could have built a private retreat or a vacation planet. Your parents were only trying to protect you, and they sent you here for your own good. But instead of seeing this world as a blessing – a blessing that saved your life, in fact – you became bitter and angry. That was your choice. Do not blame this planet; it has done you no wrong.”

“Then who do you want me to blame?” Amy said angrily. “Do you want me to blame Xanthe, then? Or what about Adrian – should I blame him? Somebody separated me from my family. Somebody took them all away and left me here alone. Somebody has to suffer for that, Steve. I am not going to let them get away with it.”

“No one is going to get away with anything, Amy. The crimes of humanity are indeed staggering, and those crimes must be paid for. That is why Jesus came, and that is why He died. He bears the cost for all those who believe on Him. What He asks you to do is to forgive your enemies and tell them that Jesus died to set them free. He wants to use you as an instrument of mercy.”

“Do you really expect me to just let this go? What – do you want me to rain down flowers from the Xanthian sky and tell them that it’s no big deal? Am I supposed to just walk away and act like nothing happened?”

“Oh no. Your task is not to simply walk away. No, the Lord wants you to do something a great deal harder than that. He wants you to love them and seek their welfare. Xanthe is full of wickedness and its people are bent on evil. They must be judged, and you will be the one that judges them. But in judging them, you must not seek revenge.”

“So what am I supposed to do, then?”

“You need to let go of your bitterness,” the Sentinel replied. “As long as you are angry and full of hate, you will be unable to see clearly. You will find it very difficult to help people if your heart’s desire is to kill them.”

“But they deserve it! They’re monsters – all of them – and they’re getting away with it. This very moment they’re living in paradise – a paradise that you’ve built for them! Don’t think for a minute that I didn’t notice that new tower you built. You’ve given them a beautiful world and all the luxuries of life. You’ve rewarded them for killing my family!”

“They have gotten away with nothing. Think about it, Amy. The few people who are still alive on Xanthe are extremely old and their bodies are failing. They stayed in their pods for so long that they cannot survive outside them, and every person on Xanthe will be dead in a few months. When they die they will not go to the country that lies beyond the farthest star, as your family did. They will not enter into an eternity that is full of joy and wonder. No, what they are facing is brutal, unending torment that will stretch on and on for the rest of time. They will be set on fire, eaten alive with worms, and burned forever and ever and ever. They will scream, and beg, and cry out, and no one will ever help them. For all the ages of time they will be tormented beyond endurance and no one will ever pity them or help them. That is what awaits them. Not freedom and luxury, but horror and pain beyond imagination.

“But Amy, it does not have to end that way. Jesus – your Lord – came to seek and to save them which were lost. He did not die for His friends, but for His enemies – for those who hated Him. He is offering everyone – even those on Xanthe – forgiveness and grace, a forgiveness He paid for with His own body and His own blood.

“Your existence here is not an accident. The Lord brought you here so that you could do what no one else can: you can forgive them and tell them what great things the Lord has done for them. It may be that when you return good for the evil they have done, the Spirit will use that to transform their hearts and save them. I do not know what will happen. But I know what you must do.”

Amy was silent for a long time after that. Miles considered saying something and then decided against it. This is one argument I’d better stay out of. So he just stood beside Amy and awkwardly waited. He was tempted to whistle and then decided against that too.

The young girl finally looked at the Sentinel. “All right,” she said quietly. “I’ll go.”

“What?” Miles asked, startled. “Do you mean, right now? But what about the city we were going to build?”

“This won’t take long,” Amy replied. “I’ll be right back. Do you think you can handle being alone for an hour or so?”

“As long as you don’t forget to come back and get me! I really don’t want to be stranded here for the rest of my life.”

“Why not let him come with us?” the Sentinel asked. “Would that be a problem?”

“No, I guess not,” Amy said thoughtfully. “Miles, what do you think?”

“Well, to be perfectly frank, I’d rather be with the two of you than be stranded here alone. But I don’t want to get in the way either.”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t get in the way,” Amy said. “Are you ready to go?”

Miles nodded. The three of them disappeared, leaving Amy’s world empty once more.