Metatron studied Eden through the windows in the reception area of the Divine Control Centre. He had been busy modernising Eden and housing the influx of refugees that had come because of the widespread war and unrest in the solar system. While Metatron hadn't proclaimed Eden to be a haven, he didn't turn away desperate people that came his way. As a result, the population had swelled from 8000 to over 20,000.
The population increase had caused several problems. Metatron had tried solving these problems by keeping the original Edenites and the newcomers separate. As Eden had a surface area of over 20,000 square kilometres and perfect conditions for agriculture, it was easy to house and feed everyone. Yet the problem remained, Metatron would have to integrate the refugees into the Edenite society.
Metatron leaned back into a comfortable armchair. Oh, how he missed Keila and real sleep! Being raised into Abraham's Angel program, Metatron had never known real sleep for the first 120 years of his life. Metatron had only experienced accelerated sleep or extended sleep being cryogenically frozen. In neither of those sleep states had he experienced dreams. When Keila had killed Abraham and set Metatron free, he had finally experienced dreams.
Now that Keila was gone, Metatron had returned to sleeping in the accelerated sleep pod. This was because of his self-sacrificing nature. Metatron felt guilty sleeping when the Edenites needed him. But now, Metatron was at his breaking point. The lack of dreams had deteriorated his soul, and he felt like he did when he was a slave to Abraham's will. He felt more like a machine than like a human.
Metatron realised that he needed to sleep and dream, to regain his sanity. But the problem was that he had forgotten how to sleep. Metatron felt drained, but his body was still too energised for him to fall asleep. Metatron realised what he needed to do. He felt guilty about it, but he had to do it anyway for his own sanity.
Metatron summoned Melissa, the surrogate mother who was pregnant with his and Keila's unborn child.
Melissa studied Metatron. He didn't look well, and he looked a lot older and more burdened than usual, albeit a lot younger than his real age. Tentatively, she approached him and spoke:
- Master Metatron. You summoned me. Is everything alright with you?
Metatron tried to smile, but it fell flat and instead, he responded in a sombre tone:
- My state is no longer that important. The main thing is, how things are with you?
Melissa:
- Don't say that. You are important to all of us. If it weren't for your tireless efforts, Eden would collapse, and we would all perish.
Metatron:
- That's the core of my problems. That I have been too self-sacrificing and given up what I want.
Melissa:
- So, what do you want?
Metatron:
- I want to have human desires. Human impulses for good and evil.
- Abraham bred me to serve him, and I did so for over a century. I helped a villainous madman doing evil deeds, because I knew of nothing else. Then Keila set me free, and I started to feel human feelings. But now she is gone, and I am yet again a soulless servant. Trying to make up for my evil deeds by serving the Edenites!
Melissa blushed and then stuttered:
- Is this your way of telling me that you want to have sex with me?
Metatron:
- No. I am after something far more critical. I need to sleep natural sleep so that I can dream again.
- I have never slept natural sleep on my own, so I need you to sleep next to me.
Melissa:
- It would honour me to sleep in your bed, Master Metatron.
Metatron:
- Thank you, Melissa.
- You don't need to call me Master. You and I are friends and equals, helping each other out in times of need.
- Let's go to my bedroom, I am exhausted.
Metatron and Melissa headed to Metatron's bedroom, and in her embrace, he immediately fell asleep. Metatron didn't have the dreams that he wanted, as his dreams tormented him.
In the dream, Metatron saw a beastly alien with glowing purple eyes, tormenting an ancient-looking woman. Despite the tortured woman's hideous appearance, he could sense her soul, and he knew that she was Keila. "Save me! Save humankind!" Keila shouted out with a weak and weary voice. Rangda knocked Keila unconscious with a psionic blast and turned to Metatron. She stared him down with her glowing purple eyes and hypnotised him in a state of paralysed fear. Metatron screamed his lungs out, and he woke up, with the bed soaked in cold sweat.
Melissa looked at him with a worried face and spoke.
- You look terrified! is everything alright?
Metatron:
- Come with me to the medical bay. We need to remove your Divine Technology chip immediately.
Melissa:
- Sure. But why?
Metatron:
- Keila spoke to me in a vision. Darkness is coming, and we'll need to remove all Divine Technology microchips to stay safe!
Melissa:
- If you really think so. There is no time to waste! Let's go.
They hurried to the medical ward to remove Melissa's microchip. After that, they devised a plan for how to remove the chips from the other Edenites.