The New Empyrean: The High Comedy, #3

By Nora Quien

In The New Empyrean, Book III of The High Comedy, Twersky embarks on his trip to Heaven under the guidance of his recruiter and mentor Bea. After leaving Purgatory, they travel to the Heavenly Spheres where all goods and services are created for Earth. The first stop is the Moon and then all the planets of the Solar System where Empyreans are hard at work inventing the next best thing …and then the next best thing after that.

 

The Empyrean headquarters is the final destination, but traveling through Heaven is not easy, as Twersky must keep his eye on the prize while fending off shattering memories of his time in Hell. And then there are the Empyrean Soldiers who resent these migrants from Hell and have him in their crosshairs.

 

Each step forward demands of Twersky: Does he have what it takes to become a great Empyrean Soldier?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peggy White
• Release date: Mar 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781735713335

Book preview

Chapter One

TWERSKY WAS GOING TO HEAVEN, on a journey through the Empyrean territories that included the heavenly spheres of the Solar System, where all of Earth’s goods and services were created, the Primum Mobile, and then to the Empyrean Headquarters, the final destination.

Bea, his recruiter and savior, propelled the Astral Lift and they glided along effortlessly, through the troposphere and up into the stratosphere. Once admitted to the path of Heaven, Twersky and Bea were immune to the hazards of extreme changes in temperature and air density in outer space.

At first, the sight of Earth featured a bird’s eye view of miniature aqua-colored swimming pools and tiny blocks of buildings. Petite puffs of green dotted the landscape. Beyond the green expanse, a sprawling city appeared like a robot in repose, a clutter of metal and blinking lights. Clouds behaved indifferently as the Astral Lift punctured the sky.

Twersky felt euphoric and thought this was the best joyride ever. Losing any of his former inhibitions, he whooped and hollered along the way.

It’s fun, isn’t it? Bea loved seeing Twersky enjoying himself. You know we’re going faster than the speed of lightning.

I’m having a blast! Twersky said, laughing. Literally, I’m having a blast.

This voyage is kind of an upward spiral, Bea explained. We’re going to visit all the heavenly spheres of Heaven before we get to the Empyrean headquarters.

Empyrean. Is that another word for empire?

No. It is ancient Greek for in the fire. It’s a reference to all the pure light in the center of Heaven. Light creates life.

That’s odd. A fire pit is at the center of Hell too, but down there it means the end of life.

That’s the way this world works, everything has a polar opposite. Earth is caught in the middle with each side trying to win.

Trying to win? You mean good versus evil?

That’s right. Good versus evil. And if evil wins, we can kiss it all goodbye.

No, no! We can’t let that happen! I mean, look at this place! he exclaimed, pointing at the blue planet.

The distinct features of Earth diminished as they climbed higher, and quickly Twersky found himself inside a cloak of blurry light known as the Sphere of Fire, the path of light that shelters the Earth.

We’re in the Sphere of Fire right now, Bea said. It used to be the purest light you ever saw, but it’s changed a lot since the Industrial Revolution. On Earth, we call it the Ozone Layer.

I’ve heard of that, the Ozone Layer. It was in the news a lot.

It was in the news because it got a hole in it … She paused for a moment to remember the frothy white confection she made for her daughter’s wedding dress and how the young woman’s heel had ripped the skirt during a lively reel. The fabric sliced as easy as a hot knife cuts through butter. It’s as delicate as chiffon but fragile as it is, it protects the Earth from radiation from the Sun. Anyway, we’ll be out of the Sphere of Fire in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

No sooner than she said ‘tail,’ they zoomed out of the gauzy Sphere of Fire, the Earth came into full focus again and it was spectacular. It was a painterly palette of crosshatching, Pointillism, and big swathes of color. Twersky saw tiny rivers, deserts, and the snow-capped poles. Vibrant hues of blue and turquoise revealed the oceans and the seas. Coils of red and orange coral reefs meandered through the waters. Golden reflections from sunlight sparkled on sandy terrains. Landmasses flaunted myriad shades of green, and he could see abundant purple mountains, like kings on thrones, laying claim to vast areas of land. Everything was moving. The Earth was pulsating with life, a living, breathing thing.

It’s incredible, he enthused. So incredibly beautiful. He kept repeating it over and over again … so beautiful. It was all he could say until he was rendered mute. He felt such a deep and profound love for it, and tears of pride filled his eyes. A warm magnetizing glow filled his entire being as the irresistible Earth issued forth a primal signal exclusively for Twersky. It was an imperceptible call that had no beginning and had no end—it spanned all the lightyears of the universe, compelling him to recognize the everlasting attachment between him and the Earth. Weeping, he stretched out his arms, beckoning to it, completely under its spell.

His internal glow surged and then gently abated, leaving him adrift in a sea of contemplation. He continued to stare at the Earth with a desire to see everything. His eyes roved the global landscape until he spotted something that didn’t seem right. Hey, what is that large fuzzy looking cloud over there?

Air pollution. Beijing. The air is really bad there.

Twersky was silent for a moment as he let this sink in. He was shocked to think that the air could be that bad. He saw smaller pockets of the sick air over sections of Asia and some other parts of the planet. I think I’d like to work on improving the environment down there. That’s where I want to do good things.

Just then he saw a series of fiery eruptions, red and intense. Whoa! What’s going on here?

Bombings, no doubt. Looks like Afghanistan or thereabouts. They have become more and more frequent in recent years.

Twersky’s high spirits were fading. That is just so sad.

I’ve learned to distinguish them from volcanoes. The fire from bombings are over quickly, but volcanoes can burn for days or weeks. Some low-level volcanoes have burned for thousands of years. Anyhow, they last much longer than bombings.

So, you can see a war from outer space?

You’re looking at one right now.

Oh, right. He hated that idea. It meant the Devil was busy down there with his hideous World War III agenda. What else is there to see?

It’s not hurricane season right now, but they have become so massive, you can see them swirling about. As we get further away you’re going to see something else.

Faster and faster, they sailed upward, and the Earth turned blue with an intricate web of white veins and arteries that encompassed the entire globe.

The planet grew darker as day turned to night and a cobweb of lights encircled the globe. Once he got over the initial awe of seeing his planet, Twersky started to notice little things, the first of which was a narrow beam of light projecting from the globe into space. What is that light thing?

That’s the Luxor Sky Beam from the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas? You mean to say that is the first thing anyone from outer space is going to see and be directed to, is Vegas?

Probably. Las Vegas—home of the Seven Deadly Sins if there ever was one. It’s just so inherently human, don’t you think, to make Sin City the focal point of Earth?

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, although it’s not a bad idea when you think about it. We might as well give the ETs a good shock, so they’ll be prepared for all kinds of pride, greed, and wrath when they get to Washington, DC, and meet our fearless leader.

Twersky continued to stare at his beloved Earth, and he worried for its future. What happens if mankind destroys the Earth? What will happen to all of us?

The forces of good and evil will be anchored into place. Purgatory will probably shut down because there will be no need for redemption. Either you’ll be in Heaven or Hell, depending on your background, for an eternity.

Twersky was shaken at the thought that he could have been stuck at the Devil’s mercy forever. He started to hyperventilate, so he did the breathing exercises that Cato had taught him.  I am so lucky that I got the chance to get out of Hell. This is what a blessing feels like. Thank God.

You’ll get your chance to show your gratitude once you become an authorized Empyrean Soldier and start working on the good side.

I will! I will!

We’re going to make many stops along the way to help you find your Empyrean mission.

That’s good because right now I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.

That’s normal … Hey, Dan, look at your Earth now.

Twersky was surprised to see that the entire planet appeared to be covered in clouds of confetti. A festive explosion of silvery bits with flecks of red and gold whirled around the entire globe. It was as if the Earth had had a gigantic party and victory parade. Look at that—festival! What is the occasion?

Bea shook her head. Not a festival, Dan. It’s space junk. Millions of pieces of debris like old satellites and fragments of rockets are circling the Earth. Mostly itty-bitty pieces, but I do mean millions.

What? We’ve polluted outer space too?

Yes, Dan, if it continues like this, penetrating the Earth’s orbit may become impossible. If you’re interested in the environment, it looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.

He felt defeated. The Earth, his home, was the place that held his most important memories: his child, his dog, his dad, his grandmother, New Jersey, the United States of America. He wished that he had not wasted his time there in a constant state of apathy. Bea’s words resonated with him, You’ve got your work cut out for you. But where would I even begin?

As they ascended higher and further away, he contemplated the luminous blue halo that shrouded the Earth, and all the crap swirling around it.

Look at that, Twersky said, shaking his head. A blue container, just like a big old cosmic recycle bin.

He had to wipe his eyes and look away.

Chapter Two

THEY SOARED UP INTO THE EXOSPHERE, leaving behind the terrestrial sphere that included Hell, Purgatory, and the beleaguered Earth. Twersky was eager to get to the Empyrean headquarters. He figured that was where God lived.

Who is he? Or is he a she? Try as he might, Twersky tried to weasel more information about God from Bea, but she couldn’t seem to explain it to him. Will I actually get to see him or her?"

You just have to wait until you get there, was all she would say. Our first stop is the Moon, the First Sphere of Heaven.

I guess I gotta be patient.

Yes, be patient. Heaven is huge. Each planet and the Sun are contained within their own heavenly sphere, Bea explained. This is where the Empyreans do their work, planning for the future of the Earth, and honoring its past. We’re going to land directly on the Moon first and then we’ll visit its heavenly sphere on the way out.

Twersky couldn’t believe how fast they got there. They swiftly cut through the Moon’s heavenly sphere, which was a hazy gray schmear. They went through it so fast, Twersky couldn’t see anything there. Then they made a touchdown on the Moon’s rough surface.

The Moon, itself, was a giant round rock just like he had seen in images from the Apollo 11 landing in 1969. His eyes swept the universe and from here, the Earth appeared to be a mammoth blue, green, and white marble. When he was a boy, he used to stare at the Moon in wonder and now he was amazed at how big the Earth looked from the Moon. Twersky gazed longingly at his mother planet and wished he could have a beer to enjoy the view.

Despite the Moon’s uninviting rocky terrain, he was excited to be there. I hope I get to see the American flag on the Moon!

There had been a total of six American flags on the Moon, and miraculously, five were still standing, except for the one from that very first mission.

You will see a flag, Dan. In fact, there’s one over to your right.

Twersky swiveled his head around to take a look and what he saw made him gasp.

What the—?! It’s just a plain white flag.

Yes, the stars and stripes faded away years ago. All the flags are white now. Nobody can claim the Moon, you know. She belongs to the entire planet Earth. She is a piece of the Mother Earth, after all.

Twersky’s disappointment with the earthly state of affairs was growing. First, a tumultuous and polluted planet and now an exiled Moon. He was starting to feel a little homeless. A piece of the Earth?

Yes, billions of years ago a gigantic object crashed into the Earth, breaking off a huge chunk and that became the Moon. It was good, though, because it gave Earth the jolt it needed to create life.

Twersky recalled using this technique on a hesitant ISIS terrorist. A good rap on the head had spurred the guy into action. I understand the concept, he said tentatively. This recollection made him uneasy as he was on his way to Heaven and didn’t want to be plagued by negative thoughts, which happened to include any of his actions in Hell. He was sorry that he hadn’t imbibed more of the memory-numbing River Lethe.

The Moon is moving further away from the Earth, but it’s not a bad thing, she said. "It just means it’s moving up. It’s on an upward move through Heaven. Anyhow, we’re