Dear readers, tonight with us is the antagonist from a city ruled by the Lord of Mercy, an AI god. She is here to speak about the political and moral schisms arising after the robotic Brothers complete all labor and humans are left to enjoy the fruits of this Eden.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up among the Ascended, in the Keeper District. My father and his sister were both Keepers, serving with pride as the sword of the High Priest and enforcer of the the Lord of Mercy’s will until they reached 50. But they still had enough fight in them to serve for another fifty more years, if they would have been given the chance.

Their service brought us right to the base of the Hill of the Holy. It was a blessed spot. Our robot Brothers kept everything tidy, marble polished, streets clean and clear. We didn’t have to worry about the Rejectionist scum down at the base of the city, huddled against the walls like the rats they are. No, we were in the good spot, lifted up by the Lord in honor of our sacrifices.

I loved seeing my aunt and father come home, their Sentinels gleaming at the bases of their skulls and their chainmail rattling. And the stories they’d tell about being the outstretched sword of the Lord preserving everything that kept our Paradise safe. I knew, always knew, that I would never be satisfied until I became a Keeper, got my own Sentinel to communicate with the Lord, and have the chance to carry out his justice on those scum who dared marred the beauty of his works.

What do you do now?

Well, I went and made my family proud, didn’t I? I’m one of the youngest to ever become an Azure within the Keepers. Meaning, I help oversee an entire district, including a section of Founder’s Square. There’s a lot of traffic there, and that brings a lot of the rats up to the surface. You know the type: Ascenionists thinking they can modify their own bodies without permission to try to earn Unity with the Lord of Mercy on their own terms. Even the occasional Rejectionist, going wild with their implants against everything we hold dear in the city and spitting on our living faith.

But I keep order and the Orthodoxy. I won’t let their sin and debasement rise up. I won’t let another district rot away like Epoch has. No, I serve the Lord of Mercy, I do what needs to be done, and I fucking love every second of it.

What did you first think when you saw Father Yonatan trying to protect an Ascenionist?

Oh, you mean when the Priest tried to stop the reaping? Weak. That’s what I thought of him then, and that’s what I think of him now. He’s a weak man—physically, spiritually, morally—and I would love to see him defrocked.

Can you believe it? He saw Rejectionist scum eating themselves. He saw our biggest problem in this city taking care of itself, and he intervened. And not only did he intervene, but he did so so poorly that he almost got himself killed. It’s pathetic. He is a representative of the Lord of Mercy, and he is pissing away the legitimacy of our Holiest of Holies for what? Some Rejectionist bitch that would cast aside everything worth saving in this city for another pretty implant of her own.

Is it hard dealing with the violence you inflict to maintain order in Twin Rivers?

No.

I value the city over those heretics. I look out there, and I barely see people. I see degenerates loaded with stolen glory and imperfect blessings making a mockery of the glory the Lord of Mercy has given us. If I had my way, every single one of them would be kicked out of the city and sent into the Wastes, at a minimum. They don’t deserve paradise.

So why should I feel any way about them beyond, maybe, pity? Pity for things suffering.

I end their suffering.

Let’s shift topics a little. Any romantic involvement in your life?

I won’t name names, but look at me. I am the pride of the city. Come on, now. Do you really think I return to my house alone every night?

I know what I’m doing. And a woman’s gotta eat.

How about friends, then?

Do you think I’m lacking? Lots of people are friends with me, sure. And I’m friends with them too when they need it. But between serving the Lord and serving myself, I don’t have much time for friends.

So, you’re obviously committed to the Lord of Mercy and Twin Rivers. But how about when you’re not serving? What do you like to do?

There’s this little spot not many people visit. If you go to the first terrace of the Hill of the Holy, but then cut west, you end up in this little overlook. It’s not very high, so you can’t see all the way down to the southern tip of Twin Rivers. But you can see the tops of the statues in Founders Square peeking up over the Jubilee and Ascension neighborhoods. Below you is the Hall of the Keepers. Go there at the right hour, and the city glows with this righteousness from the sunset and it feels like the Founders are alive again, marching towards the Temple.

I like to go there and take in the view. It reminds me why I serve this city. There’s a lot that needs fixing, but there’s also so much right about it.

What does the future hold for you?

I’m likely to get a Triumph for saving Yonatan from himself. That alone should put me on a path to promotion past being an Azure. Only the Lord of Mercy knows how far that will go. But, I’m aiming for the whole thing. Put me in charge as the Head of the Keepers, and I will bring this city the beauty and bounty it deserves.

No questions asked.

Jeremy Bender is a part-time writer, full-time father, and all around dilettante. He has worked in the threat intelligence, cybersecurity, and education fields for over a decade. This work, as well as his studies in college on religion, folklore, and Middle Eastern history, have influenced the stories he writes. Jeremy has short stories published in The Arcanist, Black Hare Press’ “Year Seven” anthology, Support Indie Authors, and Lit Up.

You can find Deborah on the pages of Twin Rivers.

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