31.8.04
Heaven Descended - Outline
In various cities across the globe, there is a beautiful sunrise. This seems to be a day of no rain, but a day of creamy cloud stacks and golden light that filters through. Cities are huge, but the cloud formations dwarf even the sprawling Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City, etc.
Then the sun brightens, and so does the sky, and rays stab through the clouds. Then, riding down the rays like motes, descending from the clouds, are millions of angels - resplendant beings with long hair, wings, swords, etc, dressed in ornate armor. In other parts of the world, the angels take on their local accoutrements.
They have come to take over the world.
Some would fight them, but their armor repels weaponry, and even when they are wounded, they take the wounds and slowly begin to heal. When one is actually destroyed, there are twenty more to take their place. They show kindness to those who surrender all weapons and malice, and dispatch any with malice without hesitation.
A single angel lands in a busy intersection, and all traffic comes to a stand still. He just stands, and no one will pass him. Two bicycle cops wind their way into the intersection, and when they see the flaming sword, then draw their weapons. "Drop the sword!" says one. "Drop thy weapon." The cop fires several times, and the angel deflects most of the bullets with his sword and his wings, and one gets through. The bullet does not seem to bother the angel, and he does not bleed from the hole. The angel extends his sword and slays the first cop where he stands. The second drops his gun.
Around the world, the angels disarm the nations. They make an example of the States, and do not even warn them. They simply destroy the weapons, the ships, and the troops. The other nations are given 24 hours to disarm, and no more.
The cities are slowly evacuated. All cities over 2000 in population are sterilized after 7 days warning. The rural areas are left alone at first, but eventually the are tended to. A breeding program is undertaken by the angels, enough to keep the world at a much lower, but constant population.
As the cities are emptied, they are demolished or reshaped into museums (art and architecture are preserved, basic buildings, roads, etc. are leveled and broken up to be re-absorbed by the earth). Some technologies are lost, some are archived, and others are replaced.
Forward ten to twenty years.
The angels live in their palaces in clouds, built on mountains of stone that have been raised from the earth by the angels' magic stone. These float around the earth, generally keeping a distance from each other, and occasionally joining together for a convention. They have territories they stay in for the most part - each angel duke has his duchy.
Earth is a paradise, and humans are more or less the happy servants of the angels, who have set up their kingdom on earth. There is a definite class distinction - to stare openly on an angel is to invite punishment, but the angels are enlightened rulers, who are just, enjoy beauty and pleasure, and show kindness. The earth is basically a game preserve. Religions are lost as everyone flocks to the angels - to the gods on earth.
Those who fight the angels are encouraged to repent, first kindly, then sternly. Those who fail to do so are imprisoned or killed.
The Hero of the story is Tal, the granddaughter of Riel. She is the agent of an Angelic Duke, one of his not-so-secret police, a messenger, an extension. She is also the favorite of her duke.
During a mission, Tal uncovers a cell attempting to overthrow the angels, and she learns that some believe the angels aren't what they seem.
In fact the angelic bodies are only constructs - biotic robots that are the puppets of ugly, slug-like creatures who have abandoned the use of their own physical bodies to adopt this form of existance. (Note - these are the elves returned.)
The conflict of the story is between Tal and the resistance cell, between Tal and her angelic guardian, and inside Tal herself. Can beauty be predicated on a lie. Does Tal's guardian love her as he says, or does he just enjoy her body. Does she love him?
Is Tal being used ty the Underground, or by the Angels? Do the angels actually want the Underground to succeed?
Earth for People!
The Underground give Tal the opportunity to discover what hre masters are, and watch her response?
Then the sun brightens, and so does the sky, and rays stab through the clouds. Then, riding down the rays like motes, descending from the clouds, are millions of angels - resplendant beings with long hair, wings, swords, etc, dressed in ornate armor. In other parts of the world, the angels take on their local accoutrements.
They have come to take over the world.
Some would fight them, but their armor repels weaponry, and even when they are wounded, they take the wounds and slowly begin to heal. When one is actually destroyed, there are twenty more to take their place. They show kindness to those who surrender all weapons and malice, and dispatch any with malice without hesitation.
A single angel lands in a busy intersection, and all traffic comes to a stand still. He just stands, and no one will pass him. Two bicycle cops wind their way into the intersection, and when they see the flaming sword, then draw their weapons. "Drop the sword!" says one. "Drop thy weapon." The cop fires several times, and the angel deflects most of the bullets with his sword and his wings, and one gets through. The bullet does not seem to bother the angel, and he does not bleed from the hole. The angel extends his sword and slays the first cop where he stands. The second drops his gun.
Around the world, the angels disarm the nations. They make an example of the States, and do not even warn them. They simply destroy the weapons, the ships, and the troops. The other nations are given 24 hours to disarm, and no more.
The cities are slowly evacuated. All cities over 2000 in population are sterilized after 7 days warning. The rural areas are left alone at first, but eventually the are tended to. A breeding program is undertaken by the angels, enough to keep the world at a much lower, but constant population.
As the cities are emptied, they are demolished or reshaped into museums (art and architecture are preserved, basic buildings, roads, etc. are leveled and broken up to be re-absorbed by the earth). Some technologies are lost, some are archived, and others are replaced.
Forward ten to twenty years.
The angels live in their palaces in clouds, built on mountains of stone that have been raised from the earth by the angels' magic stone. These float around the earth, generally keeping a distance from each other, and occasionally joining together for a convention. They have territories they stay in for the most part - each angel duke has his duchy.
Earth is a paradise, and humans are more or less the happy servants of the angels, who have set up their kingdom on earth. There is a definite class distinction - to stare openly on an angel is to invite punishment, but the angels are enlightened rulers, who are just, enjoy beauty and pleasure, and show kindness. The earth is basically a game preserve. Religions are lost as everyone flocks to the angels - to the gods on earth.
Those who fight the angels are encouraged to repent, first kindly, then sternly. Those who fail to do so are imprisoned or killed.
The Hero of the story is Tal, the granddaughter of Riel. She is the agent of an Angelic Duke, one of his not-so-secret police, a messenger, an extension. She is also the favorite of her duke.
During a mission, Tal uncovers a cell attempting to overthrow the angels, and she learns that some believe the angels aren't what they seem.
In fact the angelic bodies are only constructs - biotic robots that are the puppets of ugly, slug-like creatures who have abandoned the use of their own physical bodies to adopt this form of existance. (Note - these are the elves returned.)
The conflict of the story is between Tal and the resistance cell, between Tal and her angelic guardian, and inside Tal herself. Can beauty be predicated on a lie. Does Tal's guardian love her as he says, or does he just enjoy her body. Does she love him?
Is Tal being used ty the Underground, or by the Angels? Do the angels actually want the Underground to succeed?
Earth for People!
The Underground give Tal the opportunity to discover what hre masters are, and watch her response?
1.8.04
Angel Eyes
Tal is referred to as "Angel Eyes" by her human lover, not only because she has the eyes of an angel - they are preternaturally large and bright in color, and make her face beautiful, and they let her see in spectrums and ways that human eyes cannot - but because she is eternally innocent, not to be confused with naivete.
Tal
Tal, the daughter of Lili, daughter of Riel, is born in the year after Heaven Descends. She is called to be a servant of the Angels, and from the age of a toddler, she lives and is taught in the sky.
