The heavens had become a cocoon of shimmering emerald light, beckoning the Rebirth Moon. The rising orb seemed as big as a planet, it luminescent green color an effect created by the aurora australis—the first appearance of the Southern Lights since my awakening.

The green moon … where had I seen the symbol before?

Back on Oceanus—on Dharma’s surcoat!

Is this a dream?

Before I could analyze this new epiphany, we entered the crater.

Moving to the transhuman pilot, I squeezed her shoulder from behind. “Andie, is the Creator present?”

THE CREATOR IS ALWAYS PRESENT. THE CREATOR IS OMNIPOTENT.

Uh-oh. “Andria, is the Creator in its lab … its palace in the Holy City?”

THE CREATOR SEES EVERYTHING AND KNOWS EVERYTHING. THE CREATOR KNOWS ABOUT ROBERT EISENBRAUN’S BLASPHEMY.

My heart pounded in my chest. “Andie … how?”

She turned to face me, her scarlet eyes blazing. I TOLD HER … CHEATER!

I leapt for the bomb, only my muscles were lead and my body crumpled to the deck. Pinned beneath what ABE calculated to be four g’s, I attempted to crawl to the explosive, pressed to the deck three feet away.

Unable to push through the induced paralysis, I called out to Oscar. We’ve been betrayed. Detonate the device before GOLEM captures us.

But without physical contact the cephaloped could not hear my thoughts. It remained anchored to the hexagonal platform, along with Dharma, none of us able to move.

The transport banked, circling over GOLEM’s lab, preparing to drop into a vertical landing through the open roof.

Lying on my back, utterly helpless, I stared at the emerald-hued heavens as a numbing anxiety battled my internal rage for control of my mind. I cursed my stupidity, my gullibility, my bravado. I cursed the ego that had given rise to GOLEM; I cursed God for allowing evil to flourish.

Closing my eyes against the sudden descent in altitude, I found myself back on the train bound for Auschwitz—a young Polish Jew crushed beneath the stifling embrace of his fellow villagers.

How did I get here? How did this nightmare enter my life?

Are You testing me, God?

The cattle car settled to a stop with a bone-jarring thud. I opened my eyes and was Eisenbraun again. The transport had landed inside GOLEM’s lab, the cessation of its antigravitational field shunting the g-forces pinning me down, and in one motion I sat up, reaching for the explosive—but the device was already in the hands of a Monique DeFriend clone, one whose bizarre flesh bore the red, yellow, and black–striped scales of a coral snake. As she moved to the center of the room, a clear four-foot cube rose from the floor before her.