S215

Society Protocol Season 2 _15

Random Box

The angels had no concept of mourning.

This was because the birth and death of living beings were merely routine occurrences within the system.

People might have thought something had changed, but the totality of the entire universe remained completely unchanged.

However, what happened to the youngest angel on Earth this time came as a shock to them.

It felt similar to a human dying from a bacterial infection after being bitten by a flea.

They could only vaguely speculate that if things went wrong while the angel was inhabiting a human body, it might be possible for the angel to vanish from the world.

They could not just sit idly by.

This became the catalyst for the angels to begin taking action in earnest.

This fact was also made known to the highest angel in the entire universe.

It was not a matter worthy of being reported to God, but being God, He would likely already know everything.

It was a matter for the angels in charge of the solar system to handle.

If they could not do it, angels from across the universe would appear to help them.

However, it would never go that far. The most powerful angel in the solar system intended to step forward personally.

However, he had much work to do himself.

In the end, it was decided that the 11th angel, who had long been involved in human affairs, would return to Earth.

He knew a great deal about human matters and felt a sense of indebtedness regarding the sending of the youngest angel.

He was an angel, but he eventually became enraged.

Guilt, a sense of responsibility, threats against himself, the pressure from God, and the burden of knowing that the angels of the entire universe were watching all combined to weigh him down.

He began to seriously think about eliminating them; although he had no emotions toward humans, he felt a desire to take revenge on the children of the serpent.

To use a human analogy, that is.

The Eleventh Angel entrusted his duties to the Tenth Angel and came to Earth himself to manipulate humans.

The first thing he did was approach the human closest to the enemy.

The one chosen was Pastor Branson.

Pastor Branson’s feelings of guilt and regret were taken as a signal.

The angel approached Branson.

It was exactly the same appearance as described in the Bible.

Wearing white clothes and wings like a bird—the very form they could recognize most easily.

Branson, who was praying in the church, saw the angel right before his eyes. The angel was enveloped in light, yet stood before his eyes in the form handed down since ancient times.

The Bible tells a story like this:

It features a figure named Jacob who bought the birthright from his older brother in exchange for a bowl of lentil stew.

It is said that Jacob even wrestled with an angel.

The one who broke Jacob's thigh at that time was the very angel who appeared before Branson just now.

After that, Jacob changed his name to Israel.

That name means "one who has defeated God."

Branson never had to wrestle with an angel like Jacob did.

He didn't need to have a deep conversation with him.

He didn't need to experience the angel's wrath firsthand.

This was because he, too, felt guilty about the angel's death.

The angel spoke to Branson in a quiet, low voice.

“We do not directly intervene in human affairs. However, God chose you. There must surely be a reason for that. Don't you think so?” Branson felt as if he had been saved by a light enveloping him in his youth when he was taking medicine.

It was because he felt as though Heaven were helping him to save him once again.

“Please grant me wisdom on what I should do.”

In a way, Branson was one of the most important figures.

There was a reason why God had personally sent messages to all the humans.

“There are objects made of the wisdom of the serpent. You know where they are. Take one of them and give it to those who do God’s will.”

Branson felt he roughly understood what the angel was talking about.

At the SS’s U.S. branch, there was a place where various wondrous objects created by humans pooling their wisdom were gathered.

It was located right in San Francisco, where he lived.

“Which one should I bring? There are so many that I don’t know which one to take.”

“The one you choose will be that very object.”

The angel, as if thinking that was enough, vanished immediately.

Branson felt a lingering sensation for a moment after the angel disappeared.

He briefly thought about what he should bring and what excuse he should use to go to the organization’s headquarters to retrieve the object.

However, no thoughts came to mind.

It was then. Pastor Branson’s cell phone vibrated.

“Yes, this is Branson.”

“Pastor? I am the messenger. It is such an urgent matter that I dared to contact you personally.”

“What is the matter?”

“They say they just picked up a signal. However, the location is reported to be near where you are. Do you happen to know anything about it?”

Branson felt once again just how fast the organization acted.

They had received the signal for the angel’s descent and had contacted him first, even before sending out the Watchdogs.

Branson felt that this was a kind of sign and an opportunity.

This was because he, too, was a man who had eaten the fruit of wisdom.

“An angel just came and went. It told me to deliver a message to you. It seems to be a kind of messenger for a treaty.”

The messenger covered the receiver and seemed to be talking to someone.

The messenger spoke into the receiver again.

“I would appreciate it if you could explain the details.”

Branson realized that he was ultimately in a situation where he had no choice but to take direct action, risking his own life.

“I cannot do this over the phone. I will visit the San Francisco branch and deliver the message.”

The messenger exchanged a few words with the person next to him and asked Branson again.

“Why San Francisco? There is a branch in D.C., after all.”

“He told me to go to San Francisco to speak, so I have no choice but to do so.”

He thought that dragging out the conversation any further might arouse suspicion.

The messenger spoke with the person next to him again and informed Branson.

“The organization has sent a helicopter, so you just need to take it to Dulles Airport in five minutes. A supersonic passenger plane will be waiting there.”

“Understood.” Pastor Branson examined his body, picked up the Bible lying on the chair,

went to the bookshelf on the wall where Bibles and hymnbooks were kept, and placed it back on the shelf.

He turned on his cell phone and called the person he loved most.

“Hello? How are you?”

The girl from the past had saved him, and her father had led him to this place.

But in the end, he had no choice but to follow God's will.

“You know I love you, right?”

“Of course. You know I love you a little more, don’t you?”

“That’s impossible. I always love you more.”

Laughter came from the receiver.

She thought that she should prepare the apple pie the pastor liked today.

“I have business to attend to in San Francisco for a short while. It might take a few days. Please let Jackson in Nevada know I’m coming.”

“Why don’t you contact him directly?”

Branson said nothing more. The sound of a helicopter had begun to be heard.

“I have a favor to ask. I have to catch a helicopter right now. Well then, let’s meet later.”

“Alright. Have a safe trip. I’ll have your favorite apple pie ready for you when you get back.”

Her apple pie was the best in the world. Branson wavered for a moment, but he was a man who had already met God and even an angel.

“Understood. I will be in touch.”

Branson hung up the phone, opened the church door, and stepped outside.

A black helicopter was landing on the church’s wide lawn.

“It is an honor to have you here, Pastor.”

Someone who had opened the helicopter door extended a hand to make it easier for Branson to board and greeted him.

“It is an honor just to be here together.”

The helicopter carrying Branson began flying eastward.

There, a black, wide-bodied aircraft with large engines was unveiled and ready.

It was a reconnaissance plane built by the organization a long time ago.

It was known to reach speeds of around Mach 3.

Although the technology allowed for higher speeds, it was often used in emergencies because it was not a speed that an untrained human could sustain.

The distance between Washington D.C. and San Francisco was approximately 2,800 miles.

Converted to kilometers, that is about 4,500 kilometers.

Even flying at Mach 3, it is a distance that takes over an hour to cover.

This black reconnaissance plane was not prepared only in Washington D.C.

These black reconnaissance planes were on standby in various regions of the United States.

The destination for all of them was San Francisco.

Since they would be flying much higher than the flight paths used by passenger planes, there were no issues with operation. And since everyone arrived at different times, the runway was unlikely to be crowded.

On the contrary, the movement paths from the airport to headquarters would be even more complex.

Looking at the reconnaissance plane he was flying for the first time in a long while, Branson felt the power of the organization once again.

Everything was fast, and preparations were quick. Judgments were quick, and they always created the optimal situation.

They would notice his psychological changes immediately, too. However, he was no ordinary human being.

The reconnaissance plane began to ascend rapidly above a certain altitude and started to increase its speed.

It reached Mach 3.

Although he had received training in the past, enduring his breathing and gravity was not easy, even at his age.

He continued to focus on his breathing. He felt his face contorting.

Flying for over an hour in this state was a painful ordeal.

However, this silence cutting through the sounds brought him peace of mind.

He had met God and angels and had grown up in the Serpent's organization.

And he was one of the most successful and famous pastors in America.

And above all, he had a loving family.

A life like this was one that existed only in his imagination during his drug-addicted youth.

Now, it was time to choose one of the two.

Although he had already made up his mind, as he boarded this massive reconnaissance plane, he found himself contemplating the greatness of humanity once again.

However, the wrath of the angel and the calling of God felt even more intense.

As he continued to wander back and forth in his thoughts, he found himself in San Francisco before he knew it.

An ambulance was waiting at San Francisco Airport.

An ambulance would be better than riding a motorcycle.

With Pastor Branson on board, the siren blared as they sped out of the airport.

It was a distance that usually took about 10 minutes to reach the shopping center near Leo J. Ryan Park in San Francisco.

But for this organization, even that was a waste of time. It was an organization that prepared ambulances just to shorten the journey by even a few steps.

As they approached the destination, they turned off the siren and began to slow down.

Upon arriving at the shopping center parking lot, the ambulance dropped Branson off and drove back out.

Branson slowly walked into the shopping center.

The SS organization shared a common characteristic across the globe.

They had their headquarters in places accessible to everyone and familiar to everyone.

Branson slowly rode the escalator up.

Upon reaching the very top floor, there was a door in one corner with a sign that read "Staff Only."

There was no one guarding the place.

Branson opened the door and stepped inside.

A female employee was typing inside.

As Branson entered, the employee pressed a button with her left hand.

The wall on the left side of the entrance opened.

Branson walked down the stairs there.

Many people had already gathered there.

They wore serious expressions.

This was because they had all been dragged there suddenly.

Their attire varied as well.

Branson raised his hand to greet them.

The people relaxed their expressions and welcomed Branson warmly.

This was because he was a long-time elder in this place.

Branson's gaze fixed beyond the crowd on display shelves that looked like something you would see in a warehouse.

Although they were packed in cardboard boxes like ordinary goods, they contained a collection of the most fascinating items in the world.

Any member could go and look at the items. And if I reported it, I could take the item outside.

It was because the item was just an item, and the members were the most precious.

No one dared to speak first.

This was partly because Branson was currently handling several highly important missions simultaneously,

and partly because he was the only member who had directly encountered an angel.

And because he was someone who had conversed with God, he was the object of both respect and jealousy.

Pastor Branson looked around the boxes on the display shelf, oblivious to the gazes of others.

They were all different sizes.

Some were refrigerator-sized boxes large enough to fit a big teddy bear,

while others were small, about the size of a cigarette pack.

No one could see the contents directly; one had to open the box and check inside to find out what was inside.

Branson had no intention of checking the contents at all.

He was simply going to choose one that was easy to carry.

Just then, a box caught his eye.

It was a box that looked like a rice cooker packaging box, large enough to fit a basketball.

It was neither too big nor too small.

Branson picked up the box.

It was neither heavy nor too light.

“I will take this and go into their headquarters to retrieve the information.”