The Cup of Christ is the Holy Grail, that has never been found, in all searches through the ages.

POPULATION GROWTH VERSUS PLANET

The inner sanctum of the Crimson Synod was not a place of opulence, but of stark, cold efficiency. A single, large table occupied the center of the room, with a holographic display hovering above it, projecting a grim cascade of data: graphs of rising sea levels, satellite images of scorched earth, and flashing red icons marking global conflicts.

Cardinal Alfonzo gestured to the display. "Look at it. A world in its death throes. A world that has chosen a path of self-destruction. The so-called 'free will' of man has become a poison in the air we breathe and the waters we fish for food."

Cardinal El-Amin, ever the pragmatist, nodded. "The Church has offered counsel for two millennia, but the warnings have gone unheeded. The planet can only support so many people. Food yields are failing against a growing population, and agricultural desertification is swallowing our lands. The faith itself is losing its hold, perceived as an anachronism in a world of corrupt politicians and technological hubris."

Their argument was not based on blind faith, but on a chillingly logical conclusion. They believed the world was an engine of sin and decay, and they were the only ones brave enough to pull the emergency brake.

Father Malachai Virelli, his eyes alight with a fanatical fervor, stepped forward. "The prophecies are not just warnings; they are a blueprint. The end times are upon us. The time for passive waiting is over. We have been given the tools of the modern age - science, technology - and it is our duty to use them. We will not wait for a Second Coming that may never arrive. We will force it."

He spoke of a righteous cleansing, of a divine purpose. "Imagine," he said, his voice a low, hypnotic whisper, "the walking among the living of Jesus, in today's constant warring, in our polluted atmosphere. His presence would not be a judgment; it would be a revelation. It would be the ultimate call to action, a spiritual and physical awakening that would unite all people. It is a win, win situation. We either succeed in saving humanity, or we fail in our mission and suffer the religious shockwaves within the Vatican. We have nothing to lose."

Dr. Leontine Ashur, a woman for whom faith was a variable in an equation, provided the cold, hard proof. "Provided we obtain the DNA," she said, "my team of geneticists can clone Christ. The technology is real. The science is sound. We will give the world what it needs, a tangible, physical savior, a figure that cannot be ignored or denied."

Archbishop Lucien Thorne then spoke, her voice calm and authoritative. "The grand scheme is not to corrupt prophecy, but to fulfill it. The prophet Jeremiah warned against false messages and twisting divine intent. We do not do that. We are not false prophets. Our divine intent is genuinely driven by an imploding world. We are not acting for our own glory, but for the salvation of all. We are simply giving God a helping hand, accelerating the inevitable, so that we might avoid an apocalypse of our own making."

Her words were like a balm to the souls of the operatives. They were not renegades, but a righteous vanguard. They were not committing a sin; they were performing a sacred duty. They were the true inheritors of the faith, the ones willing to do what was necessary, to take on the burden of a world that had lost its way. The plan was not just a scheme; it was a crusade. And they were all willing to sacrifice everything for it.

LOAVES AND LIES

The air in the Synod's chamber was charged not with piety, but with the cold, hard logic of desperate men. The holographic data streams of global crises—famine, drought, and overpopulation—flickered in the center of the room, a relentless counterpoint to the sacred texts scattered across the table.

Cardinal Alfonzo, his face a mask of zeal, turned a page in a well-worn Bible to the Gospel of Mark. "They would have sent the multitude away," he began, his voice a low rumble, "to the villages to buy themselves food. But Jesus said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' And with five loaves and two fish, He fed five thousand. Do you not see the sign, my brothers? A miracle of abundance in a time of need!"

Cardinal El-Amin, ever the voice of pragmatic doubt, folded his hands on the table. "With all due respect, Eminence, that was then. The world today is not a remote hillside with five thousand hungry men. We are a planet of eight billion, with the ecological reserves of 2.4 planets being consumed, year on year." He pointed to a graph of resource depletion. "What is a single miracle of loaves and fish to that?"

Father Malachai Virelli, his fervor undiminished, slammed his fist on the table, causing the papers to jump. "It is a promise! A sign! The Gospel of Matthew tells us Jesus had compassion on the crowds and healed their sick. We are afflicted by a great sickness now, a sickness of scarcity and want. And the Gospel of John, in the words of Andrew, asks, 'what is that among so many?' And what did our Lord do? He looked to heaven, gave thanks, and made it so! He will do it again!"

Archbishop Lucien Thorne, her gaze unwavering, took a more calculated, tactical approach. "The divine act, as we interpret it, was an imbuement of a physical object with spiritual power. The loaves and fish were not multiplied by magic, but by divine intent. Our science, our Replivator, is an attempt to create a conduit for that very same power."

She leaned forward, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "If He could feed the multitude once, He can do it again. But He requires a vessel. The first coming was one of humility, of a man walking among men. The Second Coming must be one of power, of a physical manifestation that cannot be denied. He will not arrive with a basket of bread, but with a presence that says, 'I am here to stop this madness.'"

Cardinal Alfonzo nodded, his eyes filled with a terrifying conviction. "The world requires a new miracle. One that addresses the core issue of our time: the threat to the very survival of the human race. We will give the Lord a living tabernacle, a body of His own making, and He will prove once more that His power is absolute. He will feed the multitudes, not with fish and bread, but with a new promise, a new earth, cleansed of sin."

The argument had escalated into a sermon, with the conspirators' spiritual fervor feeding on their own words. They were not merely discussing theology; they were planning a divine intervention, a calculated act of faith that blurred the line between reverence and utter blasphemy. Their goal was a divine miracle, but their method was pure science, a contradiction they chose to ignore in their grand, self-serving quest to save the world.

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

The holographic display of the Elizabeth Swann shifted once more, the stark satellite maps and data streams now replaced with flickering, animated images of scorched earth and burning forests. HAL, the ship's AI, synthesized the data, his voice a dispassionate echo in the tense silence of the cabin.

"The patterns are not just in the data of the physical world," he began, "but in the ancient texts of the human race. The analysis of biblical scripture reveals a recurring motif of environmental destruction and fire, which the Crimson Synod has likely co-opted for their purpose."

"Hmmm, yes," said John, "the destruction of cities by fire is a recurring theme. The most famous example is the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the Lord rained down burning sulfur from the sky."

"Yes," replied HAL, "Genesis 19:24."

HAL then projected a passage on the screen: Ezekiel 20:47-48. "The Lord God says, 'Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched.' This is not a metaphor for a single event, but a blueprint for a world consumed by an unquenchable fire."

The images on the screen intensified: a forest fire raging in the American West, California, then another in Australia, a Canadian town burned down for a second time, and finally, a Spanish city engulfed in a fiery inferno. John Storm felt a chilling certainty. It was all a prophecy, a warning from two millennia ago, being fulfilled by the very people who claimed to be saving the world.

"They believe these events are not a natural phenomenon, but a sign of God's displeasure, a kind of pre-ordained judgment," HAL continued. "They see the famines, the droughts, and the plagues not as solvable problems, but as symptoms of a world that requires divine, and therefore extreme, intervention. They believe they are giving the Lord a hand."

"And the fires," Dan muttered, his eyes fixed on the burning city on the screen. "Cities burned with fire. It's right there in Isaiah 1:7."

Cleopatra, who had been silent, her gaze lost in the shimmering display, finally spoke. Her voice was soft, ancient, and filled with a profound sorrow. "I have seen this before, my friends. Not with fire from the sky, but from a river that did not rise."

She walked to the console, her fingers ghosting over the images. "In my time, the Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt. When it failed to flood, famine followed. The people cried out to their gods. They saw it as a punishment for their wickedness, a sign that we had displeased the divine."

She turned to face them, her eyes, filled with a memory that was not her own, were bright with an otherworldly light. 

"When I was a young Queen, and my people starved. I did not wait for a miracle from a god. I opened the royal granaries. I gave them food. My priests warned me I was interfering with the will of the gods. They said the famine was a test."

"But it was not a test," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "It was a crisis. A crisis of our own making, of a civilization that had come to rely so much on a single source of life that we had no contingency. 

HAL blinked, this was news to the AI.

Cleopatra continued. "The Crimson Synod and the Flame of Sion are doing the same thing. They are interpreting a failing world as a sign of divine wrath, when it is, in fact, a crisis of our own making. They see the fires not as a problem to be solved, but as a prophecy to be fulfilled."

"During my reign as Queen, I made sure that no group felt isolated from or ignored by my regime. As the chief religious’ authority of the land, I oversaw the construction of temples dedicated to both Greek and Egyptian gods and commissioned the building of a synagogue for the Jews of Egypt."

HAL blinked again. "The first recognition of Article 18, of the Universal Declaration."

"Amen to that HAL. The right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. To adopt a religion or belief of one's choice, and, manifest that religion or belief."

John looked at the flickering screen, at the biblical passages, and at the face of the woman who had once been Queen. The two worlds - the ancient and the new - had just collided in his mind. The Synod's fanaticism was not born of evil, but of a deep, misguided belief that a man-made apocalypse was a divine message. And it was up to them, their AI, a sailor, and a reincarnated Queen, to convince the world otherwise. It was political indifference, allied to deceitful promises of continuous growth.

The Shroud of Turin

ACT I: THE MODERN MIRACLE
1. GENESIS CHAMBER: Jack Mason, a brilliant but morally ambiguous CIA agent, acquires the coveted Replivator incubator for himself, a full-body regenerative chamber, from looting Neuwelt Rittertum's laboratories near Manaus, the Amazon. Bogusly reporting the technology had been destroyed.
2. NOAH'S ARK: Simultaneously, John Storm, is injected with a CRISPR virus and masters Cybercore Genetica, using the BioCore brain implant, linked to the AI, super-nano-computer HAL, on board his vessel, the Elizabeth Swann. Exodus, Like Moses receiving divine tools, John Storm is given transformative tech to liberate humanity.
3. JERUSALEM MUSEUM: The Elizabeth Swann sets sail for Israel, a voyage of discovery where John discovers the Holy Compass, stone tablet, unaware of the cosmic significance of their journey and the battles to come. But HAL is on the case. Joshua. A journey into sacred territory, discovery of the Holy Compass echoes conquest of the Promised Land.
4. VOICES, CALL FOR HELP: Jehovah, through subtle, ethereal voice-overs, guides the ship's course toward the River Tiber and the Vatican, directing them to a dying man. The World Health Organization chime in, and Jill Bird reports the Pope has days to live. The loss of a good man, and voice of reason and understanding. Isaiah. Prophetic guidance and divine intervention - Isaiah’s call to righteousness.
5. CURE FOR CANCER: In a dramatic sequence, John Storm, using HAL's unparalleled diagnostic abilities and a specialized CRISPR program, cures Pope Peter Benedict of stage 4 lung cancer, changing his views on technology forever. Luke. Healing miracles and compassion—John Storm as a Christ-like healer.
6. MODERN MIRACLE: The Curia Cardinals witness the impossible healing. While a traditionalist like Cardinal Alfonzo sees it as an abomination, Cardinal Sorelli, Spinelli, and others hail it as a modern miracle, a divine act in a new age. Citing Cleopatra as a complimentary example, of resurrection. Acts. Apostolic witness to miracles, division among believers, and the birth of a new theological paradigm.
7. SHROUD OF TURIN: The Flame of Sion steal a fragment of the linen shroud that Jesus' body was wrapped in after his crucifixion at Calgary. John. Resurrection symbolism, sacred relics, and the mystery of divine embodiment.
ACT II: THE UNHOLY PLOT
8. AI REVELATIONS: With his connection to global data networks, HAL begins processing encrypted messages and ancient texts, uncovering a chilling plot.
9. CONSPIRATORS REVEALED: HAL identifies the main players: the ultra-radical Crimson Synod, secretly funding the fanatical Flame of Sion, Cardinal Alfonzo, Cardinal El-Amin, Father Malachai Virelli, Brother Malchus, Brother Elias Cain. Archbishop Lucien Thorne, Dr Leontine Ashur. Book of Daniel. Hidden plots, divine insight, and political intrigue - Daniel’s visions mirror HAL’s decoding. A web deeply interwoven in the Vatican, challenging traditional Catholic Church values.
10. POPULATION VS PLANET: The grand scheme is laid bare: to use modern science to force the Second Coming of Christ. False prophets and corrupted messages - the book of Jeremiah warns against twisting divine intent. Set against desertification, rising populations and pollution of the seas with toxic plastic, reducing fish catches, now laden with carcinogens, and political indifference. There is justification for the Flame of Sion to engage it's Christian soldiers.
11. TALPIOT TOMB RAIDERS: The Flame of Sion geneticists reveal their source material—DNA from a tiny fragment of the Shroud of Turin and bones from the Talpiot Tomb. Leviticus. Sacred materials and ritual purity - DNA from relics echoes sacrificial laws.
12. DOUBLE AGENTS: The purchased Replivator is revealed, ready to house a bio-polymer skeleton to be seeded with the sacred DNA, creating a synthetic, adult "Son of God." Jack Mason accepts a bribe. The Crimson Synod fund a makeshift laboratory for the Flame of Sion. 2 Thessalonians. The man of lawlessness and deception - synthetic Christ as anti-messianic vessel.
13. VOICE FROM THE ABYSS: Simultaneously, Satan’s voice is heard, providing a counter-narrative and false guidance to the Crimson Synod, urging them forward to his dark work. Kleptocratic policies, poisoning the seas and air. Unholy, never ending financial slavery. Jehovah is not amused. Anubis and Isis concur, this is not pre-ordained. Books of Job & Revelations. Satan’s voice and cosmic dissent—Job’s trials and Revelation’s abyss imagery converge. Modern Moses.
14. UNLIKELY ALLIANCES: The battle lines are drawn. John and the Vatican, guided by Jehovah, must find a way to stop this abomination before it is too late, while Satan pulls the strings from the shadows. Isis whispers to Cleopatra. Book of Esther. Strategic alliances to thwart evil - John and the Vatican echo Esther and Mordecai’s resistance. China & India, accord energy Exodus. Oil cartels, ExxonMobil, BP, TotalEnergie. The EU, Seavax inspired ocean plastic cleaning U-turn.

ACT III: THE FINAL RECKONING
15. FINAL GAMBIT: Realizing their plans are missing technology, the Flame of Sion, attempt to enlist the help of the New World Order, Baron von Richthofen, Franco Francisco, and his cohorts, to no avail. Neuwelt Rittertum will not go defy John Storm or Cleopatra. They cannot locate Jane and Will Bates. Book of Romans. Safiya Sabuka is equally disapproving. Moral struggle, sovereignty, and divine justice - Paul’s theology of grace and resistance.
16. BOARDING PARTY: Onboard the Elizabeth Swann, HAL, single-handedly tasers the attackers one after the other, while John, Cleopatra and Dan sleep. So preventing the super-computers, BioCore, and synapse conditioning technology from falling into enemy hands. No fatalities! Psalms / Ephesians. Divine protection and spiritual warfare - HAL’s defense mirrors Psalmic deliverance and Ephesians 6. Brothers Malchus & Cain go down, Archbishop Lucien Thorne watches live.
17. JESUS AWAKES: The Flame of Sion proceed to replicate Christ, and succeed in incubating a perfect clone. Bereft of memories and the divine spark, the clone is just an empty husk, that looks and sounds just like his 2,000 years old son from Nazareth. John 11 Resurrection of Lazarus.
18. SECOND COMING: The Lord God, imbues the cloned Jesus, with the divine spark, for a special mission on Earth. Satan stands no chance of preventing another miracle. Revelation 19. Christ returns in glory - this is the climax of eschatological prophecy, blesses John Storm's and Cleopatra's heads.
19. JEHOVAH'S BLESSING: In a climactic moment, the blessing God gave John and Cleopatra, via his son Jesus, descends upon Pope Peter Benedict, in a further meeting in the Vatican - a visible and physical manifestation of divine approval. That cannot be explained, but reinforces the Pontiff's views that HAL and AI, in the hands of good guidance, is a force for good, not evil. Proverbs 10:22. Divine favor and approval - blessing without sorrow, affirming the righteous.
20. GOODWILL TO ALL MEN: This blessing is not a simple reward, but a powerful message that with temperance, understanding, and a shared commitment to goodness, much as the UN's Sustainability Goals, and Universal Declaration, if acted upon - all faiths and governments can live together in peace. God stands aside to allow AI and the ARK to take its course. Book of Luke 2:14. Peace and unity - echoes angelic proclamation at Christ’s birth. The Pope sends a message of good will to all men. That the G7 heads of state, the EU and other G20 (13) nations respond to positively. Spears to pitchforks.
21. A NEW COVENANT: The story concludes with a final message from Jehovah, confirming that the "Holy Compass" has been successfully decoded, and the threat of a forced Second Coming is over. The Crimson Synod accepts their folly and disbands. The Flame of Sion members are forgiven their sins. The future of humanity now rests in its own hands, guided by faith and a new understanding of science and the Bible's scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16 / Revelation 22. Completion of divine message - Scripture decoded, humanity entrusted with its future. A rainbow, the sign that God will not again flood the earth, to rid itself of the unworthy. John is invited to launch the first Seavax: Megalodon. Sailing off into the distance, chomping plastic and munching on a ghost fishing net. Almost stalling.