The mood in the garden was not terribly optimistic. The only cheerful note was Ella. When she came outside and saw the unicorns, bunnies, and other cuddly animals of all colors, she practically screamed with joy. If her eyes had opened any further, they probably would have fallen out. She flew toward the unicorns. The four children, Anna, Maila, and Max, were soon joined by her. It was clear that not much would be said, so the two new grandfathers, after Franklin was informed by Robert that they suddenly had four grandchildren, trotted over to their new grandchildren.
Alex was taken aside for a moment by the third Grandfather Lucifer:
"Alex, will you please explain to me how Aisha can be your mother? I've never seen her before, and I'm sure we haven't, well, you know... And as we discussed, Elise was your mother after all."
Alex found the desperate expression on his father's face quite amusing. For a moment he thought about playing with him a little but decided not to.
"Lot, or as we can better say now, Jasmine, made all the puzzle pieces fall into place. I explained this earlier when I said how I was conceived. Aisha, like you, takes vacations from time to time, not always in the same universe. It's kind of like reincarnation, only her soul goes to a baby who would be stillborn. The baby that would be stillborn was Elise, and once Aisha's soul was in that body, the baby stayed alive. Once in that body, she does not know that she is actually a Goddess. She does this as a vacation but also to learn how the universe she has chosen stands. So, the moment you bumped into each other, she was the young woman you remember, Elise. Once that body dies, her soul immediately goes back with all the knowledge gained. Do you understand?"
Lucifer nodded. On the one hand, he understood the vacation part very well since he had done it himself more than enough in the past. On the other hand, the reincarnation part was something completely foreign to him, and he had some trouble with it. Not much later, the three mothers came out. Jasmine in the embrace of Samantha. When the girl saw the garden, an equally excited cry sounded as Ella had struck. For a moment Alex feared another meltdown, but thankfully it did not occur. She did begin to dart through the garden like a butterfly from place to place. Everything she saw, she wanted to feel and smell. Even a stunned Maximus had to take it in his stride, but he let her enjoy it. When Samantha was convinced the girl was doing well in the garden, she walked up to Alexander. They put an arm around each other. She looked worriedly at him, for he had a sad and fatigued look in his eyes. Softly he said:
"Six thousand fucking years and this is where it ends? Six thousand fucking years, and instead of relief that we have succeeded in driving out Godfry we sink further and further into the muck. Well, deeper we can't sink, fortunately. Sam, even if I can't fix the rest of this shit, at least I'll be able to say that I did manage two things. I freed Heaven from a tyrant and saved nine thousand Angels and we saved a girl from being imprisoned in a damn throne."
"Most would say that is enough, but I know you well enough by now to know that it will never be enough for you. That you want to save everyone. We have ten more years, and I am convinced that you can and will find a solution."
Sometime later, Jasmine came walking back excitedly and barefoot because she wanted to feel the grass under her feet. She had Beatrice by the hand and Elise, who was never far from Trixie since she had arrived, on her arm. From the look on her face, it looked like she had found a new favorite arm when her daddy's was momentarily unavailable. Beatrice and Jasmine were just about trembling on their legs with excitement. Jasmine said:
"Trixie told me that you promised to find a solution and save her Daddy from Hell but for a while you didn't know how. But the solution is already here. The first part you already solved. The second part, the hardest part, I don't know what or how, and neither do your mams and paps, but they are the solution."
Away they went, the three of them, headed toward a group of rainbow bunnies.
Alexander had suddenly lost all sense and awareness of his surroundings. He stared into nothingness, pondering Jasmine's words. Michael, Gabriel, and Samael approached Sam and him. Samantha made it clear with a raised hand that now was not the time. Realizing full well that she was now the new Goddess, they immediately followed her unspoken instruction. Meanwhile, Alexander was having a conversation with himself:
"If I were my parents, how would I solve this shitshow? No, wrong question! They only interact with certain universes, not all of them. If I had not been here, they would never have made themselves known and thus let this universe implode without warning. They have the power to create universes, not to nullify an implosion. What I need is to stop this implosion, but I can't. If I can't stop it, what is left that my parents can do? They can create universes, but that is of no use to me now. I could evacuate Angels and the souls to a new one and very possibly the souls from Hell. Humanity is then lost because the development of that new universe just takes way too long. It would be simpler to evacuate the Angels to Sam's universe. There is already an Angel society there in which they can merge. Come on, what is it then? Think, dammit, think! They create universes, not complete ones, but still enough to immediately create a Heaven and a Hell and afterwards an Earth surrounded by other galaxies as evolution progresses. How would you do it, Alex? Come on!"
His eyes shot open, and a thick smirk formed on his face. He exclaimed:
"Oh, Mams and Paps, can I have a word with you guys?"
Along with Samantha, he stepped toward his parents, who had been chatting with her parents. The rest were already beginning to know his voice and intonation a bit and realized that he might have found the solution to their problem. With a played sad face, such as a toddler's, he asked:
"Mommy, Daddy, can I have a new universe? My old one is broken."
They looked at him uncomprehendingly, and Franklin asked:
"Son, what are you talking about?"
"Okay, tell me if I'm wrong. You guys can create universes, right?"
"Yes, of course, Alex, that's the reason for our existence in this multiverse."
Replied Aisha, who for a moment thought he had lost his marbles.
"Well, normally you keep yourselves to more or less the same principle and basic model, right?"
"Yes, right."
Answered his mother, who was beginning to suspect where Alex wanted to go.
"That which is hardest and takes the most time is the Gods and the thrones as the starting point of that universe. Because all the building blocks for the Gods to build up their universe according to their wishes are woven into those two thrones. Right?"
The Gods merely nodded now.
"Right, if you leave out the Gods, the thrones, and the semi-sentients and sentients—in other words, all the knowledge that you normally pour into the thrones—can you make an exact copy of this universe with an Earth without any trace of human civilization as it is today?"
Franklin said with a shrug:
"Of course we can. We have been doing this for many billions of years now. In the meantime, it has become routine."
"How long would that take?"
"Both thought for a moment. Probably going over everything in their heads. His mother replied:
"A week, let's say ten days to be on the safe side and have a perfect copy. It's just copying what exists here now. But you have no use for it without the Gods and at least the basis for the evolution of semi-sentient and sentient life. Without Gods, it collapses just as fast as we can make it."
He took Samantha by the hand again, and with a broad smile, Alexander said:
"We don't need a pair of Gods Mom. We have a pair of Gods and a multitude of semi-sentients; the DNA of every semi-sentient being that has ever lived on Earth is woven into the thrones, and there are about eight billion people on Earth."
Franklin shook his head:
"We can't possibly transfer that amount of people and animals. Only small groups at a time. Even if we give all the Angels in this universe and all the Angels in Samantha's universes the ability to travel between universes as we have given you, Samantha, Salome, Robert, Samuel, and Michael, among others, then still. There are only ten years available, and that is not nearly enough."
"I know, but I'm going to build myself LAX with nothing but 747s."
Without waiting further for an answer, he whistled on his fingers:
"Let's go, people! The break is over! A huge pile of work awaits us, and little time to get it done!"
With a brisk stride, Sam and he walked toward the throne room, and the rest made sure they were not left behind. He looked over his shoulder for a moment longer and called out to Anna:
"Anna, the kids a mandatory nap, no excuses and no grumbling from them! Maila, stay with Jasmine, please, and let her enjoy the garden!"
He had a thick smile on his face because he had found a solution. She had a thick smile because she knew her Alexander would find a solution. Once everyone was back at the table, he pounced:
"Okay, folks, I have a solution, and it is insane enough that it can definitely work!"