[Greifelt Restaurant - Washington D.C.]

The restaurant was silent, save for the two beings sitting in the corner booth. Upon entering the Greifelt Restaurant, several people, patrons, and staff had screamed and run out of the building. That with the fact that it was the middle of the workday, meant that only the owner of the restaurant who was the chef, a server who looked as if he found Cthulhu amusing, Cthulhu, and Victoria were the only ones in the building. 

“Well, this is certainly good.” Cthulhu said, scooping pasta into his overly large mouth. “Yet another thing that I love about humans, and something I have in common with them, is their drive to find good food.” 

“What do you normally eat?” Victoria asked, as she delicately ate her plate of pasta.

“Things that you would not understand frankly, as they are not of this plane.” Cthulhu said, yet another plate of pasta being placed in front of him by the server who kept glancing at Cthulhu and giggling to himself. “So tell me Victoria, what does the head priestess of The Faith do as a day job?” 

“I am on the board of directors of several companies, I have degrees in business management, ethics, and biology, so I tend to work more than I should, rather than devote time to The Faith.” She blushed, embarrassed, “For that, I apologize.” 

“Why are you apologizing?” Cthulhu asked working on the plate of pasta.

“For not devoting more of my time to The Faith?” Victoria said hesitantly.

“Tell me Vicotria, as it was your grandmother, the last human that I spoke with before sleeping again, who recorded my wishes for the Faith. What did I say to her.” Cthulhu asked pausing from his meal, he was curious about how his words had been passed down.

“It is said that you told The Faith to think of you always.” Victoria said.

“Well, that is close.” Cthulhu said, smiling. “What I said, exactly was that as long as they thought of me every now and then, that would be enough. As I have said, I am not big on formality. I don’t want people to have to worship me, I don’t want people to worry about what is going to happen to them after they die, so if those who wish to worship me think of me every now and then, well that is enough for me. So do not apologize Victoria, you have fulfilled what I could want and more.” 

“Thank you.” She said and finished her plate. “Now we have eaten, what do you want to do.” 

“Well, I think that I would be remiss as a God if I did not stop and see your flock.” Cthulhu said, and then turned to the server. “I’m sorry young man, I have to ask what is it that you find so incredibly amusing about me? I am not mad, I just want to know.” 

“Well, you see my mom joined what I was told was a cult when I was a kid.” The server said. “My grandparents got custody, after the government declared her to be unfit as a parent for joining what was called ‘The Faith’ and now, after a national television briefing with A God, Cthulhu none the less, standing next to the president, you and this lady, who I have kind of guessed is the leader of The Faith show up to my job and sit down ordering food like anyone else.” The server looked as if he was thinking for a moment. “I guess I just find the irony of the universe to be incredibly amusing.” 

“I am so sorry about your mother.” Victoria said.

“Oh, don’t be, she and I still have a good relationship, and I see her every Sunday for diner.” The kid smiled and walked away, as Cthulhu chuckled.

“Did you know he would be here?” Chtulhu asked.

“No, and I wonder if his knowledge of The Faith is what made him not as panicked when you came in.” Victoria said as she placed cash on the table, she had insisted on buying.

“Very well then, off to see your flock.” Cthulhu said, standing from the seat he was sitting in and following Victoria out into the street.

[In’Quinar Homeworld - Temple of the Goddess]

“Goddess, the diplomatic envoy is assembled and includes scientists and artists as you requested. They await you in your meeting chambers.” Lettara said after bowing deeply to her Goddess.

“Thank you Lettara, I will head there immediately. Is there a ship being prepared?” Goddess Ivarna of the In’Quinar asked, rising from the warm bath she had drawn for herself and beginning to dab the water from her skin.

“Yes, Ivarna, as requested the military and every scientist in the field of propulsion that we could get here is already working on retrofitting a small ship with the latest in classified military drives.” Lettara tapped a finger on a datapad. “Theoretically, if everything holds up they should be able to make the journey in only a few standard days. However, the retrofit will take a week, at minimum.”

“We will have to hope that is fast enough.” Lettara said, slipping the robe that she usually wore when outside her private chambers onto her shoulders. “Alright, let’s go to the meeting chambers.” The two women walked out of the Goddess’s private chambers and down a long hallway. Halfway down the hall they turned left into a large semicircular chamber. They entered and any chatter there had been before she entered, was quashed by the Goddess taking her seat.

“Thank you all for coming. I don’t know what Lettera has told you, but we need to discuss a race called Humans, and the monster that is their God.” Ivarna said and noted the confused looks. “It is strange for me to bring a race to your knowledge I know.” The Goddess took a deep breath her hand shaking slightly at the memory of Cthulhu’s voice declaring himself the rightful God of Humanity. “But we have a choice, to either develop relations with humanity or prepare for war with a race that I think may be the most dangerous of any we have ever known.” 

The room was silent, and fear crept over several of the faces in the room as they noted the tones of fear in their Goddess’s voice. “Please, Goddess, tell us what you know, and when we leave to try and establish relations.” 

The Goddess looked up and began to tell them of the latest meeting of the Gods.

[The White House Oval Office]

The president sat, with his staff crowded into the room. “So what do we do about this.” The president asked the room. In the corner, a man who was the president’s spiritual advisor looked as if he might be sick.

“We should eliminate this Cthulhu and any who follow him.” An older man in a military uniform said. “Clearly they are a seditious terror organization. And Cthulhu is their leader.” 

“But what if we cant,” A woman in a suit said, “what if we attempt to kill him and it doesn’t work. I mean you saw what he looked like when he first showed up General, do you really want that running around like a loose cannon?” 

“I have a comment.” The man who spoke was younger than most of the others.

“What is it, Brian?” The president asked, looking to the young man who held a laptop connected to the drive that Cthulhu had given the president.

“Well, it seems that what Cthulhu just gave us is exactly what he said it was. It is advanced science and technologies regarding space travel.” Brian said.

“Mr. President,” the general who had suggested killing Cthulhu spoke again, “I have to ask who is this kid?”

“General Tillmore, this is Brian Nefarun, he is arguably the smartest person in the room and my special advisor in all matters.” The president said to the General.

“Probably one of the smartest people on the planet.” The woman in the suit said. “He graduated from a community college and then created the Mars Hope project after his Thesis for his degree revealed the issues with the ozone reconstruction that we have been doing since about 2022. Since then he has earned four doctorates and been granted an honorary doctorate by every large college that you can think of.” 

“So you are not just Brian Nefarun.” The general said turning to Brian, “You are the infamous Dr. Nefarious, as my guys call you.” 

Brian laughed. “Yes general, an unfortunate moniker thanks to a college roommate of mine. But as I was saying, he gave us everything that he said he was going to, I don’t think that we should try and cross him. If this is something that he would so easily part with, imagine what he could provide us if we show we are willing to work with him.” 

“That is,” The general began speaking, then thought for a moment, “unfortunately a good point.” 

“So it’s a consensus then?” The president looked around the room. “For now we see where this goes?” He got a chorus of yes, and the nodding of heads in response. “Okay, Brian, I want you to get on building a ship with what he gave us. General Tillmore you are with him, but this is his project. Understood?” 

“Understood, Sir.” Both men responded.

—-----------------

[Chilxan Ship Orbiting Mars - Containment Room]

“So tell me, Ted,” Shiv’Ru said, sitting on the floor across from where he was eating the food that had been brought for him, “What is it that you are unwilling to do? Answer questions, or provide information about military assets?”

“Well, I have no problem answering questions about a lot of things.” Ted said, choking down a bowl of paste that was so bland it almost made him choke. “The problem is two things, firstly, I have no clue about the things you are asking about. Though I may have been military in the past, the last few years have been all about Mars. The second issue is that I am in no way inclined to offer you anything. You send down troops, who attack me out of nowhere, and then bring me to ship, telling me that you are going to invade my home, and expect me to just tell you everything.” 
“That is…” Shiv’Ru said, thinking for a moment. “A good point.” 

“I know it is.” Ted said, finishing off the bowl. “The funny thing is that had you come down to Mars and said ‘hello, we would like to talk with you,’ or, better yet, if you had reached out to the diplomats and people like them on earth, I bet they would have been willing to trade with you quite easily.” 

“So let me ask you this then, are you normal in comparison to your people. I mean in terms of strength and intelligence.” Shiv’Ru asked.

“In terms of overall strength, I probably fall somewhere in the upper end of average.” Ted said thinking for a moment, “But as far as intelligence. No, nowhere even close to being considered a genius, I am really good at following orders, and instructions, that’s why I was picked for this mission, and why I did so well in the military.” He looked at the floor picking at its almost scaled appearance. “Your name was Shiv’Ru, right?” The alien across from Ted nodded. “Okay, Shiv’Ru, tell me what is this ship made of? Because it does not feel like any metal that I know.” 

“It is not technically metal, it is a metallicized polymer,” Shiv’Ru said, wondering why he would care.

“Wait so you mean that this whole ship is plastic?” Ted asked. “How thick is it?” Ted asked looking at the walls that separated him from the vacuum of space with apprehension.

“Oh, do not worry,” Shiv’Ru said, making her race’s gesture of soothing, “The exterior walls are as thick as my finger.” She held up a digit that was roughly half an inch thick. “And the interior walls that provide the structural support, are half as thick.” She said this with confidence and pride at her people’s ability to produce such strong materials.

“Holy, shit.” Ted said, and then turned to Shiv’Ru. “You guys should really take me back to Mars, and just forget that humans exist.” He stood up, and Shiv’Ru stood as well. 

“Why is that?” Shiv’ru asked, something in Ted’s voice sending shivers up her body.

“You guys don’t get it, do you?” Ted smiled and walked over to the door. He had not paid much attention to what the door or anything in the room was made of since he was more concerned with the Aliens that were interrogating him. But now Ted realized that everything had that same scale-covered look as the floor and the exterior wall. “I am far stronger than you. Not to mention the fact that I already managed to rip those restraints apart, what do you think will stop me from just going through this door?” 

“It is far too strong, even the strongest of my people…” Her voice faded as quickly as her face paled when she realized what he was saying. “There is no way.” 

“But there is.” Ted said, and placed his hand on the door, pushing and feeling it flex under the gentle push. “There is definitely a way.” Ted said, staggering his feet and lining up a punch, that went straight through the door.
—-------------

[Church of The Faith]

Cthulhu was watching as Victoria lead the impromptu ceremony. It seemed that most of the congregation worked for the church, and whenever they asked, and she was available, Victoria would hold a ceremony. The conclusion of the service was a moment of contemplation in which Victoria asked them all to keep Cthulhu in mind.

“Now, before we all go back to work, and I have some work that needs to be done.” Victoria said, looking around. “I do not doubt that all of you have seen the news and saw our God Cthulhu on the television.” The room was filled with cheers. “Well, I went and spoke with him. And he wanted to meet you all.” 

Cthulhu stepped out from the wall behind Victoria, seeming to slip from a shadow on the wall. “Hello, my children.” Cthulhu said, smiling his strange grin to the stunned and silent group before him. “Thank you for your faith and your belief in me, it means more than you could ever understand to me.” 

The eyes of the believers were as Cthulhu expected. Some filled with disgust at his visage, others so blinded by the idea of meeting a God that their minds had not yet processed what they were looking at. And a lone man, middleaged and with a snotty air about him, made the sign of the cross at which Cthulhu looked directly at him. “The Betrayer will do you no good here, my child. He will do you no good anywhere in this life or the next. But your willingness to invoke him in my presence is amusing.” Cthulhu smiled at the man who stood and walked out.

“I am sorry about that.” Victoria said, “Johnathan is the newest member.” 

“It’s fine, as I have said, while I may not understand why they still worship him, I will not force anyone to worship me or any other God.” Cthulhu said, and then turned to the others who were still looking at him. Several of the ones that had repulsed looks on their faces seemed as if they were trying to fight down their instinct to turn away from him. Cthulhu chuckled, “Don’t worry, I am aware of how repulsive many humans find me. I am not offended or anything, if you need to leave please feel free I will not hold it against you, and I will ask the others here not to as well.”

Cthulhu spent the next hour talking with them until Victoria stepped up to him. “Excuse me Cthulhu, there is something that you should see.” She lead him to a private office and turned a computer monitor around, to show three men who Victoria explained were the Pope, a Muslim Imam, and a Jewish Rabbi. The three of them together were declaring Cthulhu a false god and an imposter. “I thought you should know.” 

“It is to be expected.” Cthulhu said and chuckled a laugh that sent a shiver down Victoria’s spine.

—------------

[In’Quinar Homeworld - Temple of the Goddess]

The delegation was in shock at what they were hearing, their Goddess seemed to be in genuine fear of the God that claimed to be the new race humanity’s rightful God. “So, that is what I know.” The goddess Ivarna said. “I don’t know what this race is like, but as soon the ship is ready.” A notice appeared on the datapad in front of the Goddess, “And according to the scientists working on that end of this, it will be in seventeen days. When the ship is complete, you all will take it and do your best to establish contact with the humans, and to open communication to their God for me.” 

“Understood Goddess, but I have to ask.” The In’Quinar that spoke was older, and one of the few men in the science community. “If our attempt fails, what should we do?” 

“If your attempt fails, then I urge you to make your way home so that we can come up with a course of action.” Ivarna said, “and if any attempt to stop you in getting there, I urge you to push through however you need.” 

“So this may be a one-way trip?” The same man asked.

“Yes, and I understand if any of you do not wish to go, but as I am limited by the council.” Ivarna stood and then bowed. “All I can do is ask you to please do this for me.”  

The room was silenced at this, even the Goddess’s aide Lettara was stunned, never before had the Goddess made a plea like this to her believers. The man stood and spoke hesitantly. “Goddess, please, raise your head.” He said, uncomfortable with the situation. “I think that I speak for all of us when I say that we understand the urgency that you see in this, and that we would be honored to fulfill this mission for you.” the other around the room nodded standing up with the man.

“Thank you all,” Ivarna said. “And know that while on this mission you will be in my thoughts every second of every day.”