Remnants of Faith
Remnants of Faith
Chapter 1
Isaac Merrick tightened his grip on his tattered King James Bible as he crossed the cracked pavement of downtown Riverview. The once-bustling city had decayed into a shadow of its former self. Billboards screamed slogans of unity under the "Global Advancement Alliance," a technocratic government formed after years of escalating crises. Giant holograms of sleek, expressionless faces projected messages of progress and sustainability, masking the iron grip of centralized control.
Isaac had warned his small congregation this day would come. Standing in his dimly lit basement chapel, he had preached from Revelation 13: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." Now, that prophecy seemed closer than ever. The digital implants everyone called "Keys" were being mandated under the guise of health monitoring and economic stability.
Isaac had refused his Key. It meant he couldn’t buy food, couldn’t travel, couldn’t exist within society. Yet he believed the Bible over the promises of the Alliance. "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark..., the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God," he had told the congregation. Only a few had listened.
Chapter 2
The underground network Isaac had joined consisted of scattered believers like himself, mostly King James Bible followers who shared his conviction that modern translations were part of the deception. They called themselves "Remnants." Through whispered conversations and coded messages, they shared locations to safehouses, sermons, and news of the growing rebellion against the Alliance.
Isaac met Thomas, a young man with a fiery zeal and an encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture, at one such meeting. "Brother, technology isn’t neutral," Thomas insisted one night. "It’s the infrastructure of the Beast. The globalists aren’t just controlling it—they’re using it to create an all-encompassing system. Think about Psalm 2: 'The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord.' The tech is their weapon."
Isaac nodded. "I’ve tried warning people, but they don’t see it. Even some of the elect are deceived. They think Musk and these so-called free-speech advocates will save them. They don’t see the trap."
Thomas smirked. "Musk? The man who builds chips to connect brains to machines? He’s a pawn in their game. He doesn’t serve God, so who else would he serve?"
Chapter 3
Months passed. The Alliance declared a "Second Enlightenment," banning all printed materials deemed "obsolete," including the King James Bible. Underground believers scrambled to protect their few remaining copies. Isaac hid his Bible in the wall of his safehouse, wrapped in plastic to protect it from moisture.
The persecution intensified. Dissenters were labeled "antisocials" and accused of spreading disinformation. Alliance drones patrolled the streets, scanning for those without Keys. Isaac narrowly escaped capture more than once, aided by Thomas and others in the Remnants.
One night, as Isaac read aloud to a small group from Matthew 24—"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be"—he heard the distant hum of drones. The group scattered into the tunnels beneath the city, their faith their only armor.
Chapter 4
The world plunged into chaos. The promised utopia of the Alliance unraveled as food shortages, natural disasters, and violent uprisings swept across continents. The Key system, once hailed as the pinnacle of progress, became a tool of tyranny. Without it, people couldn’t access rationed resources, leaving dissenters to starve or barter in secret.
Isaac and Thomas had gathered a small band of believers in a remote mountain hideout. The group prayed and fasted, clinging to the Word of God as their lifeline. One day, Thomas approached Isaac with grim news.
"They’ve activated the Sentinel Network," Thomas said, his face pale. "It’s an AI-driven surveillance system that can track anyone, anywhere. They say it’s for security, but we know it’s to hunt us."
Isaac bowed his head. "We’ve come this far by faith. The Lord will see us through."
"Or," Thomas said, his voice breaking, "we’ll die as martyrs."
Chapter 5
The Great Tribulation began in earnest. Plagues swept the earth. Oceans turned blood-red, as foretold in Revelation. The sky darkened, and fear gripped the hearts of men. The Remnants grew more scattered and isolated, but their resolve never wavered. They continued to meet in secret, to pray, to share the Gospel with those still willing to hear.
One day, Isaac received word that a final global mandate was being issued: all citizens must accept an upgraded Key implant or face execution. The Alliance claimed it would unite humanity and save the planet. But Isaac knew it was the Mark of the Beast.
As Alliance forces closed in on their hideout, Isaac led his group in one final prayer. "Father, give us strength to endure," he prayed. "We know the time is short. Help us to stand firm, even unto death."
The drones arrived, their lights piercing the darkness of the mountain cave. Isaac stood at the entrance, his Bible clutched to his chest. He began to recite Revelation 22: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
The believers joined in, their voices rising above the hum of the drones. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
The last witness of Riverview stood firm as the chaos of the Great Tribulation engulfed the earth. They knew their redemption was near.