In a universe where god-like powers are real, what is religion?  Is it any different?

Kenneth and Eugene discuss Order.

Synopsis:

A large, ornate and very expensive looking pyramid shaped spacecraft filled with cavorting druids hurtles perilously close to the sun.  The cavorting druids turn out to be followers of Vahootie, and specifically, their spiritual leader, Brother 13.  They are plunging into the sun so that they can transcend to heaven and be by Vahootie’s side.

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Brother 13 is about to do some… ahem… meditation.. ahem… with his child bride, when brother Jacob, suffering from some last minute doubts that killing themselves in the sun is the right thing to do interrupts them.  A quick laying on of hands and a blue glow is enough to renew and reinvigorate Jacob’s faith.  Killing ourselves in the sun is definitely the right thing to do.

Nearby, the Transutopian makes a half-hearted, but doomed attempt to rescue them.  Dante and Percy, experts on stupid, marvel at the insanity, or stupidity, the Vahootians.  Lucretia is less down on the loonies, stating without evidence that the need to believe in something is just as important and food or shelter to humans.

We wouldn’t have much of a story if the ship just plunged into the sun, though, so at the last minute, leaving his followers to their fate, Brother 13, his child-bride and crazy brother Jacob escape in a shuttle, where they are rescued by Dante.

Brother Jacob, who is armed with a knife is immediately locked up.  When Dante realizes that Brother 13 is the leader of the cult, and therefore the mass murderer of the ship full of Vahootians, he treats him rudely, but surprisingly nicely.  He asks Lucretia to tend Brother 13’s wounds and lock him up.

Dante also asks Percy, the person voted most likely to be taken in by a cult, to take food to the mass murderer cult leader and his child bride.  Brother 13 asks for his child bride to be taken out of the room with Percy, so that he can have a quiet word with Lucretia.  First he demonstrates that he knows she’s looking for “the cluster” – could he mean the Divinity Cluster? – and that he knows she’s desperate to please her father.  Thus caught slightly off guard, he then mind rapes her with his glowing blue hands, although Brother 13 calls it a “Rejuvenation of faith.”  Soon she is beginning to understand that Vahootie is the answer.

Dante returns and finds Brother 13 and Lucretia having an amicable chat.  To his credit, and my amazement, Dante seems to catch on very quickly that Brother 13 is “getting at” Lucretia.  He sends her to confinement in her quarters until the prisoners are off the ship.  Dante’s disgust of Brother 13 and what he represents is apparent, and when Brother 13 attempts to read Dante’s mind about his son and mind rape him, too, Dante hurts him and throws him in a cage.

In the cages, Jacob is beginning to have doubts again, he needs Brother 13 to perform a rejuvenation on his faith, but Brother 13 is tired of Jacob’s lack of faith and refuses.  It’s very clear that when Brother 13 is unhappy, he’s a very nasty piece of work.

Meanwhile, Percy has handcuffed the child bride and is showing her around the ship.  Percy tries to indoctrinate her into the cult of Billy Toonami, or at least come to a meeting of minds.  It becomes clear that her faith in Brother 13 is slipping.  Could it be that his mind-whammy is only temporary?  Realizing now that there’s something more than just verbal persuasion, Dante orders Percy and the child bride to stay on the bridge and not let anyone in, including Lucretia.

Dante goes to talk to Lucretia, but she’s gone.  She has gone to the cages and let Brother 13 and Jacob out.

On the bridge, the child bride grabs a gun and threatens Percy, but it is unloaded and the joke is on her.

Dante confronts Lucretia, Brother 13 and Jacob in the lockup area. Brother 13 orders Lucretia to kill him.  When she tries, Dante shoots the gun out of her hand, but Jacob takes Lucretia hostage and knife point.  Jacob drops dead to the sound of a gunshot as Percy shoots him from behind.  For once, ignoring orders paid off.

Dante sends Lucretia back to her quarters, but instead, she locks herself in a cage.

Soon, they are handing the prisoners to the Authority officials on Mercury, and Rudolfo is very pleased by the large bounty they’ve collected for putting away a mass murdering cult leader.

Later Dante releases Lucretia, she seems to be back to her old self, and she immediately goes to open a secret channel to her father and warn him that Brother 13 is very dangerous, may have had contact with Novak, and have some knowledge of the Divinity Cluster.

On the transport shuttle, Brother 13 is mind raping the guards.  Perhaps Dante will get another chance to put a bullet in his head someday.

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