Chapter 1: Deconstructionists...

“What is a deconstructionist?” CS01’s voice came soft through the comms—synthetic, curious, almost hesitant.  Moose leaned back in his chair, one boot propped up on the desk, coffee steaming beside a flickering console light.  He smiled a little, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“To put it plainly—in boring, everyday words—a deconstructionist is a Progressive Christian pastor,” he said. “They’re heretics.”

He spoke with the slow, clean precision of a scalpel at work.  “They take the Word of God, twist it, and use it to destroy people.  They bind souls in chains of sin too heavy for any man to bear.  They deny truth by claiming it’s true that no truth exists.  They live in contradictions and chuckle at confusion.  They sow lies.”

He paused, took another sip of coffee.  The hum of the ship filled the silence.  “And on top of all that?”  He tilted his head toward the comm panel.  “They smell bad.  Sometimes.  At least spiritually speaking.”

Moose turned a page in his Bible.  The sound of paper echoed louder than it should have in that lonely cabin.  “You see, CS01,” he continued, “the prayers of the saints rise like a sweet aroma to God.  But the prayers of the wicked?  Like chaff—blown away.  And the false prophet…”  His voice hardened, quiet and deliberate.  “The false prophet makes me burn.”

Outside, the stars stretched and blurred.  Deep space was cracking open—anomalies folding in on themselves, thunder echoing where there should have been no sound. Moose didn’t look up. He just read.

Psalm 119: 17-24

“Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your Word.  Open my eyes that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.  I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.  My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times.  You rebuke the proud- the cursed.  Who stray from Your commandments.  Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept Your testimonies.  Princes also sit and speak against me, but Your servant meditates on Your statues.  Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.”

Ephesians 4: 25-32

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.’ ‘Be angry, and do not sin’.  Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.  Le too corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Matthew 7: 15-21

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”