Jonah had decided that he hated public transportation. One would think that with all the highly advanced technology that defined the year 3026, breakdowns would be nonexistent. Yet here Jonah was, stuck in the Whale Subway that was ran beneath Lake Joppa. Was this what he got for trying to get away from Nineveh? For trying to escape what God had called him to do? Sighing, Jonah rested his forehead against the cool glass window, looking out into the dark tunnel, thinking back to what the man had said when Jonah purchased his ticket.

     “There is a storming coming.” The man in the ticket booth had said. “Not a good idea to go out now. Not a good idea at all. Storms tend to mess with our system.” Jonah scowled at the man. Who did he think he was telling Jonah what he should or shouldn’t do? Jonah spoke with God, Yahweh, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This commoner had no place telling Jonah what to do. He zipped his coat up to his chin as a sharp breeze wafted over him.

     “Please just give me a ticket.” He said shivering. The man had raised a bushy eyebrow until it nearly disappeared beneath his sailors cap. Was he judging Jonah? He better not be.

     “Listen, if I give you a ticket, it would be like throwing you into the sea. The storm might knock out the generators.” The man insisted. Jonah just held out his hand so the man could scan the ticket onto his wristband.

     “If anything happens to me it will be my fault.” He claimed. “Now give me a ticket.” The man had sighed and picked up the scanner.

     Jonah glanced down at his wristband, at the blank screen that clued him in on the empty battery. The lack of battery left him with nothing to do except… pray. Jonah couldn’t help but wonder if he could still do that. He believed he was one of the Lord’s favorites, one of the few God spoke to directly, but he had blatantly disobeyed the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh. Would God still hear his prayers? He had already punished Jonah by causing the subway to breakdown, hadn’t he? Maybe God would have let his anger towards Jonah pass by now. Jonah pushed himself off of the bench and knelt. He had to try. Jonah prayed, begging for forgiveness. As he did so he felt the Lord’s presence like a break of fresh air. Tears slipped down his cheeks as Jonah’s prayer changed.

     "I called to the Lord in my distress, and He answered me. I cried out for help in the belly of Sheol; You heard my voice.” Jonah paused for breath. “You threw me into the depths, into the heart of the seas, and the current overcame me. All Your breakers and Your billows swept over me. But I said: I have been banished from Your sight, yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple. The waters engulfed me…the watery depths overcame me… I sank to the foundations of the mountains; the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever! But You raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God! As my life was fading away, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came to You, to Your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love, but as for me, I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the Lord!”

     Barely had the last word left his lips did Jonah feel the subway train tremble and the lights clicked on, rendering the emergency lights pointless. Jonah gave a shout of joy and relief as the train jolted into motion. The Lord had heard his prayer! He wasn’t going to leave him at the bottom of the lake!

      “Thank you my God!” Jonah laughed the words from sheer relief. At least until he stepped out of the train back where he’d started. As he sucked in a breath of air washed clean by the rain, he heard God very clearly once again say,

      “Jonah, go to Nineveh.” He cringed at the Lord’s words, his relief sucked away. Some part had hoped God would be satisfied with punishing Jonah and leave it at that. He had heard of the wickedness of the people in Nineveh - preaching to them would have no results. He would just be laughed at. Nevertheless, Jonah had no desire to test Yahweh’s patience again. So he went. He couldn’t help but wonder the whole way why God would care about a city riddled with evil and populated by the wicked. They didn’t deserve the mercy of the Lord in his opinion, they were the worst of the worst. They wouldn’t listen to a thing they said.

     “In forty days, Nineveh will be destroyed!” He proclaimed with a greater effect than Jonah had expected. He didn’t realize how great of an effect until he looked up from checking to make sure his coffee wasn’t spiked to see the King of Nineveh on one of the holographic screens that clung to the sides of most of the buildings. The king was a mess, clothes in what could have been sackcloth and covered in ashes, that were streaked from tears. The king was calling for a fast for humans, animals and even androids. Jonah wondered briefly just how an android would fast before realizing they were trying to save the city. How cute. They thought a simple fast would redeem all the wickedness they had committed. Then Jonah realized that maybe God would spare the city.

      Angry at the injustice, Jonah took a cab to the edge of the city. He stomped away from the city, angry and confused. Why would God spare a city filled with such wickedness? Soaked in sin? Even as Jonah sat down on a hill a mile outside the city, he didn’t understand it. His mind reeled and tumbled, looking for an answer other than the one that was whispering into his chaos, trying to ignore the shame it would provoke if he acknowledged it, acknowledged the truth. His watch chimed and he took a glanced at it. An app he didn’t recognize had just updated. He tapped it and jumped slightly when a tree of all things sprouted out of the small screen. It was an incredibly realistic holograph, it even provided shade against the harsh sun. He sighed contently at the relief. Now he could be comfortable and watch the city get destroyed. Maybe. He had barely been there a few moments when the shade flickered. He looked down at his watch and scowled at the little cartoonish worms that were swarming the screen and destroying the app. Why? Why couldn’t God be merciful and let him be comfortable? Mercy…God was merciful. Merciful towards him when he was stuck in the subway after trying to run away, and merciful to the people of the city. Jonah could only hang his head in shame. He had been such a hypocrite. He dragged himself to his feet with a repent filled prayer and began walking back towards the city. He had more work to do, teaching the reformed people about the Lord before he returned home.