Manifestations (23 page)

Amy tapped the door cameras to a handscreen and passed it around.

‘That’s the woman you met the other night. Colonel Pinter’s new lady friend,’ Max said.

The colour drained from Charlotte’s face. ‘What does she want?’

‘Well, I don’t know. You’re the one who invited her.’

‘I forgot. I said she should come.’

‘What’s wrong, Charlie? She’s just a supporter.’

‘Do you want us to get rid of her? We can say you are busy,’ Amy said.

‘No. No, let her in. Just let me get changed.’ Charlotte dashed to the bedroom.

From behind the door she listened to the pleasantries of Amy and Max greeting Gretel. She didn’t know what to do. She just stood listening to the sounds outside her door.

It’s okay, Representative. I come in peace. Please don’t fear me.

Charlotte grabbed a clean dress from the cupboard and quickly made herself presentable. She re-entered the sunroom with a broad smile on her face and took both of Gretel’s hands in hers.

‘Gretel, you came. I’m sorry to have kept you. I just came out of a deep session and looked a total mess.’

‘You look lovely. I know how busy you are. Is now a bad time?’
I’m sure that isn’t true.

‘I am always here for friends and supporters. Now, come, sit. Amy, could you make some more tea?’ She wasn’t sure how to proceed, but then Gretel’s voice entered her head again.

Just think as if you were speaking to me, and I’ll listen. Just as if you were talking to yourself.

Well, that I am very used to doing.

‘These are lovely rooms, Representative. Very ... humble.’
You really have no reason to be nervous.

‘I haven’t had the time to find anything bigger. Max and Amy would like me to find offices for my staff and boosters. I hope you don’t mind.’
You’re the first telepath I’ve ever met.

And yet you are such a defender of our cause.
‘Oh, think nothing of it. I’m sharing a Services capsule at the moment. This is lavish in comparison.’

Talking like this is hard to maintain. How can I help you?
‘So you and Colonel Pinter are together?’

‘Yes. Amazing, isn’t it? Who would have thought? Certainly not me, I’ve never gone in for the military types.’
You already are helping us.

I’m trying to. While I have many supporters, it isn’t enough to turn over the existing policies.

But that is about to change, isn’t it? With the convocation.

Charlotte looked into the eyes of the young woman — the seemingly young woman, she reminded herself.

Amy brought a fresh pot of tea to the table and a small tray of biscuits. Charlotte looked at Miz Lang as she took the cup in her perfect fingers.

‘So, Gretel. You said you wanted to help us. May I ask what you had in mind?’
What will happen
?

‘I am happy to pitch in where I can, but I’d really like to be doing something amongst the people.’
The Will will change.

‘Are you not keen on immersion?’ Amy asked.

‘Not since rejuvenation. I just feel like connecting with people one on one.’
What is it you need help with, Charlotte? Why don’t you tell me what you need done
?

‘And why do you support me in particular?’ Charlotte asked.
It would help if you could control your people. These attacks are undermining our cause.
‘Take your time.’

They are their own people. I do not control every psi in the world who is feeling threatened by the World Union.

But the rebellion? Why did you have to attack the embassies in Atlantic?

What else could we have done? We have been ignored too long.

‘The psis are people too,’ Gretel eventually said. ‘They should have the same rights as any Citizen.’

‘But some of these people can listen to your very thoughts, or control your actions. Is not the removal of another person’s agency the greatest of crimes?’

‘I don’t believe there is any evidence of such actions.’

‘But they could do it,’ Charlotte said.

‘Possibility is not the same thing. Nor can you segment a whole group of people based on the actions of a few.’

‘So what can we do?’ Charlotte asked.
Well
?
This is where I am stuck. How do we cohabitate?

‘I have resources that I’d like to put towards your cause. The situation in the Cape must be abominable by now. They have never been self-sufficient and we must petition to open the barricade, if just to send relief.’

‘Yes, the people on the other side must be suffering terribly.’
The Will won’t support it. The rebellion has frightened them.

We had no choice. We want peace and we are willing to fight for it. Please help us avoid that.

‘Excuse me, Representative,’ Max spoke up. He had been delving into Gretel’s first life and found that most of her influence came from supplying Atlantic with pharma crops — not from her short time as a
chanteuse.
He flicked the dossier to Charlotte and Amy. ‘Am I to understand that this is a trading concern?’

‘Well, there is that side of it — but there is also the humanitarian cause,’ she said.

‘That you would benefit from?’ he asked.

‘Yes, but —’

‘But say no more. This is inappropriate. Representative, you cannot be seen to be part of this vested collaboration.’

‘Representative, please?’ Gretel begged.
All we ask is a chance.

I don’t know what I can do to help.

Put the motion forward. Let the Will decide.

Will having your own ... country be enough
?

Yes. And to have our brothers and sisters released from restriction.

We could never be sure that you weren’t controlling us ...

You aren’t sure now.

And what about Pierre Jnr?

Gretel looked directly into Charlotte’s eyes.
I don’t know.

‘I’m afraid my aide is right, Gretel. While I appreciate the humanitarian argument, we must find a resolution to the greater problem.’
Does he exist
?

I believe so. Tamsin Grey has met him.
‘I wish you would reconsider. My suggestion wasn’t a purely selfish notion. Atlantic can’t survive on its own. And who knows what will happen when they start to starve.’

‘Well, then, I will think about it. Miz Lang, I thank you for your time. Please give my regards to Colonel Pinter.’

Thank you, Charlotte.
‘Thank you, Representative. Whatever you make of my motives, I still support what you are doing.’

~ * ~

The Prime and Charlotte Betts had been firing shots at each other through their press releases. Criticising the other’s stance against the psis and creating motion after motion trying to gain support from the Will.

He hadn’t slept a full night in some time. He took programmed naps of half an hour or fifteen minutes and then raised his energy with a stim patch before he had to hold a meeting.

Since the infiltration of Shima Palace by Tamsin Grey, he had had to make efforts to separate himself from the family and any suspicion that he had been compromised by telepathic control.

He wasn’t the only one worried about that perception. Senator Demos was wearing one of those helmets that looked like he had tubes of water-filled piping wrapped around his head. There were now thriving businesses offering a variety of mental security. Around the globe companies had begun offering psi protection and detection services and products. Head shields to block out telepaths. Dampening fields to prevent telekinesis.

‘Buy the new vitreous helmet! Only the best will protect you.’

There was no basis for any of the claims, but it was one of those strange examples where the assurance was more important than the reality. The Weave was crowded with evidence refuting any claims the con artists could make, but the public always felt a need to do something. It didn’t matter if it was effective or not. There was something to be learnt from that.

His secretary, Gladys, must have noticed his inactivity as she sent some vegetable sticks for him to eat. He chewed them without tasting. They were pharma crops, purple carrots loaded with necessary vitamins and minerals; now he could avoid the need for a full meal and still operate. He cursed his weak body and its need for fuel; one day they would come up with a method of feeding the body which wouldn’t take so much time.

The other trend was of more concern. Whether directly manipulated or out of fear, many Citizens were beginning to wear the psi symbol as the rebellion had told them to do. Windows of homes displayed the three-pronged Y, declaring that they were not against the psionic people — even though the Will spoke otherwise and continued to support him as Prime.

The tolerance movement had gained a lot of momentum recently and Ryu now had to consider Charlotte Betts a legitimate threat to his seat, much to his chagrin.

Takashi: Big brother, you aren’t sleeping enough.

Ryu: I can’t talk to you.

Takashi: Ryu, I’m clean.

Ryu: Surveillance says otherwise.

Takashi: Ryu, don’t cut off from me like this.

Ryu broke the connection and pinged Gladys for what was next in his queue.

‘Everyone wants you today, Prime. Which problem did you want to look at first? The psis, the black mass, or the convocation?’ He checked his simulations and left them to interact with his lesser worries, Betts, manufacturing, training. The simulated hims were a useful tool, though he wondered if they could be trusted now that Takashi had been interfered with. For now he had no choice.

Ryu was becoming desperate for some positive news he could report.

‘Get me Colonel Pinter.’

~ * ~

Their avatars gathered in a walled space on the Weave. It was constructed in a similar arrangement to the Adjudicators Ministry, though the rows of seats were only drawn in outline, and the walls were a lattice of translucent lines.

There were a lot of new faces in the council today. It was always slippery on the lower rungs of the Primacy, as there were many wanting to pull them down to take their position; and they were easily, and intentionally, ignored by those above who wouldn’t dream of sharing their influence.

All were absorbed in the confluence of opinions now spiralling through the Will. Watching for any speculations that became popular so they could throw their support behind them and show the worth of their influence. They were fools, watching for the Will to determine what they should do, rather than determining what should be done and letting the Will decide if they were right. There was not a one of them he could trust to help him. Ryu sneered at them.

Charlotte Betts was the last to arrive, as always. Ryu watched her avatar materialise in her seat. Now,
there
was one who operated like he did. It was a shame, and an annoyance, that her ideas were so antithetical to his own. He noted the psi emblem drawn on her collar. She nodded to the Prime that she was ready, then saw Colonel Pinter next to him and nodded to him in surprise.

This gave Ryu a little pleasure. She must have been busy with something else when he gave the Colonel the boost that raised Pinter into the council. He slid a to-do to one of his selfs to find out what it was that had had Representative Betts so distracted.

‘General Zim, are you ready to commence?’ Ryu asked.

This was Zim’s last chance. If he couldn’t convince the Primacy to support his counteroffensive, then his support would likely dissolve from under him.

‘Yes, Prime. I am ready.’ The General stood tall and proud, uniformed in full regalia. He was a big man, perhaps exaggeratedly so. His avatar didn’t show his age yet; he was as toned and muscled as he had been two decades ago, with a hedge of strong black hair pruned down to a Serviceman’s cut.

A low-rung member spoke first, Tobias Bunn — whose support came purely from following the whims of the population, which today meant finding someone to blame. ‘General Zim, can you please explain to me how an antique school bus managed to get through your blockade?’ This question was met with murmurs of agreement.

Zim turned calmly to the speaker. ‘The fugitives had help from the rebels within the territory.’

‘And that qualifies as an excuse?’ Bunn followed up.

Zim kept his face still, which was easily done online; you only had to disable your avatar from reacting to your emotions. In his marina in the Arctic Ocean, Zim could be jumping up and down in murderous rage, but his avatar would only show smooth assurance and speak in a regulated tone. ‘The forces the rebellion commanded were grossly underestimated. This was an intelligence slip that meant we weren’t adequately prepared.’

‘Are you trying to shift the responsibility to others, General Zim?’

‘Not at all, I am only explaining the difficulties of the situation. I fully accept that the data team was under my command.’

‘General Zim,’ Charlotte Betts indicated she had a question. ‘If you had been aware of the psis’ abilities, how would you have changed the operation?’

Zim looked from the Representative to the Prime, weighing up what he should and shouldn’t say. ‘I would not have waited for them to strike first.’