Manifestations (34 page)

‘The Will is always able to choose another Prime.’

The host cut smoothly into the tiny gap between their statements and began speaking to the audience. ‘So, are we ready for the Atlantic Tsunami? Send us your thoughts. One of our patrons has some content for you to watch. We’ll be back in a moment to go through your queries.’

The flying cameras settled in for a recharge and the anchor went to check his make-up.

The host of the room was Quaid Rush. He’d been covering trend commentary for three years and was doing well enough for a permanent space and a desk big enough for six people. For the last year he’d been working double-time as the tides of the Weave accelerated.

Quaid sat before a large, lit mirror and dabbed powder where he was starting to glisten. The make-up also contained trace stimulants to perk him up; he still had another hour to go.

A boy sat next to him.

‘Hello there. Who are you with, then?’

‘I’m with you, Quaid.’

‘You know my name? How old are you?’

‘I’m turning nine.’

‘That’s nice. Only one more year and you’ll be in double digits. When’s your birthday?’

‘Tomorrow.’

‘Yeah? That’s great. Are your guardians getting you anything special?’

‘No. This year I am getting something for them.’

‘That’s nice. What are you giving them?’

‘Freedom.’

‘Freedom? ... Hey what?’ Quaid turned to the seat beside him. There was nobody there.

~ * ~

PIERRE JNR IS COMING TO SAVE US

~ * ~

‘Pierre be praised!’ the woman shouted from the front of the procession. She walked with her head thrust forward, opening her palms towards the ground as if drawing spirit from the earth.

A line of Servicemen stood watching the approaching mob. There were only fifty-three, not counting the toddling children they had with them, all with heads shaved and wearing black bibs with the white mark of the psis around their necks.

The crowd chanted and waved its icons of Pierre Jnr. Lifting them up to their foreheads and down again as if pumping bellows.

‘What are we supposed to do, sir?’

‘Wait for the command. Do not provoke any reactions.’

‘They’re starting to provoke me, sir,’ another man commented.

‘Do you need to be dismissed, soldier?’ the commander asked.

The Citizens also watched. From windows in the neighbouring buildings or from the footpaths where they pressed their backs to the walls to make room for the march. Some were discontent and shouted slurs at the chanters.

As Citizens, the Church of Pierre Jnr had their rights, but if the majority determined against the demonstration the soldiers would be ordered to remove them. The Command is the Command. Already their route to the needle was blocked by MUs, stalling their protest.

In overlay mode, the group disseminated their teachings, forcing their propaganda on those polite enough to read it, and luring others with their bright and hopeful imagery.

Pierre Jnr loves us all.

He is the god mind, come to save us.

When Pierre Jnr manifests again he will make all true believers into one soul.

Come, love Pierre Jnr and join the god mind.

From above, a rock was thrown, hitting the leader of the group. She fell down and held a hand to her bleeding head.

‘Medic!’ Ten called. ‘Help that woman.’

One of the soldiers broke rank and went to the crouching woman.

‘Pierre bless you, my child,’ she said, as he began to treat her cut.

Then more of the onlookers began throwing things at the sectarians and shouting.

Ryu watched with the rest of the Primacy as the crowd was pacified by the soldiers. The church retired for the day, led away by a covering ten squad.

The footage was followed by more background data of similar meetings that were taking place around the globe. Marches. Shrines. Churches.

People had begun regularly gathering in empty office floors, community parks or outdoor shrines. Praying for psionic powers, wishing they would all become telepathic and begging Pierre to reveal himself to them.

Praise Pierre Jnr. Lord of the mind.

~ * ~

The Will summoned Ryu to speak.

Before the open inquiry, questions were gathered and a magistrate was chosen to control the order of the investigation. Judge Jacob Haden had been an adjudicator for ten years, a commentator for longer and was a founding member of the FutureFuture Club and the Civilisation Preservation Society. He was best known for championing the formation of the wilderness parks. Few were qualified across so many areas.

‘Ryu Shima, on behalf of the people, I thank you for your time today.’

‘Not at all. I hope to be able to clarify some of the current confusion and set some minds at rest.’

‘And we thank you for that consideration. Are you ready to commence?’

‘Yes. Go ahead.’

They were live to the Weave in five, four, three ...

‘Today we are joined by the honourable Prime, Ryu Shima. Following a series of setbacks, his position is now being threatened by a number of contenders. The frontrunner is Representative Charlotte Betts of Seaboard, who has become the de facto voice for the tolerance movement.

‘Prime, what do you see as the union’s greatest risk to stability right now?’

‘Panic,’ Ryu answered. ‘The World Union is strong and we must all remain calm.’

‘In light of the recent breach in the Cape blockade, and the assassination of Blair Butler and other civic leaders, and invasion of high-families — such as the Shimas — how can you ask everyday Citizens to remain calm?’ the judge asked.

‘We must remain stable. If we allow these attacks to disrupt our unity, to divide us, then we will have lost.’

‘I’m not sure that answers my question,’ Judge Haden said, turning to face Ryu with one eye.

‘It answers why we need to remain calm.’

‘What do you say to people about the psi symbol? Should they wear it?’

‘That is every Citizen’s choice. I understand many crafters are offering fashionable choices,’ he said, making a joke of it, as advised.    •

‘Will you wear one yourself?’ Haden asked.

All traces of Ryu’s smile were erased. ‘No.’

‘Because it might be interpreted as a sign of weakness?’

‘I believe that symbol is a sign of oppression and anyone who wears it is admitting that they are intimidated by the bullying tactics of this small group.’

‘Are you saying that the only reason people would wear the symbol is out of fear? What if they truly support the psi cause?’

‘If people supported the psis in reality, I would not have become Prime. The Citizens are expressing their true opinions through the Will.’

~ * ~

The judge took a new dossier from the pile before him. ‘I would like to talk about the Kronos problem, which has now overcome an area where forty million people lived.’

‘It is a tragedy of incomprehensible scale.’

‘Do you have anything to share that will alleviate the worries of the Citizens frightened that the same thing could happen in their city?’

‘Yes.’ Ryu gave Gladys the signal to begin spreading the official summaries of the recent breakthroughs. ‘We have made a lot of progress in understanding what Kronos is. We have learnt how it reached Mexica and already apprehended the criminals involved.’

‘Can you tell us what Kronos is?’

‘In scientific terms it is a chimeric symbiot with a biological drive.’

‘Are you considering it alive?’

‘We are considering it.’

‘If it is a living creature, how do you feel we are morally obliged to manage it?’

‘It has taken the lives of forty-four million people, Judge Haden. Our goal is to protect ourselves.’

‘Will you attempt communication?’

‘We have been attempting many forms of communication since Kronos first appeared, and we will continue to do so. The fact that we can get no reaction from it is the biggest evidence we have that this is more of a pollution than an animal.’

‘Some are speculating that Kronos will appear in other cities. Citizens of West have already begun migrating away from Mexica.’

‘Again, I must advise calm.’ The Prime himself was calm. They must see him and know how to act. ‘There is no reason to think Kronos will spread further and West is a long way north of Mexica.’

‘But you wouldn’t be able to stop it. Is that correct?’

Ryu played for time. He didn’t want to be cornered into giving an answer. ‘We are trialling many defensive options.’ ‘My records do not show any such motion proposed from your office. Were you attempting to keep this fact secret?’

‘We have already scheduled a public release in the next cycle. Until we could be sure how Kronos had spread we felt it wasn’t safe to share the information.’

‘And does this secret weapon work, Prime?’

‘There have been successful lab tests. We are now scaling up the infrastructure.’

‘So you do plan to kill it?’

‘We do not consider it to be a living thing.’

‘I have another thread of inquiry I would like to pursue.’ The interviewer tried a redirect.

‘Please proceed,’ Ryu said.

‘It is a question of the Will and manipulation.’ The judge breathed in as he found the dossier he had ready. ‘In this convocation, as we are now calling it, there is a fierce battle for mindshare between the anti-psi voters and the derestriction movement. You have managed to avoid taking either side in this debate.’

‘I follow the command of the Will. It is not my place to show prejudice.’

‘And if the Will were to change in favour of removing psi restrictions, would you follow that command also?’

‘If that were the case, I would no longer be Prime.’

‘Have you seen this?’ Haden asked and put a video into the interview stream.

It was a compilation of footage that was becoming popular viewing on the Weave. It showed a new building rising in Atlantic. There were no machines or bots, just men and women standing around the site. Blocks and bricks lofted themselves into position.

Many people were inspired by the sight of the psis in peaceful coordination, in the act of building.

‘We have seen the videos, yes,’ Ryu answered. ‘But we have not been able to verify them. They could be forgeries.’

‘Nevertheless, in reaction, the Anti-Psi League have been releasing short sensoriums where psi telepaths manipulate innocent humans for evil ends. As well as a blitzkrieg of supporting propaganda.’

APL ads were everywhere; no matter where you went — they were there. They even began a paper-plastering campaign in the real world, print-offs of their basic tenets. Ryu had seen these too. They used all the bangs and bosom needed to guarantee a large audience.

‘Where do you think this increasing tension between the two movements will lead us?’ the judge asked.

‘First of all, I must denounce the tactics of Nigel Westgate and the APL. The material they are spreading on the Weave is unsubstantiated and destabilising.’

‘Most would agree on that. But where is this leading us?’

‘Judge Haden, I am Prime because I believe in protecting our World Union. My job is not to predict the Will, but to be prepared to hear its command. If the Will decides that my services are no longer required ...’ He paused. ‘Then that is the Will.’

‘We have time for one more question. Prime, earlier today you cast your support for the motion put forward by Representative Betts to allow the psis to create their own government in Atlantic.’

‘Yes.’

‘This is the first time you have supported a motion from Representative Betts. Is this the beginning of a new alliance?’

‘My support is for the proposal she put forward and that only with reservations,’ Ryu said.

‘Such as?’

‘I have concerns that the proposal is too simple and the impacts will be more far-reaching than any have considered. But, it is a founding principle of the World Union that all may join who wish to. We just have to be vigilant that those who join do so for the right reasons.’

‘And what would be the wrong reasons?’

‘The people of Atlantic have had forty years to join the World Union, and they have chosen not to. Now that there are known telepaths in the region one must ask if they are choosing freely. In addition, this proposal implies forcing our way of life onto theirs, which is also against the very foundation of our society.

‘Furthermore, there are four basic necessities for all Citizens: shelter and clothing, Weave access and sustenance. Providing adequate housing in the Cape would be a huge undertaking. The cost of such a rapid influx of Citizens is still being calculated.’