Madness (18 page)

Beijing, China

Ling Tsi Li, Director of Distribution and Logistics, studied the area around Turpan, China, a long fourteen
-hundred miles from the distribution centers on the former China’s east coast. He reminded himself once more that borders had no meaning and sent an email.

“Citizen Karamazov, as a practical matter, your
warehouse and distribution center in Irkutsk is strategically located to service the area around Turpan and our former western borders. If we extend our help into southeastern Mongolia, which is 400 kilometers closer to our facility, could you supply our former northwestern border area?”

Within a minute, Li had an affirmative reply. The control board in his office lit up with
an interactive map and population schematics. In another five minutes, he and Karamazov had balanced the service areas and received a
best practice
signal from the computer, which agreed with their redistribution.

Li pushed back from his workstation. Earth was becoming an amazing world. He joined the Global Realm, tested, received the job, and hired his staff based on their
specific capabilities and interview results. He automatically forwarded everything he did to Global Headquarters. The Global Headquarters worldwide distribution computer reviewed the data and stored it for consideration at a Global level.

Pendleton’s followers accomplished this with just over a decade of planning, amazing.

Li reviewed the product lists coming in from his field supervisors. The same type products for each social level would furnish every living unit in the world. Depending on availability and profession, each family would have three choices of paint colors for the walls and three choices of decor, each piece of furniture, each fixture, and each utensil—right down to the napkins.

Ingenious, Li thought. He’d examined the materials used in
their manufacturing and marveled even further. The construction of the individual pieces would last for centuries. The Global Realm took a minimalist attitude. Humanity wasted too much. A smile crossed Li’s face. Yes, they slaughtered those who resisted. From where he sat, only the stupid chose to resist such a benevolent government. Rid the earth of them, he thought.

#

Near Tabriz, Iran

A reporter for the Global Network Eastern Division sat down
in a distribution center in northwestern Iran to conduct an interview with a Russian soldier and an Iranian baker. Outside, forces guarded rubble piled twelve feet high, waiting for Global recycling trucks to cart the material away. The men spoke no English or Mandarin Chinese, and translators guided the conversation. The reporter asked the Russian, “Ivan, how has your role here in the former Iran changed since your army liberated them?”

The soldier sighed. “I’ve gone from a warrior to a relief worker
, as the new world order has asked.”

“You sound conflicted by this change of fortune. Please explain.”

“Adjusting to my new responsibilities is stressful. My role in the Russian army was to supply and transport weapons. Now I’m asked to supply the needs of the populace.”

“A much more pleasant task, I would think
,” the reporter said.

The soldier gave a thin smile. “As long as the new government is serious, it is a more pleasant task indeed. I’m skeptical. I’ve never lived in a peaceful world. Call me a doubter. I’ll hold my tongue until I believe peace is real.”

“Have you been tested?”

“Yes, in two months I’m to report to
the central distribution regional office in Budapest as a product-line supervisor. I’m told my wife has been selected for a job there as well.”

“
That seems like great news after all the destruction you’ve seen.”

“They have already transferred my wife to Budapest. Yes, this is great news indeed.”

The reporter turned to the baker, “I understand you are staying here in Tabriz and will schedule delivery routes for food distribution.”

“Yes, I know the area. My business experience with the people here will be useful, and I’m Muslim. They will trust me.”

“Is trust still an issue?”

“
Some will never trust. For the rest, trust will be a long process. The government destroyed many holy sites. The people will not easily forget.”

#

In London’s Global Network Western Division

Stan Kaplan, former CNN field correspondent, hurried into his first leadership meeting since his transfer from Atlanta and took his seat. As Director of Field Correspondents, establish
ing and implementing Global Realm protocol took the highest priority.

Farouk Abdullah
, Global Realm Minister of Justice, rose to address the group. “First, we are a group of equals. Yes, there is a structure for reporting. However, as citizens of the Global Realm, we have the same goal. Perform our assignments capably, honestly, and fairly. Now, how are your reporters received by the populace?”

Kaplan squirmed a bit. He’d only been in this job for a week and was still coming up to speed.

“There’s no way to accurately assess,” the head of the network said, taking Kaplan off the hook. “Your Global Security people are always visible. How can individual citizens be honest?”

“That will pass when the people see nothing bad happens when they speak their minds.”

“Then ask us that question another time,” the network head said with a bite in his tone.

Kaplan inched his hand up. “May I make a comment?”

“Go ahead,” Abdullah answered.

“Before I was reassigned, I spent six week
s in the field in the former United States and Mexico. Whoever developed the security team training did a good job.”

“That would be me.” Abdullah said without a change in his stoic countenance.

“The people on the street understand the difference between the Chicago incident and public safety.” Kaplan gulped some water and continued. “Until the average citizen settles into the new way of life, crisis-trained correspondents need to be doing the live reporting, people who covered rebellions and wars. You can’t put the average twenty-something that used to report on local robberies on the street.”

“
Agreed, and as you may already have noticed,” Abdullah said. “Our emphasis isn’t on human failings. The news will not point out the flaws of others. We’ll catch and punish criminals without all the media coverage. Our objective is reporting the Global Realm’s efforts to accomplish our objectives and doing so honestly.”

Kaplan mulled that comment over. “We can assist in the openness by emphasizing the Global Realms interest in the public’s opinion without repercussions.”

“Please do.” Abdullah inspected the faces in the room. “Idle hands and drugs almost destroyed our society. I believe you will find that as citizens delve deeply into their work resistance will disappear.”

“Our unit will cooperate in every way to report changes in attitude to you,” the head of the network said.

“Yes, you will,” Abdullah replied.

Kaplan took note of the tone and the demeanor of Abdullah’s response.

Oh my, the words are encouraging, but the tone says ‘stick to the program,’ or else.

Peacock slipped on an evening outfit designed by the Global Realm, red, form fitting with a gold insignia, indicating she’d scored in the upper one percent in all her modules. The meeting with her husband and Doctor Levi would take place in the neurosurgical consultation room. She applied a light blush to her cheeks and examined the hair growth around her incision. Another month and she wouldn’t have to wear a hairpiece.

“Are you ready?” Doctor Pederson asked over the intercom.

“Yes, I’m ready,” she answered.

This meeting would determine her future. Yet, she
viewed it as if she were going to a class at the university and knew she’d ace the exam. Peacock went off down the hall, pacing step-by-step alongside Doctor Pederson. Then she took the lead, and he fell in behind her without an instruction to do so. Yes, she would have a successful meeting.

She burst through the door and surveyed the room. Pale blue walls and white wood trim gave the
meeting area a clean crisp look. The curved desk behind which Levi would judge her performance shined with polish, so she could see her face on the finish. She visualized him smiling at her and hurrying behind the desk to gain the power position. He’d set her file in the center of the desk before sitting down. She would ignore the file and make eye contact with him. She would stare at him until he flinched. Then she’d have the power, regardless what happened next.

Doctor Pederson sat down to Peacock’s left. The chair on her right she presumed Arthur would sit in. A few minutes passed. Then Levi entered followed by Pendleton. Levi did as she expected, right down to the light thump, as he dropped her file in the center of the table. Thirty seconds
later, he flinched.

“Congratulation,” he said. “There was nothing wrong with your cognitive abilities at the time you took the test.”

“If I understand the job track for my modules correctly, I’m qualified to do Van Meer’s job.”

“Absolutely correct, Lovey,” Pendleton said with a lilt in his voice. “But as a back-up, not number one. You need
him as a steady mentor for a few years yet, before you could replace a man like Hans Van Meer.”

“Let’s stay on task,” Levi said. “I’ve read all your reports, your consultations with Doctor Pederson and myself, your stress control tests, and your mental and physical evaluations.”

“I have to experience situations outside this hospital to bring my condition under control.” Peacock studied Levi watching her and continued. “There’s nothing more you can do for me in a hospital. Physically, I can compete in extreme martial arts one-on-one with the best and win. How am I doing so far?”

Doctor Pederson nudged her shoulder. “You’re on a roll, but who are you trying to impress, Doctor Levi or your husband?”

“I’m speaking to all three of you. My future is to be determined here. I’m telling you what I want the outcome to be. You rarely have a patient willing to do that.”

He nodded.

“All right, Mrs. Pendleton,” Levi said. “What do you want your life to be?”

She cleared her throat. “First, I crave important work
—action, being in the middle of conflict. I need a meaningful job. Second,” she turned to Pendleton, reached out and touched his hand. “Having placed my memories and the information in my files in a comfortable order in my mind, I reached a decision about us. Have you changed your mind about me?”

“Not one wit,” Pendleton said, “I love you more than life. I want you at my side.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“You understand I do have erratic emotions and intense opinions. What I lack is relational connections. I was forming them with you when Kolb destroyed whatever progress I’d made.” She clasped his hand in hers. “I want to start again, but on the right footing. Arthur, until those connections are reestablished, I’ll be role-playing, like the actress in a movie. I will tell you when my emotions change from self-centered to loving.”

“You’ve always been a challenge
, but our talk after the accident near Malibu sealed you forever as my soul mate. I’m the bloody ruler of the world, yet only you have my heart.”

A flush of pride rose in Peacock. “Thank you. You have my loyalty. I’ll defend you, give you children, and play an important role in your plans to save the world. Unfortunately, I can’t be continually at your side. I trained for adventure, for combat, and for espionage. Give me a role that allows me to do what I do best.”

“And what about our children, they need a Mum.”

“You know I killed Thomas Reed.”

“Yes.”

“I was gone for fourteen hours on that mission. We can work out the details.”

“Let Arthur think on that,” Doctor Levi said. “I have more questions.”

“Yes, all right.”

“What should we call you? You were born Donna O’Connor. Your code name was Peacock in Hercules. Your assignment name is Laverna Smythe-Pendleton, the name many people know. Let’s select one name to move forward with.”

“
I’ll always be Peacock! But my public name should be Laverna Smythe-Pendleton.” She smiled at Arthur. “My husband calls me Lovey. No other name will fit. Donna O’Connor is insane. Peacock doesn’t work for Hercules anymore, although she’s closest to whom I’ve become.”

“Fine,” Levi said. “Your Global Realm papers won’t have to be changed.”

“You and I both know I have to come to grips with Donna O’Connor.”

Levi smiled.
“That emotional trauma caused your post-traumatic stress disorder and disassociation. Yes, you have to come to grips with her. I’d like to try hypnosis.”

“You can’t hypnotize me. I’m not a good subject.”

Levi reddened.

“I’m sorry. Psychologists tried back in college. I submitted to three attempts. I’m more than glad to discuss everything I remember as far back as I can.”

“We’ll try that starting a month from now. I need to see you function in society for a month first.”

“So I’m going to be discharged.”

“Tomorrow.”

“I have an idea,” Pendleton said. “Van Meer and I discussed my situation today. He
thinks I need a team of bodyguards far superior than I have now. This team will respond to threats on my person worldwide.”

“I can lead that team,” Peacock said.

Levi interrupted again. “For the first month, I’ll approve you working as an understudy. The difficulty will be controlling your rage issues.”

“I’m working on them. I’m doing yoga and deep breathing exercises.”

“She brought her rage issues under control in lab testing,” Pederson said, echoing his agreement. “Under fire in the field, we’ll have to see. After a month without issues, I’d release her on the condition she receives gold level medical treatment indefinitely.”

“Gold level
medical treatment?”

“You
’ve tested in the top one percent in all your modules,” Pendleton said. “That’s gold level, and there is an increased step-up of services in place to see that you continue to perform at that level.”

Levi nodded. “I’ll approve that timetable.”

He glanced at Pendleton. “Forgive me First Citizen, but you and your wife aren’t much different. She is a sociopath with post-traumatic stress disorder and disassociation. The only difference between you two is the ability to charm and relate to people socially.”

“Van Meer and I were arguing about that. I’m not a
megalomaniac. Am I?”

Levi laughed. “Both of you have personalities only one out of four hundred thousand people have. Of those so blessed, thirty-five percent end up in mental institutions, prisons, or homeless—unable to cope. A small fraction, maybe one percent, achieves success beyond imagination.”

“Simply put,” Pederson chimed in. “The two of you could be the salvation of the world or its ultimate destruction. If you focus your talents on grand ideals and achieve them for humanity, you’ll achieve fame beyond words. If not, you’ll end up either dead or despised in the History books.”

“
There is a chipper thought,” Pendleton said rising up to leave. “Remember this. Without action now, no one will be alive to write History books.”

Peacock rushed to hug him and whisper for only him to hear. “I may not be altogether whole. But I’ve
longed to make love to you, and I won’t disappoint.”

He kissed her and she felt warm. She moved to nuzzle him, but
security forces whisked Pendleton and the doctors away and escorted them out of the room.

A shiver of hope ran through her. She would live to
please him and one day realize she wasn’t acting.