by Mark White
'Good morning Kofi,' said Geraldine as I sat down. 'Well that was quite some conclusion to your report, even if you did tease it a lot.'
'Yes sorry about that, I did save it up to the end to ensure it was as melodramatic as I could make it,' I replied. 'Shall we cover the first part of the report quickly first?'
'I'm not sure there's much point in going over it in detail. It was an interesting read, and pretty shocking. How did fascism rise again, given what everyone knew from the mid-20th century? It beggars belief,' she said.
'I know, but I'm sure these things are much easier to see in hindsight. We never seem to learn from our history though, and there is something flawed deep in the soul of humanity at times I think. It just needs a skilful orator and manipulator to tap those depths and bring it to the surface,' I replied.
'Is it really that easy? Could it happen again do you think?' she asked.
'Hold on, let me look up a quote that seems appropriate from one of the masters of the technique, Hermann Goering. Ah here you are,' I said, looking it up in the Stream.
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
'As to whether it could happen again, who knows? Despite our enlightened age, does it still lay there dormant, waiting to be awoken? Is it just being suppressed due to the control imposed by the Fount? Personally, yes I think it could yet resurface. It is inherent in our nature,' I said.
'Ah yes, the Fount; or if you're correct, the consciousness formerly known as Raj Tamboli. If what you say is true, there's a certain irony to it. Raj Tamboli spent his life fighting fascism, and if he is the Fount, you could describe him as being the ultimate fascist dictator,' she said.
'So do you agree with my conclusion?' I asked.
'Initially I was taken aback. I couldn't believe it. It's too long been accepted that Raj died on Flood Day, so it was hard at first to think any differently. But then I just looked at the evidence,' she replied.
She quickly listed all the bullet points. 'There was no obvious cause of death for Raj. We quite quickly forgave him. Our world order was based on his concepts. We started liking the things that Raj liked such as Roman history and theatre. Things Raj disliked became a thing of the past, like fashion and religion. It's all too easy, and we haven't questioned it. We've been influenced to modify the world in his image. As we're both Shallow, we're obviously more able to break the conditioning and question it, but it was hard at first. Now though, it's as if I've broken through a barrier and emerged from a world of fog into a realm of shocking clarity.'
'So assuming that Safira's assertion that there is an intelligence in the Stream is true, then yes, I believe you. One hundred percent. It all fits perfectly, and even explains why we couldn't see any other agency before the Flood. So right now, I'm going to work on the basis that the Fount is Raj Tamboli, and plan accordingly.'
'That must have been a shock for you though, Safira getting in touch. It was certainly a shock to me when you told me. Thanks for sharing your pool, the information on the Safirans was amazing,' she said.
'Yes, but I'm not entirely proud of saying "what the fuck" as my first contact line,' I said.
'I wouldn't worry about it. There is something about her isn't there? Something that makes you trust and believe her?' she said.
'Yes, I felt that too. You don't think she has a way of influencing?' I asked, suddenly suspicious.
Geraldine laughed. 'You know, I hadn't thought of that. At some point we just have to take some things on trust, otherwise we'll just go mad questioning everything and everyone. But it's not a bad thing to bear in mind. When are you expecting to speak to her again?' she asked.
'I'm hoping to contact her again tonight. I'll send you the log of the discussion as soon as I can,' I said.
'Thanks, please pass on my regards, and my thanks for the Safiran's support and continued forbearance,' she said.
'Of course. Is there anything else you'd like to ask her?' I said.
'There is the obvious question - what do we do about Raj? Is there any way we can expel him from the Stream? She's provided me with a way of cutting a few people off from the Stream, but could we do the same to the whole of humanity if we wanted to protect them from Raj's influence?' she said.
Geraldine was obviously way ahead of me on this, but there were so many implications.
'Raj is controlling us, yes, but he still did save humanity from itself. What's to say we'd not end up in a worse place without him? Is the price of peace too high? Could we survive without the Stream? Many people couldn't cope, and can we risk the rise in fascism again?' I said.
Geraldine's eyes flashed angrily. 'Yes, we have peace, but we've lost our freedom. It seems to me that Raj is becoming more irrational in recent years. He is more concerned with his own protection than the wellbeing of the Confluvium. It can't be a coincidence that the professions that have had a major rise in HOME deaths are exactly those that might have a chance of uncovering him, or indeed may have uncovered him,' she said. 'I'd rather see humanity struggling to adapt in a world without the Stream, than live under the control of a paranoid intelligence. We have to trust that after all this time, we have learnt to forget the divisions of nationalism and will not repeat the same failures once more.'
'But that means that both of us are under imminent threat. What's to stop us from being killed?' I asked, realising the true nature of our predicament for the first time.
'I believe we're safe for now,' she replied, 'But it may not last too much longer. We need to start planning our options and escape routes, ways of removing Raj and getting us to a safe place in the interim. I have some contingencies available, but I'll need to sort something out for you. I've already got a few wild theories I'm exploring. Don't be surprised to see some sudden building work around here for example. I'll tell you more once I've checked it myself, not all of this may make sense. I am however going to install an emergency alert button under the front of your desk. It should be there within a couple of days maximum. If ever you feel under threat, especially from Damon, press it, ignore what else happens, and run. Go straight to this location and wait for me.'
She blinked, and I received coordinates under heavy encryption.
'Is that clear? Don't wait for anything, just go. Don't rely on the Stream for anything after that,' she said.
'Sure, thanks. It's good to have options,' I replied, a little taken aback.
'For now though, it seems as if Damon likes you, and is trying to give you a chance to extricate yourself. Why not make it sound like you're open to betraying me, that might help you stay safe a bit longer, until you fail to deliver the goods? At the moment my position as Decemvir puts me too much in the public eye to kill me so soon after Marcus. That won't last forever, but it gives me time to try to put some more plans in place. I think we'll need Safira's help though,' she continued.
'OK, I expect I'll bump into Damon again soon,' I said. 'I'll try to offer to report to him on what we discuss, but obviously try to feed him some major red herrings. Let me think about it. What about Gulzari? Do you think he's involved?'
'Honestly, I'm not sure,' said Geraldine. 'I don't think so. He seems a very genuine guy, and I've always got on well with him. I think Damon is using him as an excuse to pry; I'm not sure Damon and the other Lictors can be fully trusted. There's a pool of them that get assigned as required to ease liaison between Decemvirs or work on special projects: they're like a special civil service force of trouble shooters and ambassadors. I think they have an agenda of their own. I know Marcus had a lot of problems with several Lictors in getting the mission to investigate the Safirans approved,' Geraldine said.
'That's interesting, and fits with how I've seen him behave. I'll see if I can pry a bit and find out more,' I said.
'Be careful though, we mustn't
raise any more suspicions,' she said.
'I will,' I said. 'While you're sorting out options, is there anything else you'd like me to do other than liaising with Safira?'
'There's one very brief report that might be worth doing, but I wouldn't spend too much time on it. Look for evidence of Raj's influence in the years after the Flood. Go through the major history points and changes to our culture, and see how he might have shaped what happened. We're assuming our theory that Raj is the entity in the Stream is correct, as it fits our known facts. Let's make sure there's nothing we're missing. I'm pretty sure that everything's will fit, but it's best to be sure,' she said.
'OK,' I said. 'I'll see what I can come up with. I'll concentrate on reporting about Safira though, and building up that relationship. I think if we find a solution, it will come from her.
With that, we parted, and got on with the rest of our day in the office. Luckily, no sign of Damon today, so I concentrated on my research and waiting until it was time to go home and contact Safira again.
So it looks like I'm home a bit earlier than originally planned. I was keen to leave the office as soon as I could, just in case Damon came back. I thought it was better to get settled in at home and get ready to meet Safira again. I've got quite a few notes recorded to make sure I don't forget anything. I may as well relax up until the time when Safira will be here, and look at the next episode of the Confluvium VR drama anyway.
I'm up to when we met the last race to join the Confluvium, the Castors. This should be interesting, I know that their joining of the Confluvium was the most protracted of all the races, as they were of a similar level of technology to us when we met, possibly more advanced in some areas. That made it harder for us to roll out the Flood on their planet in the Pollux system, but we got there eventually. I've met a couple of Castors during my time at University, and always found them a bit aloof, but pleasant enough. I'll be looking at this episode with a fresh perspective though, bearing in mind what we now believe about Raj and the level of control he's had over us all.
OK, I've skipped quite a bit to get a decent overview in the time I have available. I must admit to be pretty shocked with what I've seen, now that I have my new perspective on events. It's made me rethink my opinion on all the other races too and how they joined the Confluvium.
When we entered the Pollux system, we could immediately see that there was a spacefaring culture based on the fourth planet. It looked more advanced than we were before Flood day, with both a high number of satellites and many exploratory craft around their system. No sign of interstellar travel however as yet. It was going to be difficult to take our normal approach of making contact, to introduce them to the Stream as quietly and stealthily as we could. There's no way we wouldn't be spotted if we approached the planet, and no way we'd be able to deploy any nanovirus easily for another Flood day.
Then we got lucky. While lurking in the outer reaches of their system, we came across an exploratory craft in trouble. We rescued them, making contact with our first two Castors. After the usual failed attempts at establishing communication that was anything beyond the basics, we adapted the nanovirus for their physiology, and integrated them into the Stream via the local on-board Source. Things then moved much more smoothly, and we found out useful information from them about their history and culture.
They were an old civilisation that had advanced quite slowly by our standards. They had a peaceful, worldwide government, with a much less militarised and conflict-driven history than humanity. They were a race to be admired, with a stable, egalitarian culture. Arts and sciences had equal prominence, and they seemed a race at peace with itself, content to make slow progress in all fields while enjoying and experiencing life to the full.
They were the most humanoid race we'd met so far; very similar body layout and height to us, just with features that were slightly, well, off. Eyes larger, mouths narrower with pointed teeth, prominent forehead and cheeks, flat nose, earlobes that flapped nearly to their long necks; but still, very humanoid and easy to feel at home with. They had a wide variety of skin tints depending on ethnic background that varied more than humans. Not just shades of brown, but venturing into blue, red and green tints; often with patterns of more than one colour. Such a varied and interesting race.
They were a race that had no real need of the Stream; mature and content with themselves. We, of course, gave them no real choice.
Once their astronauts had been exposed to the Stream, and understood the history of the Confluvium, they agreed it would be in their race's best interests to also join. I wonder how much free will they really had in that decision? It certainly seems way too easy, knowing now what we know about their culture. Anyway, we repaired their craft, established a cover story as to why they'd been out of contact for so long, gave them supplies of the nanovirus, and they went back to act as our agents. They assimilated key people in the space agency, and then upwards into the government. Over a period of several years, all the pieces were put in place for their own Flood Day. Luckily by now we'd removed the issues we had on our Flood Day, with people collapsing unconscious, so on the whole it went smoothly, and they became a valuable new race in the Confluvium, and we continue to learn many new things from them.
One interesting thing about the Castors is that they are the only race that still have a significant living Dry population. Just under one percent of the population cannot access the Stream at all, and it isn't something that has been bred out of the population yet, nor for which there is a cure. It seems there may be a Dry subculture developing on the planet. We've taken a united, content society, and left it with a deep divide. I really need to revisit and think about the impact we've had on all the planets we've assimilated into the Confluvium. I'm feeling more and more worried and ashamed that we've stolen their future.
Now though, Safira should be here soon, so it's time to drop back in and wait.
'Good evening Kofi, good to see you again,' said Safira, appearing suddenly in the form of the Castor. Bugger, I still jumped.
'Good evening Safira, I am fine thank you. Geraldine send her regards and thanks too. How are you? Did you read my report to Geraldine?' I replied.
'Yes I did, thank you Kofi. We have studied it carefully and researched its findings. We were not fully aware of the darkness in the history of humanity. All races have their moments of which they are ashamed, even us. But humanity seems to repeat its moments on a regular basis,' she said.
'Ah yes, I'm afraid we do. We don't seem to be able to learn from our history. So what moments are you ashamed of?' I said. I felt I had to ask.
'That is immaterial right now,' she replied, side stepping quickly. Hopefully I'll have a chance to follow up one day. 'I concede that Raj Tamboli was correct to intervene in the way he did to rescue humanity from itself. I also concur with your conclusion that the non-corporeal essence of Raj Tamboli is the entity we have detected in the Stream, with at least 95% confidence. I am happy to proceed on that assumption going forward,' she said.
'However, I cannot condone what Raj Tamboli has done since that act. His control over humanity has been exploited to his own ends. He saved you, not at the loss of your personal freedom, but at the loss of your free will. He has subjugated other races. He has murdered thousands, and at an increasing rate. He kills my race and damages the bulk with his bulk drive. He must be stopped,' she concluded.
'Do you have any theory why he has been killing people at an increasing rate?' I asked.
'We have not reached a final conclusion. There are many possibilities. For example, he may be worried about the fact that he cannot assimilate us. He may be eliminating those that he considers may be questioning our true nature. He may be eliminating those who might work out that he is still alive from the clues that still exist. These possibilities mean that you and Geraldine are in grave danger. It may be due to a more complex reason. Humanity did not evolve to live life as a disembodied mind. It may be that his mental acuity is failing
him, the longer he lives in his current form. Some of his actions indicate that he is suffering from a form of your paranoia. It may be a combination of all of the above, and more,' she replied.
'Geraldine is working on ways for us to protect ourselves, I trust her in that - but that's just the start. We need to find ways of getting humanity, and the other races of the Confluvium, out from under Raj's influence. Until we do that, we cannot address your problem with the bulk drive. Do you have any ways you can help us there?' I asked.
'Two obvious possibilities exist, neither of which is easy. The more likely one is the least satisfactory, as it will cause much turmoil to all, and leaves issues outstanding. The second is much more complex to achieve, is likely to give us a better solution, but will still be traumatic. To repeat, there is no easy solution here,' she said.
'I thought that would be the case, I said. 'Let me guess - disconnect us from the Stream, or remove Raj from the Stream?'
'Yes, that is correct,' she said. 'We already have provided a nanovirus to Geraldine that will disconnect individuals from the Stream. However at present that requires a direct injection, and would not be suitable for mass distribution. Even if it could be made suitable for mass distribution, there would be major logistical problems in you or Geraldine being able to arrange it, especially under the close watch of Damon Gates.'
'We are currently looking at other methods of destroying your Tap, or blocking access to the Stream. It would need to be able to be deployed widely and easily. This is not easy. Even if we did so, this would cause great damage and turmoil to humanity and the other races of the Confluvium. Your society is now dependent utterly on the Stream. Removing it would restore your mental freedom, but leave your society in chaos. Raj would also still exist in the Stream, with potential to cause more damage in future. This may achieve our goal in reducing the use of the bulk drive, but we do not wish to do so by causing you unnecessary damage. However, if we have no other choice, this may be necessary.'
