Paradise Reclaimed

by Raymond Harris

  “And you think slavery exists on Earth today?” asked Nuku.

  “Don’t think… Know. The reports are clear. Several political entities survive on slavery. Several Islamic caliphates, some African city-states…”

  “And the NS?”

  “It seems not,” he stood and gestured toward a set of four armchairs and the lights grew brighter. It was only then Nuku got a full sense of the man: slightly wizened frame, complex tattoos, his earlobes stretched from heavy gold earrings, his lower body wrapped in a fine brocade sarong, his greying hair tied back in a pony tail. “And the reason why is the topic for our discussion.”

  They relaxed in the chairs and Gizem served them tea on an ornate silver tray. When they had taken their cups she curled up in the fourth chair, eager to listen in.

  “Religion,” said Yvgeny as he finished his first sip. “To be precise, the Restored Catholic Church.”

  “Restored? Implying it had collapsed?” Prax asked.

  “A schism, or rather three… Which is not unusual for religions. They have a habit of splitting like amoeba into factions, mostly over doctrinal minutiae…”

  “I’m sorry, some of these concepts are unfamiliar to me,” Nuku pleaded.

  “It’s understandable. We have no use for these concepts here on Eden, but I am afraid they are a part of the psychology of Earth. You see, unlike us, Earth never threw off the shackles of primitive belief systems. When the great collapse began people returned to religion for an explanation. The very recent conflicts on Earth seem to have a strong religious component.”

  “Religious wars?” Prax asked.

  “Well, all wars are over resources, but in this case it seems to be about religions controlling resources, mainly human resources - converts.”

  “Okay, so I know enough to understand that the Catholic Church was once very powerful. This schism?”

  “Yes, a three-way… There are now three churches and three popes…”

  “What is a pope?” asked Nuku.

  “Leader, a spiritual leader,” Prax replied.

  “One in Rome, one in Barcelona and one in New Montreal.”

  “Why? I mean, what caused the factionalism?” Nuku asked.

  “I’m not sure - more data we have to fill in. My guess, based on projections of church politics leading up to the exodus, is that there was a showdown between the left and right. The church was in crisis in the early twenty-first century with the deeply conservative Opus Dei faction battling for control of the Papacy, opposing the more progressive Jesuits, with various other groups shifting allegiances…”

  “I’m sorry, again…” Nuku pleaded.

  “The Catholic church is made up of a collection of religious orders,” Prax explained.

  “It’s actually quite complex to describe,” Yvgeny said. “I suggest you ask the AI. It’s all in the database… The point is that Opus Dei was strong in Spain and when the schism occurred, each faction claimed church assets…”

  “I seem to recall that this has happened before,” Prax mumbled, trying to remember.

  “Yes, the great schism in the Middle Ages, one Pope in Rome and one in Avignon, France.”

  “And Rome today?”

  “Again the details are not clear, but it appears that one of the causes of the schism was the discovery of corruption in Rome, especially concerning the Vatican Bank. It was a situation not unlike the Borgia Popes. The Italian criminal gangs, the mafia, had infiltrated the Italian Church. Italy has again broken up into small, rival states controlled by crime families. The Roman Pope is alleged to be linked to a specific crime family.”

  Nuku shook her head. She had heard of Earth crime gangs. The corruption of Earth politics at the time of the exodus was an essential part of any child’s education. It still shocked Edenoi, who couldn’t quite grasp how Earth humans had ever tolerated such a chaotic system. It seemed that rather than fight the endemic corruption; most Earth humans sought ways to benefit from it. The folly was that even those who succeeded only did so for a short time, before some ambitious rival inevitably rose up the ranks to overthrow the leader. “And what has this got to do with science and our mission?” she asked.

  “Everything, absolutely everything. You see, the secular head of the city-state controls the body of the citizens, but the priests control their hearts and minds. We have less to worry about in convincing the secular authorities. It is the religious authorities we have to worry about and in particular Pope Ignatius the Fifth of the Restored Catholic Church based in New Montreal.”

  “How so?” asked Prax, already guessing the answer but wanting to make sure.

  “To see how much power he holds over the secular authorities. I imagine that the merchants will be very much interested in trade and will welcome what we have to offer. If the merchants control the political process things may go well for us. However, we will pose an ideological threat to the church and they may attempt to thwart our plans.”

  “But what has this got to do with slavery?” asked Nuku.

  “The Restored Catholics oppose it, but traditionally, mercantile forces have supported it because it is a cheap source of labour. If the NS has banned slavery, it may be because of the strength of the church. It might indicate we have a problem.”

  “Which I gather, it is our task to find out?” Prax guessed.

  “Amongst many, many things, yes. But we must also make an assessment of the developmental level of the general population, because that will determine our strategy. How many are locked into magical thinking, how many are at mythical…”

  “I’m sorry, more terms I am unfamiliar with, “objected Nuku.

  “These are Gebser’s terms, are they not?” asked Prax.

  “Yes, my apology. One of the reasons we are having this discussion is to reach a common understanding. Nuku, you are of course familiar with the worldviews associated with cognitive development?”

  “Yes, each stage progression generates a new worldview.”

  “Correct, we still use the original Piagetian terms: concrete operations, formal operations, systematic, meta-systemic, and so on…”

  She nodded that she understood. As the brain developed it went through specific stages marked by more complex problem solving abilities.

  “Well, each of those stages can be described according to a scheme developed by Jean Gebser. You will know that a young child believes in a kind of magic…”

  She nodded again. Early childhood education involved helping the child leave behind magical thinking and progress to sophisticated adult conceptualisation.

  “The next stage is mythical, the development of elaborate fantasy-based narrative explanations…”

  “Ah yes, now I’m with you. Religion is mythic narrative. But don’t children develop out of that stage by the age of six?”

  Yvgeny smiled broadly. “Not on Earth. This is what we must discover. Has the genome degenerated so that the average human only has the IQ of an Edenoi child or are there cultural forces preventing development into the later stages of rational and transrational?”

  “I imagine it will be a mix?” Prax suggested.

  “Exactly, but what kind of mix?”

  “Which comes to the question of the status of science?” Nuku added.

  Yvgeny nodded. “Precisely, science arises at the rational stage and meta-science at the transrational.”

  Nuku shook her head. “It is hard to contemplate dealing with people with the intellects of children.”

  “Indeed,” sighed Yvgeny. “But that is the task ahead of us.”

  “I wonder how they’ll view us?” Prax mused.

  “Ah, now that’s a vital question. If they are at the magical and mythical stages they may see us as either gods or demons.”

  “Gods?” asked Nuku shocked.

  “Of course. The higher stages of cognitive development are incomprehensible to the lower. Void mechanics requires a high level of cognitive development. You can try and explain the principles to hu
mans at a lower level but they can never accept it.”

  She nodded. It was well understood that Edenoi children could not really grasp the paradoxes of void mechanics until late childhood, early adolescence. But it was still shocking to think that many Terran adults would struggle.

  “It was the thing that prevented other humans from independently discovering void mechanics. They came close but couldn’t quite escape the constraints of cultural and stage limitations,” Yvgeny continued.

  “The science of the higher stages always look like magic to the lower stages,” Prax added.

  Gizem leaned forward in her chair, eager to participate. “I was reading of an interesting example in Earth history. During the second great war some Melanesian islanders saw supply planes for the first time. They were amazed to see these strange birds come out of the sky and disgorge food, tools and wondrous objects. Because they were locked into magical thinking they came to believe the soldiers were gods and they established a religious cult based around the cargo…”

  “Yes, it was actually called the cargo cult,” Yvgeny interrupted.

  “They believed in gods with very ordinary names, John Frum, Tom Navy…”

  Prax nodded sagely, a habit he had developed when he was making new associations. “Yes, yes, I can see how this might impact our political strategy. It may be necessary to play along…”

  Nuku frowned. Such a strategy posed difficult ethical questions. “A situation we must quickly work to resolve through education and boosting intelligence.”

  “Of course,” said Prax. “It would only be a phase in a longer term strategy.”

  Gizem cleared her throat to indicate she had something else to say. “It is a dangerous strategy. People locked into magical and mythical thinking may just as easily see us as demons. In which case they have been known to turn violently against the interloper. More than a few early European explorers wound up dead because the local religious authorities decided they were devils.”

  Nuku went pale. “Are you saying we may face violence?”

  “It may be inevitable,” said Yvgeny.

  “You cannot necessarily reason with magical thinkers. They react from raw, unregulated emotion – fear mainly.”

  Nuku looked at Prax for some hint of empathic understanding of the enormity of the task. He recognised her look of emotional need and nodded that he understood. “Thus it will be critical for us to maintain absolute emotional clarity at all times.”

  Yvgeny nodded. “I believe the metaphor is a calm port in stormy seas.”

  “I think the emotional note must be compassion,” said Nuku. “Hasn’t the cause of human suffering always been the ignorance and stupidity inherent in the lower stages?”

  “Yes, a rather stubborn and arrogant stupidity at that,” Yvgeny sighed.

  They remained silent as each of them contemplated the implications of the mission. It would be difficult and complex, and it would take decades, maybe even centuries. How exactly do you change the cultural habits of an entire planet?

  They talked for a further few hours about some of the psychological and philosophical theories devised to explain human myth making. It was familiar territory for Prax but Nuku was surprised to hear that some of the more ancient Greco-Roman and Eastern philosophers had begun to argue that the various gods and demons were simply symbols of psychological processes. It was difficult to accept that magical and mythical thinking could have stubbornly persisted for so long.

  The evening was interrupted when Prax’s guardian reminded him of the late hour and his early morning obligations, noting sharply that he was under stress because of a lack of adequate sleep. Gizem seemed disappointed. As the discussion had progressed she had begun to flirt with both Prax and Nuku, obviously in the lead up to a sexual proposition. Nuku might have accepted if Prax hadn’t blatantly ignored her obvious hints. She found Gizem very attractive and Yvgeny acceptable. Maybe Prax’s reluctance suggested he was strictly hetero. She had no doubt that Yvgeny was bi. She could tell by some of the looks he had given Prax. Perhaps Prax had sensed Yvgeny’s interest and had deliberately avoided the issue.

  After saying goodnight they stood in the corridor in a moment of indecision. It was late. Sleep was certainly a wise option but their minds were still buzzing from the discussion.

  “I know it’s late but I feel a debrief over tea and snacks is in order,” said Prax as he noted the glazed look in Nuku’s eyes. “I understand the cafeteria leaves biscuits and sweets out for insomniacs. I certainly feel I need to wind down, otherwise I will lie awake thinking.”

  She nodded in agreement, too tired to offer a full response. “Sounds good.”

  They walked to the lift. The complex seemed very quiet with most people having retired for the night. Nuku thought it was eerie and it made her want to whisper.

  “How are you coping?” Prax asked softly as the lift descended.

  She struggled to find the words. “It’s like I’m back at the Academy, cramming.”

  He nodded. It was a good analogy. “I recognise that I have been somewhat distracted and remiss in establishing a more personal bond. It is not just an intellectual challenge, but an emotional and physical one as well.”

  The lift slowed to a halt and the doors hissed open. The inviting aroma of the cafeteria hit them almost immediately.

  “I think this might have been a good idea,” she said distracted by a sudden hunger pang.

  They walked through an almost deserted cafeteria. The bain-maries had been emptied and cleaned, the lights dimmed and a drone was going about its business meticulously cleaning the floors. The only sign of activity was a group of mechs in a corner playing cards on a break from their night shift.

  They made their tea and selected a slice of leftover cake from under a glass cloche and found a seat in an opposite corner, the overhead light brightening as soon as it detected their presence. Nuku took a deep inhale of tea vapour and sighed. “Yes, I’m sorry, you were saying?”

  “Oh yes,” said Prax as he cut a piece of his fruitcake with a cake fork. “An apology of sorts. I was aware of your attraction to Gizem and your need for comfort. I’m afraid I pulled you away from the opportunity.”

  She took a sip of her tea and looked deep into his eyes. She saw kindness and concern, something she had not seen before. “Not all opportunities can be realised.”

  He nodded and took a bite.

  She took another sip and allowed her taste buds to savour the sensation. “I noted your reluctance and didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position. I assumed it was because you are primarily hetero.”

  He raised his eyebrows, puzzled by her observation. “I am not averse to same-sex encounters.” He took a sip of his tea. “When I was a boy, a citizen of course, I had an affair with an older male mentor at the Academy. In a sense you could say I fell in love. I was a preeb and couldn’t respond in an adult sense. But I enjoyed his attentions.”

  It was her turn to be surprised. “A pederastic relationship?”

  “Indeed, in the true sense of the word. He was a true mentor - a pedagogue - he taught me a lot. I know what it is to love a man and be loved by one.”

  “I think I understand…” she started to say, suddenly missing Isla.

  “Of course… Dr Campbell.”

  “You know?”

  “I was privy to your files.”

  She accepted his explanation without concern. Of course he would have looked at her files.

  “And I had an affair with a male friend. It started as a friendship and evolved into a sexual affair…”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve misunderstood.”

  He smiled and took another bite of cake. She took it as cue to try her slice, a rich tschok (a form of Eden cocao) mousse cake: indulgent and wickedly rich.

  “I don’t think you have, not really. Might I suggest your rational mind has censored your intuition? I think you know exactly why I declined the opportunity.”

  She circled her tong
ue over her teeth to loosen a glob of mousse so she could speak clearly. As she swallowed she tried to remember. “It can be difficult to try and sort new data in my conscious mind and be sensitive to my intuition at the same time.”

  “Of course. It requires reflection.”

  She frowned as she tried to remember. Her pre-frontal cortex was still active and was over-riding her ganglia. She shook her head as if to shake her thoughts out. She was aware of censoring her response for fear of getting it wrong. He waited patiently, taking another bite of his cake.

  She sniffed the air.

  “There’s a clue,” he observed.

  And then it hit her. “Testosterone. Male competition. That’s right, Yvgeny’s gestures, body language.”

  He smiled to the point of almost laughing. “It took me some time to work it out and you’ve sensed it almost immediately. Yvgeny is competitive. He sees me as an intellectual and sexual threat…”

  “And he would seek the dominant position? Of course, yes. It all makes sense. He was parading Gizem.”

  “Philosophically he is a pragmatist…”

  “And as a Spandarite you are an idealist?”

  Prax smiled. “Ironic, no?”

  Nuku smiled in return because she got the joke. “Yes, funny, he was telling us about Earth factions and couldn’t see he was stuck within his own factional paradigm.”

  “It would have been awkward. He does not see me as an equal.”

  “Well, no, I think he does. He just doesn’t want to submit to you.” She gave a small laugh. “Huh, yes, that would have been uncomfortable and unethical.”

  “It has made me reflect on the fact that on Earth, sex was often a function of power. It was denied or granted in exchange for influence.”

  She took a deep breath as she acknowledged the truth of what he was saying. “Yes, it’s something I am theoretically aware of from my early education. The sexual political economy. We have attempted to eliminate the appropriation and frustration of a basic and necessary biological drive to achieve secondary ends, either personal or social. I find it hard to conceive that it would not be freely and honestly given, that it might be traded for other ends; survival, advantage, dominance, control.”