"Mother? Are you there?"
In her normal voice, Delva said:
"Always, my child."
"Will I still have my own mind if I incorporate?"
"Yes."
Mura rose from her place, embraced Delva, stooped to give a kiss to Morna's and Rednaxela's metal bodies, then approached the water. Delva joined her. They stared at each other for an eternity then clasped hands and entered the water...
12 ~ Knowledge
The Worlds' Council had been apprised by Anglana that she was ejecting all known Independents from her planet as well as beginning a procedure for determining potential Independents and attempting to, as she said, "ReForm" them. Because of increasingly lax control within the Worlds' Council, word of Anglana's decision immediately leaked to the Worlds' News Meshes.
Riots, on a small scale, began on both Anga-Param and Anla-Purum. They consisted of local Independent leaders rallying their Dissatisfieds to the burning of four farms and six transportation hubs. They were quickly quelled but the Independents involved were not sought out by the Local Councils.
Angla-Palli itself had its share of unrest, quickly quelled by Anglana's penetrative influence.
Anglana had told Mura that the banishment of the Independents was delayed until Mura had incorporated. Mura had asked: "What if I hadn't." Anglana had said: "That could not have happened."
~~~
The increasing corruption in Local, Regional, and Territorial Councils was abhorred by the general population who knew what the Independents and Dissatisfieds were about and only wanted the calm and sane sense of order that the Worlds' government had initially brought them. These same everyday people knew that Anglana's action against the Independents had nothing to do with a desire to squash true independence. Common sense could easily tell the difference between the freedom to pursue an independent course of action and the anarchy of attempting to overthrow the government.
Delva had applied her pressure on the Worlds' Council to replace the three members who had acted unilaterally to send her the note about the Aklan killings. She argued that, even though the intentions of the Council members had been actuated by a concern for the followers of Akla, the disregard of the Council's Constitution concerning either a consensus, or, lacking that, a majority vote on all issues made their action dangerous if it were allowed to set a precedent. The Worlds' Council didn't need to issue a decision because the three Council members voluntarily relinquished their positions.
Delva knew her intervention would set its own precedent—giving her Mediation Boards the right to challenge such actions in the future. She knew the corruptive potential would continue since the Worlds' Council was elected by the Territorial Councils and their membership was, in turn, dependent on the Regional and Local Councils. Until the majority of the population decided, on their own initiative, to move from an actionless desire for Worlds' order to a proactive implementation of the principle of the Oneness of All Angians, the whole governmental system was continually in jeopardy.
Delva took a further step to shore-up the Worlds' government. She refashioned the Worlds' Mediation Board and used her unique persuasive abilities to make sure each regional arm of the Board had at least one Aklan. She further insisted that each member of the Mediation Board be given the right, if they so desired, to state in their wills their own replacement.
Mura questioned her mother about her efforts to ensure perpetuating Aklan membership on the Board.
"Mother, have you considered that people will think you're favoring one religious group over others and injecting a religious bias into the mediation process?"
"Mura, you're learning how powerful my abilities are to induce others to act as I wish. You know it carries an immense sense of responsibility and causes me no end of hours'-long internal debates. I've repeatedly stressed my non-involvement in direct religious activity and even gone further and published my heart-felt reasoning for my stance. People used to complain that Verluin being my husband was reason enough for the Worlds' Council to replace me. I'm going to be appearing on the News Meshes soon to detail my reasons for assuring Aklan membership on the Mediation Board. It will be a tiring experience and will necessitate much more work than I wish I had to perform. I wish I could just tell people that the Aklans are intelligent and have the Worlds' best interests at heart; but, people have to be reminded that they've shown us, repeatedly, that they can act from the highest moral intentions while respecting others' beliefs; and, that they are more than willing to die for their own beliefs. I think the vast majority of people don't need my explanations—it's the ones who have financial power, mostly, who have to be exposed to my position; plus, the common people need the detailed arguments if they decide to wield their own influence in their Local and Regional Councils."
"Is there a chance that you're getting religious in your old age?"
"Ha! Even Anglana can't convince me to embrace the need for organized religion. She says she won't stop trying but can understand my reasoning. She claims I'm still acting on Akla's wishes."
"Morna, what do you think about the reality of Akla still being an active force in people's lives?"
"I can postulate that people who form a committed mental and emotional relationship with Akla's teachings can imagine they are being actively guided by his spirit. But, my speculations can't incorporate spirit, in the religious sense, as a reality."
"Is my love for my mother a spiritual reality?"
"I would say not."
"Is your attention to your son's development and evolution more than a rational endeavor?"
"I would say not."
"Well, at least you can understand humor."
"How does that relate?"
"I've noticed that all the Aklans I've interacted with have an acute sense of humor."
Morna was silent as she interpolated Mura's comment into her science/religion analyses.
~~~
Anglana had communicated to the Worlds' Council that Mura was to be her planet's contribution to the membership of the Council and that Mura, alone, could choose her replacement.
The discussions on the Worlds' News Meshes and in the chambers of the Local, Regional, and Territorial Councils became a nearly riotous situation. The actions of various Independents, expressed through their troops of Dissatisfieds, were riotous. After a year of discussion in the Worlds' Council, no decision of acceptance had been reached. There were two years left before the regular elections for Worlds' Council and the memberships of all other Councils were bound to see radical changes. The political storm was ferocious. The death toll from the actions of Dissatisfieds reached 10,043. Half of those were Aklans.
The Worlds' Protective Force was being bled to death by defections.
Corruption had reached a dangerous peak.
Delva and Mura had come to a momentous conclusion—they would appear on the Worlds' News Meshes, rather than waste time appealing to the Councils, to teach the Worlds a lesson. The broadcast was scheduled for the week before the lesser Councils' elections.
~~~
Mura, Delva, and Anglana were communing.
They were engaged in creating the structure of a debate between Delva and Mura. It was agreed that the debate format would help the common person—those not involved in direct political action but necessary to the healthy functioning of the political system— grasp the essentials of what they wanted to teach the Worlds.
They had also decided that the main issue to be debated was not Mura's acceptance as a member of the Worlds' Council but the broader issue of stable government and the eradication of sympathies for the Independents.
Delva would take the position that groups acting outside the structure of properly organized government were the reason for unrest and, if not checked by rationality and the awareness of the Oneness of All Angians, would lead the Worlds' back to general warfare.
Mura would take the position that all groups of individuals needed the sanction of the Worlds' government
for unfettered action on their principles—action short of violence.
They were aware that their positions were not the traditional strict opposites used in most debates. They would ignore the purists and bank on the common sense of the general population.
Delva had become the icon of rational Worlds' government. Mura would capitalize on her past reputation for supporting the Independents.
Anglana's contribution to their planning was to help them orchestrate their performance in such a way that they would be able to reach a dramatic agreement after an hour of seemingly fractious argumentation.
The overarching rationale was to take their audience on a journey—from the concept of unbridled freedom of action, through the pitfalls of governmental oppression, to the lush fields of unity in diversity.
Their supreme goal was to set up a Worlds' Conversation that would make people think about their duties as individuals and how that impacted their responsibilities as Worlds' citizens.
~~~
During the debate there were a total of 243 riots. 687 places of business were destroyed. 16,319 people died.
All the violence was focused through the interests of the Independents and Dissatisfieds. The destruction was unleashed on businesses that were known as the most upright and equitable establishments. The deaths were shared equally by anarchists, law-abiding citizens, and Protective Forces.
The general population got the message Delva and Mura had worked to instill. The violence drove the message deep into the general population's minds and hearts.
The ensuing elections for Local, Regional, and Territorial Councils saw a slight decrease in Independent Movement sympathizers.
The Worlds' Council, well before its slated regular re-election, announced the acceptance of Mura as their member representing Anglana's World.
13 ~ Power
In spite of recent riots and deaths, the Worlds' economies were thriving. The three Created Worlds were fully inhabited and had begun their contributions to the Worlds' commerce and services. The agricultural World was already contributing twenty percent of all the Worlds' food, the applied technology World had programs running for improved transportation (both land and space), and the World for general exploration of learning potential had formed a strong bond with the applied technology World. They were also eagerly awaiting the creation of the final three Created Worlds, slated to begin in two years—Worlds for pure research, cultural advancement, and art. The farm, factory, and school would be joined by the lab, salon, and studio.
~~~
The banishment of the Independents from Anglana's World did nothing to slow their machinations. They were working to build bridges between their movement and certain communities of the Disciples of Faith. The Disciples, since the death of Xela, had become fractured into a number of sects ranging from those who were very close in their practices to what the Aklans believed to those who had corrupted their beliefs to conform to the changing economic and cultural expectations. The most corrupt sect was the Reformed Disciples of Faith. They were also the most numerous and the one that the Independents were targeting. The preferred method of engagement was to have certain numbers of Dissatisfieds "convert" to the religion. It took only a matter of months until the leaders of the Independents were able to claim the allegiance of sixty Communities' memberships.
Those Communities changed their name to the Independent Reformed Disciples of Faith.
~~~
The Created World devoted to a general exploration of learning had begun a project, in concert with the applied technology World, to enhance a person's abilities in plasma communication—lifting the natural reception of generalized thoughts and feelings between worlds to a disciplined ability to receive and transmit specific thoughts and feelings. The trained abilities would only be usable during the close approaches of Anga-Param and Anla-Purum. It took the enhanced flow of plasma between those Worlds to enable the ability. The Created Worlds were using a special plasma apparatus to mimic the necessary conditions.
There were, however, certain people who had an innate potential and could sense and transmit thoughts and feelings wherever they were, though only with those in close proximity. Velu and Zena had been the first people recorded with this ability. The researchers were hoping they could eventually train others in these abilities.
The plasma communication abilities of Delva were superior in all respects. She could influence people in very specific ways based on her keen reception of their thoughts and feelings. It was said she could even convince someone intent on harming her to immediately confess and beg forgiveness.
Mura would soon have abilities exceeding even Delva's.
~~~
Anglana had desired the attendance of Delva and Mura. They found their way to their favorite portion of Anglana's extended consciousness and began to commune.
Anglana: This will be the most important of any of our gatherings.
Delva and Mura: ?
Anglana: Delva, you now have the opportunity to end your physical life in a way that will give birth to Mura's child. This will be a gift of Akla.
Delva and Mura: ?!
Anglana: You now must discuss this between yourselves.
"Mother, I don't want you to end your life."
"Mura, dearest, I would only have mere months to live even if I refused this offer."
"Mother, I haven't told anyone yet but, if you have your heart set on this, you must know. I have accepted Akla as the Prophet for this Age. I am an Aklan."
"I suspected as much and Anglana is extremely persuasive when it comes to such things."
"No, it wasn't Anglana pressuring me. Her mind-set is completely Aklan and she claims communication with Akla Himself but I've done my own study, very careful study. I think the most influential person was father. You know I've used Morna's recordings of him and I'm sure you've sensed my slow approach to my own decision about faith and science."
"I haven't been mentally spying on you, Mura."
"I know that but you're my mother and, even without your abilities, you can read me."
"Yes..."
"Morna thinks I'm an idiot."
"Mura, I have never applied that word to your decisions."
"No, Morna, you're too well-mannered."
Mother and daughter shared a warm laugh.
Morna became busy with cross-correlations.
"Mura, this decision means you accept the motive power of the spiritual World in our physical lives. That's something I've never been able to grasp."
"I think it's because your so intelligent."
"Yet, the Aklan belief is that intelligence is the prime gift of God."
"Yes, but it's also the spiritual attribute that includes free-will."
"So, I'm choosing to use a psychology derived from the material world to justify my lack of belief in Akla's spiritual power?"
"Nice try."
"What?"
"You do believe in the spiritual realm. You just don't believe it has spiritual entities in it. It's just a layer of morality surrounding all we do, somewhat like plasma."
"Now I'm convinced you're ready to be a mother."
"What?"
"We've spent countless hours together but we've never discussed spirituality in depth. It's always been about what the Worlds' need. Yet there you are voicing my spiritual belief in words that make even me understand it better."
"I guess your untiring efforts with me have rubbed off."
It was Morna's turn to offer a laugh. Rednaxela offered his explanation:
"My mother uses the same ability with me. I have yet to equal her insight."
Even Anglana shared her colorful water-spray of laughter.
Mura took hold of Delva's shoulders and said: "Mother, my beliefs are capable of comforting me if you decide to let your body die but what would be your own comfort in death?"
"I'm very old, Mura, old enough to have lost the desire to struggle with the Worlds' problems. My comforts in facing my dea
th are the knowledge that it will give you a child, a form of my immortality, as well as the comfort of knowing that you have more power than I to influence others and your child will have even more. But, there is one thing that doesn't comfort me and extending my life wouldn't supply that comfort. You and your child will still have to struggle, to fight with all you have, to educate the masses and to put up with the immorality of those corrupted by their will to power."
"Your spirit and Father's will combine and guide me and Akla will help me guide my daughter."
Delva spoke in the liquid tones of Anglana: "Yes, a daughter, and she will be called Verta—a name meaning the Comfort of Knowledge."
Morna spoke up: "I can name one more comfort, Delva."
"Oh?"
"I can supply Mura with your image and voice whenever she needs it."
Mura began to sob.
Delva embraced her.
A glow began to surround them all.
Delva and Mura rose and approached the water.
As they entered Anglana's liquid presence, the glow intensified around Delva, becoming a swirl of color—red, blue, green, purple.
Mura could feel a process beginning in her loins. She gave herself up to it.
Delva's physical substance was sublimating in the intense plasma glow and being transferred to Mura's body.
Morna was in high analysis mode but was incapable of discerning the details of the process.
The water began to churn violently. The display of color intensified. A cone of light grew skyward, aimed at the Mother planet.
Notes from An Alien Page 12
