by Zen DiPietro
They finished lunch and continued to chat until Kassimeigh decided they should get on their way.
“Is there anything else you need now, or expect to need soon?” Kassimeigh asked Élan, standing and brushing off her pants.
“Maybe a couple of extra pillows, but it’s nothing critical. Just if you have the chance next time. Thanks for the supplies and recharging my power cells.”
“You’re welcome. Glad I could help.”
“Where are you headed now?” Élan asked.
“To the Capital. We’re going to check in with the lab and see if they’ve identified anything new.”
Élan studied Kassimeigh’s Guard uniform. “Are you an official member of the Guard?”
“Just for now. Not sure about the future. Your bard network didn’t let you know?”
“Only that you wore the uniform.”
After they’d set a course for the Capital, Izzy asked Kassimeigh, “Are you sure about telling Élan where you’re planning to go and who you’re planning to see? She said herself that bards were a network of gossips.”
“I don’t tell her things of a sensitive nature that she doesn’t need to know, but I think she can be trusted to be discreet.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“She seems too smart to risk alienating me. She knows I was a justice, she knows I’m with the Guard, and I’m the one bringing her goodies from the Capital.”
“The forest provides all the food she needs to survive.”
“Surviving is one thing. Having treats like cookies and luxuries like power cells is something else.”
“Aha. You’re relying on her desire for creature comforts then.”
“Not really. I think she’s a trustworthy person. Did you sense something different from her?”
“No,” admitted Izzy. “Actually, I sense she’s discreet and circumspect. I just don’t want anyone to cause you any trouble.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet.”
“Not really. I’m just trying to preserve my ability to take kite rides whenever I want.”
“I see. So you’ve suddenly become very mercenary.”
“Not buying it?”
“No.”
“That’s the trouble of having friends who know you so well.”
“If that’s your idea of trouble, you have a very good life, Izzy Gin.”
On the way to the Capital, Izzy used her hand comm to contact Magistrate Trewe and tell her that she and Kassimeigh would arrive soon. The magistrate’s manner was grave, and she recommended that they land on the roof of the lab. Someone would meet them and let them in through an emergency exit. She promised to explain once they arrived, which they did about an hour later.
From their aerial vantage point, a great deal was self-explanatory as they circled the roof of the lab before setting down. A mass of people had congregated around the building, waving signs. This group bore no resemblance to the one in Janis. No one here seemed entertained.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in person.” Izzy’s eyes were deeply troubled as she looked over to Kassimeigh. “I sense so much fear.”
Kassimeigh ran a hand over her long ponytail, smoothing it out. Then she straightened her uniform. She crossed her arms and watched the crowd for several long minutes.
“Have you seen anything like this?” Izzy prompted.
“No.” Kassimeigh didn’t know what to make of this group. This had to be a protest. Bringing the protest to the lab investigating the bugs seemed logical. The breakdown in logic was the fact that people continued to ignore the assurances of the Council that the mana bugs didn’t pose a threat.
How could they convince irrational people that they, in fact, were being irrational? She’d hoped that the incident in Janis and its subsequent sharing via the comm would help dispel such nonsense. Maybe the people of Terath just needed more time, but maybe they needed some bigger gesture to help them shake off the foolishness.
“Mob mentality is very compelling, and tough to counteract,” Izzy murmured. Kassimeigh didn’t know if the reader was remarking on her own internal musings, or responding to Kassimeigh’s emotions. Either way, it didn’t really matter. The problem remained the same.
“Yes,” agreed Kassimeigh. “Unfortunately, this movement seems to be growing. There are a few hundred people down there. This just isn’t normal behavior. Protests usually happen when small groups dislike some matter of policy and then work together to affect change through official channels. This angry mob stuff is so bizarre. I worry about such drastic actions escalating into violence.”
“It is bizarre to see our people acting so out of character,” agreed Izzy. “It’s ironic. The comm system has always worked the opposite way, serving as a source of information and connection. This hysteria, or conspiracy theory, or whatever it is, has been very effectively advertised on the comm to spread distrust and fear. That’s what I’m sensing from that crowd down there.” She stared down at the ground. “It’s almost like someone is intentionally driving an agenda of unrest and suspicion.”
Kassimeigh shifted her attention to Izzy. “What would be the purpose of that?”
Izzy shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. Something about all this just doesn’t smell right. This is not how people normally behave.”
Kassimeigh remained silent for a minute, weighing Izzy’s words. If Izzy’s instincts suggested that there was more at work than simple mob mentality, they might have even bigger problems than they thought.
“You think this is an abnormal reaction to a mana-consuming creature?”
Izzy sighed. “I can’t be sure, because it is a unique situation. But I have a gut feeling that someone wants to incite fear. The trouble with fear is that it so quickly morphs into anger. That’s a very dangerous situation.”
“Fearmongering. It could even lead to terrorism,” murmured Kassimeigh. There were isolated examples of terrorist activities in Terath’s histories, but not in recent centuries. “How do we dispel the hysteria?”
“I don’t know. It’s easy enough to disprove a lie, but it’s nearly impossible to disprove an opinion. People down there are of the opinion that they are at risk of something they don’t understand. Proving otherwise will be difficult.”
Kassimeigh shook her head decisively. “Let’s go meet with Ina and see what she can tell us. Maybe she’s already got it all figured out. That’s what she’s good at, after all.”
Unfortunately, Ina had been hoping she could rely on them for solutions. In the conference room that Kassimeigh had become quite familiar with, the three women conferred.
“The demonstration below began several days ago,” Ina told them. “Just a few people at first, so we weren’t alarmed. That kind of thing isn’t unheard of. But there’s been a call on the comm for people to participate in small protests within their cities throughout the mid-lats. There’s also a call for people to come here for a mass demonstration. We’ve seen a big increase in numbers the past two days.”
“Have they been violent? Made threats?” asked Kassimeigh.
“No, but they yell at passersby and harass people coming into this building. We have shivs standing at the entry now to protect those arriving here and to keep the mob from getting out of control. It’s become a very uneasy situation. Usually, just having the shivs here would convince people to move along.”
“What about demanding they disperse?” Kassimeigh asked.
“They aren’t technically breaking any laws since they aren’t causing any damage. The Council has been reluctant to seem heavy-handed. Perhaps they’re only trying to provoke that very response to create ‘proof’ that we are hiding something.”
“The Guard?”
Ina sighed. “Our next step. One I’d prefer to avoid.”
“What about an old-fashioned town hall meeting?” Izzy suggested. “Broadcast it on the comm. Invite the protesters and anyone else who wants to come. Have the Council there and open the floor to questions. Maybe
that transparency will calm the situation. A gesture of good faith to restore trust.”
Ina brought her palms together and pressed her fingers to her lips as she considered. “We did make a public statement, but maybe an open forum would seem more inclusive and accessible. I don’t see how it could hurt, and maybe it would help. I’ll discuss it with the Council.”
“I think visibility is the key here. People need to hear you speak, Magistrate.”
Ina frowned thoughtfully, then lifted her chin and nodded.
“Have you spoken to Will?” Kassimeigh asked.
“Yes. He knows what’s happening here and is ready to come if called. He and the Guard were just about to begin the trip back from Janis. It would be easy for them to reroute to here.”
“I think we need to make that call. I can coordinate the arrival. We need to establish a presence of authority here. Adding more shivs to the mix will help remind people to behave themselves.”
“I’ll contact the elders to inform them of the change in plans. You have authority to handle the Guard rollout. You are second in command, after all.” Ina smiled faintly.
“I am today,” agreed Kassimeigh. “Tomorrow too, looks like.”
Ina mentally ran through her detailed checklist for the Capital City town hall meeting. She’d tried to prepare for all the foreseeable possibilities over the course of the past two days, and now she could only see how it played out. If only this evening could go as she intended, all of this fearmongering could end. Public safety remained her highest priority.
Magistrate Burroughs had arranged the Council’s use of the performance auditorium. The city’s town hall itself didn’t have a space that could accommodate thousands of people. On such short notice, the two-thousand-seat auditorium had been their best alternative.
The din of that crowd now pressed against Ina’s eardrums. She sat in the center of the stage, along with the other magistrates. Each of them did their best to look dignified, yet relatively casual. Ina felt a bit strange to sit in a chair without a desk or table of some sort, but Izzy had suggested having nothing on stage to separate her and the others from the people in attendance.
Down in the orchestra section, a group of shoka-clad shivs sat directly on the floor. Their presence in the audience allowed them unity with the citizens, while also creating a buffer between the magistrates and the crowd. Hopefully that precaution would prove to be unnecessary, but Ina had decided to err on the side of vigilance. She knew that in such a heightened situation, tempers flared with little provocation. Public broadcast of a meeting gone wrong would only hurt their cause. She’d taken a risk with this event, and could only hope it paid off.
In the streets of Capital, a small contingent of particularly hale Guard members, including Arc, made a casual but noteworthy statement with their presence. Guard troops also packed the stage wings on either side of her, where they were unseen by the audience but ready for anything. They served as both a comfort and a reminder of danger to Ina.
Kassimeigh and Will sat to one side of the stage, several yards away from her. Luc, the lone representative of the manahi, sat with Dr. Sparks on the opposite side of the stage. They all had their individual roles to play.
Comm-link cameras and audio reflectors had been installed throughout the hall, so that many vantage points could be captured and broadcast live. Everything was as ready and as choreographed as it could be. Now they could only hope the citizens would listen to reason.
“Welcome to this town hall meeting,” Magistrate Trewe began. “It’s been several years since we last had one. As you know, they are a way of allowing the Council to interact directly with our constituents, to work together toward some sort of resolution.
“We’ve scheduled this event so that we can address a disturbing epidemic of rumors. These rumors have caused many to worry about their future and their well-being. The Council recognizes those concerns and has convened here to expose this hoax. We assure you that Terath is in no immediate danger, and there is no identifiable long-term danger, either.
“We have with us Dr. Finnan Sparks, lead scientist at Capital Research Laboratory, and Lucien Petrush, the dean of the Institute of Mana Science. Also joining us are the two ranking officers of the Terath Guard, Will Azrith and Kassimeigh Cabalumi. First we will present the facts, and then we will open the floor to questions.”
She paused for murmurs to fill the hall like a noisy fog, then fade. When the audience quieted to hear her, she plunged in. “You’re aware that a creature has been discovered. Unfortunately, a careless technician leaked that information prematurely, before we’d had time to understand the situation. Instead of the excitement we should all have enjoyed over a thrilling scientific discovery, that premature information created a cascade of confusion. A dedicated few took that confusion and exacerbated it with outright misinformation. I’ll even go so far as to call it lies. Dangerous lies. Whether the intent was malicious entertainment or a more calculated effort to discredit the government, we don’t know.”
She paused to let that sink in. She scanned the audience, making direct eye contact with as many people as she could. “You may have heard that the bug we’ve discovered feeds on mana. That is not strictly true. So far, we can only verify that the creature consumes vegetation in areas of unusually intense atmospheric mana. But as far as we can tell, these bugs do not affect the amount of mana in an area. Since we started monitoring the locations, we’ve detected absolutely no reduction of mana. We have highly qualified people in the field, monitoring the situation at all times. Dr. Sparks will now outline his current research.” She indicated the scientist with a graceful gesture.
The scientist sat up taller, as if pulled up by his ears. His eyes were wide and his hands plucked restlessly at his pants. “Erm, yes, these creatures are unique in that they and their droppings contain a unique mana signature. It’s the first time we’ve ever seen an instance of organic mana matter, which is very exciting, scientifically.” He licked his lips and clamped his hands together, pressing them into his lap. “But as Magistrate Trewe said, the bugs don’t seem to consume mana, in the sense of eating it and using it up. It may be that they consume material that holds mana, and the mana passes on through them, but the mana continues to exist. These creatures pose no apparent threat to anyone or anything. You have to remember, these creatures existed before we found them. Our discovery of them does not transform them into a danger.” He glanced back toward Ina and nodded deferentially to the Council.
Ina returned a nod of thanks to the scientist, who slouched down in his chair as if he had suddenly been relieved of a tremendous burden. She would find his stage fright amusing if not for the seriousness of their situation. At least he had spoken well and convincingly. “Thank you, Dr. Sparks. I think that’s an extremely important thing to remember. We experienced no ill effects before this discovery, and there’s no reason to think we will begin to experience ill effects. I’ll now open the floor to questions.”
A large man with thick hair stood up. “Isn’t it true that chunks of the forest are being eaten up by these things?”
Ina nodded. “Yes. They were, though we seem to have that under control now. We’re managing the situation to make sure our ecosystem is not negatively affected.”
“But this seems like a new thing, right? Those bare spots aren’t normal.”
Ina considered. “We’ve never noticed anything like it, though that doesn’t mean it never happened. We first became aware of the situation by satellite imagery. Something does seem to be different.”
“Then how can you be sure that there isn’t also some new danger? Maybe these bugs are just now turning into something dangerous.”
Ina shook her head. “Nothing indicates any danger at all. Unless you’re a tree or a blade of grass.”
A small breeze of laughter wafted through the hall, causing Ina’s spirit to lift with a cautious ray of hope. “Even that, we can mitigate. We are already handling the deforestation in
these areas of high mana. We’ll repair the existing damage and prevent new damage from happening.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer just to eradicate the bugs? We don’t need them, and getting rid of them would solve the problem entirely.” An angry-looking woman in a tight braid with a tighter mouth had taken the place of the man who’d spoken before her.
“Eliminating an entire species of life would be a tremendous overreaction. Not only have these creatures not proven to be harmful in any way, they are an intrinsic, natural part of Terath. They appear to coexist with the same mana that we depend on to maintain our lifestyle. It’s possible they could lead us in new directions scientifically that would further improve our way of life.”
Magistrate Sorenson broke in. He was the magistrate she liked least, and she had a bad feeling about what he might say. “Though we have discussed the possibility of a means of eradication, just as an emergency measure,” he announced.
Loud talking filled the hall. Ina’s outward composure did not falter even though she mentally cursed Sorenson and a good deal of his ancestry. The Council had broached the topic of eradication but agreed against it immediately. She didn’t know if Sorenson had invented what he’d said as a pacifier or if he’d actually tasked someone on his own to investigate a lethal option. Either way, she was incensed by his outburst. She couldn’t let her feelings show to the people watching, though. On the exterior, she remained calm and serene.
“Once we realized there was no threat, we abandoned that idea. No one thinks such an action would ever be needed,” she assured the people of Terath. She waited a beat before asking, “Next question?”
A nervous-looking old man asked, “Why is the Guard here? Are they going to fight the demonstrators? I thought they were created to provide aid.”
Ina smiled reassuringly. “That’s exactly why we have the Guard. The troops are here for safety, not punishment. The same goes for our fine shivs. The Council’s utmost concern is the well-being of our citizens. Peaceful demonstrations are, of course, always permitted. Asking questions is always encouraged. Unlawful, dangerous behavior is always dealt with on a case-by-case basis. But that’s exactly what we’re here to prevent.” Ina’s eyes shifted meaningfully to Will, giving him his cue.
