by Jon Chaisson
CHAPTER FOUR
Provincial Governor Rieflin
It was nearing three in the morning by the time Provincial Governor Anton Rieflin stumbled upon a rare quiet spot in the hallway of his offices, and stopped to rub the burning exhaustion out of his eyes. The night had turned into one unrelenting clusterfuck here at the Tower, but he couldn’t show weakness, not just yet. The hallways and foyers had been filled with nervous senators and councilors and aides who had been here since mid-evening, skittering like hungry mice from one office to the other. Far be it from him to know what the hell they were doing exactly, chasing back and forth like that. Business safety precautions? Governmental procedures? Covering their asses? Weren’t they supposed to be at their desks, doing their damned jobs?
Goddess…this renegade ritual had thrown everyone out of whack, and that troubled him more than the ritual itself. They’d followed procedure the best they could, given the proximity of the ritual, and he had to at least give them credit for not doing anything stupid or catastrophic. They were blessed lucky that the ritual hadn’t affected anyone within the Tower’s walls.
In fact, it wasn’t until public reaction surfaced that things started going south. The avalanche of calls, emails and flashvids crashed the comm servers twice within the first hour. And once their worries had been heard, tagged and logged, it was time for the corporate world to weigh in. He failed to see a connection between an awakening ritual and someone’s profit line, but as Governor he had to listen anyway. Luckily, they were much easier to calm down than the general public and those conference calls had been mercifully brief. But he was running out of steam…he’d need to decamp to his office or his quarters for some sleep pretty soon.
Now was not that time, he realized bleakly, as soon as he saw Jack Priestley walking down the hallway towards him. His first instinct had always been to run off in the opposite direction whenever he saw the man, yet protocol and his own stubborn will reacted otherwise. One did not brush off a representative of the Crimson-Null Foundation, not without repercussions.
Anton had to stoop a bit to face the man. While he himself was an exceptionally tall and lanky man nearing seven feet, Jack just cleared five feet and appeared sick and frail, though that was merely an effect of his genes; on the contrary, he was extremely shrewd and quick-witted, and could pace you without breaking a sweat. He was an offworlder from Hallera that he’d known for quite a few years. The sickly pallor came from the previous generations of his family living within Hallera, the Meraladian-made satellite world not far from Mannaki. By nature they were not agoraphobic, but just the same did not often venture outside. Jack looked as if he hadn't seen a sun in decades.
He was actually quite amiable at the best of times, but he was the last person Anton wanted to run into right now. If this man was here at the Tower, it meant that this ritual had affected more than just the city and its inhabitants and businesses…it meant that it might soon become a CNF concern. The Foundation was essentially his bosses’ bosses—the financial and political overseers of Earth and curators of its relationship with the other joint Meraladian-Earthworlder planets in the union. And if they wanted to get involved in this, there may be more dangerous implications to this ritual than previously thought.
“Jack,” he said, with all the pleasantry he could muster at that moment, which honestly wasn’t much. “I admit I wasn't expecting you here so soon.”
Jack nodded with a smile equally lacking in emotion, and offered no explanation for his arrival. “This little event took the CNF quite by surprise, Governor.”
Anton nodded slowly. “Took us all by surprise, Jack. No doubt about that.”
“I intend to find out who is behind it, sir,” he said in a quiet but forceful voice. That was Jack; no pretense. “I've set up here on the thirty-ninth floor. When you have the chance, I would like to discuss the situation and what your plans, if any, may be.”
Anton hid his annoyance. If any? “I’ll do so as soon as I can,” he said. “In fact, I’ll be holding a special session of the Provincial Governor’s Council later on today, either late morning or early afternoon, depending on when this all calms down and when the others get in or sign on. It’ll be in the same place we usually meet, in the Andiri Room. You’ll be there?”
Jack frowned as he nodded. “Yes…yes, I’ll be there, sir. Thank you.”
Anton glanced down the hall momentarily. Now was a good time to escape. “Listen — I’m going to be hiding in my office for the next few hours to get some work done. Give me a call some time later this morning, and we’ll go over everything we have so far, get this all straightened out. Sound good to you?”
Jack nodded. “It’s a plan, sir. I’m listed on the vidcam directory if you need me.”
Hours later, Anton stood at the window and watched the dawn trace the long shadow of the Mirades Tower across Bridgetown. The buildings and complexes below him stood majestically and silently, bathed in the crimson-yellow of an autumnal sunrise, waiting for the new day to begin. An orange BMPD helicopter buzzed the Tower in front of him at a close but respectable distance, following its usual path of morning rounds. It acknowledged the Tower aviation control beacon with the repetitive single click of its undercarriage light, a sign of no emergency.
No emergency, Anton thought skeptically. He craned his neck and looked up as far as he could into the blue, cloudless sky. The crimson fog, whatever it had been, had dissipated as the night wore on and now there was no sign it had ever been there in the first place. He’d barely seen it himself, unable to see much of anything between the dark evening sky and the beacons of light shooting off the Tower’s antenna array. Perhaps a slight discoloration of the air, which he’d at first attributed to his imagination and lack of sleep. It had only lasted for about two and a half hours, and by four in the morning it had completely vanished.
Believing the threat to be over for the time being, he’d holed himself up in his private office and caught a half hour’s rest on his couch. It wasn’t much, no more than a catnap, but it was enough for him to rest his eyes and calm his nerves. He’d scheduled a meeting of his provincial council to commence as soon as all members had arrived or at least had logged in, and by five that morning they’d gathered in the Andiri Room on the eighty-first floor. About half of the members and guests, Jack Priestley included, had arrived in house, the others joining via vidmat. He hadn’t planned on making any progress with this initial meeting; this was more about intelligence gathering and getting everyone on the same page. A lot of disparate rumors had been shuffled back and forth throughout the evening, and he needed to weed out all the false leads as early as possible before he could make any further decisions.
He’d been informed early on that the ritual was performed by a Mendaihu working alone, and there were a number of names already floating around as possible suspects. Finding the man was the job of the Alien Relations Unit at this point. What he wanted to know was how the hells this man had gotten up there in the first place. Like everyone else, he knew that performing an awakening ritual was an extremely sensitive endeavor. It had to be contained within a finite space and controlled at all times. To recklessly awaken an untold number of people without even performing a closure at the end was not only dangerous but potentially lethal to those affected. The man was damn lucky that he was able to complete the ritual and keep it from getting out of hand.
And now Anton had to deal with the aftershock.
Mendaihu, he thought with a shudder, as he turned away from the window and back to his desk. Why did the ritual have to be performed by a damned Mendaihu? Not that he would have liked it to be a Shenaihu instead, but still…to show such recklessness and irresponsibility, especially given the timing! This was a dangerous time to be provoking imbalance between the Mendaihu and the Shenaihu…it had been a quarter century since the last uprising, and this man’s actions could have dire consequences. The last time there had been an uprising b
etween the two spiritual factions, there had been bloodshed. He’d been just a junior senator at the time, those twenty-five years ago, and just the same, he did not want to relive those memories. As long as it was possible, he would keep this from becoming an all-out spiritual war. He would rather outlaw these spiritual differences altogether, impossible as that was.
Mendaihu. The One of All Sacred help us all.
He stepped back out of the small conference room, finding it no less comforting than his office, and into his front offices. His secretary Mina had completely ignored him as she had been trained unless it was a pressing matter or he sought her attention. She was a jacker, just like most of the upper governmental office clerks, working better without the idle chitchat of their employers. Jackers juiced nanotech into their nervous system by way of a neural implant to connect with the virtual world, able to swim the ether while conversing with the real world at the same time. Mina, however, had never been much of a conversationalist to begin with. She had an immense library of knowledge in her head…but just preferred not to talk. She was quite possibly the most unassuming person he had ever employed. It made him wonder who she really was, behind that introvert façade. He knew she was Gharné, an Earthworlder human, she lived alone near Branden Hill Park, dedicated to her job…and that was about it. But who was she? Was she truly the quiet, lifeless person he’d hired? Was she Mendaihu or Shenaihu? And belatedly, he thought: could she have been affected last night by the ritual?
The distractions helped clear his head somewhat. He stopped at Mina’s desk and asked if she had any updates since the meeting’s end. She was surprisingly forthcoming. “Nandahya Mirades sent you a packet with the latest information she could gather,” she said. “She’s also given you a list of anyone who may have been involved with the ritual. General Phillips needs to know if and/or when his troops may be needed for security purposes. Jack Priestley is, of course, requesting follow-up every thirty minutes. Your speechwriters have finished the latest draft, which I’ve uploaded to your workspace. That’s just in the last hour, sir.”
He groaned at the news and rubbed at his temples. “Damned if I know the answers,” he said, more to himself than to his secretary. He bristled, having been reminded about that speech…he’d have to break the news to the province, whether or not he had all the information. “How long before the news conference?”
“Approximately forty-five minutes, sir,” his secretary said. “Additionally, I’ve been informed that the speechwriting team is finalizing the schedule for State of the Province speech. I’ve taken the liberty of uploading the latest State speech to your tablet as well, in case you need to edit.”
“Thank you, Mina.” He was glad that his request for pushing the State Speech out a few days had been accepted…everyone had agreed there clearly was not enough proven information to present to the public. For now, he felt confident about this news conference. All he needed to do was let Bridgetown know that it was under control. Tired but satisfied, he retreated to his office.
He’d only just taken a few steps when his assistant cleared her throat. “Sir...” Mina said, her voice cracking slightly. “I’ve just gotten a ping from Tower Central.”
He paused, frowning at her. “Central?” he said unevenly. “I just spoke with them. What do they need now?”
“Shirai would like a moment of your time,” she said quietly, avoiding eye contact. “She's…eh, she’s already waiting in your office.”
Shirai...? What did the Tower AI want with him? She rarely came over to his part of the building, only entering the government offices when requested. She considered herself an integral part of the business world, especially for the major firms with home offices here in the Tower, but she was only an observer when it came to politics. For her to show up in his office this morning, unasked, meant there was more…much more to this ritual, than anyone had expected.
“Uh...thank you, Mina,” he said with all the calm he could muster. “That will be all.” He slipped through his inner office door and locked it behind him, something he rarely did. He noticed a slight tremor in his hands as he approached his desk, and balled them into fists. As promised, he found his hardback vidmat placed dead center on his desk with the speech document open. He was too nervous to pick it up right now, and moved it aside. He delayed the moment by scanning the rest of his office for anything out of place, or a visual presence of the AI, physical or otherwise.
“Shirai?” he said into the air, his voice pitifully small.
“I am Shirai, sir,” she said, her voice unexpectedly centralized to the area right in front of him. “Thank you for taking the time to talk, Governor.”
He cleared his throat and started again. “I wasn't sure if you were still here. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting you.”
“I am Shirai,” she repeated, and slipped into the brief preprogrammed introduction she shared with all her interactive users; her voice was mature and conversational. “Artificial intelligence unit and protocol security system for the Mirades Tower. Reimos Mirades of EdenTree’s Biotech Division created me twenty-five years ago. My original programming assignment was to monitor server overflow, but I have expanded my knowledge and reach to include net security and intelligence trafficking. I am often called for economic and political mediation.
“I have limited emulated conscience to maintain impartiality.”
Anton exhaled, unaware he’d held his breath. Genuinely impressed, he lowered himself into his chair and looked up into the air to pinpoint the voice's origin. “I assume you have a holo identity on this side of the Tower?”
“Of course.”
Shirai blinked into existence in front of him, casually leaning over the back of a guest chair. She appeared to be in her early twenties, slightly younger than he’d expected. She had long, shoulder-length black hair that responded correctly to any head movement she made, and wore business casual, a sky blue button-down blouse with a black skirt and leggings. He noticed belatedly that she was wearing a necklace with a small pendant shaped like two intersecting circles.
“I...I'm impressed,” he stuttered. “By the level of detail, I mean. Forgive me for staring.”
Shirai's smile glittered. “I find it a compliment, sir. Not many care to see me in my true holo form.”
He nodded uncertainly. “You're...”
“Young?” she laughed it off. “It was my father’s choice. Now…shall we have a chat?”
Anton nodded amicably. “Of course. What is it you'd like to discuss?”
Angelic, Shirai swept around the chair and sat. He couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn that the seat cushion gave in slightly to the nonexistent weight. He relaxed in his own chair, leaning to one side and propping his chin up with a fist.
“Governor,” she started, her voice dropped low. “I took the time to read over the speech before you came in. Crimson-Null Foundation guidelines state I am fully authorized to do so.”
Anton nodded. “I expect no less. Are there any points I may have missed?”
Shirai looked straight at him with raised eyebrows. “Sir...” she stumbled, as much as an artificially intelligent holo could in reaction to emotional confusion, and frowned. “Sir, I feel I should inform you that what you are about to say to the press, the city and the rest of the province, is sorely lacking in credibility.”
The room went cold as he stared at her. “Would you like to elaborate?”
Shirai waved to calm him down. “Don't get me wrong, sir. Factually, it is true and correct. I've checked and referenced everything thoroughly. It's the motivation that bothers me, sir. There are glaring omissions. They do not diminish the speech in any way, but I'm at a loss as to why they are not included at all. Clearly this has echoes of another uprising between the Mendaihu and the Shenaihu, yet that has been neatly avoided. I am hoping the Foundation has not decided to gloss this over.”
&n
bsp; He slowly and nervously sat up in his chair. “Shirai, I —”
She eyed him, bemused. “No need to respond, sir. I gather from your reaction that my deduction is correct. But surely they remember what happened twenty-five years ago. An event like this could surely trigger another event.”
Anton did his best to cover up both his shock and embarrassment as he scrambled for an answer. “Oh, that we remember well, Shirai. But it's the enlightened citizens who remember it most; they were the most affected. Not the other eighty per cent of the population.”
“Precisely,” she said. “Your speech apparently is not aimed towards the Mendaihu or the Shenaihu at all. I am sorry, sir, but I must suggest you revise immediately.”
“Shirai...” He dropped his eyes. “I'm afraid the CNF won't allow me.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. She did not need explanation. “Given the situation, I am sure many are already aware.”
He frowned at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Sir, with respect, you don't need me to answer that.”
Anger flared within him, but faded equally as fast. He stared at her, thinking about her remark. In all honesty, he was starting to get a good idea as to why this particular awakening ritual had been performed, taking place on the Tower as it did. Her reaction only managed to back that up. “Point taken, Shirai,” he said. “But I refuse to go out and make a speech to an entire province when I don't have the all the details. Unless I hear from the ARU, the Embodiment theory stays out. Honestly, I'm almost certain you’re right, but I can't base fact on mere human certainty alone.”
That seemed to placate her. “I understand, sir. As long as you were aware of the situation.”
Unexpectedly, the speech vidmat beeped and awakened from sleep mode, and a new dialogue frame had opened. Had he just inadvertently awakened it? He glanced down and watched the words go by…no, this wasn’t his speech, this was a new document uploading to his vidmat. He waved at it to minimize the frame and glared at Shirai.
“What is this?” he asked, surprised more than angry. He held his pose, frowning at the screen. “You have no authorization to access private decks and vidmats without permission.”
“Not for private homespaces or secure servers, sir. I've linked directly, only to the vidmat before you, and created a generic document which I have not saved to the server. I believe you may need this information in the immediate future, sir. If you choose to save it or discard it, that’s completely up to you.”
He frowned and reopened the frame, and scrolled back to the start of the document. He scanned the text, only to stop at the end of the first paragraph:
We must face this Awakening Ritual head-on. We should not just focus on who performed it, whether they be Mendaihu or Shenaihu…nor should we only focus on apprehending them, for it will do nothing to calm its intended purpose. We must focus on the true motive behind it. This was a Holy Ritual of Spiritual Awakening, performed by one of the strongest adepts in the province, and I have already measured its reach, which is already well past the initial shockwave. This was a mass awakening on a global scale, and mirrors the same ritual and aftereffects of twenty-five years ago. Which can only mean one thing: this ritual was meant to awaken the Ninth Embodiment of the One of All Sacred.
Goddess, he thought, a chill running down his back. “This is your work?”
“This is evidence, sir,” she said soberly. “Expect a resurgence.”
Anton was struck dumb for a long moment, his eyes wandering up to hers, then back down to the vidmat. He let out a nervous chuckle. If this is true...! It was not what he'd expected at all. The One of All Sacred, awakened again? He couldn’t believe it. He began scrolling through the pages of Shirai’s document, gingerly flipping each page as if it were dangerous to the touch. Shirai was incorruptible as an AI, and her programming was heavily guarded both physically and electronically, so chances were extremely high that this information could be thoroughly confirmed as true. This was dangerous information…Anton felt his stomach drop and forced himself to back away from the vidmat. He couldn’t read this, at least not until he knew what to do with it afterwards. He turned back to Shirai, but found no words.
“The Mendaihu and the Shenaihu will act soon, sir,” Shirai said. “According to what I've just given you, there’s no reason for them to wait in silence any longer.”
Goddess! Anton stared at her. How the hell would she know?
“I understand that you'll do what you can, sir.”
“Shirai...” he managed.
“I am sorry, Governor Rieflin. But you had to know.”
“But —”
“You will understand very soon, sir. Now—I believe you have an important speech that you have a little under an hour to prepare for. I will keep in touch with you, sir.”
Shirai blinked out of existence just as quickly as she had entered. Anton stared blankly at the spot she had sat in, suddenly terrified.