Manifestations

by David M Henley

  I hope we meet again.

  Miles Lizney

  ~ * ~

  He had a number of chores to do while the others worked. Planting syphons, like the one he had first encountered. Reviewing success rates of the ARA traps. If any weren’t performing, he should either delete them or find the problem.

  ‘How happy are you?’ the ARA asked.

  This was the first one he had constructed for himself, and it hadn’t caught anyone yet. But he wouldn’t give up on it.

  He watched as a trap lured a stream to it and waited to see if the bait was taken. The stranger was a squat Asiatic man who had a fat symbiot growing from the collar of his dressing gown.

  An encouraging female avatar appeared in response — trimmed mousy-brown hair, a delicate patch of freckles under her eyes — and spoke to the stream. Zach had selected her to deliver the questionnaire; he liked listening to her voice, he had made it sound like Bronwyn.

  ‘Hey, you. Are you happy?’ the ARA asked.

  ‘It is my default state of being,’ the stranger answered jovially.

  ‘Do you live alone?’

  ‘With friends.’

  ‘Do you like being alone?’ the ARA asked.

  ‘Nobody likes being alone.’

  ‘First we must ask ourselves: what is happiness? Then we can set ourselves free.’

  The stranger picked up the ARA window and began turning it over in his hands — at least that was what it looked like in the visual plane. In code mode it was being analysed and dissected.

  ‘There you are. I thought there was someone watching.’

  Zach found himself looking at the man, although he hadn’t chosen to come into the visual layer.

  ‘What are you doing? Where is your profile?’

  ‘Umm, I lost it?’ Zach grinned and then tweaked through the stranger’s fingers. He scoffed and went to check the next trap. Scouts were useless. He couldn’t believe he ever wanted to become one. ‘Try to hold onto me, will ya?’

  ‘I’ll just have to use both hands this time,’ the stranger said, appearing once more. Something grabbed hold of his avatar and pulled it into the load space.

  Zach felt himself being probed. His body was just a facade and the weaver tore it apart like paper, revealing all the connections and history of his stream. All that was left between him and the scout was the link to his proxy portal. Zach cut the connection and demersed.

  He woke gasping for air and tore off his helmet. He could already feel the prickles that Dungeon would inflict for his failure. Around him the other protégés were still under and the room was quiet.

  Then all the screens in the dorm lit up and the scout’s face appeared.

  ‘Zachary Frost?’ asked the stranger’s voice.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Are you working alone?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Why are you aiding Kronos?’

  ‘Kronos? I’m not —’

  ‘Don’t say another word, Musashi.’ Dungeon came into the room, fresh from her bath, her gown made translucent and clingy. ‘What is your business here, weaver?’

  ‘Dungeon?’ The scout raised his eyebrows. ‘I am surprised, I am surprised.’

  ‘You know him?’ Zach asked her.

  ‘Of course. Takashi and I are old friends. Aren’t we, Taka?’ Dungeon smiled and stroked her thigh.

  ‘I have alerted Services to your whereabouts,’ Takashi answered.

  ‘Why don’t we talk about this in private? Shall we?’ she suggested and turned back to her room.

  ‘There is nothing to say,’ the weaver said.

  ‘We’ll see about that,’ Dungeon said, donning her visor.

  ~ * ~

  Zach sat down on his couch and put his own helmet on, chasing after Dungeon’s stream like she’d taught him.

  She jumped between the layers, from the visual to code, through the geographic, into the fabula. Here Zach caught up with them, flying through a model nebula, clouds of blue and pink and purple, with stars leering through the thinnest patches.

  Dungeon had arrayed herself around the stranger, dividing into multiple nasties, like the syphon that had once attacked him and planted crypto worms in his code.

  The weaver didn’t flinch at either of the attacks. He protected himself from the worms with emitters that generated false code for them to work through and floating in the nebula he made a motion with his hands and the syphons stopped growling at him. At another gesture they turned around and slithered back towards their master, teeth bared.

  Dungeon’s eyes flared. ‘This can’t be.’

  ‘Why have you been helping Kronos?’ Takashi asked.

  ‘Kronos will give us eternity. You are a weaver, you should understand.’

  ‘You think Kronos is digitalis?’

  ‘Our saviour has come, Taka, just as Shen Li intended.’ Her eyes saw Zach hovering behind them. ‘Musashi, help me!’ she shrieked.

  The stranger looked around at him and Zach immediately changed into his samurai state, Musashi, raising his glowing sword to chop at the weaver.

  Zach felt himself yanked away, his visual stimuli cut out, and he was in the load space again. The stranger held him in his fist and shook him until he dropped his sword and his armour was flung off. ‘Don’t let appearances distract you from the true nature of reality,’ the man said.

  ‘Ortega?’ he asked.

  ‘You’ve read it?’

  Zach nodded. The stranger seemed to soften.

  ‘How did you get mixed up in this, kid?’

  ‘I don’t know, it just seemed to happen ... what am I going to do?’ he asked.

  ‘Go home.’

  ‘I have no home.’

  ‘Then come to me.’

  Zach felt himself demersing. In his hands his visor flared and then powered down. He couldn’t turn it back on. The other protégés experienced the same thing, and looked about at each other.

  ~ * ~

  In another studio, far away, the convocation continued as Citizens waged their opinions against each other. Right against wrong. Sanctioned statements against fictitious claims. Fear against hope.

  ‘No. No,’ one panellist said sharply. ‘With such a sudden and immense introduction of streams to the WU, it will be like a gigantic wave hitting a coastal town. Who knows how far the ripple effect will reach? That’s why I’m proposing a motion to slowly introduce the Cape and its votes to a five per cent increase, year on year.’

  ‘Well, I’d be worried how your sentiments may sway the Cape from joining us at all. If your motion makes it to precedence, then they would be relegated to sub-Citizen status. This very discussion is jeopardising what the Primacy is trying to do.’

  ‘Sure, sure. But Ryu Shima didn’t become Prime for his peacemaking. He’s meant to be stopping this situation, not encouraging it.’

  ‘The Will is always able to choose another Prime.’

  The host cut smoothly into the tiny gap between their statements and began speaking to the audience. ‘So, are we ready for the Atlantic Tsunami? Send us your thoughts. One of our patrons has some content for you to watch. We’ll be back in a moment to go through your queries.’

  The flying cameras settled in for a recharge and the anchor went to check his make-up.

  The host of the room was Quaid Rush. He’d been covering trend commentary for three years and was doing well enough for a permanent space and a desk big enough for six people. For the last year he’d been working double-time as the tides of the Weave accelerated.

  Quaid sat before a large, lit mirror and dabbed powder where he was starting to glisten. The make-up also contained trace stimulants to perk him up; he still had another hour to go.

  A boy sat next to him.

  ‘Hello there. Who are you with, then?’

  ‘I’m with you, Quaid.’

  ‘You know my name? How old are you?’

  ‘I’m turning nine.’r />
  ‘That’s nice. Only one more year and you’ll be in double digits. When’s your birthday?’

  ‘Tomorrow.’

  ‘Yeah? That’s great. Are your guardians getting you anything special?’

  ‘No. This year I am getting something for them.’

  ‘That’s nice. What are you giving them?’

  ‘Freedom.’

  ‘Freedom? ... Hey what?’ Quaid turned to the seat beside him. There was nobody there.

  ~ * ~

  PIERRE JNR IS COMING TO SAVE US

  ~ * ~

  ‘Pierre be praised!’ the woman shouted from the front of the procession. She walked with her head thrust forward, opening her palms towards the ground as if drawing spirit from the earth.

  A line of Servicemen stood watching the approaching mob. There were only fifty-three, not counting the toddling children they had with them, all with heads shaved and wearing black bibs with the white mark of the psis around their necks.

  The crowd chanted and waved its icons of Pierre Jnr. Lifting them up to their foreheads and down again as if pumping bellows.

  ‘What are we supposed to do, sir?’

  ‘Wait for the command. Do not provoke any reactions.’

  ‘They’re starting to provoke me, sir,’ another man commented.

  ‘Do you need to be dismissed, soldier?’ the commander asked.

  The Citizens also watched. From windows in the neighbouring buildings or from the footpaths where they pressed their backs to the walls to make room for the march. Some were discontent and shouted slurs at the chanters.

  As Citizens, the Church of Pierre Jnr had their rights, but if the majority determined against the demonstration the soldiers would be ordered to remove them. The Command is the Command. Already their route to the needle was blocked by MUs, stalling their protest.

  In overlay mode, the group disseminated their teachings, forcing their propaganda on those polite enough to read it, and luring others with their bright and hopeful imagery.

  Pierre Jnr loves us all.

  He is the god mind, come to save us.

  When Pierre Jnr manifests again he will make all true believers into one soul.

  Come, love Pierre Jnr and join the god mind.

  From above, a rock was thrown, hitting the leader of the group. She fell down and held a hand to her bleeding head.

  ‘Medic!’ Ten called. ‘Help that woman.’

  One of the soldiers broke rank and went to the crouching woman.

  ‘Pierre bless you, my child,’ she said, as he began to treat her cut.

  Then more of the onlookers began throwing things at the sectarians and shouting.

  Ryu watched with the rest of the Primacy as the crowd was pacified by the soldiers. The church retired for the day, led away by a covering ten squad.

  The footage was followed by more background data of similar meetings that were taking place around the globe. Marches. Shrines. Churches.

  People had begun regularly gathering in empty office floors, community parks or outdoor shrines. Praying for psionic powers, wishing they would all become telepathic and begging Pierre to reveal himself to them.

  Praise Pierre Jnr. Lord of the mind.

  ~ * ~

  The Will summoned Ryu to speak.

  Before the open inquiry, questions were gathered and a magistrate was chosen to control the order of the investigation. Judge Jacob Haden had been an adjudicator for ten years, a commentator for longer and was a founding member of the FutureFuture Club and the Civilisation Preservation Society. He was best known for championing the formation of the wilderness parks. Few were qualified across so many areas.

  ‘Ryu Shima, on behalf of the people, I thank you for your time today.’

  ‘Not at all. I hope to be able to clarify some of the current confusion and set some minds at rest.’

  ‘And we thank you for that consideration. Are you ready to commence?’

  ‘Yes. Go ahead.’

  They were live to the Weave in five, four, three ...

  ‘Today we are joined by the honourable Prime, Ryu Shima. Following a series of setbacks, his position is now being threatened by a number of contenders. The frontrunner is Representative Charlotte Betts of Seaboard, who has become the de facto voice for the tolerance movement.

  ‘Prime, what do you see as the union’s greatest risk to stability right now?’

  ‘Panic,’ Ryu answered. ‘The World Union is strong and we must all remain calm.’

  ‘In light of the recent breach in the Cape blockade, and the assassination of Blair Butler and other civic leaders, and invasion of high-families — such as the Shimas — how can you ask everyday Citizens to remain calm?’ the judge asked.

  ‘We must remain stable. If we allow these attacks to disrupt our unity, to divide us, then we will have lost.’

  ‘I’m not sure that answers my question,’ Judge Haden said, turning to face Ryu with one eye.

  ‘It answers why we need to remain calm.’

  ‘What do you say to people about the psi symbol? Should they wear it?’

  ‘That is every Citizen’s choice. I understand many crafters are offering fashionable choices,’ he said, making a joke of it, as advised. •

  ‘Will you wear one yourself?’ Haden asked.

  All traces of Ryu’s smile were erased. ‘No.’

  ‘Because it might be interpreted as a sign of weakness?’

  ‘I believe that symbol is a sign of oppression and anyone who wears it is admitting that they are intimidated by the bullying tactics of this small group.’

  ‘Are you saying that the only reason people would wear the symbol is out of fear? What if they truly support the psi cause?’

  ‘If people supported the psis in reality, I would not have become Prime. The Citizens are expressing their true opinions through the Will.’

  ~ * ~

  The judge took a new dossier from the pile before him. ‘I would like to talk about the Kronos problem, which has now overcome an area where forty million people lived.’

  ‘It is a tragedy of incomprehensible scale.’

  ‘Do you have anything to share that will alleviate the worries of the Citizens frightened that the same thing could happen in their city?’

  ‘Yes.’ Ryu gave Gladys the signal to begin spreading the official summaries of the recent breakthroughs. ‘We have made a lot of progress in understanding what Kronos is. We have learnt how it reached Mexica and already apprehended the criminals involved.’

  ‘Can you tell us what Kronos is?’

  ‘In scientific terms it is a chimeric symbiot with a biological drive.’

  ‘Are you considering it alive?’

  ‘We are considering it.’

  ‘If it is a living creature, how do you feel we are morally obliged to manage it?’

  ‘It has taken the lives of forty-four million people, Judge Haden. Our goal is to protect ourselves.’

  ‘Will you attempt communication?’

  ‘We have been attempting many forms of communication since Kronos first appeared, and we will continue to do so. The fact that we can get no reaction from it is the biggest evidence we have that this is more of a pollution than an animal.’

  ‘Some are speculating that Kronos will appear in other cities. Citizens of West have already begun migrating away from Mexica.’

  ‘Again, I must advise calm.’ The Prime himself was calm. They must see him and know how to act. ‘There is no reason to think Kronos will spread further and West is a long way north of Mexica.’

  ‘But you wouldn’t be able to stop it. Is that correct?’

  Ryu played for time. He didn’t want to be cornered into giving an answer. ‘We are trialling many defensive options.’ ‘My records do not show any such motion proposed from your office. Were you attempting to keep this fact secret?’

  ‘We have already scheduled a public release in the next
cycle. Until we could be sure how Kronos had spread we felt it wasn’t safe to share the information.’