by Alex Siegel
"I don't think we have much choice. We can't be crippled for a year. Do it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I have a more urgent task for you," she said. "Get information about some asshole named Dr. Carefree. He gives sermons in Golden Gate Park, and they're causing trouble."
"I'll do it immediately."
"Good." She nodded.
Jia raised her hand. "Ma'am?" she said in her soft voice. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," Marina said.
She walked around the tables. Jia was wearing an adorable red dress with a white belt. Her body was very petit, and her head looked too big compared to the rest of her. Black hair went down to the middle of her back.
"We talked to the twins in Chicago," Jia said in a Chinese accent. "They gave us the latest passwords and security protocols for accessing the Society shadow network."
"They were helpful?" Marina said.
"Very, and nice, too. We had a deep technical discussion. They're smart."
"I know."
Jia leaned forward and widened her eyes. "You don't understand, ma'am. They're scary smart. They could be the best hackers in the whole Society. Some of their proposals are mind blowing. They're causing a lot of buzz on the secret message boards."
"That's wonderful."
A thumping noise made Marina turn. The north-west corner of headquarters had been turned into an exercise area. Blue, padded mats created a space suitable for sparring, and Ipo, Katie, and Hanley were there. They were wearing white Karate uniforms and gray belts. Marina hurried over to join them.
"What's up, guys?" she said.
"We were just about to do some sparring, ma'am," Ipo said. "It's been a while."
"Sounds like fun. I just need something to wear."
"We got you covered." He pointed to a neatly folded white uniform on a chair with a gray belt on top. "We went to a martial arts supply store this morning. I hope we got your size right. We bleached black belts to make them gray."
Marina grabbed the uniform and went into her office. The former boss of Perpetual Energy Technology had used the same office, and his furniture was still there. She hadn't had time to redecorate.
She stripped off her business suit and put on the Karate uniform. The heavy fabric was as stiff as cardboard. It would take a lot of exercise and sweat to soften it. She tied her gray belt tightly. By tradition, all legionnaires and commanders wore the same color. They didn't need a childish color scheme to keep track of who was better than whom.
She left her office with a smile.
"I'll fight with Ipo first," she announced. "I need to see what he can do."
"Yes, ma'am," Ipo said.
The two combatants took positions at opposite corners of the mats and faced each other. Marina knew at once that she would have a tough time. Ipo wasn't just a huge guy with expert skills. He was also a fully trained legionnaire with years of experience under his belt. She had to make a good showing though. Her team was watching, and any sign of weakness would diminish her in their eyes. Corrie and Imelda wandered over to spectate.
"Begin," Marina said.
Ipo jumped forward and flew at her like a tsunami of brown flesh. The surprise aerial attack caught her off-guard, and she barely had time to dodge out of the way. She remembered his gift allowed him to be extraordinarily light on his feet. He could jump much higher and farther than any normal man.
Marina couldn't employ her own gift this time. Spilling blood or causing real injury wasn't allowed in sparring. Unfortunately, stabbing her legionnaires with her fingernails fell into that category.
She moved quickly from side to side as she decided how to proceed. She wondered what Aaron would do in this situation. Her lover had a magical ability to devise tricky plans when he needed them most. She was more of an instinctual fighter.
Ipo remained in a strong stance and moved aggressively towards Marina. He employed a traditional Japanese style reminiscent of a samurai warrior. It emphasized solid footing and hand attacks. He probably lacked flexibility in the legs.
She boldly dived between his huge legs and rolled across the floor. She kicked the back of his knee to weaken his stance and force him to lose balance. He tried to turn towards her. She swept his other leg with a spinning kick. He fell into an awkward and probably painful split. He was momentarily helpless. She finished by smacking him in the head with the back of her fist.
Both of them stood up. Katie and Hanley clapped.
Ipo bowed. "That was a sweet move, ma'am. You're very slippery."
"It was unbelievable," Katie said with wide eyes.
Marina grinned.
She sparred with Ipo for a while longer until both of them worked up a good sweat. He was a smart fighter, and he didn't let her trick him the same way again. She used her extraordinary flexibility and quick reflexes to evade his powerful attacks, but she had few opportunities to respond effectively. His blocking technique was masterful. Hitting him was like trying to knock down a brick wall.
Finally, she said, "That's enough. Ipo, I want you to work with Hanley. Teach him how a male legionnaire fights."
"Gladly, ma'am." Ipo grinned and gave Hanley an evil look.
"Don't injure him," she added in a stern tone. "This isn't an opportunity for some kind of testosterone-driven revenge. Teach, don't hurt. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ipo's face fell.
Hanley still appeared nervous.
"Katie," Marina said, "let's go!"
Katie had an anxious expression as she stepped onto the mats.
"Come on," Marina said. "Attack me. Show me what you got."
Katie came forward tentatively while Marina just stood and waited. Finally, Katie launched a series of clumsy side and front kicks. Marina evaded them without real effort.
"You're not a good fighter."
Katie looked down. "I know. I took Tae Kwon Do when I was in the Air Force, but I never got a black belt."
"That's fine. I'm sure you have other redeeming qualities. I'll train you properly."
"Thank you, ma'am. It will be nice to learn from another woman."
"I hope that opinion doesn't change," Marina said. "We'll start with stretching. You need a lot more flexibility in your hips."
She worked with Katie for an hour. By the end of the vigorous training session, the legionnaire was so exhausted her legs were quivering. Ipo had reduced Hanley to a similar state. He was actually wobbling like he was drunk, and his uniform sagged with sweat.
A good first session, Marina thought.
She still felt fresh as she walked back over to Min Ho. He would have information for her by now.
"Well?"
"This is him." He pointed at a picture on the screen.
She leaned in for a closer look. Dr. Carefree was a tall man with the sculpted good looks of a classic movie star. He was wearing a shiny purple vest, pink pants, and a yellow shirt. Glittering sequins covered a shocking pink tie. His blond hair was dyed with cheetah spots.
"Wow," Marina said. "It looks like somebody ate too many jelly beans and threw up on him. What do you know about him?"
"Not a lot, ma'am," Min Ho said. "He appeared out of nowhere a couple of months ago. He gives a sermon every day at 3 PM to large and growing crowds, but nobody knows his real name."
"Does he ask for money?"
"No, but he does sell 'love wafers' at the sermons."
She furrowed her brow. "That's suspicious."
"I ran his face through all the criminal databases," he said, "but there were no hits. He doesn't do interviews. He just shows up in Golden Gate Park, delivers his speech, and leaves. Some assistants come with him, but I know even less about them. They stay in the background."
"What makes him so popular?"
"He promotes casual sex, and some people like to hear that message. His sermons can get explicit, even raunchy. There is a lot of buzz on the internet."
Marina nodded. "A crazy hybrid of religion and pornography. He legitimizes an immoral lifestyle.
I can see how that might get a crowd excited. We'll check it out. Keep digging."
"Yes, ma'am," Min Ho said. "What got you interested in this guy?"
"The police chief mentioned a surge in domestic violence. He felt Dr. Carefree was responsible."
"Oh. Hmm."
She walked back to the exercise area. Katie and Hanley had recovered some of their strength and energy. At least, they didn't look like they were in danger of fainting.
"Listen," Marina told them, "when you feel like you can't keep fighting because you're too exhausted, you can tap into God's breath for a boost."
"What's that?" Hanley said.
"The Lord's anger burning in your gut. It makes you stronger. It will keep you on your feet past the point where an ordinary human would fall down. With a little practice, you can use it anytime you need it."
"Can I overuse it?"
She shrugged. "I suppose, but experiencing God's wrath isn't pleasant. You'll naturally try to avoid it. By the way, we have an assignment this afternoon. I'm taking Ipo and Katie to Golden Gate Park to watch a sermon. The preacher is a suspicious character. Hanley, you stay here."
"I can't come?" His face fell.
"As a general rule, at least one of the four of us should be here at all times. We've been a little sloppy so far, and it's time to start taking security seriously. A legionnaire must be present in case headquarters is attacked. The assistants aren't trained to fight. Besides, you went out with me last night."
"Ma'am," Ipo said in his deep voice, "usually the commander stays behind."
"I know," Marina said, "but I need to get out and learn my way around my own territory. It looks like everybody has recovered. Let's do some more training, and we can practice using God's breath this time."
Hanley and Katie groaned. Ipo smiled.
* * *
Marina absolutely loved Golden Gate Park. She had come two hours early just to walk around. The park was huge, over a thousand acres, and it cut through the heart of San Francisco on the west side. It had forests of beautiful, old trees and fields of lush grass. Parks in the Midwest were usually just flat rectangles, but Golden Gate Park had real hills and valleys. A walk in the park actually felt a little adventuresome.
It also served as a cultural center. There was an art museum, a science museum, a Japanese tea garden, a flower garden, a botanical garden, lakes, a stadium, and even a polo field. She intended to come back for an entire day when she had time. It felt like she had discovered a new world.
It was almost time for Dr. Carefree's sermon. Marina, Ipo, and Katie were walking swiftly towards the location where it would take place. They were dressed in loose, casual clothing like the tourists in the area. Handguns were hidden under their jackets, but by Society standards, they were lightly armed. Marina wasn't anticipating a fight today. Still, she had insisted the team wear basic vests under their shirts.
They emerged from some trees and entered a large meadow. Short, freshly mowed grass covered the field. A crowd was gathering in the middle.
"This must be it," Marina said.
Her companions nodded.
The crowd was astonishingly diverse. She saw examples of every ethnicity from white to yellow to brown to black. People from all over the world lived in San Francisco, and they had come to hear Dr. Carefree speak. The diversity went beyond race. Gay couples, male and female, were being openly affectionate. A few men were just wearing black leather straps despite the cool weather. A woman had a horse bridle in her mouth, and she was smiling. Colorful tattoos covered another woman's entire face. Some sagging boobs were proudly on public display. Two men had pink fairy wings on their backs.
"Wow," Marina said. "That's something you don't see in Chicago."
"We're very liberal here," Ipo said.
"You can say that again. Is that woman wearing a steel corset? Where do you even buy such a thing?"
Marina led Ipo and Katie into the mass of colorful human bodies. A circular stage had been erected in the center of the field, and the crowd's attention was focused there. Marina pushed forward to get a close look at the stage. It was just a simple, wooden construction which could be assembled or disassembled easily.
Marina was bumped from behind. The aggressor turned out to be a young woman with a skinny body. She was wearing red lingerie and red leather boots with painfully high heels.
"Aren't you cold?" Marina said.
The woman nodded. "Yes, but I won't be out here for too long. I always get hooked up pretty quick."
"Hooked up with who?"
"The first good-looking guy who wants me."
"Sleeping with random strangers isn't safe," Marina said. "I know that from personal experience."
The woman shrugged. "Everybody here is cool."
"Obviously."
Marina noticed a guy with padlocks hanging from nipple clamps. She grimaced. Ouch.
The crowd quieted down. A man climbed onto the stage, and she recognized Dr. Carefree from his face. He was wearing a neon green tuxedo with red tiger stripes. Pink rabbit slippers completed the masterpiece of bad taste.
Some men were with him. They wore business suits with solid, pastel colors, a very conservative choice in this crowd. The men pushed the crowd back so they couldn't get close to Dr. Carefree. After he mounted the stage, his guards formed a ring around the base. Marina was forced to step away a few paces.
She examined the guard in front of her. He stood with his arms crossed and his legs spread in a solid stance. As an experiment, she stumbled forward and bumped him. His body felt solid and muscular. His hand automatically went to a spot on his hip where a gun holster would normally be. Real security, she thought. Interesting.
She moved back to rejoin Ipo and Katie.
Dr. Carefree grabbed a microphone from a stand and began to speak, "Welcome, lovers, young and old!" He had the powerful voice of an opera singer which hardly needed amplification. "I bring you a message of peace today. Always keep peace in your heart. Let it be your shield, protecting you from an angry and divisive world. Let it lift your wings when the journey through life drags you down. Let 'peace' be your watchword at all times and in all ways." He smiled and showed off a set of perfect, white teeth.
Marina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. What game is he playing? she wondered.
"And how do we find peace?" Dr. Carefree bellowed. "Through love, of course. And we find love by opening our hearts and unburdening our souls. Let's start with a basic exercise. Turn to your neighbor and kiss him or her on the lips. It's such a trivial act, yet, for some, it's as difficult as climbing a mountain. In an office, kissing a stranger is sexual harassment. Do it now. Show me you can rise above that medieval attitude."
Marina glanced left and right nervously. Most of the crowd was kissing, and she didn't want to look out of place. Ipo and Katie were already kissing each other. Marina made a bold move and kissed the guard in front of her. He allowed it, but he didn't respond with any sort of affection. She took the opportunity to pat him down, but she couldn't find a gun on him.
"That was beautiful," Dr. Carefree said. "Doesn't everybody feel better now?"
The crowd cheered.
He smiled and continued, "The burdens of the past lie heavily on modern society. We worship ancient practices and institutions as if they were still relevant. Marriage is the worst, of course. Perhaps it made sense in the Stone Age, but these are more enlightened times. There is no reason for a couple to be permanently bound together with legal chains like prisoners in a work gang. It's unethical. It's illogical, yet most people celebrate marriage as if it were some glorious, life-changing achievement. Young women dream about it. Families spend obscene amounts of money on it. It's terribly sad."
Dr. Carefree took a moment to compose himself. Marina could tell he was acting, but he was very good at it. A less expert observer would be fooled.
"Let's try another exercise," he said. "Touch the genitals of your neighbor. You can choose a breast, a penis, or a vagina.
It doesn't matter. Let a stranger feel a little stimulation. It's fun and healthy."
Marina rolled her eyes. This is too much.
The crowd was complying with the order, and she had to blend in. She touched the breast of the skinny woman in red lingerie, but the woman didn't respond. She was too busy grabbing the leather-clad crotch of a man.
"Let's back off," Marina whispered to Ipo and Katie.
The team wormed their way between the bodies until they reached a clear area. She breathed a sigh of relief. She hated big crowds. They made her feel trapped and anxious.
Marina took another look around. Couples were wandering off together, obviously with the intention of having sex. All sexual combinations were represented. One man had his arms around two women, and all three were smiling.
"It's like a giant orgy," Marina said.
"Yes, ma'am," Ipo said, "and it's a young, hip crowd. They're certainly receptive to Dr. Carefree's message."
A few police officers in uniform were lingering at the edge of the field like wall flowers at a party. They appeared concerned but helpless.
"The good doctor has real security around him," Marina said. "For a man who preaches peace and love, he seems a little paranoid."
Ipo nodded. "I noticed that, too, and real security costs real money. Somebody must be paying for this show."
A pretty, blonde girl wearing a pink tutu was sitting at a folding table. A line of people was buying something from her and paying cash. Marina walked over for a closer look.
It appeared the girl was selling cookies. They were flat, circular disks made of white material, and each was small enough to be eaten in one bite. They were very thin and light like communion wafers. The word "LOVE" was printed on one side in red letters, and the word "PEACE" was printed on the other side.
Marina waited politely in line until she reached the front. "What are these?" she asked the girl.
"Communion wafers," the cute, young thing replied.
"There will be a communion?"
"It's a religious service. Dr. Carefree asks everybody to eat a wafer."
Marina looked at the wafers with greater interest. She planned to take them back to headquarters and have them tested for drugs. "I want two dozen."