The Media Candidate – politics and power in 2048

by Paul Dueweke

“And the status on the local sponsor?” the state director grilled Guinda.

  “No word yet from Corona Corp., but GeneSplice is on board.”

  “Okay, keep the pressure on Corona,” the director said. “Now Sherwood has a full report from COPE on Townsend.”

  Sherwood then said, “He was on the state Free-Thought Party Committee from 2002 to 2010. Worked at the National Lab from 2003 until a few days ago. Any contact since we talked last?”

  “… No. … Nothing.”

  “Good,” replied Sherwood. “A COPE regional investigator called me a little while ago. Says he heard about my request and thinks the report from HQ is incomplete. Thinks Townsend is an anarchist. Found a file on him, an old paper file, from when he belonged to the Free-Thought Party, a bunch of ultra-anarchists. COPE got the file from the FBI. Long time ago, but thinks he may have been working underground for years. Says not voting for a long time is typical for anarchists. Fits the profile pretty well. Belongs to a couple of anarchist organizations, Scientists Against Abortion and American High Energy Physics Society. Sounds like he might be coming out of the closet since he retired. Very respected in the scientific community. Could cause a lot of trouble. COPE is putting him under surveillance. If he is an anarchist, they will take care of him. Let me know if he contacts you.” The meeting was abruptly over.

  They’re actually putting him under surveillance because they think he’s an anarchist? I wonder how COPE figures he’s going to cause trouble. She had heard the word anarchist several times since she joined CBS, but she never gave it much thought. Now it had come to the center stage several times in two days, and it carried some very ominous overtones. She didn’t know who COPE considered to be anarchists or why that was such a threat. Whoever Townsend is, he’s no threat; but COPE is going to “take care of him.”