by Jon Chaisson
No one can keep me bound, Saisshalé said.
Blinded, Poe grabbed wildly at nothing. “Get back here, damn you!” he yelled. His hand hit something and he grabbed for it again and missed. His sense of balance vanished and he felt himself pitching forward. Saisshalé let out a loud and guttural laugh. An unnatural laugh.
“Saisshalé!”
We'll meet again, Alix Eiyashné. That I promise.
Poe shuddered, felt something against his shoulder, and reached for it. It was a hand. Murph's hand. Murph pulled him backwards, tripping over his feet and landing hard on the floor.
Goodbye, Simon Murphy. Goodbye, Alix Eiyashné.
“Damn it!” Murph spat. “Damn it!”
The room faded into semi-darkness. The overhead lights flickered twice, blacked out, then came back on. Poe picked himself up off the floor, dizzy and frustrated. On the other side was one chair, with a pair of handcuffs sitting dead center.
Murph groaned as he stood, already knowing Saisshalé was already long gone. He scanned the room, first at Saisshalé’s chair, then at Poe. His mouth was a thin line, his brows furrowed. Eventually he turned and started to leave the room, only to stop at the door. “Keep me posted when you get back to B-Town, Poe,” he said quietly. “I want to see how this ends.”
“Sure,” Poe said. “Of course.”
Murph stared at him for a moment longer. Then he turned and left without another word.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Alignment
Governor Anton Rieflin and Nandahya Mirades sat together at the head of the council table, eager to get the meeting started. Nandahya had called for it, being the only other member who could do so, and by the disheveled look of her notes and the deep scowl on her face, she’d done so out of necessity and definitely not for the pleasure of it.
He glanced around the table at the other members of the PGC. The last time they'd met, it had been just after the Awakening Ritual, before anyone even knew what was going on. Luckily they'd managed their way through that event with little incident, even after Vigil had hijacked all communications until the Ascension event had completed. Some on the council had quickly put their faith in One of All Sacred in her Ninth Embodiment. They also recognized that the One was a teenage girl from Berndette Corner, and in all fairness, had little to no grasp of her full potential or even what she was meant to do. Still others refused to be swayed and demanded he take immediate action. For the first time in years, there was no majority opinion at all. The decisions rested completely on Nandahya and himself.
To put it bluntly, it appeared nobody had any idea what the hell they were doing.
He freely admitted he'd put his faith in the One as well, but he certainly wasn't a practitioner or even an adept. He'd always acknowledged some sort of deity out there in the cosmos, be it the One, a God or a Goddess, whose primary role was to guide their followers and believers to a higher plane of spirituality, and had peacefully left it at that. He'd felt perfectly safe with that reasoning, and if it happened that his Creator had cursed him for not paying respects often enough in this life, well...that was his own damn fault. But here and now, in this reality called Earth or Gharra, he had to believe in the human and Meraladian races that surrounded him. Fallible and misdirected as they often were, he believed in them more than anything else.
“Are you all right?” Nandahya whispered, leaning towards him.
He brought his attention swiftly back to the meeting room. “I'm fine. Just worried.”
She regarded him for a moment. “Anything in particular?”
He turned to her, and saw guilt in her eyes. She was worried he was about to call her on whatever she was about to announce! “Just the timing of it all,” he said. “The tension’s getting worse, and we’re still unprepared. I know you can sense it, Nanzi. We’re in for something big and we’re not ready for it.”
Nandahya tapped him on the arm. “We'll be as ready as we can,” she said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
She shook her head and waved him off, choosing instead to start the meeting by taking roll. Frustrated but unwilling to press her further, he looked around until he found the short pallid frame of Jack Priestley, representing the security branch of the Crimson-Null Foundation, sitting at a couch across the room, and a young and clearly uncomfortable replacement at his assigned chair three seats to Anton’s left. Jack was uncharacteristically slouching and frowning deeply at him. Anton slowly nodded an acknowledgement and was met with an even deeper scowl. He resisted temptation to antagonize him any further, instead politely turning his attention back to Nandahya as she finished the introductions and began reading off the first state of business.
“I would like to thank Governor Rieflin for letting me call this meeting at such short notice,” she said. “I'm sure that the reoccurrence of an emergency meeting so soon after a Blessed Event does not bode well with many of you, but rest assured we are here as a preemptive measure, and at this time we still do not plan an offensive.”
Light and half-hearted applause barely crossed the room. He turned away from his council, more embarrassed by this preamble than the attention she was trying to give him. He'd skipped it the last time, and for good reason. He quickly gestured for her to bring it to a close and move forward.
She nodded and continued. “To begin with: there has been an upsurge of assaults in this city in the weeks following the wondrous Blessed Event. The fact that the Ascension of the One of All Sacred had failed only compounds matters at hand.”
A few collective gasps caught Anton's attention. He'd known — guessed, really — that it had failed the day it happened, and word of its failure had been kept not only from the public but most governmental offices, including the CNF.
“I am happy to report that the Dearest One came to no harm,” Nandahya said. “She has chosen to continue following her path here in Bridgetown. The Mendaihu continue to serve her as willing Protectors and Warriors.
“Regarding the assaults: according to reports, there is a distinct possibility that rebelling Shenaihu nuhm'ndah will continue their assaults against the city. Though they affect only one or two people each time, this is still domestic terrorism, pure and simple. While the ARU has been leading the investigations, they cannot continue to cover all of them without exhausting resources. ARU Commissioner Tatreault, I commend you for the services your Units have offered, and I certainly commend the agents themselves. BMPD Commissioner Tatreaux, I also commend you for the services the Police Department have provided by adding more patrols to the streets to assist the ARU.
“We have stopped short of utilizing the Sentinels or Special Forces Units, as we do not want to resort to such firepower at this time. We did not need it during the Blessed Event, which had been stabilized by the Mendaihu. We will call on them if needed, but only then. It has been twenty-five years since the previous Season of Embodiment. The two units were not called at that time either, as the Mendaihu Elders of the time had advised us not to. Normally the Mendaihu have no governmental powers over the Provincial Government, but in this case it was warranted that we follow their lead. Their cause was a spiritual one, and current events, however tragic, are of spiritual nature as well, and one the Mendaihu promised they would see through. Time proves that they have been good on their word.
“So, it is with the concession of Governor Rieflin and myself that, if the Mendaihu call on us again for the exact same reason and the exact same cause, we will not hesitate to follow through with their wishes. If there are any dissenters in this room, I would very much like to hear what you have to say right now.”
As expected, General Stephen Phillips of the Special Forces Guard was the first person to speak up. Dressed in full regalia, he stood up quickly and addressed both Nandahya and Anton with the airs of a man trying desperately not to lose his cool. “I must object, emha Mirades,” he said gruffly. “We are talking about the safety of millions of people in the immediate province, and countless mo
re if we include the outpost cities! I am certainly aware that Bridgetown is not alone in this suffering. I have heard similar reports from provinces all across this continent.”
Nandahya stood up herself and matched his body language right down to the slight lean forward, never breaking eye contact. “I understand completely,” she said. “I know the history, General. Some provinces did employ the service of those military units, and with great effect. But this is Bridgetown, sir. If the Mendaihu Elders say do not deploy, we do not deploy. Is that understood?”
General Phillips took a slow breath and was on the verge of responding, when Anton caught the look in his eye. Fear. The man may have conviction, but his rank was well below hers. He knew better than to argue with a Mendaihu Elder when it came to a spiritual war. The man nodded slowly and straightened himself, forcing a smile. It was the first time Anton had ever seen the man back down from an argument.
“I would like to reiterate my argument,” he began. “I would like to retract my objection. It is a concern. I am deeply concerned about the safety of this province, edha Mirades, as it is my duty to be so.”
“As are we all, General,” Nandahya said. “As are the Mendaihu Elders. The Mendaihu Gharra are protectors of Earth, in the literal sense. Even instances where they must protect us from ourselves. It is their duty to remember our spiritual history, so they can protect and teach us in the future.”
“Like a never-ending cycle,” Anton said offhandedly. He hadn't meant to say it aloud, and immediately regretted it when Nandahya scowled at him. She composed herself quickly and turned back to General Phillips.
“The Governor has a point,” he said, finding the upper hand. “This cycle of seasons has continued since the First Meraladian Landing nearly two hundred years ago. But that would also mean that the first Gharra-related season of Embodiment too place the year before the Landing, would it not?”
“It certainly would,” Avador Kariktasi said, and stood up. He was in his early sixties, had a bit of a paunch on him, but otherwise looked in perfect health. He was a very large man, nearly as tall as Anton at close to seven feet. General Phillips cowered ever so slightly in his presence.
Unlike Mancka, he was not soft-spoken. His voice carried clearly across the room so even Jack, still sulking on a couch at the far end of the room, could not ignore him. “As a sehndayen-ne, part of my teaching is in the history of the Mendaihu and the Shenaihu, and how they played a part in the Meraladian Landing,” he explained. “It is true an Embodiment did take place about a year before Landing. Of course, Meraladian timekeeping is slightly different than that of Earth's, so I can only say that it would have taken place roughly as predicted. Unfortunately for us and for the rest of the world, the reigning Dahné on Meraladh back then, and all his successors, have never officially released the events that took place on Meraladh and Mannaka at that time.
“I shall not hazard any guesses as to what happened. Both worlds survived as we can obviously see, and have not encountered another Embodiment since. Apart from that first Season, it seems to be a purely Gharné event.
“And so, General Phillips and Governor Rieflin, I will concede that it has been a cycle, sometimes a violent one, and one that we have been unable to fix on our own. It is not a political uprising. And it is not a social breakdown. It is history. It is fueled by spiritual memory, we know that much. Who among us do not wonder about our origins? The Gharné from Mannaka and Meraladh; the Mannaki and Meraladhza from Trisanda. And the Trisandi? Where did they come from? Were they the originating species? We don't know. Perhaps the answer is still there, but most of us do not yet have the ability travel such distances.
“I understand your new concern. Yes, there are those who can Lightwalk to Trisanda and back on their own, without assistance. They are the strongest of Mendaihu and Shenaihu here on Gharra. All Mendaihu Elders and Shenaihu nuhm’ndah can travel there at will, as can the One of All Sacred. They have visited countless times, trying to find that answer, the one we are all looking for. And there we will find the source of these seasons of embodiment.”
Avador turned to Nandahya and Anton and nodded solemnly. “If the Mendaihu Elders advise no military interference, you have my blessing to follow their word.”
Nandahya bowed in return. “Sa’im taftika, edha Kariktasi. We appreciate your support.”
Avador flashed a quick smile in response. He sat down quietly, scanning the rest of the room as he did. There was an unnatural quietness hanging over everyone, a discomfort one could only describe as facing reality.
“There is little choice,” Nandahya said, breaking the silence. “I wish most of you could understand and grasp these spiritual memories embedded in all Meraladians. You will in time, but right now, so very few Gharné Mendaihu fully understand it. I can’t rightfully say it's like instinct, as it gives the elitist impression that only Meraladians and Mendaihu have this spiritual link. Everyone on this planet has a spiritual link to everybody and everything else, not only on Earth but in the rest of the Universes. That is why we need the One of All Sacred; she possesses that link. She sees it, senses it, uses it the best she can while looking out over all of us.
“I apologize this confuses you, but I speak the only truth I know. The One of All Sacred is real. The Mendaihu are real. The assaults by the Shenaihu nuhm'ndah rebels are most definitely real! I defy any of you to say that the events of late September did not happen the way they did. We must assume that the coming month will indeed be dark.”
Again, General Phillips stood up. His demeanor was subdued this time, almost reverential towards her. He bowed slightly before speaking, and kept his eyes from making direct contact with hers. “I must interject here, emha Mirades, and ask that we at least create a military plan when — if — the time comes to warrant it. I understand that every previous Embodiment season has been unique; some involved battles that nearly decimated the city, while others amounted to little more than a few street fights. That is the wonder of this event, emha. We cannot predict any of it until it is too late.”
Nandahya responded to the General's new approach with equal warmth. “The Governor and I have already taken this into consideration.”
“Thank you, edha Mirades,” he said, but not without hesitation. He'd wanted to add to that and thought better of it, and sat down.
“Is there something else?” Anton asked.
The General leaned forward again and faced Anton, but did not rise again. Nor did he avert his eyes, like he had with Nandahya. Anton didn't always get along with General Phillips, and he rarely expected any subservience him. He leaned forward himself and waved the man on.
“Sir, if I may, I simply must bring up the subject of the communications snafu we had near the end of the Blessed Event,” he said. Anton smirked openly; he was surprised the man hadn’t brought it up earlier. “In retrospect, no harm was done, and as it turns out the Special Forces were only needed for security and traffic. Regardless, it still disturbs me that we were hacked so easily. What if it really had been a provincial emergency? The fact that some kid was able to breach our firewalls, tell you what to do and make you order us not to do anything —”
“He didn't order me at all,” Anton interrupted with just enough calm to make him listen. “It was a mutual decision between emha Mirades and myself. There was no coercion from the man in question, only concern.”
“…sir,” he said.
“And for the record, the man in question happens to be a part of Vigil.”
Phillips peered at him. “Are you sure you want to admit that for the record, sir?”
“Yes, I do,” Anton said. “And emha Mirades concurs. Let’s be brutally honest here. For all the chaos Vigil may have caused the corporate world over the years, in the end their cause, much like the Mendaihu Elders, was for a greater good. I won't bore you with examples, General, as they are easily found anywhere. Except for this — this young man who tied up commlinks around the city during the tensest moments in my governing
career was the one who saved our asses that day. I'm sure you've read the briefing on alternate scenarios of that afternoon, had we gone ahead and stopped the rituals taking place at the warehouse.”
“Mother Nature prevails,” the General sneered.
“Perhaps so. But he was right.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Will that be all?”
General Phillips exhaled. “Yes, sir, that is all. Thank you.”
Anton could not hide his grin. “You're welcome, General. I appreciate your eagerness in this discussion.”
“Shirai?”
“Yes, Governor Rieflin,” the young bodiless female voice called out. “How may I help you, sir?”
Anton glanced at Nandahya and flashed a smug grin at her. She chose to ignore it and shooed him away. Stifling a laugh, he turned back to the Mirades Tower AI he’d just paged. “High audio and visual security in this room, Shirai. Councillor Mirades and I will be discussing sensitive matters. Two private recordings for Nandahya and myself for later use, if you please?”
“Yes, Governor,” she said. “Private recording commencing.”
“Thank you.”
“Honestly, Anton...” Nandahya huffed. “You didn't need to rub it in his face like that.”
“Yes I did, and you know it,” he said. “I had to put General Phillips in his place. The man has always been trigger happy. Granted, he's the best at what he does and I value him because of that, but wars aren't fought with heroes and villains anymore. The Special Forces Unit should know that by now. Especially now.”
Nandahya dropped down onto one of his couches and sighed. “I know that, Anton. And I agree with you, don’t get me wrong. The problem with our Units is that they're still trained in keeping the peace through presence or force. That may work in some situations, but most definitely not in spiritual matters.”
Anton nodded. “So you think the ARU should remain the primary security unit during this time?”