He Without Sin

by Hyde, Ed

  The questions are two: how to convince David that he needs to step up and retake control of the mission, specifically the field operations of the Resources group. I doubt he can be convinced verbally. I believe at some point David will have to see for himself what is going on; Carol disagrees. Second, it is my firm opinion that we have to be ready with an answer when he asks, ‘What do we do?’

  I am finally forcing myself to take the time to read more of the mission histories in the database. It’s a lot to plow through, but there are good ideas in there. Something may apply to our situation.

  I am still elated from our camping out in the forest primeval with Dylan. When we were out at the bluffs, we at first retreated to our little dome to sleep. Not so in the forest. It was just magical and Carol told me she feels the same way. Dylan says the prox alarm was on but I wonder; he seems to take a lot of chances. In the morning, the fire was still smoldering, the air was cool and crisp and there were any number of birds and small furry creatures flitting and scurrying about. I remember thinking in amazement at the time that here I am waking on a strange but hospitable world surrounded by unfamiliar plants and animals, vulnerable in many ways, and yet with the strong feeling that, yes, this could be a fine home to me, to Carol, and the others, just as it is to the native people.

  Surprise

  David eyes me suspiciously. He pushes his lower lip out, draws it back. He looks away and rubs his right temple with a slow circular motion. “Again? Really?” He turns his head back to me, elbows on the table in his base camp quarters, and puts his fingertips together. “Is it personal? Is there something you’ve got against him?”

  I don’t think this is the time to confess my visceral dislike for Master Brachus. It would only serve to cloud the facts. “No, it’s not personal David. Not last time, and not this time. You saw the evidence from last time yourself. That was not personal. It was factual,” I answer calmly. “And it was a situation that only you could address.” I pause so as to leave room if he needs to comment. “And you did.”

  David drops one hand to the table and his eyes flash, but just as fast as Mr. Means shows up, he departs again. “Ok. Alright,” David says with resignation in his voice. “Tell me.”

  After laying out what I see to be the main issue with the current situation, I summarize the key point that I worked out earlier with Carol and say, “Look David, if you agree that genetically these people are on the right track, then it remains to us to try and leave them heading in the right direction as a society, if possible. Our current tack is based on punishment and the enforcement of arbitrary rules. It’s harsh and, I believe, a dead end; a failure after we leave.

  But if we could change that direction, if we could change the emphasis from punishment to reward then we would have something; something self-sustaining. Something that the people themselves could understand and promote now and into the future. David, it’s something you could take back home with you as a legacy.”

  ______

  “Whatever you told him worked, apparently,” says Mark a few days later.

  “What do you mean, worked?”

  “He commandeered one of the flyers again and has been covering lots of ground out there. Back and forth. He’s out as we speak. I peeked at the on-board memory and he’s not sightseeing; his movements are to the field locations of Wes’ team plus a few stops in between. What did you tell him exactly?”

  “Has he said much to you? What’s his mood?”

  “Mood? He hasn’t said anything to me. All business. He’s in that focused state where he doesn’t really see you. Some people get like that. They’re there, but then again they’re not. Whatever you did, you’ve got him thinking, that’s for sure.”

  Mark brushes his hair off his forehead although it doesn’t need it. He looks on his worktable for something, but then turns and walks towards the back wall of his shop. He looks older now for some reason. His limp is more noticeable than I remember. But when he turns back, his grin is in place and he looks right at me and says, “Wes, on the other hand, is going to be pissed as hell.” I deliberately don’t react. “He’s going to know it’s you, you know. You’re a real troublemaker, you know.”

  “Come on, it’s not me. Not just me. You know it and you agree, too, but you don’t say it. Besides,” I protest, “if it’s anyone, it’s him. It’s his attitude. He and his pals are out of control. Or should I say, in control. That’s the whole problem.”

  Mark’s right though. No matter how it turns out, there is a high likelihood that Brachus will assume it’s me who’s the ‘complainer.’ And, he’s never said anything, but he must assume that I’m the one who blew the whistle when I showed David the hidden Resource team media. Lester let on as much. Lester has been loyal to him right through; his other crew not so much. But they haven’t ratted him out to David to my knowledge.

  I know that, politically, David has to tread lightly. After all, we are all going to come through this adventure and out the other side together. Brachus is still going to be here, and the whole team will have to deal with it and work together, uncomfortable or not.

  ______

  “Let’s get started. Sit down.”

  David remains standing. He looks at every one of us as if he’s taking attendance. If my memory is correct, this is the only time, on the planet’s surface, that the entire mission team has been assembled. No, wait, at the archive capsule sendoff we were all there too. We are in the mess hall and the seating has been arranged like a small classroom in neat lines all facing David. Brachus is sort of loitering in the front of the assembly off to the side of David. I watch closely as David nods to him and indicates with a head movement that he, too, should be seated. Brachus grins and totters over on his spindly legs to a front row seat, making a show of politely asking the nearest person for permission to sit.

  David looks like his old self again; the David we met back at the Academy, charismatic David. He remains in a casual posture, not speaking, still looking the gang over, not engaging any one particular person. Comments or greetings he answers only with a smile or nod; a question thrown to him by Grigor he cuts off with his hand by using a ‘stop’ gesture and shaking his head and turning his attention elsewhere.

  After everyone is seated, the gathering becomes quiet. I feel the tension slowly increase as David, arms folded, remains silently standing and smiling, but not broadly. Next to me, Carol reaches over and takes hold of my hand. I look at her as she gives it a squeeze. I can tell she is pleased by the way David is commanding attention. I am not as pleased; I would rather he get on with it. I am afraid that I may get called out for blowing the whistle on Wes’ activities.

  “Chris. Chris, where are you going? Please sit down.”

  “To get something to drink?”

  “Sit. Please. I won’t be long. Sit. Thanks.”

  “Everyone. Please. Yes, it’s really me. The rumor that I’ve been replaced by one of Mark’s robots is false. And just to be clear, I have not been locked in my quarters contemplating how to clone myself and populate the entire planet singlehandedly.”

  I too am starting to like what he’s doing. Capture the crowd, disarm them with humor.

  “We have come to another milestone. Everyone, the last phase of our mission is about to begin. And the culmination of that phase is our return. Our return home, to civilization.” He again slowly scans the group. “This last phase is going to require some changes, and that’s what we are going to discuss now.” David unfolds his arms and stands erect, shifting his weight evenly to both feet.

  “First, I am told that the Resources team has more than fulfilled their task of locating, extracting, and delivering the raw materials we need for R & R…” David pauses in mid-sentence apparently to assess whether there is a question about his meaning. There is none, although there are a few murmurs, and he continues, “… and so their function will change for the remainder of our stay. They will now be tasked with the work of prepping the Hobbe for our return and
will be split into two task forces, one supporting Mark and technically directed by him on this end, the other task force at the other end, up top, under Grigor’s technical direction.

  “The focus of the Processing and Fabrication group—it’s more than just Mark alone now—will continue the good work of that department for a time. But that focus too will change as it transitions into recycling mode, cannibalizing this base camp, as well as our other outposts, before departure.”

  “And the flyers,” adds Mark.

  “And the flyers, one at a time” repeats David, nodding a thank you. He moves slowly as he talks, walking from side to side in front of the group. “As we get closer to departure, each of you will reach that time when you have to say goodbye to this world. One or two at a time, you will be re-assigned to your shipboard duties until at last we can make one final ascent leaving only the double L system behind.” David lowers his head, turns, and calmly moves closer to front and center, where he began his address. He leans back, but does not sit, on the stool provided for him and crosses his arms. He remains silent for a moment, looking over the assembled team until the scattered hushed chatter stops.

  “A few words about mission objectives. The documentation of the conditions here—animal, mineral, and vegetable—is complete. And I would add, is a complete success, as is the recording of planetological parameters. The verification of evolutionary goals for the native population is also complete and will be well-received back at GE central. And here, I want to add something personal,” David says as he scoots back and up onto the stool, bringing both feet up off the floor and onto the lowest rung of the stool.

  “About the people. There is a high correlation of the progress of these people, genetically, to the ideal. It was with some trepidation that I investigated, as you all know, the possibility of pushing their numbers even higher. I am now prepared, without hiding my sincere relief, to share with you the news that this goal has been accomplished.”

  I can see one or two faces showing mild confusion, as if they don’t know whether to cheer, clap, or quietly wait for more. A couple others smile and nod at David; Wes gives him a thumbs up, but I swear it looks like he’s doing it for our sake, not for David’s, as he makes sure his gesture is visible to all. It is refreshing to see David ignore his childish behavior and quietly regard the assembled team before continuing.

  “Several on our Resources team—Dylan, you are one of them—have played a large part in seeing that the strongest line, or now I should say lines, of genetically advanced people have got a solid foothold in the environment and have a real chance at not only surviving, but prospering and eventually dominating the planet. And that is a real achievement that will set this mission and all of you apart from the ordinary.” There is a general light applause, and any tension among the audience members seems relieved. “But that phase is played out and over. ‘Our’ people, if I can call them that, will have to make it on their own from now on.”

  David’s glance now rests on me for a moment before he says, “During this close-out phase of our mission we are going to take a stab at giving them a push down the road to cultural maturity. Genetically, we are done. But culturally, there is a long way for these people to go. I believe we can help them. Shipley? Jason, I want you to assume responsibility for this effort.”

  I am shocked, but try to keep evidence of it off my face. The result is that I make no response physically, nor can I think of anything to say. After a few moments of delay, during which several turn partway around to see my reaction, I look and see Carol looking at me with concern. She raises her eyebrows and I discreetly shake my head ‘no’ and manage a weak smile. I determine not to say a word but instead to simply return David’s gaze.

  I was blindsided! I know that baboon Brachus set this up. I’m a communications officer, not a social psychologist! Aside from the insult of not being consulted before the announcement, I have a deep sinking feeling as I struggle to think what to do with this responsibility. Carol and I talked this over already and we have a vague idea what needs to be done, but how?

  Carol rightly mentioned that at no time did David address Wes or mention him by name in his speech. And that’s surely a slight to him. And neither was he given an opportunity to sidle up next to David and pretend to more importance than he deserves. She’s right about that too; David handled the Wes part of it very well.

  Since I was given the task, I’m taking it. I met with my new group—handpicked of course. Carol, Dylan, Craig, Porter. I’ve asked Mark in as an advisor only; he’s fully occupied already. No decisions yet, just identifying those of us whom I will count on. Specifically not Brachus, Lester, Rick, or Chris. They are all tied too closely to exactly what needs to be corrected.

  The current situation as extensively documented by Dylan, and witnessed by a number of others, including myself, is quite harsh. It’s based on the people recognizing that yes, they do have some sort of guiding force that wants them to prosper and multiply, but that entity ensures compliance via fear and force, sometimes overwhelming and merciless force. And he, meaning Brachus, has set down a number of arbitrary ‘rules’ for behavior to satisfy his own preferences and tastes; his own ego.

  In all this, they as a people have been given some guidance, it’s true, but it has been piecemeal and sometimes contradictory. Dylan emphasizes that he sees the people, when they are faced with major decisions, motivated by fear rather than more mature guiding principles.

  Leftover Dreams

  “We’ve got to try to break this cycle of endless war, endless killing. And at the same time we’ve got to leave a strong and lasting sense of societal and individual responsibility.”

  I found some interesting case histories in the archives. The concept was reported as having good results in different but similar situations on previous missions. I did a lot of thinking about it and bounced it off Carol. It’s a good idea. I think it’ll work. It has to work; we only get one shot and then we are out of here.

  “The first idea is this: we need to send a clear message that the lessons they’ve learned in the past are not necessarily the best. In fact they need to be updated with a new, simple and clear set of principles. The principles have to be presented in a compelling way, a way that will impress and be remembered—hopefully forever. Thar’s where the second part comes in.”

  I have ideas on how to do all this, but want to save them until I get buy-in on the general plan.

  “It’s not going to be easy; I’ll need all of your help to make it happen,” I say and cross my arms as I try to adopt David-like gravitas and charisma. I can see by Carol’s wink that it’s not exactly working. But I know this team is on my side, and they all want to help; I’ve talked to each of them individually.

  “Having said that, the second part is going to be trickier to pull off than the first. I’ve settled on a concept but we will want to kick a few of your ideas around too.”

  “Jason, Tracy said she would like to help, if you think you could use her.”

  At the beginning of the mission she was in tight with Brachus, or so it seemed. No, not ‘seemed,’ she was. She was the human firewall between him and the rest of us.

  “Carol, since she talked to you, will you please tell her thanks, we’ll let her know.”

  Porter says, “What about that second part you mentioned? What do you mean ‘trickier than the first part’? What are we up against?”

  “I don’t know how much you’ve seen of the constant warring, the bloodshed of the so-called ‘our’ people and the surrounding groups. Well, some of that was encouraged by Brachus and Lester. They would make a kind of a game out of it. What it has done is instill an attitude of ‘might makes right’ and an attitude in ‘our’ people that they have a ‘destiny’ to prevail. These are attitudes that will not serve them or any population well going forward.

  “I know David has a special interest in the lineage he has been following but as most of you must know, there are other scattered smal
l populations over much of the globe. Some message of cooperation and coexistence must be sent, in my opinion, so future generations may peaceably cohabit this planet.”

  “But how? What is your plan? Jason, I think I can say we are all on board, but let’s get this going. Where do we start?”

  It’s now or never to get this plan on the table and fill in any holes we can detect; I push on.

  “The first part, instilling a new set of principles has to be done in such a way that it’s the talk of the land. It can’t be a quick ‘here, read this’ kind of thing. It’s got to be implemented in a powerful manner that cannot be ignored, to make sure it will be the stuff of legends and lore for generations to follow. We have to replace the paradigm of fear and punishment with one of hope and reward. These are principles that we’ve all learned. Common sense, you might think, but it’s not so to a new society. And they need these ideas if peace and prosperity are to thrive.

  “The second part has to have the same enduring quality but with added danger—danger to one of us. We have to teach a lesson that will replace the endless cycle of deaths and Wes-worship with a symbolic or ritual sacrifice that will serve as the proxy for all others.” I look over the group one at a time and repeat, “All others—now and into the future.”

  “Wait—who are you? Symbolic proxy? Where did you come up with this stuff?” ask Porter. We all look at him to see his half-smiling quizzical expression.

  This breaks the tension a bit, I can see, and Carol follows with, “Yes, Jason, tell us. Where did you come up with this?”