Chapter Seventeen
Signed confession
As usual for six weeks at the ten-thirty morning meeting, a group is in Harry’s office reading computer screens of the latest planet-wide talk for and against and about the Bakman Report.
"They're really having a feeding frenzy on The Bakman Report," Emmert offers toward the end of an extra long meeting in Harry's office reviewing various Information Screens on the subject, studying their sources, and future program listings.
"This week nothing good has been said about it. The owners of those Screens, the people that hire and fire talking heads, have put out the word—kill it," Harry adds.
"How much more of this is there," asks Dee arriving late to sit between Vee and Zee? “I’m sick of listening to all the reasons why it cannot and should not be done.”
"I think we've gone though enough. The rest, ten minutes or so, is all the same," Emmert informs the group as his finger touches a panel to mute the voice on the screen.
"We have to look at the end of this now too," Harry tells the group.
"I don't understand?" Dee and Emmert both ask at the same time.
Harry points at Bakman for him to answer.
Bakman looks at the group, smiles, and then starts. "When this project is over, the U.N. will want to gather up everyone involved, and I mean everyone, parade all of them through a very long noisy series of public trials or at least quickly grab a big fish. Harry and I have talked about this. More people will be allowed to slip away and never be charged if they have an early easy target—a fall guy. I'm that guy. The more they heap on me, the less they will look around to gather up our people."
With a serious expression on his face Bakman looks around the room. Every face is now without humor. Dee has her hand over her mouth hiding her fear and a tear escapes from her right eye to roll down her cheek. It splashes on the program list her other hand holds.
Bakman continues. "Harry and I thought at the end of this disk about the Bakman Report and public discussions about it. Emmert should add the following statement. A screen flashes on and Bakman’s face on the view screen reads the statement.
The reasons for my actions are: [1.] Government is not going to do this. [2.] Politicians now believe the people are against this, because the people that own the talking heads are against it. Therefore, surveys are against it. Informational Screens that speaks for it will have poor ratings. [3.] Clones are involved in our project, and because cloning is illegal, people find it easy to be against our project for a variety of reasons. [4.] Some people are still afraid of mechanicals and the thought of people that far away from here depending on a robotic machine bothers them. [5.] Some of the forces that control us on this world are afraid they will not be able to control a world so far away and are against it. [6.] Some business and labor leaders worry that somehow any new world of people might damage their means and ability to make a living. [7.] Every religious leader can interpret dozens of texts in their religious books and writings to prove it should not be done, if they believe their congregations are against it.
Therefore, we will do it. Meryl Runk had the idea many years ago. The idea inspired Harry OpDyke in his last years to put all of his money and his remaining energy into this project. Harry convinced me of the need for this project and I promised Harry that I will see it through to completion.
Signed: D.G. Duffy Bakman
The room was silent as Bakman finished reading his document. When the screen blanked out he handed the signed statement just read to Emmert. Trying to comfort his wife Bakman smiles, touches Dee’s hand, but Dee unashamedly cries with twin streams of tears running down her cheeks. Sorry for causing his wife’s pain Bakman finishes, "Harry and I thought that statement might keep a few of our people out of prison."
An openly crying Dee leaps up from her chair and rushes to hug her husband. His arms go around Dee and she whispers into his chest, "Take me home! I can't do anymore of this today."
Bakman nods to the group and with his arm around his sniffling wife, they walk to the open door. In the hallway, Zee moves quickly to get in front and Vee follows.
The Centauri Conspiracy Page 19