ASSOCIATION / CH. 33:AFTERMATH
I.H.M. VIRTUAL STAFF MEETING, FEB 21ST, 2272
“Structural survey says OK, security survey says OK.” Kate reported to the staff. “And the pipework for the neighbourhood loop is being laid as we speak, but they've finished with the Institute bits. In other words, we're open for business.”
“What about transport?” Ivan asked.
“Well, the hypersonic link is going to take a lot of fixing, of course. That'll probably be a year. Otherwise, the bulldozers have cleared the roads, and transports are up along main routes. So far, they've not seen any problems, but they're testing the sensor networks, just in case.”
“Wonderful.”
“I've also got a full analysis of what happened during the impact, if anyone wants to know exactly what went wrong with the forcefields,” Ivan reported.
“Can you give us a one sentence version?” Ed asked. “Was it a complete waste of money?”
“Not at all. Without the fields, we'd have to bulldoze the site. The blastwave was about forty percent stronger than we expected. Bearing in mind that the guess came from what the institute looked like in the visions, and that damage is what we got, that's not really very surprising. Everyone's apologizing to a PhD student who predicted it pretty much spot on for not taking his analysis seriously.”
“But it was too much for the fields?”
“It was too much for the tent pegs they used. And if they'd used bigger tent pegs then that wouldn't have helped much, since the metalwork on the emitter array wouldn't have been strong enough. Basically, it failed because we tried to protect the whole road. But the military guys are pretty happy.”
“They're happy that it failed?”
“They're happy that it wasn't the forcefield or the emitter array that failed, but just bits of metal. They said they know where they are with bits of metal.”
“So, if the forcefield coped, what happed to our wall?”
“Power came from the plug in the outside wall that the gardeners use. The cable went down that recessed channel, past the front steps, and then round the corner to the emitter array. Health and safety rules meant it had to be screwed to the front of the steps, rather than going along the top of them, so it wouldn't trip anyone up. We failed to think about what would happen to a piece of cable trapped between a forcefield being dragged along by a pressure wave and a nice concrete step. The cable got cut, no more protection for the wall, so the forcefield just kept on bulldozering more until it had smashed up the dodgy concrete a bit.”
“What stopped it?” Sarah asked.
“I'm not sure if it was that the shockwave stopped pushing or the concrete didn't want to budge mores,” Ivan said with a shrug.
“And how many of the neighbours' houses stayed up?” John asked.
“The ones might have seen standing right after the impact were damaged more badly than you thought. They collapsed when the forcefield was turned off.”
“So, in other words, the prophesy was fulfilled?” John asked.
“Yes. A death at the camps, but not related to one tent ruined by a meteorite. Two other meteorites caught by the camp's forcefields. The institute damaged. Our attempts to beat our underestimated understanding of the problem made the predictions a reality.”
“Let me state that here and now, I don't want this to turn into a discussion on my freedom.” Will said. There were appreciative groans, and Kate made moved the discussion onto the issue of reopening the Institute.
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THE BEAUTIFUL PENINSULA, 1 MARCH 2273
“Honoured party member.” Tina said to the person being interviewed. “Would you like to reconsider your answer?”
“Reconsider?” the party official acted shocked at the suggestion.
“As the Great Leader's loyal Prime Consort has explained, sir, I am here to verify the truthfulness of responses given. It is not generally prudent to cover up things that will later come to light, and I would much prefer not to give the honourable lady a bad report about your answer.”
“Perhaps you would like some time to reconsider?” the Prime Consort suggested.
“I need no more time, lady consort.”
“Oh, good. So, how often have you used your position to benefit yourself, instead of to your country, or deprived others of what they should have?”
“Once or twice, lady consort.”
Tina frowned. She'd heard 'per week.' on the end of that. “Seeking to mislead a high party official is a most perilous step.”
“It is indeed. Explain, quickly.”
“My son is a teenager, lady consort. He could eat our entire family ration so easily! I have taken extra rations for him.” The official admitted, holding his head in shame. “I have stolen from the poor and needy for my son.”
“Truth.” Tina agreed.
“Ah. Loyalty to family, it is a powerful motivator, is it not?” she was sympathetic. This was not the master criminal who was starving the people of his village. “So, you are in charge of food distribution and one extra portion of rice out of ten thousand does not make so much difference, does it?”
“That is how I justified it to myself, lady consort.”
“But there is a bigger problem, is there not?”
“A bigger problem?”
“The portion sizes you receive? Are they adequate?”
“Lady consort, I would not wish to level unjust accusations against those above me...”
“Sensible policy. So, tell me truth. You have to divide the ration between ten thousand? How large is the portion, normally?”
“The exact number of portions is ten thousand one hundred and fifty seven. The amount varies, lady consort.”
“I expect so. How large?” There was steel in her voice, and he sensed he should not try to avoid answering. He told her, some days it was three hundred grammes, some days it was four hundred and fifty, but that was rare. Normally it was four hundred grammes per day for adults.
“The great leader has decreed that there should always be four hundred and fifty grammes of rice a day for adults, as well as other foods.”
“I have heard this, lady consort.”
“Heard, but not seen. You are not consuming the missing tonnes of food. Who is?”
“I do not know.” He added “Rice and other foods can be bought on the black market.”
“You have done so.”
It wasn't a question, but he answered it anyway. “My son was hungry, lady consort.”
“Of course he was. He was not getting his allowance. I expect you were too, and many of the other ten thousand one hundred people. Someone had stolen this food you paid for from the delivery to your depot.”
“I do not know who would do such a thing, lady consort.”
“I expect it was not your black-market supplier, not directly.”
“No, lady consort.”
“I expect he is an honest delivery driver, who knows someone who can exchange some money for food. But of course such a trade is dangerous and he must add to his costs.”
“No, lady consort. I do not believe he does. He is a not a rich man.”
“But perhaps he has a hungry son too?”
“Yes, lady consort. “He could not afford food for his son without the custom of others.”
“Some party officers would extract his name from you and throw you and him in jail. Instead, I ask you to keep accurate records. Record the amount you receive in your warehouse.”
“Accurate records, lady consort?”
“Yes.”
“But...”
“You have been told that such records would cause you problems?”
“Yes.”
“Who told you this? Your supervisor or your predecessor?”
“My predecessor, honourable lady, was removed from his position for writing fabrications in the official records. He told me, 'I should have written the official grammes per person.'”
“I see. You have been in your post for four years?”
“Yes, honourable lady.”
“And you have never recorded the true amount?”
“No.”
“Reconsider your answer.” Tina warned.
“Not in the official records, honourable lady. But I must calculate somewhere. I calculate in my diary.”
“You say you have accurate records, in your diary?”
“Yes, lady consort.” he answered nervously.
“Wonderful. Is it here?”
“It is, honoured lady.” his fear growing.
Tina took mercy on him. “Does your diary, perhaps contain more personal material also?”
“It does.” he replied.
“Honorable party member.” the Prime Consort said, “I'm not interested in your secret plans for correcting the injustices of this world, secret meetings or comments about party officials. I'm interested in collecting enough data to have a public trial that will put an end to this abuse of our people. Your personal records will not be exposed to public scrutiny. But you will now begin the process of writing down the deliveries this past month, starting yesterday and working backwards. If there is a day you do not have a record for, mark it as having no record.”
“As you wish, honoured lady.” the official replied.
Ten minutes later, he'd finished, and the Prime Consort said “And now, so as not to embarrass you too much, my assistant here will check what you've written and certify it as a true record.”
He turned pale. Tina heard the terror in his thoughts about her recognising the notes he'd done at Church as what they were. “Do not fear me, I'm merely a clerk.” she said, holding out her hand for the diary.
The margins, she saw, were filled of his calculations in a neat precise hand.
She paid little attention to his notes, but as she checked his copying, she made dots on the page beside each line. Sometimes she underlined a number as well, sometimes she left out the dots. It wasn't the most complex code. He should ignore the underlines with dots. If he did, then he'd probably realise they were verses to encourage him, and one to pray for those in authority. Tina wrote that she'd checked it was a true copy, and signed it. The Prime Consort witnessed it, and added a note that the perpetrator had confessed to submitting false records while retaining these correct ones, and was being duly punished for his crime.
“Your punishment for your involvement in this crime shall be as follows.” She said. “Firstly, you will only submit true records in the future. Secondly, in your own time, you will perform a detailed statistical analysis of the correct records, as far back as you have data, determining if there is any period or pattern to the amounts missing.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“This is my punishment?”
“That is part of your punishment. You will be ready to submit it to me when I visit next, probably next week.”
“I do not understand, great lady, but I will comply.”
“Good. Now hear the final part of your punishment. You will serve the People of this Beautiful Peninsula to the best of your ability, even when that carries a risk of angering those with power. You will be strong and courageous, and do what you know is right. You will remember that you serve the people, even if there are those in the party who do not. The state is not served by our people suffering from corrupt rice thieves.”
He bowed his head, amazed at this mercy from a woman who could have executed him. “I will obey.”
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“My wife, I am still alive.” he said, whispering into his wife's ear.
“I'd noticed. Why is this news?” she replied in a normal tone.
“Because the most honourable lady the Prime Consort visited, and questioned me, with one who knows lies. I was forced to confess my crimes. She was... sympathetic.”
“Sympathetic?” This time, she did whisper.
“Yes. And see these blue marks in my diary. The one who knows lies made them.”
“Odd marks. Why?”
“She checked my calculations. But look at the numbers where there is no dot.”
“Four, three, one, six?”
“Read the numbers together, where there is no gap.”
“Three sixteen? John?”
“Yes. It cannot be a conincidence, surely?”
“What is this last one? I do not recognise it.”
“Nor do I.”
“Later, we must find out. But for a sister, to be serving in such a position, it is amazing!”
“What was she like, the Prime Consort?”
“She demanded truth, and real numbers. She is certain. She is planning to publicly destroy someone for stealing rice. Your brother should not make a trip soon, I think, he might be caught.”
“I have told him he should not many times.”
“The Prime Consort will not be intimidated. The law and party policy is being floulted.”
“Someone will be dead soon?”
“I think we should expect a trial. A big one.”
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“Twenty villages, Tina. Twenty villages across the country, and not one receives its correct quota.”
“Is everyone doing it? Or are they so high they think they have impunity?”
“Perhaps both. But they are wrong.”
“Another village?”
“No. The nearest regional warehouse.”
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[Tina, how are you?] Eliza asked.
[I am... amazed at the corruption in my country. With the Prime Consort, I have checked. It seems like no village receives the correct amount of food.]
[Becasue town-dwellers or soldiers receive too much?]
[That is possible, but perhaps someone, or many people make themselves rich. Food is being sold on the black market.]
[That bad? Want some help?]
Tina was surprised. [You... offer to help stop corruption here? How?]
[It could be a bad day to redirect massive amounts of rice. Ask the Prime Consort if she wishes for help. She knows you have the power, does she not?]
“Lady consort... I have just been asked a surprising question.”
“Who, in the last village?”
“No, just now, while I was driving. One who can know too much.”
“And you wish me to help you answer it?”
“The question is actually for you. It was an offer of help.”
“Help?”
“Yes, honorable lady.”
“What sort of help?”
“Just as it there have been bad days in her country to serve in our security force, so it could be a bad day here to steal much rice.”
“You know this one who contacts you, then?”
“Yes, she interviewed me to be truthsayer.”
“She would tell you names?”
“I do not know.”
[No, I will not name names. I will tell you where such people are, which building, which office even, but you must still investigate: they might not be in their own office when I look at them. As here, I'll assist in that limited way, but I will not do the job of the police or security services.] Tina passed this on.
[And I only offer this because there will be a propper trial.] Eliza added.
[You know this?]
[I know it is her intention. I'm telling you this, but leave it up to you to see if it would be good to pass it on.]
“She knows I have executed Christians in the past.”
“Yes.” Tina agreed. “But now you follow a path she approves of.”
“Ah. And she does not worry that I will use the time she saves me to persecute those she would like to protect?”
[If she wants to tempt me to look at what she's really thinking, she's going about it the right way.] Tina managed not to laugh, but did smile. [I'm pretty sure she's just testing.]
“What did she respond to that?” the Prime Consort asked.
“That if you want to tempt her to look at what you're really thinking, then that is a good way.”
“And that is funny?” the Consort asked.
“Not really, respected lady. Temptation to sin is not funny, but temptation acknowledged is usually resisted, and that is a good thing.”
“You have a strange belief system.”
“We have a God who is slow to anger, rich in compasion and abounding in love.”
Tina said. “It is good to see the enemy defeated.”
“I am not defeated.”
“You are not the enemy, compassionate lady. Temptation and doing wrong, they are the enemies. Death is also an enemy, but for those who serve God, it is also a path from this world of pain and horror to a better place, where there are no more tears or pain.”
“And to those who do not serve your God?”
“Will you permit me to quote from the Bible?”
“Ah, clever one. By asking me you share the blame.”
“No, Lady Consort. I do not seek to share the blame, it is only that I do not know if you are ready to listen to the answer, and hearing the answer means you cannot plead ignorance before the judge of all the world.”
“I do not want to be ignorant, young one, or I would not ask. Tell me what my elder cousin considers and my driver risks death for.”
[Tina, I have to go.] Eliza thought to her. [There are many who grow rich by taking food intended for others, perhaps twenty. The nearest three are in these places {image, image, image}, the one you are heading towards now is in this office here {image}.]
[Thank you.] Tina thought, and then explained the gospel to the most dangerous woman in the country.
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FRIDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2272, 10PM
“You have been a busy woman.” The Great Leader said to his consort. “Freeing our loyal workers from many corrupt officials.”
“I have tried.”
“You have become very popular.”
“That was not my intention, I was outraged by what I saw. As you were.”
“But now you have become a power to be reckoned with.”
“Not independent of you.” the consort said “All I did was in your name.”
“Yes. But still, the corrupt fear you more than me. Because of your pet truthsayer.”
“She is a loyal worker.”
“She is also sufficiently pretty, and would make a fitting secondary consort, I think. You have got on well, that friendship would continue. I insist.”
It had been Tina's fear, and the Prime Consort was fore-armed. “She would hear your every thought, even those when you become distracted by matters of policy. If you sleep beside her, she would hear your thoughts then also. She would not be able to avoid it unless you never touched her.”
“You are not in favour, then.”
“You have never discussed your every thought with me, in all our time together. There are reasons for that. Do you trust her so much as that? Is she so desirable that you ignore all caution?”
“You have never wanted me to take another consort.” It was as much a challenge as simple truth.
“An heir is necessary. I understand that need. I will not object to another, but you would really share your intimate thoughts, your plans, all with her?”
“Yet you trust her.”
“Trust? I understand her motives, and I do not use her in ways she would object to, so I keep her tame. But to call her a pet is a good analogy. She is like a bear on a leash, so easily she could be dangerous, so easily she could be a spy. And you would never, ever, find out.”
“A spy?”
“She can pass a message or an image in a touch. Even without that, to one of those who found our agents in February.”
“But why would such a one contact her?”
“If she becomes your consort, why should they not? It is not like she is unknown to them.”
“What do you say?”
“I thought you knew, all truthsayers are vetted by them, have their motivations examined, at all levels of thought. The one who vetted her contacts her from time to time. This I know, and so I keep her from secrets and use her to terrorise the corrupt. They do not think of national secrets when they believe their lives are in danger.”
“She is not to be trusted, then.”
“Not beyond my present use of her.”
“You have known this about her, that she is in contact with these foreign powers long?”
“She made no secret of it to me. The foreign power, as you name that one, has also helped. Giving hints of where else I might look for corruption.”
“You have been unwise, my consort.”
“I am yours to correct.”
“Your pursuit of this goal, instructed by this unfriendly power, has removed some of our top generals.”
“Corrupt generals, Great One, those who severely abused their power. And I have interviewed all generals. Most have abused their position in some way, of course, but I only removed those whose crimes were the greatest, and only with your consent.”
“Most are corrupt?”
“I did not want to bother you with all their problems. They have been warned, and their behaviour improves. Our soldiers and workers better fed, the generals are not drunk as often on illegally bought drinks. I hope that if I can continue in this task, then people will be more afraid of the consequences of failing to report stupidities than the consequences of insulting a party member who has failed in their duty.”
“But you use a tainted tool, this untrustworthy truthsayer.”
“Are not all powerful tools tainted?”
“You speak ill of yourself, too?”
She laughed, bitterly. “Oh yes, my lover. Is it not a fault in me that I have borne no child?”
“It is. Do you have a counter-solution to the one you warn me against?”
She'd considered this too. She didn't want to saddle an innocent with this monster, it would be better to pick someone who had already ruined themselves for marriage. Perhaps they'd even consider themselves fortunate. “I do: look to the abortion clinics and pick a foolish girl who has a proven track record of conceiving.”
“Why the abortion clinics?”
“You do not want to raise another's child, surely? You could pick one who did not know who the father was, or whose lover has died. Those are common reasons for such visits in the villages.”
“I could of course simply pick any pretty mother, and kill any children and lovers or husbands. Why do you suggest one whose lover is dead?”
“Because having you wake up with a knife in the heart is not part of the plan. You want someone who looks on you as a benefactor, do you not?”
“Ah. Once more you are several steps ahead of me.”
“I have considered the problem.”
“But you said nothing.”
“I had my hopes this conversation would not happen.”
“You should have suggested it to me earlier.”
“I am at your service.”
“You think too independently, Prime Consort. Come closer.” He stroked her body familiarly, and then clamped his right hand around her neck. “It is a good suggestion. I will take it, with some modifications of my own. One is too risky, there will be three, in competition for my affections and to bear my progeny. Now, what about you? Shall I kill you myself? You deserve it, making your secret plans and harbouring one who is so dangerous close to me. But I would not want to make the corrupt think they have my favour. So... I will not kill you.” He released his grip a little, and she struggled to draw a breath. “But of course you must be punished. You are now... justice minister. Continue your purges after you recover from being brutally raped.”
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Tina was wakened just past midnight by a loud thud on the door of her apartment. There was then the sound of coarse laughter and heavy boots leaving. Then, a whimper, it might have been her name. Hesitantly, she opened the door. She gasped at the broken figure, covered in drying blood.
“Lady Consort!” Tina whispered, in shock.
[No more. I will be justice minister.] she replied, trying to not move her broken jaw.
The sound of machine gun fire cut through the night. Tina started, drawing a wince from her friend [I expected that, no witnesses. Our prayers are answered, I no longer need to suffer his touch, and nor will you. He is clever, diabolically clever. He wants to keep us together, continue the purge. So I have been brutally raped and disfigured and so can no longer be prime consort.]
“Who did this to you?”
[He beat me, cut me with a nice clean scalpel. Then he rubbed me with salt, raped me and handed me to those soldiers who are now dead, telling them to bring me here, afterwards. Stupid boys didn't think what would come next. One was decent, didn't rape me, tried to carry me gently. He should have run. Maybe he did, I told him to.]
“You need an ambulance.”
[Not yet, pray he got away first.]
A concerned soldier crept through the outer door, concentrating on checking that no one was following him. He turned, saw Tina, and froze. “I.... I had to check the lady had help.”
“She has help.” Tina confirmed.
“He told me... us...”
“I know. And now you should be dead.”
“The others are.”
“Justice.” the former Prime Consort whispered.
“I'm sorry, lady. I couldn't protect you. Shall I get help?”
“You should go, flee.” Tina said “When they find you're not with the rest of your squad...”
“They're not my squad. We were just returning to barracks at the same time. They had been drinking.”
“But not you?” Tina asked.
“No. I... I pretended I had been. You are the truthsayer?”
“Yes.”
“My father says good things of you. Please, let me help. If I am to suffer, let it be for doing good.”
He had no wrist unit on. “Call an ambulance.” Tina instructed, nodding towards her open door. He came out, shortly afterwards, and silently handed Tina her Bible. She had dangerously left it on her desk, beside the phone. She put it in her dressing gown pocket. Undoubtedly the police would search her house.
“I am sorry, they asked how I came to be here.” he flushed. “I said I was visiting you, and we heard a disturbance outside.”
[A good excuse. But he is far too well dressed.]
“Put your boots and jacket inside.” Tina told him.
“You are not angry?” he asked, after he had complied. He offered a cushion for the wounded ex-consort, allowing Tina to stand.
“It is a good excuse, let's make it more realistic. Come here.” She untucked his shirt, and undid his top collar. Then, grabbing her lipstick from the cubby hole beside the door, she applied a very thin layer to her lips, and much to his surprise kissed him on the neck.
“We kissed, and held one another.” she said. “No more.”
“There has never been more.” he agreed. “It was our first evening together. But.. your bed. You were asleep?”
“Yes... That was earlier, before you came.”
“You'd thought I wasn't coming?”
“I'd had a busy day, and had forgotten. We only met yesterday.”
“No good. I was on exercises. Last week?”
“Much better. So, I thought you were coming back tomorrow, and fell asleep early. You waited for me, and then came to visit when I didn't turn up, and woke me up. What do we have in common?”
“The same God, I think.” he whispered.
“You are a Christian?” It made sense, but she hadn't wanted to ask.
“Yes. That's why I pretended to be drunk — I'd been at a meeting.”
“Praise God!” the ex-consort murmured.
“My name is Tina.”
“Lee.”
“We bumped into each other, literally. I was carrying some papers, you helped me pick them up.”
“I invited you out.”
“I heard your good intentions and accepted.”
“We had no intention of going to bed together tonight. You are not that sort of woman. We merely talked.”
“Absolutely. Except I kissed you. I was all embarrassed for getting the day wrong, and then embarrassed at kissing you as soon as I saw you.” An idea struck her. “You said I'd met your family?”
“Yes.”
“Where? When?”
“A month ago.” he named the village.
“With the waterfall?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Hold my hand and think of images of home, of your family.”
“Like this?”
“Imagine you're giving them to me. Yes. That's good. More, it can be faster.”
“Really?”
“Thoughts are fast.” He thought of a place, then a girl, then the feeling of Tina kissing him. “Stop getting distracted. The girl is your sister?”
“First girlfriend,” he said, and Tina saw his memory of the sun in her hair as they shared a first kiss. “She was killed.” Executed for her faith, in a raid on her church when he wasn't there.
“We talked about her too. You kissed her under a tree full of blossom.”
“You saw that, too?”
“Yes. I asked you about her, you miss her still.”
“I do.” This Tina was a kind person, and pretty.
“I sympathised with you. That should be enough. Thank you.”
“What for?”
“The compliments.” Tina replied, and settled down beside her wounded friend once more, touching her hand.
[You haven't set your next date.]
“Lady...”
[Hope does not fail, even though I don't know what they broke. And God wills that life continue, does he not?]
Tina sighed. “The lady asks, when will we next meet?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. And what time?”
“I will be off-duty at six. Does meeting you here work?” He asked. Then, when she said of course, he did a double check. “Really? I mean this isn't just to tell the police?”
“We must meet at the time we tell the police, and also afterwards. They will watch.”
“That is true. I'm sorry, I should have said something else.”
“God is sovereign.” Tina pointed out.