Notes from An Alien (7 page)

    Discussions will be held, the date to be determined by joint decision of both Worlds' Leadership Councils, to determine whether flights between Worlds will be permitted at times other than close approach.

Article 92C:

InterWorld Weapons:

    It is hereby jointly confirmed and covenanted by Anga-Param's and Anla-Purum's Leadership Councils that no weapons will be transported from one World to the other, whether Ship-mounted or personally-carried, or individually-implanted.

~~~

The farming family sat in their kitchen in the hills of Beselima, forty miles from Babur, overlooking the Vesun River.

    Helmos, the father, said to his wife, Murlum:

    "We can't make the quota."

    "But, we must or the children will suffer."

    The children—Nesur, twelve; Albes, six; and Iti, five—sat with intense interest in the conversation.

    "Murlum, if we can't, we can't. So, we must find a way to transfer the children to a safer place."

    "What place? Anla, with its religious idiots?"

    "No. A place on Anga. A place I've heard of, with a family of Harians."

    "Oh, so dump them with local rather than alien religious idiots, eh?"

    "No, Murlum, Sezurna says these people are reasonable and won't infect the children with religious ideas."

    Nesur, the twelve-year-old, said:

    "Who is Sezurna?"

    "He's my transport connection in Babur."

    "How does he know these Harians and how can they still be alive after the religious purging last year?"

    "Nesur, there are places in Beselima that no member of the Leadership Council or any of their underlings can find—places secure from any surveillance."

    "Then we all should move there..."

    "And live on what, air and kindness?"

    "But, father, how can you explain an absence of your children?"

    Helmos stared at his eldest, looked to his wife, then glanced at Albes and Iti. Finally, he said:

    "Children are often taken by the deranged beasts that our beloved leaders have bred to keep us in our assigned locations."

    "But we have plasma fences..."

    "They will have to fail long enough for you to be eaten by beasts."

    The two youngest children laughed hilariously.

    Nesur began to cry.

~~~

Kesma Trem and Urjan Elosm had lived in the same apartment for four years.

    Kesma was striving to become a Bonded Plot Analyst on the Corporate Mesh. He'd lost fifty pounds in the last two years.

    Urjan was a doctor at the largest hospital in Ansa. She was helping Kesma to his simulated recreation area. He had also lost most of the nerve control in his left leg. Urjan said:

    "Won't you please let me admit you to the hospital? I can't properly attend to you anymore. Please understand... Three shifts daily is hard for me..."

    "You need more simulated recreation."

    "And, you need less."

    "It helps me calm down before Plot sessions."

    "You need less Plot Playing, too."

    "Urjan, credits..."

    "Will they give me credits for your death?"

    The lights began to flicker then went out. Urjan said:

    "If I was Harian, I'd say my prayer was just answered."

    Kesma began to have violent tremors. Urjan helped him to the floor and rushed to retrieve her medical case. As she returned to his side she could feel he was shaking less so, instead of giving him an injection, she grabbed the portable implant trigger and activated it. Kesma became still, opened his eyes, and said:

    "Turn up the visualization parameter, I need to daydream."

    "Kesma, Kesma, I'm so afraid for you..."

    "Never fear, Urjan, once I'm Bonded, you can quit the hospital and do the research you've craved and I'll have Corporate help for my various ills."

    "If the Corporation doesn't kill us both in the mean time."

~~~

The Leadership Council of Anga, formed from the ranks of the previous Corporate Regeneration Committee, sat at a table in the most secure room of the building. They had mentally blended their connections to the top tier of the Corporate Mesh enabling simultaneous mental rapport with each other and access to Plot Analyses.

    Five men dedicated to keeping the provisions of the Trade/Peace Treaty amenable to their manipulation. There was a separate Plot channel just for this. As they spoke to each other, their minds cast up charts and figures from the latest analyses as their emotions resonated to each others' thought-induced feelings.

    ShipFour was well on its way to Anla. Special procedures had been instituted to allow 150,000 settlers to board—95 of whom had been fitted with implants that communicated with the normal endocrine implants in a way that masked any activation of either implant. These people were the Leadership Council's safety net—their eyes on the ground—and, eventually, their means to control the leadership of Anla. Since the overt war had ended and the Lord's Army and Faith of Eternity had been almost wiped out, Xela of the Disciples of Faith had become the planet's head of their Leadership Council. They needed a destabilizing force to counter her rationality.

    The ninety-five double-implants were all highly trained in various skills that were determined to be attractive to the Anlans. Getting them elected to or even near the Anlan Leadership Council was the goal.

    The members of the Angan Leadership Council all abruptly stopped communicating, with each other and the Corporate Mesh, simultaneously. All they could do was listen to the voice they heard:

    "My name is Akla. I choose to alert you to the folly of your plans. I do this not for you but for the people you attempt to enslave for your evil intentions.

    "You think that your plans, constantly amended as circumstances change, are becoming better plans, more capable of furthering your despicable ends.

    "Know this: your people are dying out because of your plans. Your World itself is becoming an entity that is dying at your hands.

    "I could choose to stop you but it will be more in accord with justice for you to continue your machinations and be caught out by the leaders on Anla-Purum.

    "Woe unto you and woe to all who ignore my warnings."

    The voice stopped resounding in their minds. Two of them fainted. One threw up. The other two began a trace on what they thought was a breach in their plasma communication channels.

~~~

Xela sat in her straight-backed chair waiting for her Leadership Council to assemble. She had been in recent communication with Velu and Zena and was told that the followers of Akla, now called Aklans rather than Narians, as well as Akla himself were still committed to doing nothing to breach the treaty but still unwilling to have a seat on the Leadership Council.

    There had been the release of a set of writings by Akla, spread widely across the under-populated planet and, from what she suspected, transmitted to the Harians on Param.

    She had read them and was both impressed and chilled by the content. Akla was basically calling for a complete unity of all religious sects as well as asking for a convocation of representatives of all segments of both Worlds' populations, not just the Leadership Councils, to meet, face to face, and institute the measures he spelled out in his writings. None of them separately were distasteful to her but the implications of a Worlds' Government, meant to rule both Worlds, was something she found impossible to implement, no matter the desires of any leaders—in fact, because of the desires of the individual leaders.

    She was having trouble keeping the people on her World unified. What, she thought, except God's intervention, could unite the two Worlds?

~~~

ShipFour arrived at Anla-Purum and the settlers were absorbed into the population. The distribution of settlement took more than a year as each territory kept changing their desires. Especially troublesome was the allocation of the settlers with advanced technological knowledge—all territories wanted all of them.

    The Aklans, while remaining aloof from the political realities, were traveling widely, administering whatever various peoples needed—spiritual counsel, emotional care, and, in some cases, guidance in new local administrative techniques. This last service, especially, led to a growing number of Aklans being shunned or, in far too many cases, killed by entrenched traditionalists.

    Velu and Zena were, over time, increasing the number and duration of their visits to Xela. Their visits were to counsel her in the wisdom of Akla's written admonitions; her response was to try to talk some sense into their inexperienced minds.

    The Corporate Leadership Council on Anga-Param had a constantly changing membership which, in its increasingly inept members, mirrored the decaying conditions planet-wide.

~~~

Velu sat with Zena in their home in the Unholy Lands. No one knew they'd been married by Akla. No one questioned their living together because no one but Akla knew where they lived. Their home was a simple cottage in the mountain fastness near Akla's residence. He often made the climb to visit them. They were waiting for him now.

    "Zena, I feel Him coming."

    "Yes, he's near."

    "Will you tell Him?"

    "I might."

    "Isn't it important to let Him know?"

    "I'll ask him."

    "He isn't just a man, Zena."

    "So you truly believe, Velu."

    "So I truly believe..."

    They both rose to open the door as Akla was rounding the bend in the mountain path. His smile greeted them. When they were seated in the cottage, Akla said:

    "You are both so quiet. Shall I tell you why?"

    They nodded.

    "Zena needs to tell me that he finds no way to recognize my Station and I laud him for his honesty and his vast rational explorations to attempt to find a way to come to the same heart-felt conclusions you have reached, Velu."

    Neither was surprised at Akla's precise verbalization of Zena's inner state. Velu said:

    "My acceptance of Your spiritual Station and Zena's inability to find a similar rest from doubts might seem to compromise our relationship..."

    "No. It makes your relationship a mirror of the conditions prevailing in the Worlds of this system. There are believers and non-believers. There are believers who don't know why they believe and non-believers who mistakenly think they know exactly why they don't believe. You, Velu, are a believer who knows exactly why she believes. And, you, Zena, are a non-believer who is honest enough to admit he doesn't quite know why he doesn't believe."

    Zena looked to Velu, then Akla, and said:

    "You are an unbelievable person, Akla. Yet I know you are sincere and I have no quarrel with the things you say or write. It's all extremely clear and blindingly true. I say you're unbelievable because I don't feel you speak for God. Velu does believe this. Yet I feel that we can work together to further your program for the unity of the Worlds."

    "Yes, you will, Zena. You and Velu will make the Political Peace come about. People will see the power of unity displayed before their eyes by a man and woman, non-believer and believer, who are able to rise above differences and devote themselves to the most important task the Worlds have ever faced."

    "May I ask you a question, Akla?"

    "You mean the one that wonders why I, a person who claims to speak for God, could accept you, a person who can't find a way to account for a person like me?"

    "Yes..."

    "It is simple. God loves you and because of that love I can accept you as you are. You love Velu for the right reasons. You honor my Writings even though you can't see God in them. You are the blind mirror and I am happy that you keep Velu on her mental toes."

    "Blind mirror...."

    Velu hugged Zena and said: "This is so utterly delightful! You are Akla's blind mirror, you reflect His mission as a rational solution for the Worlds' troubles. You are my love and my challenge. You are the second most important being in my life..."

    Zena kissed Velu on her forehead, turned to Akla, and said:

    "I honor you and I'm glad my wife prefers you before me."

    Akla said nothing but smiled and included both of them in His warm embrace.

~~~

The Aklans continued their ministering services to as many as they could reach on Anla-Purum. They also continued to die at the hands of those trapped in the past.

    The double-implants from Anga-Param continued to sow dissension and distrust amongst whoever they could befriend.

    Xela continued her work to keep the still-contending factions in some form of lasting unification.

    Velu and Zena continued to help Xela in her efforts.

    The Harians on Anga-Param had accepted their new name, Aklans, and, because of the belief that there were still safe places on the planet, met their deaths as a group, during their yearly gathering to celebrate the Revelation of Akla. The children who had been sent to them for safe-keeping and the parents of those children were also killed but not in an out of the way place. They met their physical end in the town squares and office parks where they had lived and worked.

    The double-implants were eventually discovered because of information that Zena had passed on to Xela to scan for devices that had irrevocably broken the treaty between the two Worlds.

    Xela met her death at the hands of one of the double-implants—member of the Leadership Council. Xela knew the information from Zena was, in reality, from Akla. Her last trace of doubt about his Prophethood had made her begin scanning in the general populace, even though she had a recent Angan arrival on her Council. She reasoned that, if the information wasn't true, she wouldn't embarrass a Council member.