The throne, Aleph had said, was there only for decorum - and this decorum was once again being summoned. He climbed onto it, extended - it was a considerable effort, even for him - his consciousness across the entire HS bubble, also through the Drifts of all ships, and of course into the myriad servers of the After.
Aleph addresses humanity.
Many of you work each day for the greatness and glory of the HS. Thanks to your efforts, we expand onto other worlds, we purify ourselves of unnecessary internal systems, and through our honesty, we restore to their rightful place those who were unjustly feeding off your labor.
But there are also among us many humans who have never wished to participate in this shared project, and this for hundreds of years. People who are born, eat, and are housed for free, and wait for the days to pass before going - again for free, for life - into the After. What would our illustrious ancestors of the 21st century, who founded the computer age and artificial intelligences through their struggles and work, have thought of this kind of attitude? What will you say to them when you meet them, emulated, in the After? You will keep hiding. I want to offer you a better life than one of cowardice.
I do not blame you. It is not your fault. You have been manipulated by people who wanted power and saw a direct interest in your apathy. But even if no one will blame you, I want to restore the balance between all of you.
Thus, the terms of citizenship are changed as of today. Each person will have to fulfill a minimum of activity for the development of the HS. For those who are still in our world, approach your LE to find out what tasks await you. Rest assured: this is a very small contribution, nothing like the dozens of years of work our ancestors endured.
As for our fellow citizens in the After, the same rule applies. Many of you are in debt and we will deploy processes within the servers that you will have to operate. Once your quota is met, you will again enjoy freely and without limitation the benefits of the After. Moreover, even though part of our program is military, I formally pledge today that at no time will your life be placed in danger.
If this announcement upsets or revolts you, it means you are against balance, fraternity, courage, honesty, and progress - the pillars of our civilization. So do not be surprised if you find yourselves treated as enemies of it.
I conclude by saying that this situation of upheaval is temporary. The Blind Gods have given me the gift of seeing the future and in truth I tell you: we will all come out of this greater, stronger, and worthy of those who came before us.
- "And so it begins," commented the Wau over a transmission to all the other members of the resistance command, as his ship sailed through Drift 6 toward a dark galaxy.
- "What begins?" asked Ravzan.
- "He's involving those from the After in the war," said Andreï. "How isn't really important. What matters is the number. Our dead are counted in the trillions. Imagine a trillion drones."
- "No factory can produce that," commented Tohil.
- "They've set up a shipyard on Titus," declared Rav. "They're trying to produce an Endymion per day on average. Yes, per day. The whole planet is committed to the production effort. So trillions of drones on top of that… it's possible if they redirect their forces, but their war effort doesn't seem focused on that topic."
- "I don't understand…" said Tohil. "Who are they planning to strike with that kind of firepower?"
- "The entire universe," said Andreï.
- "A Transient told me…" began the Wau, and everyone looked at him as if he spoke with Transients on a daily basis… "that maybe Aleph was a process of the universe meant to cleanse what hadn't transcended fast or deep enough. Even though, having met him, I find him quite human for someone entrusted with such a heavy - and so… inhuman? - mission."
- "So blind. Like the all-powerful gods, processes are blind: they use the tool they have at hand, whether mediocre or sublime," said Andreï. "That said, another hypothesis is forming now that I'm exploring this idea. The entity that granted Aleph his faculties is, in principle, just as powerful as he is - or even more so. Therefore, it remains a potential adversary that at any moment could take back its power. I believe that is probably his ultimate goal: to rid himself of that entity, so he can enjoy his power freely, without any hindrance."
- "An Endymion per day," muttered Tohil, "and meanwhile, we do nothing."
- "Patience, Admiral," declared the Wau. "Soon the HS will strike at the Brotherhood, and that will be our chance to get involved in the conflict - and perhaps make a few gains. Let them build our future ships."
The Wau cut the transmission. The Halcyon was gliding through the stillness of the Drift. It wasn't a ship with a cockpit per se, but an Armor around the Armor, with capabilities similar, though weaker, to the Dark Unit, and able to psychically isolate Cass during her sleep phases. In this enclave, the Wau could still walk within a simulation or exercise all his muscles to fight off the sensation of confinement.
Connected via the Drift to the worlds of the HS and the LEs, the Wau received a new communication. An old woman - which was unusual for the HS, where after a certain age people downloaded themselves into the After. But Cass, inside the Wau, had already met this person with her dignified posture and piercing gaze: it was Dian, director of Earth's UniPsi, and thus one of the most powerful psis in the world. She had simply requested a communication with the Wau Order, and the AIs had deemed the contact relevant.
The Wau didn't say a word, and she introduced herself. Then she added:
- "I operate within Aleph's private circle and I'm in charge of counter-espionage - so now you know where I stand. I also know you are a major-force psi, so you probably passed through my institution. I'm contacting you to inform you about a project started by Lodovico that I believe-"
- "I'd prefer to stop you before you say something I already know and that might endanger your life."
- "Oh, with what I've just said, my fate is sealed if I'm discovered. But I think we both know that power without finesse is not very effective. The name of this project is Golem Gemini. Do you know it?"
- "No, go on."
- "They injected a psi genetic modifier into two perfect twins. Then Aleph carried out an operation to link them psychically. They are one and the same. When the first is in a room and reaches out for a glass of water, the other does the same - glass or no glass. The UniPsi research department calls this psychic entanglement."
Dian paused for a moment to allow the Wau to comment. As the silence dragged on, he finally said:
- "You have no further information, do you?"
- "I discovered it yesterday. I know they removed the temporal lobes from their brains."
- "Memory. Language. Emotions."
- "You remember your classes - how nice," said Dian without a shred of enthusiasm.
- "Was the operation conducted at UniPsi or Lodovico?"
- "What difference does it make?"
- "It helps me assess just how rotten the situation is."
- "In Munich," admitted Dian with a tone of defeat and resigned anger. "I'd like this interview not to drag on."
- "How can I contact you again?"
- "You won't be able to. Just one thing: do you have a plan, against Aleph?"
- "You don't expect me to reveal that kind of information to the head of counter-espionage of those I'm fighting against, do you?"
- "Let's just say I'd like to have a glimmer of hope in the heart of the darkness toward which our ship sails."
The Wau stared at the void of space before him, literally living what Dian was evoking as a metaphor.
- "Then hold on to hope. We are building something here, stone by stone. And you've just added yours."
And the communication ended, leaving the Wau with one more troubling thought. Golem Gemini… this isn't Aloysius' project - he knows nothing about psi. So what then?