The seed

In the vastness of space, somewhere, a city was shrouded under a relatively tiny dome. A small number guards were patrolling the city streets and sky, while fewer still patrolled the planet's approach orbit.

The city, accustomed to the fierce atmospheric winds rattling it's protective shell, was itself buzzing with activity. Ports were swallowing convoys. Shops were busy processing raw materials. Others were fabricating or refurbishing equipement. Distribution centers were spreading the goods throughout the city's various administrative centers.

Other administration offices were busy with meetings, planning comities and brainstorming sessions. A legion of think tanks was setting the course of the population, albeit discretely.

One such office was deep underground. Layers of population separated it from the surface and an inconspicuous Trader's Association building cushioned the closed heavy doors from the unsuspecting public. Everyone was duped by the front. Everyone but the few inside the office.

The office was void of any unnecessary artefact, decoration or furniture. A simple rectangular table was at the center, surrounded by ten chairs. On the table were desk lamps, PDAs, jugs of fresh water and mostly-empty glasses and one microphone. The location's only particular aspect was the mesh of metallic coils and force fields covering all 6 faces of this straight-angled room, essentially making it a Faraday cage.

There, holoboards were full of graffitis representing all things said and thought by the attendants in the long hours this reunion had used up already. At times, people came in and others left, as required by their respective tasks, security clearance and alloted time.

A long-faced tired-eyes chairman was directing the symphony with clockwork precision. His jacket held a great number of badges, wich made calling him by his full and complete titles somewhat impractical. People in the room, comfortable with the level of trust required to even be present, simply called him Sir. Others called themselves Mister, simplifying formalities to their strict minimalist requirements.

A moment of silence, imposed by the replenishing of refreshments, closed the overture letting the symphony begin a new act.

"Now, we will hear from the Strategic Political Committee. Mister Coze Nage, please share your files and expose your assessment of the situation."

"Thank you, Sir. Misters, for sake of brevity, please skip to Appendix D, where schematics of the current political situation and strategies is outlined."

"Interesting, Mister Nage. Can you expose in brief details the results of the previous project and put them in relation to the current program?"

"Sir, Misters, as depicted in Bock Two of the diagram, our previous campaign had for goal to assess the reach of intelligence by various political organisations, including the one wich interests us most. However unfortunate that one actor got lost in the process, this in fact accelerated our plans to put an agent up the echelons.

Soon after, an unforeseen event forced us to backtrack and relinquish, temporarily we hoped, our agent's rank for the term. An internal turmoil caused by a stronger-than-expected reaction to the lost actor, essentially put us back on track of the original unaccelerated plans. Are those events the result of the pre-calculated course or simply a coincidence has yet to be determined but given the original plan fell back into place, we assume our results to be compliant with the strategy."

"Mister Nage, would you recommend we stay the course and continue with Block Two?"

"Yes Mister Deft. With the understanding that Block Two is nearing completion. The interim phase outlined in Block Three has for purpose to let the current political structures solidify themselves. It's undetermined duration depends on factors involving the parallels of Block B and the development of the new subject."

"Mister Nage, let's go back to parallel Block A, please. I would like to know what caused the loss of the subject in question."

"Of course, Sir. The subject in question, unknowingly to the Psychological Reform Committee, had pre-dispositions to Recurrent Psychosis Syndrome. Coupled with our drug-induced mental reshaping, this caused a factorial escalation of the symptoms we were to attain. For a while, with the help of the Psychological Reform Committee, we had reduced the strength of the reshaping drugs thinking our dosage had not been calculated right for the subject's mental profile wich we, at the Strategic Political Committee, were busy recalculating.

It was later revealed that a massive reduction of medication would have been required to bring the subject back on track with the program, but by then the subject's psychosis was beyond our control. Nonetheless, albeit with the loss of the subject, our goals were achieved in placing our agent in the target organization and setting the way for Block B, of course."

"Wouldn't the subject been of more use to us should his psychosis not have pushed him to self-destruction?"

"Actually, we were able to play the dramatic ending in our favor by using the High Command agent to force the demotion of a lieutenant. This made room for our agent's entry into the higher ranks of the organisation and actually helped remove any suspicions of tampering with the organisation."

"But, there has been discovery of ballot manipulation Mister Nage."

"I understand Sir. But, those were not from the Strategic Political Committee! It was internal to the organisation."

The nine people around the table broke into a respectful background chatter as neighbours exchanged their surprise. This short-lived brouhaha quickly receded as the chairman put his glass of water back on the table, signifying a return to the discussion.

"I see. Interesting. Please continue with Block B."

"Thank you Sir. Misters, the parallel work of the Strategic Political Committee, as laid out in this document, has long-sighted goals and unfortunately requires a lot of patience and attention to minute details in order to achieve our common goal. As you can see, our work and objectives are separated in parallel operations, wich we call tracks. All of these are discussed in details throughout the document.

To continue the summarisation of the situation, we'll head back to the Block B track, further down this appendix."

"Mister, do we all have the same copy or are the blanks I see in my graph related to my security level?"

"I was coming to that Mister. No. In fact, we all have the same copy of the document. Details too sensitive for the lowest common rank level of this assembly were left out on purpose and will eventually be forwarded in private communication after this.

However, the blanks in Track B are just that: blanks. The timeline to fulfil this goal is stretched over a long period because of the growth factor of the subject in question. This subject is referred to as the track's Seed. The blanks in the continuity of the track simply represent times at wich no direct manipulation will be required, although the situation will be monitored closely. The blanks also allow us to intervene and insert variables as are required by the developing situation."

"Thank you Mister for your clarifications. Please continue."

"Sir, for the remainder of the Strategic Political Committee's alloted time, I would call my son to the microphone, who is personally in charge of this aspect of the program".

"Mister Gyp Nage, please take the microphone."

"thank you sir."

The young agent gathered his thoughts, took a sip of water and looked up the small audience, ready to begin his expose.

As the young Nage looked up, his eye caught the elder's discrete tapping of his index up the underside of his chin. Gyp Nage responded by taking a more official posture, recognized by the assembly as being one fit for his actual duties.

"Let us begin with the new subject.

While it appears that it's development has slowed down and, in some areas, regressed, the Psychological Reform Committee informs us that the subject's fluctuating responses are part of the program. Some of it is due in part by the cautious nature of the treatment, considering past experiences."

The crowd nodded in acceptation of the facts and, as if commanded by some invisible sign, took a sip of water in quasi perfect synchronisation.

"Mister Nage, would you caracterize the psychological remodeling of the subject as similar to the previous one?"

"It is my understanding that the nature of the remodeling is significantly different than the previous one, based on the requirements of this track. However, the Psychological Reform Committee can answer this best.

Our aim at this point is to fabricate, quite literally, a new kind of agent able to better intervene than a whole squad can.

We've seen an example of this back in Geira where our infiltration squad, sent in to recover the material, was neutralized by the local infestation. The subject actually neutralized half the hangar on it's own before being miraculously scooped up and brought back here. Admits the confusion created outside by the same subject, I was able to retrieve the failed squad's PDA and bring back the information myself."

"So, Mister, the program is already a success?"

"I would be cautious and just say that the program shows promises. The operation itself was a test of the capabilities of the program and we expected this subject to be terminated. It would seem, though, that the less-likely scenario of recovery of the subject, played in our favor and we are thus able to continue with the same subject rather than using the backups."

"Mister, you said backups? We have clones of the subject?"

"Oh! no Mister. I wouldn't have allowed the administration to use clones. No. These are genuine descendants. Eggs, semen and vats. The real deal. Albeit somewhat engineered like the previous one."

A slight background mutter from the audience allowed the members of the assembly a moment to stretch out and have a sip of water.

"Mister, please continue. Where is this new subject leading us?"

"Sir, we plan to take the next step in a few months with this subject. Perhaps a whole year down the line. For now, we are busy with indoctrinating the subject to lock-in the already-intense feeling of loyalty it has for us. By then, she will know the true nature of the task at hand, whose details will be forwarded by private communication to the members of this assembly, provided they are cleared for this information.

For now, we can reprieve any further direct contact given our inside agents have bogged down their entire government into an unbelievable bureaucracy and red tape, ensuring no war ship could ever be deployed by the organisations for the time being.

This continues to sink the imbalance in disfavor of the bulk of the population. Our intent, at this point, is to push despair, anger and feeling of revenge to a turning point where we will be able to push the war machine. The previous subject had shown us the validity of this path."

"Mister, please forward my personal thanks to your Committee and keep us up-to-date with the program."

"Thank you Sir. We have a lot of files in-bound for you later today wich will detail how and where the agents are operating."

"Thank you Mister Nage, and you two Coze. Please wait outside while we discuss the next item on our agenda. I need to have a word with you, of a personal nature."

Both Mister Nage walk out of the room, happy with their positive impact on the situation. Outside the room, both men changed into their public attires and waited patiently for the master of the ceremony to join them. Coze Nage was particularly joyful his first name was used in front of the entire assembly. This would come in handy in getting further funding and would quell the dissidents of the program.

Two more hours had passed and the master of ceremony was picking his belongings on the table. As he was preparing to exit, he turned around to face the Psychological Reform Committee's delegate.

"Mister, with everything that has transpired throughout the day, I am a bit concerned about the sensitivity of the conveyed information and the loyalty of the great number of people that were present at different times today. Is your service keeping a watchful eye on the absolute discretion that our operation requires?"

"Sir, it is the Strategic Political Committee's job to weed out the unwanted elements before we intervene. I have absolute confidence in the screening they constantly do on all of us."

"Yes I am aware of that Mister. But, what is your service doing to ensure the loyalty of our organisation?"

"Sir... it is the Psychological Reform Committee wich has supplied today's refreshments."

A certain discomfort was palpable throughout the assembly as the attendees looked upon the empty jugs of water. The master of ceremony was unfazed by this information.

Outside the room, Coze and Gyp Nage were standing in perfect military position. As the master of ceremony exited the sound proof room, he approached the men wearing rubber boots and overalls and adressed the younger one.

"At ease. Mister Nage, please excuse me to have kept you waiting but right after this, I'm heading to the inner systems to see the new subject's development first hand. It seems the monks have asked that i witness some key aspects of her development.

On that subject for wich I have kept you waiting, I would be very obliged should you send my wife some of your most excellent solanum roots. We are running low and... well, we were hoping for some direct trade rather than get the regular less tasteful ones on the market."

"oh of course sir. it is our honor to give your family some supplies of our trade, fresh by the week. i'll deliver them myself to your doorstep tonight and don't you talk about payment. consider that a gift. i would be insulted should you or your wife attempt to pay us for any of that."

The general smiled at Gyp Nage and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. One last thing: loose the phoney accent. You dont need that anymore."

"Oh! Right! YES SIR! Old habits are hard to break!"

--Chapter two--