2000) 4 HE HONORED DEAD John Zsolt leaned against a chest-high cairn and tried to catch his breath. The air was 50 cold that it burned in his lungs. When he exhaled, moisture caught in his mustache and frozé solid in a few seconds. He could see snow still unmelted on the mountain peaks surrounding him. The narrow pass was silent, but the blood ham- mering in his ears made Zsolt think of late-season avalanches, of lonely travelers swept down to their deaths by tons of falling snow and ice. He'd be no good to anyone then, he thought. There was no point in coming this far just to throw it all away with a single misplaced step. He leaned down with his hands on his knees. “This is Switzerland now,” Varya called. She was in a better mood than he was. She also didn't seem to be having any trouble breathing. Zsolt looked up. “That mean anything special?” he asked. She shrugged, and her blonde hair swung a little. “I's not Italy, so that's some thing. And nobody's caught you yet. That's even better. We're getting closer to Basel with every kilometer. I don't think there'll be any more long detours.” “Terrific,” Zsolt said. He was still having trouble getting a good, deep breath “How far now?” "Want to see on the map?” He raised one hand and waved it sideways a little. He was too worn out to say no. She gave him one of her beautiful, brief smiles, the kind that had no friendliness init atall. "Think of Switzerland lying on its side just over Italy, okay? We're down in the lower left-hand corner. Basel’s about as far away as it can possibly be and still be Switzerland, all the way on the northern border with France — what's lef of France.” Zsolt wasn't going to let her goad him. "Stop trying to cheer me up,” he said. She laughed. Like her smile, it was empty. Her blue eyes got rounder. “Hey,” she said with false innocence, "it's 2120, people don't hike anymore. This wasn't myidea. I wanted to fly or at least rent a skimmer. You're the one who thought somebody was trying to stop you. You'rethe one who wanted to hug the dirt all the way to Switzerland.” "That's not the way I remember it,” Zsolt said. There was a long, low rumbling as tons of snow and rock fell from one of the glaciers into a crevasse. Zsolt had stopped paying attention to those sounds. “Allright with me.” Varya shrugged and turned away. “Remember it however you want. What's your plan to get to Basel?” Zsolt crossed the frozen ground between them. "I don't know,” he said. "What's your ‘invisible psionic guidebook’ say?” She turned to him again with another of her smiles. Zsolt shivered. "There's an old inn up ahead maybe halfa kilometer. Been there for centuries. I's the place where St. Bernard dogs got their name.” Zsolt stared out over the pass, where the land fell away toward a river valley. "I'm trying to save somebody's life," he said. "I don't care about history.” “That's the Combe des Morts down there,” she said, walking again, leading the way. "The Valley of the Dead Guys. So come on if you're coming.” She didn't look back over her shoulder; she knew he'd follow. Ina moment, Zsolt saw that she was right —she was usually right. Two venerable stone buildings sagged in the saddle of the pass, looking unchanged since the monas- tery was founded twelve centuries before. Not even tire tracks or uplink dishes marred the timeworn stillness. ‘One building was evidently a church and the other must've been the inn. Varya had known about. It was bigger than he'd imagined, with enough rooms for a couple of hun- dred travelers. Zsolt wondered about that. Who came through this way? Roman legions, ‘maybe, shuffling past on the road to conquer some other province. Or Napoleon with his army. Nobody ever showed up here just to be here; ifthey stopped at all, it was only because it was the route to somewhere else and night was coming on —as night was falling now. IfZsolt and Varya didn’t stop and call it a day, they might get lost in the tangled, frozen mountain gorges. Then the monks would turn loose their well-tmined St. Bernards, but if Zsolt wasn’t found in time—THE HONQGRED DEAD Dreaming already, John?” Varya said with a mocking edge in her voice. He shook his head to clear it, settled his pack more comfortably and walked briskly by her on the track. Sometimes he didn't like the tone she got, and sometimes he just wanted to finish what had to be done —without discussion. Going down into the valley was for tomorrow; not being captured was for tomorrow; finding his way to Basel was for tomorrow. What happened after he got to Basel, well, he'd think about that to- morrow, too. Right now, all he wanted was to meet a kind, hospitable innkeeper who spoke some language that Zsolt or Varya understood. The older of the two buildings, the church, had a porch with a handbell. Zsolt glanced around, but no one was in sight. He climbed to the porch, hesitated, then raised the bell and rang it. Its clanging and echoing shattered the Swiss stillness until Zsolt was sorry he'd ever touched the thing. ‘The raucous noise produced a man from within. He was short, heavy and red- faced, and dressed in black clerical robes. He smiled at Zsolt and Varya. " Grietzi,” he said, weleoming them in Schwyzerdiitsch, the Swiss-German dialect. He also greeted them in French and German. "Ready for this guy?” Zsolt murmured. "He'd be dead before he could touch you,” she said "Try to be quicker. Some of those psyqs don't need to touch me.” "Tl just get rooms for us, all right? And I'll take care of the rest.” ‘The friar beckoned to them, and they went with him into the ancient stone church. They followed a vaulted, dusty corridor around the inner sanctuary to a covered pas- sageway. Zsolt could see that it led across the yard to the second building, the inn where the monks sheltered weary travelers. As they walked along the cloister, the friar chattered in French, but slipped fre- quently into Schwyzerditsch. Although Zsolt spoke French, the monk's dialect was difficult to understand. Zsolt heard the word vendredi and caught something about a jour maigre. "Why's Friday special?” he whispered. “What's he mean by jour maigre? If it’s something that'll attract a crowd, we need to get out of here.” "Don't jump, magyar,” Varya said. "He's just saying he's sorry, but Fridays are lean around here. No meat.” "Oh, okay. I got my own anyway.” Varya frowned at him. "Leave it in the pack, John. Respect the place.” “What difference is it to you what I eat?” Zsolt asked. "I didn’t think churches were such a big deal to you.” Varya shook her head. "Churches aren't. Beliefs are. Maybe when you're my age you'll see the difference.” Zsolt estimated she was seven, maybe eight years older than he — enough to make her an authority whenever it served her purposes, but still young enough to make Zsolt do all the hard work. It wasn't only that Varya was somewhere between handsome and beautiful, and that she was as smart as any three random strangers combined; she ‘was also simply better at manipulating people than Zsolt was. She was a great teacher, too, and he was taking careful notes The friar showed them to cold, quiet rooms on the second floor of the larger building. He'd come for them again in time for vespers, and there'd be a communal supper after prayers. Varya translated for Zsolt. The black-robed man turned away, and Varya went into her quarters, shutting the heavy oak door, John Zsolt sat in his clean, somber cell and stared out of the iron-barred window toward the mountains to the north. The River Rhéne was still invisible beyond them. Zsolt was glad to be alone, glad to have time to think over his plan >>> <<< Brother Luce hung up green tags for Rooms 115 and 117. "They could be any two people in love wandering through the Alps in June,” he said. "I suppose they're not Swiss or German, although | could be wrong about the woman. Her dialect is very good; you hardly notice an accent. He didn't say very much, but he looks like he a AWURDRER DRED RRR D RRR RRR RRR RRER RRR RE RRR eneneeeNe THE HONORED DEAD doesn't need to. You can see she's got the mind for both of them. She's one of the Gifted; I'd bet tonight's pie on it. Brother Enric was rinsing off vegetables brought up from Bourg-St.~Pierre. “Gifted,” he said with a short, bitter laugh. "I hate that word. They invented it them- selves, you know, so they wouldn't sound too special. My mama used to say, ‘You'll see, dear, they're not really better than everybody else, they're just Gifted.’ In school, the goddamn Gifted kids always thought they were better —every time.” "You'd rather I called them 'psions’?” Brother Enric hmmphed. “At least ‘psion’ doesn't make you feel like they're re- minding you how inferior you are. That's probably why they use it, so we don't pay attention to what they're up to all the time.” "You're suspicious of everybody.” The cook shrugged. "I didn’t like it on-stage. That's what I called it out there: on-stage. That's why I'm in here.” "I'm here to serve God,” Brother Luce said simply “Sure you are,” said Brother Enric. “I'll bet they're not in love. ‘What? Who’ "Your travelers.” Brother Enric brought a heavy cleaver down on a handfil of lecks. "I'l bet they're not in love.” "They probably haven't even noticed the climb.” ‘They've noticed, all right. You've watched too many vids. That's your problem. Old romantic vids. Those two visitors may be erazy in love, my friend, but their knees aren't. It's the knees that tell you you're walking up a mountain.” Brother Luce didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked up at the ceiling where he supposed God would be listening. The two monks had had this conversation. before, and if God hadn't grown bored of it, Brother Luce surely had. "How many is that for tonight?” he asked at last “Twenty-two,” said Brother Enric. “You're forgetting the four Chinese guests not sleeping at the hospice.” “Right. Twenty-two.” Brother Luce turned over four more green tags in case the rest of the kitchen and housekeeping staff needed reminding. Then he piled all of Brother Enric’s scraps on a tray to take to the compost pile. As he left the kitchen, he thought, "Why couldn't they be in love?” But he didn’t say it aloud. The setting sun had vanished behind the peaks. The villages of the deep valleys were already sunken in twilight. For a few minutes longer, though, a radiance slanted down from the west, and the Alpine glow lingered in John Zsolt's chamber. The in- stant he became aware of it, it slipped away. He sat alone in the darkened room and watched as the stars trembled into the sky. His mouth formed the words “Zsolt... Képoszta Kid...read.” The minicomp on his belt projected a holographic index in the emptiness of the air. Zsolt glanced at it briefly. He still did not speak, only shaping the words "mail" with his lips, then “Pat.” He chose the most recent entry. His friend’s image was there in the cheerless, cold room. "John!" Pat said with a grin. "How you doing? Thought I'd thank you for the games and the books. I'm not even sure you'll see this before you go. Maybe you already left for “Pause,” Zsolt murmured, Hestood and wentto the tall, narrow window. The church and the road back to the Italian frontier were behind him, on the other side of the inn, ‘There was nothing to sce now, just the dark mountaintops against the black sky and the brilliant stars. Zsolt turned again and looked. In the middle of the room, Pat was caught in mid-gesture, in perfect humor and perfect health. Both were illusions. Zsolt had read this letter dozens of times, atleast once each day since it arrived. Pat had waited to send it until ater Zsolt went away to Europe. Itwasn’t an accurate image of Pat. It was an avatar, a carefully designed reproduction, from a time before Pat was stricken with D. It didn't look like Pat now and it didn't soundTHE HONORED DEAD like Pat now. Even the gestures were edited in from old files. It had been months since John Zsolt had seen his friend’s face light up with joy that way. Months since Pat was strong enough to go hiking, one of his favorite pastimes. Now, Zsolt knew, Pat's face was taut with strain, and he did little but pick restlessly at the raveled seams of his blankets. "Play.” Zsolt watched the system-animated avatar —Pat seemed active, eager, thriv- ing — but Zsolt clearly remembered the last times they'd been together. Pat had al ready begun to deteriorate, and since then he'd have gotten worse, not better, In the letter, Pat avoided the subject of his illness, unable to tell even his most loyal and devoted friend how wretched he'd begun to feel. Zsolt turned away again from the false form and voice; he couldn't bear to watch anymore. He listened to Pat's vacant chatter, but stared out ofthe cell's dreary rough-hewn win- dow. He could make out familiar constellations: Orion and Taurus, each attended by more faint stars than Zsolt ever imagined in the skyroom of hishome arvology. Pat's voice filled the stone chamber, grateful that Zsolt had stayed his friend even after Pat got sick, and how rare thatwas, and how hicky Pat felt — "really, magyar, [feel blessed despite coming down with D. Zsolt wondered what Varya was doing in the room next door. Was she performing some secret payq ritual, maybe "attuning herself to the subquantum resonances” to help them slip safely into Basel? The clears had more double-talk explanations than the pyramid-and-crystals crowd. But hell, he thought, whatever worked. ‘She'd revealed almost immediately that she was a clairsentient. He said that no one really used that word. Where Zsolt came from, young clairsentients wanted people to call them "Ductrans,” from a Latin word meaning "to lead.” Nobody called them “Ductrans,” cither. In everyday speech, the Asculapian Order — the healers — were called “docs,” and the clairsentients had become “clears.” Clairsentients, especially Varya, loathed that slang, but they couldn't do anything about it because they were the Good Guys. Orso they said... “Two last things.” Pat's strong baritone voice broke into Zsolt’s thoughts. "One big thing and a small one. The small thing first: Since you've been away, Dunyha’s adopted me. I don’t mind your eat curling up on my feet. She's kind of cute, really. I don’t mind her settling down on my chest while I'm reading, either, except she’s not a kitten anymore and she weighs a lot more than she thinks. She grooms my beard with her raspy little tongue. I do mind that she's been sleeping on my pillow — right on my hair. Last night she startled me awake, coughing up a furball on my forehead.” Pat was pretending to take the disease in stride, trying to be brave, but that was enough of an effort without unprovoked cat attacks. Zsolt smiled. "The last thing.” Zsolt always quit the letter at this uncommon, grim change in Pat's tone, But high in a mountain pass hidden in the Swiss Alps, at the hospice of Great St Bernard, Zsolt listened to his friend’s voice. Maybe the peaceful setting granted Zsolt the strength, but he turned to watch as Pat's idealized avatar spoke its last words. Don't forget me, John, All those years all the ways life pulled us apart, we could abways count on each other. Yes, I'm afraid of D, but I'm more afraid of being forgotten afier I'm gone. John, you're sure you can find a miracle for me in Switzerland. Well, good, I'm glad it gives you something to work toward, something to focus your mind on. My own feeling is you won't find any help there. I'll stay home and hold out while D takes over my body. I may give in before you get back again, but that's not such a terrible tragedy. We knew it could happen anytime, John. “I dreamed once that when I was born, God gave mea second calendar page — for the last day of my life. I’ve spent years trying to forget that image. You will have a last day too, John. If you're lucky, you'll have a friend as good as the one I have in you. Please let me ask this one last time: Remember me, John.” ‘The strong young avatar aimed Pat's trademark smile into Zsolt's eyes. The image flickered and went dark. The sunset had long since faded from the rocky slopes; there was no moon, and John Zsl’s small room now held nothing but deep and dismal shadows Delemont’s desktop was broad and empty, made of some sturdy material that mimicked white oak. Months ago, he'd cleared it of every bit of visible system hard~ AVUNALLUVRALLLLUDAAALDUDALLLDEERALLTUUEE TTT200 Teng THE HONORED DEAD ware, which was now stripped down to its smallest components and hidden within the desktop itself. He'd packed a cardboard carton with his clock, lamp and hardeopy machine —all in matching white alabaster —a silver and blue souvenir mug from Sio Paolo, and even his family holos. He labeled the box "D Necro Sections” and tucked it high out of reach on a shelf in his office's walk-in closet The desk's frame was made of the same simulated oak. Delemont had designed it without slots or trays for pens, paperdlips or other small office supplies. There were neither drawers nor compartments for notepads or hanging file-folders. There wasn't the smallest space to hide even the most miniature electronic audio or video recorder. Asa desk, it was virtually useless. As an introduction to Delemont, the man, it was all you needed to know. On the bare, flat desktop, in the far upper-right corner, two polished shafis of petrified wood rose up like weathered desert spires. Conspicuous on the uncluttered surface, the two shafis of stone confined between them three narrow books. Delemont had written two of the volumes, and a former colleague had written the third. That last book had been dedicated to Delemont out of professional regard, but the inscription page was as far as he'd ever read. At the base of the taller column was a tiny sliver of rock, a chip that Delemont had noticed every hour of every day. Whenever Delemont felt any sort of dissatisfaction, he looked at the small bit of stone and knew there was some Asian philosophy in it. He didn't know what, specifically —he didn't need to know what. [Fanyone had asked him, Delemont would've replied serenely, "What does a waterfall mean?” Delemont was able to appear serene, and he was able to sound serene, but Delemont would never again ‘now true serenity of mind. He'd chosen between the tranquillity he'd yearned for and an opportunity to wield vast power. As yet, he had no cause to regret his decision, Delemont leaned forward and his white leather swivel-chair creaked. His lips formed the words "Delemont,” then “g3...Riitli...13,” “call,” then “Chiavenna.” He waited a few seconds until Stina Chiavenna answered her phone and her avatar appeared in the empty space of Delemont’s desktop "I found them for you,” said the Italian woman's avatar, chosen to look brisk and businesslike, smartly dressed in a steel-blue suit, her long black hair brushed smoothly back, with just afew stay strandsto one side, The avatar, about ten inches high on Delemont’s desk, looked comfortable in a chrome-steel recliner padded with black leather. “We found them ourselves an hour before you did,” said Delemont. He didn't bother to use an avatar. Chiavenna saw him just as he was: powerful, angry, and able to cause the woman a lot of trouble if Delemont didn't get a satisfactory explanation,THE HONORED DEAD Chiavenna’s avatar pursed her lips, a tiny signal of annoyance. "You're paying us—" "Yes, Stina,” said Delemont, “we're paying you, but we're not completely relying on you. We're following our own leads in case you don't deliver. And so far, you haven't delivered.” Almost without realizing that he did it, Delemont reached out and moved the chunks of petrified wood to either side of the avatar, Chiavenna couldn't see them, of course, but her image now seemed trapped between the heavy rocks. "Well, Mr. Delemont,” Chiavenna said, “last night when you commissioned us, it was already pretty ate, Of course, we put our best available team on it, but as ofan hour ago— “At 7:15 this morning,” Delemont said in his coldest voice, “John Zsolt made a quickstop in the church at Great St, Bernard, went to the first pillar on the left, and dropped a thick roll of Italian new euros in the poorbox. He and the woman caught a ride in a small truck down into Martigny. From there, they could've followed the Rhone east, but I'm guessing they're smarter than that. They wouldn't trap themselves on a boat, and they must know we're watching the airports, magtrain stations and bus terminals. They'll continue cross-country, on foot or hitching rides on small roads, and try to shake us in Montreux, Lausanne or Bern.” Chiavenna’s avatar didn't say anything for a moment. "There's no proof they even know we're following them. Delemont made an impatient sound, "You believe what you want,” he said. "How- ever, if you don't have results for me in twenty-four hours—and ] mean the cryal—we won't be offering your outfit any further assignments.” Chiavenna cleared her voice. "I want to be sure about one thing: You don't care what happens to Zsolt or the woman?” “hear the...enthusiasm in your voice,” said Delemont, “and frankly, it’s offen- sive. The Asculapian Order would rather save lives than waste them. Now and then, our goals result in misfortune for some people. We know it's unavoidable, but we still regret it. So to keep the bad luck to a minimum, there will be no more mistakes from now on. Zsolt’s eryal could lead to a general panic. If that happens, we want to be ina position to manage it. That means we need more time to get ready.” "This cryal, whatever it contains,” Chiavenna said in a faltering voice, “should I warn my agents?” Signorina Chiavenna, if you don't get the eryal from Zsolt, one of those regret~ table misfortunes that I so deplore will find you within minutes. You won't have to worry about anything else.” Delemont broke the connection and cleared away the woman's avatar with a curt wave of his hand. He took a moment to position the two towers of petrified wood more precisely in the upper-right corner of his desktop. Then he sat back in his white leather chair and began some slow, relaxing breathing exercises, John Zsolt was in a warm room with the feel of summer afternoon lingering in the corners, He recognized it as the modular apartment of his friends Kaylee Sat-Chok and Tavo Brnek. That told Zsolt he was half a world away from the Valais region of Switzer~ land, as Kaylee and Tavo's place was slotted into one of the remaining Zaozhuang arcologies south of Beijing. It didn't occur to Zsolt to wonder how he came to be there From behind and above came the voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, watered silk and gravel, singing "Moonlight in Vermont.” Zsolt noticed a strong, sweet fragrance of flowers — three perfect white gardenias floating in a silver bowl of water, resting on a white concert piano. Shafts of lowering sunbeams through narrow lou- vers painted the piano with tawny tiger stripes. Zsolt turned toward a dark doorway and stopped. Hewasn'twalking through the modapt, but drifting through it as he might float in a dream or holosim. The room didn't seem quite real despite the specific sensory evidence: the muted jazz, the strong perfume of the garde~ nias, the blazing mist of dust motes in the sunlight. Zsolt felt relaxed and detached; not only ‘was it a dream, it was someone else's dream. Zsolt was a silent witness, watching but not touching, not able to touch. It was a peculiar experience, but not alarming. 7 AUUDRERUERU REE RE RRR E RRR ERR RRR RRR RRR R RRR RR RRR R REETi! Ok THE HONORED DEAD He moved along the corridor again, toward the dark room. A woman's urgent whisper from the sunlit room overtook him: "I cant get him to eat, not evento try swallow.” It must've been Kaylee Sat-Chok. Zsolt remembered the uproar when she'd finally been released, and then she'd joined Tavo in Zaozhuang. They'd thrown a big party that lated three days, and friends came from all over the world and the orbital and lunar cities. Zsolt had heen at the party with awoman he'd known at the time. Janica? Belita? He couldnit even recall their faces. Pat had been at the party, too, with one of his crazy money-making schemes, this one to develop a better OpNet frag-mapper. Pat was sure it would mean a fortune for them all. There hadn't been much time to taka the party —all Pat was interested in was his wild new idea, and Zsolt was uying to keep track of Janica or whoever she was. He and Pat could talk another time, ‘any other time they'd been the best of friends since childhood and there were alwayspartes. OF course, at Kaylee and Tavo's celebration in China, no one — especially not Zsolt or Pat—had even heard of D. It would be atleast another year before Pat noticed the first minor symptoms. "Don't force him if he doesn't want it.” Now it was Tavo's voice pulling Zsolt out of his memories. "You don't want to make him choke. He’s so weak.” Zsolt knew that Tavo and Kaylee were really there, but evidently they couldn't see or hear him. That didn’t particularly bother Zsolt, either. Tivo came up the hallway, and they passed through each other without sensation Zsolt entered the dimly lit room. On the northern and western walls were large, dark screens. They weren't windows, of course; not even Sat-Chok and Brnek’s com- bined wealth could afford a modapt in the arcology’s exterior wall, one with a view out- side. These were projection panels that now showed a midnight scene, a synchronized sea scrolling up a clean, endless beach beneath program-perfect stars in the fairest of all night skies. If Pat had been able to lift his head from the pillows, he could've found the Pleides or followed the curve of Ursa Major around to the bright splinter of Arcturus. Pat seemed too weak to fight his withered body free of the clean cotton sheets. Lately he'd been unable to manage his own cleanliness and grooming, and Kaylee had shaved Pat's head, which was now covered with scars and mottled bruises. To Zsolt, he looked like a silhouette in the dusky light, like a motionless feature of the landscape not at all like the friend whom he challenged to hovereycle races and with whom he watched holos not so long ago. Pat's impossibly long, tapered fingers dangled loose, stirring slowly like the tendrils of a beautiful but blind sea creature. He lay open- mouthed, his breathing shallow and wheering, the smooth and unlined face of his youth betrayed by gauntness, by sunken darkness where there shouldn't have been shadows at all Maybe someday,” Varya said, “with all my insights, I'l figure out how you can stand to eat cold leftover gulyas for breakfast.” Her disapproval implied an intimacy that —had Zsolt been listening—he would've found ominous. She held a battered pie tin toward him, and a hunk of brown bread. Zsolt's eyes widened. "What was that?” he said, gasping. "A hallucination?” His breath puffed away like the gray rainclouds that swirled low over the Swiss countryside. "Here, take it. I'm not your serving-girl and I'm not going to stand around all day holding it, either. Fhired you to get me safely to Basel, but I'm beginning to think Imade a mistake. Hell, eat it if you want it. Otherwise, I'l leave it here for the next poor starving schlub of a traveler.” "L mean it,” he said in an urgent voice, "what was it?” Zsolt stood against a damp, gritty rockfall, not far from the flat, stony spot where he'd slept. He'd already rolled and packed his sleeping bag, and he'd broken more wood for the breakfast fire. His jacket was cold and muddy, and his tough petrocotton jeans were damp. Varya didn’t turn around. She was kneeling by the campfire. “What was it like?” "L was right there in the room with him, at Sat-Chok and Brnek’s in China. I didn't even know he'd gone to stay with them. He looked barely alive, a hell of a lot worse than when I saw him last.” "They're searching for the cryal, John — the Asculapians.”THE HONORED DEAD He tured and spat into a trickling brook that was so lovely, so Swiss, so pictur- esque that it absolutely needed something spat into it. "Yeh? Then you were right about what the docs said in that first clinic we went to. For all their talk about helping people, how much do they actually do?” Varya stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "In that place in China just now, you could move through the rooms, right? But it was like no one could see you or hear you. Zsolt stared. “It wasn't a dream — I've been awake for hours. And the details I noticed. “My first time, I was only seven or eight years old. It had something to do with my littl sister's birthday. I saw her come into the dining room with this big old chocolate cake, and she caught her foot in a fold of the rug and fell on her face. She got choco late cake all over her pretty birthday dress and on her face and in her hair. Then she started crying. So four months later, it’s her actual birthday, okay? And in she comes with the chocolate cake, and I said something about her taking a dive into it and she dropped it again and fell. My mother figured it was my fault somehow because I knew it was going to happen, and [ tripped her or something. She wailed on my ass for half an hour.” Varya looked off into the distance, smiling. "I wish we had a better ‘orien~ tation program’ and ‘free introductory gifts,’ but all I can say is weleome to the world of clairsentience, magyar. Zsolt's jaws tensed. "Couldn't be,” he said. Varya was amused by his sheer revulsion. "I knew you were a latent from the first time we met. agreed to some of your stranger decisions on this trip, just to make sure you didn’t do something even more foolish. Like join one of the other orders, I mean. We need you, John.’ Zsolt wasn't happy about any of this. had some kind of weird daydream, that's all. It doesn't prove I'm one of you. ‘One of us.” She squatted down, filled the coffeepot with clean water, and jammed it into a corner of the campfire. “We'll see.” Zsolt took the pie tin from her and looked into it. There was a thin reddish stew in it, "Varya,” he said, “trust me. In one area, you're as empty as I am. This may be decent spaghetti sauce, but it's awful gulyas.” Varya shot him a venomous glance. "I got some nearly boiled potatoes here, pal. Tell me you're sorry —fast — and maybe I'll let you have one. That's the best deal you're going to get this morning.” Zsolt stopped listening to her. He played the vision in his mind again, and the strange ness of it made him shiver. He did remember a couple of things, though: Only days ago, when he'd last been in that room in China, the piano had been black, not white, and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald had been singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me.” 'm nota psyq, okay?” he said furiously. "T When Grystina Chiavenna was fourteen, she spent two of the worst months of her life staying at her father’s summer house on the Dalmatian coast. The major reason was simple enough: Her father’s villa was only halfway up the hillside. She could act cold and dismissive toward the young men and women who resided below her, but all of the really interesting people lived farther up the dusty, rutted road near the ruined town of Karloska, and they passed their disdain from the hilltop all the way down to the stony plain, scorning Stina Chiavenna and anyone else who didn't count. Yet, since most of them were there for the summer only, they all had to pretend to be friends or else be bored to death in exile. They held parties and arranged outings and practiced their social skills and torments, just as they'd learned them from their elders, One sultry day in August, after swimming nude in the magnificent marble pool at the Villa Suska, their hostess, Marveille de Vos, had the staff serve a special round of drinks. Marveille took a fluted glass of champagne and raised it. "This is for you, Stina, since you're going back to Rome tomorrow, lucky you. In the last few weeks, you've complimented me on my sapphire engagement ring thirteen times—" “Fourteen,” one of the young men corrected. ° ALRDRRRERE RRR ERR RRR RE RE RRR ERR RRR RRR RRR RRRFUTITEPGTTET TET TT | ————— CDT a HE HONORED DEAD Marveille turned and gave him a quick, warm smile. "Stina, [just wanted to wish you all the luck in the world in dealing with the envy and covetousness that must be eating you up inside, Come on, sweetie, drink up! It's just a joke!” Ciystina Chiavenna’s expression froze in place for a second, and then she laughed. She'd noticed that while everyone else's champagne was the normal color, hers was a pale sapphire blue. She lifted the flute, saluted Marveille de Vos, and gulped the sparkling wine. It ‘was, of course, excellent. Then she laughed again and flung her glass to the ground, where it shattered and tinkled. There was just another bit of silence, and then all of the others drank their champagne, laughed, and broke their glasses on the marble flagstones, too. One of the young men — not one of the very popular young men — came up to Stina. "I don't know many people who would've handled that with such good grace,” he said. "You showed a lot of refinement.” Stina looked up at him and smiled. “Yes,” she said. "Now, let's get back in the game.” And she dived into the churning water of the ancient pool. An hour or so later, when she decided it was a good time to leave, Stina said goodbye to everyone and gave Marveille de Vos a kiss on the cheek and thanked her for a lovely afternoon. Then she went into the bathhouse, collected her clothes, and used the toilet. When she stood up, she saw that whatever had been in the champagne had turned her urine a bright blue. She caught herself just as she uttered a quick exasper- ated sound. She took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down — after all, by dinner time tomorrow, she'd be in her own house in Rome, with her own friends and her ‘own servants, and with decent luck, Marveille would get unexpectedly dead or preg- nant before next summer. “That last idea was a happy thought as she dressed. She was just imagining the de Vos bitch at eight months as Stina came out of the bathhouse. There, in rows as f arranged for a holo snap, was Marveille and all ofthe others. Stina stopped short and gasped. “The color does suit you, sweetie,” said Marveille cheerfully. “Don't worry, it'll go away ina few days. I thought you could freeze some and have sapphire crystals bigger than I'll ever get!” And they all laughed. Stina just stared, surprised to feel almost nothing. In fact, she didn't think her face ‘was flushing at all. She looked at them for another heartbeat or two and then joined their amusement. "I really do have to run,” she said. “I've got a ton of packing to do yet. Ciao!” "Next summer, Stina!” someone called after her. She was already heading toward the main house, and didn’t turn or say another word. She looked straight ahead until she got back to her own villa. There is a proverb: Never stir the wrath of a patient man. More than a dozen years Iater, it was probable that Marveille de Vos had forgotten Stina Chiavenna en- tirely, but Chiavenna remembered her. Chiavenna knew where her old antagonist lived, how many marriages, divorces and children she'd had, what her income was and what she was addicted to. If she hadn't taken her revenge yet, it wasn't because she'd forgiven Marveille de Vos. It was because it hadn't yet seemed like the perfect moment. Chiavenna shookher head, focusing her concentration. Her two thugshad stopped their Concurso hauler crosswise, blocking the narrow road almost immediately after it turned sharply to the right. They waited in the rocks on either side, and were well~ armed. Chiavenna sat in the black leather driver's seat of her hand-crafted Solano, parked on the road's shoulder twenty meters past the truck. She watched the red sec~ onds tick away on the console. Zsolt and his bitch were on a Shendai hovercycle that they'd stolen, registration number W337, racing toward her at 180 kilometers per hour, slower if Zsolt hadn't handled a bike before, While she waited, Chiavenna idly wondered just how protected Delemont, her client, actually was. She heard a low, throaty growl behind her, like a giant mountain eat. A hovercycle engine, she thought. Just as she flicked her eyes to the rear-view mirror, she saw a single brilliant headlight blaze around the shoulder of rock, then tip or slide away abruptly, out of sight. Not even a high-performance hovercycle would have enough vertical lift to 10THE HONOQRED DEAD clear the Concurso. Zsolt would have to lay the cheap Shendai down —his only chance of preventing disaster. Then Chiavenna heard the coarse bark of an autorifle and saw the glimmering reflection of laser fire in the car's rear-view as her men fired dozens of rounds from their weapons. The noise and light show was just for effect, and to keep Zsolt flat on the dirt. While her men were still shooting, Chiavenna slipped on her dark lasses, glanced at her reflection in the mirror, and got out of the car. Itwas a pleasant night, with the promise of warmer weather on the smoke-scented breeze. Chiavenna heard her men barking orders — in German, she supposed — and checked her flechette pistol as she came around the Concurso. She saw Zsolt and the woman for the first time. They were both doing a very good job of being motionless, Dressed in durable petrocotton jeans and jackets, neither looked badly hurt, although the woman's right sleeve was ripped and there was blood. They were lucky Zsolt hadn't spilled their brains all over the Swiss countryside when he laid down the cycle. "Bones broken?” Chiavenna asked. Nobody answered. One of the guys kicked Zsolt's shoulder. I don’t fuckin’ know yet,” Zsolt said. "Get up,” Chiavenna said. "I just want the cryal.” "Tdon't~ Chiavenna snapped off a shot that chipped the pavement beside his hand. "I'l save us all a little time here. I want the eryal. Don't play dumb. You don't get a chance to make deals. If you don't give it to me now, goddamn it, I'm going to kill her.” She paused to let all of the emotion bleed from her voice. "You know I'll kill her. Get up.” Chiavenna watched Zsolt stand up slowly. He was good-looking enough, dark and with a mustache, although he was little shorter than she expected. She watched as his lange intelligent, Hungarian eyes flicked down at the other woman, who met his gaze and smiled slightly. He looked back at Chiavenna, started to reach into his jacket and then stopped, raising his eyebrows. Chiavenna laughed out loud; it was the most amusing part of the day so far, Such an ancient vid moment — Chiavenna holding the flechette pistol on him, he asking with his expression for permission. She almost prayed that he did have a weapon in there, but she knew that wasn't where he'd carry it. "Give it to me,” she said. Zsolt’shand went into his jacket's inside pocket, and he brought out a cryonic vial of brushed metal, about the size of a walnut. He held it out on his palm, "Ihave a friend,” he said. His voice was steady; there was no pleading in it, and Chiavennna was interested to hear what she thought was a touch of a threat. "He's dying. Getting this cexyal to Basel is the only hope he has.” Chiavenna held her pistol on him and gestured for the tall thug — she'd never bothered learning their names —to take the eryal. "As far as I'm concerned, it's just money,” she said in her flat voice. Zsolt hesitated, glanced again at Chiavenna’s weapon, then handed over the eryal She took it from the tall guy, backed up a couple of steps, then turned and went to her car, As she murmured it into gear, she looked into the mirror again. The hired muscle could take their payment now: whatever the two on the hovercycle had been carrying in cash, plus the bike itself, as well as whatever Zsolt and the woman's bodies were worth in the nearest town with a chop shop. After Chiavenna’s black Solano roared away, the night settled into the sounds of cricket-chirping along the road to Basel. The darker, heavier thug pointed his weapon at Zsolt and Varya and demanded something in a gruff, Baltic language that meant nothing to Zsolt. The tall guy translated: "He wants you to grasp your wrists behind your heads. He saw it in an American holovid somewhere.” Zsolt glanced down at Varya as he complied, but she seemed dazed and didn't re- spond, Then, for no reason that Zsolt could figure, the dark guy in the Nippon Ham Fighters cap yelled something at his colleague and sliced the tall one into two or three equally dead portions. Startled, Zsolt dropped his hands, waiting to see what would happen next. The dark guy picked up his former partner's gun and gestured with it " ALE RERERRRRE REDE RR RR ERE RR ERE RE RRR RE EERE RRR RRR2 THE HONORED DEAD indicating that he wanted Zsolt to back off, That presented no problem to Zsolt; he ‘would've walked clear to Cape Horn for a guy aiming a Voss laser carbine and a Banji autorifle at him. Zsolt was ignored as the dark-haired goon walked slowly and somewhat stifily across the few meters toward Varya. Each pebble he crunched, each piece of glass that snapped sounded like gunfire in the still Swiss night. "Fine,” thought Zsolt, “what's happening here? Rape the good-looking woman before killing us and driving off with the admittedly piss-poor loot?” Zsolt remembered from his years fallen on hard times that Number One in the Street-Smarts Handbook cautioned: If you're interested in one of two hostages, kill the other goddamn motherfucker before anything else. So the Nippon fan had his eyes on Varya. He carried both weapons loppily, pointed down, as if he'd completely forgotten Zsolt's existence —a possibility, since Zsolt didn't know what kind of unbalanced nuts that strange woman had hired. For all Zsolt new, these guys were a couple of extreme sociopaths. He didn’t wait to find out. He made a flying tackle behind the guy's knees, dropping them both to the dirt and rubble ‘The thug shook his head and spat a foreign phrase as Zsolt went for the weapons. Zsolt had just slapped a hand on the Banji carbine and rolled over to take aim when 90 kilos of Baltic thug slammed down on him. The guy shouted an endless stream of abuse, matched by look of combined anger and fear. Zsolt didn't have time to bother with why the guy was freaking out this way, nor did he particularly care A heavy fist crashed into Zsolt's jaw, but did little more than piss him off even more. He pointed the autorifle a the hired hood. "Get off and hug the ground if you want to live,” Zsolt said. ‘Terror came to the fore as the strongarm’s eyes seemed to clear, then rage re- turned. *Nyet!” he cried, fumbling back for the Voss laser. Zsolt let off a few rounds into the guy's chest, tumbling him back onto the road. “Too bad he couldn't follow directions.” “John,” said Varya, "among the topics we'll no doubs talk about from here on in, please remind me that I don't want to know a damn thing about your ideas of right and wrong.” Zsolt grinned. "Right and wrong? What ideas? This guy was nuts.” He saw Varya, apparently none the worse for wear aside from her scuffed arm, stretch and take in the midnight countryside. He shrugged, scrambled to his feet and set about cleaning up the mess. Zsolt put his hands under the armpits of the psychotic thug and dragged the corpse out of the middle of the road. He stopped halfway, still bent over, and took a couple of deep breaths. Glancing up, he saw that Varya had already pulled the tall guy orwhat was left of him — out of sight, into the rocks, Sometimes he wondered about the full extent of her strength and endurance. “Need some help?” she called. “Yeah,” he grunted, "now’sa nice time to think about that. “What's that supposed to mean?” He went on lugging the dead guy toward a dark, deep, final resting place off the road and down the side of the mountain. He tried to answer her with something clever, but he could only pant for breath “Take it easy,” Varya said. "Just drop him right there. Forget about cleaning ev- exything up. Nobody'll care about these two, trust me. What, you think a Legion pa- trol might come by at any minut Zsolt put his right boot squarely in the small of the corpse’s back, and when he shoved it over the edge, he imagined Vaya, too, sailing off into the cool, quiet Swiss emptiness, He was glad they were getting near Basel. He'd had about half a liter too much of her already. He hadn't run into cryptic strangers and psychotic gunmen before he met her, And she was so goddamn Gifted she thought the forces of natural Jaw got her permission every morning before the sun rose. He didn't care how attrac~ tive she was; he'd had to listen to her for too long. It wasn't so bad on the bike, but now he'd be trapped in the truck with her.THE HONORED DEAD She looked at him without expression, her head tilted a litle to one side, "We'll take the truck,” she said. [know that, goddamn it,” Zsolt muttered to himself. “Yl drive,” she said. Before he object, she held up the Concurso’s keys on a ring with a wind-up, hopping plastic tongue attached to it. "In the first place, I know the 'm clear, remember?” 'Morges.” Varya laughed, "I can hear better than you think. A few seconds ago, it was Tknow oddamn it.’ I missed one, though. That Hungarian word.” Nothing,” Zsolt grumbled, getting into the truck's passenger seat, "Just some- thing my mother used to say.” "Your mother.” Varya shook her head. She put the key in the switch, fastened her seat belt, but didn't speak to the engine. Instead, she turned to her companion. "Now, seriously,” she said with an amused expression, "what are we forgetting?” Zsolt tried to look innocent. Clairsentients couldn't read minds, he knew, but Varya still had an eerie knack for knowing what he was thinking. She probably knew he'd robbed the tall corpse, but that guy wasn't going to need his money again and Zsolt didn't think she cared about it. "We're forgetting something? \Varya shook her head and jabbed him in the chest with a long, tapered forefinger. “You're forgetting something important, magyar — the other cryal.” He slammed the flat of his hand against the dashboard. " Bassza meg!” he shouted, irritated with himself. He stepped out into the cool night air again and slammed the car door behind him, He wondered how far they were from Basel after all, and he calmed down. He smelled the smoke and a floral sweetness in the air; he heard birds and insects, and realized how infrequently he paid attention to sensory details that didn't immedi- ately affect his well-being. He'd pulled off the hovercycle’s handlebar grip in moments and retrieved the second cryal from where he'd hidden it in the hollow tube. that, >>> <<< twas a slow Tuesday night, which would mean the early morning hours would be even quieter. But even so, Nurse Practitioner Elsje Pohl wasn’t happy about going to work on what had been scheduled to be her evening off. It was a long drive — always longer getting there than getting home, for some reason —and nothing to look for- ward to all night but Ernst and his clumsy but effective fingers. Oh, and with a litte Tuck, Old Testament Nurse would be called away, leaving Pohl with the keys to the meds locker. A shot of Sonneine and Pohl would tolerate anything. Her electric Korean sedan hurmed across the bridge over the Aare River. Directly in front of her loomed breathtaking views of the Hapsburg and Schwyzer Alps, neither of which Pohl had ever noticed. The road curved up into the mountains, through Schinznachdorf — atown no one in Switzerland knew anything sbout or cared to, a far as Pohl could determine — and then rambled through an ancient tunnel under the Botaberg. At the highest point along the road, just before it dropped again toward the River Rhine and the city of Basel ite, vasanother of those dull, identical villages, but this one touted the site of aformerly impres- sive monasteryand the impressive Montressor Clinic, the world headquarters of the Asculapian Order. In the very mortal words of Else Pohl, "big verfickte deal.” She changed into her uniform and signed in at the emergency room's processing desk. “Please,” she whispered, "no lunatics,” but the first thing she saw in the waiting room was a customer in a vidlid, Nurse Practitioner Pohl wished the guy a devastating case of colitis that would tragically and agonizingly end his life before a doctor could actually get to examine him. Vidlids had been very popular fifteen years ago, a sad fact that in itself warranted a statement in the patient's chart without a word being said. The lids covered the skull like floppy plastic helmets, in bright horrible greens and pinks, but that wasn't the worst part about them. There were little platforms on the crown of a vidlid that played holo-chip slideshows, as many as the fool wanted to show off: his dog or baby doing something unspeakably mundane, a clip of a team of local clog-dancers taken just before their execution, the guy himself demonstrating the pathetic limits of 13 PLEDRRR ERR RE RRR RRR EE REE RRE REE RER RRR RRR RR RRRPUPPET EPEPE EE PET TPT THE HONORED DEAD what he believed to be a talent. Yet the holographic atrocities weren't the worst part —the vidlids had sound, Joud sound. And between each vile, loathsome squib of “entertain- ‘ment” were advertising holos, familiar ones that everyone hated, with— “—must have told you about it. Nurse Practitioner Pohl hadn't been paying attention. “Okay,” she thought, "here we go.” She took a deep breath. "Excuse me,” she said to the customer — another guy, not the buffoon in the vidlid. To cover the fact that she hadn't been listening, she turned away briskly and went to a calendar posted at the other end of the processing station. She stared at it blurry-eyed for a moment, then came back to the newcomer with the dark mustache. "Sorry, sir,” she muttered, "What was it again?” Zsolt's expression didn't change. “The local clinic in China couldn't do much for my friend. They said we might only get help at the main clinic, in Basel. They promised they'd send youa file onit acouple of weeks ago. ‘They must have told you about it.” "Which ‘they,’ sir," Pohl asked, "the doctors in China or the doctors in Basel?” She was just seeing how easily he got annoyed. She kind of liked the way he looked, but she wasn't in the market at the moment for another rotten temper on a four centimeter fuse ‘There was a pause while Zsolt gathered strength and patience. “There should be a file from Zaozhuang. My name is John Zsolt.” Pohl looked up. glancing past Zsolt at his blonde friend. The woman filled out her shirt all right, but she looked old enough to have been this guy's history teacher. "TIll check on that right away,” she said. "Spell that name for me, please.” Zsolt did, and Pohl murmured each letter back at her desktop. "Do you have a tissue sample for us, Mr. Zsolt?” ‘While he took the second cryal from his jacket and put it on the counter between them, Pohl read the brief entry from the Zaozhuang clinic. At the end of the report was the code GOMER, which stood for "Get (This Person) Out of My Emergency Room!” Pohl said nothing. Her facial muscles didn't even twitch. She was a profes sional, and she'd seen that code hundreds of times before. “If you'll take these forms and fill them out for us, please, Herr Zsolt,” she said. "You're welcome to take a seat.” She handed Zsolt a dpad with a light-pen clipped to it, As far as Elsje Pohl was concerned, that ended their business, unless she decided to get him away from the blonde with the big Zuckertorts. More likely, however, she'd never have to talk with him again, even if he rocketed through the intake forms and got them back to the processing desk within the hour Dawn had finished giving the street beyond the double glass doors its special early morning look. Now it was just daytime out there, but it reminded Zsolt that they'd been sitting in the goddamn uncomfortable metal chairs for hours. There were hun. dreds of others waiting with them, too, but this was an emergency room, and even in the venerable Montressor Clinic, laser- and stab-wound patients got priority "IFTd known how long this was going to take," he said in alow voice, "I might've gotten a name of somebody to see here, made an appointment or something. Cruess I wasn't thinking.” "You're tired, magyar,” said Varya, who looked surprisingly fresh after a long hoverbike ride, an armed battle on the Swiss roadside, another drive toward Basel, and several hours of trying not to notice the variety show that was going on all around them in the clinic's reception area. Yeah,” he said, "I'll be glad when we're done here. We'll go get something to eat, rent a cheap room and get some sleep. I'm not made out of high-impact banjyrene like you.” “My God, Montresor,” she said. “Huh?” "This is the Montressor Clinic. ‘My God, Montresor!’ That's a quotation. Look it up.” Varya stretched and rotated her neck, working out stiffness, "No, John, we're not made out of the same stuff, not at all, but we're not that different, either.” Zsolt grunted. "Here goes the loyal-magyar-as-psyq-superman speech again. This is where I came in. I'm going to look for a vending machine.” 14THE HONORED DEAD “What if they call your name—" “While I'm away? You go with the doctor. You know as much about Pat as I do, and they have everything they need in the cryal. I wouldn't worry, though. I hear the average wait here is thirteen hours. We haven't been here seven. Settle in. You should ve brought something to read. Varya rolled her eyes. “I could always eavesdrop on the soap opera next to us—the little old guy and the doll teenage gi “She's a doll?” Varya rolled her eyes again. “Get me something to drink, okay, something with bubbles in it.” Zsolt walked away, shaking his head. There were sick people in that room, and some of them beyond the help of even all the psions in the world. Acorridor took Zsolt to another corridor, and then a third hallway led to a lobby. A pleasant young man seated in a circle of glossy black obsidian was filled with regret that there were no vending machines in the Montressor Clinic. There was a cafeteria, but they could lose their chance if they were eating when their names were called. They could eat one at a time, though. Zsolt thanked the guy and headed back to the ER reception area. "They could eat one at a time.” What a team they were turning into. Zsolt used what little of his charm remained to talk a nurse out of a small bottle of sparkling spring water. He presented it to Varya like a small but hard-won trophy. “That's it,” he said. "We eat afterward, or start gnawing on our neighbors.” Varya looked at the wizened old guy on the other side of her and shuddered. He was talking in a loud voice —to himself, to his teenage-girl toy, to Varya? "Sometimes you shouldn't say those funny things,” she told Zsolt. "Sometimes they're not so funny You should shut up until you can tell the difference.” But then she leaned nearer and kissed his cheek, "Thanks for the water, magyar.” Hey,” he said and shrugged, at the moment the full extent of his eloquence. Her kiss startled him mightily. Hours went by, and the racking coughs of the elderly woman behind Zsolt past, replaced by the throat-clogging stink of gangrene. Zsolt and Varya changed seats, but there wasn't a more pleasant section. It was like swapping steaming boulders in Hell ‘Across the aisle to the lei, where a young man sprawled on a gurney, huddling beneath a thin sheet for hours, Zsolt now saw Pat. Pat hadn't turned or moved since Zsolt's earlier vision of the room in Zaochuang. His friend was still a twisted figure under his worn blanket. Then Zsolt understood: This time, Pat was only an image on an £on Trinity monitoring device. Two men and a woman in uniform watched and murmured into recording devices. Each uniform had a small patch: "Triton Division.” What was Tri ton Division, he wondered. What did the Aon Trinity care about Pat in the first place? Zsolt shook his head, clearing away what had to have been a dream. "What time is it?” he asked. “Eleven A.M..." Varya said. "Almost lunchtime. We've been here nearly twelve hours. , ‘Should be soon, then.” ould be soon.” Neither looked confident. ‘Olay,” said Zsolt, "we've been through this whole thing, and we've waited here all night together. Tell me again why you're here.” She turned toward him and stared, her eyebrows raised. "Didn't the ad say I needed someone to get me safely to Basel?” “Yeah.” “Didn't I say that I expected not to answer questions, especially that one?” “Yeah.” "Well, hell, then, John. "Well, hell yourself. You don't need anybo willing to bet you're the only reason I'm still alive.’ Varya didn’t answer that immediately. "You remember that ad, magyar? The one where [ advertised for a gentleman-protector to get me to Switzerland, and that the to get you safely anywhere. I'd be 15 ALRDE DERE RR RRR RRR RRR RRR RE RRR R RRR R RRR RRR RRROOOO THE HONQGRED DEAD pay was good and no funny stuff?” Zsolt frowned. He didn't understand her point. "Yeah, ‘course I remember it.” “Where was it? What newsflat? Chipzine? Where'd you see it?” He thought back. It must've been at Kaylee and Tavo's flat in Zaozhuang. He and \Varya had taken a suborbital from Beijing to Rome. "I don't remember which paper, Varya,” he said. "I wasn’t paying attention to stuff like that. I was thinking about how bad Pat was doing and everything.” "John, look at me.” Her voice was even lower, and very dramatic. "There was no newsflat. There was no ad. | faked it.” "What the hell—" T'ma clairsentient, okay? I told you that right at the beginning. I didn't tell you that I'm one of the Mashrigi, the order'sadministrative council. Some people think we're not the best organized of the psi orders, but I promise you: We have our resources. More than you'll ever need, with any luck. I'd heard about you, did a little investigation, and saw that you have tremendous latent talents. I wanted you with us, with the ISRAns. I...1 faked a ‘zine ad transmission to bring you on board.” Zsolt's dark brows drew together. turn to look at him, “Now, don't get mad, John. There are reasons, big reasons —wheels within wheels. It starts with Pat, of course, but there's so much more, and so little time—" "Goddamn it, Varya! You think you're such a great schemer, but it all boils down, to ‘somebody's gotta carry the message through hostile country.’ But not me!” Varya took a deep breath and let it out. "We left from Beijing, went through customs there and again in Rome. Then we traveled north through Italy, across the border into Switzerland, staying on small roads — your style — till we got ourselves here. Right?” “Damn right.” "Gave our IDs dozens of times, right?" "Uh huh. What's the amazing surprise this time?” ‘Varya looked deeply into Zsolt's eyes. "Magyar, answer me. What's my full name? You must've heard it—” Zsolt shook his head. “No, I've never heard it. Okay, so you've got magical Gifted ayq superhuman powers, but I never liked you people anyway. What makes this so special for you? It's important to me because I promised I'd do this for Pat. What are you getting out of it? A new car for recruiting me?” She stood and stretched. Despite his indignant, irate feelings, it was good to watch Varya stretch. "John," she said, "we need to have a long talk when there's time.” re,” he said, "because I don't feel ike talking now, okay? I'll be all right. Ijust int to say anything that'll spoil the seduction.” ‘Vanya smiled, tried to make herself more comfortable, and fell asleep almost immediately. fazember!” he cried, not caring who might don' Alter seventeen hours, Zsolt had had enough. From the new duty nurse — Nurse Practitioner Elsje Pohl had escaped to breakfast and sleep and peace a long while ago — he confirmed that no record existed at the Montressor Clinic of Pat's eryal; no record existed of Pat at all, or of John Zsolt, either. He thanked the nurse and left the build- ing without waking Varya He proceeded to the main post office on Freie Strasse, where package waited for him at General Delivery. It was the small parcel he'd addressed to himself and attached money to, and then dropped into the poorbox at Great St. Bernard. The monks had taken the money gratefully and sent the parcel on its way. Swinging his shoulders and feeling the stiff muscles in his back, Zsolt tore open the box and slid a third cryal into the palm of his hand. A quiet binging sound informed him at the same time that he had new email on his minicomp. He didn't feel like reading itnow. 16HONOQRED DEAD He drove back to the clinie’s parking area, opened the b the van, and unclipped the minicomp. The email was from Kaylee, dated two days ago. Pat had passed away. Tavo was appearing beyond Kaylee’s shoulder. "Quit,” Zsolt said in a husky voice. He'd play it all another time He reached into the back of the truck and retrieved the Banji autorifle and the laser carbine that had belonged brie!ly to Chiavenna's incompetent hoods. Carrying the weap ons slung over his shoulder on area once more. Rise and shine, Varya,” he pointment with Doktor Zweidler.” Varya woke quickly, her eyes growing larger when she saw Zsolt’s hardware. As she opened her mouth to speak, he tossed her the laser carbine. "Figure it out be- fore you need to use it,” he said. He didn’t look back at her, knowing she'd fc He headed straight for the reception desk. "You need a stabbing or a gunshot wound to get some attention around here, huh?” he said, Hellet fly a fewzounds into the front of the deskas the attendant dove for cover. "I hope that isn't just fberboard, because I really don't want to hurt anybody. ‘The gunfire brought out a security guard from a back office. The man wore the white uniform of the Asculapian Order's security staff, but he had the weathered features of a ‘mercenary. That earned Zsolt's respect. The moment wasspoiled alittle when the Hu realized that the guard moved like a robot vacuum cleaner in some Saturday-morning holotoon. The guy's barrel chest, huge forearms, tiny head, and the way he moved smoothly over the floor made the guard like a “hovergoon” than a human being.PEPER EEEE EE UT PTET EEE EEE THE HONGRED DEAD “Drop,” Zsolt shouted in German. The security guard ignored the command, spat something in a language from one of the Free States east of the Ukraine, and grabbed at Zsolt's trigger hand. Zsolt ripped the weapon free again and smashed into the guard’s skull. The security guard crumpled. "Stay close behind me, honey,” he said over his shoulder. "The docs are bound to have some real security, psyqs or maybe even Legionnaires. You're all the backup I’ve got.” He waited. Varya didn't answer. Zsolt went cold at the silence, and turned quickly. Varya was right where she was sup posed to be, covering him with the laser carbine. She gave him a long, slow, warm smile, A grim-faced orderly came toward them, ignoring the weapons. "Dr. Zweidler wants (o meet with you in his office back this way. He doesn't want any more confusion in the waiting area.” Zsolt had dismissed the sedated and sick occupying the waiting area. "Those poor bastards out there didn’t notice anything,” Zsolt presumed. "That's the truth,” Varya assured him. Follow me,” said the orderly. ‘They walked down a narrow corridor that was decked out with luxurious marble- gray carpeting. Zsolt hoped he wouldn't get blood all over it. About halfway along, ‘arya glanced at a door they passed with the name "Delemont” on it ‘The orderly opened an office at the end of the hall —a plain door without a nameplate on it — and went in, followed by Zsolt and Varya. "Dr. Zweidler,” he said. ‘Zweidler looked up at the orderly and nodded. "You can leave us, Fritz,” he said. They waited for the man to go out and shut the door behind him. Then Zweidler looked at his visitors, giving them a puzaled frown. He stood up and came around his desk. “Ach, weh, then this is our John Zsolt, all the way from Zaozhuang. How is China? It's been many years since I've visited there. But, of course, of all nations, China— There was a low throbbing sound, a low static screech, and the acrid smell of burnt hair. Zweidler raised a well-manicured hand to the smoking remains of a lock. Step back,” Varya said. Zsolt smiled at her, puzzled but determined not to show it. "You figured out the safety system on that two-handed flashlight.” " He was using vitakinesis to sedate you,” she explained. "I thought I should break it up. Ifyou shook hands with him, he'd have you counting backward from one hun- dred, and you'd wake up in a semi-private room with nice flowers and a visit from all the wrong people.” Zsolt nodded, but he didn’t look at her. He'd heard the docs could do such things; it shouldn't surprise him that their proxy would try it on some wild-eyed as sailant. "Why don't you sit back down, Dr. Zweidler. You know who I am. You know why I'm here. What’s wrong with my friend? Why couldn't they tell us anything in the local clinics we tried?” The old man shrugged. "So many questions. And you deserve answers. You know what are these Aberrants?” Yeah, everybody does. Nasty mutant suckers raiding our colonies and cities.” ‘Zweidler's eyes flicked from Zsolt to Varya and back again. "Also, then, thetaint?” Zsolt’s expression turned thoughtful. He shook his head. The old doctor spread his hands. “There could be some of these... Aberrants on Earth here and there, alone or in groups. For what reasons that make sense? Qur beautiful world tainted, you would say, by their very presence.” He reached into a pocket of his white lab coat and brought out the second eryal, the one Zsolt had sur- rendered at the ER’s reception desk. "Your friend...hisillness—" "Can you help him?” Zweidler’s eyes looked brighter, as if they'd filled with tears. He held up the eryal again. "His illness is of this Aberrant taint. It is nothing natural, nothing anyone has ever seen before. It isn't a germ or a virus. Now, today, we are helpless." “The Hungarian closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. “Then why in the name of God were you trying to stop us?”THE HONORED DEAD idler asked, "Stop you?” "How the fucking hell do you think you got that cryal?” YVarya spoke up, her voice calm. "We were attacked on the road. All they wanted was the cryal. John was smart enough to have brought two, butyour people here got that one, too, He trusted them, I suppose. For a cynic, he's too romantic for his own good.” Zweidler interrupted. “Idon't understand. Yes, knew Herr Zsolt was on his way, but I gave no orders to have you stopped, to have you assaulted. The entire world knows [would never permit that. My staff I've chosen carefully, one-person ata time, and no one in this organization would allow such a thing, either. This whole idea is deeply disturbing. Zsolt opened his eyes. "You got a tall thin woman working for you, wears dark glasses at night, lots of black leather, much too aware of her image for her own good?” Zweidler looked helplessly to Varya. "New illnesses,” he said in a tired voice. "No cone is ready to hear about them yet, about how little we know of this taint. We must act responsibly. It would be so easy to cause panic, and that would certainly be disastrous, a deadly mistake. We must study and learn, and we must make the world ready to hear and understand our findings.” Varya let out a sigh. "You're saying there are brand-new diseases popping up all over the damn place because of the Aberrants, because of the taint they spread, and so far you Asculapians are still standing around with your thumbs up your asses wonder- ing what you can do about them.” Zweidler shook his head. "We need you,” he said sofily. "People like Herr Zsolt, people with true latent talents. We're always looking for men and women who have the abilities to become new healers. Think of the gift you have, the great gift! I can see it shining from within you. Join us, Herr Zsolt. Maybe it will be youwho heals your friend.” Zsolt's eyes widened slightly, and he looked from Zweidler to Varya. There was a moment of solemn silence, with just the rattle of the air conditioning audible in the room. "You almost had me,” Zsolt said at last, "but you took it just a little too far. Pat died two days ago and you knew it; you and your Zon Trinity friends. I'm not going to let people — psygs or neutrals — manipulate me anymore.” He turned and left the office, missing whatever passed between the doctor and Varya. arya smiled when she caught up with him in the hallway. "Youplayed old Doc Zweidler just right! You're learning, magyar!” She put her arms around his neck. He felt her breasts press against his chest, and smelled the clean sandalwood fragrance of her skin. [meant you, too,” he told her. Zsolt's rage was gone, but the anger remained. He reached up and pulled away from her arms. "You wanted to get to Basel, well, there's probably a bus in front of the building that'll take you right downtown.” Zsolt didn't know what kind of response to expect, but Varya just laughed. He shook his head and walked away, still carrying the Banji automatic. None of the clinic's staff stopped him from leaving, but he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to realize it. Zsolt tried to remember where he'd left the truck. He wouldn't decide what to do next until it was plainly in front of him. Later that night, Zsolt pulled the Concurso off the road and got out. He stared up at the cloudy, starless sky and felt a sudden chill. It wasn’t the altitude or the wind. It was a cold feeling that had risen from deep within him. His minicomp sat on the damp earth beside him. Zsolt’s eyes were closed, but he heard Pat's voice: "Please let me ask this one last time: Remember me, John.” Somebody in China explained to him that there were only two things to do when certain diseases invaded the body. The first was to cut the disease out completely. The second was to strengthen the body so it could fight for itself. Zsolt knew that there were some diseases that couldn't be cut out, not completely. The world was sick— tainted — and the clears and the docs and all of the other psion orders were supposed to be dedicated to strengthening the world’s body. Instead, they seemed more interested in vying with each other for status and re~ cruits. Zsolt heard the stories of these saintly Gifted defending humanity, but he'd 19 SLURRED EUR EERE EERE ERE EERE RRR REE RE RRR REE RRR200 C0 $$ THE HONORED DEAD seen that they were all too human. He relied on them to help Pat, and they failed. Still, ust because the psyqs hadn't found a cure didn't mean there wasn't one. And just because Pat was dead didn't mean Zsolt would give up on his friend. Varya and Zweidler claimed Zsolt was a latent, that he could become a psion. As much as he hated and mistrusted them and their manipulations, Zsolt realized that becoming a psion might be the best way to honor his friend’s memory. He didn't trust the docs; they'd lied to him from the beginning. Although Varya stuck by him through this mess, she just wanted to recruit him, too. He knew little enough about the other orders besides what he'd seen on holovids and in chipzines — who knew if they were any better? Zsolt couldn't deny the impact of the strange visions he'd had, though. They'd helped him, revealed things he wouldn't have learned otherwise. Just imagine if he could harness the full potential of clairsentience! If he became a psion, Zsolt might discover what the others couldn't — or wouldn't. He would no longer be a pawn. This would be his memorial to Pat, the proof of his loyalty. No,” he whispered, "I won't forget.” Zsolt didn’t even wait for morning. He got into the Concurso and tuned it back toward the Montressor Clinic. Maybe he could find Varya, still looking for that bus into Basel. 200.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 FILE DIRECTORY OVERVIEW AEONTRINITY PROFILE Psi Psi ORDERS ABERRANTS HISTORY 22ND-CENTURY EARTH SPACE ALIENS 22 25 30 36 64 70 84 112 142INTO THE NEW MILLENIUM A LOOK AT THE EVENTS THAT HAVE SHAPED THE WORLD OF THE 22ND CENTURY. — Warren Shaw, Retrospective © 2120 OBC In looking to our past we see our future. —Proxy Otha Herzog, ISRA The past two decades ofithis new century have seén more change and progress than had oc- curred in the preceding 100 years. The tremendous strife humanity suffered in the 21st century, from global warfare to political up- heaval, from @conomic collapse to social change, served to temper us. Now, in 2120, humans are hardy, dauntless creatures with ‘opportunities that previous gen- erations could scarcely have dreamed, . It is an exciting time to be alive. Humanity reaches ever further into space, establishing and expanding — colonies and orbital stations in dis F tant solar systems. Technology is constantly on the rise, resulting in tremendous scientific break- throughs such as interstellar jump ships and other wonders of bio- technology. Alien beings walk among us, teaching tis thelrstrange ways, and learning ours. ‘Yet more important than all of these things, science has discov- ered the key to understanding the universe, which, Ironically, was locked away in our minds all along, Psionic powers, the powers of the mind, area reality, and the people ‘who have fully realized them are known as psions. After centuries of fantasizing about mental pow- ers, humanity can now move ob- jects, read minds, ignite fires and even perform the most delicate of surgery with but a thought. While the layman marvels at the ‘wonders of the psions, scientists marvel at thé insights into our uni- verse that psioni¢ powers give us. Noetic science, the investigation of this phenomenon, theorizes that psi ‘operates on a fundamental level of energy referred to as the subquan- ‘tum universe or Implicate orde psionic energy exists on a basic physical level even under quarks and tachyons. The discovery of this en- ergy has revolutionized modem sci- ence and changed the way we un- derstand the universe. Psionic energy particles are said to permeate all things, from aster- ids to grass, from alien races to all human beings. They're everywhere and affect all things. Their discovery, noetic Scientists Say, confirms that there fs a fifth elemental force at work In the universe, along with gravity, ‘Weak and strong nuclear forces, and electromagnetic energy. This Holy Grail of science may be the missing Jinkthat completes a true Grand Uni- fication Theory. Psionic energy, the subquantum universe, the implicat order — whatever you want to call nates through everything and Is therefore the unifying force be- tween all things, living or not, All ings are said to be a part of the uni- verse, and the universe Is supposed to be part of all things. Rather high- brow, but now that science theorizes about the bonds between everythi we hope to unlock the remaining secrets of the universe. ECThe proof of psi allows us to go beyond theory and con- jecture. As if created by some benevolent hand, the psions have arisen and are capable of perceiving the essence of the universe. Their powers allow them to project their minds, ma- nipulate the energy particles around them, and recognize the ties between themselves and as- teroids, grass, aliens and other human beings. While scientists ponder the ebb and flow of uni- ersal particles, psions see them, feel them and direct them. The psions are therefore our tools for discovering the truth of reality. They are our leaders in what may be an age of answers. It is indeed a wonderful time to be alive, as we finally unravel the greatest mysteries of all time. ‘What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? What is our purpose? ‘Can we define the mind and even the soul In terms of subquantum psionic particles? The Grand Unifi- cation Theory and the psions could hold the answers. Yet as we stand on the brink of discovery, we also stand on the brink of destruction. Humanity’s greatest threat, the Aberrants, have returned. These erstwhile-he- roes-turned-apocalyptic-destroy- ers were almost the ruin ofhuman- Ity. They arose innocently enough in the 2 1st century as beings pos- sessed of amazing powers and a desire to ply them for the good of the human race. But their strength came from a genetic anomaly, a tumorous mutation labeled the Mazarin-Rashoud node. Their powers grew immensely as their mutation festered. Before long, the Aberrants were out of control, completely insane. Rb 1k ‘our hardships of the past 60 years give us strength against our resurgent en- emies. The decade following the ‘Aberrant War, called the Crash, was § truly the darkest time in human his- tory. Much of the world’s financial and ecological resources were drained, Half of Earth’s arable land was corrupt and infertile. The ‘OpNet, the global computer net- work, was in ruins and a stagger- ing amount of recorded informa- tion on history, culture and soci- ety was lost. Millions died, not only in the war, but In the ensuing riots and chaos, Untold billions in dam- age were done to citles and na- tions around the world. ‘The Crash saw nation squabble | ‘with nation over table scraps. Politi cal and religious differences flared tofervent hatred. North America and Europe, the two regions hit hardest by the Aberrant War, were relegated | to the status of second-class pow- | ers. China and Brazil, and later the newly formed United Aftican Na~ tions, stepped forward to lead the ‘world into the 22nd century. In the waning years of the 21st century, Earth's nations made an ef- fortto put three decacies of strife be- hind them. Space was the new fron- tier, where anyone from an indi- vidual to an entire population could start anew. Governments and cor-owed by hardy ex- ers and colonists € BF for a second chance. Since the second Space (Age began in 2024, human- has conquered Luna; ing orbital cities around the inner planets; mined rich ores from Mercury, juplter's moons and from the asteroid belt; Initiated terraforming on Mars; and ‘even advanced beyond our solar system to new worlds. Now clouds darken this new dawn. No one can forget what they were doing on January 28, 2104, when the Aberrants returned. Their attack on Research Outpost Vesta, beyond Saturn, came without warn- ing. The viciousness of that assault ‘was matched only by the horrific de- gree to which the Aberrants had mu- tated. Forty years in the vold had transformed them into bizarre things from a Saturday night holovid. But these monsters are real The Aberrants have changed — grown more powerful — but | so have we. The strides we have made to rebuild Earth civilization, restore what was destroyed in the | first Aberrant War, and extend our | reach into space make humans a force to be reckoned with, And this time we have the psions — nothing less than the power of mind over matter—whose powers are the product of natural hu- man evolution, not genetic muta- tion. Ever since the first psions ap- peared to combat an Aberrant as- sault in 2106, these people have been humanity's greatest defenders, and their numbers have swelled. While currently numbering less than one percent of the eight bil- human souls scattered across Earth and the near stars, these pro- tectors are a powerful force In fact, without the psions we would never have made first con- tact with an alien race, the Qin. Though they had not yet developed interstellar travel, the Qin had cre- ated a civilization to rival Earth's. These beings are at once intriguingly similar and disturbingly different from us. Yet aside from the count- less mysteries that exist between our races, humans and Qin share a fun- ‘damental nature: curiosity about the universe, and a staunch desire to de- fend it against all hostile beings. Aberrants are the enemies of both humans and Qin. But much less understood than Aberrants are the pseudo-reptilian aliens, the ‘Chromatics. Their raid in 2113 on the Karroo Mining Colony near the Crab Nebula was unannounced, and as unprovoked as any Aber- rant assault. Humanity does not yet know the Chromatics’ motives, and ‘we won't until we re-establish con- tact with our outposts. lying trapped and vulnerable in the dis- tant reaches of space. The forces that endanger hu- manity in the 22nd century are hor- rifying, ButIfour achievements and discoveries of the past 20 years are any indication, we are prepared to contend with any threat. As the psions rally and the new jump ships are brought online, we will restore contact with our distant outposts, take the fight back to the Aberrants, and end their menace once and for all, Only then can humanity and the psions safely explore the unifying truths of the universe and find our rightful place in it.Congratulations, citizen, you are humanity's greatest hope. You are one of the Gifted; a psion, a champion of Earth and a defender of every- thing that has ever been. Through the blessings of the proxies, who are the leaders of the psion orders, and the graces of the powers that be, you have developed the astonishing ability to perform miracles with only your thoughts, will and strength of character. Your psionic powers allow you to see the fundamental forces of the universe, and affect the cosmic balance of things. This is no minor responsibility. Now that the Aberrants, your heroic predecessors- turned-corrupt, have returned to assault the Earth again, you are essential to the protection of all life. Now that humanity explores the mysteries of deep space, you are the spear- head of those forays into the unknown. Now that science realizes that psionic energy Is the fifth force in the Grand Unification Theory that shapes nature itself, you have the power to reveal the secrets of the universe and to dis- cover the role that humanity must play in it. Yours is the most glorious duty and honor, Youare not alone, though. Weare the Adon Trinity, a society dedicated to the protection and. service of humanity for the past 200 years. Your psionic order, the group that unlocked your abil- Ity to channel psi energy and that trained you to use those powers, Is your surrogate parent — your adopted family. The Aion Trinity is your *godparent,” your tutor, advisor and counselor in this, the greatest responsibility, challenge and adventure you have ever faced. The Aion Trinity was founded in the 20th century and has worked with the governments, and societies of Earth ever since to help hu- manity fulfil its destiny. Now in the 22nd cen- ON TRINITY tury, we counsel, represent and coordinate vi tually every world and space government, or- ganized religion, metacorporation and psi or- der. Indeed, Aion is the right hand of the world’s decision makers, and always has the good of all people at heart. The on Trinity does not control any party or individual, but influences them toward a common goal: unity. Zon is a society that you as a psion can turn to and rely on in the hard and happy times ahead. Aon services humanity through three branches, each of which facilitates functions essen- tial to the Trinity and your order. These three dlvi- sions were established at the organization's incep- tion, and although their duties and operating pa- rameters have changed with time, they retain their ‘original designations in honor of those who came. before. Neptune is 2on's administrative branch. It Isstaffed mainly by “neutrals” ornonpsionic people, and is supported by psions and some proxies, such as the leader of your order, all of whom seek to coordinate the unity of humanity and its allies for the achievement of peace and prosperity. Titon Is our research and investigation department. Its members study space and our alien allies and! en- cemies, keep a vigilant watch for Aberrant attacks and solve crimes committed against humanity. Proteus is the hand of the Trinity, the operations tearm that consists of psions and special agents who actively protect Earth and its peoples. ‘Asa psion and ally of Aon, you may belong to one or more of these branches, and are thus one of the guardians of our age. The Trinity has members in countries through- out the world and across explored space. You are counseled with and deferred to in all matters of defense and the common good, from defending against the Aberrant megPy ace to receiving ambassa- dors of alien races, such as the Qin, You are a power for change, a PF means to achieve unity and strength. The Aoon Trinity is the catalyst that holds the psi orders, Earth and space governments, as well as humans and aliens together. Aion Is an earthly benefactor, if you will. But the Trinity did not always have this honorable and weighty role in the uni- verse, or even among humanity. To understand Aron’ purpose and direction in modem times, you must look back to early 20th-century Chicago. Aion’ founder, Maxwell Anderson Mercer, n- ventor, businessman and millionaire, established what was then called the Zon So- ciety for Gentle- men. Mercerhada vision ofthe future, even in. those ff simple times. He ff understood that humanity's devel- ‘opment up to that era had taken a slow and gradual path, but with up- coming innova- tions in technol- ‘ogy, introductions = of social reforms and the blossoming of human po- tential, upstanding men and women, the brillant and motivated, would be neecied to lead humanity into the future. This society recognized the dawn- ing of a new age, one of hope, to which it could give direction. And though the society was per- haps named in the naive spirit of an innocent time, the changes that it anticipated would indeed come about, whether in a thousand or a handful of years. ‘Mercer's vision proved accurate when the first extranormal people emerged near the end ofthe 20th century. These rising stars were new and vibrant, as ‘yet untouched by comuption. They were the protec- tors of thelr era, and the Alon Sodety worked with them to improve the lot of 20th-century life. It was a new Goklen Age of heroes and potential — of hope. ‘And yet, that hope was dashed. Something in the inherent being of Earth's heroes went awry. The abilities that marked the first champions of the on Society changed with those who followed. Powers grew greater than had ever been known before. The inventiveness and wislom that founded the society were abancloned in favor of raw power and actions of the orders is like questioning whether you re- ally need oxygen. Both are considered essential for humanity's survival. When the orders made their first public appearance FF 14 years ago (after operating in secret for years previously), there were eight of them: the vitakinetic A'sculapian Order, the quantakinetic Chitra In 2109, the proxies stunned the psion community with the revelation that the ‘quantakinetic Chitra Bhanu Order was in league with the resurgent Aberrants, The other seven orders united to exterminate their traitorous brethren, The operation was completed by the spring of 2110, yet rumors persist to present day that more than a few Chitra Bhanu (and perhaps even their proxy) escaped. ‘Assecond disaster struck the or- ders four years later, when, despite the valiant efforts of Orgotek strike teams, an Aberrant attack FH ws Ike ty rie body wats nde aE eve eee being stomped on. The pain only lasted for a few seconds, but It It like forever. Afterward, | had the worst hangover of my life —_ ‘without even the pleasure of having a single drop. Bhanu, the clairsentient ISRAns, the psychokinetic Le- gionnaires, the telepathic Ministry, the biokinetic Norga, the electrokinetic} Orgotek Order and the teleporting peo wa Macho. Tragedy has whittled their ranks, however; one order has been exterminated and f> another has vanished. Know what the kicker was? I was just some newble grunt. I'd rely started to understand the — what do ya call it? — (subquantum energy.” Our dill sergeant, an old Zen master, was days, and that was just the start of his problems. ] ‘They say the better you get with psi, the more susceptible youbrought the Esperanza orbital station crashing to Earth in the heart of Europe. Every Gifted (and a number of latents) felt the tremendous psionic shock wave that resulted from the impact and the millions of deaths that it caused. A backlash caused by the teleporters’ mass disappearance thundered through the subquantum stratum an instant later. Many highly attuned psions still suf- fer psionic trauma resulting from those combined events, even today. It's commonly accepted that the Esperanza's destruction (and that of a good deal of France) was merely a decoy that al- lowed the Aberrants time to strike at their real targets: the Upeo. Regardless of specu- lation, the fact remains that the teleporters are gone, and their absence has crippled extrasolar expansion for half a decade. Strangely, when both orders vanished, so too did anyone with strong latency in either quantakinetics or teleportation. Whether such latents disappeared as well, continue to be eradi- cated as they are found, or are triggered to one of the remaining six aptitudes is unknown. The Chitra Bhanu tragedy and the Upeo’s vanishing act have also injured the psi orders’ public image. Despite the on Trinity's best efforts at mediation and spin control, various governments and even some psions look with increasing frequency at the orders’ failures and setbacks. They seem to lose sight of how cru- ial the Gifted are to the future of humanity. FUNCTION Each order was established and Is still ad- ministered (or ruled, some say) by a single proxy —a sion with abllities far beyond those of even the most accomplished of his or her kind. Theories from reasonable to ridiculous abound regarding the powers of the proxies. The paranoid and conspiracy theorists claim that after the proxies underwent their own transformations, they diluted the processes used on their followers to ensure their own supremacy. Of course, it's just as plausible thatthe proxies are simply the most powerful psionic in- dividuals the world has ever known. ‘Whatever the truth behind the proxies’ powers, they lead their respective orders with varying degrees of control, and seem to be united in their dedication to drive off the Aberrants. ‘The orders themselves are socio-political or- ganizations, and! have autonomy over the creation, ‘raining and deployment of psions. Each order is. responsible for locating humans with appropriate latent talents and convincing those humans to undergo the conversion process, known as the Prometheus Effect. This isn't usually a hard sell, as the media has done an exceptional job portraying psions as something that everyone should want to be. Psionic powers, wealth and the chance to save the universe — literally. Who wouldn'twant to be one of the Gifted? ‘Methods used to seek out latents vary with the order, but typically involve search teams and testing centers. The majority of humanity has the same basic degree of resonance that flows through everything in the universe. Those with a stronger amount of psi who test as vi- able latents don’t register an inclination for a certain aptitude; they simply show the poten- tial to channel psi energy. A latent who exhib- Its anoticeable tendency for a specific psi apti- tude is sought after greatly by the orders, since such an individual often makes a powerful psion in that aptitude. In the end, though, the order that takes the latent in and puts him through its Prometheus Effect dictates the aptitude that the person actually manifests. ‘Acceptance into an order also varies, of- ten requiring more than just possessing psi latency. Some pose rigorous entrance tests, ‘some refuse to promote latents of certain back- grounds (whether cultural, religious or racial), while others welcome potential psions of any temperament or background. ‘The Neptune Division of the Aion Trinity also facilitates trade and transfer of latents among the orders, although the Ministry and the Norca have notor donot participate in this program. The Min- istry has only recently offered to exchange latents with aptitudes other than telepathy. The biokinetic ‘Nora continue their solitary and secretive recruit- ment, exclusive of the other orders, The orders transform latents into psions in a similar way, although enough differences exist in the processes to create psions with unique psionic capabilities. A latent is enclosed in a “conversion tank,” referred to as a Prometheus chamber. Sup- posedly, he can be triggered only in one of these special bioware tanks, regardless of the aptitude to which he is indined. Each orcier has its own chambers (which are kept in individual, secured locations). The aptitudes reportedly manipulate psi energy in their own way, and the various orders’ chambers perform slightly different functions to trigger the appropriate powers. Someday humans may manifest active psi powers spontaneously, but until that time the Prometheus chambers are key to the birth of psions, sions created by these means are supposed to be capable of only certain psionic effects. Re- search conducted since the emergence of psionic powers indicates that psions may sometimes mani- fest rudimentary levels of aptitudes other than the ‘ones in which they re triggered, Most noeticsts and high-ranking psions state that, while primitive ex- pressions of multiple aptitudes are possible, humans simply aren't mentally equipped to manifest mul- tiple aptitudes fully. Further study is required to learn more of the potential inherent in this mystery. After their conversion, fledgling psions are trained and subsequently deployed by the or- ders that triggered them. This education and assignment, while primarily concerned with combating Aberrants and hostile aliens, includes. other endeavors unrelated to the orders’ pri- mary function. For instance, while electrokinet- ics join the other orders in hunting down Aberrants, their order, Orgotek, also pursues a thriving business in bioware development, ship- building and terraforming. Even the orders, it seems, aren't above making a profit A number of normal humans assist in the or- ders’ “mundane” pursuits. Though comprising asig- nificant percentage of their respective orders ancl growing in number, the Gifted stil make up a rela- tively small portion of the human population. ployees, and are not part of the orcers in the truest — |— Excerpt: The third Noetic Conference, Olympus, 10.6.2111 The Prometheus Effect, labeled such by t Vitakinetic Proxy Dr. Matthieu Zwvedler, largely re- mains a mystery even to mast psions. The actual "chanics ofthe process invoive the latentimbibing biofuid, then being immersed in a gelled bioware tank. The sub _ ject falls into a fugue state while her body i infusee x sense, Only psionsare embraced as true oF der members, Almost all psi Who work for the Eon Tiinity in some capacity, remain members ofthe orders that created them. Afterall, the benefits are good, the company is amenable and backup is usu- ally available when Aberrants strike. However, individual psions have been known to forge ‘outon their own. Each orderhasits own policy onrogueagents, from the Norca's sometimes extreme measures in recovering free agents to the Legion's public commendation of inci- ty. fs mostcommon itch order allegiances for personal — or financial —reasons. The £on Trinity has taken a direct hand in brokering these personnel exchanges, which seems to have eased relations between, the orders in general Finally, while each order has a central base of operations where its influence is most apparent, they all maintain global — and interplanetary — operations, as well. ‘The Asculapian Order, for example, Is based near Basel, Switzerland, but has a second-ay center of operations in Port-au-Prince, Hat, and numerous clinics in over 40 countries, on Luna, and on most human colonies. PSI ORDERS AND THE AON TRINITY on has helped the psi orders grow since their very inception. The Trinity has offered as sistance and guidance to the proxies over the past two decades, and extends that same aid to the psions of each order. While the majority of sions donot perform missions for A2on directly, virtually all interact with the society on some level. Psions become assodiated with Alon through number of means. Although the orders under- stand that working togethers important, they all have a tendency to perform independently of the others, and each considers its policies to be the best. Who can say what the result of the Esperanza attack would have been had the or- dts been able to mount a unified defense? Zon's most important function is coordi- nating the orders. The Trinity organizes most missions involving psions from multiple orders. —annrraeen ans aa ticle) Those Gifted who seem to work especially well together are usually offered extended assign- ments. As long as the orders approve of such cooperative programs, the Trinity provides the majority of each psion’s wages and benefits. Solitary psions may find their way to Zon as well, elther through freelance work or as parts of Triton Division's investigations. These individual Gifted are offered positions in teams of like-minded psions. Even those free agents inclined to work with normals or to work solo are accommodated when It's feasible. A fringe benefit that results from working with the Trinity is a sense of normalcy for the anything-but-normal psions, Zon is one of the few institutions that brings together not only psions of various orders, but also humans of all backgrounds. Many Gifted feel uncomfortable around neutrals, and while most orders strive to alleviate this separation anxiety, only Zon can provide psions with a truly cosmopolitan environment In which to work and live.aka. vitakinetics, docs or rexs = id Cone O Lees VITAKINESIS This aptitude covers the use of psionic energy to heal the body and tind — or to harm them. The majority ‘of development in vitakinesis involves its healing applications, as categorized ‘under the iatrosis and mentatis modes. | Training in algesis, the application of Vitakinesis to cause harm, Is controlled. rigidly by high-ranking Asculapians. latrosis: The psion applies his will to mend physical injuries, from minor cuts and scrapes to massive trauma and loss of limbs. ‘Mentatis: The use of psi energy to remedy psychological derangements, healing the mind rather than the body. Algesis: This mode is geared toward causing injury. It is considered a neces- sary evil in the battle against Aberrants, but few vitakinetics practice its effects. AON TRINITY ANISSION PARAMETERS "As a vitakinetic, you heal body and mind, You mend and even regenerate damaged tissue or soothe psychological trauma) altby focusing your will on a sub- ject. While your powers could be used to harm instead of heal, such actions run en= tirely contrary to what we ask of you. ‘Your aptitude sees primary use in field work. You engage in research and missions to contain subjects with genetic’ anomalies. You assist in the eradication. ‘of Aberrants themselves. You enter into “front-line combat and tend to your team | members’ wounds with both your medi- "eal training and your psi powers. Your powers are essential to more than simply maintaining your team- | mates’ health, though. You are the team's lifeline. — textfile conversion, Hiroko Foster, EMT, Zsculapian Order Humanity has always suspected that the mind is a powerful force for healing, but hard evidence has eluded those who have sought it Almost,15.years ago, the proxies gave us proof ‘enough for even the most hardened skeptic. ‘We psions of the Asculapian Order use the power of the mind to cure illnesses, to mend broken bones and to perform medical wonders that were previously believed the province of wizards, saints and miracle-workers. Yet despite our amazing skills, Asculaplans are about as far removed from metaphysical triumbo Jumbo as one can get. In fact, the docs I've worked with tend to view their own abilities and potential with a coldly scientific eye. Point out to a vitakinetic the similarity between her techniques and the medieval “laying of hands” and you're likely to get a half-hour lecture about thé perils of confusing religious quackery. with the hard sci- ence of vitakinesis. Qnyou just might get a half-hour rant about how you're exactly right. ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY Dr. Matthieu Zweidler, MD, fathered the Asculaplan Order. One of the world's finest neurosurgeons, Zweidler was the head of the Montressor Clinic, an elite private hospital located in a converted monastery outside of Basel, Switzerland. ‘After he was transformed into one of the original eight proxies, Zweidler used both his clinic and a network of affiliated hospi- tals, former employees and contacts to lay the groundwork for what would become the Asculapian Order. Within a few months, Zweidler began a quiet process of Identifi- cation, recruitment and triggering of vitakinetic psions. Thanks to Zweidler's carefully laid plans, when the proxies revealed themselves to the world, the docs were already up and run- ning. Those first-generation vitakinetics guised their powers for at least three yeaand were established physicians, known and accepted by the normal doctors and nurses whom they worked with. The first dlocs built a reputation as selfiess, fearless angels of mercy. Today, vitakinetic clinics are located ev- erywhere from Earth to the extrasolar colo- nies. The media is full of stories of heroic rexs. who brave the dangers of catastrophes, epl- demics and battlefields to treat the sick and injured. Indeed, as the order expands it absorbs, duplicates or simply makes obso- lete many existing medical-relief organi- zations. Even the ven= erable International Red Cross has been virtually subsumed by Asculapians. It only makes sense, though; we are simply better equipped to handle emergencies. At least, that’s what our press releases say. Latents with the potential for the vita- kinesis aptitude are relatively common, but Zweidler is par- ticular about the people whom he al- lows to undergo the Prometheus Effect; simply registering latency isn’t enough. Still, there have been quite a few docs over the years. I've heard the Asculapian is the third largest order after the Legions and Orgotek. There may be as many as 10,000 vitakinetics running around GEOGRAPHY “Seasoned with Basel" has become slang, among the docs’ field ops for describing idi- otic policies that come straight from the top. The Basel operation Is dominated by Dr. Zweidler and his peers from the pre-proxy days, but field healers now come increasingly from non-Western backgrounds, Zweidler insists on strict documentation of all manifestations and uses of vitakinesis. The strongest adherents to the order's cult of scientific rationality are based in Basel. The clinicis.the docs’ administrative center, train- ing facility and noetic research lab. The ‘Mentressor Clinic also maintains a massive or- gan bank, with satel- lite facilities at other major clinics. The banks’ director, Roland Stoltzfus, claims that his people can rush an ‘tgan to anywhere in- system In less than 24 hours. Much of the order's power is con- centrated in..Basel That's why:the clinic is guarded heavily by both psions and armed human agents. Ironically, these secu- rity forces seem to spend much of their time controlling the hordes of sick and in- firm who drag them- selves to Zweidler's doorstep in search of cures. Beyond the order's hundreds of small clinics, posts and man- aged-care facilities, there are major Asculapian clinics in Olympus, Minnesota, ‘Addis Ababa and Haitl. The Haitian city of Port-au-Prince is home to the “loyal opposi- tion” to Zweidler's technocratic cadre. ‘Shamen, faith healers, acupuncturists —docs with different ways of perceiving vitakinesis — congregate there, an ocean and a world view away from the order's often stifling ad- ministratorsWhat’s in a Name — Corl Helsles, The Palnful Truth 2119 MMI Apparently Zweidler wa fan of the Classics. He dubbed nascent order the "Asculapians after Asculapius, a Roman p! | cian and son of Jupiter who wa supposedly skilled enough to bring the dead back to life. Zweidler must never have looked up the details of A’sculapius’ F whole story; Jupiter was none-too- pleased with his son's activities and killed him with a thunderbolt from the heavens. I don’t have to tell you that “Asculapian” is a mouthful. It's not surprising that nobody uses It (except Zweldler, of course). Ev- eryone calls them “vitakinetics, ” instead, after their aptitude. And if that doesn’t thrill you, there's always slang. The Asculapians are essentially glorified doctors, right? Just a short hop from that to “docs.” And pop culture and ‘we megameds being what we are, had to be clever and bastard- ize the traditional “Rx” into “rex.” So the order's official paperwork refers to " Asculaplans,” but ask any- body on the street who that refers to. As far as Joe Hologram is con- cerned, it’s “vitakinetic,” "doc" or rex. 1 don’t know why Zweldler gets so upset about all this. We still humor him with “Prometheus Ef- fect,” don’t we? You ask me, there's While Zweidler’s deeply rational soul loathes these docs’ spiritual views, he still recruits powerful latents on principle, regardless of their beliefs. IF Zweidier can't work with someone after the transfor- mation, he simply ships her out. Zweidler is quite touchy about how closely his special talent mimics the effects of folklore and legend, and can’t bear reminders of that “stigma.” Asculapian clinics follow one of the two established paradigms of Switzerland or Haiti, depending on where a clinic director did her internship. There's a friendly — and sometimes not-so-friendly — rivalry as to which group Is “right.” A doc can still move from one clinic to another with a minimum of culture shock, though. '— recovered email fragment from Dr. Matthieu Zweldler [Haitian vitakinetics are] nothing, more than a bunch of damned witch | doctors using my money and equip- ment to paint themselves blue and ca-TRAINING AND ORGANIZATION Each rex performs an internship of three to five years at one of the main clin- Ics after being triggered. Upon graduation, the psion is considered a licensed medical technician. Membership in the order after this point isn’t mandatory, but Is expectedyand the benefits that Zweldler provides are so attractive that almost no one ever leaves, Asculapian clinics, no matter thelr locale or setup, follow a Basel organizational model; the paperwork and chain of command are the same in every clinic from Europe to Europa. The chief of staff (essentially, the ranking psion) manages the clinic, while neuts fili key administrative roles. The $mall- est clinics may have only a single rex, while the largest maintain as many as 100 fully trained docs at any time. No matter their size, most of our clinics also have full medical staffs of neutral doc- tors, hurse$and technicians who outnumber the psions whom they work witheThe latter are the “superstars,” though, and I've known a few who have vid-star attitudes, butno one can argue with thelr results. Psions fresh out of internships are attached to existing clin- ics, unless specially directed to research pro- grams or the military. Only the largest clin- have the facilities to maintain more than a couple of trainees at a time. differences to affect their work. CONFIDENTIAL ASCULAPIANS: INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS Asculapians maintain cordial re- lations with Orgotek. The two study and develop bioware together (al- though despite strong professional ties, no love Is lost between the two orders’ proxies). The Legions are likewise looked upon favorably, since psychokinetics and vitakinetics sup- port one another in combat. A num- ber of docs have ventured to South ‘America for extended research with the Norca. The purpose of such study Is unknown by low-ranking docs. While Asculapians consult occasion- ally with Ministry psions on psi-re- lated psychological problems, the two orders otherwise make a point to avoid each other. ISRA psions are given little more than a nod and a smirk by docs, since clairsentient powers are considered to have little use beyond patrolling for Aberrants. fall the orders, the A’sculapians seem to have the most trouble with their own, The Basel adherents’ rigid scientific mentality Is increasingly at ‘odds with the Haitian docs’ “spiritual” attitude. This could become a concern if the psions allow their philosophicala.k.a, clairsentients, seers, clears or eyes — textfile conversion, Otha Herzog, Clairsentient Proxy lam given to understand that you wish to know about ISRA. Much of what. you would like to learn is impossible to comprehend if you are not clairsentient, but I will relate my knowledge as clearly as I may. Teele CLAIRSENTIENCE A Gifted with this aptitude can extend hhis senses far beyond the human norm, can read the “auras” of people and objects to Jearn their histories, and can even catch glimpses of the future. Clairsentience effects. are categorized under the psychometry, psychonavigation and telesthesia modes. Psychometry: These powers involve attuning to a subject's aura, as the dlairsentients call it, to learn of recent events and encounters. Psychonavigation: This mode en- ables the psion to find a subject by key- ing into its subquantum resonance. Telesthesia: The Gifted can project hiis senses through physical barriers and across vast distances by attuning Self to psionic energy wave-forms. AON TRINITY AISSION PARAMETERS ‘Asa clairsentient you perceive the unl- ‘verse with senses far greater and sharper than. normal. You can see through walls and into. the deepest reaches of space. Your compre- hension of the physical world is unparalleled. Youare our scouts and detectives. You ppilot orbital craft and our incredible new Jump ships. You scan the stars for signs of hostile incursions of all types, from Aberrants to aliens to even human forces. You investigate disaster sites, crimes and mysteries, uncovering information with ‘your powers of perception You are our eyes, peering into the darkness to bring the truth to light, ‘We clairsentients do not search for glory or power. We are servants of a greater power, of the energy that surrounds us all. We are your eyes, always watching, ever aware of the forces at work in the universe. Itis not ISRA's function to control these forces. Instead, we alert our Gifted breth- ren, and gather when those forces conspire to disrupt the living harmony of all things. Aberrants are the great discordant note in this reality, and we direct ourselves most intently pans them. Clairsentient psions are ruptions that sig- jes at work, and are quick bat these monstrosities. e Re when appropriate, much as I do with you now. Psions must fol- Jow indiviciual paths. | simply hope my words are beneficial when my fellows take their steps. LIVING LETTERS OF THE HOLOGRAPHIC TEXT Thave styled ISRA after the simple, el- egant models of monastic orders, although ‘our structure is still quite informal. All funds and property of the school — meeting areas, vehicles, equipment and the small number of orbital stations we are fortunate enough to have — are communal, shared among all members. Decisions made by our siblings are arrived at democratically, although weight isTHE FATHER OF CLAIRSENTIENCE — Analysis: Malcolm Severn, PhD, Triton Division, 4.24.2117 Otha Herzog, the proxy who refers to himselfas “the world’s most forgettable man,” didn’t have access to the political financial resources that funded the other orders. Instead, he built his order out ofa deep reverence for humanity and a dedi- cation to the Baha'i philosophy, which pro- poses a unification of all faiths and the har- mony of all people. His first psions were followers of Baha’i, anc numbered in the hundreds when ISRA finally took its place ‘on the world stage in 2106, Formerly a naturalized citizen of Ger- many, but now “a ctizen of the universe and a servant to no nation,” Herzog is be- lieved to live in Huruf al-Hayy, an orbital station on the solar system's outer reaches. This choice of headquarters (so far from the center of human activity) appears ec- centric until one remembers that distance matters little to the clairsentient proxy. Herzog considers himself a parent rather than a leader — although his hu- mility goes further; he refers to clairsentient psions as his “siblings.” He leaves most administration and the training of new psions to a group col- lectively known as the Mashriqi. While the Mashriqi have no official schoo! sta- tus or clearly defined social privileges, other ISRAns generally respect their ‘opinions. This is a reflection of Herzog’s ‘own manner of guidance. He emerges infrequently from Huruf al-Hayy, but even his simplest word has great weight among clairsentients (and a growing number of other psions). given to the wise and experienced among, us. In ISRA, everyone has a voice. Ours is not the largest order, nor is it the smallest. While ISRAns who manifest a low level of clairsentience are fairly numerous, my siblings with piercing insight into the universe number only a few thousand. The demographic figures that we have show ISRA’s membership to follow a broad “universal human norm,” with members from, and in, all parts of human space. 1am often asked about my politics, and those of my siblings. | feel that such things, ‘Milich like hairstyles and musical tastes, are personal choices. Politics has no place in ISRA, though | understand governments’ perceived necessity in greater society. The school di plays favoritism and antagonism toward no nation, corporation or other powerful group. lam pleased that many of my siblings follow my example and renounce their national ctizen- ship. Antifidal bonds of politcal loyalty and pa- triotism are not the way of ISRA, for they cloud. the purity of the visions we seek. Still, | think no Jess of those psions who maintain ties to home. They follow their own paths. They may have seen thatthe courses they must take lead them to serve their countries, or fo even join the Aon Trinity. It saddens me, however, that ISRA’s poli- ies have not endeared us to the more au- thoritarian national governments, I do not un- derstand why clairsentients of Asian extrac tion cannot renounce their Chinese citizenship. Or why local statutes in some s of the Federated States of America equate ISRA membership to treason. How is such a thing possible? We are all citizens of humanity. Such boundaries and limitations serve rate us from one anothy aging each clalrsen bolic frameworks the Sadly, the public stil s ISRA isan offical conduit for BMethodology F and Philosophy ‘Warren Shaw, Retrospective ‘02117 OBC ISRAns are expected to turn over ‘at least 80% of their earnings for clairsentient work to the school. In re- turn, ISRA ensures that all members have access to lodgings, board and a small living allowance for clothing and personal items. Members aren't re- quired to live simply, but many follow 4 the more experienced clairsentients” example. Each Mashriq literally owns nothing, having renounced personal ‘ownership to live entirely within the } communal standards of ISRA. Material goods aren't an issue | in ISRA. Yet, despite the Mashriqi's best efforts, many young or less gifted ISRAnshave become obsessed with boosting their power levels, cit- | ing a vague feeling that “something, big Is coming,” and that they need to “see more clearly.” This desire to increase thelr abilities causes some psions to rely on and become ad- | dicted to psi enhancers and other biotech augmentation devices. Supposedly, Herzog himself is subject to a sense of foreboding. The _growing significance of messianic im- agery within the Baha'i religious com- munity and his own order is said to, ‘unsettle the proxy. He has withdrawn from the day-to-day running of ISRA, leaving most immediate practical mat- tersin the hands of his Mashril. Herzog, reportedly spends ever-greater periods of time in deep meditation, which is allegedly accompanied by long peri- ‘ods of fasting and other practices. given that followers of Baha'i were expelled from their headquarters at Mount Carmel during the Temple Sealing. | have nothing but the greatest friendship for the Israelis, As | have said in the past, lamin debt to Jerusalem for encouraging the Baha'i — and my humble school — to look spaceward. We ISRAns prefer to be away from the dis- tractions of a gravity well when contemplating ‘complex visions. This should address your curi- ‘osity regarding our tendency to work and live in ‘orbital stations and other extraterrestrial locales. ‘Our “isolation” Is also due in large part to our involvement in jump-ship development. We are best suited of all the orders to pilot these incred- ible new vessels into the depths of space. Our past work with the Upeo wa Macho to locate teleportation destinations gave us invaluable training, and an affinity for sensing the depths of space. When the jump ships are fully functional, we shall finally rejoin our star-lost people. ——— (SRA: INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS ISRAnsseem to get along well with | ‘almost everyone. Clairsentients are the | firstline of defense against the Aberants, since they can often detect the spatial disruptions caused by the creatures' pow ‘ers of “Warp travel.” Beyond that, the | ISRAns don't have an agenda beyond | using their abilities to improve the hu- | man condition. They don’t force their | viewpoints on others, and are disposed | tolendiing assistance wherever possible. However, the same powers that | make clairsentients so useful also make | | them socially shunned. ISRAns have a | and to deliver cryptic messages about impending events. The fact that they’. usually right doesn’t alleviate their un settling manner. Psions of other orders | optimism. ISRAns are very useful to | | ave around, but whenever they aP- |.k.a. psychokinetics, PKs, Leslonnalreé or war dogs conversion, Robert Linsey sidering we psychokinetics tend to be a fiercely independent lot, some wags marvel that ‘enough of us PKs can stick together to make a single legion, let alone an entire order. How we do it Isn't such a surprise. Take a bunch of folks with something in common — beating Aberrant ‘tse — and they'JI stick together just fine, Course, thin&g,yould've fallen apart by now if not for the — who you'd call CONFIDENTIAL PSYCHOKINESIS ‘These powers involve molecular manipu- lation. A psychokinetic can create cold or heat} oF can move something by manipulating} | molecules. The three psychokinesis modes| are cryokinesis, pyrokinesis and telekinesis, Cryokinesis: Cryo effects slow down| ‘an object's molecular motion, simply cool Ing it or perhaps even freezing it solid. Pyrokinesis: These effects excite| molecules to generate heat and to cause| combustion. Telekinesis: The psion lifts objects] ‘and even himself by moving an entire mo-| lecular construct with focused psi energy. AON TRINITY MISSION PARAMETERS Psychokinesis involves mind over] matter. You create fire, generate ice and| ‘can even fly. Your abilities manipulate the| ‘Subtle potential and raw power inherent] to objects and the very air around you. You defend innocents against Aberrant, threats. You patrol cities, colonies and space itself in search of any and all dangers to hu- manity. You act as police and militia, keep= ing the peace and confronting menaces. You are a front-line assault trooper, and you guard terrestrial and stellar bor- ders against threats of any kind. | organizations while we're still our proxy. General Solveig Larssen is a holy terror disguised as a Scandinavian woman in her 50s. She's the shining example of psychokinetic achievement. It boggles the mind to see her in the trenches, using all three PK modes at once while us poor sods are try- ing to get our brains around one, yeh? \, She's the only proxy I know who still goes Into the field ‘stead of hiding behind a desk. Be rn friends who beg to differ. psychokinesis is the most Lookingat the Legions, We're adamn big mob! Tens of different kind of Legionnaire. gommanders run their Legions it makes sure they always the shots (and ifyou have of theirs, but Gen- up with other th the Legions. Idon’t mean buddy up with some upstart country or paranoid metacorp. With a Legion post in almost every nation on Earth and ev- ery territory in settled space, we make sure the three Cs are in effect for all our troops — ‘communication, coordination and confidence. ‘Our loyalty is to the Legions before anyone else, That's why “Legions First,” yeh? THE FIRST — THE HOME GUARD ‘Scattered across the continent of Australia, the Legionnaire Home Guard is characterized by its psions’ blue and white uniforms, and is adored by naires muster out at tht eral Larssen allows us to not only Australians, but by humanity in generalTHE SEVEN LEGIONS — Analysis: Cralg Bartholomew, Proteus Division, 5.29.2108 The Legions are a study in contradic: tion, Ofall the orders, theirs is the most regi- mented, divided asitisinto seven units rang- ing In size from several hundred to several thousand psions. However, while the Le- «gions operate with a strict military structure (supervised and maintained by Proxy Lassen), each Legion has its own system of fankand regulations, and style of command. This includes everything from a Legion’s phi- Josophy to means of financing endeavors. ‘While a field marshal leads the First, a ‘commandant leads the Fifth, anda shogun {*.) rior cultur Jeads the Seventh. The Legionnaires are a diverse lot, so much so that they resist all attempts to bind them into a single unit. ‘One of the few limitations that Larsen. imposed on this diversity of ites and com- mand was a system of “tiers.” This refer- ence allows for an easier understanding of the relative levels of authority between, ‘say, a hatamoto and a It. major. Atleast, this tier system makes sense to the Legions. I've been studying it for ‘weeks and still haven't figured It out. ‘The First is the ofite defense, honor guard and constabulagij6f the Legions. The ofly ‘Guardsmen abygad act as military pote te gionnaire and he'll likely mention blue jackets, and white berets and the Seven Legions’ sig*¥) nature star-burst emblem — he'll describe a) Guardsman, a soldier of the First ‘The First is the most Tespected of the Legions, not that the rest of us are unwashed louts. It’s simply the prettiest. Soldiers of the First appear in videast com- mercials, sponsoring everything from lager to lasers. Although they're happy to rake in what cash they can, the blue-and-whites are less \ mercenary than the rest of us war dogs. They ‘don’t take independent contract work, mainly Ukarrying out assignments handed down by § General Larssen. | TAE SECOND — FORTUNE’S KNIGHTS \A new breed of wafflor was born centu- jes\ago: the soldieyOffortune. We PKs dis- | tilled\this decades“Old pedigree into the Sec- }ond legion he children of a hundred war- Also clled Fortune's Knights. | The,S€cond fs the core of the Legions’ Jmercgnary cr@wd. When a country or | mesdtorp wagffs to hire Legionnaires — as ms. | st¥bck troops) Special forces or glorified secu- ‘guards’ =. it.turns.to, the Merc: a i other LegionsfAsk an Aussie to describe a L@ | ers, troops of the Second serve with distinction...and at a hefty price, yeh? Although the Mercs take money — cheer- fully, even — they also demand some odd fees for difficult contracts. Favors can change hands rather than cash, especially when a client rep- resents someone particularly influential. Some of the Legion's most infamous stories were inspired by such payments. Truth be told, Fortune's Knights are as prone to tall tales asthey are to soldiering — The most scattered of the Legions, the Fourth and they do both excep- isa dumping ground for fanatical PKs. Sociopathic tionally well. Aberrant-haters are assigned to the Fourth, and THE THIRD — SUPPORT FORCE ONE they find kindred spirits there. In a society filled ‘The Thirdis the smallest of the | , gen- to the brim with anti-Aberrant sentiment, folks edly nucle ua of peere ie a SS or this extreme are pretty damn radical. neuts who are sssodated with the Legion perioh- While the Avengers share a common bond ceally. The Third provides support, such as trans." theirhatred, they're the least unified of the Le sgons, Soiers ofthe Fourth are the most likely t0 Portation, logistics, latent resting andthe IKE. a1 individual assignments, and many Work for | pathetically litle pay, accepting contracts that sult || their needs for revenge, justice or atonement. OF | cause, they/re also the mast key to barge in on + yol uninvited and accuse your wife of being an bérrant spy. There's safely any middle ground _ with the Fourth. Theyeyen disturb the rest of us. HE FUFTH — THE AMERICAS rm biasé@, butiin my mind there's no Le- | gion fingnhan thefiith. The Americas are sorely ‘inneed6f defensé, not only from Aberrants, but frogythemselvgs. North America’s full of civvies = tailing againstffhe Federated States Millitary. Don't Thises@lon,doesnikhaye avanking com> penne umepstarted.on..those. glorified. policemen! miatidér. Tt Members are attached to the ower || South America’s rife with all kind efpolitital and six Legions, instead, and they report difectly _ social intrigue. You needialScofecard to know to General Larssen herself. The groupig grown | who your fidendslafe-on this half of the world, quite a bit in the last couple yearsy/$0 himag- | but everydne knows where the Fifth stands. ine it’s only a matter of fime before the Gen- é eral lets ‘em toddle offfon théir own. THE FOURTH — VENGEANCE Some say mone yisthe spark that stafts a © War was fuelecyby’so much rage that it’s stil | smoldering alsp6st 60 years later. That anger is the motivation of the Fourth. Legionnaires recruited fom the Americas are stationed in the Westen Hemisphere, and comprise the majority of the Fith's troops. ve heard the brass |s wortied that we're more loyal to the West than to the Legions. | can only speak for myself: All that's really importanttometsaheakthy hatred of Aberants, and the Americas are home to enough ofthat. es‘in THE SIXTH — EUROPE Europelsawreck athirc-dass continent ts people are strong and hopeful, though, and it's the Sixth Legion's job to defend those folks. Second to the ‘Americas, Europe is where most Legjon recruits come from. The Sixth has set up a many recruitment sta- tionsas it can afford. Considering that most ofits fund- ing comes from European donations, the Sbath is on a pretty ight budget. It tests every bloke who applies. The European Legion concentrates on mo- bile squads rather than it has.a few posts, like in Londagf, Zurich-Gefteva,, Rome and Leningrad, but eveh Legionnglres sta- tioned there spend much of their tin patrol | — particularly along the french bofeler-Wastes. THE SEVENTH — PHOENIX SQUADRON This is the newesLegion: It was established |) after the Chromatics! raion the Karroo colony back in 2113. Befofeithat, the Legionnaires Who 7 patrolled space andl who were set up on colonies and orbital statigAS operated independently. Af- tera point, there was just too much going on if, space to not have an established presence, yeh? ished bases. Sure, So, we've got Phoenix Squadron: acollection of hot pilots and brave psions, out there among the stars making sure nothing gets through to us. Next to the ISRAns, the PKs of the Seventh make up most of the biofighter pilots. They don’t stop there, though. Phoenix Squadron has posts ‘on space stations and colonies. The Seventh main- tains an HQon Luna, the better to respond to any ‘threats from the stars. They're a strong-willed, in- dependent lot, I'l give ‘em that. Nextto the Fourth, | sdldiers of Phoenix Squaciron are the Legions’ most “ balls-to-the-wall outfit. Believe me, coming from } another Legionnaire, that’s saying something. —— = \ Ae LIPO Lee ——— Fe INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS Legionnaires are the most direct «}_and forthcoming ofall psions. While their manner ears them respect and wins them affection among the normal popu- lace, some orders don’t care for the Le- ¢gions’ blunt (and sometimes crude) style, The Asculapians and the Legions _get along, as their powers complement ‘one another (although Legionnaires tend to consider vitakinetics subordi- nates rather than equals). ISRAns are also treated with respect; the psychokinetics recognize the need for the dairsentients’ advance warnings of trouble. The Legions and electrokinetics are rivals. Orgotek’s psions are almost as ‘combat-savvy as the psychokinetics are, ‘This sometimes leads to juvenile contests ‘of one-upmanship between them, in any- thing from physical contests to boasting, The Legions seem to dislike the Norcaand Ministry because those orders ‘operate under a veil of secrecy while Legionnaires actin full sight. The bioki- netics encourage Legionnaires’ disdain for them, while telepaths seer insulted by their treatment, The Ministry daims that use of telepathic abilities is regulated strictly, but the Legions are unconvinced.a.k.a. telepaths, Ministry agents or tels — textfile conversion, Terrence Chu, linistry Liaison to Aon Trinity Forget what you've heard about telepaths, The amoral, obsessively secretive Ministry telepath is a Western media creation. Further- more, despite what.you've.seen. on, vidcasts,. In fact, our history»is:@-matter of public: record. After becoming the telepath proxy, Rebecca Bue Li set out to gather her order from + CONFIDENTIAL TELEPATHY This aptitude involves nothing less than the power to delve into another sen= tient being's mind. Telepathy is used to! communicate regardless of language dif ferences, or to take control of someone's very thoughts. Noetic science lists this aptitude’s effects under the empathy, mindshare and psychbending modes. Empathy: The psion can perceive and) even control another person's emotions, ‘Mindshare: The effects of this mode al- Jow for direct mind-to-mind contact that tran= ‘scends all other forms of communication. Psychbending: The psion can assume! ‘control of another person's thoughts and! memories through a concerted force of will, AON TRINITY MISSION PARAMETERS Yours is the power to read others! thoughts. They cannot hide their deepest fantasies and darkest fears from your psionic probes. You discover the truths behind the Spoken lies. You know the unknowable, You act as an investigator, separating the guilty from the innocent. You are evef Vigilant for those who would act against| us, and against humanity as a whole. You are our ears, learning our en- ‘mies’ plans and thwarting them before the upper levels of the Philippine intelligen- tsia. However, when she realized that the Chi- nese secret service was attempting to infiltrate the new group, the telepaths studied the nonpsionic espionage agents in their midst. The. infiltrators.eventually realized that telepaths had been ob- ‘serving them all along. Concluding that it was impossible to work against telepaths in a covert manner, the Chi- nese State Council of- fered Bue and her group full access to the re- sources of China if they would join forces: with: Beijing. As a gesture of good faith, the Philip- pines were adopted as a full partner in the Chi- ing from mind to nese space program. | mind. Concentrate. Forher part, Bue re- alized that the resources and diplomatic le- verage of China would offer her almost un- limited.opportunity..to.seek out latent telepaths on Earth, and Aberrants through- ‘out the solar system. NAME AND FUNCTION The Ministry of Psionic Affairs is a cabinet- level divisionofithe Chinese government with a variety of branches unto itself. As Psi Minis- ter, Rebecca Bue sits on the Beljing State Council and has access to tremendous financial re- ‘sources, equipment, information, political le- Verage and personnel. Individual Ministry agents work within the Chinese federal bud- get, though, and are required to justify unusual ‘expenses to their superiors. The Ministry's administrative headquar- ters is in Beijing, with adjunct academic fa- cilities concentrated at the Shanghai Psi In- stitute. However, many of the telepaths’ training facilities and research staging areas (including the psi institute at Quezon) are — from Madame Bue's Little Book Thought Is a net ‘on which we hang. Thought is the ropes that make culture dance. Ride the sym- bol web. Translate Control the flow of thought through the brain. Be the birds, fly- aSeeHBeHeHEeBHEHEAaEEBHH #a a a 5 a a a a a a a a a ‘| located in the Philippines, out of the main political arena. Peripheral administrative cen- ters exist on Mars (dedicated to studying the effects of colony life) and Luna (the center of the Ministry's high-level diplomatic func- tions, including researching the Qin). Ministry offices are located nearly every- where in the Chinese sphere of influence. Or- der agents are scattered throughout the rest of human spaée, acting as diplomats, media- tors and impartial observers. Every orbital ship that leaves a Chinese launch site carties atleast, one psi officer who monitors for Aberrant ac- tivity during the journey, and who maintains mental contact with flight control. Many of the Ministry's pst operatives have highly specialized roles within the Chinese realm, acting as messengers, translators, coor- dinators and information gatherers. Generally, the Ministry's official function: in-the Chinese government is to ensure the smooth flow of information and authority within and among the yatious state bureaus and departments. It's been sald that a good tele-path is hard to fina, That doesn’t just apply to the active ones. Te- lepathy isn't as common as you might expect, not ee Baro ate cee —_" THE TRUE STATE OF AFFAIRS The Trinity has reason to believe | that the Ministry is engaged in a secret | _their own loyalty to the State Council This should not lead us to assume that Proxy Bue or the Ministry in gen- ‘eral has “lost sight of humanity's goal,” | as many strident voices claim. After | all, if Bue were to stray from that | "agenda, she and her order would fol- juantakinetics into extinction. that I'm at liberty to give you a tally of Ministry operatives. Ican say that we may be about as common as your average cairsentient. FORM AND CONTENT ‘The Ministry is divided into separate divi- sions and offices, each of which performs spe- cialized functions with and for the Chinese gov- ernment and people. = OFFICE OF SEMIONICS & & (THE IMANDARINS) Devoted tothe exploitation oftelepathy's so- dal benefits, the Office of Semiotics spearheads Important advances in international relations, for- ‘eign diplomacy and domestic affairs. Although OS operatives attend high-level conferences and business negotiations as advisors and modera- +tors, this office's most important function isto serve as an impartial fonum for the mediation of intema- tional disputes. The recent peace in the Middle East Is due in large part to the OS' diplomatic successes and surveillance of global stress points. The office translates documents and programs from all cultures into the universal language of thought, Nearyallforeign materials anivingin China ppass through the OS for translation and comeetion before being distributed to the Chinese people. The.OS also. stucles alien races. As the un- ‘pleasant encounter with the Coalition shows, fist ‘contact situations can be inconclusive without tele- pathic assistance. The Ministry uses telepathy to = INSIMTUES ‘We humbly acknowledge that we are fa- mous for having the best training and recruiting branches of all the orders. 1 offer our psi insti- tutes as the reasons why. Operating from high- tech campuses outside Shanghai and Quezon City, the Ministry makes a concerted effort to locate latent and nonafflliated psi-active telepaths from across human space. They are then offered full access to the Ministry's training facilities andl financial resources, including instruction in all rec- ognized aptitudes by psions from every order. The institutes have the best noetic research facilities in the world. Experimental programs atthe Shanghai Institute study the alien races and attempt late and eliminate the root causes of ‘Aberrant Syndrome. Research at Quezon tends to focus on “pure psi” experimenta- tion, with various laboratory teams attempting to unlock the genetic factors that determine ap- titude, or to even create new, artifical aptitudes. = OFFICE OF PSIONIC SECURITY. = (THE AVIARY) ‘The most dandestine of the Ministry divisions and the one that contributes most to our undeservedty bad reputationisthe OF fice of Psionic Security. OPS is China's early war ing system and psionic Is Bue Sick? — Newsday holobriet © 12.18.2119 GN mind” go to roost. OPS psi ‘operatives have a thankless job: movingsecretly among the populace and monitoring sur- face thoughts for.aiminal and seditious urges andsigns of Ab- |The normally radiant a | youthful-looking Ms. Bue " (better known in China as the | Minister of Psionic Affairs) Is no "stranger to controversy, buthes ematic behavior at the di | aroused commentary. “Sh | looks sick,” noted the Brazil _ ambassador, “Gray as stone.” J errant activity Despite rumors that the | Once wrong- proxy is suffering from an incur doers are iden- | able strain of ovarian cancer, Ms. J tified, the Aviary : Is empowered tobringthemto court of to see that they re- ceive psychiat- ric care. OPS also serves as the ethics com- cltizens of Belling at this time year, which was aggravated by’ ‘exhausting task of imprinting mittee for telepaths, monitoring our own people for abuses of power and other violations. DIPLOMACY AND TRANSLATION As representatives of the Chinese govern- ment, Ministry agents are legally empowered to demand full cooperation from all Chinese citi- zens and institutions. In practice, however, the extent of cooperation we can expect varies de- pendingjontthe political ramifications of the situ- ation and the personal agendas involved Outside China, our agents often find their national affiliation a mixed blessing, Ministry agents who want to operate effectively in a for- eign country must exploit that country’s rela- tionship with China. Needless to say, those na- tions that are not fiiendly with China (notably India, Brazil and the FSA) aren't very coopera- tive, often refusing to allow Chinese telepaths to operate freely within their borders. Itis entertaining to see that when such bans are imposed in holodramas, Ministry agents per- form covert operations, literally becoming invis- ible to everyone but other telepaths. In the real world, most goals.can be accomplished just as ‘well—Ifnot better — through diplomatic means. —— \ as CONFIDENTIAL - —— a THE MINISTRY: INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS The Ministry's agenda is more dif- ficult to determine than that of the Norca, despite the fact that the telepaths are | more forthcoming with information than are the secretive biokinetics. Most orders have cool relations | ‘with the Ministry. Orgotek and the Min- istry compete in noetic research, which | has resulted a general rivalry between | the two orders’ psions. ISRAns afford. | the telepaths cautious friendship. The | other orders deal with the Ministry | curtly, and as briefly as possible. How- ‘ever, even such scant interaction is still | quite cliscomforting to Legionnaires. arNOVA FORCA DE NACIONALES (THE NEW NATIONAL FORCE) a.k.a. blokinetics, Norca or shifters FIDENTIAL BIOKINESIS This aptitude gives the psion com- plete control of his body. He channels psionic energy to adapt, enhance and even restructure his own physiology. Noeticists divide biokinesis into the ad- aptation, psychomorphing and trans- mogrify modes. ‘Adaptation: The psion uses this mode to protect himself against hostile environments (from being underwater for ‘extended periods of time to being able fo maneuver without danger in non- standard gravity). Psychomorphing: The Gifted can manipulate his internal physiology, growing redundant organs and even ‘Subsuming bioware into himself. Transmogrify: This mode enables the psion to change the shape of his own. body. Effects range from creating weap- ‘ons from the psion’s own skin and bones to assuming someone else’s appearance. ALON TRINITY NISSION PARAMETERS As a biokinetic, you possess utter control of your physical form. You can ‘change the shape of your face, grow ad= ditional limbs, create patterns on your ‘skin and even mend your own wounds. You are our spies and infiltrators. You venture into hostile territories and adapt ‘yourself to their conditions, be it a frigid tundra or war-torn Europe. You take on whatever role necessary to discover the plots and schemes of our enemies. You are the ultimate Everyman, a spy beyond compare. You are essential to gaining access to areas that no one elsé can even approach. — textfile conversion, Helronymous Dieda, Zon Trinity, Proteus Division I apologize for not providing the degree of detail you requested. However, the agree- ments I made with Pai de Norca on becom- Ing What. am prohibit me from sharing any more than this. ‘The Nova Forca dé Nacionales was founded uring Columbia's ascendancy, on national pride and belief in rightful ownership. The “Norca” brought a halt to the petty terrorism and crime In Medellin, overtaking the drug lords and their Influential infrastructure with sheer presence and promise, Ending the asesinos de la motos and ‘other signature gang-war violence almost over- night, we Norca won the respect of both the rich and the poor of South America. The former regard us as.a dangerous but necessary asset to their countries’ newfound global influence. The Jatterhave their homespun “heroes” at last. ‘We are the South American equivalent of ‘the Nihonjin Yakuza, the Italian Mafia and the Russian secret service. This analogy isn’t en- tirely accurate, but it should give you an idea ‘of our power and philosophy. We are the storybook Zorros, Three Musketeers and Robin Hoods of our culture, where talk among the masses turns man into myth and myth into leg- end. 5), we're internationally notorious, and called “los magicos” at home. Norca “magi- clans” reap the rewards of Colombian success: power through obedience, respect and fear. The Norcaare small in number compared to the other orders, | do not know whether this Is because biokinesis is a rare aptitude, ‘or because Pai de Norca is very careful about who he gives this gift to. Perhaps both, or neither, are correct. It matters not. We are Norca, and our will is strong. We are as many as we need to be. ‘We can be anyone, nearly anything, and can exist outside the human realm. My biokinetic cousins and | are never squeamishabout merging com- pletely with our surround- ings. We are experts in surveillance, infiltration, criminal psychology, bio- technology and psi-adaptation. The others rarely allow themselves to be seen or recognized for what they are (I, my- self, seldom mind). We are racial chameleons who can become African or Nihonjin, or even, members of the opposite sex. We are sel mutilators who carve machetes out of our ‘own limbs, and who develop gills tosbreathe underwater. We Norca are like any other, extended South American family: tightkait and infinitely complex, with layer tipon layer of secrets, sexual tensions, nepotism and unspoken de- mands for respect. We are born.ofa patriarchal culture that. espouses loyalty, panache, and “honor among. thieves.” We treat each other — even those who come from other cultures — like long- lost family oF childhood fiends. All Norca are cousins. No outsider can ever understand the Paha Cs ieee NORCA MANEUVERS — Analysis: Cralg Bartholomew, Proteus Divislon, 11.21.2118 Norga are known to have frequent dandestine meetings in certain places. across settied space. We've confirmed ‘meeting points in £1 Poblalo in Columbia, ‘a nondescript warehouse in downtown ‘Cairo, the Russian underworld café Serge! ‘on the coastofthe BlackSea, andan Edipse ‘Media editing office in Yutu Yinchon, Still, there is no possible way to trace ‘where all Norca influences may reach nor how deeply they may run. The "Amazon Canopy” now blankets known subsects ‘of Russia, the FSA, the Middle East and the Turkish Empire. Suspected Norga inf tration has also been linked to Australia, ‘Mars and even Nippon. In fact, our investigations show that the Norca seem to have an intense inter- ‘¢strelating to Nippon and things Nihonjin. intimacy of control- ling one's own body as we can, We can amuse friends, en- tice lovers, stagger ‘enemies and topple governments. Pai de Norga We are loyal to — Warren Shaw, ‘one another, and to . Sopeers Pai de Norca above : all else, Never mis- ne surepne et take the petty bick- ering and grand- standing of Norca underlings as dis- content; each has been hand-picked by-del Fuego to join his exclusive ranks. ‘We would give our lives to protect his power. The bonds among the Norca are stronger than any, other tles, and even extend to those who have left the family amicably. ‘Our power ex- tends far beyond its drug-trade roots. Such enterprise, le- gal in much of South: America, but still ‘outlawed through- ‘out most of settled space, creates great fevenue for the Norca. However, it is a very ‘small part of what we are. In fact, fewer and fewer of the Gifted take part in the business, eaving it fo our normal cousins. ‘Norga presence in various countries, colo- nies and orbital stations is both anticipated and dreaded. We go to such places mainly to in- vestigate possible Aberrant incursions, al- though we pursue other agendas when the need arises. While the populace welcomes such intervention for the most part, the governments of the legalized South American drug network in which he was already Involved, bringing the strongest minds in psi and the new technoc- racy to his side. The “F: ther of the Norca, Proxy de! Fuego con- trols the most powerful underworld family of the Western Hemi- sphere and quite possi-find it next My vice from a toimpossible Norga. To have to monitor a The one on staffis the Norca's comings Greatest ultimate personal luxury, but and goings without Honor ‘one which must be kept secret. psion assistance. — Newsday interview, Norga independents like myself are A problem with Proxy del Fuego regarded with suspicion by our cous- psions in general, this © 111.2119 GN ins, but are tolerated as long as we re- is magnified with us. “The other [or- | main within the proxy’s strict guidelines Keeping tabs on ders] are incapable or on nationalism and loyalty. The indepen- people who can liter- unwilling to fulfill their 4} cent operator who lines his pockets with ally change thelr iden- obligation — to Pro- | the'wrong currency, or who steps out- tities is next to impos- tect all that Is Earth, | side the lineSiof propriety is disowned, sible, requiring a skilled whatever the cost. | hunted downby his own kind, and killed psion or specialized That is our honor publicly...graphically. Bring shame upon bioware. The other or the Nora, and there is no mercy and ders aren't always willing orable to help ner- no escape. vous officials in this regard, and Pal de Norea Perhaps now you understand why I can certainly doesn't have the time to bother. We tell you no more. have seen,aitise in the number of freelance psions retained by certain governments (in ——" = the UAN and FSA, most notably). Such mea- CeO eee sures do not bother us overly much, although —_ they do hinder our capabilities. NORCA: Some governments are friendly toward . my cousins, of at least show cage to Pais” | INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS deNorca. We carehot The Norca have no cause for dis- for such special | pute with any of the other orders. treatment, as it | They work closely with A’sculapians comes, with its | and Orgotek employees in a num- Exhibit B, audio own restrictions. | ber of areas, and consider the Minis- ‘onl paceaspcant-baimes We prefer to do try to be a kindred spirit. However, — MMI News our work on our | the biokinetics refuse cooperation cameraman Joe ‘own terms. and assistance at almost every turn, Seinne's momen- We are the — | Such isolation makes relations be- tary lapse of judg- New Force of South tween Norca and other psions in- ment that resulted ‘America, with con- creasingly difficult, and sometimes in the ongoing civil trol overindigenous | counterproductive. tral of 2113: terraforming and | —_Biokinetics who desert the Norca “Unless you want biotech projects, | without Proxy del Fuego’s expressed me to cave a pair of | We act behind the | consent are considered traitors to the: these in you, I'd tum scenes in foreign | order and to the South American the camera off. Now!” and off-world af- | people. Such rogues are hunted fairs, and slip in and | down without mercy and either ex- ‘out of international strongholds without a trace. ecuted publicly or returned to del We are far more effective than any of ourcom- _} Fuego's remote facilities (it's un- petitors. Governments and metacorporations known what happens to them at that. pay high prices to procure even a single ser- " point). By contrast, those who leave | with their proxy’s blessing may ven- | ture anywhere unmolested by their "Norga cousins, although they appar- ently may never return to the fold. | ey TS ae \ | i aeORGOTEK a.k.a. electrokinetics, EKs, teks or zappers — textfile conversion, Arthur Bengali, Zon Trinity, Neptune Division We're supposed to relay detailed infor- mation on the orders. I've been working at Orgotek for almost four years and I've learned little more than what Is provided by corporate outlines and press releases. If ELECTROKINESIS ‘The psion channels electrical energy and even manipulates the electromagnetic spectrum with this aptitude (which is also referred to as EK). Electromanipulation, photokinesis and technokinesis are the three recognized EK modes. Electromanipulation: This mode in- volves controlling electrical impulses in ‘organic beings. Photokinesis: This mode's effects are used to perceive and direct the flow of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. A skilled Gifted can create holograms spontaneously and can gen- erate lasers by focusing his will Technokinesis: The psion taps into and controls energy flow through mechanical technology, from computers to spacecraft, AON TRINITY MISSION PARAMETERS ‘The electromagnetic spectrum is your plaything. You manipulate the flow of electricity in the human body, in bioware and in hardtech devices. You tune into broadcast transmissions and generate deadly lasers merely by concentrating. You are a technical expert. You pen- etrate even the most heavily guarded ‘OpNet nodes to gather information. You take control of opponents" weapons to give your teammates the edge in a firefight. You repair and manipulate equipment of any kind, human or alien, hard- or biotech. you're looking for skeletons in closets and dirt under rugs, you won't find it here. know. It sounds strange, but Orgotek’s squeaky clean — as much as any multibillion-yuan metacorporation can be, anyway. The story of Alex Cassel’s transformation from unassuming-yet-brilliant college student to powerful-yet-easygoing psion is well-docu- mented, especially in the FSA. It helps that he describes his life in a vague but entertaining fashion in Orgotek’s corporate profile. Heir to a family fortune and social con- nections; Cassel laid the groundwork for his order during his college years. He enlisted school friends to join him in creating World Enterprises, Inc., and in doing so founded a holding company that would grow to be- come Orgotek, “The EK Company,” in less than 20 years. Once the orderwas financially secure, Cassel explored the other gift that the proxies had: biotechnological formulae and processes. The information he had anid the experiments he conducted on organic material turned Orgotek into a bioware em- pire, and initiated the biotech revolution. CORPORATE PROFILE The electrokinetic order is funded and administered entirely by the Orgotek Corpo- ration, the world leader in bloware manufac- ture and design. Orgotek; in turn, is wholly ‘owned by Alexander Cassel and members of his personal circle — er, board of directors. Orgotek employs electrokinetics and ensures that all of thelr basic economic needs are met. In returh, the corporation hires select teams of psions to outside interests as consultants. ‘The Orgotek corporate headquarters is cur- rently in the FSA’s New York arcology. How- ever, | think Cassel's becoming frustrated with the Big Apple's accelerating decay. He’s taken steps to move the main offices to Orgotek's San Francisco regional headquarters. Other re- gional HQs include Montreal and Vancouver, with extranational headquarters in Bangkok, Cairo, Olympus, Rome, Sidney, Wanjing andMeet the Prexy Prox — Corl Helsler with Alex Cassel “He's just a guy, yeh?” his employees routinely tell reporters. Sure, hecan calldown ‘and talk to electrons and stuff; but otherwise, Alex Cassel’ justa regular person. That explains the unique allure of the Ongotek Prexy—a colloquiaksm derived fom “proxy” and “president.” Some are as hand- some as Alex Cassel, but none are so acces sible. Someare smarter, bitrione are so good atexpining the subquantum universe to the public. Some are richer, but few seem to en- Jy lt so openly — and so innocently — as ‘Alex Cassel. Paracloxkcally, the CEO is a cul- tural con largely because he seems so... He's the boynextdoor,ablend oftadalher- age. the stofan athenwise extnct species of AF ‘Amerkans A reguar guy who cals up ighining. f: The culture theorists call you the fa- ther of anima cuiture. How does that feel? ‘AC: | can't take credit for anima, but | Joveit! Animals about the meting of borders ‘and dassifcations. | think i's a fantastic idea Painful Truth © 2119 MAL thatall the rigid assumptions ofthe last few centuries — things lke counties, federal governments, the relationship between hu- man beingsand ourtools—are reallymore pllable than people think Irbiotech can met afew distinctions, great! Pr: And your citics..2 AC:. .havea vested Interest in enforcing the distinctions. They went to stay where they are forever: on top. Its an unnatural position and they know't, so they get desperate. PT: Part of the anima aesthetic is com- bining archaic symbols wth advanced tech, sOrgotek riding this techno primitive wave? ‘AC: Tm not sure that’s useful. True, we built Orgosoft Farms on natural bio-galvanic ‘vortices, But it's not because of “ley lines” or “dragon lines"; only because that’s how the ‘word happens to look when seen with what \we call “spectrum sight.” Once you see thet, it’s simple common sense to take aclvantage fithosecurents whensiuatingabiotech plant Xianggang. Assorted Orgotek biofactories, aux- Francisco and the various Orgosoft Farms. iliary plants and branch offices are likewise scat- In his absence, everyday corporate deci- tered across the Earth and the permanent colo- _ sions are made by the board of directors, nies, with a large number located in the FSA _ which is composed of Cassel’s wife Ellayne and Quebec. and seven of the couple's closest private The Prexy himself spends most of his Gifted associates (not all of whom are elec- time commuting among New York, San _trokinetics)PUBLIC RELATIONS Orgotek’s public re- lations team Is second to none. It's been Instrumental to making EKs universally respected and appreciated — except by the suits in the FSA, of course. Members of high-profile Operations teams in Europe and Australia are even treated like celebrities. Eu- ropeans, in particular, still honor the teks who. died trying to stop the Esperanza crash, and Australians admire Orgotek enthusiasm; pects of the EK philosophy (while deploring the gaijin lack of discipline). ‘On the other hand, despite being one of the ‘most profitable corporations in the FSA, Orgotek is on extraordinarily poor terms with the North American military-corporate establishment. Cassel appears to be concerned not only with his, employees’ quality of life, but also with the squalid conditions ofthe urban communities that surround Orgotek installations. This concern makes him an unwelcome figure in FSA. corpo- which is considered akin to the energetic tate society. Furthermore, the Orgotek board's Legion spirit. Even the Nihonjin admire as- _ tendency to take controversial political stands — WORLD ENTERPRISES, INGe ‘The first of Prexy Cassel’s companies, WEI the cual aciministrative and public relations arm ofthe Orgotek empire. WElattracts ambitious and talented psions ofall aptitudes, and coordinates Operations teams’ activities. Corporate strategists inves- 4igate possible fields for Orgotek expansion, and spin doctors handle image control. ‘ORGOSOFT FARMS Orgosoft is the source of most of the Orgotek corporate mythology and mystique. When people talk about “Orgotek.” they usually refer to the gigantic biotech plants and ideals ofthe original Orgosoft Farm. The main facility is located in northem New Mexico, and is where Cassel spliced the first bioware matrices, Contemporary biotech manufacturers tend to follow in the Ongasoft image: ear- nest, enthusiastic and! suffused with reverence forall forms of lif, TEKNE GROUP Tekne oversees the Orgotek hardware industry. Most psions in Tekne are technokinesis specials. The stereotypical Telne employee isa lovably uncommuni- «ative person who prefers torelate tothe outsicle word through too’. Indeed, Orgotek’s dormitory environment allows the reclusive Gifted fo live productive (f protected) lives interfaced with machinery. Tekne employees are also infartious for their acerbic witand “good-natured” ¢ynidism: I's notnearas charmingias they think, fyouaskme, {UMEN ‘Orgotek's smallest division and the fo€us of photokinetic study, Lu- men is a world leader in electromagnetic research, especially in the high end of the spectrum. These psions and scientists consider the fragmen- tary reports on Chromatics “fascinating” rather than frightening, and are working on techniques for “jamming” or even “hacking into” linguistic structures in the Chromatic brain, Other current research projects include holographic nanotech and “extra-satisfactory” computer intelligence. OPERATIONS While psions hired specifically for active duty serve the bulk of their time In Operations teams, all active Orgotek employees are required to perform at least two days of training and monitoring every month, The administration and research divisions could consider these duties a chore, but they actually seem to look forward to their monthly tours (and the teks haven't complained, at least not vocally).Oke ea ONE WORLD, ONE MIND? — Advertisement from Global Watchdog, ‘5.2118 (Baltimore, FSA) They tell you their biological tech- nology is the best thing that humanity has ever created, No pollution, no en- ergy waste, no mess, no fuss. Butdlid humans actually create the stuff? They tell you it's “cutting edge,” “the yeh thing” to let their biological technology form its parasitic bonds with your nervous system. Think about it Paid for by the Committee for Truth such as on the EK airlift to the Pueblo Nation in 2115 and ‘16—makes Orgotek even less popu- lar with the FSA government. Most Orgotek employees (especially those from the FSA) are bewildered by the way the ‘American establishment treats them, but follow offical corporate policy on the matter — that the FSAeestablishmentis to be pitied rather than feared, Those Gifted who come to Orgotek from other parts of the world and from settled space often have less tolerance for such mistreatment, which can sometimes aggravate domestic relations. ‘Orgotek’s security contracts are clue for gov- ‘emment review in just overayear. I've heard that Cassel is planning to dedare the company an ‘etranational corporation ratherthan submit toan, corderto disband the Orgotek private-security dl- vision. IFthe company does go intemational, the FSA economy might be endangered. Meanwhile, federal and corporate. propaganda campaigns ‘Cassel and his EK company continue. HUMAN RESOURCES Electrokinetics are surprisingly common, in relative terms, and are second only to psychokinetics in number. Some claim this Is because Cassel Is willing to take almost any latent, no matter how borderline. That sounds like more FSA propaganda to me. Sure, the various Orgotek divisions employ ‘over 100,000 people, but only about 10% of them are EKs — and psions who have come over from other orders. The majority of psions employed by Orgotekare tek natives of the FSA and Que- bec. A substantial number of Orgotekpsions are also Nihonjin; Orgotek is friendly with a number of the Psi Nippon enclaves. Corporate re- ‘cniting brings in prospective EK candidates from allover the world. After being triggered, new psions are given the choice to join the company on a contractual basis (the usual term between renewals is four ‘years).IFthey choose not to join Orgotek, there are no hard feelings. In fact, I've heard that many of Cassel's best friends are “freelance” teks. ‘Orgotek handles all eclucation and training, both psi-specialized and professional, once a psion hires on. The company also assigns new opera- tives expense accounts good for room and board at any Orgotek residential buildings. Although psions aren't requited to stay in employee resi- dences, many consider the coramunal atmosphere ‘one of the greatest rewards of belonging to the Orgotek “family.” Boh a sh Lee eae ORGOTEK: INTERACTION WITH OTHER ORDERS Orgotek and ISRA are vocal in urging the cooperation of the orders. In recent years, it seems that Orgotek's aggressiveness has driven ‘other orders from it rather than bring- ing them to it. However, electroki- netics have been instrumental to the advancement of biotech, primarily the new jump ships, so the other or- ders maintain polite political ties to ensure access to the craft. ISRA and the Legions work regu- larly with Orgotek in the field, de- spite any personal differences. Ad- ditionally, the Ministry has engaged In noetic research with EK scientists, which has had some very productive results, but which has also led to clashes and competition. Otherwise, the orders seem content to leave Orgotek to its own devices.a.k.a. teleporters, Upeo, porters or jumpers Psions of the teleportation order pos- sessed the rare ability to transfer themselves almost instantly from one place to another. The truly skilled among them could take a number of passengers and even large craft with them. The minimum latency required to mani- fest teleportation abilities was significantly higher than that needed for the other orders. The Upeo was therefore the second-$mall- est order, having slightly more membefg than the Chitra Bhanu. At the time of theirdlisap- pearance, the Upeo numberedva few hun dred. There was a constant. ein services from the rest ofiumanity, often forced teleporters to almost literally be’ several places at the same time, Proxy Bolade Atwan was no stranger to the demands of public service. Her years on the Soketo, Nigeria police force put her in good stead when An Cape cue) for the Future — Excerpt: Teleporter Proxy _ Bolade Atwan in her Universal Address 9.31.2106 “Upeo wa Macho” is n ‘we, as humans reborn, aspire Ifill our destiny. We crave nothing less than it came time to organize and supervise her order. And Atwan trained her charges well. Porters were intrepid and confident explor- ers. They took to the challenge of the void with a fervor matched only by that of a Le- gionnaire in hot pursuit of an Aberrant. Humanity has the Upeo to thank for its accelerated expansion into the stars, for in- ferstellar travel and for first contact with all@h beings. Perhaps more than any other (Ps! Qi¢ler, the Upeo wa Macho encouraged hui york together to achieve.a ince the Upeo vanished in 2114, there ee been hundreds of supposed teleporter Sightings, but none has confirmed the return of the missing order, Despite such disappoint- ments, We will not — miistnot — give up the hope that the Upeo wa Macho will some- day return.CHITRA BHANU a.k.a. quantakinetics, chibs or dark psions Chitra Bhanu, the quantakinetic order, revealed its presence along with the other seven orders in 2106. The order was led by prominent Bombay psychologist S. K Bhurano, and its members were apparently able to manipulate nuclear forces. a that quantakinetics were ergy inamanner simila york for modern westigation of the However, Chitra India for its attempt Shaivism, Vishnaiv- ics and research fa- ent of Aberrant Syn- Rumors that Chitra Bhanu was “soft” on Aberrants surfaced as early as 2107, when “rehabilitated,” minor Aberrants known from the war were sighted visiting the Bombay clinic. Over the next two years, sto- sane” practices and “dangerous ued to circulate, along with earance was at 2,109, at which Chitra Bhanu org. Aberrants and hi New Delhi disband. Most of the quaint Bhurano, refused to su were killed while resistABERRANTS — Lectures of Professor Solomon Pringle, Proteus Division Tm here tomake you understand one thing and one thing only: Aberrants are the single _greatest menace known to humanity, even more so now in the 22nd century than ever before. Fact is, Aberrants are the worst evil humanity has ever faced, and are most fightening because they were once us — human. Horrifying that in all our exploration of the universe and travels, into deep space, the most dangerous thing we have encountered is ourselves. While everyone must know the depth of evil that Aberrants represent, asa psion, youneed to be especially conscious of this. Sooner or later, ‘you will come face to what passes for face with Earth's 60-year-old legacy: an Aberrant returned from exile in the unknown reaches of space, hell- bent to destroy you, me and the whole goddamned human race. And you have to stop it—or die trying. I'm not pulling any punches here. ll let your orders and proxies hold your hands and at you on the head. I'm going to tell you ex- actly what you're up against, because if you're going to die, you might as well know why. That's more than can be said for the people on Research Outpost Vesta. You know the basics: Aberrants were the heroes of the 21st century. About 100 years ago, they were lauded like you are today as the protectors and benefactors of humanity. The Aon Covenant of the time worked with these “heroes” for the general good. Some- thing went wrong in Aberrant physiology, though. The source of their powers, a struc- ture in the brain called the Mazarin-Rashoud node, named after its discoverers, mutated across the board. Aberrants, who were once sane and who protected normal people started to abuse their powers and finally went mad, slaughtering thousands. Others who emerged later simply went insane upon manifesting their abilities. Humanity's fight to survive against these things became the Aberrant War. They didn’t show us any mercy. For every ‘one Aberrant killed, thousands of normal people — soldiers and civilians — were murdered. The war went on for years because people had no choice but to defend themselves or die. Hell, the Aberrant Mungu Kuwasha interfaced with and wiped out the global computer network sim- ply because he could — thousands of years of cultural, historical and social record destroyed because of solitary manlac’s prank. ‘And that, of course, was the straw that broke the camel's back. Crashing the OpNet spurred the Chinese government to hand down the Ultimatum in 2061: Aberrants must stop the insanity or every- thing would be nuked. Pretty bold move, but the Chinese meant it. ‘The Aberrants left Earth, supposedly for other planets and places that they could reach with their powers—and without biosuits or jump ships (re~ member that when you're fioatingiin spacein your suit, outside your jump ship — how vulnerable ‘you are). We were left to pick up the pieces, to rebuild an Earth in ruins. Many of us, daunted by the sheer devastation, abandoned Earth altogether with hopes of a new start in space. The last we knew of the Aberrants was an ultimatum of their own: “We'll be back.” That was 60 years ago. It took them a while, but the Aberrants kept their word — they're back. Their first new attack on the human race was at Research Outpost Vesta. I lost two Trin- ity colleagues that day, including my wife. | hate the Aberrants with every fiber of my be- ing. That's why the Trinity assigns me to these lectures, to make you understand the abso- lute evil of what you face. ‘The strikes continued from there, always on isolated stations and! colonies, always using hit-and- run tactics. At first, we dicin't know what was at- tacking. We had yet to encounter any alien races badkin those days, but we expected to at any time as we explored space. it seemned that we had f- nally made first contact, and it was hostile. How- ever, “alien” tissue gathered proved that these be- ings were, in fact, human. Apparently years of in- breeding, festering in exile and their insanity-made-manifest (a mutation now called Aberrant Syn- drome or “taint’) tumed the Aberrants from hu- ‘man-seeming into absolute monstrosities. The attacks continue today, still In guer- rilla style, still vicious, still without mercy. The majority of Aberrant attacks focus on the or- bital stations and colonies at the borders of settled human (and Qin, as it turns out) space. Aberrants are becoming better organized, though, their assaults striking with greater fre- quency and deeper into our space — on the orbital stations, on Luna, on Earth Itself. The devastating attack usta few years agoon the space station Esperanza—in orbit around Earth —and the resulting deaths of millions of Europe- ansis undeniable and tertfying proof of how close the Aberrants can get to us. Asis their recent attack onourstation orbiting Luna. How did the Aberrants. know we had a jump ship base there? How did they know to strike when the ship was about to start testing, when we're so dose to getting back outto deep space? And most frightening ofall, are the Aberrants of old stl alive and out for revenge? ‘Questions with no answers, That's why Aon needs you, why humanity needs you. The powers you've been blessed withallow you to stand against the Aberrants like no hu- man could in the 21st Archeology Division — Anthropology holofile vol. 161, #3, 3.2118 In this month's column we include a “Report from the Field” from Finlay O'Brien (Cairo). He has uncovered a burial site that ‘you can stil bend them with your strength of will alone. Singly, you're not as strong as most ‘Aberrants, but you have the strength of each ™ other, of your fellow psions — of unity. Now that Aion has helped your orders get the Jump ships online, it's your duty to carry the fight to the Aberrants. Drive them from Earth once and for all. Make them pay for the crimes they've committed against humanity. on is counting on you, but you can count ‘onus, too. We are yourlifline. You can call upon the Trinity for backup, to seek information from ‘our data banks, to get equipment that you abso- lutely need to camy on the fight. Even if your orders can’t provide for you, Aion will be there. ‘While our resources aren't infinite, what we have is at your disposal. We have bases and agents across Earth, the Moon and throughout known space, We're your friends. We're all a team. ‘Ona personal note, ifyoucome away from these blathetings of a hateful, lonely old man with nothing else, at least remember this: Aberrants are your mortal enemies. Don't expect pity, mercy or courtesy from them. As far as they're con- cerned, you and ‘your forebears threw them out of Eden: They haven't forgot- Newsletter ten; they hold onto that alone, if any- thing, of their former lives, It's what defines them. They want re- venge. They'll kill you and they absolutely will not stop until they've killed us all. Understand that and every choice you make in the cold re- ality of space will be absolutely clear. century, oreven today. Aberrants’ powers seem to defy the laws Of physics themselves. Astheycould 100 years ago, Aberrants can will something into exist- ence onan atomiclevel,, and seem to have be- come more powerful than ever. From what the noeticists say, while ‘you psions can't break those physical laws, seems to indicate that 21st-century Aber- rant-controlledt cults dismembered living hu- man infants and consumed their entrails as part of some initiation ritual. Apparently this horrifying practice of modern anthropoph- agy was only the beginning of the ritual pro- cesses. O'Brien has evidence that the rituals became even more grotesque and destruc- tive as cult members rose in status and rank. ‘Ona lighter note, our members are re- minded that the forms forsubmitting abstracts for the annual meetings are in this Issue; the usual April 1 deadline approaches rapidly.