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**hypocrites** · November 22, 2001, 17:37

Provost Zakharov, Russian, 1994 - 2397;

University Base - m.y. 2300

Zakharov looked along the holotable where most of the leaders were waiting in unfriendly silence. 'Heavy silence' -he'd call it. There were still no Yang and Santiago, but Deirdre's call was quite sudden and they simply could have no time to prepare everything. He started to count what time should have been in The Hive but quickly gave up.
He yawned, even not trying to hide his boredom, and glanced surreptitiously at Pravin Lal. He hated this man. Right now his so-called 'peace-keeping' army (clear hypocrisy in a name only!) was surrounding Zoloto base. The war started with no distinct reason, but no one cared. They had all changed. Most of them. He didn't know Morgan personally, although he heard few times about sleeping on the golden stables guy from Africa. He hadn't known that Santiago even exsisted, until she started all that mess on Unity.
Anyhow they changed. Maybe at least few of them believed in UN principles, but after landing, after being almost a century without UN Charter preachers on their backs... they all used to an independence.
Zakharov believed in possibilities of human brain. He didn't hide his and his peoples' achivements - he didn't have to. Of course he didn't share his technologies with other factions without any purpose, but he also believed in a free flow of information. That was why hollow words of Pravin's accusation (the one of running inhuman experiments) were only hollow words. He didn't have any proof. He didn't have right. And he didn't have any adversary. No one cared. So Pravin Lal could crush his little faction and probably no one would protest. But Zakharov had a hope.
He was well aware of growing tension between Santiago and Lal. On the other hand Spartan-PK pact was the longest remaining pact in the history of the Planet. But he still hoped.
He smiled ironically and looked at Miriam, who was 'sitting' next to Deirdre, with concentrated expression on her face. Right away he felt like he was in similiar situation like dear Sister. She had already lost three bases to Spartans, loosing more people than he'd imagined. Small Spartan faction had in one moment become a deadly machine in Santiago's hands and he regretted that he had underestimated them for so long. Maybe it was the time to begin more advanced negotiations with Spartans.
Zahkarov hadn't lost a single base that far, but he had only four of them, while Miriam had still 15 bases, thousands of fanatical followers and strong resistance in captured bases. And luck. She was sitting with her proud head little lowered, lost in her thoughts. Maybe she somehow felt his look, because she turned to him, and looked straight into his eyes. After a moment she smiled a little and nodded to him. He blinked in disbelieve, but returned smile.
Santiago and Yang appeared on holoscreens in the same moment, and Zakharov had no time for reflection. Deirdre, who converged this meeting was very buisness-like this day and didn't allow Pravin to say a word.
"I'd called you in order to elect Planetary Governor. Pravin's cadency has ended and I think this is the best times for few changes after 20 years of his... being the Governor" she said quickly and Zakharov was quite sure she had intended to say 'his dictatorship'. "Due to Charter I'm his rightful contrcandidate what is the result of number of my followers" she accented the last word "I call for your votes" she finished and Zakharov thought he had never heard Deirdre speaking with such determination.
He smiled and put his 11 votes for Deirdre, which was obvious. Miriam and Yang abstained. Morgan with charming smile on his face and few Gaians' credits in his pocket voted for Deirdre. 27 votes. Deirdre and Lal voted for themselves and they both stared at Santiago, who was sitting motionless with her face nautral. Zakharov realized that Spartan leader was bounded with two pacts: with Deirdre and with Lal. He glanced at the results. Lal: 81 votes, Deirdre: 84 votes.
Santiago straightened and bent over her touchpannel. After a second results changed as Santiago voted for Deirdre. She looked Pravin in the eye and suddenly smiled. She said nothing. Few months later first Spartan-PK war broke out and Zakharov with satisfaction could watch as Lal's bases were falling. Exactly like his.

**hypocrites** · November 22, 2001, 17:39

Corazon Santiago, Puerto Rican, 2026 - 2397;

Hommel's Citadel - m.y. 2321

She was standing on the surface of a little personal Zakharov's airport and staring up, to the sky. Snow was falling slowly at her face and melting in one instant. But up there, on the sky, were milions of snowflakes, whirling, confering an uncanny deepth upon the sky. She smiled. Everything was so peaceful, and she felt relaxed for the first time since years. She wasn't sure what was the cause of this sudden... weakness.
Usually she hated to be alone. When she had nothing to do, nothing to worry about, no one to think of, she was thinking of herself. And almost always in moments like that she was discovering again and again that the essence of all her actions was fear. She attacked in order not to be attacked.
There was no one to greet her - no fanfares, no boring speeches, no mock kindness, no people mostly terrified to meet her in person. Exactly what she liked best. She was convinced that sooner or later somone would come, Zakharov for sure, but now she wanted to enjoy every moment she could spend there alone. Almost alone. Alain was standing next to her, unhappy, keeping his hands deep into his pockets, with his black hair stuck up. She smiled while looking at him. He was the most indisciplined soldier in Sparta's history and one of the best pilots she had. Right now he was standing with his mouth shut but it was rather unusual. activity for him. He respected her greatly - only because of her protection he had finished his trainings and was still alive. She trusted him. And simply liked him.
"Why don't you go and find any warmer place?"
"H-eh, Colonel! Really? May I?" he looked sheepishly into her eyes.
"Sure. Dissmissed, private. I want to get rid of you. You're most inadequate companion for getting freeze."
"I do not agree. My fingers have already fr-r-rr-e--eee-ezed."
She frowned.
"By your command!" he straightened, saluted, turned on his heel and marched along the airport, to the entrance door. When he reached the doors he turned once again, waved to her with childish smile on his face and ran away.
She sighed only and turned away. She looked on the horizon, but wasn't sure where it was exactly. It was snowing and everything was already covered with white down. She had never had any occasion to see snow when she was on the Earth. A real snow.
Hommel's Citadel was a beautiful base, placed in high mountains, far from other human settlements. It was one of the reasons why she had decided to turn it to Zakharov and his refugees. Another reason was that Hommel's Citadel was the youngest Spartan bases and had no significant infrastructures.
Dr. Bonaventura went mad when he heard about her decision. He was personally bound with this base, bacause it was named after one of his friends. A scientist, no officer or even a soldier which seemed to be most adequate for paramilitary faction. Nevertheless he got used to it.
It was quite a difference to went from warm Sparta Command to Hommel's Citadel. She felt cold creeping into her limbs. The snow was settling on her shoulders, just like sometimes sand in Sparta Command.
"I've heard that you pledged truce with Morganites" said a voice from behind her and she glanced around in fear. She hadn't heard anybody coming. Zakharov was standing next to her, in his white lab coat only. He was looking at her with typical grin on his face: not-friendly, but not-hostile. Frost seemed not to be a problem for him.
"And sign the treaty of friendship, you've forgotten to add."
"I didn't know that. Well, it's a surprize for me. Why did you do that. It seemed that you would get rid of him this time."
"It seemed, because I wanted that. The Hunter-Seeker Algorithm is the great blessing. No one can infiltrate our datalinks and nobody knows our true power. To be frankly, Zakharov, I had to pledge that truce. If I could I'd wipe this bastard out from the Planet but I have so little army that I can't fight on three different fronts and in the same time keep the order in Miriam's bases." she said honestly, not trying to hide anything from him. They were not talking like leaders. They were more friends than a senior and a vassal.
"So why did you sign this treaty?" he asked and bent down to take a handful of snow.
"Simple. Because sooner or later somebody will notice a real stats of my armies."
"Treaty won't help you then."
"I know, but breaking this treaty will ruin his reputation at last. Maybe Deirdre will feel obliged to help me with that scoundrel"she grinned sarcastically. He smiled as well.
"And what with your reserves?" he asked, kneading the snow.
"If I want good soldiers I have to wait for them a little more. We're no in such crittical situation to mobilize citizens. We're not in bad situation at all" she said weakly, more to herself than to him. "Sometimes I simply wish that we could take multipositions. But I don't believe it'll ever be possible. I would need a miracle to do so, and that's not my area of expertise, but Miriam's. I have to stay with my material beings in the area of philosophy of nature."
"Let me remind you, Corazon, that you didn't believe that creating self-aware colony would be ever possible" he laughed quietly "Stop doubting and believe" he added proving that sometimes even native atheist reads the Bible.
"Well, in spite of being 400yr old fossil you're still quite bright..."
"Fossil! Do you know how old you are?" he barked.
"... although my advisors keep telling me that the only usefull things that come out from your labs are new kinds of vodka."
He frowned and said: "I prefer palinka."
"And what is that?"
"Oh, this is... never mind. How's your self-aware?"
"She's well."
"She? You've started to treated it like a human?"
"Well, maybe not exactly like a human."
"Then like what?" he glanced down at her with wide smile.
"Like entia intelligibilia."
"You're nut."
"Just like you. What are you doing so long with that snow?"
He sighed and showed her beautifully formed sphere made of snow.

**hypocrites** · November 23, 2001, 07:37

Didaji Nguini, Gaian, 2321 - 2335;

Lilly of the Valley - m.y. 2335

She sat quietly, but after a moment she opened her eyes. She wanted to refuse their demand but they were calling her. She could feel their excitement. She knew she couldn't disappoint them. She closed her eyes and quickly reached trance state.
Didaji was 14 years old.
She had an older brother, her own room, her favourite color, game, toy, holobook, she liked to swim, she was convinced that Planet was sentient and that the angels exist beyond Miriam's theology. In other words she was as normal as an average 14yr old kid. Only two things made her an unusual person. Firstly, she hated chocolate. Secondly, she spent most of her time in tall buildings of Empath Guild.
In Gaian society her empath talents couldn't reminded unnoticed for a long time, so she had to spent another long hours in Empath Academy and she hated that. For her her talents were as natural as her other senses.
Maybe they were right. Her parents. Her teachers. Her friends. Maybe the shell of her body hid what they said. Great potential.
In the trance there were no North and South. No distances. No places. There was instant. There were thoughts. Thoughts which cause beeing. Being exactly where she wanted to be.
But she knew she still had a body and the body which screamed with physical agony for something it could recognize. Human body. Her body. The body which still determine her being. Body which use its senses to learn. So, she could 'see' herself 'floating' above her body. Her body needed all this comedy. This mental voyage.
She 'dove' along the ways, to the main gates of the base. She 'followed' a tiny whisp of mindworms' presence which had twirled and formend next to her. She felt her 'ghost' reaching not far to the West, to the Via Appia... She wanted to see magtubes someday, but she knew they were only on Peacekeepers, Spartans and Mogranites territories. Their technology was too expensive for Gaians' infrastructures, now overloaded with military production.
Suddenly their song stopped. She got lost. She was 'floating' above a forest waiting for any sign. And then she heard it again, but from the other place. A call, much stronger. She allowed its sweet music to guide her, back to Lilly and further to The Great Fungus Fields and to the strange construction of monoliths which Landers call Stonehenge.
She felt fear rose in her 'ghost' and even in her body. She was quite convinced that what she was doing was wrong but she couldn't free herself from this call. She, almost helplessly, looked down, on the Stonhenge and saw mindworm boil. It was not the largest boil she had seen but something in it surprised her. Never before had she seen a boil so perfectly balanced, kept together with so perfect mental construction. Every single mindworm was a part of great Planet's neural net, yet part of some kind of a smaller community.
Then she realized some human presence and she knew a little woman, she was looking at, was the one who called her. Not the mindworms. Till now the woman had been sitting with her legs crossed but now she rose and her green eyes looked directly at her 'ghost' and she shiverred.
The brood trainer was the woman with short red hair, freckles nad long white teeth. She was very small and looked no older than Didaji was, but there were something ancient in her huge green eyes. This ancient element was still familiar unlike 'ancientness' which she found in entities of Landers, cold and strange. She must have been one of the first Chironian-born.
The mindworms were almost boiling in an excitement under her feet.
She scanned woman's black-grey uniform looking for anything familiar. She saw brood trainers almost every day -- but something in this woman frightened her.
The golden-black arrow pointed downstairs.
The sight of this symbol sent shivers down her spine and she knew that she was facing her enemy. Gaians' enemy, so close to her homeland. She felt panic rose in her throat, she wanted to escape to warn her companions, her parents, even Lady Deirdre herself, but woman kept her mental 'ghost' in steel hold. She fought for a moment, desperately trying to free herself but finally gave up and curled, trying to make her 'ghost' as small as she could. It was obvious that she possesed greater power than the woman but she couldn't match any woman's skills and experience.
The woman caught her eye. Her face reminded expressionless, but Didaji felt that woman was ... curious? She was still keeping her 'ghost' but nothing more. Allowing her to get acquainted with this new situation. Didaji glanced at her cautiosly... than shyly reached to the woman's 'hold'. She touched her and suddenly was flooded with various images which came directly from the woman's memories... from the Zofia's memories, she knew it right now...but she hadn't time to analize it.
Zofia went pale and screamed. Didaji felt her pain and 'cried' with her. She heard her mental scream, she knew her body was screaming as well. Then suddenly she realized that it was her pain, not Zofia's pain. Not the pain of her body. Her body would have no time to felt that moment which destroyed it. It was sudden pain of enlightement that she was dying.

**hypocrites** · November 26, 2001, 05:00

Pravin Lal, Indian, 2006 - 2390 (2397);

U.N. Headquaters - m.y. 2335

Pravin Lal rarely had dreams and he didn't like to dream.
His dreams didn't change much after all those years. They almost always were silent, full of abstract colors and shapes. Sometimes he dreamt of the Earth. Of those whom he had left. Sometimes his dreams were simply reflections of his own memories and than he felt terrible guilt. And shame. That he had run away, leaving dying Earth, that he had no courage to stay with his friends to the end.
He hated those dreams.
Beside that every dream was always an occasion for the Planet to crept into his mind and to begin once again to seed its visions and thoughts. Maybe he wouldn't feel so angry after those meetings if he believed in what Gaians want him to believe. Sentient Planet. He didn't believe in that. It was still difficult for him after 200 years of living on Chiron.
There was one dream which came back to him again and again. It was like memory from his childhood, but he wasn't sure. There was something familliar in this dream. Something that made him feel he would never like to be awaken again...
Something started to beep loudly. He found himself staring dully at the dark celing of his sleeping room, unable to made any decision. It took him some time to realize that it was his alter control on the touchpannel next to his bed. He cursed and rolled on his bed. He pressed the key.
"What!?" he snapped.
"Comissioner, your presence is indispensible immediately in command room" said familiar and very urgent voice.
"What is that, Kanai?" he asked trying to collect his thoughts and to calm himself.
There was a moment of silence and then she answered "You'd better see it with your own eyes, Comissioner."
"I'm on my way" he answered .
"And Commisioner...?"
"What again?" he asked trying to find anything to wear in darkness, he couldn't make himself to turn on the light.
"Good morning." she said and broke the link.
He smiled and quickly got dressed.
It was 5.a.m. when he reached command room, still sleepy and in bad mood. He knew his staff was a group of most efficient people on the Planet, and they wouldn't call him out without necessity, but still he'd rather stay in bed. The time for genetic treatments was approching him with long steps and it took him more and more time to get some rest.
He entered warm darkness of the command room and found Kanai and most of the Council members staring at one of the pannels with strangely panicked expressions on their faces.
He felt his heart started to pound. He nodded to Kanai, but the others ignored him.
He approched them with tree hesistating steps and glanced at the displays. She shook his head once or twice, knowing what he was looking at, but not willing to believe.
"Believers have just used a planet buster against Lilly of the Valley. Lady Deirdre reports 51534 casualties. No one survived. Empath Guild collapsed. Thay didn't have flechette defense system there." Kanai explained with calm voice.
"IS THAT WOMAN INSANE!?"he raged. Kanai glanced at him with dark eyes but said nothing. All of the Council members were waiting in silence. Pravin stared for a moment of silent rage at people who were his friends, his trusted advisors. And he felt that something was changing behind their eyes. Fear was settling over their souls.
He started to pace nervously around the main computer, trying to calm himself but it was no use. He saw the fear not only in his friends' eyes but also in his own soul. Everything he beliven in was in one voilent moment taken away from him. For a moment he saw no sense in everything he had done. Leaving the Earth, those whom he had loved, escape, years of not knowing if he's still alive or not, falling, triving on the Planet, building bases, new monuments of humanity, building faith in people's hearts which had been lost long ago... All this was in fact nothing if decision of one human being could destroy these...
He approched communication pannel.
"I want to talk to Santiago! Now!" he barked through link at communication officer.
"At once" tiny voice answered him and almost immediately the same voice said "Have answer from Sparta Command. Patching throu..."
The face of Santiago appeared on the screen. She was dressed in a simple dark grey uniform of spartan officers. She was standing in Command Nexus room and he could see shapes of her advisors moving nervously in the lights of holoscreens.
She shot a glance at him.
"Make it quick, Commisioner. I have no time for deliberations" she demanded.
"Believers have just..."
"I'm quite aware of what Believers have done! What do you want?" she snapped. Her eyes shined angrily, but her face remained calm. Pravin looked at her suddenly conscious of the great power this woman shared with no one. There were times when she wouldn't dare to speak to him that way. But it was long ago when Spartan Coalition was a small faction far behind the others.
"I ask for your decisions, Colonel."
"When the time is right you'll be informed..."
"Miriam has turned against all the humanity! There is nothing to wait for!" he almost shouted.
"If you want me to pronounce vendetta against Believers than my answer is 'no'. Anything else?"
He took a deep breath, feeling that fury started to overwhelming him, but suddenly Santiago smiled and added:
"Read carefully your precious U.N. Charter, before kissing it, Brother. You will find out there why my answer is 'no'. Santiago out."
She broke the link. Pravin turned on his heel to his councilmembers.
"It's time. Tell general Humphrey to run plan 'PRZYJACIEL'" he said.

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