{"id":79,"date":"2019-02-01T01:36:36","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T01:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamesvesping.com\/mainsite\/?page_id=79"},"modified":"2019-02-05T17:34:12","modified_gmt":"2019-02-05T23:34:12","slug":"a-shadow-of-a-man-sample","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jamesvesping.com\/mainsite\/?page_id=79","title":{"rendered":"A Shadow of a Man – Sample"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael looked at the elaborate building that belonged to the Party. As was typical, it was built to a different standard than other buildings in the area; all Party buildings were built to show just how great the Party was while other structures were built to a far more shoddy nature. If any laborers made a mistake while constructing a Party building, they were liable to be shot as an example of lack of devotion to the Conglomerate. Every other structure was built as sloppily and lazily as the laborers could get away with; it all added up to a not-so-subtle intent to glorify the Party over everything and everyone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Even though he had refused Party membership when it was offered to him again after the war, as a Hero of the Conglomerate he was allowed access to all Party resources, save for those involving state secrets. It was a privilege he had never used — until now. He needed to push his prejudices and memories aside in order to help Beth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

He entered the building and saw even more disgusting displays of wealth and power. Had it not been for the secret police, the people would be rioting in the streets over such wealth disparity — directly against the Party’s purported teachings and agenda. Michael was used to such hypocrisy by now; he had seen it first hand far too many times to be shocked by it. The Party spent more on upkeep of this one building than the entire town earned in a year. Looking to the clerk at the front desk, he walked up to him and placed his cybernetic hand on the counter. The clerk froze for a moment in shock and looked up, the fear rippling across his face.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“Can I help you, sir?” the clerk managed to keep his composure upon speaking to Michael.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Yes,\r\nI would like to speak with the local Party Officer,” Michael grimly\r\nreplied.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Sir,\r\nthe hour is late. The Party Officer is heading home soon and-”\r\nMichael cut the clerk off with a wave of his hand. The whirring noise\r\nof the servo mechanics cut the silence in half.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“The\r\nParty Officer always has time for a Hero of the Conglomerate. Please\r\nalert him for me or I shall look for someone more useful to fulfill\r\nmy request.” Michael put an air of superiority into his words,\r\nexactly as he had remembered from his youth in the Party. His words\r\nhad the desired effect and the clerk stepped back and pressed a\r\nbutton on the intercom. Michael didn’t pay any attention to the\r\nconversation the clerk had, but assumed all was well when he waved\r\nhim through.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“The\r\nParty Officer wishes to extend his welcome to the distinguished Hero\r\nof the Conglomerate. You may proceed to his office on the top floor.”\r\nThe clerk gave a slight bow to Michael, but he did not return it. Not\r\nonly did he dislike the clerk, but he felt that the whole idea of\r\nbowing it was anathema to the principles of the Conglomerate.\r\nEveryone was supposed to be equal, even though the current system\r\nmade some more equal than others. Bowing was reserved for monarchies\r\nand other inferior forms of governance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tMichael\r\nopted to take the stairs to the top floor of the building. While most\r\nof the Party elite would sneer at such a “small” building, for\r\nthe town it was the height of luxury and then some. The top floor was\r\nfour stories up which gave an excellent view of the town. He knew\r\nthat some of that was for a surveillance apparatus; rarely was it\r\nused for security of Conglomerate subjects, but instead as a tool for\r\nthe secret police to ferret out potential disloyal subjects. Very few\r\npeople would risk disparaging the state in the open and unless the\r\nstate had determined a subject was a threat, the privacy of their own\r\nhomes generally allowed them to speak their minds. As a result, the\r\ncredits thrown into the surveillance was wasted, but this did not\r\nmatter to the secret police or the party: it was enough for\r\nConglomerate subjects to know they were being watched.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tArriving\r\nat the room for the local Party Officer, Michael knocked on the door\r\ntwice and entered without waiting for a response. The Party Officer\r\nwas sitting behind his desk, looking over some papers. He was a\r\nmiddle aged man, about Michael’s age. Michael knew the Party Officer\r\nwas most likely from the capital; the Party would not dare risk\r\nhaving a local subject hold the position. The man looked up from his\r\ndesk at Michael, then put his pen down.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Michael\r\nArtigan. What brings you here at this hour?” The Officer had a\r\ngruff voice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I’m\r\nafraid we haven’t been properly introduced. You are?” Michael knew\r\nthat he had to assert himself. After all, he might have to kill him\r\nlater and he wanted to make sure he got his name right on the\r\ngravestone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\nam Officer 3^{rd<\/sup> class Hickens. Please have a seat.”\r\nHickens waved his hand at the chair in front of his desk. Michael sat\r\ndown as gently as possible, using his hands to keep himself up. The\r\nservo strain from his cybernetic arm piqued the interest of Hickens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n}

\t“Now,\r\nwhat can I do for a Hero of the Conglomerate? It is unusual to have\r\nsomeone of your distinction to grace the halls of this noble\r\nstructure.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\ndesire some information, if possible. Bethany Radik has been accused\r\nof some serious charges and I find myself concerned about her\r\nsituation. She saved my life and has been nothing but loyal to the\r\nConglomerate as well as an essential employee of Yankonian\r\nAerospace.” Michael made his tone as formal as he could make.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Mr.\r\nArtigan, Ms. Radik has been accused of nothing yet. I am intimately\r\nfamiliar with the case as the Agents of the Conglomerate have given\r\nme the details on their investigation. Ms. Radik is simply a key\r\nplayer in a high security government project and we must be sure of\r\nall personnel involved in it.” Hickens sat back in his chair a bit.\r\n“I’m afraid she may have passed too much information to you\r\nregarding her situation. I have much respect for your accomplishments\r\nbut you no longer have a security clearance.” Hickens reached out\r\nto close the folder on his desk when Michael firmly placed his\r\ncybernetic hand on it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Officer\r\nHickens, I implore you to properly evaluate the situation. Ms. Radik\r\ndeserves far more than a casual look. Given her value to the\r\nConglomerate, it would be a waste to cast her aside and lose her\r\npotential.” Michael put venom into his voice and coupled it with a\r\nhard stare into Hickens’ eyes. Hickens simply sat back in his chair\r\nand stared right back.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Mr.\r\nArtigan, I’m going to let you in on a secret. Ms. Radik has no value\r\nto me, the Party, or the Conglomerate. She has great value to our\r\nenemies but that is not our concern. Our concern has to do with the\r\nsecurity breach that Ms. Radik is a part of. She does not know she\r\nwas a part of it.” Hickens matter-of-fact speaking caught Michael\r\noff-guard. What is he getting at?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tHickens\r\nnoticed the confusion on Michael’s face. “You see, Mr. Artigan, not\r\neverything is as it seems. Ms. Radik was simply in the wrong place at\r\nthe wrong time. Before we continue, what do you know about psionics?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tMichael\r\nfrowned for a minute as he thought about the word. “Superstitious\r\nmumbo-jumbo. The idea that some people are capable of manipulating\r\nthe world with just their minds. Only people in the Divide believe in\r\nsuch things. I thought we in the Conglomerate considered ourselves\r\nabove petty ideas.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tHickens\r\nsmiled at Michael’s response. “Mr. Artigan, your indoctrination\r\nserves you well. Surely you’ve heard of cybernetic psionic implants\r\non the black market?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tMichael\r\nshook his head. “I don’t dabble in the black market. You should\r\nknow my vices are drinking and gambling.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Yes,\r\nthose are some problems for you, although not as large as others.\r\nAnyways, there are certain… Elements of the Party and the\r\nConglomerate that are well versed in psionic disciples. Many believe\r\nthat the only way to have the abilities is through implants but\r\nothers have been making strides in proving a biological connection as\r\nwell.” Hickens paused and pulled out a bottle of liquor and two\r\nshot glasses from his desk. He filled them both up and downed one\r\nshot glass in one gulp.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Ms.\r\nRadik had the misfortune of finding a vulnerability we left open for\r\na potential biological psionic. This potential… Thing was detected\r\nby methods which I shall not speak of here and we needed a strong\r\nbait to draw it out. That bait was the project Ms. Radik was working\r\non.” Hickens once again filled a shot glass full of the gold\r\nliquid, but sipped on it this time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\nwon’t go into the full details of it but at the end of the day, the\r\noperation failed miserably. We underestimated the target and needed\r\nto cover our tracks. Had Ms. Radik not interfered, she only would\r\nhave lost her position at Yankonian. However, now that she is aware\r\nof a security breach, we cannot allow her to expose the elements\r\nwithin the Party involved in this little operation. Her loyalty to\r\nthe Conglomerate and the Party is admirable, but it is dangerous to\r\nour elements. We cannot trust her not to reveal what we are doing.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Why\r\nkick her out then? Why not put her under a gag order? There are\r\nmechanisms to cover black operations; I’ve seen them.” Michael\r\nfrowned at Hickens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Mr.\r\nArtigan, we’re still not on the same page. The elements in discussion\r\nare well beyond the reach of the Party, much less the Conglomerate.\r\nThink of it as the shadows of the Party itself, with only a few key\r\nplayers. These key players have been involved since before the\r\nConglomerate itself. Think about that for a moment — the\r\nConglomerate has been around for hundreds of years.” Hickens stood\r\nand looked out his window.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\nmay not be a part of them now, but there was a time when I aspired to\r\nbe. Once you enter that world, everything looks different.” Hickens\r\nlooked back at Michael. “You find yourself staring at reality\r\nbeyond the Party, beyond the Conglomerate. You feel the veils of the\r\nworld around you rise and certain truths are exposed. Some people can\r\nhandle the view; others go mad at the revelation. We cannot risk even\r\none crack to allow the light in, since so few are ready for the true\r\nnature of the universe.” Hickens finished the remainder of his\r\nglass and chuckled at Michael.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“What\r\nif you could bring your wife back? What if you could change the past?\r\nStop the Fourth Divide War? Would you stop there?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tMichael\r\nsat back in his chair and thought for a moment. “I do not think I\r\ncould make a rational decision with that kind of power. Such power is\r\ntoo dangerous in the hands of men.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“That\r\nis our dilemma, Mr. Artigan. There are forces in this universe —\r\nperhaps the very elements that compose it — that could not handle\r\nthat power. We believe that mankind once attained such power and our\r\ncurrent world is the result of it. Perhaps even the universe as a\r\nwhole was changed. But this is beyond our little discussion of Ms.\r\nRadik.” Hickens sat down and waved his hand at the folder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Ms.\r\nRadik is, once again, not our concern. The Agents will arrest her\r\ntonight and come dawn, she will be exposed to the elements we speak\r\nof. She has a strong mind but I fear that will not be enough.”\r\nHickens poured himself another glass of liquor. He was apparently\r\nimmune to the effects of it and did not show any signs of losing his\r\ncomposure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\ntell you this because I do understand your situation, Mr. Artigan.\r\nShe does have options, of course. For example, if she were to leave\r\nthe country, Conglomerate agents would not pursue her. She needs only\r\nthe courage to do so. And perhaps, the aid of a friend.” Hickens\r\nlooked at Michael and smiled. “I know you will not reveal what we\r\nhave spoke of to anyone. Not even a bandit in the Divide would hear\r\nyour confession, much less believe it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“Your\r\npath is laid out for you, Mr. Artigan. You can spend the rest of your\r\ndays rotting away here or you can save the only person you can\r\nconsider as family from a painful process. I trust you will make the\r\nright decision.” Hickens set his glass down and glared at Michael.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tMichael\r\nwondered briefly if Hickens was simply telling a tall tale just to\r\ntest his loyalty, but the look on Hickens’ face suggested that he\r\nbelieved every word he had just told him. He was right; if they made\r\na break for the Divide, the Conglomerate would not pursue them. Beth\r\nwas just, as Hickens said, the wrong person in the wrong place at the\r\nwrong time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“Thank you, Officer Hickens. This has been an enlightening discussion.” Michael stood from his chair. “But make no mistake: should anything happen to Ms. Radik, your ‘elements’ will find themselves contending with a new force in the universe. One that will not stop until every last one of their still-beating hearts has been ripped from their chests.” Michael’s threat carried some weight with Hickens — he appeared to take Michael’s threat very seriously.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\t“I\r\nhave no doubt you would be capable of such actions, Mr. Artigan. The\r\nDarkness favors you. Beware you do not fall into its clutches, or Ms.\r\nRadik will just be the beginning.” Hickens stood and waved Michael\r\noff. Michael walked out of the office and found himself more confused\r\nthan ever.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\tI’ve\r\nnever known any Party Officer to be the superstitious type. What have\r\nI gotten myself into? “The Darkness”? Still, he seemed pretty\r\nserious about the threat to Beth. I’d better hurry back and get her\r\nready to go. We have a long journey ahead of us.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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