10. Faith and the Directives of Faith
General Release: Hedion University Medical Labs Report
Gentle Peoples of New Eden:
This report is being made en route to the Devoid Region. I am recording this in the event of my death, and it is being released to all medical staff in every station of the worlds of New Eden in the hopes that your people will solve the ultimate riddle of this terrorist biological attack.
The riddle is well clouded in assumption, and I am a fool. I am schooled in archeological-sociological medical protocols dating back one millennium, and it is perhaps this reason that I stumbled across the riddle so quickly.
Despite the best efforts of terrorists, I survived the transfer of the treatment package. I state for the record that I do not believe the Sect of the Warden to be responsible for this sabotage of my ship.
The riddle of the virus cannot be answered simply by hoping to find a cure. The riddle of the virus has a cure already within its make-up. This Lysome-based virus has been altered forcibly to create a retro-virus. In the correct dosage, this virus creates cellular reconstitution to prior sociological primacy; in short, our bodies are being made to return to the form and function of the earliest humans who entered through the EVE Gate. We are being genetically altered. The Sect of the Warden have created a viral agent to return us all to the same racial baseline.
For me as an Amarr, born in the glory of God, knowing we are the Chosen of God, how could I accept these facts? How would the affairs of State be organized when the Amarr and Matari peoples were no longer so distinct? We know we are from the same race, but our history thereafter has made us distinct and the Amarr the Chosen. Will God still choose us if we are no longer differentiated by blood?
It is in smaller doses that I came to these facts. With just 1/1000th of dose, Matari with heretical Destiny Marks would no longer have these epidermal trappings. The virus removes the Mark completely, even provides some measure of youth.
Do not doubt me when I say the dose the Sect of the Warden intend to unleash will be deadly. Many will die. The cure is also its virus. You will survive or you will perish. The Matari who recovered did so, I realize now, because the virus attacks the general chemistry of the Matari blood to neutralize the RNA anti-bodies. Utterly spent, the virus can now do nothing but pass from the system. I have no doubt the Sect of the Warden knows the Matari will suffer also, and their news release states as much. I do not think they wish for it, but have accepted this as a process of making us all one again.
Only a people so shamed, so in need of acceptance and of comfort of family and friends could have engineered this virus from such intent.
The cure is to be infected, and it may also be your death.
The sequencing of the virus has led me into the Devoid Region, to a planet of importance in Amarr history. Several of the components of this virus's genetic material can only be found here in the Devoid. I may yet be able to destroy the virus without it needing to be injected on a hit and miss procedure into every New Eden citizen.
May God forgive me for questioning, and may the medical teams help the peoples of New Eden transition through any release of this virus into the public.
End Report / Send
Amarria knew her life was over. As soon as she sent the message, her life as a doctor, as an Amarrian, all that she had known would end. Heretic. The Amarr would likely demand her capture, trial and execution.
How could she have not sent it? She was a doctor, and she would not bow to anyone who stopped her from the reason and logic of helping her patients. She had started this crisis flippantly, had battled her doctor’s oath by allowing, even condoning the slaughter of Matari simply as test subjects of their efforts.
No more. She had discovered a possible solution to this mad terrorist plot, and she wanted to beg forgiveness to the Matari woman on the bed, the one who had grabbed her and so succinctly told her to inject the solution. Death was better than enslavement.
I agree.
**
The Acharya sat with RageChild on the wooden seat that overlooked the mountains, the seat surrounded by the red and blue Onganese roses. They were her favorites, the seat and the roses, so he had planted them here for her.
“Blind?”
He sat with his arms folded into his habit, his bald Sebiestor head looking at nothing in particular, noting nothing more than his conversation with the woman he loved as a daughter. “From birth, but she can see better than you or I. I tried to talk to her about it, but she will not have it.”
RageChild rested against the low stone wall, feet up near her chest. She had spent many hours on this spot, trying to collect her thoughts about her place in the universe. When the Acharya had thought she was ready, he sent her in a quest to join the Sect of the Paratwa where he hoped her rage might find a useful outlet. “I tried to speak with her, but she is stoney. I am . . . I am afraid.”
“As am I.”
She took his arm in hers, and together they watched as the sun began to set. “She is physically fine it seems, and today she is more animated. She even smiled at me earlier.” RageChild nodded. “Perhaps she is adjusting.”
“Adjusting?”
The sun seemed to hover on the edge of the mountain tips for a time, as if to wait for their conversation to end. “I can sense her, more I feel she is seeking something. Like I did years ago.”
It was Acharya who laughed now. “Years ago? When is it you stopped?”
“You are right. I have not. I still do not know who I am, but I continue to see symbols in my mind, including the one you thought might be a corporation logo.” “Ah yes, I was hoping you would return so that I could show you this personally.” He withdrew his PAD, and keyed the entry code for file #31 7FS. She saw the exact mirror of the symbol she had seen etched into her memory, truly her second most vivid memory. Below that, the corporation name. Sabaoth.
**
Daison Kador strode into the bridge of the MIO Escher, his face one of stoicism in the face of defeat, and determination in the execution of his most current orders. The ship had stood down from alert only a few hours ago. One of the prisoners had escaped, wounded a Minister of Internal Order and made off with the Emperor’s property – the pod.
His sister, Gaelbhan Wulf.
His head still hurt from the impact of her chains, and he fought hard earned anger. She had escaped from the ship, but also from him! He fought this anger, but also could not help but smile. He had poisoned her, and would die soon. There was no antidote. She would not return as a clone either – the poison ensured even that little detail.
“Captain, open a channel, SecureNet Amarrian One,” he ordered. The captain raised an eyebrow but obeyed. Daison ignored the look, but he too seemed amazed that he was still alive. A Minister who suffered such a loss would have been put to death, but it seemed the Supreme Ministers had other ideas in mind. They had ordered him to investigate the disappearance of the doctor, Amarria Darcest.
“Channel open.”
I am Daison Kador, Minister of Internal Order, Section 8. This is notice that Special Services are taking over investigation of the events surrounding a terrorist plot to release a viral infection on the general population.
First and foremost, investigations and interrogations of parties has revealed a real threat to Amarr security and the Emperor's space. Several station managers have reported medical team quarantine and Amarr citizenry infection. Though these numbers currently are quite small, it is my learned opinion that we must not take the threats of these terrorists lightly.
Secondly, I am assigned to investigate the disappearance of Doctor Amarria Darcest last night from her Hedion Medical Lab. Her transmission was at first suspect, but later proven to be coded with her UID signature. That said:
-
Dr. Amarria Darcest disappeared into the Devoid Region, and her whereabouts are being sought.
-
Her own transmission is confession of heresy.
Is the Emperor and the Chosen of God to believe that the virus is cured by its injection into Amarr citizenry, at the cost of perhaps ½ the citizenry? Is the Emperor and the Chosen of God to stand by as a doctor of our esteemed Hedion University proclaims that the Amarr are nothing more than any other race? Can the Amarr, as the Chosen of God, sit idle and let the terrorists go unpunished?
We are the Chosen, and God's power shines down on us because we are a superior race. Although humans entered the EVE Gate thousands of years ago, some of them were also the Chosen, superior and knowledgeable in their faith. Mere blood chemistry is not the source of our faith.
Lastly, all Amarr are asked to provide information concerning the doctor's whereabouts to me in any manner that is most available to them. Her words are heresy, and her disappearance is suspect. I would hesitate to think that she was in collusion with the terrorists . . .
She is Amarr, and charged with heresy for her words. She will be given the chance to answer these charges.
All fleet personnel and faithful, strong Amarrian corporations with the knowledge of their Chosen status are requested to assist in the location of the doctor. Find her or her ship.
Additionally, I have just been handed logs of the doctor's work at the Medical Lab. These logs are further proof of heresy. I am unable to relay all of the logs because of internal security matters, but these portions may provide further understanding of what the doctor believed to be true, despite being heretical.
". . . tests show a definite self-orientating genetic primacy, and anyone infected will survive if their bodies adapt to the chemical and genetic changes . . ."
". . . conclusive proof of Amarrian common heritage?"
". . . other races infected will also survive if their bodies adapt, however, the prime application is simply to remove vitoc poisoning permanently . . ."
". . . secondary complications in two Amarrian subjects reveal mental health resonance, onewhose faith in God as cure was overwhelming, but died despite receiving the treatment, the other surviving but thankful to science . . ."
". . . Matari blood tests reveal less adaptive change requirements: meaning? Do the Matari maintain the same blood chemistry as our earliest common ancestors?"
". . . tests possibly indicate that Matari are the original ancestor stock."
Of Special Note:
Clone facility technicians have provided the status of the doctor's clone. Confirming her charges of heresy even further, the doctor has established a black-market clone. As you may know, these facilities often have equipment that radiates strong EM and Neural-Impulse wave lengths because of faulty shielding. Location agents may be reading that clone. Investigate personally. If the doctor is not in the station, and noted by the NeoCom UID locator system, then you are to report that so the Amarrian government can take action against the black-market facility.
Do not delay in your search. Read the doctor's transmitted confession for clues as to her whereabouts; she stated that she was heading to a site with strong Amarrian historical ties. It is imperative to not only locate her, but also her ship so that we might extract nav-coordinates and determine her last set of points. I have no doubt the doctor has changed ships a few times, but we must be persistent.
Transmit the information as best available.
Lastly, all but 10 doses of the treatment are accounted for, and those 90 Amarri subjects are recovering. If you should locate the doctor, attempt to determine the location of the remaining 10 doses and return them to the Hedion system, Chancellor's Bureau on escrow to me.