with the old, in with the new. New ideas relied on new viewpoints. He had read volumes about the Change that described the death of creativity as a response to the more philosophical aspects of the phenomena. Since science could not explain the Change, it was considered untrustworthy, and so doubt had eroded the scientific community’s faith in its own dogma. Stagnation occurred. But the Prime felt the answer was not so esoteric. He preferred taking a little from column ‘A’ and a little from column ‘B.’ The pre-Change view of the world was too narrow and now people struggled to catch up. However, since everyone had been born pre-Change, preconceptions were hardwired.
The loss of invention permeated the World of Change. Art, literature and music were repetition based on old forms. The same went for social policy. The majority of politicians looked for the future in the past.
A sense of confusion went along with it. The Prime believed that humanity had never properly grieved for the generation stillborn. It had not wanted to accept what the inconceivable loss of children meant to their futures. The end needed no more description than that, and there were no more children. The end.
The Prime had never loved or hated children, so he didn’t miss real ones. He lusted after them, and that was how the forever children phenomena worked in his favor. Babies alive when the Change came grew to their relative fifth year. Any children older than that, and teens as well, remained so without physical aging or maturing.
It took much of the guilt away when exercising his passions to know that the soul in the child’s body he desired was inconceivably old. Oh he missed the wide-eyed terror of innocence, but the upside was that the World of Change liberated all of his inhibitions. He was free to experiment.
Adults aged, but they did so at a rate that made it almost invisible. For a moment he marveled at the amount of time it would take him to look old-and he wanted to find out. He was thirty-seven at the time of the Change, and now one hundred years had passed.
But there wouldn’t be a future if he didn’t decipher his Operative’s message. It bore an origin code for the Central Authority offices at Archangel Tower. It was sent an hour ago. He had been in seclusion at the time chanting over a bloody pentangle. The report read:
Eyes Only: Prime
Reporting: Vanguard
– 232 Towerview Terrace to be examined.
– City Authority Enforcement cooperative.
The Prime scanned the sheet. Two City Enforcement inspectors were called to 232 Towerview Terrace, the afternoon of February 17, 107 New Age. The Prime’s enhanced abilities allowed him to quickly absorb the report. The gist of it was simple enough.
Neighbors heard gunshots and called City Authority. Inspectors arrived at approximately 12:45 p.m. They found large a quantity of blood on the steps. (It was later typed to two individuals.) Inspectors called in reinforcements. They entered the house, reported heat damage to door and interior. They found the body of Margaret Travers, cause of death: large caliber bullet wound to brain. (Unreliable to Question.) Corpse repeats: “An angel. An angel.” Central Authority lab techs want to examine the body. Might be more playback in time.
– 10:40 a.m. One witness, Najat Sunjab, 235 Towerview Terrace, saw a man approach the home of Margaret Travers: temp secretary for the Tower offices, who was employed by the Divine and Fair Law Firm. The witness speculated it was Ms. Travers’ boyfriend who had been seen on a number of occasions.
– 10:40 a.m. Second witness, Ivan Wheatley, 1070 Seaside Apartments, saw a man in black approach the house. This witness is a telephone repairman rewiring the house of Nathan and Susan Bradley, 228 Towerview Terrace.
– 10:55 a.m. The same witness (Ivan Wheatley) saw a man and a woman pull up in a green car. Witness thought nothing of it. Later commented that both wore black.
– 11:00 a.m. A third witness called Authority. Muriel Drane, 234 Towerview Terrace, heard 4-5 shots fired. Ran to front window saw man in black placing something large in the trunk of green mid-sized car.
– Fourth witness, Alexander Washington, 231 Towerview Terrace, shared west wall of Travers’ residence heard ten or twelve shots fired. A loud sound followed-roar was heard. Other shots, perhaps 6 were heard outside. Witness was too frightened to investigate.
– Home sharing east wall with Travers’ (232 Towerview Terrace) was unoccupied. Tenants do shift-work at City International Publishing. Did not return home until 10:30 p.m.
– Door to door canvas of area turned up various witnesses who heard noises but saw nothing.
– Fifth Witness, Bernie Ohls marketing director for New Age Diet Drinks, 248 Towerview Terrace, saw green mid-sized Pontiac or Chevy pull up to black car parked in front of 244 Towerview Terrace. Man in black retrieved bag from trunk and something from glove compartment, then drove away in green car. Black ‘79 Pontiac Deluxe Cruiser impounded by City Authority. Dusting and search of rental car yielded nothing.
– Rental agent, Barry Stevens, described man. Caucasian male, pre-Change 40, dark hair, heavy build, quiet. Paid cash. Authority sketch artists working on composite.
– February 18, 10:20 a.m. Received call from Judy Gordon 412 5th Ave. West. Secretary for Catholic offices at Archangel Tower saw report on news about Towerview shooting. She confirmed Sister Karen Cawood might have been at the scene. Cawood mentioned visit to Towerview Terrace address in the company of Rev. Able Stoneworthy. Cawood has not reported for work. She could not be contacted at home. Report of green mid-sized Pontiac matched description of Reverend Able Stoneworthy’s vehicle.
– Reverend Able Stoneworthy’s office contacted. Stoneworthy has not reported to work for two days. He could not be contacted at home. Local City Authority treating the disappearance as possible foul play. Returning to 232 Towerview Terrace to investigate scene.
The Prime’s mind was alive with conspiracy. The Travers woman talked of an Angel, and the Tower Builders were involved somehow. Intriguing. Certainly suggested Divine interference of some kind. He couldn’t have such interference in his plans. That wouldn’t do. He’d have to pump his Infernal friends for information. If families were making moves, he had to know it. This was not a game that rewarded second best. And he would do anything to win.
The Prime wondered how much humanity was willing to give up for salvation. He took great pride in his self- knowledge and understood that despite his power and wealth he was still a human being. How far would he go? He would sacrifice every soul in the City if it came to that.
In order to be ready to make such a sacrifice, he had to keep on top of things. To be on top of things he had to use his resources. And his resources were many. He commanded the vast Defense system of Westprime. On his order he could muster thousands of troops and unleash terrible military machinery. He controlled the nuclear arsenal of the defunct United States of America. But he couldn’t do anything, yet.
There were other Primes in the world, and other Cities. Other arsenals too, so the Prime had to be cautious about using so overt an action before his knowledge of Divine and Infernal Powers was complete. It was too dangerous.
He would make a move soon enough; but for the time being, he wanted to know just how dangerous the threat was from above. The Prime had made an intensive study of the Bible in his century since the Change. His Demon Ally had assured him that the One God sleeps, but the Prime was not about to trust that information.
True, looking back on the history of man since biblical times it did indeed look as though God was quiescent, perhaps content to await the Judgment Day foretold in the Revelations he gave to John. For the time being-barring Divine intervention-the Prime would continue to form a plan that would guarantee his survival.
He had his bomb shelter. It was deep in the bedrock below the level of his captive’s cell. Engineers had assured the Prime that the shelter, along with the City’s mass would protect him from any nuclear or conventional weapon in the world. And there was his escape tunnel. An electric car would take him fifty miles inland to a waiting shelter-also underground.
He had tortured his captive again. It hadn’t found the First-mother’s guardian yet, and the Prime suspected collusion. The creature was reluctant, to say more, but the Prime broke it. After all that screaming the creature’s voice was soft as a breeze. “The rebellion approaches Apocalypse.”
The Prime reviewed his options and found them bland and pale. After Vanguard’s report he occupied himself by looking for clues in the many messages his office received. Europrime was posturing. The British Isles of the Dead had burned-why would the Princess burn them? Eastprime was laying low.
Afriprime sent a conciliatory note. His ally had been eaten by Westprime’s, and that left the former witch doctor with his back against the thatch. That continent was steaming for rebellion. A well-situated Demonic
