Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1 (16 page)

Senec did not answer.

“You are accused of seeking to divulge
information that the Council wished to remain confidential as long
as we did not have sufficient guarantees. You must be aware that
such behavior could compromise the whole rescue program that we
have been working toward for over thirty years. Your last-minute
schemes could call everything into question if ever a fringe group
decided to rebel which, given the situation, is quite likely.”

“What proof do you have of these allegations?
All I did was share a secret with my brother that was too heavy for
me to bear – a person I know perfectly well and whom I trust
entirely. I absolutely recognize that I should not have done that,
but I needed to confide in someone I could trust.”

“You did not merely talk to him. You left in
his possession a report which should never have left these
premises. Why would you leave him that document unless it was so he
could spread the information?”

“I admit that I didn’t understand the full
impact of my action at the time. When I did realize, I tried to get
the file back, but it was already too late. The Council already
knew about the missing file.”

Another councilor, who had remained in the
background until then, now leaned forward slightly and fixed his
eyes on Senec. He was a lot younger than the others and his face,
and posture showed a level of self-importance which Senec did not
appreciate.

“What do you know about Project XK207, Senec?
I am told that the number of its partisans is on the increase. What
link do you have with this little group of extremists?”

Senec looked at him in disdain before
replying curtly, “Councilor, I find your manner of referring to
people who – like you and I – are merely seeking to save their
lives, very disrespectful and quite inappropriate. I consider that
in the current situation, it is unfitting for a representative of
the people to be overzealous to the point of forgetting the right
to fundamental freedoms. Everyone deserves respect and is free to
choose, as long as his choice does not in any way compromise our
system’s political and economical equilibrium. If such a case
should arise, time must first be taken to seriously consider the
proposition before taking any action. History has shown us
repeatedly that radical and beneficial changes to our society were
first initiated by minorities who were able to innovate and stand
up for their beliefs in the face of a government in paralysis.”

“You sure have a nerve, Senec! Perhaps you
imagine that the Council can take no action against a renowned
scientist like you. Whatever you say or do, you tell yourself that
we won’t manage to see through the Exodus project without your
active involvement. Isn’t that it, Senec? That’s what lies behind
your arrogance, isn’t it?”

“Call it what you will! As far as I’m
concerned, it’s a question of personal conviction and respecting
individual freedom. Apart from that, you can say what you like. The
Council must have an opinion on the issue.”

The rising sound of murmuring was heard in
the gathering. There was no representative of supreme authority in
the Council. Each person would express his opinion and important
decisions were made unanimously. However, as was the case elsewhere
in civilian society, there was an unwritten code of respect for the
elders. When the councilors could not reach an agreement, it was
often the eldest among them who would use his influence to
encourage everyone to make a compromise. In the current situation,
that is exactly what happened.

“Well, it seems to me that we have already
lost far too much time on irrelevant matters. All of us present
here know, and Senec knows too, that the Exodus program cannot do
without a scientist of his standing. I propose therefore that we
get straight to the point. If you will allow me, Gentlemen, I
propose we cut short this discussion and tell Senec about the
decisions we have made according to the incriminating evidence at
our disposal. Senec, I would ask that you be reasonable and listen
carefully to what we have to say, after which time we will give you
the opportunity to respond. I am counting on you, however, to keep
to the point and avoid personal disagreements as much as
possible.”

He looked around at the other councilors, who
nodded in consent. The young councilor, although a little piqued,
also agreed to the proposition, while continuing to stare fiercely
at Senec.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Council has
sufficient proof to establish with certainty your involvement in
Project XK207. Is it now evident that you have been actively
involved in the initiation and development of this alternate
project. In light of this, although we are quite capable of
understanding your position concerning the respect of individual
freedom, we would remind you that the chances of such a project’s
success are very slim. The Exodus program, on the other hand, has
the unanimous approval of the scientific community. Consequently,
Senec, you must realize that in encouraging this project, you are
causing a whole section of the population to take an uncalculated
risk.”

Senec would have replied, but the councilor
motioned to him to wait until he had finished what he had to
say.

“The Council has therefore decided to
prohibit you from any outside contact until the situation can be
resolved. It is not a disciplinary action or a suspension, but
simply a precautionary measure. We hope, however, that you will
continue to work with the Exodus program teams. We need you and
your skills to complete the only project that is currently truly
viable. I hope to be able to count on your sense of duty, and your
respect for the lives of millions of individuals who put their
trust in us. If you cooperate, we will agree not to take legal
action against the founders of Project XK207. We will, however,
make sure its expansion is limited, as we do not believe in its
chance of success. Do you have anything to add, Senec?”

“Well, I’m sorry it’s come to this, as both
projects could quite well have co-existed officially. I do
recognize that you are acting out of a measure of wisdom and a
sense of duty, to your credit. I also know, along with my
colleagues, that the Exodus program definitely affords the best
chance of survival for a large portion of the population in the
long term, but at what cost? Many of us are not prepared to leave
the planet which has been our birthplace and home to thousands of
generations before us. Some have even already decided they would
rather die here, at home, surrounded by their loved ones, than
agree to be put to sleep with no guarantee of waking up again one
day. Where will they wake up, anyway? For the luckier ones, it will
be on a new planet, probably situated in the farthest reaches of
space. It will be a world where absolutely everything will have to
be built from scratch; a world where they will be utterly rootless,
with nostalgia and the guilt of totally abandoning the world of
their birth forever, as their only companions. As for the others,
it’s endless hibernation that awaits them. Nothing can guarantee
that we will be able to rescue them one day. It is not definite
either that the sub-marine caves will afford sufficient protection
from effects of the impact. I you want my opinion; it’s a huge
debacle in the making. It would not have come to this if
consecutive councils had not insisted on prioritizing political and
economic emergencies over the financing of research into methods of
preparing for this type of event – catastrophes that are very rare,
certainly, but not unknown to scientists. Several times during our
evolution, life has faced phases of widespread extinction. The
probability of such a phenomenon happening on a timescale of
several hundreds of millions of years is one hundred percent but of
course, viewed over the course of a lifespan, there are much more
urgent problems to be resolved.”

“Unfortunately, it is too late to change our
strategy. You know that only too well. In less than three years an
asteroid shower will rain down on the Earth and there is nothing we
can now do about it now.”

“I know! But let’s at least leave each person
the possibility of choosing the path he wishes to take when the
time comes. After all, the chance of some of them managing to
survive is not zero. No cataclysm has ever completely destroyed the
Earth and it will probably not be the case this time either. The
chance of survival is minimal but I am persuaded that it does
exist.”

The youngest councilor began to speak,
ignoring the accepted protocol.

“As has just been explained to you, that is
exactly what we plan to do, but we do not want innocent people to
pay the price for the unrealistic vision of a handful of fanatics.
Are you willing to fully participate in the Exodus program and will
you renounce all involvement, direct or indirect, in any other
project?”

The whole Council fell completely silent,
nervously awaiting Senec’s reply. They knew very well that a true
commitment from Senec to the Exodus project was crucial. There were
not only others’ lives at risk, but their own, too. In that regard,
the young councilor’s last speech was not at all appreciated by the
others.

“Yes,” replied Senec, willfully ignoring the
one who had asked the question.

A deep sense of relief swept through the
room, but the councilors took care not to let their satisfaction
show too clearly. The eldest among them politely asked Senec to
leave and go back to his work without delay. He specified however
that he would be placed in isolation until the Council could make
sure he was not receiving help from accomplices inside the space
complex. Following that, he could return to his previous post.

22 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The heavy metal door had just closed on the
little cramped room. Charlie was sitting in the corner of the cell
again, but this time he was not alone. Opposite him, Senec was
sitting at a small, legless table. There seemed to be a magnetic
field that kept the object hovering above the ground. It was made
up of a seat and a desk, both without legs. He could therefore move
them around as he pleased, without the slightest effort. The
artifice did not seem particularly useful but did give the prisoner
an impression of ease and freedom of movement, which helped him to
put up with his detention. It also meant that Charlie had to be
constantly on his guard, moving out of the way each time his
room-mate felt like a change of scene. Very soon the situation
became nerve-wracking for him, already edgy as he was about being
in a confined space.

He had to stay, however, if he was to learn
more about Senec. Anyway, he did not really know how to leave this
memory. He had to wait until something happened to show him the way
out. For now, it was dead calm. Senec was reading and writing texts
on a glass, graphic tablet like the one Jiec had used in the
vehicle. Charlie could not understand them at all, but he kept
glancing at them from time to time in case something suddenly
became clear to him.

He had been constantly moving out of the way
to avoid physical contact with Senec, but it had to happen sooner
or later. In a burst of anger, he thrust the table violently toward
Charlie, hitting him full in the belly. The pain was so intense
that Charlie could not hold back a sharp cry before collapsing on
the floor. This is impossible! he thought. I haven’t felt physical
contact with objects so acutely before. My fall on the stairs was
puzzling, but this is different. Something’s wrong!

Forgetting his pain, he looked up. Senec was
right there in front of him, looking at him intently.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Can’t
you see that you’ve nothing more to do here?”

Paralyzed by fear, Charlie remained mute.

“Don’t you understand? It’s me – Victor!”

“How is that possible?” stammered Charlie,
still in shock. “You were Senec from the start?”

“No, not exactly. This memory is not
technically a memory. Didn’t you notice?”

“Well, actually, some things did bother me:
How could I have been alone in your memory? Logically, you would
have had to be present or else you wouldn’t have any trace of what
happened in your memory. I must admit that I still don’t understand
how such a paradox can occur.”

“Some of our memories are not necessarily
linked to experiences we have been through. They are merely the
reconstitution of events which have been told to us. Our brain then
builds mental constructs which it plays out according to what it
knows. That’s why I am not physically present in this memory.
According to my observation, your brain has the same faculty.
Sometimes that similarity makes me wonder if our two species are
perhaps not so different, despite the millions of years that
separate us. It’s almost as if evolution had gone backwards.”

Charlie did not understand the significance
of what Victor had just disclosed. His attention was focused solely
on finding a logical explanation for what had happened.

“And yet, you’re here now. How is that
possible?”

“Even if I did not experience these events,
don’t forget that you are in my space here; in my mind, just as I
am in yours. We are thinking together, Charlie, and in a way,
sometimes we dream together.”

“In the first memory, Vikern could sense my
presence at times. That’s something I can comprehend, in that you
and Vikern are one and the same person. Senec, however, is only
your brother. He does not exist independently in this memory. He is
merely a mental construct that serves your memory. How did he
notice signs of my presence, too?”

“You are right, Charlie. That is the reason
why I intervened. We were getting dangerously close to the point of
mental convergence. I hadn’t foreseen that such a phenomenon could
occur, but now I understand. The longer we are connected, the more
our brains learn to function in symbiosis. It’s obviously a
side-effect of the connection. You and I must learn to recognize
these areas of convergence and be wary of them. I don’t know
exactly what the consequences would be, but I don’t want to take
this experience beyond a certain limit.”