Read Online Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps by J. Gregory Keyes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. Gregory Keyes
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break the news about the MRA on his show, though? Why not one of the news shows?”
“How many news shows do you know that have a viewership of six billion? Live. Twice that saved. When word gets around, everybody in the solar system will have seen it by tomorrow.” He stopped. “God, I love sayin’ that. The solar system. Ours is the first generation in history to really be able to say that.”
“I don’t know if I would go so far as to say we’re in the same generation,” she said, doubtfully.
“Am I an old man robbin’ the cradle, Alice? Is that what you think of me?”
She looked surprised.
“I must be naive. I didn’t realize you were trying to steal anything.”
He shrugged.
“You are naive, then. I’d like to take you for everything you’ve got.”
“Really.”
“Really.” She avoided his eyes. “I can’t be her, you know.”
“You don’t even look like her. When have I ever made you feel that way?”
“Never-never on purpose. But there’s something-even when we’re close, there’s distance, Lee.”
“Anything we can’t build a bridge over?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, why don’t we get married and give it a go?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
She looked back up at him, as if he were one of those ancient inkblot things she kept as objets d’art in her office.
“Okay,” she said, softly. “If you love me, okay.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Lee.” She took a sip of her drink, still looking a bit troubled. Then she smiled. “But what kind of honeymoon can compare to our first date?”
“Darlin’, I’ll do my best.”
He left Los Angeles feeling good, but that sensation vanished on the red-eye back to Geneva, as the reactions started pouring in. All the usual stuff about his grandstanding-they all wished they could grandstand as well as he. That was trivial. But some of the responses to the MRA were troubling. Not unexpected, but troubling. It was morning when he arrived in Geneva, and he went straight to work—best way to deal with jet lag.
Tom Nguyen was waiting for him.
“I thought you’d be in today.”
“Yep. What’s up?”
“The party called again.”
“Screw ‘em. What else is up?”
“I have a feeling you know.”
Lee yawned, poured himself a cup of coffee, and rubbed the grit out of his eyes.
“Yeah, but my brain’s a little run-down. I imagine you’ve been on this with your usual efficiency. The vote?”
“Ten percent better than expected, our sources say.”
“See’? I told you I should go on DiPeso.”
Tom nodded reluctantly.
“It could have gone bad, though-well, it didn’t. The tear made the top of the news everywhere.”
Lee sipped his coffee.
“Constance, God bless ‘er. It’s her gift. Not that she really needs it-she’s so adorable and pathetic all at once anyway-but our tests put her at P12, powerful enough to nudge a tear out of anyone, if need be.”
Tom shook his head.
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her to make ‘im cry, and damned if she didn’t. Hell, I got misty-eyed, too-I guess I was within the field of affect or whatever.”
“This is really dangerous, Lee. If anyone suspects-“
“They won’t suspect because they don’t want to. The real bigots will say it, of course, and thereby set themselves apart. See, opinion wasn’t really polarized, not most places. People were ambivalent about telepaths, now they aren’t. They feel ashamed of themselves. They want to help. And best of all, they can help and keep the mind readers away from them all at the same time. They call their senators. The vote will go our way.”
“The nonmember nations want your head. They say they won’t give up their telepaths.”
“We’ll see about that-it’s a human rights issue. What about the members?”
“Everybody wants to make their own policy. The Russian Consortium and Amazonia are being real pains. Both are going to vote against you-maybe China, too. You’ll squeak by with a
“How many news shows do you know that have a viewership of six billion? Live. Twice that saved. When word gets around, everybody in the solar system will have seen it by tomorrow.” He stopped. “God, I love sayin’ that. The solar system. Ours is the first generation in history to really be able to say that.”
“I don’t know if I would go so far as to say we’re in the same generation,” she said, doubtfully.
“Am I an old man robbin’ the cradle, Alice? Is that what you think of me?”
She looked surprised.
“I must be naive. I didn’t realize you were trying to steal anything.”
He shrugged.
“You are naive, then. I’d like to take you for everything you’ve got.”
“Really.”
“Really.” She avoided his eyes. “I can’t be her, you know.”
“You don’t even look like her. When have I ever made you feel that way?”
“Never-never on purpose. But there’s something-even when we’re close, there’s distance, Lee.”
“Anything we can’t build a bridge over?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, why don’t we get married and give it a go?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
She looked back up at him, as if he were one of those ancient inkblot things she kept as objets d’art in her office.
“Okay,” she said, softly. “If you love me, okay.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Lee.” She took a sip of her drink, still looking a bit troubled. Then she smiled. “But what kind of honeymoon can compare to our first date?”
“Darlin’, I’ll do my best.”
He left Los Angeles feeling good, but that sensation vanished on the red-eye back to Geneva, as the reactions started pouring in. All the usual stuff about his grandstanding-they all wished they could grandstand as well as he. That was trivial. But some of the responses to the MRA were troubling. Not unexpected, but troubling. It was morning when he arrived in Geneva, and he went straight to work—best way to deal with jet lag.
Tom Nguyen was waiting for him.
“I thought you’d be in today.”
“Yep. What’s up?”
“The party called again.”
“Screw ‘em. What else is up?”
“I have a feeling you know.”
Lee yawned, poured himself a cup of coffee, and rubbed the grit out of his eyes.
“Yeah, but my brain’s a little run-down. I imagine you’ve been on this with your usual efficiency. The vote?”
“Ten percent better than expected, our sources say.”
“See’? I told you I should go on DiPeso.”
Tom nodded reluctantly.
“It could have gone bad, though-well, it didn’t. The tear made the top of the news everywhere.”
Lee sipped his coffee.
“Constance, God bless ‘er. It’s her gift. Not that she really needs it-she’s so adorable and pathetic all at once anyway-but our tests put her at P12, powerful enough to nudge a tear out of anyone, if need be.”
Tom shook his head.
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her to make ‘im cry, and damned if she didn’t. Hell, I got misty-eyed, too-I guess I was within the field of affect or whatever.”
“This is really dangerous, Lee. If anyone suspects-“
“They won’t suspect because they don’t want to. The real bigots will say it, of course, and thereby set themselves apart. See, opinion wasn’t really polarized, not most places. People were ambivalent about telepaths, now they aren’t. They feel ashamed of themselves. They want to help. And best of all, they can help and keep the mind readers away from them all at the same time. They call their senators. The vote will go our way.”
“The nonmember nations want your head. They say they won’t give up their telepaths.”
“We’ll see about that-it’s a human rights issue. What about the members?”
“Everybody wants to make their own policy. The Russian Consortium and Amazonia are being real pains. Both are going to vote against you-maybe China, too. You’ll squeak by with a
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