Read Online Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon - Free Book Online Page A

of the Orinoco Event. The cause of the outbreak was never determined. But that didn’t stop people from making accusations. Some people claimed the virus was a military experiment gone bad. Or that it was bioterrorism cooked up by religious fanatics. But no one had any real proof. In the end, I guess people felt they had to blame someone, anyone. So, they blamed aliens. They said off-worlders brought the virus to Earth with them. After that, all aliens were unclean, contaminated.”
    “With no proof whatever?” Hamish seemed genuinely shocked by this. “Are Earth-humans so uninterested in the truth of a thing?”
    Zenn wanted to say “Yes, exactly.” But she’d always made an effort to see the issue from the Earth’s point of view. “It was too traumatic. The horror of what happened just made Earthers kind of… crazy. If they said the outbreak came from beyond Earth, they could tell themselves they weren’t responsible.”
    “And it is the Authority on Earth that promotes this thinking?”
    “Well, yes and no. The Authority was only interested in maintaining some kind of global order. Having aliens as an enemy to focus people’s attention made their job easier. I don’t think they really care one way or another about what caused the Orinoco Event.”
    “But are not the Authority’s feelings toward aliens the cause of the Great Rift between Earth and Mars, as well as the other worlds of the Accord?”
    “It’s complicated,” Zenn said. “You see, when the Authority came to power, they needed someone to be their muscle.”
    “I am assuming this is not bodily tissue you refer to.”
    “Right. I mean they needed a group who could carry out their orders when people got out of line. Someone to do their dirty work. The group that became the Authority’s enforcers were the New Law faction. They’re the ones who really, really hate aliens. The Authority just wants to keep power. The New Law wants Earth and the rest of the solar system permanently ‘cleansed’ of aliens.”
    “So this New Law is the source of the Earth-humans’ wild and unreasonable dislike of alien life?”
    “Well, it turns out it’s not all that unreasonable, from a certain perspective. You see, the New Law had its origins way back before humans knew there was life anywhere but Earth. Back then, some fringe groups were making claims about alien abductions. Gruesome experiments. People being probed by alien creatures. These people were called UFOers. They were also called nuts, because no one believed their stories.”
    “Were their stories true?”
    “Only in one or two rare cases. The point is, after Earth’s ‘First Contact’ with an alien civilization, the UFOers crowed that they’d been right all along. They claimed they had some secret knowledge that aliens were out there all along. By the time of the Orinoco Event, the UFOers had organized into the New Law faction. And then they said aliens were not only real, but a threat to humanity. A lot of people were ready to believe them. By then, the Authority needed the New Law to help them keep control of things. So when the New Law insisted that Earth cut all contact with other worlds, the Rift was born.”
    “But Mars continues on, as does our cloister, despite this Rift?” asked Hamish.
    “Well, there are a few big, commercial mining companies making a go of it on Mars, some ag co-ops and half a dozen private groups like the Ciscans. But the Rift has just about strangled the life out of the smaller farms and colonies still hanging on in the valleys. It’s only trade with the planets of the Accord that’s kept Mars alive. Just barely, but alive. And now there are rumors that the Authority might be ready to start up trade again with Mars. That’s what the boys were talking about.”
    “But will that New Law segment not object at ending the Rift, if there are aliens on Mars?”
    “Like you? And our patients at the cloister?” Zenn said. “Yes. They’d object, alright.