12. Flight
Sunday, 01 Mar 2572
The flight started out as interesting, if uneventful. Cortin exchangedcourtesies with the Royal couple, then joined her team, taking a windowseat. It was her first flight--well, she thought, the first one she'dbeen awake for, anyway--and she wanted to see everything she could.She'd had a passing interest in archaeology once, so she was aware ofpre-war population statistics, and knew the unnaturally straight linesof vegetation in the areas they flew over marked roads or buildingsthat no longer existed. For the first time, the two came together andbecame real for her. There had been so many of them! Dear God, itmust have been unbearable, especially in the cities, crowded so closelytogether! But it was fascinating, seeing what they'd left . . . andthey'd been thriving, not declining . . . She forced that thoughtaside, not for the first time. It was for Kings and Popes to concernthemselves with the fact that humanity in the Systems was dying out,not for Enforcement officers.
As the plane droned westward, though, she discovered she couldn'tdismiss it any longer. Whatever she'd experienced during her druggedrecovery wouldn't let her. Like it or not, if she believed the visionor hallucination or whatever--and it didn't seem to be leaving her muchchoice in the matter--she'd been saddled with responsibility forreversing the decline.
It wasn't fair, she protested to herself. She was an Enforcementofficer, not a secular or Church noble; she didn't have the kind ofpower or backing it would take to make the tremendous changes she'dbeen shown were necessary. Though, she admitted grudgingly, she'd alsobeen promised help getting the power and people she'd need to do thejob--and a Strike Team Leader/Inquisitor just promoted to High King'sInquisitor wasn't exactly powerless. Not popular, which she'd have tobe to gain widespread support for the changes she'd be trying to make,but certainly not powerless.
Odeon's voice broke into her thoughts. "You look disturbed, Colonel.Is it anything we can help with?"
Cortin wanted to say no, but nodded instead. She couldn't accomplisheither of her objectives alone, and who better for her closest helpersthan the team she and Mike had hand-picked? "I'm afraid so. See if wecan use the conference cabin, please, so I can brief all of you atonce."
"Right away." Odeon stood, then hesitated. "What about ColonelBradford and Major Illyanov?"
"Fine. And civilian input wouldn't hurt, either, so see if TheirHighnesses would care to join us."
* * * * *
Even on an aircraft of the Royal Fleet, space was limited; theconference cabin was full when Cortin began the briefing. "YourHighnesses, gentles--thank you for coming. This is difficult for me totalk about, and it will be difficult for you to hear--but it not onlyhas to be said, it has to be acted on."
She paused, scanning the group's faces. Yes, she had their fullattention, though both Odeon and Chang looked apprehensive as well asattentive. That was all right; everyone here would feel the samebefore she got through. "While I was recovering from LieutenantChang's surgery, I had a series of what I can only call visions. Youcan decide the source for yourselves when you've heard what I have tosay; my own opinion is that the medication I was under either allowedor forced me to put together a number of facts and arrive at someuncomfortable conclusions.
"Although we've eliminated war and most illness, leading in turn to theelimination of poverty in any sense the Terrans or prewars wouldunderstand, the human race faces two great--and immediate--threats.One is the terrorists, particularly the Brothers of Freedom and theirchief Raidmaster, Lawrence Shannon. Eliminating them is a job we'veall--except Your Highnesses, of course--sworn to do, and the StrikeForce has personal reasons to do it thoroughly and quickly."
She took a deep breath. "As bad as that threat is, the other is bothworse and harder to deal with. Everyone knows, although no one wantsto talk or think about, the facts of human infertility and a decliningpopulation. The only thing that has been done about that, and it wasagainst considerable opposition, was the granting of Enforcement'ssexual dispensation. Although some families are blessed with numerouschildren, the average birthrate is less than two per family--and thereare many people who choose not to have families at all. On the otherhand--Major Illyanov, how many children have you fathered?"
The Dmitrian smiled. "Three by my wife, six more I am aware of byother women--the children live with us, their mothers nearby--and mymistress is currently with child."
"Seven children that wouldn't exist without the dispensation," Cortinsaid, "since Major Illyanov honors God in both word and deed. As doesBishop-Colonel Bradford. Colonel?"
"One by my wife, who's expecting our second," Bradford replied,frowning. "Three others I know about."
"Less prolific, but still well beyond replacement. No one else in thisroom has had any."
Princess Ursula echoed Bradford's frown. "Are you suggesting that wedo away with families, or make all married women attempt to havechildren by Enforcement men?" she asked quietly.
"Not at all, Your Highness," Cortin said. "A strong family structureis necessary to a healthy society, and no woman should be compelled tohave children, by any man. I'm not advocating anything of the sort.What I am saying is that family structure has to change in response tochanged conditions. Monogamy means that if either spouse is sterile,that couple will have no children--which is the case with almost halfof our families. And that is as tragic for the individuals concernedas it is suicidal for the race." She paused. "Some infertile couplesadopt, of course, and some seek Enforcement help, but neither isstatistically significant. Fortunately, a few of those we've helpedhave been nobles otherwise unable to fulfill their duty to provideheirs."
Prince Edward winced, then nodded, looking grim. A trooper's partnernaturally shared his dispensation for that act, and if a child came ofit, the trooper was almost always named the baby's godfather--thoughthe legal father was the husband. "A service the Kingdom cannotacknowledge," the Prince said, "but one it's nevertheless extremelygrateful for. Unfortunately, it's one that has been of no benefit toUrsula and myself. If you have something that might work, we'll beglad to consider it."
"Polygamy," Cortin said promptly. "More than two spouses improve theodds dramatically. Four to eight per family, ideally half men and halfwomen, would do wonders for the birthrate."
"Be better for the children, too," Bain put in. "Like my brother'sfamily--when he was killed, they lost the only adult male, and wereleft with one adult to care for three young children, no steady rolemodel for the boys. Jo--the Colonel's way, that'd be a whole lot lesslikely. One parent's death would still be tragic, of course, but itwouldn't cause complete disruption."
"Which," Cortin said, "--and I admit to considerable personal interesthere--would mean Special Ops personnel could have families. Thatincludes my team, though according to what I saw it doesn't include me."
It wouldn't, Odeon thought regretfully, at least not until the realProtector manifested. Her family, until then, had to be all the humansin the Systems; she couldn't be restricted to a few individuals. If hewere permitted a family, though, Joanie'd be as much a part of it as hecould manage--and he had a pretty good idea how.
The Royal couple whispered to each other for a few moments, then PrinceEdward looked back at Cortin. "We agree, Excellency. Show us how itcan be done legally and without sin, and Ursula and I will bring othersinto our family." He raised an eyebrow at them. "Although we havecome to love each other, it's common knowledge that isn't necessary toa Royal marriage, the primary purpose of which is to beget heirs. If apolygamous marriage can permit us to fulfill that purpose it is--as youpointed out--our duty."
Cortin swallowed, uncomfortable. "I intended no offense, YourHighness."
"None taken, Your Excellency. Although it's not by intent, we havefailed." He turned to Bradford. "How do you think Enforcementpersonnel and their families would react to the idea, Colonel?"
"Favorably," Bradford said. "Many of us already have such arrangemen
tsinformally, as I'm sure Your Highness knows, and quite a few--myselfincluded--would like to formalize them."
"And most of the nobility," the Prince said, "would be more intriguedthan offended, if it could be shown not to be sinful. The Church wouldresist that, though, I'm afraid, and the landfolk would probably havestrong objections."
"I know," Cortin admitted. "I don't have any choice but to try,though. I saw two possibilities in the vision, or whatever it was, andI've got to work for the second. In the first, humanity kept on theway it's going now, a slow decline with the terrorists getting strongeruntil they reach a critical number and Shayan takes them over openly,uses them to wipe out the rest of us in a final bloody massacre, thenamuses himself by torturing them to death one by one--which he and hisdemons continue, of course, once they're in Sheol.
"The other wasn't quite as clear, maybe because there's more than oneway for it to go--I can't be certain. In it, we recognize the SatyrPlague for what it is--"
"Shayan's attempt to corrupt us," Princess Ursula declared.
"With all respect, Your Highness," Cortin said firmly, "that's notpossible. I can't deny that Shayan has tremendous power, but there'sone power God has reserved to Himself, and that is the creation oflife. The satyr virus isn't very high on the scale, I agree, but it islife, with no detectable connection to any other form in the Kingdoms.So the Satyr Plague is from God, and it must be His Will that we useit, within the limits of morality He's given us, to reverse thedecline."
"The Satyr Plague used within the bounds of morality?" Princess Ursulasounded highly dubious.
"It can be done," Cortin said. "Troopers don't use their dispensationto spend all their time having sex, do they?"
"No," the Princess admitted, "not even all their spare time. Buttroopers are far better disciplined than the average civilian--givelandfolk the freedom to indulge their drives the way troopers do, and Idread to think of the consequences."
"I think you're underestimating them, Your Highness," Cortin said,allowing herself a smile. "I was raised in a farming family, and I canassure you they're every bit as disciplined as troopers, although in adifferent way." She grimaced. "I'll take drill, and transfers, andorders, and getting shot at, any day, over milking and plowing andfeeding and getting up before dawn every day! Even with the virus'help, farm life doesn't leave enough energy for overindulgence. I'msure most would be happy to keep their sexual activity within thefamily."
"Happier than now, I'd bet," Bain said. "That way, they'd get thevariety the virus makes you want, without having to go outside thefamily--which would be a major reduction in adultery all by itself."
"That sounds reasonable," the Princess said. "Your argument about thevirus being a new life form is one I can't refute either, so go on. Werecognize the Satyr Plague as God's gift; then what?"
"The first thing, as Your Highness has already agreed, is to getpolygamy approved," Cortin said. "And, as His Highness has pointedout, convincing the Church to sanction it is going to be difficult.Assuming we can manage that, even on a small scale to demonstrate itseffects on the birthrate, the next step is to eliminate the terrorists.I don't know for sure, but I think that's going to mean a showdownbetween me and Shannon--the real one--and that, gentles, terrifies me."She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly in an attempt to calm herself."Assuming the new family structure and Shannon's defeat, what I saw wasGod's Kingdom, here in the Systems. That tells me the Final Comingmust have taken place sometime between now and then, with theprotection from sin Jeshua said the Protector would bring to those whosought it. I didn't see that part, though."
The Princess crossed herself. "The Spirit Who will come to correct andcomfort," she said softly.
"'Who will come in a form none can predict,'" Bradford quoted,"'bringing God's Wrath to those who persist in sin, and His Eternal Joyto those who forswear it.' Are you claiming to be His Herald, ColonelCortin?"
"I'm not claiming anything, My Lord Bishop. All I'm doing is tellingyou about some things I saw in what may have been nothing more than adrug-induced hallucination. But it's one convincing enough I have tobelieve and act on it, even though I'm certain it's going to kill me."She shrugged. "Not that I expected to live long when I went intoSpecial Ops. All I can ask is to go out doing my best."
"That's all any of us can ask," Bradford agreed. He'd have to talk toOdeon about this soon, in private; the scar-faced man's expression,though he was trying to remain impassive, told the Bishop-Inquisitor heknew something he wasn't saying. "I wouldn't tell anyone else aboutthis until we get some hard evidence one way or another, and I'dsuggest the rest of you keep it within this group as well."
"As the Colonel commands," Illyanov said. "I, however, intend to actas if Colonel Cortin's vision was precisely that." He gave Cortin adeep, seated bow. "I am yours to command, Excellency."
"So's the team, of course," Odeon said.
"And I'm willing to give serious consideration to anything that willgive us an Heir," the Prince said. "I'll speak to my father aboutthis, and I'll expect you to keep us informed. For now, we should begetting ready for landing." He paused. "Before we return to the maincabin, though, Your Excellency, I have a favor to ask."
"If I can, Your Highness."
The Prince took four cartridges out of his pocket. "For us and myparents, then, if you would be so kind."
Cortin sighed, but only to herself. "Of course. I'll need holy water;is there any aboard?"
"At your service." The Prince handed her a small vial.
Cortin took it, blessed the cartridges, and returned them. "With mypersonal hope you're never in a position to need the special blessing,"she added.
"Which would be a form of protection, wouldn't it?" The Prince smiled."Thank you, Colonel."