Free Known Afterlife (The Provider Trilogy, Volume One) by Trey Copeland Page A

vision.
     
    *****
     
    "It's beautiful." Janison had said, his rich baritone cracked with emotion. "It's just not possible...not yet. The technology required to simply study some of the basic concepts are at best ten years away."
    Janison's fervent spirit, broad intellect and direct honesty were what made him such a rare asset. If there was any one person capable of persuading Stalling to alter his plans at that time, it was Janison. Stalling swallowed the well-rehearsed arguments he had prepared to everyone's objections—especially Janison's—and beckoned his friend to continue. Too many miraculous events had led up to that moment to let his ego get in the way now. Experience demonstrated more than once, patience, if he allowed it, would fit every piece into its proper place.
    "I mean, don't get me wrong, its pure genius. Your theories alone will enable technology in a dozen fields to leap frog decades of arduous R&D." Janis on drifted off as he dove deeper into schematics scrolling along on his telipad, his eyes lighting up with excitement every time he reread yet another novel approach. Stalling left Janison to dive deeper into the data and surveyed the reactions of his other guests.
    A comfortable light bathed the intimate room , generated by an aged fire serenely glowing in a large hearth located against the back wall and a half dozen aesthetically placed antique lamps. Gathered in his home were the most brilliant minds Drakarle had to offer, each with an insatiable drive to push the edges of discovery.
    In turn, these were the people feared most by the Church of Salvation. Each had made a conscious choice not to conform to the norm, yet born into Drakarle's elite ruling class and entitled to all its privileges, these rogues quickly earned confined positions early in their careers, culled from the rest of the flock where their radical ideas could not infect others.
    Once safely tucked away into the farthest reaches of the theocra tic machine, the C.O.S. leveraged their collective genius at leisure, forwarding the ulterior objectives of the leaders they stopped believing in long ago. Alone, each mind could be controlled and used as the "Almighty" intended, for the betterment of the Church and its followers, advancing technology and industry at the expense of the planet and all its living organisms.
    Stalling relished the look of hope invading all the faces around the table. Calculating minds dug deeper into his supporting data, transi tioning from "it's impossible!" reaction to "I never thought about approaching it from that angle. Maybe, just maybe, if we had the right people, the right resources, we could pull this off."
    Dr. Jonas was the first to vocalize his thoughts, his chin still tucked into his neck as he read his telipad, lifting eyes above his reading glasses just enough to address the group as he spoke. "I fear my heart is preventing me from making a logical argument to any of this. Many a night, in this very room, we have allowed ourselves to imagine what the world could become if any of these concepts were to be realized. If I had known those inspired musings were the building blocks of the vision you present to us today...well, I might have allowed my optimism to linger once the sobering reality of morning came back into view. But, I just don't see how we will get past the first stage before..."
    "They scuttle the entire project and manage to put us some place worse than we already are," Dr Whindem interrupted. She had come di rectly from work and had been unable to change out of her stiff monastery robes. Stalling smiled inwardly at the irony, the one person in the room, outside of himself, who resented the oppressive theocracy the most, was the only one in the room outwardly representing their order.
    Unconsciously pinching the garb, plucking it away from her body, she continued with her heated tirade. "Shame on you Stalling Alterian! Shame on you for allowing us to dream again! We have confided in each