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spiritual view. ..."
I nodded, but knew that the agent talked only about those who were LINKed.
Crime still ruled my universe. However, I couldn't deny that the majority of
the population lived better than ever since the war, thanks to the programs of
the new religious governments. Despite the restrictions, the government
worked, which was more than could be said for its last incarnation.
"Angelucci is a menace. I thought you understood that, Ms. McMannus. You have
a history of being more reasonable than the rest, more honorable, more
concerned with the truth."
That's what I told myself every day since Daniel's conviction: the truth was
more important than loyalty. I
took my oath to serve and protect seriously during my days on the force. That,
to me, was the distinction between an honest cop and a dishonest one. Though
the system became tougher and tougher to support in good conscience, I held on
to the tenet that truth and justice were at the core of it all. Believing was
how I lived with myself.
What if the FBI agent was right about Michael? I didn't know that much about
his motivations. If I hadn't guessed that he was a LINK-angel, he would never
have told me. My head ached.
"The LINK." I clutched the bead to my heart. "He promised me the LINK."
The agent nodded encouragingly. "Illegal biotech is an international offense.
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As a decorated tech-cop, I
would've thought you'd know better. What on earth would make you cross that
line, Deidre?"
I shook my head. The feds had more enhancements than the average cop, how
could he know what made me consider it? He'd never lived without the LINK, in
the dark, surrounded by the silence of one's own thoughts.
"What did they want from you?" he asked.
"Michael wanted my help. . . ." Looking into the agent's eyes, I stopped. If I
told the agent that I
suspected that Michael was a LINK-angel, what then? If they were true to their
bargain, I might be let off. But, what would happen to him?
Letourneau would never let this go to court. He would use the same influence
that got Danny into
Christendom court to stop this one. If Letourneau was the perpetrator behind
the angel hoax, then he surely wouldn't want to have Michael busted for
LINK-crimes, because that would implicate him.
"Your help with what?" the FBI agent probed. He inched closer to me.
I looked down at the silvery bead in my hand. Something was screwy with this
scenario. The uselessness of the bead seemed a clear indication that Michael
and Ji-bril had set me up. If Michael was in cahoots with the FBI, then why
did the agent keep stressing that they wanted Michael, not me?
"Deidre, you were saying something." The agent stood next to me. His shadow
eclipsed the artificial light.
In the sudden darkness, I shivered.
There was no way to tell what was the right thing to do. I had to act on my
gut feeling. The question was:
Did I betray Michael like I had Danny? Could I live with myself if I made the
same mistake again?
"No," I said out loud. "Find another informant."
--*--*--*---
Excerpt from the broadband Associated Press LINKS, March 3, 2076.
SATANISM CHARGED IN SENATE RACE
The California Senate race eclipsed the presidential campaign briefly today
when the incumbent
Reverend-Senator Cliff Jacobs (New Right Collation) denounced his opponent,
Raven Starwater (Earth
Powers Collective) as a Satanist.
"The 'Earth Powers Coop' are a bunch of hippie-freak Satanists who smear the
sanctity of this High
Office," said Jacobs before a supportive crowd. "If Ms. Starwater looked into
her crystal ball, she'd see who's going to win this election: good always
triumphs over evil."
In a press conference at Earth Powers headquarters in the Haight-Ashbury
district of San Francisco, Reverend Starwater denied allegations that her
organization has ever tolerated an unrecognized religious group, such as
Satanists. For her own religious beliefs, she said, "My citizenship card is
valid. The United
States Government has validated the nature of my 'goodness.' The
Reverend-Senator is not qualified to judge the validity of my religion."
(hot-link here to entire speech by Rev. Starwater.)
Earth Powers is a cooperative of New Age spiritualists. The organization
achieved governmental accreditation only last year, thanks in part to the
controversial Taft-Pallis Act. Taft-Pallis guarantees accreditation to any
religious group, regardless of numbers of members, which can prove a long
history of practice in America or a belief in one God. The Act was ratified
due to pressure from the American
Indian Movement (AIM), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the
American Catholics.
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Despite the Act's stated favoritism toward Original American rights, it was
the Wiccans of Massachusetts who were the first to register under this Act,
claiming their history of practice in America can be substantiated by the
Salem witch trials. As more and more formally outlawed groups discover ways to
prove a history of practice, the Act has fallen under harsh criticism.
Presidential candidate Etienne
Letourneau (New Right) has vowed to find a way to "strike a blow against this
regressive Act and make
America safe from the lunatic fringe."
Chapter 9
The agent shook his fist in my face and yelled something threatening. At
least, I assumed it was belligerent by the way his reddened face contorted. I
should've heard shouting, but instead a melodic, disembodied voice seemed to
echo:
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