Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps Read Online Free PDF Page B

chat a bit more about the hope and future of humanity before we retreated back to the Neanderthal cave of politics. But if we have to go there, let’s carry at least some of what we’ve seen today with us-some hope and faith in ourselves as a race. Senator Tokash has his own point of view, to be sure. He and I have differed about many things-the Heundal project itself, for instance, which many of you may remember he opposed not long ago. As for the telepath `problem’-we’re dealing with the issue as sensitively as we can.”
    “Some charge that you would make telepaths second-class citizens.”
    “Yes, on the one hand-and on the other I’m criticized for not rounding them all up and throwing them into death camps. It’s easy to make sweeping and extreme statements. It’s harder to deal with complex reality. The truth is that we have to regulate telepaths, and at the same time we must respect their rights as citizens . I wish we could have avoided the regrettable incidents of the past few months, and I pray we’ve seen the end of them.”
    “Senator, regarding your proposal for a specific committee on telepaths-“
    “Yes. The Privacy and Technology Committee was a good stopgap, but telepathy is not technology. This is a special problem that needs special attention. I’ve proposed a Committee on Metasensory Regulation.”
    “Can you respond to the rumors that Senator Tokash has been appointed head of that committee instead of you?”
    Lee was proud of himself-he kept his smile in place.
    “I’m sure that the president will appoint whoever she feels will do the best job. If that’s Tokash, then I trust her judgment.”
    None *
    Alone, he wasn’t so cool, as the shards of an empty decanter settled to the floor of his room with the patience of snowflakes. Breaking things on the Moon lacked a certain satisfaction, but the moment of rupture, when even the smallest fragments ballooned outward like a dust cloud, made up for the lack of calamity. He had to retreat into the small washroom until the air filters took care of the danger the fragments posed to his lungs. It had been too long since he had been off planet, way too long. His instincts were betraying him like those of a rookie. When he reemerged and finished cleaning up the room, he felt calmer. He checked his messages and found among them a discouraging note from Tom Nguyen. Tokash would almost certainly get the committee. That wasn’t right-it was his hearings that had begun it all, his voice the world had clung to. Now Tokash wanted to take that away from him. But what could he do? Nothing, not on the Moon, and he was stuck here for several more days, at least. By the time he returned to Earth, the decision would be made. He put on his weights and began calisthenics, working his muscles savagely. Whether people knew it or not, they responded better to a man who looked capable than one who did not. Sweat was just beginning to collect in improbably large droplets when the room link warbled.
    “Sound only,” he told it. “Yes? Senator Lee Crawford here.”
    There was a small pause, and then, “Senator Crawford? This is Alice Kimbrell. Dr. Kimbrell, how nice to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?” “I’d like to talk to you, as soon as is convenient.”
    That raised his brows. No three-second delay-Alice Kimbrell was on the Moon.
    “What does this regard?”
    “Something very important.”
    “Very well. How about the Ix Chet, in one hour?”
    “I would prefer somewhere less public.”
    “Indulge me, if you don’t mind. It’s almost lunchtime anyway.”
    The Ix Chel was, like everything on the Moon, small, but made up for that in elegance. Dug into a hillside, it featured a thick dome that filtered gentle blue Earthlight into the room. The light was picked up by the water rushing from behind one curved wall. Water on the Moon was a precious thing, mined from brittle, powdery seas—the corpses of long-dead comets. The colony had tons