“Where do you turn in such difficult moments? Moments, when you feel alone, battling with your thoughts. There is a whole department whose main duty is helping employees in such troubling times. Its name is Omni-Reform."
-Eva Pourais, May 22nd 29483 – OTPC.
Omni-1, January 10th, 29483
Her ears rang. That's all there was to the world; just a constant, almost musical tone. Nothing else, not even a sense of which way was up and which way was down. She floated on nothing, vaguely curious about what had come before.
In her mind's eye she tried to picture what had happened and immediately and clearly her memory came flooding back and reason was restored.
She opened her eyes and felt the sting of dust falling into them. Closing and wiping them as best she could with her forearm, she tried again to take in her surroundings.
It seemed to take longer than usual to regain focus but soon she realised this was because of the dust still lingering in the air. Everything was diffused, but she could see through the dust in the dim light. Her normally black suit had become light blue, coated as it was in the powder that used to be the walls of the office building. Above her she saw that a section of the ceiling had collapsed and to her right there were cracks in the wall. But otherwise the room was structurally intact. Figures were there on the floor, mostly lying; some knelt, shaking off the effects of the impact.
Eva Pourais realised she was lying on the floor.
Vulnerable.
A quick calculation. A conclusion.
She must not stay here. She must not wait for the aides to recover, nor wait for the guards to rush in.
At this point, Eva Pourais trusted no-one.
She stood carefully, testing for injuries but moving quickly. Her body was strong and she could sense nanobots already at work, repairing what little damage there was. There was this advantage; now, time to use it. No need to shake the dust off her face and hair... that could prove beneficial. And while stunned Reform workers looked on in confusion, she left the crumbling room, seeming to walk calmly at the same pace as any normal person would run for fear of their lives.
San Jose, August 7th 2014
"... So please welcome Dr. Eva Pourais!"
The presenter had a naturally confident air but a charisma that suggested his television career was at a peak here in this local studio. He clapped and stood aside as the audience joined in the applause. Eva Pourais walked to her chair from stage-left with the grace that left all eyes on her. The cameras, introduction and audience simply adding to the fact that she was usually the centre of attention.
"Dr. Pourais is a distinguished psychologist, who works with the Biomedical giant Farmatek Incorporated. And... am I reading this right?" A dramatic pause, poorly timed, "Has a Ph.D. in Fear?"
There was a titter from the audience as the last overzealous clapper calmed down.
"Oh dear," said Pourais, putting on the perfect innocent smile for the occasion, "that makes me sound terrible, doesn't it? 'Doctor Fear'?"
A more appreciative laugh.
"That was a study on the theory of terror management, so I prefer to think it was more to do with overcoming fear than causing it. Though I do try my best." She fluttered her eyelashes and pulled her limbs inwards in just the right way as to suggest that she was quite incapable of being fearful, completing the self-depreciatory quip.
More laughter and the presenter asked, "What is it that you do for Farmatek, when you're not on television, that is?"
"Well, Jim- may I call you Jim? Medical science is moving at quite a pace - and of course it is, it's driven by the desire to help people, make them feel well. The chemists and biologists (and of course physicists now, too) need people on a front line, making sure that their medicines can be released quickly and begin their good work as soon as possible. It's my job to make sure the remedies that affect the brain are performing their function correctly and having the right effect on behaviour, and that we understand the side-effects. In short I test new medicines that will help people lead a happier life."
"That's great, that's great. Now our debate tonight is of course is 'Science and Ethics'. We have our scientist and I should now introduce the other side of the panel..."
In that particular over-dramatic yet lifeless way that can only be achieved by low-ratings TV presenters, Jim beckoned Martha Hall on stage to meet with polite applause and a few hisses.
Eva Pourais smiled in welcome, receiving a face full of bitter scorn in return. However, Pourais' expression didn't falter. It was the genuine smile of someone who's day is progressing in precisely the way they had hoped.
Martha Hall was a nothing. She was the glorified secretary of a borderline-cult church that was as desperate for attention as it was for vindication of their mad, extremist views. She also happened to be the daughter of the church's founder. Every so often they managed to get a spokesperson onto local radio or a newspaper column and cause a brief flurry of antagonism and drama before fading from people's memory again.
And that's what she intends to do tonight, thought Eva Pourais. Well then, let the curtain up and the actors lose; at the final call, we shall see where the roses fall.
The first question was easy: "Is animal testing just needless cruelty?"
Eva Pourais nodded respectfully, as if to the invisible animal ambassador in the room. "This is of course a very difficult topic. Difficult for anyone, from the most academic chemist to the everyday pet-lover. You asked about cruelty in particular. Here in San Jose animal testing is very carefully regulated by the Animal Welfare Act and a manual called The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, which are very clear on how animals should be treated. Each testing facility that I know of needs to prove that they comply to these regulations to a committee which considers any possible alternative.
"In the end, out of the countless lives that have been saved by modern medicine, many of them would not have been if it were not for the experiments and tests performed on animals. No-one wants to hurt animals, and with those careful guidelines, they can save lives with the minimum of animal suffering. So whether these ends justify the means would have to be up to you. For me personally, and based on what I've seen of lab animals, the answer is that it is neither cruel nor needless."
Applause.
Hall's turn.
"Well this should be a simple matter for everyone, really. Any fool who's picked up a book knows that man's dominion over animals is guaranteed by God. There's no debating that point." Hisses. "But yeah, on the other hand, a Godless scientist doesn't care about the ethics. The Doctor here didn't even mention the bible. And being ignorant of the real issues is just as sinful as... as sin itself. She'll be burning anyway, so what does it matter to her?"
No applause.
Eva Pourais found it hilarious that they had, in essence, agreed on the base point, but that's not how the audience would remember it. She hid her desire to laugh behind a dignified and sympathetic expression; what would have been seen as condescending were it not for the fact that her relatively tame expression was nothing when compared to the ignominy being fired from the studio audience while the camera with the light on top swept across their faces for a perfect reaction-shot.
This was going to be a piece of cake. And with good reason, really. There was just no comparing these two people on stage, there was no real conflict or real academic argument to be had between them, but that's not how the audience will see it. The TV producers had wanted drama, a tired cliché of Science vs. Religion, to create friction where there was none before. And they would succeed. They would get their drama, broadcast their sensational controversy. But what they didn't know was that they hadn't done it on their own; it was Farmatek employees who had brought Martha Hall forward. It was Eva Pourais herself who had scouted the woman out. The perfect character to create controversy out of nothing and make great TV. The perfect character to present an antithesis of Farmatek to the small minds of the station's viewers.
Eva Pourais was pleased with her choice. It was going just as she predicted.
Each question asked created more of that meaningless friction between Eva Pourais' dignified and thoughtful responses and Martha Hall's ignorant bile. The more friction, the more the audience joined together in condemnation of Martha Hall. Whereas some might have felt pity if they learned how Martha Hall had been set up, Pourais knew that she also was getting what she wanted: media attention and justification for her hatred of the the world as that hate was reflected back upon her. Hall played her part well.
When the time came, each gave a closing statement. Pourais gave a rousing speech about the benefit of science to humanity and caveats of scientific responsibility to the morals of society. It was all worthless, of course - simple rhetoric with little to reflect her own views. For her, 'benefit to humanity' had nothing to do with traditional morals. Though it was only a guess, she had her own ideas about what was in store for humanity.
As she gave her final presentation, Eva Pourais looked on at the audience - her sculpted creation - and realised then that if such careful manipulation was needed to simply present the idea of progress, then there was little hope for these people. Unless something drastic happened, humanity, she decided, was destined to die here. Soon.
Her turn finished and applause rang out again. She bowed her head appreciatively and looked at her opposition with an encouraging smile.
"Well I don't think there's much point in me saying anything. No one is willing to listen to gospel truth these days. The world is going to hell and you're all just enjoying the ride."
Great start, thought Pourais.
"But I'm bound by Jesus, as are all of you, to evangelise and spread his message - especially his warnings. You've got to wake up, San Jose. You've got to wake up, America. You've got to reject these scientists for what they are: the lying servants of Satan."
Some laughter.
"If you stray from the path, the rules that we all need to live by, then God will be vengeful. If you spread lies and deception, God will be vengeful. Why do you need these people when all you need to know is written down for you already? For medicine? Well maybe you aught to think on the Bible some when you're sick. Maybe you aught'er pray a little instead of worshipping false prophets, handing over your hard-earned dollars for sugar pills and mushroom powder. And maybe, just maybe, instead of asking what the world owes you to keep you on your carnal feet, you should ask what it is you've done that you deserve it!"
A burst of outrage from the audience.
"Maybe - Stop! - You know we all got to suffer here, don't you go thinking the world owes you, that you're special. But this is what's happening: 'Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience'... Just look at you. Look at you! You can't even accept the truth, you won't even hear it. The end of the world is coming...”
She's right there, thought Pourais.
“And you're even proud of it. Well that's what you are, sons of disobedience, daughters of this woman here." She turned to Pourais. "And you, ma'am, are obviously under the influence of a demon!"
As the typically reactive audience began their booing and condemnation, Eva Pourais found the words reverberating around her mind. Influence of a Demon. The phrase repeated itself and began to shake loose an image. The image of Him.
She knew full well how much influence He had on her, but she was amused that her subconscious mind had made the link. He wasn't exactly the typical bad-boy.
This isn't in-world roleplaying so I don't think it belongs in the Buzz forums.
Reply With Quote
This thread is now 20% cooler.
Originally Posted by Truthdreamer
Thanks! Glad you liked it. 
). That's just my interpretation.
