Chapter 70
Deep in the core of the dying PsyNet, inside the almost abandoned Council vaults, three minds blazed brightly in a conversation all of them were reluctant to have. But they had no choice. All of them were struggling desperately to retain their power.
"So you really think your plan worked?" Tatiana was still doubtful about Ming's actions. She had held back ever since their unpleasant encounter with Kaleb in the Net. Letting Ming do the dirty work, while she watched from a safe distance was fine with her. But she'd jump back on the train at the first sign it wasn't going to go off the rails.
"Of course it did. And once she's removed, we'll have Krychek back and the rebellion won't be a problem anymore." Since Alja had come to him so meekly, Ming was sure he had the upper hand again.
"Are you sure Kaleb will be on our side once her influence fades?" Shoshanna hadn't been able to find out if what Ming told them about the whole situation was true. Since Henry had been killed, she had enough to do to hold their former common territory in and outside the Net. The Council ranks were crawling more than ever with power-hungry Psy, who saw an opportunity to claw their way to the top in the current instability. And not all of them knew or cared, that killing one of the former Councilors might have devastating effects on the Net.
"He was Enrique's protégé. You know there's no way he'd have broken Silence if she didn't make him. He'll probably thank us for relieving him of her."
"Not if we weaken him publicly, as you intend to do." And Shoshanna didn't need any more enemies right now.
"You're right," Tatiana answered, finally seeing their chance in all of it. "In the end we should thank her for the opportunity to get to him. He has quietly gotten far too powerful for a long time. But he will support our goals, including Silence, even stronger after what she did to him."
"Should Silence still be our goal? There are speculations about the disease being caused by late side effects of Silence. We can discard them publicly, but some of it might be true." That was one thing Shoshanna had found out during her intensive research to manipulate the media.
"All the Council authorized research shows that there is a slowdown in the spread correlated with the rehabilitations," Ming countered as sure as ever.
"A slow down won't be enough." Shoshanna knew that too.
"Maybe not. But as long as we have no other solution we stick to Silence. It has secured the power of the Council for over a hundred years."
Power. It was all they ever had. So they clung to it against all evidence that suggested they had already lost the battle.