Chapter 13
The Accretion of Sincerity
For reasons that Kaguya did not herself understand, it was with a wide, natural smile that she entered the cardinal's office.
"Your Eminence," she said with a curtsey, "thank you for your invitation this day."
"And thank you for accepting so promptly," Lelouch responded with a smile of his own, gesturing with a hand for her to sit. "Indeed, you arrived so promptly that we are left waiting for the other guest I invited."
Kaguya tilted her head as she took her seat. "Another guest, Your Eminence?"
"Indeed, someone whom will be very important for our discussions this day," Lelouch said. "But I do not expect to be waiting overlong."
Right on cue, Sancia entered the room. "Your Eminence, Lady Ashford has arrived."
"Please show her in."
Looking back, Kaguya watched as a well-dressed and indeed quite beautiful young woman entered. This time Lelouch did rise and even stepped out from behind the table to greet her.
"Lady Ashford, thank you for gracing me with your presence once more," the cardinal said, taking her hand and planting a kiss upon it.
"Oh my," Kaguya murmured as she watched the exchange.
Young as she was, Kaguya was at that age when girls tended to treat romance in a somewhat fantasized form. To see a courtship dance play out right in front of her therefore piqued Kaguya's interest considerably, especially when the two participants were as photogenic as the Cardinal Lamperouge and the Lady Ashford.
"It is a pleasure as always," Milly said with a genial smile, then glanced over at Kaguya. "And this would be the young lady you mentioned?"
"Indeed," Lelouch said. "Lady Ashford, this is Miss Kaguya Sumeragi. Kaguya, Lady Millicent Ashford."
The name finally registered and Kaguya's eyes widened slightly. The House of Ashford was well known in Japan, not least because it was the most prominent of the Britannian noble houses that openly opposed the persecution of the Japanese populace. The family's wealth and standing made it difficult even for the Prince Clovis to curb its activities, and the Ashfords, along with Eden Vital, had served as twin pillars of support in trying to mitigate the worst of Britannian excess and predation. For that alone the Ashfords were respected by the general Japanese populace, and it was hardly surprising that relations between them and Eden Vital would be further elevated with the arrival of the Cardinal Lamperouge.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Ashford," Kaguya rose and curtseyed once more. "Your family's good works are known to me, and you have my personal gratitude for all that has been done."
"Please, Milly is just fine," the Ashford daughter responded with a cheerful smile. "I expect we will be working together quite closely in the near future."
"Is that so?" Kaguya said, smiling back. "In that case, please call me Kaguya."
A hint, that, as to the ends the cardinal was striving for with this meeting.
"If you ladies would please join me over here," Lelouch said as he walked towards the conference table.
Once the trio were suitably relocated, the cardinal turned on the projector and brought up a presentation on the main screen.
"I am sure you are likely wondering why I invited both yourself and Lady Ashford here," Lelouch said to Kaguya.
"The thought did cross my mind, Your Eminence," Kaguya responded with a playful smile.
Though arguably a bigger part was wondering at the seeming formality with which Lelouch treated Milly. Kaguya would have thought the two would be on more familiar terms if they were actively flirting. Though perhaps this formality was part of the teasing the two were engaging in. No, no, Kaguya had to focus instead of letting her imagination run wild right now, no matter how tempting or fun that may be.
Kaguya looked back at the screen, and spent a moment or so gapping at the title slide.
Ashford Academy Japanese Language and Literature Curriculum Proposal
A rather long and wordy opening title, but it rather succinctly summarized the presentation it prefaced. Kaguya looked over at Lelouch with wide eyes, only to see the cardinal smirking playfully. When her gaze shifted over to Milly, she found the older girl mirroring Lelouch's expression. The two were clearly enjoying springing this on Kaguya. Lelouch's expression become more solemn however as he began speaking.
"The letter that I received from Mr. Kirihara posed to me a question," Lelouch said. "Were the Japanese people to accept integration into the empire, and effectively become Britannians, how would they ensure they did not lose touch with their cultural heritage?"
Understanding dawned in Kaguya's eyes as she recalled the questions Lelouch had asked her. Now the questions made so much sense, whereas before she could not even fathom what purpose they served.
"As you are likely aware," Lelouch continued, "Lady Ashford's family owns and manages one of the most prestigious primary and secondary educational institutions within Japan. They also permit and encourage the enrollment of Japanese students, whom at present make up 16% of the student body. Still a minority, but a significant one, I think you would agree."
Kaguya gave a slow nod.
"What Ashford currently lacks," Lelouch said, "and perhaps understandably so, is a curriculum that teaches topics in Japanese language and culture. Prior to the rectification of the occupational authority, such an exercise would have been a step too far for even Marquess Ashford's station to propagate. Now however, an opportunity, and indeed need, has arisen to remedy this lapse. To that end, I enlisted the assistance of Lady Ashford, who is presently head girl of the academy."
"Which is equivalent to what I believe Japanese schools would term the student council president," Milly said, drawing Kaguya's gaze her way, "at least according to some of my Japanese classmates. Though in Britannian schools the role is by appointment of the staff instead of election by the student body. Anyway, when His Eminence came asking for my help, I tapped some of those same classmates to get some additional background to supplement what you told the cardinal. Many of the Japanese students at Ashford are from families of some affluence, and those families have also made some effort to provide their children with additional education in Japanese language and culture to make up for what is not covered in school. I also spoke with some of the parents, many of whom were very enthusiastic about giving their children an opportunity to study such topics formally at school, and further recommended me to the private tutors they were employing, several of whom have experience as teachers in the old Japanese school system. The presentation is a cumulation of all the information and recommendations I received, to produce what I hope will be a curriculum that can help preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Japanese people, regardless of what their official citizenship may be."
Kaguya was back to gapping. When she finally managed to pick up her jaw, it was in incredulity that she spoke.
"It's only been four days since my meeting with His Eminence."
"And it's been a very busy four days for me," Milly said with a wry smile. "His Eminence has a tendency to work those he trusts hard."
Behind the cardinal, one of his attendants nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I gave you a week," Lelouch said to Milly. "You were the one that overachieved and got it done in almost half the time."
"Only because I expect your gratitude to be boundless," Milly said with a wide smile.
Kaguya could not help but giggle a bit at the exchange. The two really did seem to be quite close, despite the formality of their address.
"Well, seeing as you are so eager to show off the fruits of your labor," Lelouch said as he pushed the keyboard over to Milly. "By all means."
"Thank you, Your Eminence," Milly said, sounding ever so prim even with her eyes twinkling with humor. She hit the keyboard to advance the presentation to the next slide. "Broadly speaking, the proposed curriculum seeks to provide an education in Japanese language and literature such that students that complete the prescribed sequence of courses are able to function in both cultural contexts without impediment. The principal challenge in this boils down to linguistic mastery of Japanese, which despite the six or so years since Britannia's conquest, has not become lost by the generation that grew up under the occupation. This being the case, instituting a language course modeled upon how Japanese was instructed by the old Japanese school system should be adequate for students coming from households that natively use Japanese."
That all made sense to Kaguya, even if she herself had only scant experience with that school system before the Empire's invasion wiped it all away and forced a good chunk of her education to be conducted in the privacy of her home.
"There is however the fact that there will be students from Japanese households that do lack a firmer grounding in the language than their backgrounds would imply," Milly continued. "While it is likely that even such students might be able to speak Japanese fluently, at least to the extent that it is used in the household, their ability to read the language may be far more inadequate, especially if their parents were not able to provide for the necessary remedial education to make up for what they were no longer taught in school."
Kaguya nodded, again agreeing with the general gist of the points, and finding herself impressed at the thought put into the proposal.
"There is one final group of students that Japanese language instruction needs to accommodate," Milly said, "those that have next to no or outright no prior experience in the language."
To that Kaguya tilted her head, frowning slightly.
"Are you suggesting Britannian students that might wish to learn Japanese?"
"Indeed," Milly said.
"But, why?"
Just because Kaguya had been able to make the inference did not mean she could intuit just why the notion was warranted in the first place.
"Because the place we live in is Japan," Milly said. "And the people we live amongst are the Japanese. Even if Japan is part of the Empire now, even if the Japanese will one day become Britannian citizens, and even if many Britannians will one day also call Japan home, this place has its own character, flavored by those that live here now. As with any place, the life you live becomes more fulfilling if you partake in the community that is offered. Sometimes the barrier to entry is low, especially if you do not stray too far from where you were born. Sometimes however, the barrier to entry is quite high, and without sufficient help, it becomes all too easy to close yourself off to the local community.
"In the case of Japan, because it used to be its own sovereign nation, with its own language and culture, the barrier for Britannian newcomers is high indeed. The occupational authority previously tried to impose Britannian culture upon Japan so that arriving Britannians did not need to expend the effort to even try to integrate. That was a mistake. What they should have done, what we intend to try to do, is to make the barrier less daunting, by providing for language training for all levels.
"This proposal may be presented by me, and it may be geared primarily towards Ashford Academy right now, but the hope is that it will serve as a template for all schools in Japan, especially when the education system is unified as a whole and schools cater to both Britannians and Japanese without distincton. That hasn't happened yet, so we still have a bit of time to test things out to see which approaches are more likely to work. But the idea is, when we do roll it out with the support of the government, we ensure that everyone who wants to has the opportunity to dive as deeply as they want into the language and culture that was born from Japan."
Kaguya was gaping at Milly again. Not for the speed with which the Ashford daughter had compiled all this, but for the sheer scope of the ambition behind it all. Just having Ashford Academy sit classes about Japanese, in Japanese, would have been a considerable advance in the preservation of her people's language and culture. But Milly, and really the cardinal as well, had jumped straight for the endgame by thinking about how to spread that preservation to all of Japan instead of merely at one prestigious preparatory school, one that was arguably out of the financial reach of many Japanese families.
"To that end," Milly continued, stirring Kaguya from her stupefaction, "we also intend to hold Japanese literature courses in English as well as Japanese." The girl smiled at Kaguya's once more befuddled expression. "In practical terms, there will be some students that just do not have the time or the capacity to absorb a new language to the extent necessary to sit a class taught solely in that language. We feel that such students should not be excluded from learning about Japanese culture, especially if they possess the interest to delve into it despite their lack of linguistic mastery."
That, was not something Kaguya herself would have considered, the girl was not afraid to admit. To her, the language and culture were inseparable. But she was Japanese, so that was perhaps a natural presupposition. And as people born of other lands, it was equally natural that Milly and Lelouch could treat the two as separate and think up accommodations as a result. Kaguya glanced over at Lelouch.
"And would you yourself be one such interested person, Your Eminence?" she asked just a bit teasingly.
"One could make the claim," Lelouch responded, then with a smirk of his own, "Kaguya-hime."
Kaguya blinked a bit, then chuckled wryly. "I take it then you found my telling of Taketori Monogatari captivating enough to delve into the original rendition?"
"At least an English translation of it," Lelouch said. "As replete with tragedy as it might have been, it was arguably the one easiest to empathize with from amongst your suggested tales."
It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did Kaguya found herself gapping at Lelouch this time.
"You read all of them!?" she exclaimed, her surprise momentarily causing her to forget her etiquette. "I mean, Your Eminence." Momentarily.
Lelouch shrugged. "Translations of, yes. I doubt I would have managed to understand even half of the nuances without Professor Tyler's annotations in the Genji, Heike, and Ise books though."
"And Your Eminence finished all four of those stories in just four days?" Kaguya reiterated.
"The Ise and Taketori stories were not very long," Lelouch said. "The Genji and Heike books each only took one sitting as well."
Kaguya actually felt her head hurt at the insinuation that one could blaze through Genji or Heike in so short a time. Even she, having been schooled in the classics since a child, found the works dense and replete with subtle nuance that required active focus to ferret out. Though perhaps those annotations the cardinal mentioned helped with that. If only the modern Japanese translations she first used were similarly supplemented. In either case, while it was within Kaguya's scholastic ability to comprehend and appreciate the imagery of Genji or Heike now, they were still not works she would consider easy to tackle. The cardinal was sounding genuinely inhuman if his mental aptitude allowed him to do just that.
"I on the other hand am still making my way through Genji," Milly said, reassuring Kaguya that Lelouch was indeed an outlier and that even someone that could put together a presentation in a mere four days found herself challenged by Genji. "I think I'll have it done by next week, after which I'll get started on Heike. His Eminence seems to think both works are suitable as topic texts for a course in Japanese literature. So far I'm not inclined to disagree, but they'd have to be covered standalone on account of length if nothing else."
"Even though Kristin Lavransdatter is an option in Ashford's classical literature course?" Lelouch remarked.
The name meant nothing to Kaguya, but she could surmise it was likely either an author or the title of some book.
"Only one or two people are insane enough to choose that trilogy to base their coursework around," Milly reposted. "Most everyone else chooses something of saner length like Jane Eyre."
"And probably because anything else is likely to be less depressing."
"Quite."
Kaguya looked back and forth between the two as they bantered. "Your Eminence seems quite familiar with Milly."
"Lady Ashford and I go a ways back," the cardinal responded. "We were acquainted back when both of us lived in Pendragon."
"So you could say we're childhood friends," Milly flashed a smile.
"I see," Kaguya nodded, her imagination starting to rev up before she forcibly squelched it.
"Anyway, we were talking about the proposed curriculum," Milly said, directing the conversation back onto topic.
"Indeed," Lelouch said, though he was regarding Kaguya speculatively. "Though a part of me wonders whether a mere presentation would be adequate for Kaguya to be able to make any informed judgments on."
"And what do you mean by 'mere' presentation?" Milly said, arching her eyebrow upward, half-teasingly and half in reproach.
"I meant no offense," Lelouch quickly said. "It is just that, few things are adequate replacements for direct experience. If I understand correctly, Kaguya here is in her first year of upper secondary. That being the case, and considering she has benefited from likely far more rigorous an education in Japanese language and literature, perhaps she might be of some assistance in, vetting, the proposed courses?"
It was turning into something of a running theme, Kaguya gaping at some shock declaration or another by either Milly or Lelouch. Milly on the other hand took Lelouch's suggestion in stride and was even nodding.
"Now that's a thought," the girl said. "It's not like we don't have other Japanese students that'd sign on in a heartbeat, even if for some their parents are the ones pushing for it. But Kaguya here has already learned many of the subject matters we'd be instructing in. If anyone could point out places for us to improve, from the student's perspective, it'd be her."
Kaguya looked back and forth between the two. "Are you suggesting I enroll at Ashford Academy?"
"If you yourself are interested of course," Lelouch said. "I would not want to place undue pressure upon you."
That might have been abstractly true, but Kaguya knew the idea was only part suggestion. It was also a test to see just how serious she, and by extension Kyoto House, was in trying to find some way to preserve Japanese culture. The cardinal, and by extension the House of Ashford, were arguably going to considerable lengths to try to accommodate that design, and were even investing resources of their own to help the effort. Now it was on her and Kyoto House to demonstrate the earnestness of their own conviction, and whether they were even capable of accepting a solution that did not come with a cost in blood.
"I will have to speak with my guardians," Kaguya said, then smiled. "But I will do my utmost to convince them of the merits of my participation. To help provide a chance for my people to retain their heritage, to ensure they do not forget the richness of our culture, that is something I would give my all for."
"Well there you have it," Lelouch said, glancing over at Milly. "I suggest you prepare a uniform for her."
"Yes, we can probably get you measured today if you have the time," Milly said with a beaming smile.
They were arguably jumping the gun a bit, but Kaguya was entirely earnest in her intent to try and convince Kirihara to allow her to attend Ashford. And something told her that, however reluctant the old man might be, he would ultimately acquiesce. He would understand the importance of what was being proposed just as quickly as Kaguya, after all.
"Attending Ashford will arguably also give you a chance to reconnect with family," Lelouch said, drawing Kaguya's attention back.
"Pardon?" the girl said quizzically.
"You mentioned that Private, no, Specialist Kururugi to be a cousin of yours," Lelouch said, causing Kaguya's eyes to widen once more. "Suzaku has also enrolled in Ashford. Whatever distance that previously separated the two of you, I pray that you are able to rekindle once more the ties of family."
That last bit sounded entirely earnest and honest, and Kaguya could not help but smile at the thought. After all, Kaguya had been entirely sincere in her prior remark about worrying about her cousin. It would be good to see Suzaku again, to find out how he was faring.
"As do I, Your Eminence."
Due to the complexity of bringing in supplies to Antarctica, the main Eden Vital facility needed to be self-sufficient in quite a few things to lessen the strain on their logistics. To that end, the facility actually grew a significant percentage of the vegetables that were consumed by its residents locally. The massive hydroponics bay was located in one of the numerous subterranean chambers that helped hold the cold at bay. The vivid field of green was quite the soothing sight, with many of the residents dropping in just to stare at the racks of plants and get away from the otherwise cold stone that lined the bulk of the base. Kallen was no exception, as the girl stared blankly down from the railing as she tried to gather her thoughts.
The grandmaster, C.C., had not required an immediate answer from Kallen regarding the price she demanded for a geass. As it was, Kallen had a sneaking suspicion that this was yet again another choice that had already been made, with only the decision left to her volition. Yet she could not shake off the deep unease of what the price insinuated. To sacrifice herself for Lelouch's sake, that was something she recognized might be a necessity the moment the cardinal made his initial attempt to recruit her. In purely practical terms, Lelouch as a cardinal was far more important than she was, as either a lay sister of Eden Vital or as a noble daughter. Of course his life would be prioritized if push came to shove, and as one of his entourage, part of her duty was to make that prioritization if something were to happen. Just, the very explicit manner in which the grandmaster demanded that prioritization be upheld made Kallen apprehensive.
In general Kallen believed Lelouch to be smart enough, and honorable enough, to do his utmost to adhere to the terms of their agreement. She even suspected that if the need really arose, Lelouch would not be averse to sticking his neck out, literally, to see through his end of the bargain. There of course remained the chance, however remote, that circumstances would find Lelouch unable to fully see through his promise, or something might happen that forced him to make a choice to the detriment of the Japanese people. Such eventualities tended not to come to the forefront of one's mind too often however, and their remoteness allowed one to keep them tucked away in the back of the head and not worry about them incessantly. C.C.'s demand however was robing Kallen of that luxury, and while the girl was not so delusional as to deny the possibility of ever having to make good on the grandmaster's condition, the anxiety of being forced to face it when she had the time and opportunity to dwell on it was not helping her mental equilibrium. It was at best plain exhausting. At worst, she was stuck in a negative feedback loop of anxiety. Kallen sighed.
"Oh, hello."
Taken aback slightly by the greeting, Kallen turned about, and found herself looking at some sort of a pole mounted camera on a two-wheel motorized platform.
"Hello?" she said uncertainly.
"You must be Kallen," the voice, now clearly coming from a speaker built into the platform, greeted. "There's been quite a bit of gossip about you ever since your arrival."
Kallen stared blankly at the camera, at a genuine loss of words.
"Oh, my apologies," the voice sounded. "I haven't introduced myself. I am Nunnally Lamperouge. Well, what you're looking at isn't me, it's one of my telepresence platforms I use to go around places since, well, I personally can't."
Understanding finally dawned upon Kallen as she heard that name. Lamperouge, the same surname as that used by Lelouch. And Nunnally, the name of the Empress Marianne's daughter, whom barely survived the same assassination attempt that took Her Majesty's life. What bits of information Kallen had managed to glean from the news indicated that both Lelouch and Nunnally had been taken into Eden Vital's custody, and while the cardinal had not spoken much if at all about his sister, it was arguably not a major surprise to run into Nunnally in some way, shape, or form, however unconventional that form.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nunnally," Kallen said with a slight smile. "Figuratively speaking, of course."
"Of course," came the cheerful response. "Are you also here to enjoy the scenery?"
"Of sorts," Kallen said. "I've had a lot on my mind, and I was hoping some peace and quiet would help."
"Oh. I hope I'm not interrupting?"
Kallen smiled slightly. "No, you're not." She glanced at the camera, still feeling a bit weird talking to someone whose face she could not see. "Actually, might I take a bit of your time?"
"Of course," Nunnally said. "After everything you've done for my brother, I would be happy to lend whatever help I can."
The smiled shifted into a wry one. "It's actually your brother that I wanted to ask about." Kallen took a deep breath. "I suppose, what do you think of him?"
"I love him, of course," Nunnally answered immediately. "Indeed, when I was little, I would argue with Euphie about which of us would get to marry Lelouch."
Wry turned into strained. "Umm, that's, a very strong love."
"Oh, but is it not the little sister's duty to shower her older brother with affection?"
By this point Kallen was pretty certain Nunnally was joking. Pretty certain. Kallen after all never regarded her own brother in such terms, and Japan was reputed to be the land of brother-sister complexes.
"But I take it your questions is in regard to something else," Nunnally said, taking a more serious tone.
Kallen nodded slowly, then a thought occurred to her. "Are you, someone contracted to the grandmaster, like your brother?"
That was not necessarily a given, seeing as Nunnally was much younger, if Kallen was remembering the ages right.
"Yes," Nunnally however answered.
The older girl's lips thinned. "Then, you also have a price that you paid for your geass."
"Ah," Nunnally said. "I take it that the condition the grandmaster issued you is related to my brother?"
"Yes," Kallen was the one to answer so this time.
Nunnally said nothing for a moment, and given the lack of a face, Kallen had no indication of what the girl might be thinking.
"Could you come with me a moment, Kallen?" Nunnally finally asked.
"Certainly. It's not like I have anywhere else to go."
A giggle sounded. "I suppose that is true enough."
The wheeled platform turned around and headed for the exit with Kallen trailing behind. The two actually walked a significant distance, even taking an elevator down far deeper than Kallen even knew the facility extended. When they emerged, Kallen found a pair of guards standing attentively at the ready, hands on their weapons.
"Your Grace," one of the guards greeted, then looked over at Kallen. "Lady Stadtfeld is not authorized to be down here."
"She is now, on my authority," Nunnally's voice sounded.
The guard spared another moment to regard Kallen before taking his hand off his sidearm and bowed slightly.
"Understood, Your Grace."
Whatever restrictions obliged Nunnally to use this telepresence platform to get around, she was clearly also possessed of some significant authority as well. Authority perhaps on the same order as her brother. Grace after all was a style reserved for an archbishop. It looked like she was going to find out just how highly placed Nunnally was as she followed the girl. A door opened, but the telepresence platform stopped by the side. Kallen cocked her head quizzically.
"I will see you inside," Nunnally assured her.
Considering the girl could likely be anywhere that had a microphone, speakers, and a camera, that was probably to be expected. Kallen stepped through the doorway, and found herself in a large circular room. The door closed behind her, which did not perturb Kallen much. The lights diming on the other hand caused her to tense up, at least until the center lit up. Kallen blinked in surprise as she was greeted by a sight of a young girl, perhaps a few years younger than her, now standing where there was only empty space before. Flowing brown hair fell down the girl's back, and a pair of soft violet eyes met Kallen's gaze. A pair that held a familiar strong will behind them.
"Nunnally?" Kallen ventured.
"It is a pleasure to meet you face to face, Kallen," the girl affirmed with a wide smile, then place a hand upon said face. "Well, figuratively."
Kallen slowly approached. "Is this a, hologram of some sort?"
"Correct. This room is designed to project all manner of things in three-dimensional high fidelity," Nunnally answered. "It is often used to visualize the modeling projections I make."
"Modeling projections," Kallen repeated.
"We'll get to that," Nunnally said. "You were asking about my brother. I take it that is because he is in some way related to the oath the grandmaster wishes you to swear?"
Kallen nodded. "Yeah, more or less. Umm, should I tell you what she asked for?"
"That is at your discretion," Nunnally said, "but I can likely make the necessary inferences of what she asked for. And I can certainly answer your question, if you wish me to."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I want you to?"
"Because if I gave you my answer, you might feel further obliged to accept the grandmaster's conditions, in spite of your own feelings," Nunnally said. "And feel even more strongly that the choice was made for you, instead of being made by you."
Nunnally was remarkably astute for someone of her age, a trait she seemingly shared with her brother. And while Kallen did sometimes feel like she was more often than not dancing on the palm of their hands with how artfully they handled here, thus far the actions of both felt earnest and honest. That too might have been a calculated move on their part, but Kallen would like to think that that bit was entirely genuine. She thus nodded.
"I want to know. If, no, why your brother would be worth it."
Nunnally nodded in turn. "You have not yet been inducted into the secrets behind code and geass, and to answer your question requires that I provide you with a modicum of understanding. Are you ready for that?"
The question was not just a courtesy, it was also an indication that this was the true point of no return. That there would be no room for second thoughts after Kallen was inducted into those secrets. The girl nodded again.
"Yes."
"Very well then."
The room brightened a bit, and Kallen found a projection of what looked to be a human brain floating between yourself and Nunnally's hologram.
"It has long been known that the human mind is divided into two domains. There is the conscious domain, in which we act with volition. And then there is the unconscious domain, which drives our conscious selves without our direct awareness of it doing so.
The brain hologram separated into two distinct brains as Nunnally narrated.
"The conscious domain is that which our active senses such as taste, touch, smell, hearing, and vision provides stimuli for to form our awareness."
On the right projection, various threads spun out in time with Nunnally's words. Whatever was being used to generate these holograms was quite the technological marvel.
"The unconscious domain however derives stimulus from an entirely different axis. To put it succinctly, it is driven by the minds of others."
The left brain now had countless strings connecting to it. Kallen frowned thoughtfully.
"You mean like empathy?"
"Empathy is certainly one way in which this influence manifests," Nunnally said, "but it is far from the total sum that these connections provide. In simple terms, the unconscious domain of our minds serves as a gateway to the collective that is all of humanity."
That, was arguably a much larger scope than Kallen had been thinking of. It was big enough that she just kind of stood there waiting for Nunnally to properly contextualize it.
"And it is mechanism by which code and geass are able to manipulate the material world."
Not that that was much help.
"A single human mind is arguably already an extraordinarily powerful computational engine," Nunnally said. "There are things that we can intuitively, unconsciously do that even the most powerful supercomputers in the world would take more time than the universe is estimated to have left to complete. Imagine what could be done with that power if we could tap it consciously at will. Imagine how much greater the power at our disposal if we could tap into the minds of two people, or a dozen, or an entire nation, or even all of humanity."
Kallen made a gurgling sound. The scope was still outside her expectations, but comprehension was no longer so, at least at a basic level. And what she could infer already was even more frightening than the mere hints Lelouch had dropped about his geass.
"The geass provides the ability to tap into one's own unconscious domain," Nunnally continued, "and in rare occasions, especially strong minds are able to extend their reach to the minds of others to bolster their power."
Now more brains appeared, with filaments connecting them to the first one on the left.
"Even in such a case however, the central nexus remains a single mind, which places a limit on how many other minds it might be able to connect and coordinate. Five or six other minds seems to be the uppermost limit for even the strongest of wills, any further and you risk suffering catastrophic brain damage. But to effect true miracles, that is far from enough. For that, one needs to harness the entirety of the human collective unconsciousness. And that is what the thought elevators are for, one of which sits above us. They allow a single mind to harness the willpower of humanity as a whole, to enact acts worthy of God Himself."
Thought elevator, that was a term Lelouch had mentioned being one of the objectives in the Empire's conquest of Japan, the other to restrict the heretics' access to sakuradite. With this latest tidbit, she was forced to concede that perhaps, yes, keeping something that powerful out of the hands of the Eden Vital splinter cell might have warranted the extremes Britannia resorted to. Might.
"By virtue of their function," Nunnally continued, "that of allowing one to tap into the collective unconscious, and therefore all the conscious minds connected therein, the thought elevators provide access to not only an immensely powerful computational medium, but also to the mental states of those minds."
The network of brains was growing larger and larger as the imagery zoomed out, until it was all a mush. A mush that slowly took the form of cities, then continents, then the entire world, with bright lights dotting all of the populated zones and darkness encompassing the uninhabited regions like the oceans.
"From these states, it becomes possible to see how people respond to life as it unfolds around them, whether the events be of good or ill," Nunnally said. "And with the computational medium, it is possible to model how large bodies of people will react to events as yet to happen."
While Kallen's own mind was reeling under this barrage of information, that last bit clicked into place instantly.
"You can predict the future?"
"To a degree," Nunnally demurred. "What we have built here is a simulation model that, like many others, tries to explore the social-economic impact of various policy decisions and executive actions. What sets our model apart from those used by conventional economists or statisticians is the uncertainty induced by the human element that so often skews their results, we can account for to a far greater degree because of our ability to take the general pulse of humanity using the thought elevators. As such, we can predict various possible future, with arguably a fair degree of accuracy, but only at a gross level. We cannot, for example, predict how some piece of legislation would change things for a specific individual with any reasonable accuracy, but we can estimate how a large body of people may on average be made better off or come out worse as a result."
The projection of Nunnally's expression took on a saddened visage.
"And because we cannot predict the consequences at a fine-grained level, we are often unable to anticipate the personal costs that our decisions may entail."
Personal costs, like the death of the Prince Clovis, Kallen immediately realized. The late viceroy might have been a murderous buffoon to Kallen and all too many Japanese, but he was still Nunnally's brother. Even if she did not lament Clovis' death, Kallen could at least intellectually understand the pain Nunnally felt at losing him, and could even sympathize with the younger girl's feelings. Still, emotions aside, what Nunnally was speaking of was something Kallen recognized to be unfathomably powerful. If Eden Vital really could predict how certain actions and decisions could turn out, then they arguably could actually impose a far greater degree of control upon the human race than was ever dreamed possible by even the most power crazed tyrants. If used right, the Order really might be able to make that better world Lelouch talked about in his interview. If used wrong though, humanity might be plunged into catastrophe beyond its worst nightmares.
"And Eden Vital seeks to use this, model, to help make a better world?" Kallen asked cautiously.
"Yes," Nunnally said with a gentle smile.
Kallen however was far from assured. "How do I know, then, that what Eden Vital considers a better world is one that I myself would also consider likewise?"
The sphere that represented Earth shrank until it was small enough to rest in Nunnally's holographic hands.
"When others speak of a better world, there is a certain cold calculus to the metrics they use to quantify what that better is," Nunnally said. "They speak of things like gross domestic products, or GDP per capita, or all these other numbers that seeks to measure what a person produces instead of the person herself. As such, these numbers present only an incomplete picture at best, and a deceptive one at worst. They do not capture the human cost associated with the production, nor do they measure the needs of one's soul over one's body. Eden Vital does not consider the world made better merely because such numbers rise. We consider the world made better when our fellow man has been provided with genuine succor, of both spirit and body, whatever form it may take. It is something we have striven to do since the Order's founding. And now, with this model, we have a golden meridian from which to survey a path to that better world."
That, Kallen found, was a far better answer than she had thought she would receive. Something about it spoke to not just her rationale sense, but also to her intrinsic faith. To the sense of hope that burned bright within her heart. She wanted to believe so badly, it almost hurt. As if sensing this, Nunnally smiled and walked over to Kallen. Reaching out, Kallen found that a warm touch was actually taking hold of her own hands.
"Wha?"
"In this place, on the edge between the real and imaginary realms," Nunnally said, "miracles are possible."
Kallen's mouth closed as those words sank in. Once more she felt them reverberate with something deep with her. Something primordial. Perhaps it was her own unconscious self responding to the veracity of Nunnally's words. And Kallen found that she was at peace with that notion. That the hope that Nunnally offered was one that she wanted to share.
"So, I take it then that your brother's actions are guided by the model?" Kallen said.
Nunnally nodded. "My brother is a fulcrum, with which great change can be set into motion. And I guide him to where his effort may bear the greatest fruit."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "So you interpret the model or something?"
"Oh, perhaps I was not clear enough?" Nunnally said, tilting her own head. "The model that was created, it resides within me."
That caused confusion to return to Kallen's face. "Pardon?"
"My geass," Nunnally declared. "It is what connects to the thought elevator."
The room suddenly lit up all around Kallen, and she was suddenly flooded with images of people from all around the world.
"I am the one that takes the pulse of mankind," the younger girl continued, "and feeds that pulse and all of the numerical metrics into the computational engine that is the collective unconscious. I drive the calculations that predicts the probable outcomes of actions taken and not taken."
Nunnally smiled once more. "As my brother is the grandmaster's legate, performing deeds in her name, I am her oracle, helping her chart a course through the clouded mists of time."
End of Chapter 13
Well, more or less the full extent of Nunnally's geass has now been revealed. And it is a damn powerful geass if used properly. But it's also a very coarse-grained geass, making it difficult to wield surgically and tactically. Nunnally's projections are obviously not perfect, and there is enough margin that not all consequences can be fully accounted for. Still, what she can provide to Lelouch, her brother is able to get a lot of mileage out of to achieving generally what they want, even if there is some breakage along the way.
I look at the theme that's managed to permeate in this story and I contrast it with Calculus and I at times wonder, how in the world am I the writer of both. The central themes are arguably so diametrically opposed that it's almost as if a stranger wrote Calculus. That's interesting in and of itself, though I do wonder if any of my readers that followed from Calculus might not be feeling a bit of whiplash from the massive conceptual shift.
It is a bit interesting that so many of the scenes involving Lelouch does not have him as the perspective character. I didn't intentionally set out to do that, it just kind of happened naturally that the thoughts presented are so often of the person talking to Lelouch instead of the other way around. This is in stark contrast with Calculus where Euphemia served as the main, or at least one of the main, perspective character in most of the scenes she was in. I recognize that this definitely has an effect on the reader's experience, and I think overall it's been a useful approach in unfolding the story and revealing the characters. We'll see if this is sustained as the story goes on or if more about Lelouch's inner thoughts will be revolved.
The duels between Lelouch and the guilty officers were recorded so that there's proper evidence that he won those duels fair and square, but they were definitely not released for public consumption. Hollywood notwithstanding, actually watching people getting killed is generally not a pleasant experience, and it would severely impact the image that Lelouch has been fostering thus far as a fair albeit tough leader, with a greater emphasis on the fair bit. The mere fact that he is known to have dueled and killed the officers is going to be the cause of some unease, but in that case the pros and cons were weighed with the pros been deemed sufficiently worthwhile and the cons considered manageable enough that Lelouch went through with it. As it is, Lelouch is already at the point where he can't keep purging people anymore in the occupational authorities without it starting to look like a witch-hunt. The batch of officers that he executed was the last group that he could get away with removing like that for the foreseeable future.
I am honestly not clear if a question was being asked in the review that commented on knightmares or if the reader was just postulating on things.
I'm also not entirely sure I understand what I'm being asked of regarding the Ashford characters. The comment was a bit, vague.