rally. Even the ERC couldn’t ignore that or squander the opportunity.
“Sit,” a voice boomed as Eldritch walked into the room. Shadows obscured the members of the ERC Council. Their mission was more important than a s ingle person was. It had been decided that, all members would remain hidden, thus eliminating the citizen’s urge to choose one leader over another. Priority was given to none, but power secured by all.
The room was lit only by a large spotlight, shining directly into Eldritch’s eyes, preventing him from seeing much of anything. It communicated the ERC Council’s desire to let all citizens know, even Assembly members that they were being watched at all times. Eldritch lowered himself into the high backed leather chair. The red leather and brass fasteners shone under the intense light, providing a stark contrast to the bland grayness of the room. Eldritch knew that even this was intentional, another ERC ploy to make the person feel singled out. His Em-Pak remained silent.
“ Assemblyman Eldritch, you were provided with an ERC approved speech for this event,” the voice echoed, “were you not?”
“That is true,” Eldritch nodded.
“Yet, you chose to disregard this speech and improvise ,” the faceless members of the ERC accused. To improvise was to employ independent thought, to make a decision that may not be in the best interest of all citizens. Independence was dangerous and rooted in self-motivating emotions. These insidious and traitorous actions would not be tolerated, especially by a figurehead the likes of Eldritch.
“That is also true,” Eldritch admitted. He knew they thrived on fear, pushed citizens to incriminate themselves. He was going to give them nothing. They would have to ask for his reasons.
“And would y ou care to tell us why?” a member of the ERC Council demanded, her words soaked in venom.
“The citizens have become complacent,” Eldritch said coolly.
“Complacency is not a problem, Assemblyman,” a faceless Council member snapped. “A complacent population is a docile one. To inspire fear is to create chaos. Chaos breeds insurrection and allows the virus to return. It will not be tolerated.”
“I respectfully disagree,” Eldritch smirked. “Chaos is not something the citizens are accustomed to, but complacency is. Allowing the citizens to remain complacent is dangerous. It gives them time to think, but more importantly, time to forget. Time to forget why they need us, and why they need you.” Eldritch’s words were tantamount to heresy, but he had weighed the risks and he knew how to play this situation to his benefit.
Muffled voices communicated behind shielded microphones.
“Continue,” the ERC Council commanded. Eldritch couldn’t help but smile. The ERC Council members knew he was right. They saw his rationale. Now, all that remained was to drive his point home and secure his future position.
“As I was saying,” Eldritch continued , “the citizens have been allowed to feel too safe and that is dangerous. If they forget what they need us to protect them from, then they may very well begin to feel that they no longer need us. We will see a dramatic rise in emotional treason and ultimately a resurgence of the virus and the Reds, the likes of which we have never seen. Now I realize that I gave a speech that was not ERC approved, but I felt it prudent to act before news of my family reached the populous. We needed to ensure that we controlled the distribution and spin of this bit of information to ensure that the information could be used to strengthen our position, not to weaken it.”
“ Is this why you called off the ERC recovery team?” the Council boomed.
“I called them off because they would have done their job too well and recovered my children,” Eldritch admitted. “They would have brought them back and this entire incident would soon be forgotten.”
“You’re willing to sacrifice your son and daughter to the Reds to