Chapter 65: The Referendum
The day of the referendum had finally arrived. The voting arrangements were the same as for the governor’s election. The referendum involved answering a question instead of selecting a candidate. The question was, ‘Do you support the use of a serum to enhance the intelligence of the next generation of our species?’ The question required a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.
Like the governor's election, there was a very high turnout. There were long queues at each polling station. Yensid Media sent out entertainers and comedians to promote the serum. They performed little skits next to the queues to demonstrate how successful the super babies could be. Those who opposed the serum had no presence at the polling stations. The leaders of the House of Divine Knowledge hoped that the several lectures they had run would sufficiently swing residents to vote against the serum. However, they lacked the flashiness of the Yensid Media promotions.
Three days later, the results of the referendum were to be announced. Atlas, the head of the Economic Institute, was to make the announcement of the results. This time he did not need to provide the results by district. It was a continent-wide referendum.
This time, Atlas was outside the palace. To his right were Governor Ryan and Saliyah, and to his left was Head Philosopher, Etnad. Yensid Media was there to film the results live. James and Jeff stood behind the camera crew.
A crowd had gathered at the city square, where a giant television had been set up and a huge party had been organised to celebrate the results of the referendum. There were hundreds of food and drink stalls set up as well as a live band. Joan and Sally had met up with the Hat Lady to watch the results as well as to eat some of the delicious free food being given out by the stalls.
The announcement went live. Atlas waved joyfully at the camera.
‘Good evening, everyone,’ called out Atlas to the camera as his eyebrows shifted up and down energetically. ‘In my hand, I have the results of our referendum. It will tell us if we are going to have genius children like Duffo and Marlon or just regular ones, who probably won’t amount to much.’
The crowd in the square roared energetically.
Atlas held up an envelope in his hand. He slowly opened it. He pulled out a piece of paper. He waved it in the air emphatically. Then he looked at it.
‘This referendum had an amazing turnout,’ said Atlas. ‘Over 90% of the continent voted. So, I think we can say that this result well and truly represents the views of our continent.’
‘Read it out! Read it out! Read it out!’ chanted the crowd in the city square.
‘An overwhelming 84% of those who voted voted in favour of the serum,’ shouted Atlas. ‘All your babies are going to be geniuses.’
Ryan hoisted Saliyah up on his shoulders, and she screamed with joy. Etnad stared disapprovingly back at them. The crowd in the city square erupted in roars of excitement. So did the other crowds around the various cities in the other districts. Carrington was the only district city that was quiet.
Atlas stepped back, allowing Ryan to take the microphone. ‘From tomorrow, our world will change forever,’ shouted Ryan. ‘Our first batch of newly pregnant mothers will report to the city centre medical facility to receive the serum. Within a matter of weeks, all major medical facilities across the continent will be conducting this medical procedure. Our species will evolve right before our eyes. Our future has never been brighter.’
The announcement ended. It was replaced by a music video of Saliyah, Ginger, and the babies.
‘It all feels too good to be true,’ remarked Sally.
‘It’s the power of democracy in action,’ said Joan. ‘The world gets brighter every second.’
‘Change brings great excitement,’ said the Hat Lady. ‘However, it also brings great risks, as things can play out in very unpredictable ways.’
‘Oh, come on!’ said Sally energetically. ‘Tonight we party. Let’s enjoy the moment because the world is just that crazy.’
The three of them began dancing to the music. The Hat Lady slipped away a few songs later. Dancing was generally not her thing. Joan and Sally continued dancing until the crowds had almost completely dispersed.
A few days later, Etnad arrived back in the West District. He called an immediate meeting with the senior members of the House of Divine Knowledge. They gathered in the hall beneath the main building.
‘What just happened is an absolute disgrace,’ roared Etnad. ‘They are defiling our species out of utter foolishness. Why do they not heed our wisdom?’
‘They have been hypnotised by the allure of the media,’ said Shamrock, the Head Theologist of West. ‘We must cleanse their minds of such deception.’
‘By doing so, we may walk an even more dangerous line,’ responded Reveileb, a senior philosopher. ‘If we end up convincing some to decline this serum, we may create a permanent rift in our species. The changed against the unchanged. This rift might be the catastrophe that our prophecies allude to.’
‘Brother, you are suggesting we do nothing,’ shouted Etnad. ‘Let us all descend into madness.’
‘We need a higher power to intervene directly to halt these proceedings,’ cried out Shamrock. ‘Time is not on our side.’
‘We are the tools of any higher power,’ shouted Etnad. ‘Miracles work through us.’
‘Then we play them at their own game,’ said Reveileb firmly. ‘We send forth representatives of our house to participate in their elections.’
‘Elections are years away,’ said Etnad as he angrily swatted the air around him. ‘Even if we win, it’ll be too late.’
‘It already is too late,’ said Reveileb firmly. ‘Our species will be changed forever. It is already in motion. Maybe that was the plan of our higher power all along.’
Etnad angrily thumped the table.
‘Reveileb is right. We were put in an impossible position,’ said a senior theologist. ‘It must have been the will of the higher power. If we stand united, we can beg for forgiveness. If we are divided, we are doomed, as stated in many of the prophecies.’
Shamrock took a deep breath and looked at Etnad for his input. Etnad nodded in acknowledgement.
‘It appears we have only one viable path,’ said Etnad in a much calmer tone. ‘We do not have influence over the governors like we did with the chiefs. We need to create our own representation. Therefore, we will prepare candidates for elections. We will win, and we will succeed. We will bring our new species in line, and we will beg the higher power for mercy and acceptance. Our greatest challenge awaits us, brothers.’
The meeting ended. Without another word, the theologists and philosophers left the hall.
Meanwhile in Carrington City, Locum had passed away in his sleep. They held his funeral at the district’s House of Divine Knowledge. It was a small event. Only close family and friends attended. Yensid Media covered the funeral from a distance. They did not film the event. Instead, they just took a few photographs, which would be published in the Carrington local newspaper.
Demadrian had been let out of his room to attend the funeral. This was done without the consent of Governor Ebirb. Demadrian shapeshifted to avoid detection. He had become quite skilled at shapeshifting during his time in the room. He desperately wanted to escape, as his desire for the blue juice had not eased. Jenna attended the funeral with Benny. The two had bonded closely during their many months of exploring tunnels.
After the funeral, Demadrian could not bring himself to return to the room. Instead, he went to the facility to take the blue juice. After that, he climbed in a flying vehicle and left the Carrington District.
Hadrian was furious with his son’s behaviour. He also did want Ebirb to find out he was missing. He got a technician to pose as Demadrian and just hoped that the visiting staff would not know the difference.
Sapien Loop: End of an Era
Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time is the sequel to the book Sapien Loop: End of an Era. Sapien Loop: End of an Era is available on Amazon, in collection series on my @spectrumecons account, and in individual chapters in my @captainhive account.
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