Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight: A Masterclass in Public Speaking

The conversation with Indradhanush left me tempted to grab a Greyhound and make another trip to Pune. However, that would have been somewhat rude. I was a guest in this country, after all.

Instead, I busied myself with working on the Superfighter design, and brushed up on my protein synthesis process. The molecules I was making were now starting to look more like actual proteins - someone eating them might not be automatically poisoned. They still tasted horrible, though.

By Saturday morning, I’d sent Adler a revised draft of the Superfighter design, managed to avoid melting too many test tubes in the laboratory, and gained another level in Chemist. Slow going, but progress is progress. 

As expected, the PM’s speech was something of a Big Deal. The venue, Shivaji Park, was one of the largest open-air grounds in the city; a little internet research told me it could accommodate thirty thousand people.

When I arrived, it certainly seemed to have at least that many. 

Kalachakra met me at the entrance for ultrahumans, flanked by Shadow. “The PM is expected in half an hour,” he explained. “He wants key people on the stage with him - local political leaders as well as ultras involved in protecting the city.”

“How long is the speech?”

“Thirty minutes, but it depends on Narayanswamy. Sometimes he goes off script and then it’s anyone’s guess how long it lasts.”

“That must be frustrating for the audience.”

“Actually, those are some of his best speeches. You’re not carrying any weapons, are you?”

I shook my head. “The instructions were very clear.”

“Good; the PM’s security folks have very little sense of humour. They’re not at all comfortable with him being near … well, any ultrahumans with inbuilt powers.”

“Who else is there?”

“You, Mahaplumber, and one more ultra will be on stage. I am not at liberty to reveal which one, unfortunately….”

“No need, I already know.”

Kalachakra sighed. “So much for information security. Anyway, the PM may ask you about Aerovascar production at some point. All you have to do is say that everyone will be vaccinated by April 2083.”

“.... Kalachakra, I’m not in charge of the vaccination program. I just make one ingredient.”

“The PM wants you to say it. It’s a request.”

“.... Just one question?”

“Just one question, you answer it, and Narayanswamy continues with his speech. The same for any other ultras on stage. This is mainly to reassure the public.”

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

“And - obviously - when the PM’s speaking, no noise or disturbances.”

“Obviously, Kalachakra; I’m not a child.”

“I apologize; the PMO folks insisted I brief you. Narayanswamy doesn’t like interruptions when he’s speaking in public; there was the one time a cellphone went off and the offender found himself exiled to Cherrapunji.”

“The Prime Minister can exile people?”

“When the person is a civil servant who forgot to leave his phone on silent mode, he can. All the best - and try to enjoy the speech.” 

With that advice, Kalachakra handed me off to Shadow, who ushered me past several groups of security personnel and onto the stage. Places were set at a long steel table, covered in a white tablecloth, with a conveniently placed name card indicating our positions. Most of the seats were occupied by men dressed in the classic style of Indian politicians, with white kurtas, jackets, and the traditional white triangle of a Nehru cap.

“Belessar!” The excited voice of Indradhanush could be clearly heard over the hubbub of other conversations. “Here!” 

Shadow rolled her eyes. “I’m bringing him already,” she muttered. “As you can see, our secret guest is Indradhanush - not that it’s much of a secret at this point.”

Indradhanush chuckled. “Difficult to keep that quiet, even with my new mask. How’s things, Bel?”

“Busy,” I muttered, sliding into the chair. “I hope the speech doesn’t overrun - I have a lab to get back to.”

The other ultrahuman - a man dressed in what looked like an oversized raincoat - chuckled. “I know the feeling. A dozen parts of the city dealing with water shortages, and here I am instead of helping out.” He raised his hand to his helmet in a passable imitation of a salute. “I’m Mahaplumber, as you probably guessed.”

“I’ve heard of your work, especially during the monsoon floods. Nicely done.”

“Thank you. And I have, of course, heard of yours.”

“Everyone’s heard of Belessar,” said Indradhanush. “Heck, even on Skyguard they talk about your battles.”

“... The Skyguard Fifty discuss my battles?”

“Well, you’re pretty central to the three largest alien battles in history. Plus, a lot of the information we have about alien psychology comes from your interrogations.”

“You interrogated aliens?” asked Mahaplumber.

Indradhanush blushed. “Um, maybe that was supposed to be secret.”

“It hardly matters,” I chuckled. “As part of the Skyguard Fifty, you obviously have access to all of the classified information about the aliens?”

“Well, yeah. It’s kind of scary how much stuff we can see…. I’d tell you about it, but they don’t take kindly to sharing that kind of stuff.”

“And rightly they should not,” Mahaplumber replied. “The Skyguard Fifty are given their power - a power that cuts across national boundaries - solely for the joint defence of Earth. It would be impolite to use that information to privilege any individual, whether in the interest of a single nation, or for that person to obtain an advantage in the next alien defence.”

“Why wouldn’t we give people advantages in an alien defence?” I asked.

“Perhaps I should put it differently. An advantage offered to all participants in a battle is appropriate; one that results in a specific individual being declared anchor is not.”

It took me a few seconds to understand. “You mean that if one ultra is provided more information than the others, it could result in their outperforming other ultras and thus being declared anchor?”

“Yes. I understand it’s two-and-a-half times as much money. Tempting, for some.”

“I’d rather an ultra had the extra information and survived, than tried to reach for extra money and didn’t.”

“Of course, but not all ultras are equally sensible.” Mahaplumber shrugged. “I, for one, am not particularly suited to alien defence operations. Unless they’re underwater, there is little I can do.”

“Don’t count yourself out. You could flood streets, hit the enemy with pressurized jets, even position artificial waves between enemy fire and our troops. Makeshift shields.”

Mahaplumber chuckled. “You have studied my powers, I see.”

“A little.” In truth, I’d just cast a quick Observe on the man. 

MAHAPLUMBER

LEVEL 32

CLASS: ELEMENTAL / HYDROKINETIC

SKILLS:

WATER MANIPULATION LEVEL 52

CAN CONTROL THE FLOW OF WATER. CAN DIRECT, GUIDE OR STOP WATER FLOWS IN DEFIANCE OF GRAVITY AS REQUIRED. REQUIREMENTS: WATER BODY MUST BE EXPOSED TO AIR. MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 52,000 TONS CAN BE MOVED AT ANY POINT OF TIME. 

CAN MANIPULATE WATER WITH UP TO 15% BY WEIGHT DISSOLVED SOLIDS OR OTHER FLUIDS MIXED WITH IT. LIQUIDS WITH LESS THAN 85% BY WEIGHT WATER ARE EXEMPT FROM MAHAPLUMBER’S POWER.

Mahaplumber took a sip of tea. “Your preference, Belessar?”

“I’m more of a chocolate milk kind of guy.”

“I hadn’t heard that. Is it true that you practice in your suits with the British troops?” 

“Yes. It helps me to improve my mech combat skills. Practice makes perfect, as they say.”

“Does practice really matter?” asked Indradhanush. “The research guys say ultrahuman powers manifest at full strength on their first day, and don’t really change much.”

“The nature of a power doesn’t change with time, but practice can help anyone,” said Mahaplumber.

“Has your ability to manipulate water improved with time?” I asked.

“With time and a lot of practice, yes.”

“Drat,” muttered Indradhanush. “And here I thought going to Skyguard meant no more homework.”

Mahaplumber and I shared a grin. 

A uniformed steward walked up, pouring out a cup of tea for each of us. “Begging your pardons, everyone, but I hope you have kept any electronic devices on silent mode; the PM’s about to arrive.”

“That we have.”

“Thank you, sirs. Please enjoy the speech.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Narayanswamy made it a point to greet everyone before the speech, shaking hands with the other movers and shakers on stage. When he came to me, he smiled warmly. “Mr. Belessar, my nation thanks you for your help.”

“Most welcome, Mr. Prime Minister,” I returned the handshake politely.

“I am told that your next shipment is expected shortly. Is there any option for you to manufacture this - octanitrocubane - in India, instead of relying on a long and risky supply chain?”

I shrugged. “Get me the ingredients and a large enough factory, and I can make it here. You’ll have to arrange storage facilities, though, and security.”

“I see. Has anyone discussed this with you previously?”

“Not really. Gideon Troy - that’s the CEO of BAE-Dragonfly - might know more.”

“Very well.” The PM turned to a civil servant hovering behind him. “Contact this Mr. Troy and invite him to set up a factory, please.”

HIDDEN QUEST SUCCEEDED: POLITICAL INFLUENCE.

USE YOUR CONNECTIONS TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR BUSINESS FAVOURS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. 

+10,000 XP, -3 ETHICS.

… of course, that was a quest. Well, XP is XP. A quick check at my interface showed I was only 17,481 XP short of Level 81, which - in fairness - had been a long time coming. 

The current -18 Ethics didn’t thrill me, though. Oh well - once I finished the quest ‘Saving A City’ I’d get a +25 to Ethics, which would put me back in positive territory again.

Narayanswamy had moved on, greeting others in the line before heading to the podium to start speaking. I sat down, along with the rest of the crowd, as the PM began to speak.

“Brothers and sisters, as I stand before you here today, I am reminded of the pandemic of 2020. When the world trembled, when we were forced to bar our doors and lock ourselves in, we persevered. We emerged stronger, more united. I am a child of those days, when we went from the brink of disaster to an era of triumph. 

“Even today, as I look upon the city of Mumbai, struggling with a new medical disaster, I say this to you: You are not alone! The country stands with you, the world stands with you, even those who walk the stars stand with you! Your own son, Indradhanush, the youngest member of the Skyguard Fifty, is with us today, to remind us that even in the darkest of hours, we have hope….”

There was a time when a speech like that would have inspired me; now, I found myself slowly tuning out, even as Narayanswamy waxed eloquent about the sacrifices made by scientists across the world to stop the plague, and thundered fiery vengeance against those who had visited this calamity upon them. The audience lapped it up, with sporadic bouts of cheering interrupting his speech (which Narayanswamy seemed to take in stride). 

Meanwhile, I busied myself thinking about the design specs for the Superfighter. It seemed to be the only way to avoid falling asleep.

It would have been just another boring political speech, which meant that was the moment my interface decided to wake up.

TEST OF LUCK: PASSED.

NEW QUEST ALERT: DEFUSE THE BOMB.

A HIGH-POWERED BOMB HAS BEEN PLANTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHIVAJI PARK GROUNDS. THE EXPLOSIVE IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO KILL OR SERIOUSLY WOUND MOST OF THE OCCUPANTS. IF DETONATED, THE SHRAPNEL WILL ALSO HIT THE STAGE, SERIOUSLY INJURING SEVERAL OF THE PARTICIPANTS. 

YOU HAVE TO FIND AND DEFUSE THE BOMB. 

IF THE CROWD FINDS OUT ABOUT THE EXPLOSIVE, THERE IS A 50% CHANCE OF A PANICKED STAMPEDE.

WHOEVER PLANTED THE BOMB MAY BE WATCHING THE SITUATION, SO IN CASE THEY ARE ALERTED, THEY MAY DETONATE THE BOMB PREMATURELY. 

GOOD LUCK.

TIME REMAINING TO DETONATION: 00:14:59

OBJECTIVE: FIND AND DEFUSE THE BOMB.

REWARD: +50,000 XP.

PENALTY: SHRAPNEL WON’T HURT YOU IN YOUR ARMOUR, BUT IT WILL HURT YOUR PUBLIC IMAGE.

BONUS: DEFUSE THE BOMB WITHOUT ALERTING THOSE WHO PLANTED IT OR PANICKING THE CROWD. 

REWARD: +3 TO A SPECIFIC ATTRIBUTE, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU ENSURE THIS.

You never appreciate boredom until it’s gone. 

Narayanswamy was still in mid-speech, and the audience was rapt with attention. I quietly opened a channel to Anne.

<Belessar>: Are you free? It’s urgent.

<Nanocloud>: I… can make that happen, yeah. What’s up?

<Belessar>: I’m in this political speech the Indian PM’s giving, and someone planted a bomb in the crowd.

<Nanocloud>: Oh crap.

<Belessar>: It’s a massive crowd, so I can’t very well go and search. I want your bots to.

<Nanocloud>: You want me to search a crowd with my bots for a bomb? Sure. Do you have bots?

<Belessar>: I have the backup canister of spare bots.

<Nanocloud>: Okay, release them then. What am I looking for?

<Belessar>: The bomb.

<Nanocloud>: I mean, what does it look like?

<Belessar>: Not a clue. This is a quest, and I have a total of fifteen minutes to find and defuse it.

<Nanocloud>: Timed quests? I hate timed quests.

<Belessar>: How do you think I feel? 

<Nanocloud>: Okay, spread ‘em. The bots, I mean.

<Belessar>: ….That could have been worded better, but okay.

After losing contact with her bots when I’d been teleported to New York, Anne had made sure I always carried a canister of dormant nanobots with me. The current canister carried about a hundred grams of bots - enough to scan the crowd silently, but whether they could do it in fifteen minutes remained a question. 

Quietly, I summoned the canister from inventory. It manifested in my hands, hidden from the public eye by the voluminous white tablecloth.

<Nanocloud>: The tablecloth will slow down bot dispersion. Get the canister on the table, and then open it.

It was just as I raised the canister to the table that new words flashed across my screen.

TEST OF LUCK: FAILED. EFFECT: FUMBLE.

The canister banged against the table.

The sound of my fullersteel-coated canister hitting the steel edge of the table was loud. A ring of metal on metal, screeching in the silence, just as Narayanswamy had paused for breath. 

Worse - the microphone in front of Narayanswamy was apparently one of those high-sensitivity mikes. It picked up the screech of metal on metal, broadcasting it across the stadium for all to hear. 

Thirty thousand sets of eyes, all until now focused on the Prime Minister, turned to me.

Including one pair of very important eyes, as Ramnath Narayanswamy swung his gaze towards me.

Those eyes radiated disapproval. 

HIDDEN QUEST ACHIEVED: PUT IN PLACE.

YOU HAVE INTERRUPTED A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED WORLD LEADER, SENDING A SUBTLE MESSAGE ABOUT WHERE THE TRUE POWER LIES. CONGRATULATIONS ON TAKING A SMALL STEP TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ULTRAHUMAN-RULED SOCIETY.

RELATIONSHIP WITH FACTION ??? IMPROVED.

RELATIONSHIP WITH FACTION: GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DECLINES.

+1 TO CHARISMA. 

Oh for crying out loud….

The timer was still ticking. The stern eyes of the Prime Minister - and the panicked look of Kalachakra - were fixated on me. 

And I couldn’t very well tell them there was a good reason…. 

<Nanocloud>: Hey, aren’t you going to disperse the bots?

…. Not without several minutes of explanations. 

And I couldn’t explain without starting a panic - and tipping off the adversary.

In front of me, there was a cup of tea, still warm from where the steward had left it. I gently unscrewed the canister and shook, the blackish-grey of nanobots appearing to fall into the cup before dispersing, invisibly, into the air. 

“Sweetener,” I explained. “For the tea.”

Kalachakra’s expression was one of utter disbelief.

Narayanswamy still looked annoyed, but - fortunately - turned back to the audience. “Tea. Such a vital part of our history. I stand here before you today, reminded of another great leader who started his career making tea…. his legacy brought us through the great pandemic, and set the foundation for our progress over the generations…..”

Narayanswamy launched back into his speech, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief as the nanobots dispersed.

<Nanocloud>: You had to bang that on the table?

<Belessar>: I failed a Luck test. It was bound to happen sometime.

<Nanocloud>: At least it didn’t happen in combat. I’m spreading the bots out. 

<Belessar>: Do you know what you’re looking for?

<Nanocloud>: No, but I have Cadet Thatcher with me, and Sergeant-Major Keaton. Thatcher trained in EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal - and Keaton has some experience with it too.

<Belessar>: … are you in class? At this hour?

<Nanocloud>: School project due tomorrow. We’re at the Keatons’ place working on it…. That’s on hold till we figure out the bomb, though. I’m running a spiral search from the centre of the crowd…. that’s where they’d locate it for maximum damage. 

The next few minutes were nerve-wracking. Seated on stage, waiting, as Anne scanned through hundreds of locations, finding lots of nothing. 

At least I had a reason for my nervousness. Kalachakra seemed tense, as did Mahaplumber. Huh - maybe Narayanswamy had something of a temper? And I guess Mahaplumber didn’t want his city contracts affected by my reputation, either.

Well, it looked like I was about to get a lot less cooperation. Perhaps Gideon wouldn’t be getting that factory after all. On a positive note, at least I wouldn’t have to return the XP. 

<Nanocloud>: Found it.

<Belessar>: Already?

<Nanocloud>: Yeah. What were you were expecting, a high-octane chase filled with drama?

<Belessar>: That depends. Can you defuse it? Otherwise there’s going to be some drama. 

<Nanocloud>: Working on that part. Bots are crawling through the bomb, mapping the wiring. 

<Belessar>: If you can help me figure out exactly where it is, I can create a portal….

<Nanocloud>: And do what? Bomb’s not going to move through the portal on its own. The wiring is pretty complex… 

<Nanocloud>: Ah, screw it. I’ll just shred the thing.

<Belessar>: Wait, what?

<Nanocloud>: All shredded now.

QUEST COMPLETED: DEFUSE THE BOMB.

THROUGH THE UNORTHODOX BOMB DEFUSAL TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS ‘SLICING TO TINY BITS’, NANOCLOUD’S BOTS HAVE TURNED THE INSIDE OF THE BOMB INTO BLENDED PUREE. CURRENTLY, THE LARGEST INTACT PIECE OF THE DETONATOR IS THE SIZE OF A BACTERIUM, AND THE ELECTRONICS HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO ELECTRONS. 

THE BOMB IS NOW NON-FUNCTIONAL AND CAN BE RETRIEVED SAFELY.

+50,000 XP. 

LEVEL UP! YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 81.

+1 STAT BOOST.

A GOOD LEADER KNOWS WHEN TO DELEGATE. FOR USING THE EXPERTISE OF LOYAL SUBORDINATES TO DEFUSE THE BOMB, YOU GAIN +1 CHARISMA, +2 WISDOM.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Safe, for now. 

Narayanswamy was still speaking, thundering defiance at humanity’s foes, as I settled back in my chair. Mental note: warn Kalachakra about the bomb afterwards. 

On the bright side, the +2 to WIS had raised it to 85. Idly, I pulled up my interface. 

INT: 71

WIS: 85

My Mental Energy Points stood at a staggering 6035. Regen was 575.1 MP per second, which meant 10.5 seconds to fill the tank when drained. Given that most of my combat powers relied on either MP or AP, improving them made sense.

The unused Attribute boost went into INT, pushing it up to 72 and the maximum MP pool to 6,120. Regen improved marginally, to 583.2 per second. Of course, since the eight synthesis furnaces in Farnborough were running at top speed right now, the effective regen was 183.2. Still adequate for day-to-day use.

It struck me that I was calmly reviewing my interface less than a minute after being in imminent peril of being in the blast radius of a bomb. Perhaps I was becoming a bit jaded. 

Narayanswamy had stopped speaking for some reason. I glanced towards the Prime Minister. A middle-aged man was by his side, whispering something in his ear.

CIVIL SERVANT

LEVEL 6

FACTION: GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

A BUREAUCRAT WHO HAS NEWS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO INTERRUPT THE PRIME MINISTER DURING HIS SPEECH, DESPITE HIS KNOWN DISLIKE OF BEING INTERRUPTED. WHAT NEWS, ONE WONDERS, COULD BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT SUCH AN INTERRUPTION?

I suppressed a chuckle. It seemed the Indians had found out about the bomb….

Well, no time like the present. I waved Kalachakra over.

The savant was focused with laser-sharp attention on the messenger. 

Which meant I needed to be more direct to get his attention. Without alerting the rest of the crowd. 

I Levitated a small pebble upwards and chucked it at Kalachakra’s head with minimal force. 

Honestly, it was just a light tap. There was no need for him to flinch like that. 

Kalachakra turned to see me waving. He rushed over. 

“Belessar, is there a reason you’re throwing stones at me?”

“The bomb is defused.”

Kalachakra blinked. “Defused?”

“What bomb?” asked Indradhanush, confused. 

“There was a bomb in the crowd,” I explained quietly. “It’s now been defused.”

“How do you know this?” asked Kalachakra. 

“Call it precognition. We identified the bomb, and Nanocloud defused it.”

Indradhanush leaned forward. “Where’s the bomb?”

TEST OF LUCK: FAILED.

These letters flashed across my interface just as the loudspeakers relayed Indradhanush’s words to the crowd.

I blinked. 

Indradhanush raised his hand - which had accidentally banged into a button. “Oh shoot…..”

Observe.

MICROPHONE ACTIVATION BUTTON

THIS BUTTON ALLOWS THE LOCAL TABLE’S MICROPHONE TO BE ACTIVATED AND RELAY THE SPEAKER’S WORDS TO THE CROWD. NORMALLY USED FOR ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS AND Q&A SESSIONS. DURING SPEECHES, THIS IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAIN SPEAKERS, ENSURING ONLY THE PERSON AT THE PODIUM CAN BE HEARD, BUT THE SOUND TECHNICIAN MIXED UP THE SETTINGS. 

Two failed luck rolls in an hour. This did not bode well for the rest of the day.

Nor, it seemed, did it bode well for the crowd. Indradhanush’s words were taking time to sink in. But when they did sink in….

There would be panic. 

A stampede.

Only one thing to do.

I reached over and pressed the button again, ensuring my words were broadcast across the crowd. “There was a bomb. It has now been defused. We are all safe.”

Kalachakra looked like he was about to have a stroke. The entire table had gone silent, and thousands of eyes were fixed on me. 

YOU HAVE SENT A MORE OVERT MESSAGE ABOUT THE NATURE OF POWER, CREATING GREATER CREDIBILITY FOR AN ULTRAHUMAN-RULED SOCIETY.

RELATIONSHIP WITH FACTION ??? IMPROVED.

I waved away the irritating message and continued. “We identified the threat a few minutes ago. In that time, we were able to locate and deactivate the device. There is no reason to worry. Mr. Prime Minister - you can continue your speech.” 

THE WORLD SEES THAT EVEN LEADERS OF NATIONS ARE PERMITTED BY YOU TO SPEAK. A TRULY COMPELLING MESSAGE ABOUT THE NATURE OF POWER.

RELATIONSHIP WITH FACTION ??? IMPROVED. FACTION ??? NOW CONSIDERS YOU A SYMPATHIZER.

I decided I did not like Faction ??? much. Certainly not with the way they were spamming my interface.

Narayanswamy chuckled. “Mr. Belessar, would you mind joining me at the podium?”

I would have preferred to remain in the comfy chair, but that would probably lead to another round of messages about the tantalizing nature of power. “Certainly, sir.”

As I stood beside Narayanswamy, the man tried to reach around and hug me. The intellectual part of me recognized this as a PR move, a way to show that I wasn’t a threat. It might have worked, except that he was five foot eight and I was a hair over seven feet tall, plus armoured in nanofibre weave. 

<Nanocloud>: Ouch. He looks like a chipmunk trying to hug a bear.

<Belessar>: Don’t start. We’re in enough trouble as it is.

The ‘hug’ turned into a pat on the back. 

“My dear Mr. Belessar,” Narayanswamy said mildly, but loud enough for the microphone to pick up. “Perhaps you can tell us about this bomb?”

I nodded, recognizing the cue. “Sure. Precognitive powers warned me that a bomb was about to go off. I asked Nanocloud to find it and defuse it. She did that.”

“Nanocloud is here?”

“Nanocloud is in London. Her bots are here.”

“I see. And the bomb? Do you know where it is?”

“I can show you. Or rather, Nanocloud can. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe now.”

“Perhaps you can do so, then?”

<Belessar>: Anne?

<Nanocloud>: Look for the sign.

In mid-air, a cloud began to form - a sparkling, shining array of nanobots that formed the distinctive shape of an arrow. It pointed downward, to a location in the centre of the crowd.

A hundred feet from us. 

Narayanswamy gestured. In seconds, a squad of policemen was on its way through the crowd, shoving aside people to find the device. 

The PM turned to me. “Thank you, Belessar. And you are also working on the supplies of Aerovascar, correct?”

I remembered what Kalachakra had told me to say. “Everyone will be vaccinated by April 2083.”

“Very good!” Narayanswamy beamed. “Now, please have a seat.” 

The PM turned back to face his audience. “Friends, you have seen the power of the allies we have enlisted for our cause! From halfway across the world, they labour to keep you safe. We will not let this plague be the cause of our downfall, we will overcome it, and we shall rise!”

I trudged back to my seat. This day couldn’t end soon enough…..

---------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note:

Hi folks. I want to apologize for the long gap in posting.

I had a bit of a health scare some time ago, but things are now sorted out. Between that and a few personal issues, this chapter became a bit of a struggle to complete. Some chapters, unfortunately, are like that.

I'm still working on the story, though. Once again, apologies for the gap.