Eris on Cardamine

[Emissary]

"If the Order knew they would have demanded to hand it over, one way or the other. Had they knew what it really is I suspect it would have been the other way most likely. Hoarding relics of the past and various things that do no belong to them, quite adamant to ensure only they get the relics." Anje politely coughed before making sarcastic remark: "For your safety, of course. It's for your own good, they keep saying. Because it assumed you do not know any better. How unfortunate for them that you may."

The emissary got mildly amused when Doc mentioned the warning from the fellow colleague who used to work for the Order: "Always emphasizing on threats and insecurities. It's their way of motivating you."

And here is the little gift from the Order. Coalition too. How fancy...

"I'm no doctor but on this screen I see you have a foreign object inside your body, may I suggest surgical extraction?" - She noted half-jokingly and leaning back to the comfort of the sofa and her glass of wine. After all it wasn't her who had the medical education.

"You ask if I know what it is. I had seen these devices before. Quite a while ago in fact. Six years? May be more... The Order reached new heights of paranoia at that time. They had developed this device to protect commanding officers from having doubts and changing their minds. As far as I know all their higher ranks had to go through the surgical procedure. Anyone declining was stripped of the rank and sentenced to home arrest at Toledo. Behind the backs such individuals were branded traitors and looked down upon."

"Questioning loyalty and blacklisting. Witch hunting." - Anje stopped to recall the forgotten events. "All this because their former leader had seen a better way, but they had convinced themselves he must have been possessed physically, and thus resulting in this particular type of implant and its intended purpose. But as expected it does nothing about your will and ability to see things in a different light, as it was with his case. To remedy this ideological inconvenience the Order later produced and manufactured a certain drug, not that it worked as they had imagined, but that was another story."

She picked medical screen from the desk and turned on the device to have another look at the device. It had a still image of the previous scan. Examining it in zoomed mode while listening to Doc's story of its origin.

"I'm afraid it does not aid you in communication with the Nomads, but it certainly communicates with someone else. It would seem your implant has been modified to include a wireless module. Weren't you aware of this? I'm honestly surprised it's not rigged with a miniature explosive mechanism or something equally nasty. I have to ask..."

Anje put away the medical scanner and slightly turned towards Doc staring directly into his eyes.

"How does it feel to be a walking black box, John? Does it occur to you that your friends in Coalition have used you? Better yet you've been asked to duplicate it, and I begin to wonder who were also to receive such implants. Because you have to ask yourself: even if they could why would Coalition and Order assist in enabling others to communicate with Nomads more efficiently?"

Leaving John to ponder about this logical contradiction she slowly emptied the glass before turning back to Doc again and continuing.

"I think the answer is obvious to us both. They never intended to. What they want is to keep tabs on you because they don't trust you. So do you still feel protected because of this little box inside of you? Trading your freedoms for the sense of security, it's an old trick. Remind me and yourself how that famous quote goes."

"The price of security might be elusive when friendship involved but you'd be paying the double if you let yourself be fooled thinking otherwise. Here is something to consider while at it: you weren't even going to be an ascended in the first place. And you're of no use as a drone either. Such fate is bestowed upon those who deserve it or require it, and you're neither. Neither am I." - Anje paused to let the words sink in before delivering the conclusion: "You've made yourself a host to a very real parasite that is the red menace and their political machinations, be it out of fear or the need to feel secure. Your goddess must have a cruel and twisted sense of humor."

Anje exchanged a few glances with the artifact, they seem were 'replied' with its crystalline surface erratically shifting patterns. Whatever the silent and short the conversation was she quietly sneered at something before commenting on John's stated intentions.

"Here you are, conversing with an assistant to the so-called 'enemy of mankind', whatever the title it is these days. Boldly offering peace. I can't imagine your best friends over at Coalition or Order to look favorably towards all this. I wonder when the black box in you going to phone home with its recordings. May be... right now?"