Three days later, Governor Joshua was summoned to the Capital Temple of the House of Divine Knowledge.
Joshua entered a secret meeting room at the back of the temple. The Head Philosophers and Head Theologists from both the Capital and West regions were present. They were seated behind a long, narrow table facing the door Joshua had just entered. They were dressed in black robes. The Head Philosopher from West had his hood pulled so far forward that his face could barely be seen.
‘Do you know why you’ve been summoned here today?’ asked the Head Philosopher from West.
‘The interview the other day did not go so well,’ replied Joshua. ‘But I did stand up for our values as best I could.’
‘You were indeed right to be concerned,’ said the Head Philosopher from the Capital as he turned his head towards the Head Philosopher from West.
‘In tomorrow’s session in parliament, you will vote in favour of Governor Cromley’s bill,’ said the Head Philosopher from West as he stared emotionlessly at Joshua. ‘The next day, you will resign.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t vote against my conscience,’ replied Joshua. ‘I can’t vote against our values.’
‘It seems like he feels we are making some sort of request,’ said the Head Theologist from West as he turned his head towards the Head Philosopher from West.
‘Our number one value is to make sure the Business Sector does not run the Government,’ said the Head Theologist from the Capital.
‘Well, that’s not in any of our scriptures,’ chuckled Joshua nervously.
The four of them continued to stare coldly at Joshua.
‘Is there anything else?’ asked Joshua, sounding even more nervous.
‘Would you mind stepping forward a little?’ asked the Head Theologist from the Capital.
Joshua walked forward.
‘That’ll do,’ said the Head Theologist from the Capital.
The room was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, a trapdoor beneath Joshua opened. This caused him to fall on a stone table that had several large spikes protruding upwards. These spikes impaled him, killing him instantly. His blood rolled off grooves into a collection receptacle below the table.
A few seconds later, a Linap entered the room. He looked identical to Joshua.
‘Congratulations on your new appointments,’ said the Head Philosopher from West. ‘Tomorrow, you’ll be a governor. Do exactly as we have ordered. If we are pleased, we’ll make you a senior philosopher.’
The Linap nodded enthusiastically.
‘Now leave,’ commanded the Head Philosopher from West.
The next day, the debate in parliament took place. Cromley explained in detail a new law that would allow pregnant Sapiens to terminate their pregnancy if a test showed that their unborn had the genetic abnormality known as Trisomy-21. Several other governors and representatives added to the debate, but none of them criticised the bill in any meaningful way. Joshua remained completely silent. The governors’ vote was held first. All twelve governors voted in favour of the bill. Therefore, the representatives’ vote was not required.
After the session had closed, in the lobby, Cromley approached Joshua. ‘What an incredible change in sentiments,’ remarked Cromley.
‘I was wrong,’ replied Joshua as he tried to walk away from Cromley. ‘I’m resigning tomorrow.’
‘Resign as governor?’ asked Cromley ‘Resign as representative?’
‘Both,’ mumbled Joshua as he hastened his pace as he approached the exit.
Cromley quickly moved in front of Joshua. ‘There’s a huge protest out front,’ said Cromley as he held his hand out in front of Joshua. ‘Let’s leave by the side entrance. I have a security team waiting to escort us.’
Joshua nodded nervously, and Cromley diverted his course towards the side entrance.
Outside the front of the building, a large crowd had gathered. They were loudly chanting, ‘Total self-autonomy. Not when you say. Total self-autonomy. Not when you say.’
Charlene was at the front of the crowd holding a megaphone.
‘We deserve to have absolute say over what we do with our bodies!’ she shouted into the megaphone. ‘The bill is a start, but it does not go anywhere near far enough. We should not have to follow their rules before we are allowed to have a medical procedure. It’s like saying a male needs to be certifiably ugly before he can have plastic surgery.’
The crowd roared with enthusiasm and continued their chant.
Meanwhile, Cromley and his security team had taken Joshua to the basement of his building. This caused Joshua to panic. He revealed that his real name was Leroy and that the Head Philosopher from West had killed Joshua and forced him to take his place.
Leroy informed Cromley that the Head Philosopher and Head Theologist were leaving for West on the evening train. In return for this information, Cromley promised Leroy he would protect him.
That evening, at the central train station, the Head Philosopher and Head Theologist from West entered their private train carriage. Cromley’s security team followed them aboard and locked the carriage door behind them.
‘Are you quite mad?’ asked the Head Theologist as he sharply turned to face the security team.
‘No, they are loyal, obedient, and law-abiding employees,’ remarked Cromley as he appeared at the far end of the carriage. ‘Their presence is necessary to facilitate an important conversation.’
‘If a conversation is necessary, we will summon you,’ said the Head Philosopher in a calm tone as he stared blankly at Cromley.
‘Your political power is on the verge of dissolving,’ said Cromley as he arrogantly walked towards both the Head Philosopher and Head Theologist. ‘Murdering and then stealing the identity of a governor. You’ll be locked up in a dungeon, and the Business Sector will take all twelve governor seats.’
‘Yet there is not an enforcer in sight,’ replied the Head Philosopher. ‘Just you and your inflated ego.’
‘I want to make a deal,’ said Cromley smugly. ‘I value balance. The House of Divine Knowledge and the Business Sector are opposite sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other.’
‘We do not make shady deals,’ shouted the Head Theologist. ‘We only obey the will of the higher power.’
‘Remove him from this carriage,’ shouted Cromley as he glared at the Head Theologist.
The security team grabbed the Head Theologist and dragged him from the carriage, leaving Cromley and the Head Philosopher alone.
‘Now that’s better,’ chuckled Cromley. ‘I much prefer to just deal with you. I can see you have a very pragmatic side to you.’
The Head Philosopher stared blankly at Cromley.
‘There is no doubt you have influence,’ said Cromley. ‘Your crew hangs off your every word. All I ask of you is the occasional favour. Help me push my desired narratives to your loyal masses. In return, I’ll make sure your representatives have a place in Government where you’ll be able to advance your agendas. Well, the ones that don’t conflict with mine.’
‘The higher power lives in me,’ said the Head Philosopher in a slow, calm voice. ‘His essence enters me through the blood of the sacrificed.’
‘You have your thing, I have my thing,’ chuckled Cromley. ‘I don’t judge.’
‘I judge all who come before me in the name of the higher power,’ said the Head Philosopher in a more aggressive tone.
‘Good for you, sounds like you’re committed to your job,’ said Cromley as he patted the Head Philosopher on the shoulder. ‘Do we have a deal?’
The Head Philosopher grabbed Cromley’s hand and stared intently into his eyes. ‘Send me the blood of the unborn, and you’ll have your accord.’
Cromley sharply pulled his hand away. For a brief moment, he partially shapeshifted, revealing his true form. The Head Philosopher smiled back at him sadistically.
‘We have a deal,’ said Cromley in a very curt tone as he quickly exited the carriage.
On stepping out onto the platform, Cromley could hear the angry shouts of the protestors. He walked to the edge of the platform; he could see violence had broken out between some of the protestors and the enforcers.
That evening, Cromley was back in his apartment. He turned on the news. Charlene was interviewing several activists at the protest.
‘Your bill isn’t good enough, Cromley,’ shouted an angry female activist. ‘Fix it or we’ll burn this region to the ground.’
‘This is absolute madness,’ said Cromley as he turned his television off. ‘I’m going to bed. I need to process all of this.’
The next morning, Cromley turned on the television again. Overnight, several of the protests around Sapey had descended into riots. In several of the regions, Sapiens identified with Trisomy-21 had been attacked. Six of them had been rushed to their local medical centres with injuries.
Cromley picked up his phone and called the parliamentary chair to organise an emergency session.
Meanwhile, Charlene was at the studio talking to her producer about the footage she had captured from the protests. She was interrupted when Claire stormed into the studio to confront her.
‘This is all on you,’ shouted Claire as she ran towards Charlene.
‘Easy now,’ said Charlene as she raised her hands up with her palms facing Claire. ‘Everything is under control.’
‘Jonah’s house was attacked,’ shouted Claire. ‘One of your protestors threw a brick through his window. Jonah’s life is now in danger because of your lies and propaganda.’
‘I think it’s cute you give your freak a name,’ chuckled Charlene.
‘You are absolutely despicable,’ said Claire as the veins began to show in her neck.
‘No, I’m doing the world a favour by ridding it of this disability,’ said Charlene calmly.
‘Jonah and my other special patients are the sweetest Sapiens I’ve ever met,’ said Claire as tears began to roll down her cheek. ‘I wish we all could be like them.’
‘Security!’ shouted Charlene. ‘Get rid of this whack job. I have other things I need to do.’
‘I’ll leave now on my own volition,’ said Claire as she stepped back. ‘I want you to know this isn’t over.’
Charlene watched as Claire turned around and left.
That afternoon, eleven of the twelve governors gathered in parliament. They sat in a circle facing each other.
‘I’ve called this meeting because we are faced with an emergency,’ said Cromley as he stood up. ‘We cannot tolerate this widespread disorder. I propose we authorise emergency powers for our enforcers so that they will quell this madness as soon as possible. Raise your hands if you agree.’
All eleven governors raised their hands.
‘A certain group in our population have been targeted by this violence,’ continued Cromley. ‘I fear continued violence towards them and possibly retaliatory violence. I suggest that this group be evacuated and taken to one of our new regions. I’ve been informed that Downs is ready to receive residents. We have an advanced team there. Raise your hands if you support this emergency relocation.
Six governors immediately raised their hands. The remaining five slowly raised their hands after Cromley stared them down.
‘Thank you,’ said Cromley as he nodded his head. ‘Does anyone else have any business for today?’
A governor raised his hand. Cromley gestured to him to speak.
‘Amendments have been proposed to your bill,’ said the governor. ‘Will we need another emergency session for this matter?’
‘This matter has caused much grief,’ sighed Cromley. ‘I suggest an amendment that removes all restrictions on the procedure. The matter does not require an emergency session.’
‘By doing this, aren’t we suggesting that violent protest is an effective cause of action?’ asked a governor.
‘I don’t think so,’ chuckled Cromley. ‘The enforcers are about to knock some serious sense into them.’
Several governors began to chuckle.
‘Meeting adjourned,’ said Cromley as he started to smile a little.
That evening, Charlene invited herself over to Cromley’s apartment. She brought with her a large pie.
‘I must admit you keep me well fed,’ said Cromley as he placed his napkin down.
‘Of course, you deserve it,’ replied Charlene. ‘You made great use of your emergency powers. The enforcers have the power to impose our will, the freaks are being sent off some place to die, and you’ve paved the way for a bill that will keep my new venture well supplied.’
‘The pressure of the chaos made it easy for me to twist the arms of the other governors,’ said Cromley confidently.
‘Well, thanks to me for creating that chaos,’ chuckled Charlene.
‘Regarding Jonah’s extreme behaviour on stage, did you cause that too?’ asked Cromley as he raised one eyebrow.
‘Of course,’ replied Charlene. ‘I needed him to act like a fool, a dangerous fool. So, I added a little something to his drink.’
‘I see,’ said Cromley, nodding his head slightly.
‘That reminds me,’ said Charlene as she leaned forward. ‘We still have one loose end.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,’ replied Cromley as he got to his feet.
Charlene frowned as she watched him rush into the next room.
Four days later, Claire was at the train station. She was bidding farewell to Jonah.
‘I want you to know that I’m so proud of you,’ said Claire as she rubbed both of Jonah’s arms.
‘It makes sense to send in the all-stars,’ said Jonah as he looked at the other passengers boarding the train.
‘I love how you always see the positive in everything,’ said Claire as she smiled at Jonah.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a stressed Trisomy-21 Sapien standing alone holding a suitcase.
‘I think someone needs your help,’ said Claire as she gestured towards the stressed Sapien.
Jonah promptly walked over to him. ‘I like your cap,’ said Jonah to the Sapien. ‘Good taste will get you far.’
‘You’re Jonah, you’re famous,’ said the Sapien as he began to look less nervous. ‘I’m Teddy.’
‘You’ve been handpicked to ride this train because you’re special,’ said Jonah as he patted Teddy on the shoulder.
‘I’m not sure about that,’ replied Teddy. ‘My uncle keeps telling me that I’m a waste of space and Sapey would be better off if I shoved my head in a blender.’
‘I’ve heard this line a million times,’ said Jonah in a determined voice as he slightly squinted his eyes. ‘He’s jealous because he’s not special. You have more going for you than he’ll ever have. Our new region is going to be the greatest ever. And you’ll be one of the main reasons why.’
‘That means a lot coming from you,’ said Teddy as he began to smile.
‘Now, let’s get on that train and make history,’ said Jonah as the two of them boarded the train together.
Claire listened in on the conversation. She felt even prouder of Jonah, and she was also filled with hope that he was going to be fine.
Jonah and Teddy ran over to the window and began waving frantically to Claire. She waved back at them. This continued for several minutes, and then the train pulled out of the station and disappeared into the distance.
Claire turned around to leave, but Cromley was standing in her way.
‘Governor Cromley,’ said Claire in a nervous tone.
‘They’re gone, and now your time is up,’ said Cromley in a stern tone.
Claire gulped in fear.
‘You have one week to wrap up what you’re doing here,’ continued Cromley as he put his hand in his jacket. ‘I demand that you move to Downs Region.’
Claire looked a little perplexed as Cromley handed her a card.
‘This is an unlimited pass to ride the Sapien Loop,’ said Cromley. ‘I don’t want to hear the excuse that you don’t have the right tokens.’
‘Oh well, umm,’ stuttered Claire as she looked down at the card in her hand.
‘Several investors have agreed to start operations in Downs,’ said Cromley. ‘These include Leaw Food Company, Octavius Spiro & Co., Rezif and Ripe Companies, and the big three fruit companies. You know the minds of these Trisomy-21s. I expect you to get them ready.’
Still lost for words, Claire started to smile.
‘One more thing,’ added Cromley. ‘Like every other region, Downs needs to be represented in parliament. I want you to help organise elections. I expect to meet two Downs representatives by the end of next month.’
‘Yes, I can absolutely do that,’ said Claire as her face lit up. She looked down at the Sapien Loop train pass and then looked up again, but Cromley had gone.
A year later, a parade was held in Downs celebrating the founding and the success of the region. Claire joined Representative Edith and Representative Teddy in the stand. They watched the brightly coloured floats roll by. Each float represented an accomplishment from the first year. The final float carried a large screen and speakers.
Jonah appeared from behind the screen. He was carrying a megaphone. ‘I want to end this parade by playing the speech that moved a nation,’ shouted Jonah into the megaphone. ‘One month ago my friend, Representative Teddy, spoke in parliament. He did so with great courage. Friends, let us celebrate that courage.’
The video began to play. The camera zoomed in on Teddy. Teddy nervously stood up. He looked around the parliament floor. He then looked up at the top viewing gallery. Charlene was standing next to her camera crew. He then looked at the other representatives.
‘Hey, loser,’ shouted out a representative. ‘Are you going to speak? Or maybe you prefer to flap your arms around like your idiot friend.’
Several other representatives began to laugh. Teddy patiently waited.
‘Silence!’ shouted the chair. ‘Let him speak.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Teddy politely. ‘Sorry everyone, sometimes I need a bit of time to gather my thoughts.’
Several sighs could be heard.
‘We are all born differently,’ said Teddy as he looked across at the governors. ‘Some of us are smart. Some of us are strong. Some of us know how to entertain. Some of us are very pretty to look at.’
Some of the representatives began to chuckle.
‘Apparently, some of us are considered a burden,’ continued Teddy as his voice began to slightly quiver. ‘Almost a year ago, a bill was passed that could prevent Sapiens like myself from ever having a chance of a life. Why? Because we are different. Maybe we are different in ways you don’t like or just don’t understand. Some of us are not strong enough to do physical work. Some of us need help on a daily basis. That does not make any of us a burden. A kind word of motivation or even just a cheeky smile can lift everyone. The proof is in the pudding. In fact, almost a quarter of puddings are made in Downs, and more than half of all puddings now contain ingredients sourced from the Downs Region.
Parliament was now completely silent. It appeared Teddy had everyone’s attention.
‘Downs isn’t the pudding capital of Sapey. It’s the food capital. Over the last six months, almost 40% of all food consumed in Sapey went through Downs. Don’t take my word for it. Just look for the Downs logo on your products. You can’t miss it.
Teddy held up a cereal box. He pointed at the logo in the top corner. It was Jonah’s smiling face inside a green circle.
‘Do you really not want us around?’ continued Teddy as he placed the box down on the small desk in front of him. ‘One of us could feed forty of you. Does that sound like a burden?’
Teddy could see the surprised looks on the governors and representatives’ faces. His nerves had almost vanished.
‘There is no secret formula to our success,’ continued Teddy as he appeared visibly pleased. ‘We are one big family. We all love and accept each other no matter what we can offer. Every contribution is valuable. It makes us who we are as a region. Everyone is welcome to Downs. Everyone is a friend. We will always offer you a meal and a comfortable place to stay. I hope one day you will welcome us in the same way.’
Teddy paused for a second and then smiled and said, ‘Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak.’
Teddy bowed, and then he sat down. There were a few seconds of silence. Then several representatives began to clap. Then several more joined in. Two governors stood up and began to clap loudly. The applause intensified as more and more stood up. Charlene looked down in disbelief. Cromley looked up at Charlene. He shrugged his shoulders, and then he stood up and joined in with the applause.
Johan turned the television off, and the residents of Downs began to sing loudly and joyously. They had a great celebration that lasted the night.
Meanwhile, at an old, derelict temple outside of West. The Head Philosophers and Head Theologists from both West and the Capital were standing in a newly adapted room on the lowest level of the temple.
‘Today we will bathe in the blood of the unborn,’ said the Head Philosopher. ‘With this gift we will receive the strength, the will, and the wisdom of the higher power.’
‘Leroy, let the blood flow!’ shouted out the Head Theologist from West to Leroy, who was standing outside the room with an enforcer.
Leroy and the enforcer turned a large valve that would release the blood into the room. The blood would flow from the large sprinklers and pipes in the ceiling above the Head Philosophers and Head Theologists.
After turning one complete round, there was a loud rumbling sound.
‘Damn, that doesn’t sound good,’ said the enforcer.
The two of them looked at each other and then scurried out of the temple.
Inside the room, the rumbling grew louder and louder. The Head Philosopher from West remained calm, but the others started to look tense.
‘Maybe we overdid it with the piping,’ said the Head Theologist from the Capital in a slightly trembling voice.
‘It is the higher power speaking to us,’ said the Head Philosopher from West as he tilted his head back to receive the outflow of blood.
The room was now shaking, and cracks were forming in the walls.
Suddenly manure began to pour down on them.
‘This is shit!’ shrieked the Head Theologist from the Capital. ‘We’re being covered in shit!’
The Head Philosopher from West remained calm and silent as the manure splashed on his head and poured down his body.
The others looked at each other in terror, not knowing what to do.
The room continued to crumble around them as it rapidly began to fill with the manure.
‘We need to leave or we’ll die,’ stuttered the Head Philosophy from the Capital.
‘The higher power has granted us a journey beyond death,’ said the Head Philosopher from West calmly. ‘Relish this gift.’
Leroy and the enforcer watched the temple. They could see it shaking. Then suddenly, it collapsed. What was left of it appeared to be sinking into the ground.
‘Hop back in the vehicle,’ said the enforcer nervously. ‘We’ll pretend none of this happened.’
Leroy nodded, and they quickly got in the enforcer vehicle. They sped off back in the direction of the West Region.
The Head Philosophers and Head Theologists from West and the Capital were never seen again. Leroy was elected as the new Head Philosopher for West.
After Teddy’s speech, the number of prenatal terminations declined rapidly. However, the law remained in place. Charlene, aka Maskameera, and Ueban Company went ahead with their plan to sell the meat of the unborn. The venture was not as successful as she had hoped, but she still made a healthy profit. Over a hundred years later, Pardi Carvaress and the Jeed project rapidly increased the number of terminations. Ueban was successful in marketing the meat as a delicacy to an elite Linap population that had grown more ravenous.
Cromley, aka August, did not run for governor again. He decided to take a long holiday. A decade later, he re-emerged as Randall, and within a year, he was the new head of the Economic Institute. He was much more comfortable controlling things from behind the scenes and never desired to be a governor again. He remained a prominent leader in the Economic Institute until the fall of Sapey. After that, he relocated to Downs.
Claire remained in Downs for the rest of her life. She continued her research and helped struggling residents overcome their problems. Eventually, Downs became more than only a refuge for the Trisomy-21s. Sapiens with other disabilities moved to Downs and were warmly welcomed into the family.
Jonah worked for thirty years as the region’s Head Enforcer. During that time, Downs was 100% crime-free. However, Jonah often questioned Sapiens he thought looked suspicious. As no crimes were ever committed. The Government could not justify placing surveillance cameras in Downs. Downs was also one of the few regions that had open access to the areas outside of the region. This made Downs the freest region in Sapey. Despite becoming a meat-free region, Downs remained the largest provider of food to all of Sapey.
Teddy remained a representative for another twenty-five years. He became a champion of the underdogs. Sadly, he was never elected as a governor. This was mostly because he refused to compromise his values. After Teddy retired, both the House of Divine Knowledge and the Business Sector agreed to bury Downs’ success. Despite these efforts, Downs would forever remain the happiest region in Sapey. After the Sentray attack, it became the only region.
Images were created with the help of Bing Image Creator
Sapien Loop Short Stories
Sapien Loop short stories explore the adventures of some of the characters from the Sapien Loop series. These stories are intended to reveal more about individual characters and the events that have helped shape them.
Currently, two books from the series have been published on Amazon; see links below:
All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.
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