John Krygelski - The Aegis Solution

“So at that point,” Wilson interjected, “they knew that it was only a matter of time until Benjamin contacted you. So they baited the hook, placing Eric inside Aegis.”

“Either as bait or as a safe place for him to hide.”

“And when they learned that Benjamin had contacted you, Faulk offered you an assignment he knew you couldn’t turn down.”

“That’s right. Either way I’d go into Aegis. If I hadn’t heard anything from Benjamin about Eric, I would take the job to rescue him. And if I had been told the truth, I would come in to get him.”

“That makes sense,” Tillie said. “But how does Faulk tie into Kreitzmann?”

“That we don’t know. But there is no way that Kreitzmann could have his own way in and out of here without Faulk’s knowledge, not just because the door would be noticed, but there are also the guards. As Kreitzmann, maybe Eric, and God knows who else have come and gone, they would be waltzing right past them. So there must be some connection. I’m guessing that Faulk is using the research for some purpose.”

“And what was Eric planning to do with the firebombs?” Tillie asked.

“Faulk sent enough ordnance to take out all of Aegis,” Elias replied.

Wilson leaned back in his camping chair, making it creak, the sound echoing back at them. He stared into the darkness above. “The key is still Aegis. For some reason Faulk wants it destroyed.”

“Let’s talk about that. There is something about this place Faulk wants gone. I haven’t been here long enough to get a feel for what that might be. Maybe if both of you verbalized your observations, opinions, conclusions, hunches, anything about Aegis, something will make sense.”

Elias could tell that Wilson was organizing the disparate tidbits in his mind before speaking. Tillie, impatient for him to begin, blurted out at Elias, “You know what Biosphere 2 is, right?”

“Sure. It’s the huge glass environment north of Tucson.”

“Do you know what the original intent was for building it?”

“Science experiments of some type, but not really.”

“John P. Allen conceived of it as a way to study Earth. The Earth is Biosphere 1. He wanted to create what was to be basically a lab where the impact of life, techniques, chemicals, everything…could be studied in a closed system.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“For several reasons, it didn’t work. Now it is basically a tourist attraction. But my point is, I think that’s what Aegis was really designed to be. Except, instead of studying the physical impact of mankind on nature, I think this place was an experiment to see what people would do with no government, no rules, no structure, no outside influence. I think Aegis was intended to be a controlled psychological experiment. Or maybe even a political experiment.”

Elias was intrigued by the concept.

“I mean, think about it,” she continued excitedly. “The government can’t build an outhouse at a campground without posting a metal sign listing all of the do’s and don’ts for its use by the public. Yet our government built this gigantic complex where citizens were supposed to be able to come and live out the rest of their lives, and there’s nothing! Not any signs posted. Not even a handbook. I was blown away the first day I walked in here. We’re so used to being handled, directed, controlled, and ordered around that I went through kind of a shock when I discovered I had the whole place basically to myself and there wasn’t anyone or anything telling me what I could or couldn’t do.”

“You don’t think President Walker built Aegis for the reasons he gave?”

Tillie moved to the front edge of the canvas seat and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Look, I’m sure he was devastated that his daughter killed herself. But I just think that somewhere along the line between the day the idea was first proposed and the day Aegis was opened to the public, someone saw an opportunity to use it for another purpose entirely. I wouldn’t be surprised if the idea of Aegis was actually suggested to Walker during his darkest moments by someone with a whole different plan.”

“Wilson, Tillie raises some fascinating points. What do you think?”

“As you can well imagine, she and I have had countless discussions on this very topic over the past few years. Purely from a logical standpoint, Aegis, insofar as its stated purpose, makes no sense. It never has. We spoke of this briefly when we met.”

Elias nodded, thinking back to that first conversation on the porch.

“But if you impute more devious or sinister motives to its construction, it makes much more sense.”

“Such as?”

“You oughta know,” interjected Tillie. “It’s a great place to dump inconvenient people where they are never heard from again.”

“It is also an excellent source for subjects if you happen to be a scientist in need of human beings for your work,” Wilson added. “No one can ever come looking for them. There is no oversight of any sort whatsoever.”

“True.”

“And, to return to Mathilda’s point, it does afford one an opportunity to watch and see exactly how the supposedly educated, civilized people of this country would structure their new environment without the benefit of rules, regulations, and a constitution.”

“From what I heard, the result was chaos.”

“The uprising, yes. It was quite horrible. However, the reaction to the riot was the organization of Madison and Walden, and to a lesser degree ZooCity. That development created a certain level of stability.”

“But, Wilson, you told me when I arrived that there was a disturbing trend now.”

“There has been. Most assuredly. The extinction of the ZooCity element ameliorates things somewhat. But we are still left with the Kreitzmann segment of the equation, as well as the tenuous coexistence of Madison and Walden.”

“Are they enemies?”

Wilson chuckled. “Hardly enemies. They are merely at the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Walden is weak, ineffectual. Madison is organized, strong, and well equipped. If an overt conflict were to occur between those two enclaves, the battle would be brief and the outcome certain. You must remember, throughout our history, anytime there has been a dramatic imbalance between two competing societies, the status quo never maintains.”

“One swallows the other.”

“Either swallows or destroys.”

“Besides,” Tillie added, “there aren’t that many left at Walden.”

“No? Why is that?”

Wilson took a long, deep breath before answering Elias’ question. “Perhaps some historical reference would be of some help. From my own observations over the years I’ve been here, and the insightful input I’ve received from Mathilda, there has been a rather clear and linear evolution occurring within these walls. At first, when my friend arrived, there was pure anarchy.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Elias ventured.

“No, it is not. Anarchy, for the enlightened, is the only way to live a life of self-actualization. A truly good person needs no rules, no governance, no courts, no prisons…none of the rigid and confining aspects of society at large which stifle us and cause us to reside at the level of the lowest common denominator. Sadly, only those who fail to acknowledge the realities and frailties of the vast majority of mankind believe that anarchy is a viable alternative.

“I am quite certain that the three of us could coexist in an environment of anarchy, without a problem. It would only be after a fourth or a fifth or a sixth person might be added that we would suddenly recognize the need for a leader, rules, and methods for enforcement. These are precisely the stages of evolution that transpired at Aegis. At the time our young friend here first arrived, there was ample space with abundant resources. Despite the substantial initial influx of residents, the enormity of Aegis absorbed them easily.”