Ramez Naam - Nexus

Silence returned at once.

"Admiral McWilliams," she said. "Remember where you are, and keep your personal opinions contained."

She slowly scanned the room, as if daring anyone to make a sound. No one did.

"The President has made the elimination of transhuman and posthuman threats one of his top national security policies," Pryce said. "We serve to implement those policies. At the same time, we do not want to be seen as taking unauthorized military action inside Thailand. Given that, I'm going to recommend to the President that we move forward with this operation, under very specific conditions."

She lifted an elegantly manicured hand, locked eyes with Becker, counted off her conditions on dark-skinned fingers.

"First, no action against Su-Yong Shu unless you can provide concrete evidence of direct action by her against American forces and in violation of Copenhagen. Everything you have here is circumstantial. Get proof, and you'll have your clearance to go after her."

Becker nodded.

"Second, only stealthed equipment and only then under the cover of night. Third, no civilian casualties. Not a single one. You load non-lethal rounds and you only switch to lethal if there are no civilians anywhere in the area and you're returning lethal fire from your missing agents or another combatant. Fourth, absolutely zero, and I mean zero evidence of US involvement. This will not become an international incident, and this will not become an issue in the US this November. If there is even the slightest chance of detection, you abort immediately ."

Becker nodded again. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Pryce scanned the room, looking each of them in the eye. ERD Enforcement Division Deputy Director Becker, Secretary of Homeland Security Hughes, ERD Director Duran, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Keyes, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs McWilliams, Secretary of State Abrams, Senate Oversight Committee Chairwoman Engels, Special Policy Advisor Maximilian Barnes.

"Are we all clear on this?"

McWilliams snorted. Barnes watched the room silently. Everyone else nodded, voiced their assent.

"Good," Pryce said. "I brief the President in less than an hour. Admiral McWilliams, you're welcome to accompany me and present the case against this mission. I'll let all of you know the President's decision immediately thereafter. Good day, gentlemen. Good day, Senator."

45

ANYONE

The symphony of mind finally ended. The thoughts of the greater mind went from thick braids to wispy tendrils and then to vapor, dissipating in a glorious sigh of contentment. Everyone opened their eyes, made respectful wais towards the altar.

Ananda gestured for Kade to remain as the others filed quietly out.

"How do you feel now?" Ananda asked him.

Kade considered himself, observed himself. "Better. Calmer. Tired."

Ananda nodded. "Good. This was just a beginning, but a good one. You will heal."

"Thank you," Kade said.

Ananda nodded again. "Su-Yong Shu will arrive to visit you tonight. It will be after midnight."

Shu was coming. He had so many questions for her. Was the anger what drove her on? Could she heal? Could she release her hatred?

"I'll see to it that you're awakened when she arrives," Ananda said.

Kade nodded his thanks.

"And tomorrow you move on."

Kade nodded again. Safety meant moving, for now. He would miss this place. There was so much he wanted to know.

"The things you're doing here…?" he asked. "The things you talked about at the conference. Where are you going with all this?"

Ananda smiled. "You've seen some of what goes on here. You've heard me speak. What does it seem like we're doing?"

"You're teaching monks to use Nexus, to integrate it permanently."

"Yes."

"You're showing them how to meditate together, how to synchronize their minds further."

"We're learning that together."

"You talked about group minds," Kade said. "About taking neuroscience from the individual to the group level."

"Yes."

"You're trying to make it real here."

Ananda held Kade's gaze with his own deep, dark eyes. "Yes."

"With you in charge?" Kade asked.

Ananda smiled slightly.

"I meant what I said about Buddhism being democratic. You've been part of the group mind. Is anyone in charge? Is any single neuron in charge in your brain?"

Kade nodded to himself. It had felt organic, emergent, self-directed, without any particular center. They were each pieces of the mind that emerged when they meditated. But how committed to that was Ananda?

"You are in charge, though."

Ananda looked at him calmly. "In the perceptions of outsiders, perhaps. But here? I'm the oldest. I have the most experience. My thoughts carry some weight. When our minds are apart I have certain authority. But when we are connected… the group mind contains me. I'm just one part of it. The decisions it makes are wiser and more just than the ones I can make alone. The insights it can glean and the truths it can reveal are deeper than those I can glimpse alone. I respect that. I am a piece of this, not its master."

Kade nodded to himself again.

"What you're working towards… Is it just for monks?" he asked. "Just for meditation?"

"For anyone who can master it. For any purpose they can put it to."

"Anyone?" Kade asked.

Ananda looked back at him impassively. "Anyone."

"But mastering it takes practice," Kade said. "It takes effort. Hours of meditation every day, for months – years."

"Yes."

"So this won't ever be in reach of most people."

"It's in reach of them, if they but expend the effort to grasp it."

Kade shook his head. "I mean, practically speaking, most people aren't going to meditate for hours each day."

Ananda nodded slowly. "True. Most will not be willing to expend the effort."

"And if there were a shortcut?"

"A shortcut such as the one that you have taken?" Ananda asked.

Kade nodded. "Something like that."

Ananda gazed at him, considering. "How long did it take you to learn to read?"

The question surprised Kade. "A year or two, I suppose."

"And to speak?" Ananda asked.

"Maybe two years?" Kade ventured.

"Imagine," Ananda said, "a world where it took most of a lifetime to learn to speak, to learn to read or write, where many never even reached that point."

Kade closed his eyes, tried to picture it.

"Imagine that you could show people a faster way," Ananda continued. "That in a year or two you could show them the basics of language, of literacy."

Kade imagined.

"Would you do it?" Ananda asked.

"Yes," Kade replied.

"Even though it would surely be used at times for profanity or vile speech?"

"Yes."

"Even though fools might read dangerous things written by bigger fools, might follow their instructions and hurt themselves or others?"

"Yes," Kade replied.

"Even though writing might be used to describe weapons that could be used to kill others?" Ananda asked.

"Yes," Kade said.

"Even though charismatic fascists might use the power of speech to stir people up, to incite violence, to stoke hatred, to create war?"

Kade swallowed. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I think people would use it for more good than harm."

"Is that the only reason?"

"And because I think it's just good. It's just good for people to be able to communicate more easily. It's just good for people to be smarter, to be more connected, to have access to more of each others' thoughts."

"Then you have my answer."

The old monk rose smoothly to his feet and padded silently out of the great hall.

Kade sat there alone, for long minutes, intensely aware of the weight of the fob on the chain around his neck. Eventually he rose painfully, crutched his way slowly out of the hall, and went to see if anything was left of dinner.