Churches used to be a place for sanctuary, but no more. Some of the buildings still stood, but were used for commerce. The Pope declared that God had a plan, and regardless of whether or not we tithed or worshiped, his plan would be put forth into action.
If people still practiced their rituals it was in small groups, and it was only to ensure that there was still some faith to be had, and that it was on an intimate level. After the Treaty, most large organizations of churches could no longer be trusted in the eyes of the individual.
Being humble no longer applied. People still felt a connection to something, but it was more on a personal basis, after all, who could you really trust with a revelation? Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason was one of the most read files in the archives. It just made sense, finally.
Tribal life was back in force, but with a newer edge. People stuck to the things they could trust. Survival was the most important thing. Your work was your tribe, and your friends and family usually had some connection to that work. If you fraternized with people outside of your circle, people worried. People watched. People protected their stakes, by any means necessary.
There was no more law. In the eyes of the people, the government was a farce, and could no longer hold weight. People just stopped obeying the laws, and it was good. There was not enough force to hold anyone in captivity anymore. The prisoners had become too smart, the guards and police had become to complacent, the Military too soft to ever have a chance against these groups of disappointed, disgruntled people.
The big corporations were too strong to fail against any rebellion, and the people were tired, so the Treaty was agreed upon by the representatives of all parties involved. Those who dared cross anyone’s particular line could, and usually would, be shot.
The Tru Believers lived in a place where few went. They rarely came out of the shadows, and all that was known of them was that they were dangerous, had strict belief systems, and could not be easily eradicated. They were the only threat to Momentum. They knew about the Treaty and the evolution before anyone else did. They preached and wrote and blogged for all to fall on deaf ears.
They were valuable, viable, and untouchable. Because of the truth of their prophesy, and the mistrust of the media companies, they were the only source of news that could be relied upon. They were the keepers of the news feeds.
They never left their quarters. It was unsafe. Their menials, the Borderliners, could cross over into any social group to obtain data to bring back to the Tru Believers. Once a Borderliner obtained a certain status, he was no longer a citizen of the world, he went underground and learned the secrets. But that was a long time of servitude and then apprenticeship before anyone could break into the life.
Michael had made strong connections, but was careful not to jeopardize his status with the archives. The whole life of the True Believers, or Prophets as they were sometimes called, was fascinating to him. The truth, if anyone knew it at all, was held by these people, and he, being an advocate for truth, could not help but feel a deep sense of love for, and empathy for those untouchable, faithful, dangerous few.
Filed under: Michael, Momentum, Updates, eschaton, heilen, lizzy bea, rien beau, story, w. l. grimsley | Tagged: backbone, borderliners, churches, eschaton, fiction, fugue legion, futuristic, indie bookshelf, indie writer, Michael, Momentum, prophets, story, thomas paine, treaty, tru believers, W.L. Grimsley, writers
