Promise Kept

By Brandy Hunt

In a world full of the relics of the past and the toys of the future, Lila Howell is a psychic who struggles to remain ethical in the face of her government's demands. Finding her too valuable to force into the role the Security Ministry wants her to take, the government allows her to take the job she was trained for, archival historian. In this role, she is still controllable and they can still use her gifts.

Currently, her government is demanding that she use her job, interviewing people for the Passing Project, in order to retrieve information from Susanne Newton. Susanne Newton is in her nineties and is something of a hero in the formation of the current regime, the New Dawn. This regime insists that Susanne Newton is keeping information from them and has been for years.

Lila must make a decision between keeping her life or reaching for something more. She is being pressured on all sides to made a decision between the ethics that go along with her gift and the life that Susanne describes. Will she make the right decision?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brandy Hunt
• Release date: Dec 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781458123268

Brandy Hunt

I am a stay at home mom who likes things that go bump in the dark, especially if it is the full dark found without electric lights at the end of the world. I have a wonderful husband, a daughter, and a dog and am thankful I live in the middle of nowhere on a farm. I also have an unhealthy obsession with Stephen King, but we don’t talk about that much.

Book preview

Promise Kept

Brandy Hunt

Published by Brandy Hunt

Smashwords edition

Copyright 2011 Brandy Hunt

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Prologue

2008 Obama is elected.

2012 Sarah Palin is elected. She continues to serve for four terms, as the United States becomes more insular and militant.

2015 Afghanistan is declared a U.S. territory. The fighting in Iraq intensifies.

2018 War begins with Iran.

2028 The military overthrows the Palin presidency when General Michael Thackery holds the Electoral College hostage until they elect him. The United States becomes a police state. The wars with Iraq and Iran heat up.

2055 A limited nuclear exchange between Iran and the United States leaves part of the western half of America a barren wasteland. What is left of California, Oregon, and Washington secede from the union. The military dictatorship is overthrown in a series of riots lasting several months. A conservative group called Palin's Pride manages to restore order, and The American States take over the eastern seaboard.

2057 The Congress of the American States decides that too many non Americans are consuming the limited resources the country has left. They begin to deport people who can not prove European or First People ancestry out of the country.

2060 Canada closes its borders. Soon afterward, the military invades and takes over. While the UK tries to regain Canada, they have problems of their own. The climate has begun to fluctuate. This particular year is the coldest and longest winter ever recorded.

2064 A record summer sees snow thaws in areas that have never seen them before like Alaska, Iceland, and Siberia. Heat stroke kills thousands in what is left of the Southern American States. When people from Mexico try to come north to escape the heat, they are shot on sight.

2071 After several cycles of harsh winters and blazing summers, a group of people calling themselves the Religious Majority takes control and the American States becomes a theocracy.

2082-2085 During this time, the American States begin to run out of money. In a drive to pay off the national debt, the Religious Majority has demanded more and more taxes until finally, the country is debt free, but the economy is depressed and money is scarce. People can no longer pay their taxes, and services, such as police and fire suppressant, begin to breakdown. This is the beginning of the Passing, as civilization begins to break down and pass away.

2086 By this time what was left of the American States is now a series of territories generally protected by a Mayor or Governor. Laws are administered by the Mayor or the Governor, and order is upheld by the men he hires for this.

2089 Susanne Newton is born.

2107-2108 A year-long winter, called the Winter Year, comes.

2139 The last war lord, Heavenly Wind, is defeated, and New Dawn, the first centralized government since the American States, begins the process of becoming the government on the East Coast.

2187 Lila Howell meets Susanne Newton

Chapter 1

Receiving a work order at the end of the day meant her plans for a relaxing evening with Ervin would likely become a pity party. Lila Howell's email dinged as she packed her things to go home. She doubled checked the work order when she saw three names on it. Leann Winters was her direct supervisor, but the other two, Aron Kirby and Brad Colon, were not people she recognized. As an archival historian, she recorded the autobiographies of those who had lived through the Passing, the dark times after the end of what had been left of America. These autobiographies, often called passings, were done in the final days of the person's life unless signs of dementia began to appear.

Because of her psychic abilities, in the early part of her career she had been loaned to the Security Ministry occasionally. After she had refused to work for them anymore, there had been attempts to manipulate her into helping them. As long as the Ministry didn't force her into hurting anyone, she pretended not to notice the manipulation. The extra names on this work order likely belonged to Security Ministry personnel.

Susanne Newton had helped formed the New Dawn government. As a historical figure, most of her life after she started helping the N.D. had already been recorded. The battles and the politics involved in the last few days of forming the civil government and the separation between farmsteads and city government were mostly attributed to Susanne Newton. Normally, her passing would be done by someone higher up in the Archive Department. However, with a question already attached to the work order, Lila suspected the Security Ministry of attempting to manipulate her into helping them again. It was a violation of the agreement reached a few years ago after her refusal to work for the government at all.

Lila sighed and printed out the work order. There was time enough to work on this tomorrow. At this moment, Ervin was supposed to be cooking dinner, and she was in desperate need of a glass of the wine he had acquired a week or so ago. Lila stuffed her papers into her bag along with her equipment and hurried home. She stored everything, and then went out via the balcony and around the corner. Ervin had left his back door open for her, and she walked in to see him pouring a golden liquid from a jar and into a drinking glass.

What is that? Lila asked as she picked up the glass.

Mead. It's a wine made from honey, Ervin said. I can't tell you how good this is because the wine went through at least two other sets of hands before mine.

Lila took a sip and sighed as the alcohol burned just a little. The taste was heavy with oranges and some sort of spice.

Sweet and alcoholic. It'll do. What's for dinner? Lila asked.

Ervin opened a couple of containers and set them down on the table. Tofu curry with rice and tomatoes.

I thought we were splurging for actual animal protein of some sort, Lila said as she sat down at the table.

Ervin snorted. I went by two lunch counters and the allotment center. No animal products are currently available in Macon even if you are willing to pay.

The two ate quietly for a few minutes. The habits of childhood still dictated quietness at the dinner table, and in fact in most activities. Most of the teachers in the crèche had preferred the quiet, well-behaved child rather than the smart one, especially the one that might be affecting their mind. As they finished eating, Lila sat back to take a sip of the mead Ervin had acquired.

This stuff really puts the fire out after the curry. Is this from the farmstead market on the edge of town? Lila asked.

To be honest, I'm not completely sure. I got it from one of the squatters in the old section of town. If actual oranges were used in the manufacture, then it did probably come from the farmstead market, Ervin said. At the very least, we didn't have to pay the insane tax the Cleansing Council imposed last year on alcohol.

I agree with most of what the Council has done, but that was taking it a little too far. Remember back at the University, how we used to buy a few bottles of wine and throw a party on the roof? Lila asked.

Those poor kids, Ervin said. Well, what exactly had your tail on fire when you got here? I can see the rant building as we speak.

I'm not going to rant. Or rave. I'm too tired. I got a weird work order just before going home, Lila said. I am to ask Susanne Newton who the Southern Dragon is and get the rest of her passing.

So, I've heard rumors that she's grumpy, but you are the Rock when it comes to getting those old farmsteaders to open up, Ervin said.

The two extra names on the work order worry me, Ervin. I'm afraid the Security Ministry is involved. I almost went to re-education instead of doing what they wanted. I can't risk hurting someone else with my gift. I came way too close to killing the last guy they had me interview, Lila responded. Besides, Ms. Newton's health status is listed as good on her work order. The first prerequisite for a passing is a life threatening condition unless dementia is a concern.

Maybe dementia is a concern, Ervin said as he cleared the table. Or her attitude. I know one of the historians Ms. Newton ran off. She was insulting and rude to her historian.

I don't like it. I can't refuse the work order, because this is my job. My precognition says the timing is wonky, Lila said as she sipped more wine.

I think you should slow up on the wine. Wonky?

I just have a really bad feeling. My abilities are not something to play with. Even if I didn't mean to, I allowed the Ministry to push me into hurting someone while using my abilities to interview them. There is also the issue of consent that comes up whenever I utilize my charm ability. I have ethics, and the Security Ministry has tried to push past them before, Lila said.

I remember. They kept you for ten days, Ervin said as he sat down to his own glass. But your abilities also give you a huge advantage in our field when it comes to the shy or recalcitrant clients. It was only a matter of time they would call you to do this passing.

Someone with a higher standing in the department should do it, Lila said.

They have tried and failed. Yippee, now it's your turn.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Lila finished her glass of mead, but waved away a refill.

I'm afraid, Ervin. Someone is already pulling strings. There is a procedure we use, and it works for me, for my abilities. What happens when they mess with the way I was trained to work, and I can't deliver when they want? Lila asked.

You remember what happened to me last year? Ervin asked.

Lila nodded. They kept you for three days.

I filed a report with the wrong tone thinking that no one would realize it, and then loudly complained about the woman whose passing I was conducting because she was lying through her teeth, Ervin said. I was given a glimpse of re-education and was offered a chance to retrain or watch who I spoke about, since she was the mother of some high muck in Nashville.

Yeah, that's when we decided on the no socializing in public thing since we had both had run-ins with the Security Ministry, Lila said.

I think you need to give them what they want as quickly as possible if you can. If you can't, you need to find a way to cover yourself. With the Security Ministry, at the end of it all, it comes down to the finger pointing and the blame, not ethics or morals, Ervin said.

I don't know if I can deliver the information in the time they want it in, Lila said. I don't want to hurt anyone.

And that unshakable belief that you are right is why people call you the Rock. I'm not going to tell you to do what's right. I'm going to tell you to be careful and do what you need to do to get out of this with your skin intact, Ervin said before downing the rest of the golden liquid in his glass. Your contract is what keeps you from living on the streets or in the case of someone with your abilities from languishing in Security Ministry custody. Without one, you would have to get something at the University or go hungry until the Security Ministry picks you up. The only one hiring is the government, after all.

Well, we'll see how this is going to go. I will be talking to her tomorrow, Lila said with a sigh.

* * *

Susanne stared at the woman who had knocked on her door. Young people rarely came to the hospice, but a woman of color was rarer still.

Who are you? Susanne asked.

I'm Lila Howell, Lila said with a smile. I'm to be your new archivist.

I'm not dying, Susanne said, blocking the door.

This is unusual, the young woman said. I checked everything with my superior. This work order was issued by the Security Ministry.

What difference should this make to me? Susanne asked as she began to close the door in the girl's face.

Lila managed to check the door with her shoulder and push inward, surprising Susanne.

Is rudeness necessary? Ms. Howell asked as she stared Susanne in the eye. For a moment, Susanne started to gray out.

I can't help being here any more than you can, a soft voice said. Susanne shook off the feelings the voice tried to give her. This wasn't the first time someone had tried to influence her. She might not be a rated psi, but she had ways of defending herself.

Those little mind tricks the government is so fond of won't work on me, child, Susanne replied.

I'm showing how this can happen, Ms. Newton. For some reason, there are people in the Security Ministry who want to confirm the identity of the Southern Dragon, Lila said. My work order includes the authorization to use all of my abilities, and I'm rated a three. This means eventually I would prevail and find a way into your mind despite your natural resistance.

Why are you telling me this? Susanne asked. She was impressed and a little flattered. A psychic who rated as a three had several abilities, at least one which could be considered invasive or affect the ability to give consent. Theoretically, Lila Howell could force Susanne to tell her everything she wanted to know.

I don't want to hurt anyone, Ms. Newton, Ms. Howell said. And forcing you to respond to me might hurt you.

Well, I'm not the Southern Dragon, Susanne said.

And I will certainly tell them in my report, Ms. Howell said. As this is our first interview, why don't we introduce ourselves?

All right. It's been a long time since I saw a woman of color. Most of the European stock in the farmsteads have intermarried those of color until you can't tell the difference between us anymore, Susanne said as she sat down and started to knit.

My parents were adopted by the Iroquois nation before they were disbanded by the New Dawn government. Both nations took in several families of color when the American States declared everyone of African or Hispanic background to be non-citizens, Ms. Howell said politely. And I understand you are from a farmstead. Most of my experience has been in documenting farmsteaders' passings.

Really, how nice for you. Do you feel you know a lot about the farmsteads? Susanne asked.

More than most city folk. I know you think the government is incompetent in its efforts to help the farmsteads since they don't listen to the farmsteaders, Ms. Howell said.

You know a lot more than most of the regular government buffoons. You would think they might ask what works and what doesn't, Susanne said.

Several months ago, I wrote a report on this to the Agriculture Ministry on behalf of a couple of my passing clients, and no one responded, Ms. Howell said.

I wouldn't expect them to. They want to control, not to help, Susanne said.

It may seem that way, but the New Dawn government is only trying to keep things together, Ms. Howell responded.

So we should let the N.D. stumble along without comment so they can keep things together, Susanne said. Life is about more than keeping things together. We should always strive to make the world a better place. Instead New Dawn wants everyone to be identical sheep grunting the same baa.

I don't know what you mean, Ms. Newton, Ms. Howell said.

I am talking about the Cleansing and the Council that enforces it. Stripping away anything that might cause aggression and replacing these ideas with fanatical politeness isn't going to make everyone's lives better. Ambition and innovation are fueled by aggression and the need for change, Susanne explained.

So is harm against others. Better to channel those with aggressive tendencies into the security service within the government so they can be monitored, and those tendencies used appropriately, Ms. Howell said.

They sat staring at each other until the bell for tea rang.

You bother me, Susanne said. This is enough for today. Go.

I'll be seeing you Monday after lunch. I wish you a good afternoon, Ms. Newton, Ms. Howell said before she left.

Susanne sighed. Lila Howell seemed to be made of sterner stuff than the usual archivist. She might not be able to run this one off. As Susanne picked up her knitting, her friend Larissa came in with the tea tray. Larissa had come with Susanne to the hospice to keep her company and get away from her daughter-in-law.

That is a strong one, Susanne, Larissa said as she sat the tray on the table.

"I know. Whoever