Bao felt trapped. The line between his two lives was continuing to fade. He was loyal to Insight Resources, the company that helped him escape his boring life in California. However, he was concerned about Blue Creek, his neighbors and friends. It was explicitly against Insight policy to reveal his identity as a “spy”. To do so would cost him his job. However, the information he now held could have a serious impact on the upcoming election and possibly the future of Blue Creek citizens.
Earlier that day one of his colleagues, a fellow spy, informed him that Tyler Redding was a Charlie Henry plant. This person had infiltrated the Asher government and had gotten to know Anna Radinski casually. While at a party of a mutual friend, Bao’s colleague saw Anna Radinski and Tyler Redding together. Even Governor Asher made an appearance. The only person missing was Charlie Henry. After asking around, Bao’s colleague verified that, not only did Radinski and Redding know each other, Tyler Redding wasn’t an official participant in the experiment. Again, if Bao leaked this information to someone like Patton Larsen, he could lose his job. If he didn’t tell Patton the situation in Blue Creek could get worse and worse. People had died, including the governor-elect on live television.
Bao grabbed a six pack of beer and logged in to his World of Warcraft account. It was his way of relaxing and thinking. He played well into the night and into the early morning. He was about to log off and go to bed when the answer came to his mind. He exited his game and opened up his email. Instead of breaking company policy and putting his job at risk, Bao decided to write up a standard report and copy the one man who could actually do something with Bao’s concern—Insight Resource CEO Michael Varner.
Bao worked on the report until daybreak. He made several edits and saved and attached it to an email. The proper process was to send it to his direct supervisor, who would take all of the agents’ reports and combine them. He would then summarize the reports, removing any unnecessary information. Bao was concerned that his supervisor would think Bao was overstepping his bounds and would cut out most of his report. To avoid this, Bao sent a copy directly to the CEO. It was risky, but he knew that Varner had also grown to love the people of Blue Creek and was concerned about these political outcomes.
He sent the email and closed down his computer. He had a series of deliveries scheduled for later that day, but he sent an email to his customers telling them their orders would be late. Bao stripped down to his underwear and turned on the TV that was on his dresser. He was asleep within three minutes. He dozed off, praying, as nearly as he knew how, that his email would fall upon sympathetic ears.
Michael Varner read the email again for the third time and gazed out his window towards the jagged mountains to the east. The attached report came from one of his company’s top agents. He was valuable for many reasons, but his number one attribute was his close relationship to Patton Larsen.
Asher understood the kid’s concerns and after reading the report he shared them. Just like Bao, however, he was trapped. Of course he had some influence. He was the head of the company that had implemented and now ran the experiment in Blue Creek. However, it was strictly against his company’s contract to influence events, people, and thus outcomes. Extremely valuable data for almost every conceivable scientific field had already been culled. A series of books and articles had already been published with scores, if not hundreds more, to come.
Varner was a family man. He could hear his two children playing in their room at that moment. This sent a pang of worry through him. What about those people, those little kids, who would be affected by these impending social and economic policies? Varner rubbed his hands through his hair, messing it worse than it already was. He didn’t know what to do, but he felt he had to do something.
No, Varner finally decided. He would set the example for his employees and follow proper procedures. He picked up his phone, hesitated for a moment, then dialed the number to the head researcher. Varner figured the scientists would balk at anything that would bias their data. However, he knew he wouldn’t feel right unless he asked.
CHAPTER 21
At the end of August, the poll numbers began to tighten. The three candidates were nearly neck and neck with just days to go until the election. In a move that was obviously made to favor the incumbent, the Council passed a law that stated that the recipient of the most votes would win. Both the original election, which brought David Asher into power, and the more recent recall election, the winner was required to win a majority. Now, however, a plurality would do it.
All three candidates favored the idea of a debate. It would be Patton’s last chance to differentiate himself with Tyler Redding. As the campaign progressed, Patton began to feel more and more that Redding was a ringer brought into the campaign by Charlie Henry. And while Patton’s instincts were correct, it was too late for him to do anything about it. He had to hit a home run during the debate or he was going to lose.
But, he realized, as the debate progressed, the moderator wasn’t going to give him any openings. They were probably in on the fix, instructed by Charlie Henry to keep the ball out of Patton Larsen’s court. He reminded his co-conspirators that it was a debate that put Mike Wilson ahead for good back in May. The moderator did, however, give Tyler Redding many opportunities to parrot Patton’s talking points. This would serve in weakening Patton’s points, and make the governor’s arguments seem stronger.
“While I agree with Mr. Larsen on many things,” Redding said, gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke to the camera, “I just don’t think he goes far enough in some areas—”
“—Like what?” Patton interrupted angrily. He’d pretty much been left out of the debate so this was his only chance to get a word in.
“Sorry?” Redding asked him, gulping nervously.
“I said… like what? What don’t I go far enough in? You keep saying that but you haven’t specifically said what it is.”
The younger man swallowed again, trying to maintain his facade of confidence. He had been hammering Patton on this “issue” and gaining traction with it in some recent polls, but Patton was calling him out.
“Well… I think your idea to reopen business relations with the outside is good but I think you don’t go far enough.”
Patton smirked and shook his head.
“Again,” he said, losing his smile and appearing angry again, “you didn’t mention how. You make up this phony issue with no details. You sound an awful lot like Mr. Asher on this issue,” he said, looking at the incumbent and smiling at his shocked reaction to the jab.
“There’s no call for that,” the moderator said, trying to bring some order back to the discussion.
“Well, Sir,” Patton said sarcastically, “I haven’t had much of an opportunity to say much of anything, so I guess when I get the chance to speak I should take advantage of it.” The moderator blushed profusely. “I’m sorry to get your panties in a wad,” Patton continued, “but I have every right to speak as much as these other candidates, so either you’re just a pompous jerk or you’re in on the fix here.”
The man was so angry now that Patton could see the red under his TV makeup. In his earpiece the director was calling for a break, but the debate was a commercial free event. Either the moderator had to gain control of the debate or continue to be made to look like an idiot.
“Again, Mr. Larsen, there really is no need for this. You’ve had ample opportunity to respond tonight.”