Dune 2: Love and Betrayal

04 A Bene Gesserit Future

Wallach 9 (Wallach IX),

Homeworld of the Bene Gesserit

[RECAP: Now that the timeline has been changed with House Atreides eliminated, Mother Superior contacts the Oracle of Infinity in a trance to ask about the future. How can the Bene Gesserit get their long awaited Kwisatz Haderach if they have no Atreides daughter to mate with Harkonnen heir, Feyd-Rautha?]

The Reverend Mother Superior confidently announced, "Oracle, we have done all you commanded. (Not true) The Kwisatz Haderach is only one generation away. We know to produce the One, Atreides was to be mated to the Harkonnen heir, but against your command, Lady Jessica disobeyed and House Atreides only bore a son." (See? Not true.)

Something seems to ignite in the usually patient, unflappable Oracle, "That selfish bitch," she growls, seeing her humanity's future unraveling at the hands of an arrogant concubine. "How could you let this happen?" she narrows in.

"She was commanded," the Mother replies. "But she deceived us."

"Then she should have been forced!"

"Forced? How? She knew the cost."

"I don't care how! By any means necessary!" spat the Oracle.

"Lady Jessica already knew to bear only daughters."

"Obviously not or she would have! The future cannot be trusted to a rebellious child!"

Feeling cornered, Mother Superior rushed, "We thought she would have a daughter after she had the son." The words just came out without careful consideration.

The Oracle is silent for a moment, then she spat, "Why do you seek to deceive me?" her voice a threatening growl. Her voice rising, "Do you forget so easily that from my homeworld IX, I can visit distant worlds instantly? I know the son is grown! After the son, Atreides could have had seven daughters by now! You let years go by without forcing the concubine to have any daughters!" She was yelling now.

There was no answer. What the Oracle had said was true. They had not forced Lady Jessica to get pregnant again and bear a daughter. They had left the future of humanity up to her petty desires and selfish decisions.

"The Harkonnen heir is also grown! He is ready to be Emperor and a father! He will now have to wait many years for any daughter to grow up enough to bear him a son!" her voice roaring like the breath of an angry lion just inches away.

Again, there was no answer. She had said too much already.

"You imbecile! You sabotage our work! You put the whole future of humanity at risk!" the Oracle spit, growing angrier by the second. "And for what? For what? A concubine's every whim?!"

Thoroughly scolded, the Mother Superior hesitates, then in a quiet voice, "That's not all. The Emperor and Baron have colluded to take out House Atreides." And in an even smaller voice, barely above a whisper, "Duke Leto is dead." (So no future daughter could be even born to House Atreides. They do not know that Lady Jessica is pregnant. Only Paul knows this per the movie.)

Silence.

After what seems like a full minute of fuming, Norma's alien voice roars, "You incompetent fool! You kanker! How could you let this happen! Do you not know what will happen if the Kwisatz Haderach is not born?" (kanker = cancer in Dutch)

"I know," the whisper came so quietly, barely a breath.

"Oh, you will see!" the Oracle yelled furiously. "Oh, you will see! You will see what you have done!" Her voice boomed as if carrying thunder in every breath, rattling through the Sister's mind and body with the power of her delivery.