Fall and Convergence: The Backstories

Marie Cove

Marie Cove

Galveston, Texas

     I press the video call button in my computer as I wait for Ms. Cavelly to accept my call. I wait patiently and timorously alone in my office until I see her face reflected on the monitor.

      “Hello, Ms. Cavelly,” I greet politely.

      “You have twenty minutes for this call, Mrs. Cove.”

     “I know you are quite preoccupied with duties at the moment, Ms. Cavelly. But if you may spare me a few moments to clarify about my project?”

      I hear her sigh. “We talked about this project a lot of times now. And I told you, I don’t want to risk such thing! It could cause a war! I don’t want to leave a bad record behind before I retire. I hope you do understand?”

       “Of course, I do. And for your information, Ms. Cavelly, I am also retiring.” I pause and stare at her virtual image. “I don’t want to leave my line of work for the rest of my life and look back sooner or later thinking that I did nothing but minor work.”

     She chuckles satirically. “That is an insult to us, Mrs. Cove.”

      I close my mouth shut and regret the words I just said. All I want is to make her change her mind about all of this and make a good last impression.

      “Any more concerns?” she asks impatiently.

      I clear my throat. “According to Mr. President about Syria’s chemical attack, we have an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians who are gassed right now on a terrible scale.”

      “Indeed, no need to tell me reports about it. I receive them everyday,” she says while pressing her temples.

     I proceed, “The UN Security Council is unlikely to approve any military intervention with this. Am I right?”

      “Yes.”

     I now open my ace, “How is your International Treaty of Paramilitary Convergence, Ms. Cavelly?”

     She looks up on the camera and raises her eyebrow. That look is what I have been anticipating for ever since I started the call.

     “Fifteen minutes is not enough for me to give you the full report about that, Mrs. Cove. But I guess what you want to hear is that it’s still pending for the president’s approval.”

     “For like a decade now?”

     “I appreciate your humor and exaggeration. But this project has a big chance to be approved even when Mr. Brennan will take my position.”

     “You’re going to retire in a month. You’re proposal will be passed on to the next director of CIA—“

     “Stop trying to intimidate me, Mrs. Cove.”

      I smirk, “Are you?”

      “And why would I?”

      Who am I to not able any old woman get intimidated?

     “My ITPC does not need your invention, Mrs. Cove. I do not intend to include telekinesis to be part of the chosen individuals’ capabilities,” she continues.

     “Why is that so?”

     She hesitates but says, “The countries involved in this treaty, including the United States of America decided and voted not to incorporate such.”

     “Because it could cause war? The treaty itself is the beginning of the war, Ms. Cavelly. Aren’t you aware of what telekinesis could do? It can control everything of the physical state. It’s ‘mind over matter’ and I want to make that literally possible.”

      “If you say ITPC is the start of war itself, wouldn’t telekinesis heighten the possibility of war?”

     “Oh, so now you agree that ITPC can start a war.”

      For one minute, the video call is filled with silence. The moment seems similar with a battle encounter between a prey and predator, both sides waiting for the first attack.

     I guess I am the predator. “With all due respect, you’re concept of improving the human physiology of the individuals is too basic.”

      “Your study hasn’t been tested and proven.”

     “And I need you to make that possible.”

     She doesn’t waste a second to say, “I am deeply sorry, Mrs. Cove. I couldn’t approve your proposal.”

     I sigh. For the thousandth attempt, I couldn’t do anything then. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Cavelly.”

      “I believe your project will come to use later, just not in my term. And I hope you’ll use it for good purposes.” I nod. “Discussion dismissed.”

     I end the video call. I know there are more of the reasons than what she mentioned. Dismayed, I leave my office and see my daughter comfortably relaxing on the sofa. She sees me and smiles. I smile back and sit beside her. I notice her not paying attention to the television.

     “Is something wrong, mom?” she asks.

     “Nothing’s wrong, Sirena.”

      “I hope so.”

     Hope is what I terribly need. I couldn’t just let my invention come to a waste. I want to make a difference. I worked for years to make telekinesis possible. I need someone to have the same perspective as mine.

      Of course, Mr. Brennan! He can make my dream possible. And I just have to wait once again for him to take Ms. Cavelly’s position.

     But then again, ITPC is still pending. And my project can only be beneficial to this treaty. Unless they’re going to make another treaty which could also be possible but would take again time and I’ll probably be too old to witness things happen. Or I could make things happen according to my way. Either way, I always have a choice.