The silence in Haldenwyck was subtle and moss-covered. The data Ben extracted from his deteriorating system was sharp and unyielding. It arrived in bits: an encoded shipping list for " resonance dampeners," a leaked schedule and a fearful tip from a purchasing agent in Brussels. These fragments combined into a location and occasion: the Global Wellness Summit, in Vienna.. A name: Aethelred Solutions.
Aethelred wasn't a wellness firm. It was a giant, an established defense and logistics provider that had subtly shifted to "civil stability infrastructure." They constructed prisons, monitoring systems and drone arrays, for crowd "control."
Somnums press announcement exemplified language: "A collaborative alliance to incorporate comprehensive wellness models into Aethelreds future human-focused platforms." The reveal was scheduled for the Summits gala.
Devon went over the release in a location in Vienna, a cluttered attic space offered by a former Europol informant who now avoided making eye contact. "You didn't see me " the man muttered, pressing the key into Ben's palm. "The quiet here is... Beneficial, for business. No issues."
"They aren't merely focusing on the jobless or the worried " Ben remarked, drawing lines on a copy schematic. He had superimposed Somnum's neural frequency charts, onto Aethelred's recognized equipment. "Check this out. Brain dampeners built into riot helmet padding. To quell demonstrations not by rubber rounds. Through a concentrated Calm-Top-Up. Emitters attached to drones for 'zone mood regulation.' They're turning the Sabbath into a weapon.. Marketing it to authorities as a benevolent device."
Devon imagined it. A demonstration coming to a hush, not out of terror. Through peaceful involuntary disintegration. A restless district calmed not by law enforcement. Through a murmuring drone swarm causing collective indifference. The supreme method of managing crowds: convincing the crowd to cease wanting to be present.
"It only deteriorates " Ben uttered, his tone empty. He indicated another entry on the list. "Aethelreds 'Logistics Optimization Division.' They oversee supply networks for megacorporations. The memo mentions 'workforce alignment streams.' Picture a factory. The employees perform their duties yet Somnums signal, transmitted through the ventilation system maintains their complete satisfaction with the repetition. No grievances, about wages, environment or tedium. An synchronized mentally subdued workforce. This is the Haldenwyck model, utilized within the production line.
The military uses were obvious. Troops devoid of fear and uncertainty yet lacking initiative and ethical consideration. Inmate groups subdued into obedience. The "Social Harmony Initiative" served as the pilot project. This collaboration marked the military-industrial deployment.
"They're constructing a world " Devon remarked, overwhelmed by its vastness "where any resistance—demonstrations work strikes a soldiers exhaustion—can be filtered out like radio static. A world powered by calm flawlessly efficient human energy sources."
"The Summit gala " Ben remarked, folding the blueprint. "Flavio and Aethelreds CEO sharing the stage. The handshake that redefines peace. We must attend."
Entering the Summit was unachievable. Accessing the service hallways of the Hofburg Palace, the venue, for the gala was only challenging. Thea Tove, leveraging her Somnum Heritage Center identification secured two passes labeled "waste management logistics." The irony was starkly appropriate.
They navigated the palace's area, a domain of noisy industrial dishwashers and stacked linen trolleys the clamor sharply differing from the tranquil melodies drifting down from upstairs. The atmosphere became denser with the aroma of gourmet cuisine and a subtle recognizable ozone buzz—the surrounding Calm field probably heightened for the night.
Through the service entrances they glimpsed snippets of the gala. The global elite glided in a elegant dance. Faces were composed, smiles soft. The chatter felt subdued, agreeable lacking the laughter or intense arguments that typically fill such events. It was a space occupied by individuals already somewhat invested in the product they were honoring.
At a screen, in a security nook Ben quickly accessed the feed. They observed through a black-and-white viewpoint as Flavio Fergal stepped onto the stage. He didn't seem victorious. He appeared like a physician sharing positive news.
"…for too long wellness has remained an individual endeavor " Flavio's voice, amplified but gentle and clear resonated toward them. "A sanctuary away, from society. Now we move forward: embedding wellness within the world. Within its frameworks, foundations, its design."
The display, behind him illuminated. A streamlined intimidating graphic. An urban landscape. Superimposed on it were blue ripples radiating from subtle points—cell towers, traffic signals, office building HVAC units. "The Aethelred-Somnum Integrated Stability Network " Flavio declared. "A preventative public health initiative. Picture a city that softly reduces road rage before it arises. A work environment that eases stress before it hampers productivity. A public plaza that encourages peaceful gatherings."
Kraus, Aethelreds CEO with an expression approached him. "Our aim has consistently been efficiency " Kraus declared, his voice rough contrasting Flavios tone. "The biggest inefficiency in any system is unpredictability. This collaboration tackles that fundamental issue. We are not marketing a product. We are presenting an operational framework, for society."
The handshake. The ensuing applause wasn't ecstatic. It was profound and comforting resembling a contented exhale.
Within the service passage Devon noticed the vibration, in his teeth grow stronger. It was a trial pulse. A glimpse of what was to come. A surge of calmness swept across the basement. A porter who had just dropped a tray of glasses merely gazed at the pieces smiling, without attempting to tidy them up. A chef stood against a wall eyes shut, breathing evenly.
Ben seized Devons arm firmly. "We have to leave. Immediately."
However Devon focused on the screen observing the cityscape schematic. He now perceived it not as a horror but as a rational even appealing progression, for a weary divided world. The quiet of Haldenwyck expanded to a city. The cessation of all conflict. The idea was a void drawing at his determination.
It would be so easy…
Ben struck him sharply. The sharpness was surprising a agonizing flash, amidst the buzzing darkness. "Don't allow it to take hold!" he whispered fiercely mirroring Feliscas advice. "That's the result. That sensation of correctness. Resist it!"
They emerged into the night air of Vienna the soft strains of the gala's music diminishing in the distance. The surrounding city hummed with chaotic existence—intoxicated visitors, quarrelsome pairs, the screech of a tram. It appeared harsh, unrefined and strikingly urgently vibrant.
Upstairs in the attic Ben threw up into a sink his body refusing the serenity. Devon rested against the wall, the echo of the hum lingering in his bones the memory of Bens slap, on his cheek.
"They aren't anticipating a future " Ben exclaimed, dabbing his mouth. "They're creating it by year. The network, the infrastructure. Its finalized. The gala was a coronation."
Devon looked at the Discordanter, now sitting on the bare floorboards. Veronica's "wrong note." It was no longer just a tool. It was a desperate, last-ditch noise to make before the world chose to turn the volume down to zero forever. The Summit had shown them the blueprint. The quiet was no longer creeping. It was being constructed, brick by psychic brick, and the architects had just shaken hands on stage.