Chapter 7: The Pews of Power and the Pastor's Secret
Location: First Baptist Church of Medford
Date: February 24th, 1980
Status: Social Mapping & Divine Manipulation
The church was a cathedral of humidity, cedar-wood pews, and the heavy, floral scent of "Sunday-best" perfumes. For Mary, this was the center of the universe. For George Sr., it was forty-five minutes of uncomfortable collar-tugging and tactical napping. For Sheldon, it was a sensory nightmare of scratchy wool suits and off-key congregational singing.
As Mary paraded the triple-wide stroller down the center aisle, the System went into overdrive.
The Sign-In: The Holy Node
[DAILY SIGN-IN PROTOCOL: AVAILABLE]
[LOCATION: FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – MEDFORD, TX]
[ACTION: SIGN IN?]
Execute.
[SIGN-IN SUCCESSFUL!]
[REWARD: +5 TO WISDOM (PERCEPTION OF TRUTH)]
[REWARD: NEW TRAIT: 'SAINTLY AURA' (Passive: People feel instinctively peaceful in your presence)]
[REWARD: SKILL: 'VIBE DETECTION' (Ability to sense hidden agendas/emotions)]
[REWARD: CURRENCY: $5,000.00 (CONCEALED OFFSHORE ACCOUNT)]
The [Saintly Aura] activated, and the row of elderly ladies in the third pew—previously whispering about the triplets being a "handful"—suddenly sighed in unison. Their faces softened as I looked at them, my sapphire eyes projecting a calm that was mathematically impossible for a week-old infant.
I turned my attention to the pulpit. Pastor Jeff was adjusting his tie, but his [Micro-Expressions] were screaming. A slight twitch in the left buccinator muscle, a downward tilt of the labial commissure, and eyes that lacked the "Duchenne" crinkle of genuine joy.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: VIBE DETECTION]
[TARGET: PASTOR JEFF]
[STATUS: FAITH CRISIS (LEVEL 4/10)]
[THOUGHT: "Is the mortgage on the parsonage really worth three services a week? Does God even hear me over the fan in the vestibule?"]
The Deep-Learning: Medford's Social Web
While Mary sang Amazing Grace, I utilized my [Photographic Memory] to scan the congregation. I wasn't looking at the hats; I was looking at the power dynamics.
The Mayor (Middle Aisle): Polishing his glasses. Aura: Smug Gold. He owns the local hardware store.
The High School Principal: Glancing at George Sr. Aura: Stressed Grey. He needs a new football coach in two years.
The Town Gossip: Currently eyeing the triplets with a notebook in her mind.
I realized that if I wanted to dominate Medford, I didn't need to be the "Smartest." I needed to be the "Essential."
The "Miracle"
The service reached a lull. Pastor Jeff opened his Bible to a pre-selected passage in Leviticus, but his hands were trembling. He looked lost. Mary had placed a small, pocket-sized Gideon's Bible in the stroller's side pocket—mostly for "good luck."
I used my [Ambidextrous] precision and [Mechanical Aptitude] to reach out, snag the ribbon of the small Bible, and flip it open. My tiny thumb pressed down on a specific page.
Then, I let out a soft, melodic coo that echoed during the silence of the opening prayer. I held the Bible out toward Mary, pointing a tiny, insistent finger at Proverbs 3:5-6.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."
Mary gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "George... look. He's... he's showing me a verse."
She whispered the verse to Pastor Jeff as they passed by to the nursery. I saw the man's face drain of color, then fill with a sudden, renewed vigor. His aura shifted from Stressed Grey to a Relieved Blue.
[QUEST COMPLETED: THE DIVINE INTERVENTION]
[REWARD: +50 REP WITH PASTOR JEFF; +100 REP WITH MARY (FAITH-LOCK)]
[SKILL UPGRADE: 'NARRATIVE MANIPULATION (LVL 1)']
The Silent Exchange
As we were wheeled toward the church nursery, Sheldon leaned over the stroller divider. He had watched the entire performance. His infant eyes were narrowed, his brain trying to solve the "Ethan Equation."
"Luck," Sheldon whispered, his voice a tiny, skeptical hiss. "St... st... stochastic chance!"
I looked at him, my [Saintly Aura] making my eyes glow slightly in the dim hallway.
"There is no such thing as chance, Sheldon," I whispered back, using [Sonic Architecture] to bypass the ears of the nursery attendants. "Only variables you haven't accounted for yet. Now, be a good boy and play with the blocks. I have a stock portfolio to monitor."
Sheldon's jaw dropped. I had just shattered his reality for the second night in a row.
[ETHAN COOPER - ATTRIBUTES]
Wisdom: 15 (Ascended)
Charisma: 25 (Saintly)
Intelligence: 16
Vibe Detection: LVL 1
Hidden Wealth: $7,600.00 (Accumulated)