*****
"It's beautiful." Janison had said, his rich baritone cracked with emotion. "It's just not possible...not yet. The technology required to simply study some of the basic concepts are at best ten years away."
Janison's fervent spirit, broad intellect and direct honesty were what made him such a rare asset. If there was any one person capable of persuading Stalling to alter his plans at that time, it was Janison. Stalling swallowed his well-rehearsed arguments. He had prepared for everyone's objection, especially Janison's. Too many miraculous events had led him to that moment, now was not the time to let his ego get in the way. Experience demonstrated more than once, patience, if he allowed it, would fit every piece into its proper place.
With a slight lift of his eyebrow, he beckoned his friend to continue. "I mean, don't get me wrong, its pure genius. Your theories alone will enable technology in a dozen fields to leap frog decades of arduous R&D."
Janison drifted off as he dove deeper into schematics scrolling along on his telipad. His eyes lit up with excitement every time he reread yet another novel approach. Stalling left Janison to dive deeper into the data and surveyed the reactions of his other guests.
A vibrant fire housed by a large hearth located against the back wall, along with a half dozen antique lamps placed upon shelves and end tables, bathed the room with comfortable light. Gathered in his home were the most brilliant minds Drakarle had to offer, each with an insatiable drive to push the edges of discovery. In turn, they were the people most feared by the Church of Salvation.
Born Drakarlean, with all its entitled privileges, each had made a conscious choice to resist the norm. As a result, the Church culled them like diseased animals, removing them from the rest of the flock, where they could not infect others with their radical ideas. These rogues earned confined positions early in their careers, tucked away into the farthest reaches of the theocratic machine. Once separated, the Church leveraged their collective genius at leisure. Whether they cared to or not, they advanced technology and industry as the "Almighty" intended.
Stalling relished the look of hope invading all the faces around the table. Calculating minds dug deeper into his supporting data, transitioning from ‘it's impossible!’ reaction to ‘I never thought about approaching it from that angle’. Maybe, they started to tell themselves, just maybe, with the right people, enough resources, we might pull this off.
Dr. Jonas was the first to vocalize his thoughts. With his chin still tucked into his neck as he read his telipad, he lifted his eyes above his reading glasses and addressed the group. "I fear my heart is preventing me from making a logical argument to any of this. I’ve spent too many nights, in this very room, imagining these ‘what ifs’. If only I had known those inspired musings were the building blocks of the vision you present to us today. Well, I might have allowed my optimism to linger once the sobering reality of morning came back into view.”
He shared a brief, knowing smile with Stalling before continuing. “It’s just…I don't see how we complete the first stage before-".
"They scuttle the entire project and manage to put us some place worse than we already are," Dr. Whindem interrupted. She had come directly from work, unable to change out of her stiff robes. Stalling smirked at the irony. The one person in the room, outside of himself, who resented the oppressive theocracy the most, was the one person in the room outwardly representing their order.
She pinched at the garb, plucking it away from her body, before continuing with her heated tirade. "Shame on you Stalling Alterian! Shame on you for allowing us to dream again! We have confided in each other because we all benefitted from its cathartic value. But to present this monumental goal, its a smacks to our intelligence. More appalling, its an arrow through a soul incapable of sustaining another blow." Her rant diminished into a sorrowful plea.
"Meaning no disrespect Stalling," Dr. Glitus added, "but you have yet to experience the levels of subjugation as the rest of us. I think I speak for all here today when I point out the fact that our risk is much higher than yours."
"Trust me, in the end, my risk will far exceed the rest of yours," Stalling responded, ignoring the skeptical looks. "Risk level has never been the issue. Did we not stop worrying about risks the moment our intellect told us our station in life is not preordained by some omnipotent, vengeful deity? Alone, our attempts to make significant change have failed. Even if somehow realized, we all know it would have not made a bit of difference in the end. The mission I propose is more than just reform, it is about equality for all life, an existence absent on our planet for over two thousand years! Join me on this journey and I vow to invest the entire Alterian fortune and exhaust all its associated clout in the process."
Stalling let his words wash over them as he met each eye. Many nodded their heads in agreement. The grounded science of his blueprint had already created a heady dose of optimism. The inclusion of Stalling's capital resources and political might had turned the faint spark of hope into a vibrant flame of possibility. Together, forged by a shared vision, Stalling knew they could accomplish anything, but it required all of them.
The room had fallen silent. Stalling knew most in the room would have joined with or without his personal endorsement but a few still balked in fear. He started to scramble, searching for the words to persuade those still in doubt.
To his relief, but not surprise, Janison spoke instead. "I'm in. The current system is flawed; the time for change has arrived. I trust Stalling with our future but more importantly, I trust our Savior has led us to this moment for this very reason." The influence of Janison's accession, the one member of the group with any semblance of religious faith, was immediate. Stalling had found salvation and, one by one, each vowed their allegiance toward building the road.
Leaning close to Stalling’s ear to combat the din of excitement rising in the room, Janison spoke with a glint of awe in his eye. "You know, given the talent in this room, we just may be able to pull this off sooner rather than later."
Stalling simply smiled as if nothing could have made him happier to hear.