The Gap Into Power: A Dark And Hungry God Arises 1 - Holt

[Cord Hurn]

One-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Holt Fasner, CEO of United Mining Companies, goes to visit his mother. Holt is kept relatively young by advanced rejuvenation techniques. His mother is largely kept alive and conscious by these same techniques, and is always bedridden and attached to various tubes while she watches about twenty different television monitors simultaneously. Her name is Norna, and she wishes to die rather than remain alive as a husk of her former self. But Holt keeps her alive in a room hidden in his space station complex because she retains a mind, and Holt finds her insights to be of use in his scheming for more power. So obviously Holt cares not one bit how continued existence is making his mother suffer, as long as he can profit from the insights she has to give him. (And up to this point, I'd considered Angus to be the villain of this series, due to all the brutal things he'd inflicted upon Morn in the first Gap book. But reading this chapter makes me realize this Holt is the [real villain of the series. I found myself thinking, if he'd do that to his own mother, there's no line he'd refuse to cross in brutally using anybody else to fulfill his wishes, or in punishing somebody for trying to frustrate his wishes.)

Norna clings to watching those video programming screen because she's looking for hints of hope that her son may one day be destroyed. And Holt visits her whenever he can to profit from her insights she gives against her wishes.

In truth, he could almost certainly have afforded to let her die any time during the past half century. He liked talking to his mother; he profited from her advice. But he could have done without it. He kept Norna Fasner alive precisely because she wished him ill with such steady virulence; also because he took pleasure in her utter helplessness; and finally because she kept him on his toes. Otherwise he was inclined to forget that he was mortal.

Men who forgot their mortality made mistakes. Holt Fasner had paid blood--not always his own--for his successes; and now that he had them, he didn't mean to let them go glimmering in the name of a mistake.

Holt comes visiting his mother this time because he's concerned that Warden Dios' gambit of sending out welded cyborg Angus Thermopyle under the supervision of Milos Taverner to destroy Billingate might prove to be something that comes back to burn him. Even with Dios to take the brunt of the blame if the gambit fails, Fasner fears his power could crumble in the backlash of such failure. So he hopes his mother's insights will give him some warning of trouble. He sees her watching several comedies, romantic shows, and news broadcasts all at once, and greets her with a false heartiness to counteract the uncomfortable feeling he gets from all that noise, admitting he needs her advice.

Holt tells Norna about Warden's plan of having Angus and Milos go to Billingate to obliterate it. Norna wants to know why this bothers UMC Police Protocol chief Godsen Frik. Holt answers that Godsen feels Earth's voting council will turn against the UMC and the UMCP should it become known a murderer and rapist like Angus escaped from UMCP headquarters with a turncoat like Milos. Holt further explains that he's dismissed Godsen's fears to humble him and to show his faith in Warden. Norna observes her son is still fearful, and Holt admits it's risky to his power in just the way that Godsen has feared.

Holt admits Warden may be getting himself in trouble. Norna softly growls, "I think he's getting you in trouble," as she points to one of the video screens. Holt turns and sees a special news bulletin announcing the escape of Angus from UMCPHQ and the theft of a UMCP spacehip by him and Milos. The report mentions that the Preempt Act was based on Angus likely being betrayed by someone in Com-Mine Security, that Milos was brought to UMCPHQ on Hashi Lebwohl's orders, and that Milos is now thought to be the Com-Mine traitor. The news anchor states this is apparent incompetence on the UMCP's part, and follows this with known facts about Angus and Milos.

Holt uses an intercom to breathe fiery fear into a number of subordinates, a performance for which he has a fearful reputation, explaining his nickname as the Dragon.

[Savor Dam]

...and so begins "the real story" of the Gap. Hang on, you are in for an experience like nothing you've known or imagined.

[Cord Hurn]

...and so begins "the real story" of the Gap. Hang on, you are in for an experience like nothing you've known or imagined.

Savor Dam, you are SO RIGHT about that! These books are becoming a faster read with each turning page!

[Cord Hurn]

I wrote the opening post of this thread when I had not been back much more than a month from attending Elohimfest 2014 at Albuquerque, where I met so many cool people who liked SRD's writings, As I was reading the Gap for the first time, the nervous curiosity I felt at this point in the story kind of needed to be reassured by someone from the Watch. And Savor Dam helpfully came along to encourage me! And he's right, the story really DOES get rolling along with increasing excitement in A Dark And Hungry God Arises! Because I'm starting a dissection of ADAHGA, I thought I'd add some more chapter quotes and commentary to this thread to bump it up. Therefore, here's the "Holt didn't miss much" passage from the first ADAHGA chapter:

What could he have missed? Not much, obviously, since he'd demonstrated his ability to profit--and profit hugely--from these times when the human billions kicked over the traces and demanded irrationality from their leaders. He still chuckled internally when he thought of the Humanity Riots. Imagine trying to face the threat of the Amnion without genetic expertise to match their own! And yet humankind's outbreak of revulsion against genetic experimentation had effectively delivered Intertech into his hands. Owning Intertech, in turn, had given him control over first contact with the Amnion--and that had led, as inexorably as a syllogism to his present position as the arbiter of fate for his whole species.

If any man in history could claim to have not missed much, Holt Fasner was the one. Nevertheless, he kept the question ("what had he missed?")--and his mother--alive to help him ensure that he didn't start missing things now.

Reading this chapter the first time, I remember thinking Holt was an evil manipulative character by how thinking of the Humanity Riots made him chuckle, instead of feeling sorrow for the scientists and their wrecked dreams of saving humanity--just because it enabled him to get his claws on Intertech.

Yet I find myself agreeing with Holt on one thing, denying genetic research in the case of a serious genetic threat is indeed foolish.

With all that history of opportunistic success, one might think that Holt could feel confident with a record of not missing much. But he has to keep his mother alive in such a miserable existence so that he never misses anything at all. It's like deep within him is a powerful and abiding fear.

Inexorably as a syllogism "As unstoppable as an obvious conclusion from deductive reasoning" would probably be the awkward way I'd have phrased it. But "inexorably as a syllogism" sounds out so much better in my mind, like I'm hearing a catchy melody.

[Cord Hurn]

A small voice whispered out of Norna's husk. "But you're still worried."

"How right you are, Mother," Holt agreed. "I'm still worried. No matter how careful Ward is, he's still taking a risk--and you know I don't like risks. That's the reason I suppressed Intertech's antimutagen. It had at least the theoretical potential to shift the balance of power across human space. Any effective defense against the way the Amnion impose mutation could conceivably undercut Ward and the whole UMCP by making them appear less vital, less necessary. That might have weakened my position with the votes."

He shrugged judiciously. "Or not. Maybe none of those things would have happened. But I didn't want to take the chance. So I made sure that only Ward and Hashi know the drug actually exists--and that only Hashi can use it. To protect Data Acquisition's covert operations, don't you see?

"Now Ward's taking a risk of his own. Not without consulting me, of course. His reasons for doing it are pretty persuasive," if only because Angus Thermopyle would have a chance to eliminate the problem of Morn Hyland. She was a UMCP ensign with an unauthorized zone implant and--presumably--knowledge of the immunity drug; and if she ever left forbidden space to tell what she knew, PR and the whole of the UMCP would have a disaster of mega-proportions on their hands. "It's what you might call a surgical strike." Holt licked his lips. "Extirpate a melanoma before it spreads.

"So he's taking this particular risk with my blessing. But I'm still worried about it. I think Ward is getting himself in trouble."

Norna's words were no more than a low growl against the blurred mutter of the screens but for some reason Holt heard them as clearly as if her voice were the only sound in the room.

So the original programming Holt had for Angus included either instructions for killing Morn directly, or for just making sure she was trapped on Thanatos Minor when Billingate explodes.

Holt's suppression of the immunity drug isn't even based on any research proving knowledge of the drug's existence would destabilize the UMCP. He only wants it suppressed because that way he thinks it's more of a sure thing the UMCP will stay important. He's not just callous, he's capricious.

So, I found it easy to despise Holt just from this first meeting with him. Holt licks his lips after thinking about a surgical strike on Billingate, so he's bloodthirsty, too. That kept me more engaged in how this story would unfold, and I was already hoping for Holt's ruin.

[Cord Hurn]

My chapter dissection style isn't very sophisticated, I know. I pick quotes from the discussed chapter and try to say something about them. But such a style may not be all bad, either. For one thing, I think any thread is improved by samples of the terrific writing of Stephen Donaldson. For another thing, I might get lucky with this method and say something intelligent once in a while, you never know! I wish to examine one more quote from this chapter, starting with the news announcer's closing statement:

"The implications of this apparent incompetence on the part of the UMCP are vast and frightening for a species already threatened with extinction by the Amnion--a species protected only by men and women who have just allowed a convicted pirate and his most dangerous accomplice to slip through their fingers."

There was more: a recap of Captain Thermopyle's arrest and conviction, and a summary of Deputy Chief Taverner's record, followed by an exhaustive analysis of events by a whole panel of self-appointed experts--genophobes, libertarians, free-market crazies, native Earthers; every political fringe group that wanted votes on the GCES and didn't have them. Holt Fasner had stopped listening, however. He was already on the intercom, securing a channel between the home office and UMCPHQ--putting the fear of the Dragon into every technician and secretary between his mother's sickchamber and Godsen Frik.

His hands shook the entire time.

The futuristic press of the Gap is a rabid institution, as can be seen from the angry commentary at the news report's end--and also from the selection of malcontents for the commentary of "self-appointed experts" that follows the news story. If Warden wanted to get Holt in trouble, stirring up the news people looks like a particularly effective way to swing opinion against him. Apparently, Holt never has been able to control the press, perhaps because their freedom is unshakably popular with "the votes" on the GCES.

I wonder if the panel experts are termed "free-market crazies" because that's what Holt thinks of them? If he thinks of them so, it's likely because Holt seems bent on having monopolies.

Reading this chapter's end, I twice got to experience the satisfaction of confirmation bias. Firstly, that Holt is as mean as I thought, as evidenced by his "putting the fear of the Dragon into every technician and secretary". Secondly, that Holt is as scared as I thought, as evidenced by those shaking hands.