The Gap Into Power: A Dark And Hungry God Arises 1 - Holt
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 5:55 pm
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.
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.
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.
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.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 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.