2024-01-29: The Silent Calling's Persecution
- Cutscene: The Silent Calling's Persecution
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim
- Where: Throughout Earth
- Date: 2024-01-29 (May 0098)
- Summary: The Silent Calling faces pressures from NUNE, and Yuliana encourages them to protect themselves with guerrilla self-defence.
(Information circa May 0098)
Members of the Silent Calling have had many adverse encounters with authorities in the recently-established New United Nations Earth territories, as various NUNE units vie to show their worth and relevance to their new bosses by seeking information on the universally unpopular Kafims. Several Callers were detained for questioning over the activities and plans of their leadership; others have endured bureaucratic red tape and investigation over their charitable endeavours, specifically targeted towards them. They're popular targets for anyone looking to justify their budget, because the various forces of NUNE are unlikely to make any enemies by trying to put away two notorious terrorists.
In light these events, coupled with all their previous scrutiny, members of the Silent Calling have been encouraged to begin attending self-defence classes taught by their local Speakers. The details of these events are spread through their private mailing lists, and their Speakers emphasise that they are not training for battle, but simply to defend themselves in an increasingly hostile world.
Regardless, this training involves several guerrilla aspects which aren't seen in a typical self-defence class -- including first-aid training, advanced driving skills, how to speak with the local authorities, and how to hide people from those authorities.
Yuliana has released a statement, uploaded onto several video sites. While the public-facing copies of this video all tend to disappear quickly, the unlisted uploads are much more resistant to deletion, particularly due to content-scrambling techniques to stop AI trawlers from simply erasing all the exact copies from the system. These unlisted links are, again, shared through those mailing lists.
"My Callers," she spreads her arms towards the camera, dressed in full Calling regalia, "I have seen your unjust persecution. My heart weeps to know that you are harassed and detained simply due to your associations! And yet I am soothed to see your loyalty, to myself and to each other. As you know, I too am in hiding, and this is why I have not been able to see you. I must be cautious, lest NUNE's jaws close around me. I miss you," she sighs, hands clasping to her heart.
"I have heard, as well, your anguish over having to hide your loyalty from friends and family. I know well that you suffer, lying to your councils and your communities about who your soup kitchens are affiliated with. I grieve the loss of openness with you. But it is no longer safe to share ourselves in this way. We must retreat inside ourselves, inside our communities, until such time as this world regains its senses."
She spreads a hand, open-palmed. "My Callers, your homes are unjustly called Areas -- or they lay in disrepair, the Republic unwilling to maintain your lands -- or they are torn apart by war and Capitalist greed!" Her hand curls to a fist, and it slams down on the desk before her. "We are the disadvantaged and forgotten, and the message to us is clear -- our political leaders will not protect us! No, they target us! We must be capable of defending ourselves and our communities from the cruelties that await us!" Fervour raises her voice, repeating us again and again to heat the blood in her people's hearts just the same -- but she takes a breath, and calms herself.
"That's why I hope you'll consider looking out for one another," she says, smiling, gently. "Please calm the worries in your heart, for we are warriors of the spirit, healers and caretakers in this world plagued by malaise. But I could not live with myself if one of my people were to disappear in the night -- when I could have prepared you for the worst. Let us hope for the best with our eyes open."
The message is very well-received amongst the devout.