The Silent Calling

Beliefs

The Silent Calling is a new religious group (or, less kindly, a cult) which centres the inviolable self. They practice meditation in order to understand their hearts, and explicitly choose which parts of themselves to share with others. They believe that selfishness is a virtue -- because no one can pour from an empty cup, and only when they are satisfied can they satisfy the needs of others. And the Silent Calling does, notably, believe in satisfying other's needs: their charitable works have increasingly gained notoriety.

Because the inviolable self -- that is, a self which must not be seen without their consent -- is a central tenet of their beliefs, the Silent Calling have a public position on Newtypes. They were one of the first organisations to widely and publicly disseminate information on Newtypes and Cyber-Newtypes, and their position is that Newtypes are afflicted by an unfortunate Space-sourced condition which forces them to witness another's self. Rather than exclusion or revulsion, the Silent Calling preaches sheltering and aiding these individuals, recognising the dangers posed to them by science. The Silent Calling has developed a network to traffic Cyber-Newtypes (or Newtypes) from danger and into safehouses, and from there to freedom; understandably, little public data on this is available. More is known about their Newtype support group and information services, where afflicted individuals can gather to learn about themselves, meet others, and know Silence. Those who attend these groups almost universally report that they thought they were alone before they found the Silent Calling's information.

Those Callers who are properly Initiated into the mysteries of Silence are taught of The Void: an ever-changing existence where all men's hearts are their own, and all men have equal opportunity to succeed. The Void is a sacred realm, and the source of their Oracle, Yuliana Kafim's visions; and they are aware that her robot, the Threshold Queen EMPTEAR, is fueled by that realm. Emptear's actions are told to and interpreted by the Silent Calling more generously than most; to them, she is a symbol of hope and positive change, seeking to engage in radical action to fix the world.

The Silent Calling's most guarded and secret belief is that of Her, the Woman in the Void, the Empress at the End of All Things. Her influence on the cult is a closely-guarded secret -- though initiated Callers are aware there are mysteries they are not yet ready to behold. (Subsequently, learning of Her can be upsetting for reasons entirely beyond Her expectations.)

Structure

The Silent Calling has a cell-based hierarchical structure. Leading the Calling are the Heralds, Yuliana Kafim and Elisa Kafim, their Oracle and High Priestess. (And above them, secretly, is Her.) Their Oracle speaks in passion and prophecy, and it is widely understood that she acts under divine inspiration. Her divination is interpreted and enacted by their High Priestess, bringer of order; it is the High Priestess's sworn duty to protect the Oracle, whose divinations leave her vulnerable. The High Priestess's influence can be subtle -- but their Oracle speaks to them frequently, either through personal visits to the congregation or through videos disseminated online via the Calling's mailing lists.

Below them are their Messengers: people who work closely with the leadership to impart the Calling. (Current Messengers include Wendy Yuan, Parminder Chaudhri, Ingvar Hedlund, and Teodor Byquist; Alma Stirner and Shari Loom used to be Messengers, before they left the Calling's embrace.) Messengers tend to be initiated into the deep secrets of the Calling, and are tasked with guiding those with less knowledge.

The Silent Calling's local cells are run by Speakers; their tasks are to organise local charity efforts, group meetings, and see to local sensitive issues like Cyber-Newtype assistance. While Speakers aren't privy to the Calling's deepest secrets, they have direct lines of communication to the greater leadership, and they are valued for their capacity to deliver culturally-appropriate services to their area.

True devotees, at their most basic level, are Initiates: those who are aware of the mysteries of the Void, if not what lies there. Initiates are typically those who have been helped profoundly enough by the Silent Calling that they believe in its potential. This sometimes causes friction with non-believers, but the Silent Calling is very supportive of its people.

Finally, all members of the Silent Calling -- including casual or curious individuals who have not yet devoted themselves to the Calling's ideals fully -- are referred to as 'Callers'. This broad identification serves to bring everyone together: each member of the Calling, from volunteers like Ujico Issa who occasionally help at the soup kitchen to the Oracle herself, are all considered Callers by the congregation.

Charity

The Silent Calling's charitable activities are tailored to region; all of their soup kitchens and meal delivery services strive to serve local, culturally-appropriate cuisine. This food is free to all. They also frequently operate charitable pantries, where anyone can come to collect non-perishable foodstuffs like canned meats, rice, or dried fruits. Unfortunately, not every pantry will always be able to supply all the necessary food groups, but they do what they can.

They run charity shops where those in need can find products to help them, sold cheaply and offered for free for those who cannot pay. These focus on clothing, with a particular focus on ensuring those in cold climates or going through winter have warm clothes. They also offer a modest selection of hygiene and cleaning products, kitchen products, bedding products, lighting, and home repair equipment. These days, there are shortages in the charity shops frequently, but they make efforts to ensure the basics are still available.

Members of the Calling offer volunteer home visits to vulnerable persons, and frequently volunteer their assistance with home maintenance, gardening, or transport. In several areas, they also make efforts to assist with housing the unhoused.

The Silent Calling offers specific support to Newtypes and Cyber-Newtypes in the form of informational support groups and assistance with escaping experimentation.

While the Silent Calling does accept donations from wealthy patrons, these are scrutinised, and less financially capable individuals are politely declined. (It is understood that Elisa funds their efforts through investments from her successful Olympic career and later efforts in science.) The Silent Calling asks for Callers' ears, not their wallets; they prize the attention of their followers, and do not ask them for monetary support. (Indeed, their charity is largely focused on assisting those without money; disadvantaged Callers frequently find themselves more financially well after joining the organisation, not because of direct financial support, but because they're able to access help with the needs of basic living.)

International Scrutiny

After the Gate Incident at the North Pole, the Silent Calling began to endure heavy international scrutiny from its connection with its founders. The Silent Calling has lost much of its casual support as the cause became associated with the heavy scarring of the North Pole, alongside several terrorist incidents preceding it.

However, many devoted Callers were galvanized by the perceived persecution, and the Silent Calling still enjoys their support. Groups of Callers have gone underground, keeping contact through private channels and mailing lists, and hiding their beliefs from concerned friends and family. Worryingly, many of the Newtypes and Cyber-Newtypes which the Silent Calling have supported share this tendency, and retain loyalty to the organisation.

Despite this scrutiny, the Silent Calling has fought to keep many of its charity shops and soup kitchens open -- though they've had to scale back their offerings now they have less support. In most cases, they've had to obscure their connections with their organisation in order to operate freely. While their affiliation tends to be an open secret, local communities almost always appreciate the services they provide, so the locals pretend each outlet has gone independent and disavowed their roots.