Page 33 of Dark Rover's Gift

"Or better technology," Kalugal suggested. "Speaking of which, how are the plans for building new Odus coming along?"

Kian laughed, not even bothering to act surprised that Kalugal knew about the secret project. His cousin had intelligence sources everywhere—it would have been more shocking if he didn't know about the progress Kaia and William were making.

"Robots can't solve this problem," Kian said. "What we need is an alien invasion to unite humanity against a common threat."

The words were meant as a joke, but Kalugal's visible shiver reminded him that some jokes cut too close to uncomfortable truths.

"That's not funny," his cousin said. "We all know what happens when the Eternal King becomes aware of what's happening on Earth. An alien invasion wouldn't unite humanity—it would end it."

The reminder of that looming threat cast another shadow over their gathering, as if they didn't have enough problems with terrestrial enemies.

"You're right," Kian said. "Poor attempt at humor. But the point stands—we need something to fundamentally change the game's dynamics. The Brotherhood is winning because they're playing by different rules, and they started the game long before we realized what they were planning. We limit ourselves to protecting humanity's free will. They manipulate and control without conscience."

"So, we adapt our rules," Ell-rom said, then looked surprised at himself for speaking. "The honorable warrior who faces the dishonorable one must choose—maintain honor and die or adapt and survive to restore honor later. Perhaps it's time to consider which choice serves the greater good."

"Wise words," Dalhu murmured. "The cost of maintaining principle against unprincipled enemies might be catastrophic."

Kian had already resolved to use the same unprincipled tactics as the Brotherhood, so what Ell-rom had said wasn't anything new, but he was glad that others saw things the same way he did.

"The ends justifying the means," Orion said. "It's a dangerous philosophy."

"But is it more dangerous than allowing evil to triumph through our inaction?" Ell-rom countered.

They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The cigars had burned down considerably, and the whiskey glasses had been emptied and refilled. Outside, the afternoon was fading toward evening, though plenty of natural light was still reaching Kalugal's lounge.

"There might be another way." Din took a fortifying sip of whiskey before continuing. "The patterns of how civilizations rise and fall are always the same, and the Brotherhood's strategy isn't new, but neither are the counters to it."

"Go on," Kian encouraged.

"They're using humanity's divisions against itself," Din explained, warming to his topic. "Religious, political, economic—every fracture becomes a wedge they can exploit. But what if we focused on strengthening unity instead of justfighting their influence? Not through manipulation, but through improvement of human conditions?"

"We already do that," Brandon pointed out. "Medical advances, technological development, social progress?—"

"Yes, but piecemeal," Din interrupted, then caught himself. "Apologies. What I mean is, we respond tactically to their strategic moves. What if we developed our own long-term strategy for human advancement? Not just preventing their victory, but making it impossible by eliminating the conditions they exploit?"

Intrigued, Kian leaned forward. "You're talking about social engineering on a massive scale, and I like where you are going with that, but I'm afraid that we are out of time. The game will be lost before we get the wheels spinning."

"The Brotherhood thrives on despair, on division, and on humanity's worst impulses," Din said. "What if we gave them something better to believe in?"

"Like what?" Orion scoffed. "A new religion?"

Din shrugged. "Why not? Religious fervor is the easiest to fuel. People love to proselytize."

Dalhu regarded him with a skeptical look. "There is something to it, but those who are zealots for whatever they believe in, either religion or ideology, will not be easy to convince to try something new, even if you come up with the most wonderful and uplifting version of either."

"People need hope," Max said. "The Brotherhood sells despair and somehow makes it palatable by promising rewards in the afterlife. It's the biggest con ever perpetrated against humans."

"How do you engineer belief?" Ell-rom asked.

"The same way they engineer despair," Din said. "Through stories, through media, through careful cultivation of cultural movements. The difference is we'd be cultivating growth instead of decay."

Brandon groaned. "That's exactly what the clan has done for decades, but the rules have changed on us. It used to be that a few Hollywood executives made all the decisions and dictated what the public was exposed to. That was the golden era of film and television. Now, every idiot with internet access is an influencer, and way too many are spewing hate. I'm sure that the Brotherhood is paying hundreds of them or even thousands to sow the seeds of despair to undermine societies all over the world."

"Humans are naturally inclined toward hope," Din argued. "They want to believe in better futures. I bet that we can counteract their hateful messages with fewer influencers and with much less money. Good will always triumph over evil."

Kian felt something shift in his chest—not quite hope, but perhaps hope's precursor. It wasn't really a viable solution, or a partial one, but Din's optimism was like a ray of sunshine in the darkness, and perhaps that was precisely what was needed, just amplified times a million.

"Where can I find a million Dins who will spread a message of hope?"

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