Page 81 - SurprisingTruthFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Vincent paused, unable to look Henry in the eye.
"He told them they were cold because the maintenance
union had been systematically underpaid and
understaffed for two decades, and since all financial
projections now showed a 100% chance of future
failure, no one would ever fix the system again. He told
them, honestly, that they would freeze before the
winter ended."
Henry stared, horrified. "He killed their hope."
"He upheld the Mandate," Vincent countered, his
voice rough. "He chose Courage Over Comfort. He
gave them the truth we demanded." Vincent looked at
Henry, his expression one of devastating clarity. "The
struggle is supposed to ennoble the spirit. Your truth
has made the struggle pointless. You told them the
monster exists, and then you told them there are no
weapons. You are the architect, Henry. But you are also
the prophet of the abyss."
Henry realized his new position. In the old world,
he was the necessary fixer, the silent puppet master. In
this new world of pain, he was the Scapegoat. He was
the man who had promised liberation and delivered
the terminal diagnosis.
He looked at Lina, still sleeping, protecting the
server that delivered the world's misery. He looked at
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