08-25-2016, 12:16 PM
Evelyn couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. She hadn't expected Nick to give in so easily, but then again given the fact that he seemed almost blase about it, the man probably didn't see any reason not to send her. Trano's opinions about CCD and Ascendancy were well documented. The man was a zealot at best, and an absolute warmonger at worst. Evie respected the fact that Nick did what he did out of genuine belief that it was best for the United States, but war with the Dominion would be a disaster for the entire world. Nevertheless, Trano saw war with Ascendancy as inevitable, and so any attempt at diplomacy, in his mind, was just a waste of time. Why should it matter to him whether or not she was a part of the delegation?
Evie knew better though. She wasn't so certain that world domination was Brandon's ultimate goal. She'd been... fascinated by the man for what felt like her whole life. Maddie had teased her relentlessly about her secret teenage crush on the God. Luckily for her political career it was a secret her friend took to the grave. Nevertheless, she'd always been inexplicably drawn to him, curious about him. It didn't escape her notice that Ascendancy never once conquered a Dominance by force. He spread order through economic prosperity and stability. It wasn't so different than what the United States had tried - and often failed - to do during the Cold War.
Evelyn wasn't blind to Brandon's faults. There were troubling accusations of humanitarian abuses in his regime, and a startling lack of democracy. However he was not unreasonable. From her studies of him, it seemed that Ascendancy's ultimate goal was order and peace. In that respect, the United States could be a valuable ally, and a stabilizing force on Brandon's policies. This would hardly be the first time in their Republic's history that they made nice with a dictator in order to advance their national interests. By working with the CCD, or at least having positive diplomatic relations with the nation, the U.S. could carefully nudge Brandon in a positive direction with regards to humanitarianism and democracy. All they needed was the right person for the job.
It was arrogant to assume that person was her. Evie wasn't ignorant of that. However... when she was fifteen years old, Evelyn had been sick, so sick she should have died from it. Other people did... Maddie did. Before that moment she'd never been religious, but she'd been a scared little girl, desperate not to die. She spent weeks fighting and fighting, because that's what you were supposed to do, right? It was in all the movies, that concept that if you fought your disease, if you had a positive attitude, then your chance of survival increased. And yet she just got sicker and sicker. Finally, when Evelyn had been certain that she was going to die, she clutched at the cross she'd inherited from her grandmother and just... gave up.
She repented all of her sins of anger and jealousy and pride. She surrendered herself entirely to the Lord. Evie had nothing; she swore that she would serve God in whatever capacity He demanded of her, so long as He spared her. In that moment, she felt Jesus come into her body. It was like the Rapture, like everything the bible had promised. It was sweetness and life beyond anything she'd ever experienced. Even still after all these years, it was far greater than drug she'd ever surreptitiously tried out in undergrad. Christ had spared her, and as promised she became His servant, His tool on earth.
Evelyn dedicated herself fully to helping others, to fulfilling the Spirit of goodness that Christ embodied. And in return He cleared a way for her. Even Nick himself was an unwitting servant. The ease with which she had ascended through her career was unnatural. It was no coincidence that she was easily elected the youngest Representative in decades, nor was it a coincidence that she got her way onto the CCD Subcommittee. No, Jesus had given her His blessing, just as He had given her His power. He was drawing her towards Nikolai Brandon, and when His purpose revealed itself, Evelyn would obey just as she always had.
"I did say that I would be the first openly powered Member of Congress, didn't I? Yes, I am prepared to go public with my abilities. The only question is what manner of doing so will best serve our purposes?"
Evelyn grinned at him.
Just because she didn't agree with Trano's politics regarding CCD didn't mean that she couldn't see the benefit of having a powerful ally in the Executive branch. And, as she'd said before, they had a mutual goal of protecting powered individuals from governmental and extra-judicial abuses. "So, Secretary Trano... how do we play this? I'm certainly open to suggestions of how to 'come out,' so to speak, in a manner that will most effectively advance the cause of equality for powered people."
Evie knew better though. She wasn't so certain that world domination was Brandon's ultimate goal. She'd been... fascinated by the man for what felt like her whole life. Maddie had teased her relentlessly about her secret teenage crush on the God. Luckily for her political career it was a secret her friend took to the grave. Nevertheless, she'd always been inexplicably drawn to him, curious about him. It didn't escape her notice that Ascendancy never once conquered a Dominance by force. He spread order through economic prosperity and stability. It wasn't so different than what the United States had tried - and often failed - to do during the Cold War.
Evelyn wasn't blind to Brandon's faults. There were troubling accusations of humanitarian abuses in his regime, and a startling lack of democracy. However he was not unreasonable. From her studies of him, it seemed that Ascendancy's ultimate goal was order and peace. In that respect, the United States could be a valuable ally, and a stabilizing force on Brandon's policies. This would hardly be the first time in their Republic's history that they made nice with a dictator in order to advance their national interests. By working with the CCD, or at least having positive diplomatic relations with the nation, the U.S. could carefully nudge Brandon in a positive direction with regards to humanitarianism and democracy. All they needed was the right person for the job.
It was arrogant to assume that person was her. Evie wasn't ignorant of that. However... when she was fifteen years old, Evelyn had been sick, so sick she should have died from it. Other people did... Maddie did. Before that moment she'd never been religious, but she'd been a scared little girl, desperate not to die. She spent weeks fighting and fighting, because that's what you were supposed to do, right? It was in all the movies, that concept that if you fought your disease, if you had a positive attitude, then your chance of survival increased. And yet she just got sicker and sicker. Finally, when Evelyn had been certain that she was going to die, she clutched at the cross she'd inherited from her grandmother and just... gave up.
She repented all of her sins of anger and jealousy and pride. She surrendered herself entirely to the Lord. Evie had nothing; she swore that she would serve God in whatever capacity He demanded of her, so long as He spared her. In that moment, she felt Jesus come into her body. It was like the Rapture, like everything the bible had promised. It was sweetness and life beyond anything she'd ever experienced. Even still after all these years, it was far greater than drug she'd ever surreptitiously tried out in undergrad. Christ had spared her, and as promised she became His servant, His tool on earth.
Evelyn dedicated herself fully to helping others, to fulfilling the Spirit of goodness that Christ embodied. And in return He cleared a way for her. Even Nick himself was an unwitting servant. The ease with which she had ascended through her career was unnatural. It was no coincidence that she was easily elected the youngest Representative in decades, nor was it a coincidence that she got her way onto the CCD Subcommittee. No, Jesus had given her His blessing, just as He had given her His power. He was drawing her towards Nikolai Brandon, and when His purpose revealed itself, Evelyn would obey just as she always had.
"I did say that I would be the first openly powered Member of Congress, didn't I? Yes, I am prepared to go public with my abilities. The only question is what manner of doing so will best serve our purposes?"
Evelyn grinned at him.
Just because she didn't agree with Trano's politics regarding CCD didn't mean that she couldn't see the benefit of having a powerful ally in the Executive branch. And, as she'd said before, they had a mutual goal of protecting powered individuals from governmental and extra-judicial abuses. "So, Secretary Trano... how do we play this? I'm certainly open to suggestions of how to 'come out,' so to speak, in a manner that will most effectively advance the cause of equality for powered people."