By James Maliszewski
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The Ministry of Psionic Affairs (or simply, "The Ministry") suffers from a public relations problem. In this respect, the psi order is much like China itself — respected for its role in defending humanity but feared because outsiders question its ultimate goals. That the Ministry's psions possess the ability to probe others minds certainly doesn't help matters. Many nations, like Brazil, India and the FSA refuse to cooperate with the telepaths, seeing them as Chinese agents rather than the protectors of the human race that Ministry propaganda claims.
Because apprehension about the Ministry's motives remains widespread, the support of the Æon Trinity is essential. Make no mistake, however: the telepaths can and would operate freely even without the support of Æon. The combination of Chinese arrogance and Proxy Bue Li's religious devotion to her cause would undoubtedly outweigh any concerns about international perceptions of the Ministry. Fortunately for the world, Æon has taken — and Bue Li has encouraged — steps to emphasize the psi order's good works on behalf of all humanity, even to the point of downplaying its association with the Chinese government. While Æon's efforts have gone a long way toward alleviating some of the public's anxiety, they have not eliminated them entirely. Joe Hologram doesn't need to be a mind reader to realize that the psi order is a branch of the Chinese government and that its Proxy sits on the State Council of Premier Zhang Hu-lan, a person many consider a criminal for his suppression of all dissent against the regime he heads.
None of this matters to Rebecca Bue Li. Initially, she spearheaded an effort to dispel myths about the Ministry (and, by extension, China), adding her eloquent voice to that of the Æon Trinity, which worked toward the same end. Buoyed by her faith, she hoped that the world was ready to accept her reassurances at face value. Instead, suspicion of telepaths continued and Bue Li withdrew from public view, directing her psi order from Beijing through OpMail and trusted intermediaries. This behavior, though driven by frustration, only added further fuel to the fire. It wasn't long before every conspiracy theorist on the planet offered up his "explanation" for what Bue Li was "really up to," now that she had refrained from making the public statements that were so characteristic of the Ministry's early years.
Nevertheless, the Ministry has established itself as an integral part of life in the 22nd century. Since its inception, the telepaths have acted as investigators, separating truth from falsehood and reality from fantasy. Bue Li once stated that her psi order existed "to sift the human soul" and that's a concise description of its purpose. More significantly, though, the Ministry provides essential counterintelligence against enemies within and without. Distrusted or not, telepaths have never failed to use their talents to root out aberrants and those misguided enough to ally themselves with them. Does this not make them worthy of our thanks, rather than our fear?
The Ministry is one of the smallest psi orders; only the Norça and Upeo orders have smaller active membership.s This is understandable for a variety of reasons, most notably the tense relations China has with much of the world. Because the Ministry has a strong tie to the Chinese government, many nations restrict the telepaths' ability to recruit new applicants within their borders. Even other psi orders, such as Orgotek, have shown a reluctance (if not outright hostility) to enter into reciprocal triggering arrangements with the Ministry, thereby ensuring that the telepaths' numbers have remained relatively low.
More problematic still is the nature of the current Chinese regime, whose neo-Confucian commitments mandated the institution of rigorous examinations above and beyond tests for psionic latency. While ensuring high quality candidates for the Ministry, it also kept the order's numbers quite low — far lower than one would expect, given China's huge population.
Proxy Bue Li was long concerned by these facts. As she withdrew from the public eye, she devoted more of her attention to "securing the Ministry's future", by which she meant guaranteeing that it did not become just another ministry within the Chinese government — populated by shortsighted geriatrics. Since 2113, the order has stepped up its recruitment program, subtly altering its entrance examinations to enable more qualified latents (some as young as 12) to enter its training program. Bue Li won the cautious support of the State Council in her efforts by arguing that China would be ill served if it did draw upon all its natural psionic resources.
Not every member of the State Council endorses Bue Li's efforts. Some, like Lin Huiling of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, openly question the wisdom of her decision, believing it will dilute the strength of the Ministry. Others, like Wen Dazhong of the China National Space Agency, imply that the Proxy has a hidden agenda, one that places the good of humanity above that of China — an intolerable situation for "patriots" like him. For now at least, Bue Li's change of course enjoys official sponsorship and is bearing fruit in the form of increased membership both in Asia and elsewhere.
Of course, the Ministry also employs neutrals in a variety of capacities. While they obviously cannot perform the same sorts of duties that psions do, they nevertheless form an important part of its superstructure. In fact, it might be more accurate to say neutrals form the superstructure of the Ministry, for it is they — working as administrators, commissioners and managers — who largely enable the comparatively small number of telepaths to go about the order's business without having to waste time with the day-to-day details of running a huge government bureaucracy.
Subject: The Ministry of Psionic Affairs
From: Ravinder Savundragayam, Intelligence Bureau
To: Thurka Ambiganithy, Cabinet Secretariat Research and Analysis Wing
Encryption: DSE
Transmissions type: holofile [file enclosed]
Date: 10:29:59 1.16.2104
As we discussed, I have begun an investigation into this group of psions who have chosen to ally themselves with Beijing. Thus far, I have turned up very little, perhaps because, as Edwin suggested, this "Ministry of Psionic Affairs" is actually a ruse. It would certainly not be the first time that the Chinese have employed disinformation to suggest they are in greater control of a situation than they actually are.
However, I do not think this is what we are dealing with here. As much as I respect Edwin's understanding of such matters, I think he sometimes blinds himself to an obvious fact: Beijing does not lie if does not have to do so. In this case, I can see little benefit — and much to lose — by claiming to have reached an accord with these psions. If it were a ruse, it's one of the more elaborate I've ever seen. Sharing astronautical secrets with the Filipinos? I can't imagine why they'd offer to do that, if this were just a hoax. No, this is all too real and that's why we should be concerned. The key to understanding this is Rebecca Bue Li, the self-proclaimed "proxy" of these psions. Understand her and I expect we'll understand what's going on in Beijing.
I've authorized Mario to head up the investigation into this woman. We've got to find out more about her; it's our only hope to finding out more about this Ministry.
Despite regular recriminations about the Ministry's "ties to the Chinese government," Joe Hologram is often unclear about its true purpose, whether as a psi order or a government agency. That's understandable, especially since Rebecca Bue Li ceased her early "educational announcements" and other public efforts to win popular support for her cause. For the benefit of those who remain in the dark, here's a quick overview of the Ministry's various roles:
• Coordinators: The Chinese government is huge, ponderous and slow to react — all potential impediments to the responsibilities it must undertake on humanity's behalf. More than ever, there's a need for men and women skilled in the delicate art of "human mechanics," which is simply a fancy way to saying "coaching." Ministry agents, particularly those associated with the Office of Semiotics, use their psi aptitudes to encourage and cajole the smooth completion of necessary tasks, as well as to mediate between various government agencies. While not as glamorous as rooting out aberrant sympathizers on the Military Council, it's a much needed function that's earned the Ministry the respect of prominent neo-Confucianists, who see the telepaths as "new mandarins" — wise overseers of the vast machinery of statecraft.
• Diplomats: For much the same reasons they make excellent coordinators, telepaths also excel at diplomacy. Their ability to read the minds of others is a very useful tool, to be sure, but in many cases, their mere presence is sufficient to spark a level of openness and honesty that's atypical in diplomatic circles. Chinese diplomatic teams are rarely without at least one Ministry attachˇ. They have proven their worth time and again, particularly in their dealings with the Qin. It's hoped (at least by less militaristic factions) that their skills may be put to good use in resolving tensions with the Chromatics and the mysterious Coalition, although its likelihood remains to be seen.
• Information Gathering: Choose any euphemism you wish, but telepaths are well suited to espionage. Ministry agents frequently engage in information gathering of all sorts, not all of it covert. This is precisely why they are so feared by outsiders. While it's wonderful that they can uncover hidden aberrants with greater ease than any other psion, those same abilities could just as easily be turned to uncovering the FSA's military objectives in the Pacific or Orgotek's latest advances in noetic engineering. Although only a small fraction of telepaths work as spies, they few who do are at least partially responsible for why the order has such a bad reputation in many circles.
• Law Enforcement: Perhaps the most truly sinister element of the Ministry's work is its complicity in enforcing China's "behavioral interventions" against its citizens. Designed to decrease incidents of sedition and other illicit acts, these interventions involve Ministry agents mingling with neutrals and reading their minds for evidence of criminal intent. Like espionage, it's activities like this that have contributed to the psi order's reputation abroad. Even some within the Ministry (including, it is rumored, Proxy Bue Li) find these actions distasteful, but they are now so vital to Chinese governance that it would unthinkable to imagine their ending.
• Messengers: An interesting (but not universal) side effect of telepathy is that many such psions possess true eidetic memories. Though still rare, they represent a sizable divergence from the human norm for such abilities. Unsurprisingly, the Ministry employs such psions as a "living data recorders." They carry sensitive information in their minds as a precaution against theft and espionage, information that is then relayed mentally to its intended recipient. This method leaves no evidence that such sensitive data exists at all — exactly what many within the government desires.
• Translators: An adjunct to telepaths' other roles is their ability to comprehend and easily translate human and alien languages. It's frightening to consider how contact with the Qin would have gone had the Ministry not been involved. Telepaths regularly function as translators for public and private concerns, another service both Æon and the Ministry play up in an effort to draw attention away from the order's less savory activities.
The Ministry is divided into three separate divisions. Between them, the divisions include over four thousand telepaths, as well as nearly 100,000 neutrals. This last fact surprises many people, who forget that, as well as being a psi order, the Ministry is also a branch of the Chinese government. The Ministry's neutrals maintain its large bureaucracy, functioning as administrators and managers.
What's even more surprising to foreigners is that all Ministry personnel, whether psion or neutral, undergoes the same rigorous examinations, following the neo-Confucian ideology that holds sway in Beijing. Of course, there are multiple levels of examinations, some of which cannot be passed by individuals lacking telepathy. This has the effect of creating roles within the Ministry that can only be filled by psions while at the same time furthering China's claims of meritocracy.
— Excerpt: Thomas Tsang, Forbidden City: My Years in China ©: 2119 University of San Francisco Press
There can be no better example of the hypocrisy and duplicity of the Beijing regime than the Ministry of Psionic Affairs. While Zhang Hu-lan lauds it as "proof that [China's] traditional system of examination works, rewarding those with ability rather than those with political connections," the Premier is being disingenuous in the extreme. Whatever the merits of Neo-Confucianism, they are not revealed in the Ministry. Under Rebecca Bue Li, it is a haven for elitism and disenfranchisement of the highest order. She has warped and twisted China's most ancient traditions to serve her own narrow ends. The tests administered by the Ministry have been skewed in such a way as to relegate neutrals to the sidelines, fit only to be pencil pushers and chair-warmers, while the psions form a powerful clique at its center — the true locus of power within the Ministry. Bue Li clearly learned more from the Jesuits than catechism.
Compared to the other psi orders, the Ministry presents an unusual dilemma for individuals showing telepathic latency. To develop one's abilities to their fullest, one must place one's training in the hands of an agency of a national government, one that is considered an enemy — or at least a rival — by more than a few states throughout the world. Proxy Bue Li places great emphasis on the "communal" aspects of her psi order. While no one is forced to devote their lives to the greater glory of China, there is powerful (and not always subtle) pressure not to "abandon fellow telepaths," which makes the choice difficult. This section describes the process of joining the Ministry, with special attention to how that process affects player characters.
The Ministry has recruitment offices in most major cities across Asia, as well as a testing centers in a handful of locales outside the region. China's reputation throughout the world limits the order's ability to set up testing centers in places like the FSA, Brazil and India, so it relies on reciprocal agreements with other orders to obtain recruits from those nations. Of course, the Ministry isn't an active recruiter anyway. Within China, it's plugged into the government's massive examination system and that provides the bulk of its applicants. The remainder stem from the good PR generated by the actions of the Office of Semiotics, such as the recent peace deals in the Middle East. As unbelievable as it might seem to outsiders, the Ministry attracts a small number of idealistic applicants from outside of Asia, determined to join the order's efforts to "preserve the security of the human race." In the aftermath of the Esperanza disaster, Europeans form the largest group of these idealists.
The Chinese government has adopted a system of national civil service examinations based on a modified version of similar exams used in earlier times. These exams test a candidate's aptitudes in a variety of areas, which in turn determines his fitness to serve in a government ministry or agency. How well a candidate scores in each area reveals in which branch of the government he would best serve. These areas are divided into two groups. The first consists of the "Six Arts," which include:
• Etiquette: Knowledge of the ceremonies and rituals of public life, such as appropriate greetings and forms of address.
• Marksmanship: Skill with the use of auto and laser weapons, both for self-defense and as training in hand-eye coordination.
• Mathematics: The ability to perform mathematical operations (from simple arithmetic to calculus) "the old-fashioned way" — without use of computer aids.
• Music: Basic musical theory and composition, as well as aesthetics.
• Physical Travel: The ability to use unpowered vehicles, such as gliders and bicycles — a demonstration of physical well-being.
• Writing: Facility with modern and classical Chinese ideography, as well as grammar. Also includes the ability to compose written missives clearly and concisely.
In addition to the Six Arts, there are additional areas, grouped together as the "Five Studies." They are:
• Agriculture: Familiarity with modern farming techniques both for personal survival and to gain understanding of the natural world.
• Geography: Knowledge of world geography, in addition to basic comprehension of other planets, such as Khantze Lu Ge.
• Law: Knowledge of China's code of civil and criminal law codes.
• Strategy: Comprehension of the principles behind military strategy.
• Taxation: Familiarity with the tax codes used in contemporary China.
These exams are administered by government officials both orally and in written form, all under the watchful minds of Ministry telepaths. Ostensibly, the telepaths are present to weed out "undesirables" and others who would attempt to cheat or abuse the system. They are guardians of the exams' integrity — at least that's what the Ministry and government both claim.
The reality is much more complex, being the result of a compromise between Premier Zhang and Bue Li. Zhang believes assigning telepaths as watchdogs "co-opts" the Ministry within the neo-Confucian system. By giving them access to an integral part of China's power structure, she hopes to sate an appetite for more power. How much more could the Ministry possibly want? Bue Li, on the other hand, sees participation as a means to influence the direction of China's future. Telepathic "guardians" frequently use aptitudes like Empathy and Mindshare to aid and hinder candidates at all levels of the examination system, rigging them to Bue Li's liking. Because of the subtlety of this manipulation, no one within the Chinese government has yet uncovered it — and lived to tell about it.
Subject: Re: Exam Analysis
From: Jin Kanghua, Ministry of Science and Technology
To: Yao Qiangwei, Ministry of Culture
Encryption: SPE
Transmission type: holofile [file enclosed]
Date: 10:47:08 01:06:2116
You misunderstand me. I do recognize that these are dangerous times. It is only right and proper that Premier Zhang has taken steps to curb dangerous foreign influences. I even support her re-institution of the ancient examinations as an excellent method to do so. I merely point out that I question the prudence of placing the integrity of these exams in the hands of Bue Li, a woman who — let me be frank — is not one of us. She is gweilo, no matter who her ancestors were. She does not truly share our values or concerns. She is even a Christian, as is a sizable percentage of her Ministry.
I believe our Premier has erred in trusting her, particularly when it comes to safeguarding our national examinations — and I can prove it. I have commissioned an analysis of exam results over the past two years and the results are astonishing. Never did we suspect the extent of Bue Li's treachery, and treachery it is. I am certain that even the Premier will be unable to deny what I will present to her. Only then shall China be safe from unhealthy influences.
There are three levels of exams, each more rigorous than the last. The first, typically administered on a local level, confers upon successful candidates the title of juren or "recommended person." Juren may take up jobs on the provincial level. They are also eligible for the second level of exams, which confer the title of jinshi or "presented scholar" on those who pass. Jinshi may take national level postings, including many government ministries. However, a third level — which confers no special title — also exists. Candidates for this level are expected to analyze contemporary political problems, as well as the usual battery of tests on the Arts and Studies.
Unlike the previous two levels, the third level tests are not generalized, but are instead differentiated according to the candidate's desired posting. These exams are tailored to determine suitability for admission to a particular ministry or agency. Because Ministry telepaths are on hand to oversee these exams, failed but nevertheless exceptional candidates can be directed to other third level tests where their skills and aptitudes might be better employed. Naturally, exams for entrance into the Ministry of Psionic Affairs include tests for latency. Lack of psi ability doesn't preclude entrance into the Ministry, but whether one possesses it or not does determine the type of training that occurs after acceptance.
Once a test for latency has revealed psionic potential, a candidate is quickly admitted into the Ministry and prepared for dunking in the Prometheus Chamber. Unlike many other psi orders, the Ministry does not believe in extensive preparation — Proxy Bue Li would say extensive additional preparation — before triggering. That's because she believes that China's examination system has already done as much preparation as is possible. In some cases, recruits have spent years readying their minds and bodies to serve the Ministry. This is especially true of non-Asian recruits, who often feel they must be that much better to succeed in their quest to join the psi order.
Critics of this approach (and there are many, particularly Solveig Larrsen) argue that the Ministry doesn't adequately prepare latents for the realities of triggering. They suggest that Bue Li's approach leaves a new psion confused and vulnerable to a variety of psychological ailments. The proxy dismisses such criticisms out of hand, saying that nothing can prepare an individual for the Prometheus Effect and it is wasteful of time and energy to assume otherwise. Resources are better spent on acclimating a psion to her new abilities and teaching her how to use them morally and ethically. In one of her last public addresses, Bue Li famously attacked the view of critics like Larrsen as giving too much credence to the notion that "psions are no different than neutrals," which the proxy believes is a "pernicious lie based on the naive notion that the only standard of one's humanity is equality."
Bue Li's stated position belies another reality unique to the Ministry — child psions. For years, reports have leaked out of the Forbidden City that the Ministry had dunked pre-adolescent children, some as young as five, far younger than the 18 (or 14 in China) years considered typical for the procedure. Definitive proof of this practice emerged only in 2121, when one of these youthful psions was filmed in action in the Philippines. Since then, European and Sudamerican journalists and espionage agencies have uncovered additional proof, but the Ministry has made no apologies for its practice. In fact, statements from Ministry spokespeople imply that the practice has met with remarkable success, as child psions can more easily acquire additional aptitudes. Critics decry the practice as yet another means to create "unthinking automatons" whose only loyalty is to China.
The Ministry does indeed trigger children and pre-adolescents who show strong psionic latency. Storytellers should be mindful that these child psions exist only in the Ministry and even then only in small numbers. Being a child psion is a 4-point flaw if you are using the Trinity Player's Guide. This includes the 1-point flaw Short as well. Pre-adolescent children are limited to no more than 3 dots in their Physical Attributes and in their Intelligence-based Abilities. However, they possess a decreased experience costs when it comes to increasing or gaining psionic modes. Child psions use the following chart to determine experience costs, instead of the one on p. 172 of Trinity:
| Trait Increase | Cost |
| Aptitude Mode | Current Rating x 4 |
| New Trait | Cost |
| Aptitude Mode | 5 |
| Auxiliary Mode (max. 1 dot) | 8 |
Storytellers should note that child psions also face numerous social difficulties, such as not being taken seriously by adults and their inability to participate in or undertake certain activities legally. Playing a child psion should be a roleplaying challenge, not an easy method to decrease the cost of gaining powerful psionic abilities.
Once triggered, telepaths enter another period of intense training at one of the Ministry's Psi Institutes, lasting for two years. During this time, their exposure to non-shielded human minds is limited. This is done to protect both the telepaths and their instructors, many of whom are neutrals. In many instances, their fellow students are neutrals as well, since the two-year course of study does not entirely consist of psionic training. Instruction in information gathering and diplomacy are paramount, as is Chinese and Filipino history. The Ministry believes that all its agents, neutral or psion, should work off the same page, ensuring both solidarity and efficiency.
In addition, the Ministry's training includes extensive coursework in morals and ethics. This is not a mere adjunct to the Six Arts and Five Studies although it does build upon that foundation. Proxy Bue Li believes that telepathy is one of the aptitudes whose use is most given to abuse in the wrong hands. Although she readily concedes that necessity sometimes demands the throwing away of moral constraints, she just as fervently believes that those situations are rare. Moreover, she worries that the Ministry cannot properly function in its roles as defender of China and of humanity if it is not constructed on a firm foundation of ethical conduct.
What is truly fascinating to outsiders is how seriously Ministry officials take this belief. Even more remarkable is the fact that Ministry philosophical training includes both Eastern and Western traditions. This flies in the face of China's public concern over "negative foreign influences," but Bue Li possesses enough influence that she has been able to have her way in this regard, despite the criticism from rivals in the government. Although Confucian thought holds particular prominence, it is not the official philosophy of the Ministry. The proxy believes that philosophy, like the experience of telepathy, defies easy categories and simple explanations. It cannot be contained in a box and left stagnant for eternity. Rather, it is a living, breathing thing and one must accept that if one is to come close to approaching its mysteries.
It should come as no surprise that Rebecca Bue Li's philosophical beliefs stem from her training with the Jesuits. A sincere if unorthodox Roman Catholic in her earlier life, the proxy's faith has had a profound influence over the Ministry. More than one wag has found the psi order's official name deeply ironic, given its leader's religious devotion. Christianity is not the Ministry's official religion anymore than Confucianism is its official philosophy, but, like Confucianism, it suffuses nearly every element of its operations. Consequently, many telepaths possess at least a lukewarm commitment to Christianity in some form, with the majority being Roman Catholics. Approximately 40% of Ministry agents call themselves Christians of some form or other, although their zeal varies greatly.
Ministry offices always include at least one chaplain, who conducts daily services for those present. The chaplain was once almost always a Catholic priest, but that isn't as certain any more. Bue Li's enemies within the government are uncomfortable with the presence of these priests and have moved to limit their numbers through a variety of legal maneuvers. Interestingly, Pope Benedict has also limited the participation of Catholic priests, issuing a bull in 2118 that forbade priests and deacons from becoming members of the Ministry, even if shown to possess telepathic latency. This doesn't prevent their attending to the religious needs of the psi order, but it does show that Bue Li's Catholic heritage does not guarantee its acceptance by Beijing let alone a close relationship with the Holy See. Thus, laypeople and non-Catholic ministers lead many services, since the proxy's own view of Christianity is far more expansive than that of her nominal coreligionists.
All Ministry personnel, regardless of status, receive the same basic training, which assumes a certain level of competence in the Six Arts and Five Studies. This basic training lasts for six months and includes physical, mental and social elements. Ministry agents learn the policies and procedures of the order. This is essential, since, at base, it is a bureaucracy of the Chinese government. Innovation, while welcomed in some areas, is sharply curtailed here, where it is considered detrimental to efficiency. Of greater import is that all Ministry personnel understand and follow the same bureaucratic procedures.
In a similar vein, basic training includes extensive tutoring in interpersonal skills. This includes formal etiquette, in which neo-Confucian philosophy places great stock, as well as languages and persuasion. Ministry personnel learn to be effective speakers who convey an air of authority. They are taught to know their place, which means also knowing when one is in a position to command others and expect to be obeyed. This is essential, since modern China operates under the assumption that "everyone is in their place and there is a place for everyone."
Finally, basic training includes instruction in martial arts. The favored forms are Kung Fu and Tai Ch'i Ch'uan, as well as Escrima. These arts are taught partially for self-defense and partially for discipline. The Ministry firmly believes that both are essential in carrying out its mission — especially in the uncertain world of the 22nd century.
Proxy Bue Li's dedication to community within the Ministry is not merely rhetorical, whatever her critics may claim. That's why even neutral members of the Ministry attend the telepathic training courses intended for psions. Naturally, she doesn't expect that they'll benefit directly, but she does believe there is much to be gained by neutrals' becoming familiar in some small way with the nature and functioning of telepathy. In addition, Bue Li believes it "demythologizes" psionic abilities, preventing their becoming the focus of awe or unearned respect. "That psions possess abilities neutrals lack cannot be denied," she stated in 2113, "but the mere possession of those abilities does not make them any more worthy in the eyes of God. There is a diversity of gifts and psi powers are but one such gift — and far from the greatest. I count a pure heart and a right mind of far greater value."
Telepathic training proceeds in stages, each step further acclimatizing a new psion to the experience of touching other human minds. Since this process can be traumatic, it always takes place under the watchful eyes of trained counselors and veteran telepaths, who can assist in lessening its impact. Neophyte psions are exposed to limited numbers of well-ordered minds at first. Later, larger numbers are introduced, as are minds whose internal "landscape" is more chaotic and thus more difficult to ascertain. The Ministry regularly makes use of mental patients and other deranged souls (some of whom have been branded such because of their resistance to the Chinese regime) to test the psychic fortitude and skill of telepath. Ministry trainers would like to expand their pool of teaching subjects to include contact with alien and aberrant minds as well, but thus far this plan has met with resistance from higher-ups in Beijing, who view it as too dangerous, even given its potential benefits.
Proxy Bue Li thinks of her psi order as a family, which, in a sense, it is. She lost her own family long ago and has since devoted herself to a variety of endeavors, each more ambitious than the last — and each designed to further the good of humanity, as she sees it. That's why Bue Li tries to make it both easy and difficult to leave the Ministry. It is easy in the sense that no one who completes the two-year training program is expected to remain in China and serve any of the Ministry's branches. They are free to go, if that is their desire. The proxy makes certain that this provision is upheld by Beijing and it's one she's fought hard to maintain in face of intense pressure over the years. Yet, Bue Li firmly believes that a telepath forced to work for China against his will is of no use to her — and possibly even a detriment.
At the same time, the proxy tries very hard to prevent the loss of any telepaths after their training is complete. She believes that humanity's defense and indeed future depend upon a strong and united Ministry. If a telepath finds himself unable to work within the order as it's presently constituted, she attempts to find a solution that's amenable to all sides. That's why each division contains within it numerous semi-autonomous offices whose activities and responsibilities differ from their parent organizations (sometimes in dramatic ways). These offices owe their existence to Bue Li's flexibility in allowing unorthodox telepaths to seek their own ways to serve the Ministry and humanity. The Company, which serves as her inner circle, began in a similar fashion years ago, when Bienvenido Veneracion threatened to leave her side because of the order's "stifling" atmosphere.
Nevertheless, telepaths do leave the Ministry. It's rarer than in many other psi orders, but it still happens. In these cases, the proxy tries to find them "appropriate" work for other proxies, the Æon Trinity or the United Nations. Bue Li loathes seeing them join other Chinese ministries, as she rightly fears they'll be used against her and her plans. However much she disagrees with the other proxies, she has no doubt they generally have the interests of humanity at heart — something she cannot always say of her own government.
The Ministry of Psionic Affairs has an advantage over all other psi orders in that it is an official branch of a Earth government — and the Chinese government at that. This means that it possesses a degree of organization and consistency that even Orgotek can't match. From the highest to the lowest levels, the Ministry is Order Personified, with established protocols and practices for nearly every aspect of its mission, from diplomatic assistance to Aberrant hunting. That's one of the Ministry's greatest strengths. It's also the source of its uncaring bureaucratic reputation — a reputation that's deserved more often than not.
At the highest level of authority is Proxy Rebecca Bue Li and her Company. They set policy for the Ministry, although in principle they do so under the direction of the State Council in Beijing. There's a fair bit of friction between the Company, who understand and endorse Bue Li's agenda, and the Council, which would prefer that the Ministry exist solely as an instrument of Chinese hegemony. Beneath the Company are the order's three divisions, the Offices of Semiotics, Psi Institutes and Psionic Security. Heading these divisions are the Professors, who are also ex officio members of the Company. Bue Li does not admit anyone to the highest pinnacles of power within the Ministry who does not share her goals, despite the best efforts of Beijing to alter the balance in its favor.
Beneath the Professors are the Coadjutors, Ministry members who've completed several years of service and who function as lieutenants to the Professors. In most cases, there are many dozens of Coadjutors within each division, but only a handful have complete access to the Professor to whom they theoretically report. Beneath the Coadjutors are the Scholastics, who are still in the process of learning their occupations within the Ministry. This doesn't mean that they're students per se, only that they have no yet mastered the skills needed to grant them Coadjutor status. Finally, there are the Novices, who have served the Ministry for less than two years. They're the lowest rank within the psi order. Anyone who passes the exam needed to enter the Ministry becomes a novice.
The number of dots a character possesses in Ministry Status determines what rank he occupies within the psi order.
| X | Novice |
| • | Beginning Scholastic |
| •• | Scholastic near completion of studies |
| ••• | Ordinary Coadjutor |
| •••• | Exceptional Coadjutor with access to Professors |
| ••••• | Professor |
The Mandarins
The Office of Semiotics is the branch of the Ministry outsiders know the best. That's because both Bue Li and the State Council have directed that it be the public face of the psi order. Its official purpose is to "encourage understanding and mutual acceptance among peoples and nations," but it does far more than that. OS operatives can be found anywhere that human beings have any contact, whether on Earth, in orbit or among stars. It helps that this Office has the lion's share of the Ministry's telepaths — nearly 45% of these psions work for the Office of Semiotics. The bulk of these are skilled in Empathy and Mindshare, with other Modes being far less common.
When Bue Li founded the Office, she demonstrated her acceptance of Chinese tradition by designating a I Ching hexagram as its insignia, in this case Number 2, which is K'un, Earth, Passive Principle. Her choice had the effect of impressing her Chinese patrons, as well as revealing her vision of the Mandarins' role within the Ministry and outside it. Hexagram 2 is an omen for success through peaceful persistence, which is precisely what the Office embodies. Recent developments in the Middle East, for example, are the result of the Mandarins' tireless — and painstaking — work in bringing together foes who'd been at each others' throats for generations.
That's not all the Mandarins do, of course, but diplomacy is very much at the forefront of its activities. Bue Li realized early on how beneficial the presence of telepaths could be in any diplomatic negotiation. Their mere presence encourages openness and honesty, even if they do not use the psi abilities to guarantee such things. At the same time, she recognized that a human being who can read minds and sense emotions is a profoundly frightening thing. Telepaths are many people's worst nightmare, an unwelcome invasion of their privacy and freedom. That's why Mandarins usually work in small groups of no more than three or four psions (usually fewer), supported by neutrals equally well trained in protocol, diplomacy and linguistics. Bue Li believed — and history supports her — that, while few people feel comfortable in presence of any telepaths, fewer still prefer large numbers of them.
In the past five years, the Office of Semiotics has assumed an even higher profile than they have in the past. OS agents have been involved in humanity's contact with alien races since the beginning. Mandarins, for example, helped to establish peaceful relations with the Qin, particularly during the critical period when Earth lost contact with her extrasolar colonies. OS telepaths have also been vital in coming to grips with the true nature of the Chromatics. If ever there were proof of the Office's quest for success through peaceful persistence, it's the embassy to the Chromatics, a race most humans think unfeeling monsters without any redeeming features. Yet, without the Mandarins' efforts, humanity might never know the truth about the Chromatics and how past encounters with them were clouded by mutual misunderstandings and prejudice. Many observers believe OS agents will take a similarly enlightened approach to the Coalition when the opportunity presents itself.
The Office of Semiotics is the branch of the Ministry most attractive to its Christian members. Its emphasis on peaceful solutions is probably at the heart of that attraction. At the same time, the Mandarins are also the Ministry personnel who are most likely to question assumptions and traditional ways of doings things, which puts it at odds with both conservative Christians (especially Roman Catholics) and the Chinese government. To date, this open-mindedness hasn't resulted in a mass apostasy from Chinese (or Christian) orthodoxy, but has instead allowed the psi order to reinvigorate itself in several areas, such as the extent to which it relies on Chinese military power to back up its diplomacy. Even so, Beijing watches the Mandarins closely. They can't allow their public face to act in ways that run counter to their own goals and agendas.
Allegiance: The most dangerous thing in the world is misunderstanding. Far too many conflicts have arisen from diplomatic faux pas and mistaken readings of one's opponent. In these uncertain times, humanity can ill afford diplomatic missteps and misunderstandings. We're here to make sure such things never happen again.
Ability Group: Command, Etiquette, Linguistics, Rapport, Style, Subterfuge
Subject: Middle Eastern Diplomacy
From: Henry Yuen, Office of Semiotics
To: Fa Zhu, Professor of Semiotics
Encryption: SPE
Transmission type: holofile attached
Date: 11:46:12 10.02.2122
The situation here has taken an unusual turn, Professor. Although we have had great success in mediating between the various disputants in the latest round of negotiations, the Turks have stepped forward to offer their own services. They argue that they have a stronger connection to the region and that, historically, the leadership of the Ottoman Empire has been essential to any attempt to bring lasting peace. I didn't think to laugh in the Turkish ambassador's face when he made this outlandish assertion. I did not think the State Council would look kindly on such a diplomatic incident.
Nevertheless, this is a matter of some concern. I continue to see evidence that our presence here in unwelcome. This jibes with what other diplomatic teams have told me as well. I fear that China's success has begun to affect its ability to function as a neutral third party, even when it does so in a way that runs counter to its own interests. If true, we may see more of this sort of thing in the future. It may be easy to dismiss the Ottomans now, but what if it's the FSA next week, or India? Can we afford to antagonize them? The alternative is a retreat into a dangerous past, but how do we prevent an even more dangerous future?
After the Office of Semiotics, the Psi Institutes are the best known division of the Ministry, although many people fail to realize their actual affiliation. To some, the Institutes are bastions of higher learning like any other. Sure, their area of specialty is noetic science, but that doesn't make them any different than places like MIT or the State University of St. Petersburg. Although such an impression is erroneous, the Institutes don't go out of their way to correct the misapprehension. It's not that they hide their association with the Ministry (as if they could). Rather, it's that they find it easier to go about their business if those who have axes to grind with China decide to grind them somewhere else.
The Institutes have as their symbol hexagram 52, Ken, Desisting, Stilling. It's an omen of success through quiescence, as exemplified by the notion that it is the superior man who takes thought in order to avoid having to move from his position. That nicely sums up the Institutes general approach to problems. Unlike either the Mandarins or the Aviary, they involve themselves very little in the affairs of politics and diplomacy, preferring to focus on pure research on a variety of fronts.
This has given them a reputation as ivory tower philosophers, but that's an unfair characterization. The Institutes may be loath to involve themselves in the petty affairs of statecraft. That does not mean they take no heed of such things. Indeed, the Institutes have engaged in their own sort of quiet "international relations" for years. The Institutes owe their origin to Bue Li's time with the Filipino government. They were originally institutions of learning founded to support her "conscience and responsibility" programs, but expanded upon her elevation to the rank of proxy. They soon became the leading lights of noetic research, including related areas such as work on Aberrancy and human evolution. This necessitated the maintenance of connections with other similar institutions in the world — as well as the other psi orders.
The Psi Institutes possess a higher degree of independence than their sister divisions within the Ministry. That's an outgrowth of their origins, in addition to their mission. The Institutes simply cannot function adequately if they are held hostage to Chinese political orthodoxy. If this means sharing information with their FSA counterparts or cooperating with the Legions, so be it. The Institutes are certainly loyal to China and the Ministry. The simply see no purpose in restricting their research options because it offends someone in Beijing.
Not surprisingly, the Institutes attract more than their fair share of renegades and loose cannons. Bienvenido Veneracion frequently sends independent-minded telepaths to Institutes outside of China for assignment. There, they're more likely to find an environment that rewards original thinking and is willing to take risks in the name of science. Of course, the flipside is that the Institutes often make profound errors in judgment, such as when they attempted to capture an Aberrant in 2118, an incident that resulted in the deaths of six psions, including a clairsentient on loan from ISRA.
Despite such setbacks, the Institutes continue to push the bounds of acceptable behavior — at least as understood by the State Council. Teams of Institute operatives comb the world in search of information for research. The investigation of aberrant sightings is one of its more common high profile endeavors, but it's far from the only one. Visits to the Amazon or the depths of Africa are also possible, especially if the Institute believes that noetic science is likely to gain something as a result. Most recently, Institute teams have visited Sudamerica on several occasions, seeking out details of the so-called Venezuelan Phenomenon, the backlash from which ended Proxy Bue Li's life. Thus far, the Institutes have no idea the exact nature of the Phenomenon (partially due to interference from the Norça). However, Simone Calumpang suspects that the Phenomenon has precedent in the past. She has ordered an Institute-based historical team to look for evidence of a similar event in the past in the hopes it will provide insight into the present situation.
On a day-to-day basis, the Institutes are simply training centers for psions. At locations throughout Asia (most prominently in Quezon City, Shanghai, Beijing and Bangkok), they offer topnotch instruction in the use of psi powers — with relatively little Chinese propaganda. That's a sore point with the State Council, which already questions the wisdom of funding institutions that train foreigners to use their powers for ends that sometimes run counter to those of China. However, Bue Li has placed her reputation and position on the line countless times in defense of the Institutes' independence. This serves her own agenda for humanity: finding a medium between uninhibited license and state-sponsored brainwashing. With her death, the situation could conceivably change for the worse, which would be a terrible tragedy. The last thing the world needs is the subornment of the Psi Institutes to serve China's hegemonic purposes.
Allegiance: Science knows no borders; it serves all of humanity. If progress is to happen, if humanity is to overcome the challenges that lie ahead of it, we must do our work. Knowledge is indeed power, which is why the Psi Institutes must forge ahead and push back the frontiers of science — for our sake and the sake of our posterity.
Ability Group: Academics, Awareness, Medicine, Meditation, Savvy, Science
Subject: Re: Venezuelan Phenonemon
From: San-chih Lee, Psi Institutes
To: [recipient list suppressed]
Encryption: DSE
Transmission type: textfile only
Date: 10:58:01 11.29.2122
It's far stranger than we'd expected. I fear that we've reached another turning point in human history, no different than 1998 or 2106. We could be seeing the birth of a new age, one in which the distinctions between Aberrant, psion and neutral may be changing yet again. I recommend we dispatch additional resources to the Venezuelan Quarantine Zone as soon as possible. Del Fuego may not want us here, but we have a responsibility to investigate this thing. There's no question in my mind that the Norça secretly want us to poke our noses into this matter. They don't have a clue about its nature either, but they're too proud to say so. They'd rather we rush in and figure it all out, so that they can be outraged at our "violation of Sudamerican sovereignty" while at the same time taking advantage of our expertise.
Let them. This thing is bigger than a rivalry between psi orders.
The Aviary
The Office of Psionic Security is probably the least known and understood branch of the Ministry. To outsiders, it's a secret police force used by China to enforce its will on its own people. Even within China, this belief is common. After decades of neo-Confucian authoritarianism, it's all too easy to distrust any agency with the word "security" in its title. In the case of the Office of Psionic Security, that approach is misplaced, since it really does protect China — and humanity — from genuine threats.
The Office has the nickname of the Aviary, because Bue Li once jokingly referred to it as home to her "birds of the mind," who traveled where others could not. OPS agents exist to uncover covert threats that go unnoticed by the world at large. Their most important activities thus remain hidden, which makes it difficult for the Aviary to counter its negative public image. Its symbol is hexagram 61, Chung Fu, Inward Confidence and Sincerity. Bue Li chose this symbol because she is serious that OPS do more than protect humanity from outside threats. It must against inward threats as well — including the Ministry itself.
The OPS functions as the internal affairs division of the Ministry. Whenever there is evidence of misconduct or ethical violations by telepaths or anyone else in the order's employ, Aviary agents descend on the scene, searching for evidence. They ruthlessly deal with anyone they discover to have acted against the best interests of the Ministry or Bue Li's goals. Sometimes, this includes eliminating a psion permanently. It's a harsh sentence, but the proxy is adamant about the need for internal policing. If the Ministry cannot trust its own agents to act virtuously, how can it expect them to provide an example for humanity to emulate?
Interestingly, the OPS rarely becomes involved in purely political matters. If, for example, a telepath is found to be cooperating with anti-Chinese forces in Korea, the Aviary is unlikely to take a great interest, instead passing off the investigation to internal Chinese authorities. That's because the Aviary does not want to become in fact what many already believe it to be: a tool of state oppression. Bue Li takes a dim view of sedition and treason. That doesn't mean her psi order should have anything to do with its suppression. OPS agents will cooperate with Chinese authorities if there's a genuine need for their skills, but they rarely do so without an official request for such assistance. Otherwise, they concentrate on matters of a more pressing nature.
Chief among these matters is dealing with aberrants and their cults. Asia is an extremely large place and history has shown that it provides a perfect hiding place for aberrants. Since the formation of the Aviary, its operatives have uncovered over a dozen hidden aberrants, including five within the borders of China itself! Though largely unheralded on the OpNet, the Aviary has developed many unique methods and practices for dealing with aberrants and their human lackeys. Working in concert with the Psi Institutes, for example, OPS has created devices to detect quantum fluctuations and Taint, both of which are telltale signs of aberrant activity. There is some debate within the Office as to whether to share these devices with outsiders, since they could assist in similar aberrant hunting work elsewhere. Thus far, those who favor keeping the devices a state secret of China have won out.
OPS has recently undertaken an effort to protect humanity against alien threats as well. The arrival of the Qin opened up a whole new area of investigation for the Aviary. The Chromatic attacks confirmed the wisdom in preparing for conflict with alien species. The mystery surrounding the Coalition has only emboldened hardliners within the Aviary. They call for greater vigilance against extraterrestrial threats, which is why OPS agents are now more common on Chinese colony worlds and space installations. Bue Li worries that such calls engender paranoia, but she's always keenly aware that aliens represent an X-factor that could upset the balance that she's intent on preserving. Unless humanity is prepared for the possibility of alien enemies, Earth might as well capitulate to the aberrants. Still, she subtly encourages OPS to gather intelligence on aliens before acting in a confrontational fashion, believing it one way to avoid regrettable errors in judgment.
OPS likewise takes an interest in extraordinary threats to security, such as the Venezuelan Phenomenon. Few understand the nature of the Phenomenon, which is why the Aviary views it as a threat. If, as the Psi Institutes believe, knowledge is power, ignorance is weakness. Neither China nor humanity can afford to be weak at the moment. OPS operatives have been dispatched to Sudamerica to support the Institutes and to undertake their own investigation into the Phenomenon. Early reports suggest that it may well herald changes in the world that Bue Li had long feared, changes that could remake everything humanity's held to be true for a long time. If so, OPS wants to be there, protecting the Earth as it's done since its founding.
Allegiance: Telepaths can see things that other can't. They can learn things that no one else even suspects. These are awesome abilities — and they come with equally awesome responsibilities. It's our job to protect you from things you can't even see, let alone comprehend. We're not talking just about Aberrants. There's so much more to fear. If it weren't for the OPS, who knows where humanity would be?
Ability Group: Firearms, Intimidation, Intrusion, Investigation, Savvy, Subterfuge
— Transcript of a OPS Interrogation, 21 December 2118
Interrogator #1: Don't you realize the trouble you're in?
Psion: I realize it now.
Interrogator #2: He realizes it now. How wonderful.
Interrogator #1: There's no need to be sarcastic. He knows what he did was wrong. Isn't that enough?
Interrogator #2: That's not for us to decide. You know that. He's besmirched the honor of the Ministry. Our reputation is our bond. Without it, do you think we'd be allowed to do the things we need to do? Where would the order be if every telepath acted like him.
Psion: I understand that.
Interrogator #1: See?
Interrogator #2: All I see is someone who could have cost this order its place in the world. And for what? A chance to read the mind of some pretty European girl? Was it worth it?
Interrogator #1: I doubt it.
Interrogator #2: So do I. I know it seems harsh, Novice, but these are the rules. Proxy Bue Li doesn't want even the slightest hint of impropriety in our work. We let our personal . . . feelings interfere with our work and the Ministry is done for. We've already got enough enemies within China as it is. Do you want to throw Joe Hologram more red meat to sink his teeth into?
The Company is not a true division of the Ministry, as are the three described above. Rather, it's the inner circle of the psi order, composed of those whom Bue Li trusts implicitly and whose advice she relies upon to guide her. Its membership varies, growing and shrinking as some members die and are replaced. It always consists of Bienvenido Veneracion and the three Professors of the divisions. Beyond that, there is no guarantee who will be a member of the Company.
At present, it consists of eleven members, but there's talk of expanding its number beyond this number. That's because Bue Li needs a greater selection of host bodies for her mental consciousness. She knows that her ability to act is limited since her death. Yet, the need for her to continue to function as proxy is greater than ever. By expanding the Company, she feels that she might be able to accelerate her plans before the State Council acts to quash them. At the same time, she worries that any expansion of the Company — especially if it includes individuals she did not know in life — might jeopardize its vital role.
Bue Li is genuinely conflicted about which way to turn and the members of the Company has many voices. That's why she created the Company in the first place. Bue Li feared that her goals for humanity transcended any single vision. They could not be allowed to serve anyone's personal ends, even her own. Individuals needed to find their own way to act in accordance with eternal truths. The best the Ministry could provide was a broad-based example. Anything more might endanger her plans to free humanity from subservience to agendas they did not accept for itself.
The Company provides Bue Li was a constant source of counterpoints and options. In some ways, that's a weakness. The proxy's "conscience and responsibility" agenda depends on humanity's having been exposed to a variety of alternatives, so that it may choose the one that's best for it rather than having it imposed on them. In practice, though, this resembles the bickering nature of the Company, where there is no consensus and a welter of opinions drown out the quest for truth. Bue Li frequently must shut out the Company and decide the best course on her own, which is precisely what she counsels for all individuals. Nevertheless, it limits the effectiveness of the Company and contributes ammunition to critics who charge it's just a front for Bue Li's own authoritarianism, a convenient way to appear collegial without having to suffer the consequences of actually being so.
Related to the Company, if only peripherally, are what Proxy Bue Li sometimes call her "special circumstances teams." These small groups of telepaths and neutrals exist to provide an outlet for two things. The first is any Ministry member whose personality or interests do not fit well within the structure of a state-run bureaucracy. There are quite a few talented Ministry members who chafe under the restrictions China places on their activities. Rather than lose them, Bue Li sends them to Bienvenido Veneracion, who either assigns them an already existing group or creates a new one to serve. The second is for missions that have no obvious place within the Ministry's existing hierarchy, such as liaising with non-Chinese groups, independent exploration or even archeological digs.
Special circumstances teams have a great degree of autonomy. In theory, they report to Veneracion and then to Bue Li, but Veneracion has a very hands-off approach to his duties. He never joined the Ministry himself and understands the attitude of those who find its environment stifling. He does expect periodic reports, especially when a team's mission is being funded or otherwise supported materially. Veneracion takes a dim view of misappropriation of other people's money, even when it's the Chinese government's. Beyond that, special circumstances teams operate free of much official interference.
True to Proxy Bue Li's vision, the Ministry is very much engaged with the world outside China. The following section briefly describes the nature of its relationship with important elements of 22nd society.
The Ministry finds itself in a difficult situation with regards to Æon. On the one hand, it feels compelled to follow China's lead in its relationship with the Trinity. In the past, China and Æon got along famously, working together during the Aberrant War to end the threat to humanity. Since then, differences of opinion about China's authoritarianism and lack of concern for human rights have bubbled over into a very public squabble with no end in sight. That Æon frequently reaps the credit for being humanity's truest defender only rubs salt in this festering wound. Consequently, there's not so subtle pressure on the psi order to distance itself from the Trinity as a show of its loyalty to Mother China.
On the other hand, Bue Li is an optimist. She believes in Æon's goals, even if she feels they are sometimes hopelessly na•ve in the pursuit of that dream. She notes that Æon once welcomed and trained Aberrants as "heroes," a mistake she worries shows a pattern for dangerous self-deception. At the same time, Bue Li recognizes that humanity's defense cannot and must not be entrusted to any single national government, even — perhaps especially — one as powerful as China. She believes Æon is a useful tool through which the Ministry can act to extend its goals outside China's borders. Thus, the psi order has numerous covert contacts with the Trinity, for fear of official backlash from Beijing. The proxy often sends telepaths who find standard Ministry work stifling to work as secret liaisons with Æon, with Bienvenido Veneracion being the most prominent among them.
While China's place in the world makes other psions suspicious of the Ministry's motives, Bue Li understands well the need to cooperate with other psi orders. To her, securing humanity's future goes beyond personal likes and dislikes, which is why she tries hard to put aside her own feelings when working with other proxies. Unfortunately, Bue Li's past actions (particularly the Upeo wa Macho incident) make it difficult for certain other proxies to follow suit.
The Ministry has a rocky relationship with the Æsculapians, a rare instance in which Bue Li allows her personal views to color her order's connection to other orders. She believes Dr. Zweidler provides no structure for those under his command and has, in effect, given free rein to madmen who would divert the docs' abilities to serve evil. The revelation of the Huang-Marr conspiracy (see Shattered Europe and the Darkness Revealed trilogy for more details) disgusts Bue Li, who finds it deeply ironic that the Æsculapians' world reputation has not suffered as badly as it should. Had the Ministry conducted unauthorized experiments on humans, she has no doubt that there would have been a hue and cry to exterminate the telepaths. Bitterness aside, she tries to adopt a "hate the sin, love the sinner" approach to the Conspiracy, seeing it as further evidence why psions should not be treated as more than human. If nothing else, the Conspiracy proves quite the opposite.
Telepaths and clears enjoy a cautious but nevertheless solid working relationship. Neither order truly trusts the other, but both realize how much they need the other to help in the defense of humanity. Both orders possess a remarkable ability to gather and sift information, making the two natural allies, even if not necessarily friendly ones. The primary difficulties arise from the institutional "personalities" of each order, which are greatly at odds with one another.
Proxy Herzog questions the wisdom in attaching the telepaths so closely to a national government (a "narrow vision," he calls it). Meanwhile, Proxy Bue Li doubts that removing oneself wholly from the Earth is the proper course of action either. She firmly believes that one can be "in the world but not of it" and sees ISRA's placement on the Moon as an unspoken rejection of Earth as somehow "damaged goods." Despite these differences, the Ministry and ISRA have never publicly come to blows and work together frequently on matters of common interest.
The Legionnaires and the Ministry have never gotten along well. Their mutual dislike arises from numerous factors, including international politics and the temperaments of their respective proxies. The situation has only worsened since the Korean conflict of 2109, when the Ministry provided China with assistance, as it was required to do by agreement. Ministry agents nevertheless hold the Legions in high esteem for their battle prowess, as well as their "quaint" understanding of loyalty and honor. The Legionnaires are far too valuable to humanity to allow something as petty as politics to get in the way of the Ministry's maintaining a working relationship with them. This infuriates many Legionnaires, who find the telepaths' willingness to "agree to disagree" a form of condescension — which it is. The Ministry see the psychokinetics as unruly but useful adolescents who should be allowed to believe they are right so long as they continue to act "properly."
Explicitly rough spots remain, of course. The defense of Khantze Lu Ge is a prominent example, with the Legionnaires wanting nothing more than the utter extermination of the aberrants there. The Ministry, meanwhile, wishes to gather intelligence about the Colony's ultimate methods and goals. To the Legions, this is insanity. To allow hundreds of thousands of humans to suffer because Proxy Bue Li wants to know what they are up is not merely crazy but immoral. This difference of opinion is made worse by the fact that not all within the Ministry share the proxy's concerns. Many telepaths, particularly those from Europe, would rather forego understanding the Colony's plans if it means saving lives.
The Ministry works strangely well with the Norça. That's not so surprising when one considers more than exterior conditions. The shifters function much like a large, extended family, which is exactly how Bue Li would like to see the Ministry. In addition, the Norça are powerfully involved in the life of their native Sudamerica. As unlikely as it seems, Bue Li approves of this approach. She distrusts efforts to disengage psions from the world of which they are a part. In addition, she admires Proxy Del Fuego's willingness to buck international opinion by doing what he deems necessary to protect the human race.
Nevertheless, Bue Li is not the Ministry and, though her opinion carries weight, it is not the only opinion that matters. The State Council in Beijing considers Del Fuego a criminal and wishes the Ministry to restrict its contact with the Norça, not matter how well they work together. This has created a fair bit of tension between the Ministry and other branches of the Chinese government, but Bue Li is used to that. She too is willing to buck public opinion when it serves her goals.
Telepaths and teks enjoy a friendly rivalry with one another, steeped to some extent in the rivalry between China and the FSA, which considers itself an international superpower on par with Beijing. Orgotek's brash and innovative approaches to problems are at variance with the Ministry's more conservative and traditional methods. Yet, there is genuine respect between the two psi order. Each recognizes the other's virtues, even as they publicly proclaim their vices. That Rebecca Bue Li and Alex Cassel get along well with one another probably helps this situation, since neither proxy would allow their underlings to allow rivalry to escalate into antipathy.
At the same time, it'd be a mistake to underestimate the intensity of the rivalry. It's akin to siblings competing for the attention of their parents, each one attempting to outdo the other. In this case, though, there are no parents, only the future of the human race. Both Orgotek and the Ministry have very definite plans of action, perhaps more so than any other psi order. Because these plans do not mesh perfectly well — and indeed clash in some particulars — it's inevitable that there will be misunderstandings, recriminations and other forms of conflict. At base, both know they have the best interests of the human race in mind, even if they differ on particulars.
Relations between the teleporters and telepaths was once amiable. The Ministry served as a liaison between the Upeo and ISRA, using their mindshare abilities to communicate the clears' visions to the jumpers. Once a biotech solution was developed that bridged the communication gap, the Ministry lost their close ties to the Upeo. They still interacted, of course, especially aboard jumpships, but they no longer had the same degree of amiability. Some might say the telepaths became embittered at having been replaced by machines, even sophisticated biotech ones. Even so, there was no evidence of genuine ill will between the two orders — until 2114.
When the Ministry (cooperating with Orgotek) discovered evidence that the Upeo had been collaborating with aberrants, Proxy Bue Li moved to convince the other proxies that the teleporters' activities should be curtailed, lest they become corrupted like the Chitra Banu. Proxy Atwan's protestations to the contrary, the Ministry had no doubt that the Upeo could become a grave threat to humanity if allowed to operate without appropriate supervision. That's why Atwan ordered the Upeo to flee Earth, fearing the Ministry and Cassel would destroy her psions as they had the Chibs five years before. Old wounds die hard. Since their return, the Upeo have remained aloof from the Ministry. The Ministry has returned the sentiment, still believing the teleporters to be a potential threat. Telepaths keep a close watch on the Upeo, waiting for the slightest sign that they have betrayed humanity.
The destruction of the Chitra Banu can be seen either as proof of the Ministry's willingness to risk all for humanity or their tendency to betray even friends if it stands in the way of their agenda. The Ministry's Office of Psionic Security was at the forefront of the purge of the Chibs and Proxy Bue Li does not regret that decision. She was saddened by Bhurano's treachery, but she more than most proxies understands how even the best intentions can be warped into tools of evil. Bue Li's perspective has not changed and she would destroy any other psi order that acted as the Chibs did — which is precisely why so few proxies trust her.
The Ministry's relations with China are complex and varied. Most of the basic details are explained in greater detail elsewhere in this book. In this section, the focus is on the psi order's unique position within the Chinese government. No other ministry, for example, has so many — or any, in most cases — non-Chinese aliens within its ranks. Roughly 20% of the Ministry's members are currently foreigners and that number is only expected to grow within the next decade. Proxy Bue Li sees no problem with this situation. To her, it is a vindication of the order's importance. Can the Ministry of Culture or Science and Technology boast of attracting the attention of foreigners? The question is obviously rhetorical, since other ministries would certainly attract foreigners if they could give them psionic training available nowhere else. It is not the Ministry's reputation that attracts so many foreigners (although it does in some cases); it is what it can offer them.
Consequently, the Ministry's experiences have opened a crack into China, one that Bue Li hopes will one day create a more open and free society. At the same time, she hopes that the foreigners who enter Ministry service become more open to what China offers the world. She is no bleary-eyed idealist, but a pragmatic woman with a very clear agenda. She accepted China's offer of support not for something as limited as Filipino participation in China's space program. No, Bue Li saw in China the opportunity to influence the world in a way she could never have done if she had based her psi order in the Philippines or elsewhere. Just as the Ministry accepts what it sees as the failings of other psi orders to achieve its goals, so too does it accept China's. The Ministry does so because it must. China is the only conduit through which Bue Li could project the telepaths' power and influence.
The Ministry does not stay aloof from Chinese politics and power structures; it revels in them. Critics believe this calls into question its ultimate loyalties, but Bue Li sees it very differently. She knows well that the Chinese would never grant the Ministry the access and authority it needs if she did not play the political game as well as any other cabinet minister. She has no desire to see telepaths used to further someone else's agenda. That's why the proxy rarely shrinks from becoming deeply involved in domestic Chinese quarrels and struggles. That stance has earned her respect inside her adopted country, even among some of her enemies, who recognize her as "one of them," even as they plot her downfall — which is exactly how she prefers it.
Given the proxy's personal history, it's inevitable the issue of the Ministry's relationship with the Roman Catholic Church would arise. In point of fact, the psi order enjoys cordial but distant relations with the Holy See. Although Rebecca Bue Li once considered a vocation to the priesthood, she abandoned it because she felt the Church's vision "too narrow." Even before her becoming proxy, she believed humanity required new answers and new solutions that built upon, but were not limited by, those of the past.
Religion is one of those past answers. This doesn't mean Bue Li condemns Catholicism — far from it — but it does means that she does not allow her past devotion to the faith to limit her perspective. Indeed, as prelates have criticized her for on numerous occasions, Bue Li is extremely open-minded in matters of faith. Some have called her a mystic, which, as Pope Benedict famously quipped in 2118, is "just a heretic in fancy dress." Even so, the Vatican has never issued any denunciations of the Ministry or its mission, although it has forbidden priests and deacons from becoming members. This, they say, is simply another instance of the Church's desire to keep its ministers free from political entanglements that might compromise their missions as servants of God.
The Ministry has always had a leg up on the other psi orders when it came to interacting with alien races. Their telepathic abilities and training in diplomacy all but guaranteed that the Ministry would be at the forefront of human/alien interaction. In addition, their connection to China — a major starfaring power — only gave them further advantage over other psions. These facts are truer now than ever. Telepaths played a prominent role in establishing peaceful relations with the Qin in 2108 and, as such, these aliens have grown accustomed to dealing with the Ministry. Indeed, many telepaths consider the Qin "their aliens" and resent the growing involvement of other psi orders, despite Proxy Bue Li's directives to the contrary.
When the Chromatics attacked human space in 2114, the Ministry entered into a very public row with the Legions over how to respond to this unprovoked hostility. Bue Li believed that more information was needed before an appropriate response could be decided, while Larrsen stated she had "seen enough slaughter to know understand these aliens." Nevertheless, the Ministry continued to counsel caution, recognizing how badly things could go for humanity if it automatically assumed the Chromatics must be enemies. As revealed in the Alien Invasion series, however, the Doyen had manipulated the Chromatics, vindicating the Ministry's call for caution. The psi order still asks that care be taken in dealing with these aliens, since so much remains unknown about them — although not for long, if the telepaths have anything to do about it.
Unsurprisingly, the Ministry holds a similar view about the mysterious Coalition. The telepaths want to learn more about these aliens, since they fear they could be a genuine threat to Earth if nothing is done to prevent misunderstandings like those experienced with the Chromatics. That's why telepaths — and China — are at the forefront of efforts to discover the secrets of the Coalition before humanity finds out it has yet another enemy among the stars.
No one except Proxy Bue Li knows the complete story of the Ministry's origins. Even the Chinese government doesn't know everything about how the psi order came to be. The following summarizes of the publicly available information about the Ministry's history. Although incomplete, it provides a good sense of the forces and events that shaped its foundation, growth and present circumstances. Storytellers should feel free to add in layers and loops of behind-the-scenes negotiations involving the Storyteller characters in their own series, if they want to make the order's history an important consideration in play.
Born to a prominent family of Chinese-Filipinos on March 2, 2058, Rebecca Bue Li would have been an important person even if she had not become telepathic proxy. A gifted child, she excelled in the study of history and foreign languages. Her father, Nelson Bue Li, hoped his daughter would use her talents in the family business — OpNet software design — but Rebecca found it dull and unchallenging. She seemed far more interested in scholarly pursuits, spending a lot her time with teachers and her favorite uncle, a priest of the Legion of Christ and a professor at Xavier University. Though practicing Catholics, Rebecca's parents worried she might become a nun.
Their fears were allayed, when she enrolled in the University of the Philippines to study a "practical skill" — management. Of course, Bue Li took an unorthodox approach to her studies, combining psychology, sociology and linguistics to the usual curriculum of business administration. In addition, she became a leader of the university's Catholic youth movement, spearheading public resistance to the FSA's attempts to bring the Philippines back into its political orbit. It was during this time that she met Bienvenido Veneracion, a man who would be her lifelong friend, as well as her harshest critic.
Bue Li retained her interest in scholarly pursuits. She published papers in many academic journals, including several in theology, in which she defended the notion that God's efficacious grace does not require the cooperation of the human will. A controversial position, she met resistance from — and gained the respect of — theologians like the Jesuit Aloysius Savimbi. She quickly gained a reputation as a thoughtful and spirited debater, which only strengthened the resolve of her opponents to best her. Few did.
When the Third Vatican Council opened the priesthood to women in 2084, the future proxy was among the first to seek acceptance into the Society of Jesus. She was accepted, thanks in part to the assistance of Father Savimbi, who said he'd "be proud" to call her a Jesuit one day. This move surprised her friends (especially Veneracion), who never considered her exceptionally devout, despite her association with the Catholic youth movement at university. Her family, on the other hand, saw it as fulfillment of their worst fears and prayed she'd come to her senses.
Excerpt: Osservatore Romano, 2084.9.12 ©:2084
Father-General Waclaw Godziemba personally welcomed the three dozen women who had successfully petitioned to enter the Society of Jesus in the wake of Vatican Council III reforms. A diverse group, they include women as different as Jeanne Rose, the American writer, and Rebecca Bue Li, the Filipino philosopher known for her controversial positions on the relationship between grace and free will. In his opening remarks, Father-General Godziemba called these women "pioneers" who would "remake the face of the Jesuits in accordance with the prompting of the Holy Spirit in this time of great change." An unnamed source within the Society of Jesus questions the process that brought these women to Rome, arguing that they were chosen for "how well they will play on the OpNet rather than their devotion to the Church." The source went on to say that Bue Li's admission was particularly "troubling given her well-known advocacy for theological positions that run contrary to the Holy Father's deep commitment to social justice within the context of a civil society."
Their prayers were answered when Bue Li grew disillusioned with the Jesuits, and with the Church. Despite her friendship with theologians like Savimbi, Bue Li's academic work had been slowly pushing her increasingly toward positions that conflicted with those of the Church. Ironically, she found the Church to be "na•ve" in its willingness to give human conscience such an overriding role in ethics and morality. Bue Li believed then that even properly formed consciences can (and do) go astray, to the detriment of others. If any progress were to be made in the ethical development of humanity, the state must play a larger role than the Church's positions allowed. Moreover, Bue Li realized that she her vocation lay along a different path. She abandoned her quest for holy orders in 2087 and returned to the Philippines. From that point on, she no longer considered herself a Catholic, even though she retained a fondness for the faith of her younger days.
In the Philippines, Bue Li became active in politics. The newly formed National Party combined a concern for Filipino heritage with calls for a "new civic unity." Its leader, Francisco Minabalong, argued forcefully for the creation of public institutions that could both "inform the conscience so as to free the soul." While such rhetoric seemed fuzzy and incoherent to some, Bue Li saw in it an attempt to implement something like her own theories of the state's role in safeguarding public morality. She then offered her services to Minabalong, who took her on as an advisor.
The National Party became powerful enough that President Pablo Concepcion needed its support in Congress to break a deadlock with other opposition parties. He offered Minabalong the vice-presidency in 2094, which he accepted on the condition that Bue Li accompany him as Secretary of Education. Concepcion agreed and Bue Li used her new position to transform the Filipino school system according to the principles she had developed as Minabalong's adviser. Her reforms were controversial, leading many critics to accuse her of "brainwashing" and "propagandizing in the guise of moral education." In another of her life's many ironies, the FSA took an interest in her reforms, sending observers to the Philippines to see if Bue Li's "conscience and responsibility" programs would be adaptable to the American scene.
During this time, Bue Li made numerous contacts throughout Asia and beyond. Her belief in the compatibility of freedom with state intervention in the sphere of moral education attracted many admirers — especially in China — who hoped she'd found a way to create a civil society that was both free and temperate. These admirers offered her positions elsewhere, which she always declined. She loved the Philippines more she could express and would not abandon her home — not before she had completed her transformation of its society.
Minabalong was removed from office in 2098 when President Concepcion decided he no longer needed the National Party's support. Bue Li was likewise stripped of her position. She then disappeared from public view, scribing occasional articles but otherwise enjoying a low profile existence. She traveled extensively throughout Asia, calling upon her admirers for the opportunity to discuss how they would like to implement her educational reforms if they had the opportunity. Even then Bue Li realized she had a greater destiny.
Around 2102, Bue Li's activities become unclear. It's known she visited Luna, as did the other proxies. Her stated explanation for her travel was to visit her old mentor Father Savimbi, who had gone to Olympus because of his ill health. However, there are no records of her ever having seen the priest, who died in late 2102 anyway.
While on Luna, Bue Li underwent something like the Prometheus Effect, which awakened her noetic potential. It was probably then that she first understood that the greater destiny she saw for herself could now be fulfilled in ways she never expected. She quickly returned to Earth, contacting Veneracion as well as Francisco Minabalong, who had charged President Concepcion's successor with corruption and vowed to lead the resurgent National Party to victory in the upcoming elections.
Bue Li explained that something had happened to her on Luna, something that would change the way she saw the world forever. Only Veneracion instinctively trusted her when she refrained from explaining herself, but even he could not begin to guess what she had experienced far above the Earth.
In the elections of 2104, the National Party won a solid majority and Minabalong returned to power, this time as president of the Philippines. Bue Li would not accept a cabinet position, instead asking to work behind the scenes as an advisor. Minabalong agreed and Bue Li set about laying the groundwork of the Psi Institutes and Office of Semiotics. Both these departments appeared first as elements of her educational reforms, masked to look as if they were merely part of her efforts to inculcate a new kind of civic morality in the Philippines.
For the next two years, Bue Li recruited telepathic latents and trained them as diplomats and educators. They spread throughout the Philippines and were sent on missions to other Asian nations, all the while looking for more latents. Bue Li also reopened dialogues with countries like China, holding out the possibility that she — and the Philippines — had much to offer, if they were willing to provide something in return. By the time the psi orders revealed themselves in 2106, Bue Li commanded several hundred telepaths and all eyes turned on the Philippines — including China's.
China offered to provide Bue Li was funds and greater support than the Philippines could. Tempting though the offer was, she rejected it, holding out for a better deal. This China offered in the form of bringing the Philippines into an economic union and giving access to its space program. Minabalong thought this a good offer and rammed the treaty through Congress, despite the protests from ordinary Filipinos who feared domination by China.
Bue Li agreed with his decision and accepted China's offer of support in exchange for an equal position on China's State Council. The Chinese felt they were being used by Bue Li and initially balked at the suggestion. However, they also realized they needed Bue Li more than she needed them and created the cabinet-level Ministry of Psionic Affairs for the upstart Filipino. She then moved her psi order to Beijing, although she kept many important elements in her homeland as a reminder — and perhaps threat — that it was the Philippines that gave birth to the order, not China.
Under Chinese patronage, the Ministry prospered and Bue Li's theories of public morality have added philosophical weight to China's justification for behavioral interventions. The telepaths became vital to space exploration, functioning as diplomats and translators when humanity encountered the Qin and other alien species. In addition, the Ministry helped to extend China's influence throughout the world by negotiating treaties, armistices and pacts, as well as overseeing other diplomatic endeavors.
Unfortunately, events have not gone as well for Bue Li. Sometime in late 2120, the proxy was diagnosed with an incurable disease whose exact nature is still unknown. Chinese doctors feared the proxy contracted it will visiting Nippon, but its vectors don't fully match any known Nihonjin disease. Others suspected it to be a bio-engineered "assassin plague" intended to kill Bue Li. There's no shortage of possible instigators of such a putative attack, from Filipino nationalists to Catholic zealots to Chinese government rivals. The condition, whatever its origin, fatigued Bue Li and affected her concentration. Despite pleas from her underlings (and Veneracion), she did not seek help from the Vitakinetics, who might have been able to save her.
Between 2120 and 2122, Bue Li underwent a change in personality. As her death became more certain, slowly wasting away at her body, she became more overtly mystical. She frequently spoke of seeing her life as "following God's plan" and "fulfilling a divine purpose." This talk unnerved her colleagues within the Chinese government, who worried she was going insane. It also elicited bemused commentary from Catholic officials, who wondered if the proxy suffered from "guilt at having abandoned her childhood faith."
When the Venezualen Phonemenon appeared in 2122, its effects proved too much for Bue Li. Her ailing health finally failed and she died at last — but not before transferring her mind into the body of her lieutenant, Wen Shihao. Her extraordinary psionic ability allowed Bue Li to preserve herself to "continue God's work" until she can go to her "final reward." The disembodied proxy has become increasingly convinced that humanity is headed for a showdown with the aberrants, one that demands her continued presence on this side of the veil. That's why she moves from body to body, using her closest advisors as hosts for her incorporeal mind.
Excerpt: Wen Shihao, 2222.11.7
I sometimes think I am dreaming. It was hard enough accepting that she is gone, but this is far harder to accept. I thought I understood the nature and extent of our noetic potential. Yet, I never dreamed it was possible to extend one's life beyond the death of the body like this. Had I not experienced her presence myself, held within my own mind as I did, I would rightly call the assertion madness, as Huang did today. It is so wholly unlike anything I've experienced before that I cannot describe it: a strange mingling of personalities, thoughts, feelings and desires. She was there; I felt her. I heard her — or at least I thought I had.
No, I am sure I had. How else can one explain my actions today? How else can one explain the thoughts that I — that she — had. I fear for us all now, not just in the Ministry or in China or even on the Earth. I fear for the human race. If what I thought today is true, we face a terrible reckoning, one we cannot simply avoid but must gird ourselves to survive.
The Ministry is in disarray, with internal dissent on the rise. Bue Li's death has led some within the Chinese government to seek greater control over the psi order. Some high-level telepaths agree. Others on both sides believe that Bue Li's continued existence — even as a disembodied mind — is proof that something unusual is afoot, perhaps something only she can deal with. That the proxy increasingly speaks of her role in religious, sometimes apocalyptic, terms only adds to the tension within the Ministry. For good or for ill, the next few years will undoubtedly determine the ultimate fate of the psi order — and perhaps humanity as well.
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