A new Consulate

[Ascendancy]

Within an hour of the Ascendancy's impromptu announcement that these power wielders, these channelers as Evelyn Avalon called them, were widespread across the globe, Viktor's life as he knew it ceased to exist. As deputy-consul for the Ascendancy, he was the chief man in charge of all Consulate affairs in the CCD. His oversight kept the Consuls that reported to him in check, but he was completely unprepared for the fallout of this announcement. But it would be a cold day in hell before he admitted as much to the Ascendancy.

He recalled the sheer horror that knotted his stomach when he stood off-stage, watching the live press coverage of the announcement. He trusted the Ascendancy with every shred of his being, but shock could hardly describe the moment. While public eyes watched, he kept his jaw locked tight, eyes impassive. But as soon as he joined the Ascendancy in private, he demanded more information.

Whatever the Ascendancy's plan was, Viktor had the task of carrying it out. First, it began with the creation of a new Consulate. Consulate on ---

Fuck him if he knew what to call it. Well, he'd figure it out later.

The consulate needed a leader, a Consul. It would ideally be someone Nikolai chose himself. Someone like him.

Viktor always knew the Ascendancy was different. Spend a day in the man's private company and anyone could know as much. He'd seen things, extraordinary things, happen around the Ascendancy. And he wasn't the only one. Others saw them too, staffers, aides, even the cleaning crews that mopped the fucking floors knew something was different. But nobody really knew. Nobody ever asked. They just believed, accepted, and put their heads down and worked. That didn't stop rumors filtering out of the Kremlin, though. Viktor was aware of some of them-the Consulate on Propaganda took advantage of some and smothered others. Apollyon was a word they disliked. Archon was carefully planted in exotic places of the CCD, Archon of Ages. Whatever the hell that meant.

Then there was the monument. Fuck fuck fuck but that thing was scary as shit. Viktor was sure one of his under-Consuls shit his pants when the Lenin Mausoleum fucking melted before their eyes. Forget the fact that Lenin's body was gone forever. Forget that the tomb melted. But just fucking look at the archway that rose in its place. If the Ascendancy did that with his mind, what else could he do? What else had he done? Viktor didn't want to know. He believed the Ascendancy when he claimed to be the oldest and strongest of all these people-these power users, these, what did Evelyn call them? He quickly filtered through a screen of notes. There. Yes, Channelers. If there were a thousand channelers out there. Anyone that had the Sickness, that meant the CCD loomed on the brink of anarchy. They had to be regulated. Trained. governed.

That was where the Consulate would step in.

And Viktor finally had his name. He keyed in the new title and submitted the executive order for the Ascendancy to sign later that day.


"Consulate on Channeler Oversight"


Now. To find someone competent enough to lead it.