Lies, Part 1

Because the Overmind is always looking inside your head, as a good Vuduri, you would never master the concept of telling a lie. You might be able to keep a secret but you could never tell an untruth. Only mandasurte (mind-deaf) can lie.

Our people, the Essessoni from the 21st century, have completely mastered the art of lying. As a culture, this makes the Vuduri virtually incapable of discerning if the Essessoni are telling the truth or not.

Here are some examples:
1. Rome and Estar, just before Estar injects Rei with the prosthetic PPT transducers:

     “All right,” Rome said, resignedly. "Here is the truth. We actually did make it to Deucado but crash-landed. VIRUS units got loose and caused our tug MINIMCOM to evolve into an invisible spaceship that can travel at 1000 times the speed of light. He transported us here in eight days. MINIMCOM was the one who crippled the engines to make it look like it took longer.”
     “Eight days?” Estar said, incredulously. “And then crippled your ship? Why would he do that?”
     “To hide the fact that I had the baby and he is still alive.”
     “This baby of yours,” Estar said with disgust. “Where is it?”
     “He is invisible, too,” Rome replied. “He is wearing a cloak given to us by the Erklirte who have been living on Deucado for the last five hundred years.”
     “You are not a very good liar,” Estar spat. “Your story is beyond ridiculous. It is preposterous. That or being mandasurte has driven you insane.”

Bottom line: Rome was telling the truth.

2. Rome tells Captain Keller the truth about the Virus 5 vessel being fake.

     “Captain Keller, there’s no need for weapons,” Rei said.
     “The vessel is not real,” Rome interjected. “It is merely a replica. There is no virus within. You are wasting your time.”
     Keller laughed. “Right. How stupid do you think I am? You’re telling me that you flew to Earth, dug under the Tevatron only to find a fake canister? So where’s the real one?”
     “MINIMCOM flew it into the sun,” Rome said. “It is gone.”
     Keller looked around. “I don’t see him around here.”
     “She just told you,” Rei said. “He flew it into the sun. He burned up.”
     “What? He committed suicide? You’re both a bunch of goddamned liars,” Keller said.

Bottom line: once again, Rome was telling the truth.

Tomorrow, some more lies or least stretching of the truth.