BOOK TWO - CHAPTER TEN
The backlash against thinking machines of the Butlerian Jihad forced humanity to find means of cognitive expansion not involving technological aid. The discovery of certain powerful awareness spectrum narcotics by members of an intentionally nameless female cult several centuries after the end of the Jihad prompted the formation of the Sisterhood, which endures to this day. Those narcotics, similar in effect to the Spice but considerably less potent, unlocked memories in those who ingested them that had been locked into the genetic code. The earliest Reverend Mothers worthy of the name were quite unprepared for the barrage of knowledge and memories unleashed by the drugs, and generally did not survive for very long. Borrowing heavily from ancient religious cults, strict rituals were integrated into the daily routine of the earliest members of the Sisterhood to tame the destructive powers of the Other Memories, but within centuries it became apparent this reliance on outside help shunted power away from the personal sphere of influence, substantially weakening the Sisterhood as a whole. One advantage of this strategy was that valuable time was bought in which to construct a training program to enable the proper use of Other Memories, many integral parts of that curriculum surviving to this day. The inital goal formulated at the inception of the Sisterhood, the education of mankind towards maturity, was given the necessary tools when Other Memory was brought under control, an achievement that also contributed significantly to the Kwisatz Haderach program. The exact machinations that enable Other Memory are unknown to this day, but valiant efforts have been made to formulate some semblance of an explanation. The most promising project suggests certain awareness spectrum narcotics enable the brain's neuronal structures to resonate along with pertinent dimensions of the perturbations of each person's local time stream, as well as vastly increasing the number of possible activation threshold configurations of individual neurons to increase the brain's storage capacity.
-Excerpt of a lecture on Other Memories for advanced Bene Gesserit acolytes-
Under cover of night, the light of the stars obscured by a layer of clouds - the existence of which was an extremely rare occurence in these increasingly dry times on Chapter House -, a small group of Bene Gesserit approached the Central complex.
Hidden in the orchard just outside Central, very close to what used to be the Mother Superior's study, Murbella, Bellonda and a small group of other Bene Gesserit - amongst them Ghos, Sardiki, Fondalar, Arelmo and Oket - were waiting. Soon, an explosion at the other side of the complex would create the diversion they needed to carry out their mission.
Tonight, it will be all or nothing, Bellonda realised. If we want to be prepared for the arrival of the Prometheans, we need to retake and fortify Central - the knowledge and hardware stored in it is vital to our cause.
Bellonda knew that operations like this would always be dangerous, but they stood a very good chance of being victorious tonight. Koshad did us a great favour, eliminating Donelid. That one was dangerous! I hope that, once Koshad has been removed, most Honoured Matres will let themselves be convinced that a fission in our alliance is exactly what we don't need right now.
Every intelligence report I've gotten suggests Koshad rules because she strikes fear in the hearts of those whom she cannot convince, and truly inspires only those who can't even be trusted to dispose of their own excrements without supervision. Every promise that she has made concerning a new rise to greatness for the Honoured Matres has been a lie, and even amongst her most trusted allies her authority is being questioned more frequently every day.
Bellonda remembered the spy that had given them so much useful information, a young Reverend Mother named Kendra that had infiltrated the highest echelons of the Honoured Matre rebellion. This will be her victory. If she survives tonight, she will go on to great things.
She glanced over to Murbella, who was sitting next to her, unmovingly staring forward. Luckily, her nasty streak seems to have subsided somewhat.
"Nejilwen was an Honoured Matre agent," Murbella had claimed in a meeting in which several of the Proctors had demanded an explanation for the incident on the training floor. "I killed her in public instead of quietly because I needed to make a point."
Most of those present had appeared to accept that explanation - Murbella still was the Mother Superior, and her dedication to the Sisterhood had never been called into question. Bellonda suspected there might be something else going on, but decided to keep quiet about it for the sake of the missions they had been planning, which needed Murbella's strength, sharp mind and talent for inspiration.
The explosion made the ground beneath them tremble. In the distance, alarms could be heard and powerful lights flashed on. In the resulting confusion, Murbella and her group emerged from their hiding place and relatively effortlessly overwhelmed the two guards at Central's garden entrance.
They reached the conference room where Kendra had promised Koshad and her inner circle would be within minutes. Lasguns gave them a relatively unimpeded passage inside - the Honoured Matre predilection for short-range weapons such as feet and hands proved to be a definite disadvantage for them.
Once inside, Murbella appeared to go berserk, overwhelming the dangerous but decidedly overclassed Honoured Matre leaders, killing one after the other with lightning-fast kicks and punches and not hesitating to break the rules that governed Honoured Matre close-combat in favour of quick results.
While Murbella attacked Moraten with a series of quick hand-feet combinations, Fondalar and Oket reacted in unison, leveling their lasgun at their Mother Superior. Without hesitation Bellonda intervened, cutting off the outstretched arms of both with a bright lance of energy from her own lasrifle. As they lay there on the ground, in shock and bleeding to death, their muscles relaxed, revealing the suspicions about Fondalar had been correct: she had been a Face Dancer, as had Oket.
To what extent have we been infiltrated?, Bellonda despaired. Anyone could be a Face Dancer! Would that explain Murbella's behaviour?
Koshad immediately took advantage of the fact these thoughts distracted Bellonda and attacked her, breaking her neck with the first kick. Jumping over the dead body, she managed to reach a hidden door and escape the room. Shocked by the death of one of the very few people she had allowed to become her friend and consumed with rage, Murbella followed Koshad.
Murbella found Koshad in the communications room. She could not control her actions anymore, and almost immediately killed Koshad, a kick breaking the Great Honoured Matre's spine.
As she stood there, watching the life flow from her prey, Murbella realised what had happened in those few short minutes. Where did all that anger come from? This was beyond anything I have ever felt, even as an Honoured Matre!
Looking at Koshad, she saw the Face Dancer's real face appear. Another one! It's almost like a plague!
She didn't have time to ponder the consequences of this discovery, because another, more pressing matter attracted her attention. She ... it managed to send a message. The language in which the message had been composed was ancient, but Murbella's Other Memory allowed her to understand it. Islamiyat!
The message contained coordinates - those of Chapter House! -, and the recommendation to expedite the execution of Mabak Ghisharat.
An ominous feeling overcame Murbella. This message was sent to Tleilax.