Chapter 6: The Church

After another restless night, Samuel is exhausted. It is clear to him that the mental tension coming with the comprehension of the Secret Number Πβ is stressing his mind and body. Sapped of energy and unable to contemplate anything else, Samuel meditates on a solution to the problem of the Πβ Conspiracy. “Should I go on believing in the way of life that is normal, or should I use my recent experience as a more pure guide? What if the Truth is not what the Educomm Ministry espouses? Is there something beyond Dome City? Am I to expose others to the Truth of the Πβ Conspiracy?”

With further contemplation, Samuel sees that if he is to lead others to the Truth that has been revealed to him, the solution is to alter the Πβ signal. But he knows this to be impossible: the control systems that broadcast Πβ throughout Dome City must be hidden and impervious to tampering.

Seeking understanding and sympathy for this new conceptual problem, Samuel goes to the nearest Shaman of Wonderland, at The Church of the Beloved Humanist. The Church, a leftover from the previous era in which humans believed in a mystical and unseen interloper in human affairs, is the primary center of Dome City for introspection and self-understanding within the context of what was left of humanity after the Fall. Lighted at the entrance to The Church is a large symbol of a human male with curly hair, arms outstretched and legs spread, framed by geometric shapes. He has the conspicuous name Vitruvian. As is their way, a Shaman comes out to greet Samuel before he can enter the temple itself. The Shaman are volunteers who help citizens along their life journeys. For his counseling session, Samuel is led to a Shaman named ‘epIk, a large, androgynous person who listens intently and engages Samuel in a line of questioning and philosophical debate about his problem. “You seem to think you know a lot about how Dome City actually works,” says ‘epIk, after hearing Samuel’s account of his encounter with the Secret Number Πβ, “but truly, you know nothing – yet. Seek with me and find.” Not willing to submit his disciplined and reasoned mind to conspiracy theories, Samuel refuses to return to The Church for weeks. But a chance encounter with Avogadro leads him back to The Church later that year.