Kaleidoscope Eyes: The Gathering Storm, Part 3

KALEIDOSCOPE EYES:  THE GATHERING STORM

by uciboy

NOTE TO READER:  This is a continuation of "Kaleidoscope Eyes" published June
30, 2002.  It would be helpful to read how Kim goes through the Transformation
before starting this story.

BEGIN PART III

One month later....

"How you holding up, Diane," Bill the cameraman asked.  

"This patch sucks.  I still want a cigarette," she replied as she rifled
through her notes.  "How much time we got?"

"Thirty seconds."

Diane waited for her cue as she watched the television monitor.

"Over the month," Peter Kellar said, "we've been reporting to you about the
government's stepped-up anti-smoking campaign.  But for those Americans who
refuse to kick the habit, they are trying to fight back - though
unsuccessfully.  Here's Diane Hunt to tell us more."

"Peter, there are currently 46 million adult smokers in America, and a
significant number of them say that they are tired of being demonized.  But
the government replies that it's only applying some 'tough-love' as it works
toward its goal of a smoke-free society."

Newsfeed of a convenience store runs with Diane's voiceover.  "The recent
Congressional action hiking federal cigarette taxes an additional $2.00 has
consumers fuming."

"I don' know why de gover'men' mus' involve i'self in my own person'l life,"
says one Latino man in poorly spoken English as he buys a pack.  "I min, don'
dey have enough do worry 'bou'?"

"Some smokers have taken to the streets," Diane continued.  "At this protest
march in Memphis, Tennessee last week, smokers were saying that they've had
enough of this kind of government abuse."

"We the people," says a poorly dressed and unkempt African American speaker at
the protest, "demand respect from our elected representatives.  If we choose
to smoke, the government has no business interfering.  What will come next?
Will they tell us what we can and cannot read?  What we can and cannot watch
on television or what music to listen to?"

Diane's voiceover is heard once again.  "Some groups are advocating more
radical measures to fight the government.  The spokesman of the California
Militia Movement argues that the government's actions are yet another example
of centralization run-amock."

"What we're seeing here," a white  man in army fatigues says to the camera,
"is just one more step towards a government that seeks to take away our
liberties.  The issue here is not 'smoker's rights' but the preservation of
personal individual freedom."

"What do you intend to do about it," Diane's voice off-camera asks.

"We intend to fight," the spokesman answers seriously.

Diane is shown live on screen once again.  "Protestors say they will continue
to organize marches all around the country until their grievances are
addressed.  Peter?"

"Diane, tell us more about the involvement of the Militia Movement in this
campaign against the government."

You fucker, Diane thought to herself.  You forced me to put that lunatic into
my piece to further demonize smokers.  "Peter, the government takes these
kinds of threats very seriously.  California Governor Bruce David has said
that he has been in contact with the Federal Office of Homeland Security to
investigate radical elements involved in these pro-smoking protests that have
also been taking place around the state.  This is Diane Hunt reporting for ABC
news.  Peter?"

"And...we're clear," Bill said.  "Nice piece.  I hope the government puts
these smokers in their place."

Dispirited, Diane sat down in a chair to the side, desperately needing a
cigarette but trying to fight the urge.  Spouting propaganda is not why I got
into journalism, she thought to herself.  If I were sitting at home watching
this newscast, I'd think that smokers were all criminals, too.

"Diane," Bill said holding up the cell phone.

She knew who it was.  Time for the fucking instant report card.

"Diane, this is Peter.  Nice work - but you could have said a bit more about
the Militia Movement and their activities.  Remember what we're trying to
accomplish here."

"Yes, I understand," she answered with no expression.

"Good.  Now, we're getting some word about a new kind of church that's been
operating out of New Orleans for about a month now.  Some cult that promotes
smoking.  I want you to do an expose on this, this...," Peter paused,
"...Sister Kim.  Find out as much as you can about this charlatan.  I want
something to air in two weeks."  Click...

"Bill, pack up.  We're going to New Orleans."

"What's in New Orleans?" he asked.

"The next sacrificial lamb to the anti-smoking gods at the Network," she
answered with a sneer.

****************************************************************

New Orleans, Louisiana

It had been a month since Angela and Kim's arrival in New Orleans, and things
had gone according to the plans that Angela had detailed.  With her Uncle's
assistance (and Kim's persuasive powers), acquiring an abandoned church
downtown was no problem, nor was obtaining the necessary funding to quickly
renovate it to serve their purposes.  Angela relished the task of turning the
main hall into a spiritual version of a rave club, complete with laser lights,
smoke machines, a state of the art sound system, and ashtrays installed in
every pew.

Bringing people in to listen to Kim was slow going at first.  But with 1 in 4
people in Louisiana as smokers, word spread of the young Asian American woman
who went by the name of Sister Kim and preached the welcomed message that
smoking was beautiful.  Within a few weeks, hundreds of people were attending
the 4 services per week.  Within a month, there were thousands of parishioners
bringing friends and family members.  Followers began to organize sister
organizations in other Southern states, and with Internet coverage of the
sermons on the New Society Church web page, smaller groups were taking root in
states as far away as Maine, California and Hawaii.

Followers who attended the service in person could not be faulted for thinking
that they had stumbled into a rock concert.  Each service before Kim's
appearance, the sound system blared techno music while a laser light show cut
through the smoke filled air.  Parishioners danced in the aisles, loving the
freedom of smoking and communing with fellow smokers.  As the music's volume
would decrease, parishioners knew that it was time for Sister Kim.

On this particular evening, when everyone was in a seat, the hall went black.

"And there was a time," a voice said softly from the pulpit, "when darkness
covered the land.  And in that darkness was hate and intolerance."  

The audience listened intently as the voice began to rise. 

"Those who pursued their desire for pleasure were persecuted - first subtly
through segregation into separate sections, then more overtly through
exclusion, even imprisonment.  Today, these people are portrayed as nothing
less than criminals."  The speaker paused to let her words sink in.  "But out
of the darkness comes a light."  The blackness in the hall was pierced by the
flick of a lighter as it was brought up to the tip of a cigarette, creating a
bright orange glow.

"And the light is bringing the understanding of a new way of life."  

The voice paused to take a puff, making the tip of the cigarette shine
brightly.  As the lights began to come-up slowly, the speaker continued.

"The fact that you are here listening to my voice is testament to the growing
strength of this light.  The government can try and obstruct it, but they
cannot extinguish it - because no matter how many anti-smoking ads we see, no
matter how many parents are arrested, no matter how many laws they pass to
restrict smoking or how high they raise taxes, they cannot change the reality
that smoking is beautiful."

The lights came up to full strength in the hall, revealing a beautiful young
Asian American woman in a white gown wearing sunglasses.  Kim took a slow drag
on her cigarette and parishioners began to clap intermittently, shouting out
"Amen" and "Yes, mam" and "You tell 'em, sister."

"My brothers and sisters," Kim continued, "why can't they understand that we
are not interested in quitting?"

"Yes, mam," people shouted and an organ began to play.

Kim removed the microphone from the pulpit and began to walk along the stage,
her voice filled with excitement.  "We want to smoke.  We want to feeeeeel its
power, its communal essence."  Waving her hand for emphasis, the cigarette
firmly between her fingers, she said, "Today in America we have poverty.
Today in America we have racism and sexism.  Today in America we are fighting
a war on terrorism.  But with all these problems, what's the government's top
priority?"  A pause - and then the answer.  "Denying us the pleasure we so
eagerly choose to follow."  Kim brought the cigarette up to her lips and took
a long, deep puff, eliciting whoops and cheers from the audience.  She exhaled
a voluminous amount of smoke up towards the lights, creating a small cloud
that hovered over the stage and brought the audience to their feet.
Parishioners began clapping wildly and raising their hands as they shouted
"amen."

"And what if everyone smoked?"  Kim asked as she stubbed out the cigarette and
took a drink of water.  "What if everyone could feel its power, could share in
its wonder?"  Another pause - and then she shouted, "Let the smoke unite us to
solve these problems together as a community!"
 
Applause and organ music filled the church hall, shaking the rafters of the
old church.  The crowd was practically delirious.  A young girl came out from
backstage to Kim, handed her a Virginia Slim 120 and lit it.  Kim smiled,
patted her on the head, and grew retrospect as she turned once again to the
audience.  "My friends," she said softly after taking a puff, "I have a
confession to make.  I used to be one of them."

"No!" some shouted from the now quiet audience back in their seats.

"I used to be an anti-smoker," she continued.

Shouts of "no" and "I don't believe it."

"I once believed that smokers were 'bad people.'  I tried to prevent people
from experiencing its power."

More shouts of "no" and "impossible" rippled through the audience.

"Yes," she said with a quick inhale of a puff, "I was blinded by their
propaganda.  But when I tried my first cigarette, I had a revelation."

Cheers.

"A revelation!" Kim shouted.

Louder cheers.

"I knew what my destiny was to be.  It was to HELP people smoke, not to
prevent them from doing it."

The crowd once again rose to its feet, clapping and cheering.

"We are a growing movement, my brothers and sisters.  Despite the efforts of
the Anti-Smoking regime that seeks to oppress us, we are gaining supporters
every day.  This is a revolution - and you are my shock troops."

"Yes, Sister!"

"You will fight for me.  You will fight for the right - no, the duty - the
FUCKING OBLIGATION to smoke!  You and I will show this country the power of
the smoke in all its glory."  Kim raised her arms like Christ on the
crucifixion and shouted, "Together, we will create a New Society!"

The applause and cheering was deafening.  People crowded into the aisles
cheering and hugging each other as Kim stepped back from the pulpit and
listened to the crowd call her name.  She moved to the center of the stage and
sat down on a thrown, stubbing out her half-smoked Virginia Slim and reaching
for another on a small table nearby.  Angela came close and flicked a lighter
whereupon Kim lit her cigarette and remained motionless in the chair except
when bringing the cigarette up to her lips.

Angela, immaculately dressed in a beige suit and pleased at the size of the
crowd this evening, moved to the pulpit and said, "We ask those in need of
spiritual guidance and sustenance to come forward and receive Sister Kim's
blessing.  As you know, our efforts here work entirely on your financial
offerings, and so we ask you to search your hearts and your pockets.  Your
donations will help us to expand our revolution smoker by smoker."

One by one, audience members began lining up in the aisles in order to receive
Kim's blessing.  Each person walked onto the stage, stood before Sister Kim
who looked almost like an Angel in her white gown - yet maintained some
mystery with the wearing of her sunglasses - and would allow Kim to engulf
their face in a cloud of smoke through her exhale.  For the unconverted, there
was some coughing and dizziness.  Some would fall backwards after receiving
this blessing, caught by volunteers who lead them off to the side of the stage
and offered them their first cigarette.  Parishioners in the audience dug
deeply into their pockets and filled the passing plates with cash and coins.

Diane, who watched the event in awe from a pew in the back of the hall, could
barely restrain herself from clapping.  As a still recovering smoker herself,
she felt some attraction to Sister Kim - admired this young woman and perhaps
would have gone up for a blessing had her cameraman Bill not been by her side.
But she knew she had to remain objective in reporting this story.  And it
wasn't just the personal appeal she felt for Sister Kim that she would have to
resist, but also the desire on the part of Kellar who would want to portray
this girl as a lunatic.  She was determined to create an honest portrayal of
the New Society Church in her next report.

"Let's get out of here," Bill said in disgust.  "I can barely breathe with all
this smoke."

As they started to walk out, Diane paused to take one last look at Sister Kim
sitting on her throne.

"Come on," Bill demanded and pulled her out by the arm.

END PART III

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