Prometheus [2] - The Party

We aren’t sworn to secrecy about our involvement in the Party, nor are we required to withhold our existence from each other.  We were a group subservient to each other’s dominant feature as outlined during our Oath.

Each one of us has our own agenda to attend to–personal, career-oriented, cultish, or sacrificial–designated by the Division we are assigned to.  We know each other by sight, by moniker, and often by given names.  We are given leave to interact with one another openly and to introduce ourselves when an Outsider expresses a direct interest in the Party, whether or not they are wholly familiar with the Party. 

The Induction process begins before a candidate fully knows or understands the Party’s existence.  If a candidate doesn’t qualify, then they don’t know any better and aren’t let in on the fact that they were given precedence at one time.  Usually an Outsider who has been denied Induction shies away from the Party due to knowledge of the strict vows, which are, in fact, strict in the eyes of an Outsider.

The purpose of the Party is to unite the elite--not the social elite or the wealthy elite, but the just and the honest and the fair and the intelligent.  The guiding force is to create a Utopian mini-society where these elite can interact and share ideas without being misunderstood by the lesser of the world.

We are paired upon induction with another member.  Pairings are for life.  Grievances with a mate are worked out between the two, or both members are eternally dispelled from the Party.  The relationship between mates are such that if you were married to an Outsider prior to being Inducted, you can never forsake your civilian marriage with your Party mate--meaning that sexual intimacy between mates is allowed; sexual intercourse is not.  The most important alignment is the civilian marriage as long as it has occurred prior to Inductance.  If you are married to or otherwise aligned with a Party member in addition to your Inducted mate, the Inducted partnership is considered the most important alignment, and sexual intercourse is not restricted between any of the involved members.

Honesty is assumed since induction carefully screens candidates for morality, ethics, intelligence, psychological maturity, passion, education, and criminal activity--not that a criminal history is a preclusion to membership, but the types of crimes, along with the many other factors involved, determine worthiness.

Breach of vows are not taken lightly.  Members are not only dispelled upon breaking vow, but facts are created in order to publicly shame and legally punish each Party member for a crime that puts in doubt the member’s authenticity with their family, their profession, and their future credibility.  In other words, the offending member’s once-austere reputation is irrevocably ruined for life, thus also disqualifying them for membership ever again.

No one divulges the identity of their mate while both are still living.  Not to other Party members, not to Outsiders--no one.  Upon the death of one mate, the Party governors reveal the deceased member’s mate to the entire membership and the remaining member is recirculated for proper mate selection.

Mate selection is a very important task for the Govenorship.  Hundreds of factors are taken into consideration amongst the eligible candidates and unmated members.  Mate selection for Inductees usually takes one year, at which time a Candidate has been thoroughly screened for Induction, which usually takes two years.  Members who have been widowed upon the death of their mate are usually paired within the month of their partner’s death.  This punctuates the importance of existing members and also helps in returning the member to full functionality within the Party as soon as possible.