At this time, there is a great threat to the Society’s mission. William Conrad is about to unearth the long-hidden secret concealed within the Constitution, and members of the LES have convened to stop him. They’ve gathered together in their underground world, a virtual metropolis within the depths of the earth where they are the architects of plans meant to increase the moral decay of a civilization doomed to forever live in the blindness of ignorance and poverty – this is what Society members are concerned that William Conrad will uncover if he is not stopped. This is the place where Satan convenes his disciples.
The meeting was called for midnight, a time when most decent people are in their beds and those who wander the streets are generally too inebriated to notice the men entering the mausoleum where the gathering will take place. Prior to arriving, each member dons a mask so as not to be recognized by other members. Some do know the identity of those with whom they are close, but most do not want their anonymity breached due to their high profile status.
The one-foot thick steel door leading to the meeting place was once secured by bolt, but it is now digitally locked with a series of codes to which only the supreme members are privy. In order to enter, each man must pass through a security checkpoint where he is identified through a biometric authentication system called “iris recognition technology,” a simple process by which a person looks into a camera-type lens that confirms their identity by comparing their iris to one on file. Once all members have passed through the security checkpoint, the steel door opens and, one by one, they cross the threshold and move through a tunnel until they are all well beyond the access point. The keeper of the code then bolts the door and presses a button that closes the outside wall to hide the entrance’s existence.
Inside, the walls are made of centuries old rock formations with archways constructed of carved wooden planks of birch. The only means of light along the path are oil-filled torches which remain lit at all times. The walls are filled with inscriptions signed with the aliases of those who came before along with dates that span over two hundred years. Aliases are used to protect the members’ true identities should a traitor be in their midst. The earliest inscription is dated 1788 and it reads:
This writing is meant for the eyes of those who would join our quest to stamp out our enemy. In obedience to the orders of this veiled association, you shall join us in our vigorous measures to remain in possession of the very authority that is rightfully ours. We dutifully serve the interests of remaining true and faithful servants of the Loyal Elite Statesmen.
~ Iblis 1788
Society members believe that Iblis was the late founder, Allen Tipton. Nobody knows for certain.
Continuing through the tunnel, the men remain quiet, a custom that began when original members took an oath of silence to be observed until entering the great chamber. This was to ensure that if a member had turned traitor, there would be no danger of him learning of that night’s mission and then excusing himself for some fabricated reason in order to leave and reveal the Society’s plans to the outside world. Once inside, the intruder’s existence would easily be revealed and he would be forever silenced.
At the end of the tunnel is a stairway leading down approximately two stories. For those who cannot make the trek, there is a lift built into the wall that is lowered and raised by pulley. When members reach the bottom, they are faced with another door, a huge wooden entrance that is also digitally locked with a series of codes. Prior to entry, members are once again faced with eye-scanning security – this time, they take a pledge that they are still loyal members of the Society. The system can sense whether or not they are lying by registering the size of their pupil: a person’s cognitive processing increases while perpetrating a deception, thus their pupils become dilated. This security checkpoint occurs within the depths of the mausoleum since traitors are disposed of immediately; this cannot happen on the outside of the main entrance for obvious reasons.
Once the second door is opened, a great chamber is observed adorned with the opulence of a royal court and the flamboyance of the Palace of Versailles. This is thought not to be a coincidence as the Palace has always been viewed as the symbol of an absolute monarchy, the type of government that wields power over its subjects, a goal the Society also shares – to keep the reigns of economic power tightly within its grasp.