by Ryan Tang
Her short report already contained one immense relief.
The company's factories and headquarters had suffered no damage at all.
The colony needed their geniuses right now. It couldn't have them worrying about their workplace. If Southern Robotics were alright, the colony would be fine, but you wouldn't know that judging by how the rabid crowd outside was acting. By now, they were so close Governor Waters didn't need to use his security cameras. He could hear them through the wall.
The Governor pulled out his tablet, hoping that Sarah had sent him some further instructions.
When he saw the blank screen, he yanked at his collar. It was starting to feel very hot. He wasn't nervous, of course, but it would be nice to have a bit of guidance.
Waters took a deep breath and set the tablet aside. Southern Robotics wasn't the only wise counsel he could call on. He also had the Carters.
At times like this, Waters liked to imagine himself sitting in the small cube home of the typical family on Plenty. Every so often, he would change their name occasionally just to add a bit of excitement. Sometimes they were the Jones family. Other times the Smith family. As of late, they'd become the Carters.
Listening to an angry crowd was a waste of his time. Their screaming made it impossible for the Governor to figure out what was going on. But the Carters were always calm and respectful. They would never shout or accuse him of acting in bad faith.
They saw eye to eye with the Waters administration on all the important issues. They loved Plenty and supported their Governor. They understood the difference between Governor Waters the official and Mr. Waters the man. They would never ask him to do something he didn't want to do. They were fantastically proud of Southern Robotics, the great company that'd brought such fame and fortune to Plenty. They knew the Governor couldn't afford to extend his kindness and generosity to people on other colonies.
And they understood that in times of danger, the average man had to sacrifice so their leaders could take them to where they needed to go.
Every time they met Governor Waters, they bowed down deeply and thanked him for the short roof of their home.
The laws on housing height had been one of his most controversial initiatives. It'd nearly cost him an election until Southern Robotics stepped in and let everyone know what would happen to their jobs if a less company friendly Governor got elected. The Carters knew how much the short homes had cost the Waters administration and they were quick to comfort him. They knew the low roofs were needed for Southern Robotics's Paragons to fly. For humanity to excel, everyone had to do their share.
Right now, the Carter family wasn't rioting in the streets. All four of them – the burly technician father, the young and beautiful secretary mother, the studious boy who dreamed of becoming an engineer, and the adorable little girl - were politely sitting in their living room and waiting for instructions.
What were the Carters worried about?
Governor Waters pondered that question as he hurried down the hall to get away from the noises outside. To his chagrin, a few of his Old Earth antiques had shattered onto the ground, including a glazed pot he was particularly fond of. He pulled out his tablet and told an aide to see about securing the rest of his valuables. It would be a shame if more of his treasures broke when the ground shook again.
For a moment, he wondered if the Carters had the same fear.
Old Earth artifacts were hard to come by.
But that couldn't be it.
The Carters lived in a standard cube home, with hardly any valuables. They had big dreams and planned to fairly work their way up in the world, but they had nothing much to speak of yet. If the Governor's mansion was anything to go by, their home was fine. There might be a couple of new cracks here and there, but they didn't have much to lose in the first place. What mattered most to the Carter family were their jobs at Southern Robotics, and the factories were fine. If they needed a little more money to make repairs to their home, the little boy could just start working there a little earlier than expected.
Governor Waters closed his eyes and imagined lovely Mrs. Carter whispering in his ear.
"Don't you worry about us, sir. We'll be just fine as long as we have Southern Robotics. We're not like those crazy and disrespectful people outside your home!"
Mrs. Carter shuddered at the thought of screaming like a witch outside the Governor's mansion. She would never be so disrespectful. Her long hair brushed softly against the Governor's face.
"The Carters know our place. Always have."
There was a sudden buzzing noise.
The Governor jolted a little at the unexpected sound before he realized it was a message from the Southern Robotics rep.
The Governor smiled.
He hated saying goodbye to Mrs. Carter before things got good, but he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Finally.
The Governor mentally bid the Carters farewell as he started walking back to the conference room. His arms lingered a little around Mrs. Carter's waist. He hugged the little daughter tight. She was growing older by the day and already looked very mature for her age. Mr. Carter saw but didn't say anything. Just like the rest of his family, he knew his place.
Governor Waters was beaming by the time he entered the conference room.
One of the most difficult parts of his job was how little time he had to spend in the field.
That was when families like the Carters could set him straight.
____
The conference room was on the top floor of the Governor's mansion.
As was proper, his aides were already waiting for him with everything set up just the way he wanted.
He was the boss here. It wouldn't be right if he had to wait.
Like the rest of the building, the walls were sleek white, and filled with Old Earth artifacts inside their protective cases. The damaged treasures had already been removed and replaced with fresh offerings. A few years ago, he'd redone the entire building to suit Junior's tastes. Governor Waters was a man of the future.
There was a lovely window that swept through the outward-facing wall. Looking out of it, a man could see all of Plenty. It was usually a beautiful sight, but his two assistants had wisely closed the curtain tonight. Sarah was an exceptionally beautiful woman, far too beautiful to deal with the deranged mob outside.
Governor Waters gave both his aides a warm smile and a clap on the back as he took his proper seat at the head of the table. He liked to think of Devan and Scott as the devil and angel on his shoulder.
As with everything, a good leader prioritized balance.
Devan spent years working for the public relations team at Southern Robotics before joining the Waters administration full time. He was infamous for his dirty politics and mudslinging campaigns. The Governor might not have won his first election without him, and keeping him on retainer had done him a world of good deterring future challengers. Nobody wanted to get dragged through the mud by Devan. The Governor sometimes had nightmares thinking about what would happen if Devan ever betrayed him. But that wouldn't happen. Devan was loyal. They'd known each other since they were boys.
Their longstanding friendship also allowed Waters to entrust him with handling some of the colony's most difficult situations.
When Governor Waters wasn't sure what to do with the corporate spies Stock Junior gave him, Devan made sure he didn't have to worry about them again. When the Governor had a problematic challenger, Devan always nipped it in the bud. There was no question about it. Devan knew how to get things done.
Scott was young, eager, and diligent. He was enthusiastic and idealistic with a knack for public speaking and a love of good rhetoric. It did the Governor's heart good to find a man who respected Plenty's institutions as much as he did. Scott worshipped the Governor's residence, going so far as to kiss the table every time they met. He knew just how vital Southern Robotics was to the fabric of the colony. Best of all, the young man knew how to te
mper his respect for institutions with practicality. Although he did not like seeing the results of Devan's work, he was smart enough to turn a blind eye to it. The Governor and Devan had to get rid of several angels before finding a man who understood that sometimes politics had a dark underbelly.
At the moment, Scott was only the commander of Plenty's Security Force, but the Governor had big plans for his future.
The three chatted politely until Sarah strode through the door, carrying a large stack of files.
"Sorry for the delay, Governor."
Sarah was the top-ranking public relations official of Southern Robotics and an invaluable addition to their little conference. The tall lady was perfectly proportioned with long flowing hair that went down to her waist and large guileless eyes. It was a great shame she had such an oafish husband, some big man with a beard she classlessly forced the Governor to greet every time they were in the same room.
The Governor smiled generously and pulled out her seat for her just as a proper gentleman should. But Sarah snubbed him.
Instead of sitting down, she stood at the front of the room, ahead of even Waters himself.
Governor Waters lingered at her chair for a moment, but she ignored his cue.
"Here's what we know about the quakes right now."
After a while, he got tired of standing there, so he sat down and started thumbing through the report.
Although casualties still hadn't been reported, they could now report structural damage with complete confidence.
Fortunately, the damage was centered around the Spire.
There were cube homes and some small shops around the library, but nobody important lived there. Southern Robotics's factories and headquarters at Block 1 were practically on the other side of the colony. Most of the colony's best engineers and directors lived there as well. That was a relief. Plenty needed its geniuses right now. It couldn't have them worrying about their homes.
The Governor nodded wisely when he finished reading the report.
"We're grateful for your help. As a private company, you have some advantages we can't match. We're going to have to work together if we want to succeed."
Sarah didn't even have the grace to avert her eyes.
She refused him right to his face.
"Director Stock doesn't want to work together. The quakes are an exceptionally urgent matter. We want full jurisdiction over this emergency."
Governor Waters stammered.
"Full jurisdiction? What do you mean?"
"Turn to the fourth page of the folio."
The Governor frantically leafed past the pages and gaped at what he saw. He'd skimmed right past it without noticing.
The fourth page was a contract detailing the terms for Southern Robotics's handling of the quakes.
The Governor's heart raced.
Their demands were ludicrous!
Director Stock essentially wanted to be the Governor until the quake crisis ended. There was even a line stating that Junior could live in the Governor's residence and sit in the Governor's chair if he wanted too! Worst of all, the contract said that Southern Robotics would be the sole authority over when the quake crisis ended.
The Governor quickly put two and two together.
Director Stock could be living in the Governor's mansion for the rest of Governor Waters's life!
Balancing the interests of Director Stock and the common man was the most important part of being Governor. Governor Waters tried to give each side their respective victories in an even 50-50 split. Southern Robotics already ran the false sky and the underground transport tunnels. Corporations on other colonies could only dream of charging fees on sunlight and movement, but it was well worth it to fund Director Stock's creativity. The laws on maximum house height had been a tight battle, but Waters compromised by allowing the residents of Blocks 1-3 to build as high as they wanted.
Good leadership was all about compromise, but this was just too much!
Full jurisdiction would mean the Governor himself didn't have a place to live!
That was not a sacrifice either Governor Waters or Mr. Waters was willing to make.
How could they possibly turn him out of his home?
Sarah gave him a comforting smile.
"I know this is a lot to ask. But the quakes are an existential threat to Plenty's existence. We cannot be tied down by bureaucracy. And we have to be certain that there won't be future quakes. Can you imagine the panic if the ground shakes again?"
Scott sounded like he was choking on his words.
"Future quakes?"
Sarah smiled grimly.
"We're almost certain there's going to be more. With full jurisdiction, we can focus on protecting the colony. But without it, action will just be too slow. You guys will end up holding us back."
Scott looked like he was going to try and talk again, but Governor Waters quickly cut him off.
Who cared about future quakes?
They were just tiny tremors.
His house was at stake!
"But...but...full jurisdiction! I need people to know that I'm working on the problem too! And my house! I can't lose my house!"
His vaunted speaking skills abandoned him. The Governor was reduced to a stammer.
"The house...I have to give up the house too?"
Sarah nodded sadly. She knelt next to him, and despite his panic, the Governor felt like he could lose himself in her eyes.
"We just can't afford for there to be any delays. Look. I know this is scary. But we've never let you down before. Come on, James. You'll know I'll never let you –"
Scott suddenly burst out of his chair, cutting Sarah off mid-sentence. His typically manly voice had become a high and irritating whine.
"James? James? That man is your Governor! You will address him as sir!"
He pointed an accusing finger right at Sarah, who stared back at him in shock. Her beautiful eyes were wide with surprise. Nobody had ever interrupted her during one of the meetings before, not even the most uptight of the previous angels.
Governor Waters tensed.
The stress must have gotten to Scott's head.
Scott had done a similar bit many times before, screaming at people who addressed Governor Waters by his first name or by his last name without his proper title. Sometimes he even took out his gun and waved it around. Usually, the Governor strongly encouraged it.
But Sarah was the liaison from Southern Robotics!
This wasn't how the game was played.
He shot Devan a worried glance.
Sarah turned towards Scott, a generous smile on her face. Her voice was heavy with care and concern.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean any offense."
Waters let out a sigh of relief.
She was willing to let this go.
There would have been a world of trouble if she decided to take offense.
But the idiot wasn't done.
Scott grabbed his folio and waved it around in the air.
"You're asking for too much! You're going to take him out of his home! You're going to take the Governor out of his home!"
It was like watching a Paragon crash. The Governor had been in a couple of them before. Even the easy ones, where a Paragon landed on top of someone who couldn't get out of the way in time, were grisly sights. This wasn't an easy one. This was a massive aerial pile-up.
Sarah's voice was slow and steady, the perfect voice for talking to a young child.
"Well, you see, Southern Robotics is a big company with a lot of projects. It's tough to manage all of them if we have to keep going back to the Governor's office for approval."
Sarah tapped the folio again.
"We already run the sky for you. If you want us to run the ground too, you're going to need to give us the same leeway."
Governor Waters nodded wisely.
That was a good line.
Scott stood up angrily. The young man's face was bright red. Governor Waters suddenly
realized Scott was about to say something they'd all regret.
He stared at Devan, pleading for him to say something. But his friend didn't know what to do either!
"Run the sky? You just sit around doing nothing and collect the fees!"
There was a long silence.
Devan nudged him anxiously.
"Well, there's another fallen angel for you."
Governor Waters's mind churned furiously. There had to be a way to punish Scott and make it clear to Southern Robotics that what he just said was totally unacceptable.
Just when it seemed like nothing could get worse, a dim echo drifted through the curtain.
"Come out of there!"
"Tell us what's going on!"
"Use your Paragons to help! We know you have them!"
"Open up! Open up!"
The mob was very close now.
They were right outside his gate.
What were his security officers doing?
Cold panic seized the Governor. He rocked back and forth in his chair.
Scott on one side.
The mob on the other.
So many people who didn't know their place!
Devan saved him.
"Leave the room."
Scott tried stammering an apology, but Devan cut the idiot off.
"Gather your people and figure out what's going on outside. You're the captain of the Security Force. Don't come back until you've dealt with the problem."
Yes. Yes.
That was killing two birds with one stone.
There were a lot of idiots outside. Scott could join them while the Governor and Devan talked business with Sarah.
He was sure there was some sort of arrangement they could come to that would keep him from losing the Governor's mansion. The Carter family would lose all respect for him if he lost the grand estate. And he'd spent a lot of his own Mr. Waters money on making improvements. What would happen to all his furniture! And his artifacts!
Scott hesitated.
The Governor turned and gave Scott his sternest, most gubernatorial, glare. The young man scurried away without another word.