by S. H. Jucha
“Let’s talk about the presidency first,” Dingles said in the initial meeting.
“One question, Captain, before we begin,” Nadine said. “What’s the voting population?”
“Estimates are about one hundred, four thousand total population, and we’ve a few over eighty thousand registered comm units,” Dingles replied.
“Should we place a limit on the number of candidates for the presidency?” an engineer asked.
“Good question,” Dingles replied.
Dingles had dreaded running this committee. He’d been trained as a spacer and a navigator. However, as the discussions ensued, he realized he had two hitherto unrecognized assets. His time with Harbour and Jessie had done much to prepare him for command of a ship and a committee, and the Belle had fostered a wonderful and dynamic group of people.
Their work would take days. Eventually, the results were summarized and sent to Liam and Henry for posting and execution. They read:
There will be no limit on the number of presidential candidates.
If the number of presidential candidates exceeds four, then the four who receive the most votes will take part in a second election.
The president will serve for six years and is limited to two terms.
It’s determined that the Assembly delegates should be forty in number for the present population.
As the voting population is nearly eighty thousand, as determined by registered comm units, this equals about one representative per two thousand voting citizens.
There will be no limit on the number of representative candidates.
If representative candidates exceed sixty, then the sixty who receive the most votes will take part in a second election.
If the number of candidates does not exceed sixty but is more than forty, then the forty with the most votes will constitute Pyre’s first Assembly.
If the number of candidates is less than forty, the Review Board will appoint representatives to fill the empty positions. It’s recommended that these appointees represent a cross section of Pyrean citizens.
The representatives will serve for four years. A representative is limited to a maximum of three terms, regardless of whether those terms are consecutive or not.
A court of judges will be selected by the Assembly and approved by the president to serve for ten years and no longer.
These three parts of Pyre’s new government will heed the guidelines and protocols in administration of their duties as defined by the Honora Belle’s documents until such time as they pass new legislation.
Dingles attached a copy of the Belle’s documents as part of the record. When he finished transmitting to Liam and Henry, he sat back in his comfortable chair in the captain’s study and sighed.
“For better or worse, Pyre, you’re about to take one hellacious step,” Dingles murmured. “I just hope the airlock doesn’t lead to vacuum.”
Nadine heard her partner. She’d been waiting for him to send the committee’s summary. She entered the study with his favorite drink from the captain’s ancient stock. She sat on his lap and handed him the drink.
Dingles sipped and handed the drink to Nadine, who sat it on the desk. Then they wrapped their arms around each other.
“Who would have thought that you and I would be together in this captain’s suite, and I would be commanding a rejuvenated colony ship?” Dingles mused.
“It’s not about wondering how or why we arrived at this point,” Nadine corrected. “We’re here now. It’s about what we did today and plan to accomplish tomorrow.” She kissed his forehead and snuggled deeper.
-32-
Recyclers
Imian sat in his room and thought about the day’s conversations. Much of the uncertainty he’d felt when he returned downside had melted away. In contrast, the danger appeared to have ratcheted up, but that didn’t bother him. He felt connected to something greater than himself for the first time in his life.
A check of the comm unit revealed it was time, and Imian traced his familiar route out of the house. Following Noel’s directions, his e-trans entered dome four and soon arrived at the recycling plant.
Imian left the vehicle and tried the front doors of the plant. They were locked.
“It’s third shift,” a young woman called out to Imian. “You have to use the workers’ entrance. It’s this way.”
Imian followed the woman around the side of the structure to a nondescript door. The door slid aside at her approach cued by her worker’s pass, which was embedded in a wrist bracelet. He slipped in before the door closed.
After they entered a small lobby, the woman disappeared down a corridor, leaving Imian alone. He waited a while, but no one else came through the entrance door or out from the plant’s interior.
Emboldened, Imian walked down the corridor. He followed the noise of processing machines. Warning signs marked the entrance to the recycling area. Inside, conveyor belts moved refuse and sorted the materials into various shredders, vats, and compost containers.
“Help you?” a foreman in slick coveralls, helmet, and mask asked.
“I’m looking for Scarlet,” Imian said.
“There’s no one on this shift by that name. This area is restricted. You need to leave,” the foreman said.
“I need to see Scarlet,” Imian repeated.
“Are you deaf, boy?” the foreman demanded.
“I’ll wait in the front room,” Imian said defiantly. “Tell Scarlet that Imian Tuttle and Envoy Harbour want to talk.”
When the foreman glanced around to spot the envoy, Imian waved his comm unit in the foreman’s face. Then he spun around and marched out of the recycling area.
Imian wasn’t in the lobby two minutes before an older woman with short silver hair entered.
“I understand you’re looking for someone named Scarlet,” she said. “Who told you that this person worked here?”
“An interested party, who’d like to coordinate with a similar organization,” Imian temporized.
“You’re being vague,” the woman accused.
“Of course, I am,” Imian retorted. “My information is meant for Scarlet. Now do you know him or her or not?”
“I’m Valeria,” the woman said, extending her hand to Imian.
Imian shook her hand and stated his name, as if she didn’t already know it.
“I’m sorry you came out so late for nothing,” Valeria said, taking Imian’s arm and guiding him toward the exit.
Imian shrugged off Valeria’s grip. He opened his comm unit and made a call.
“Hello, Imian,” Harbour said.
Imian had his device on speaker for Valeria’s edification, and said, “Envoy, I’m sorry to say that I was misled. There’s no Scarlet working at the recycling plant on third shift.”
“That’s too bad, Imian,” Harbour replied. “I was hoping downsiders had more courage than this, but I imagine they’ve been frightened so long by the families that they don’t dare protest.”
“Brave talk, whoever you are,” Valeria retorted.
“That was Valeria, Envoy. She works here,” Imian explained.
“Am I supposed to believe that’s the envoy?” Valeria scoffed.
“Valeria,” Harbour said coolly. “After your shift, I invite you to take the El topside and meet Advisor Cinders and me in security. We’ll repeat every word of this conversation. I assume you know what I look like.”
“I might just do that,” Valeria said and stalked off to return to work.
Jessie confirmed with Imian as to when third shift would end, and Imian sent an image of Valeria that he’d surreptitiously captured.
Then Imian, Harbour, and Jessie turned in for the evening. A disappointed Sasha, who had no opportunity to speak to Imian, did too.
* * * *
“Are you going topside?” Gerry Grayson, the foreman, asked Valeria.
The shift had ended, and the night workers left, as their replacements arrived.
“I have t
o go,” Valeria replied. “We’ve been compromised by someone. I’ve got to find out if it’s a legitimate contact. I don’t think we have anything to lose, and we’ve everything to gain.”
“I disagree,” Gerry retorted. “If this is a ruse to flush out Scarlet, then your trip topside proves that our organization exists. Otherwise, why would you bother going?”
“I thought about that, and it’s a possibility,” Valeria allowed. “But you should remember what we’ve heard about Imian. Why would Sasha Garmenti befriend a downsider and a family’s son at that? Furthermore, why should someone with a reputation like Imian before his accident even take part in an elaborate ruse?”
“I guess we’ll find out on our next shift, if you’re right,” Gerry replied. “Either you’ll come to work or you’ll have disappeared after you’ve given up every member of our organization.”
“That won’t happen,” Valeria declared, locking on Gerry’s eyes. “I’ll be dead before they grab me.”
Gerry nodded solemnly. He regretted what he’d said. Valeria had built the organization over the best part of the last two decades. She was prepared to end her life before she uttered a single one of their names, and he knew it. She carried several means to do it quickly and effectively. It had been fear talking, and he was ashamed to admit that tiny Valeria, who barely reached his shoulder, lived with more courage than he ever could.
When Valeria left Gerry, she hurried to her apartment to put on a warm top, clean coveralls, and deck shoes. Then she caught the El lift topside. She’d visited the station a few times years ago and remembered the way to security.
As Valeria entered security’s lobby, a woman and a man stood up and smiled at her. The pair was unmistakable.
“Envoy Harbour … Advisor Cinders,” Valeria stammered.
“Hungry, Valeria?” Harbour asked.
“I can always eat,” Valeria replied, and Jessie chuckled.
“I know,” Valeria replied, grinning. “Barely fifty kilos, and I eat like two men.”
“Then we should feed you before you fade away,” Harbour said and linked arms with Valeria to walk her out the exit.
They ate at the Pit before it opened. Valeria was tickled when she saw the Pit’s hatch slide aside.
Harbour and Jessie had fruit drinks, while they watched Valeria pack away a large meal. She finished off the last bite, washed it down with water, and let go a long, loud belch.
“Ah, that’s better,” Valeria declared. Then she eyed Harbour and Jessie. “I guess there’s no reason to ask you to repeat our conversation,” she said.
“Can we presume you’re Scarlet?” Harbour asked.
There was a moment of hesitation on Valeria’s part. Then she gave Harbour a barely perceptible nod.
“You’re safe here, Valeria,” Jessie said. “I own this place. The people who work here used to be spacers on my ships before they were injured.”
“What was Imian’s visit about?” Valeria asked.
Harbour sensed relief pouring off Valeria. Whereas, when they first met, she was a bundle of nerves.
“When Imian returned to the domes, he went looking for a way to recruit downsiders to support the referendum and the elections. He hoped to form a group of citizens to help him motivate downsiders to stand up for their rights,” Harbour explained. “By coincidence, a man, who befriended him when he was young, turned out to be part of an organization like yours.”
“Imian was invited to a meeting of this group,” Jessie said, picking up the narrative, “and like your response, he was handled at arm’s length. Imian was asked to seek you out. All he was given was the name Scarlet, a location, and a shift.”
“What are you asking of us?” Valeria asked suspiciously.
“We’re acting as bona fides for Imian,” Harbour replied. “He’ll give you a tiny chip that you’ll embed in an e-trans. That will be the method by which you can talk to this other group.”
“And that’s it?” Valeria asked. “You don’t want anything for yourselves, for your candidates?”
“I’ve been a spacer,” Jessie said. “I’ve worked under dangerous conditions all my life. I’ve walked on asteroids no bigger than the Pit. And the one thing I’ve always had that made it worthwhile … I had the freedom to choose my destiny. Can you say the same thing?”
Valeria begrudgingly acknowledged Jessie’s point. The job you got downside was the job you held for life, except for promotions when someone retired, died, or disappeared. There were exceptions but not many.
“Imian will visit you again, Valeria, most likely tonight,” Harbour said. “Take the chip, talk to this other group, and see if you can discover some common goals.”
“There is one thing,” Jessie said. “If you know of other groups, it would be helpful if you could direct Imian to them.”
“And communicate to them that they should expect him,” Harbour added. “We’re happy to join the conversation, but I don’t think you want each leader coming topside to verify us.”
“No, that would be noticed after a while,” Valeria admitted.
“Is there anything we can do for you?” Jessie asked.
“No,” Valeria replied, waving her hands emphatically. “The less interaction we have, the better. In fact, I’ll make my way back to the El without company.” As she stood, she added, “Thanks for the free meal. By the way, we eat better downside.”
Jessie retorted, “And we live free topside.”
Valeria mused about the conversation, as she made her way back to the El’s terminal arm. She dreaded the short walk in zero-g. There was one thing that the advisor said that stuck with her. Of all things, it was his request to see if the envoy and he could do something for her. She’d never heard that from a topsider.
* * * *
As Valeria was told to expect, Imian wandered into the recycling plant after the start of the evening’s third shift, and Gerry brought him to her.
Valeria led Imian to a small office, closed the door, and darkened the windows.
“Hello, Imian. I’m Scarlet,” Valeria said, extending a hand.
Shaking Valeria’s hand, Imian replied, “And I’m your friendly dome messenger. I bring you greetings from a group in the agri-dome.”
“A husband-wife pair?” Valeria guessed.
“No comment,” Imian replied. “You’ll find out for yourself in good time.”
Valeria liked that response. It showed Imian was taking his duties seriously and being careful.
“You’ve a chip for me,” Valeria suggested.
“Yes,” Imian replied, and he described to Valeria where she’d find it. “Probably best to collect it after your shift. You’ll walk right by the hiding place.”
“I’ve something for you, Imian,” Valeria said. “Dome two, section eight, dome maintenance, second shift, name of Delmond.” She asked Imian to repeat her instructions. When he did it successfully, she regarded him intently.
“You’re going to be a repository of a great deal of critical contact information, Imian,” Valeria said. “A lot of lives will be in your hands.”
“I’ve received some dire warnings from the envoy and advisor about the trouble to expect,” Imian replied. “Their advice is to make for topside the first time I see any indication that someone is investigating me.”
“Because you’re Idrian Tuttle’s son, you’ll be given a little more leeway than others who’ve disappeared,” Valeria advised. “You’ll have that little window of opportunity. Don’t squander it. Don’t doubt what you saw, heard, or detected. Run, and run fast. Our lives will depend on you making it safely topside.”
“I understand,” Imian said, as seriously as he could manage.
Valeria escorted him to the plant’s worker lobby. After Imian left, she stared at the door. Then she shook her head in painful amazement. “Our lives are in the hands of a teenager,” she said softly.
At the end of Valeria’s shift, she walked the exit path from the workers’ entrance. Gerry an
d a male colleague walked in front of her.
At the appropriate time, the two men stopped to briefly argue. Valeria bent down and swooped up what appeared to be a piece of trash beside the pristine walkway. It was the act of a responsible supervisor, who was concerned for the appearance of her workplace. She stuck the piece of trash in her pocket, and the threesome continued on their way.
* * * *
The Review Board’s site listing presidential candidates started with Dorelyn Gaylan. She’d solidified her support with the council over the objections of Lise, Rufus, and a few others.
Henry Stamerson added his name next, which took the council by surprise. They hadn’t expected the captain to enter the race, and they knew they had a fight on their hands.
Soon afterwards, those seeking some attention added their names. They were stationers, and a few of those were investors. There wasn’t a spacer or a Belle resident among them.
Interestingly, the representatives’ candidate list remained empty, which concerned Dingles, Henry, Liam, Harbour, and Jessie.
Dingles instituted a conference call from the Belle, leaving Henry off the list. The ship was passing Minist’s orbit on its way to Emperion.
“What’s the reason for the lack of candidates for the Assembly?” Dingles asked.
“Word around the station is that our citizens are concerned about who will be president,” Jessie replied.
“Apparently, Captain,” Harbour added, “stationers don’t want to be a member of this body if Dorelyn wins the presidency. They fear her reprisals if they don’t vote for laws that please her.”
“The same question might be asked about downsiders,” Liam said. “Could they be afraid of Henry?”
“It’s probably the same answer,” Jessie replied. “Downsiders might not want to work under Dorelyn’s constant pressure.”
“This reticence has to be addressed,” Dingles said. “If we can’t seat representatives, then Dorelyn or Henry will be required to appoint the entire Assembly. If that happens, how are our citizens supposed to have faith in the independence and fairness of their government?”
“I might have an answer to the problem,” Liam said. “I made a deal with Dottie Franks that I would thank her for undertaking a project for me after she announced her candidacy.”