by Jaxon Reed
“Sometimes, liberties exist on paper in name only. For instance, under the State we technically had the liberty to speak our minds. However, if you spoke against the State too loudly, you’d find yourself bound for the penal colony on Orange. So much for ‘freedom of speech.’
“Think of liberties as guarantees, or promises by the government not to interfere in certain areas within the daily lives of its citizens. Think of freedom as free will, or actions exercised by citizens within the context of those liberties.”
He paused, and set down the empty champagne flute he’d been holding.
“Democracy, of course, is the best form of government. Actually, true democracy is not, but representational democracy within a limited framework is. You see, power corrupts. Therefore, when establishing a government, it’s best to define strict limits and divide power, making it difficult for individuals or organizations to amass too much control.
“It’s also a good idea to have elections on a regular basis to choose political representatives. That way the people can hold a miniature ‘revolution’ if they want to, and kick the current office holders out. History has shown countries allowing for regular ‘revolutions’ like that tend to maintain stable governments over longer periods.
“Unfortunately, even the best designed systems are subject to failure, given enough time. People discover that individuals may be kicked out of office, but parties controlling the government remain the same. Bureaucracies form that grow out of the reach of control by elections. Popular ideas spread such as redistribution of wealth and government handouts. These inevitably wreak havoc with the economy and the fabric of society.”
A maid bot trundled slowly by, carrying a tray of champagne flutes. She looked just like the one in the penthouse. Same model, I thought. He signaled it over, took one of the flutes. It slowly rolled off toward another group of people.
“Down through history, traditionally when a representative democracy fails, a dictator rushes in to take over. We saw it in Rome, France, the Weimar Republic, and elsewhere. But over time, particularly after the introduction of Marxism, we began to see something new: a totalitarian ruling party.
“The ruling party may have a strong leader. But, power is more delegated rather than resting completely on the shoulders of just one person. So when the leader dies, the party retains power. The leader is replaced, and few changes are seen by the people. It becomes despotism by an organization rather than an individual.”
He took a small sip of champagne from the new flute.
“Unfortunately, totalitarianism is the natural tendency all governments succumb to without diligent efforts by the people.”
“Entropy,” I said.
“Exactly. Like thermodynamics.”
“So, over time with the State, our ruling party grew corrupt.”
“The State grew very corrupt. Freedoms and liberties were essentially eliminated. The State amassed more and more power to itself, getting to the point of micromanaging people’s lives. No one had the freedom to determine their own course in life. The State assigned roles for everybody, almost from birth. Favoritism, bribes, political retribution, complete control over individuals . . . all the elements of government corruption flourished.
“Agents spied upon the populace, reporting political infractions. Say the wrong word in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you simply disappeared. People lived in fear under an oppressive authoritarian government that grew worse over time across all the planets in the string.”
I nodded, as I began to piece things together.
“So, Twelve had a hand in the University Revolution.”
He smiled.
“Yes, we were behind it. We are also responsible for the idea behind University charters, if you go back far enough. We managed to get at least one University established on each new planet once they were settled. We had the right people in place at the dawn of interstellar colonization to push for independent Universities on each planet. The State didn’t see that as a threat at first. We’ve been working toward liberty, freedom, and democracy for centuries, and the Universities have been the primary vehicle for attaining our goals.”
I nodded, putting more pieces together as he spoke.
“So, the black markets on University property, the Internet cafes with lookouts for police when someone searched a forbidden topic . . . all these are from Twelve too?”
“Some are, some are simply encouraged by elements we placed in motion. We like to think of ourselves as a force for good. We often give a nudge in the direction of freedom when we can, like with the black markets featuring art, music, and other things restricted or highly regulated by the State. Other times we push hard, such as in the University Revolution.”
He paused again to sip.
“So, Twelve is on all the planets? In all the Universities?”
He nodded.
“We have chapters throughout the Janus String, except perhaps on Orange. Although, who knows? Some of our members who found themselves shipped there as prisoners may have started an Orange chapter. No one really knows what goes on with prisoners once they leave the spaceport there.”
I nodded. Prisoners who left the controlled area surrounding the spaceport on Orange often were never seen nor heard from again. No one knew if they drifted toward scattered settlements around the planet or simply died a lonely death in the wilderness.
I reflected back on the matter at hand, and decided to press for more information so long as Montoya remained willing to talk.
“Was the Revolution coordinated? Did other chapters on the middle and inner planets know it was coming?”
“We’re quite secretive. I doubt they knew. However, I’m sure they would help out if they could. The outer planets have benefitted from the State’s disinterest over many decades. Once Redwood was discovered to have hematophagous primates, interest in further planetary exploration was squelched amid fears of contagion. Some bureaucrats firmly believed that ‘vampire monkeys’ could wipe out the human race as we know it. That idea is not without merit, by the way. Consequently, the appetite for further exploration diminished as bureaucrats and committee members grew afraid of what might exist on the next planet opened in the string.
“Orange and Redwood were left with only a handful of Agents and personnel. New Texas, Athena, and Alexandria, the last three ‘civilized’ planets in the string, were mostly ignored. Consequently, we’ve had more freedom and less oversight.
“We’re cut off now at Janus Twenty-five, so we’ve no idea how things are going on New Hong Kong or the other planets down string. But, I’m certain our colleagues are using the opportunities afforded by our Revolution to shake things up on their respective planets.”
I nodded, and turned my attention back toward the plaque showing the Seal of Twelve. Libertatis, Libertas, Democratia. I thought back to the final speech Professor Cruz made before our assault on Redwood City. I remembered what he said: “Some day all people along the Janus String will hear about what we are doing today, and they will know that we understood some things are worth fighting for. Things like freedom, liberty, and democracy.”
An epiphany! Recalling that part of his speech, and other conversations I’d had with him, I realized he was a part of this.
“Professor Cruz is a member!”
President Montoya smiled.
“Yes, of course Curt is a Twelver. In fact, he sponsored Diane, and he was one of your sponsors.”
One of my sponsors? I thought for a moment before venturing another guess.
“Professor Kalinowski, too?”
“Yes. He sponsored you as well. I’ll be honest. We rarely extend invitations to freshmen. In fact, nobody remembers ever inviting anyone as young as you two to join. I myself wasn’t invited until a few years after graduation. But, based on their strong recommendations, your proven service on the battlefield, and in light of current circumstances, we thought it would be best to invite you two now rather than wait.”
“Current circumstance having to do with the fact we’re vampires?”
He smiled again, then chuckled.
“Yes, your capabilities present a special circumstance, as does the Revolution. Make no mistake, we see you both as valuable assets. But know that we are committed to your individual freedoms and liberties, just as much as we are to the population at large. We want you to be a part of us, not just use you to advance our agenda.”
They were good words. I mulled them over, and considered that President Montoya was a skilled politician. He certainly knew all the right things to say. But I remembered another statement made back on Redwood, when Professor Cruz spoke with Kalinowski about the Revolution. Kalinowski worried that the new State established by the University would eventually grow corrupt as well. Cruz had reassured him, saying it likely wouldn’t happen in their lifetimes.
Of course, Professor Kalinowski was dead now, so it really hadn’t happened in his lifetime.
Still, as I weighed those concerns with President Montoya’s assurances, ultimately I came back to the sponsorships from both Professors. They had wanted me in 12. Dee Dee, too.
“When do we start?”
President Montoya smiled.
“The initiation ceremony is about to begin.”
Chapter Six
“How much farther?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. This is no place to talk loud.”
I grunted in annoyance. Jacob led the way as we walked deeper and deeper into the seedier parts of New Bryan.
“You sure you know where you’re going?”
He glanced back at me with an irritated look, and didn’t answer.
We were in the warehouse district now, and it became harder to tell the difference between buildings. They all seemed rundown.
Finally, we stopped at a metal doorway in front of one of the warehouses. He waved at a security cam mounted near the door.
“What, no palm scanner?”
“Of course not. No record of our visit.”
“There’s a video record,” I pointed out.
“Not if they’re not recording the video, only monitoring it.”
I grunted again.
He knows more about it than I do, I thought.
The door opened and we walked into the warehouse. The outside was a façade, I realized. Inside everything seemed richly furnished, apportioned to a degree similar to the penthouse in luxury.
Two men approached us, wearing expensive business suits. One stood very tall, at least six foot six by my guess. Skinny, with graying sideburns reaching down around his face. The other stood rather short. I figured about five foot four. Fat, with pattern baldness and a double chin. The shorter one spoke first.
“Welcome, welcome, Mr. O’Donnell. And welcome to your friend, Mr. Savits, too.”
“It appears our product has served you well, Mr. O’Donnell.”
Jacob nodded.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“And we tanks you for keeping your mout shut abouts it. Dat was good work, Mr. O’Donnell. Good work.”
My mind started working while the conversation continued. This must be where Jacob procured his gun. He never said, but after moving into the penthouse he seemed eager to obtain more weapons. He asked me to accompany him in an effort to get more. I went along, but couldn’t entice him to reveal where we were going or how long it would take to get there.
All he’d say was, “Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies.”
“Forgive our manners,” the taller one said, turning to me. “We haven’t been properly introduced to your companion. We’re Frogg and Tode.”
I blinked in confusion, looked at both of them in turn.
“Frog and Toad?”
They both nodded and smiled.
“I’m Francis Herbert Frogg, and my diminutive partner here is Chester Cromwell Tode. We are the premiere arms merchants on New Texas.”
“I see.”
“Your friend here has proven to be a trus’wordy customer. What else can we do for you, Mr. O’Donnell?”
The short one obviously has a speech impediment, I thought. He can’t make “th” or “ch” sounds. Cleft palette, maybe?
“I’d like to buy some more guns. Several this time.”
“And how many more are we tinking?”
“Ten semi-auto rifles. Five pistols. Ten millimeter. One thousand rounds of ammo to go with them.”
Frogg and Tode both nodded. Mr. Frogg pulled a vid sheet out of his breast coat pocket and began entering figures.
“Three hundred credits each for the rifles. Two hundred for the pistols. Five hundred for the ammo. Your total will be four thousand, five hundred credits.”
“That’s outrageous!”
“Come, come, Mr. O’Donnell. You knows from experience our producks are of da fines’ quality. When you needs a gun to go bang, our guns go bang!”
Jacob crossed his arms. “Three thousand credits.”
Mr. Tode started to get upset. The flesh hanging off his chin quivered.
“We don’t negotiate, Mr. O’Donnell. You takes it or leaves it.”
Mr. Frogg made a calming gesture.
“My partner is correct, we don’t negotiate on price. However, in light of your . . . discretion . . . you’ve shown in using our products, why don’t we throw in the ammunition for free? That will lower your bill to four thousand credits.”
A long moment of silence. Finally, Jacob uncrossed his arms.
“Okay, deal.”
He turned to me.
“Pay the man, Marc.”
Oh. So, that’s why he wanted me to come along.
Mr. Tode pulled out a pay palm scanner.
“I hope this is anonymized somehow.”
“Not to worry, Mr. Savits. Your payment will go for a year’s wort of cleaning supplies from one of our shell companies.”
I placed my hand on the reader, authorized a 4,000 credit payment, and grimaced slightly. I’d never spent so much money in all my life.
“Now, gentlemen, if you will follow me, we’ll go retrieve your purchase.”
We followed Mr. Frogg and Mr. Tode through a doorway leading deeper into the warehouse. I realized we must have been in an office and reception area. Frogg led us into the manufacturing area.
We walked out onto a huge floor space filled with machinery and bots zipping back and forth.
Mr. Tode waived his arms in a grand gesture.
“Da latest in tree-D printing!”
I looked around in interest at the machinery producing parts and the bots collecting them. At the end of several assembly lines, off in the distance, finished guns were picked up by bots and placed in boxes, sorted, stamped, and stored.
A huge brown dog came bounding up. He skidded to a stop in front of me, bared his teeth, and let out a low, guttural growl.
“Down, Joab! Dese are friends. Down, boy. Dere’s a good dog.”
The giant dog sat down on his haunches, but kept a wary eye on me and Jacob. I noted with mild interest that Joab seemed bigger than Mr. Tode, who commanded him and seemed to be his owner. In fact, if Joab were to stand on his hind legs, I thought, he’d have no trouble placing his paws on Mr. Frogg’s shoulders and his head would nearly reach the tall man’s eye level. But, the dog seemed content to obey Tode, so I tried to not worry about him.
“Don’t mind Joab, Mr. Savits. He’s jus’ our guard dog.”
I nodded politely, but privately I wondered why a guard dog would be needed with all their current technology. Couldn’t they simply assign one of the bots for guard duty instead of using this biological agent? Oh well. Thoughts to ponder some other time, I supposed.
“Ah, here comes your order now, gentlemen,” Frogg said.
A bot approached from the rear of the facility pushing a cart filled with guns. It stopped in front of us, released the cart, and rolled off quickly in another direction on its next errand.<
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“Would you like to test fire each gun before taking delivery, Mr. O’Donnell? We have an indoor range here you are welcome to use.”
“Nah. I trust you guys. We’ll just take them and go.”
Frogg and Tode’s chests swelled and their faces both lit up in smiles.
“Trust is a very important element of our business, Mr. O’Donnell. Thank you so much for placing your trust in us. Mr. Tode will help you put these in containers suitable for public conveyance to your destination.”
Mr. Frogg turned to one side and began fiddling with his vid sheet again. Mr. Tode removed some large duffel bags and backpacks from the cart and helped us pack the guns and ammo in them.
Once done, we had five rifles in each duffel bag. Jacob had the pistols in his backpack, and I was left with the heavy 1000 rounds of ammo in mine. Jacob smiled politely at me.
Great, I thought. Not only am I stuck paying for it, I have to carry the heavier load.
About that time another bot rolled up with another 1000 round box of ammo in a cart.
“Mr. O’Donnell, since you have placed your trust in us, please accept another case of ammunition on the house.”
“Uh, thanks.”
Jacob’s face fell as Mr. Tode stuffed the heavy ammo box in his backpack, weighing him down.
I smirked. Serves you right, I thought.
Tode grumbled a bit at the new load of ammo.
“Don’ give everyting away, Francis. We still gots to make a profit here.”
“It’s fine, Chester. We’ve got a surplus of ammunition right now anyway, now that the fighting has stopped.”
-+-
When we returned to the penthouse, we started looking for places to store the guns. Jacob suggested one rifle and one pistol per bedroom, an assortment of loaded mags between them, with the remaining rifles and ammunition put in a secure location.
Earlier I’d discovered a rather large safe in the library, behind some bookshelves. After some searching through Professor Kalinowski’s personal files, I finally found the combination and opened it. It was empty. I suggested it as a place to put the remaining rifles and ammo.
Jacob and I sat down to load magazines before distributing the guns.