Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition

by Moulton, CD

  Had he made any mistakes in the constitution? Could the new government hope to operate under such extreme strictures?

  The aliens said it could if the people would remain vigilant. Politicians would constantly be attacking the document to give themselves more power and the people less. That was the nature of politicians throughout the galaxy. It was nice to know one of the disgusting features of the Kroon race was shared universally.

  "Little Mentan, how I wish you were here to make your cynical, dry, cutting remarks to me," Sop mumbled lightly. "I would much prefer you pointed out what a total fool I am in private to later having it pointed out to the entire world!

  "I have let you aliens replace the old gods.

  “That is not true. I never really believed in the old gods. I am of too much of a logical mind to believe much of it could be true.

  "I wonder what would be happening now if we were still held in thrall by the churches? Would there be any chance we could stop this plague? Would Gui Veltree be running around preaching it was punishment for the sins of the infidels – defining infidel as meaning anyone who didn't accept her own personal proclamations of semi-deity? Would Gu Verdeen be calling for the murder of all afflicted persons in the name of Soolinn? Cleanse the world of the infidels and their plague sent upon them by Soolinn to cause the church to decree they were identified as heretics by dint of the fact they had the plague?

  "Looking back, I cannot understand how we were so taken in by those sordid people. Which one of them ever practiced things they preached at us? All we had to do was to look at them to see they could not logically have believed any of it.

  "Use the example of my words, not my actions! Ha!

  "And the Foes of Grumm? He was supposed to reward those who accepted him and took him as their god by freezing them in ice to their necks and dangling rich food in front of them for eternity? People actually would believe that? They actually did believe that? The alien, Z, said they had a Grumm called Satan who would reward his followers by burning them in sulfur fire for eternity. Makes about as much sense as Grumm!

  "Okay. I've passed the time. The parade will be starting.

  "Great gods of old! I've been speaking all this aloud! I've recorded this silliness!

  "Oh, well. I'm more nervous than I've ever been before. I have more reason to be nervous than I ever had before."

  Sop Lett picked up the com and waited until Enn Far was on the line.

  "Enn? Sop here," he said. "Listen, Enn...."

  * * * * *

  Jak Tall sat perfectly still. The only sign of life was the chewing of the glamp twig and the knowing look in his eyes. He was allowing his subconscious mind to try to tell his conscious whatever it was it wanted to say. It was a strange process that was much like a surrealist dream with bright pictures and sounds that didn't seem connected.

  So I'm to tell Mi to do that, he thought and the pictures stopped.

  Jak was aware he was clinically insane. It was what he meant when he said his past would disqualify him from being National Chairman. He had known of his insanity for his entire life. While Hal had hidden his mental abilities Jak had hidden his mental instabilities. The glamp twigs were somewhat psychoactive and helped him with the communications between the parts of his mind. Insane or not, problems such as the microwave cure thing were solved with frightening regularity by the process.

  He was a man who was truly of two minds.

  The alien Mentan had two minds, but one would think only in cases where the first was blocked or impaired. It had told of a frightening experience when it was knocked unconscious and its second mind took over and took it back to the ship and safety. Jak's second mind was likely to interrupt at any time. He had learned to control his actions and could even see right through the pictures and hear above the lower levels of the sounds in his head, a process he had been forced to learn early in life. He seldom held direct conversations between the two minds as he had just done, but it wasn't a new experience by any reckoning.

  He stood and stretched, then went to the labs. There was a declared festive day, but it was most unlikely Mi Yinn would honor that. Any excuse to overwork herself would suffice. She wasn't there so he went to her room to find her with Hal. He explained there was something he must discuss with her before the signing ceremony and Hal would be welcome to join them.

  "You're going to be named the National Health Officer at the ceremony, then Far will sign the document. That'll mean you'll hold the office until the new government's seated and can vote you out or in. I have no tiniest doubt you'll be reconfirmed, though. Considering that your husband will be chairman you may choose to have him select someone else.

  "There won't be anything else for you to do for the rest of your life once this plague thing's past, I imagine, but you'll have to think about what has to be done – how the cure will be handled. There'll be millions of details. The finding of the cure will be announced at the signing. Sop and I have made copies of the entire process, how to make the machines, several hormone compounds, how to use the machines and the injections – every small detail – and have sent them out to every country on the planet and to every doctor who was helping in the international research. Implementation and methods will be up to you here and the rest of the world will copy.

  "I'm sorry, but we had to dump it on someone and you're most qualified.

  "Here's what we'll have Enn say. We may be out of line, but we feel you'll have to be steered because a scientist can seldom be practical, in our experience.

  "Now, Enn will lead the parade to council chambers where he'll first announce you as the new health officer and will then explain to the people this must be done before the signing or we'd have to delay it until a government's seated – and that would mean a hundred days before we could begin doing anything about the plague. The hands of government would be tied.

  Next, we'll...."

  Announcement

  The parade started at the capitol building, wound the four blocks to the council building, up the steps where the council members were seated to one side of the room with as many of the public as could fit on the other side. The case containing the constitution and the ratification verification was carried down the open center by one man and one woman chosen at random at the beginning of the parade, symbolizing the fact that this document – and therefore the government – was the "property" of the average citizen.

  Enn Far walked behind these two, who didn't know what to do now that they had arrived. He quietly said to carry the boxes to the top of the stairs and place them at the desk there, then to move to each side of the desk and face the crowd. He handed the woman a sheet of paper and said to wait until he was seated and to read it loudly, facing the television camera at the back in the center aisle. They went up, they placed the boxes and then turned outward. Enn took the seat and waited until the cheering died slightly, then held up a hand for silence and nodded at the woman.

  "Enn Far!" the woman shouted nervously. "This is the Constitution of the Nation of Klarstenland.

  "We, the citizens of Klarstenland, demand that you sign this document and that you and your successors from this day forward do follow each article therein contained.

  "We fully dedicate our faith in this document and in you as its protector. Never forget for one moment that you represent all the citizens of this great nation and that we trust in you to do those things demanded of you by our constitution!

  "We, the citizens of Klarstenland, do hereby charge ourselves for now and for all time to be vigilant in protecting this, the document that establishes government of law, by the people, in fairness and justice, ever to be responsive and responsible and representative of our wishes.

  "Enn Far, will you now sign this document for the protection of all future generations of all citizens of Klarstenland?"

  She looked more nervous as Enn Far stood.

  "Citizens of Klarstenland. I bow to your wishes and join with you in my oath to be ever vigilant to protec
t all citizens of this greatest of nations under the provisions of this document. As acting chairman of the council I do hereby swear my purpose to be the protection of the government of laws hereby established.

  "I will sign of free will and proudly!"

  The cheering was deafening and went on and on. Enn moved to sit at the desk and held up his hands for silence. It was almost ten full minutes before he had it.

  "Citizens of Klarstenland, I must do one thing before I sign this document.

  "I have sworn to protect this nation and feel this is a thing that must be done to reach that end. Once I sign this document no one may be added to the government until it is seated. That is law.

  "That will be one hundred days from today! I hereby announce elections and will speak further of them after the signing.

  "We are at a critical period in our history when a truly terrible plague is devastating our great nation and our world. We cannot allow a lack of direction in any matters medical to be with us for one hundred days. Not for one more day.

  "As acting Chairman of the Council I hereby and with these words do contract and appoint Doctor Mi Yinn as National Health Officer of Klarstenland. This I do in honest belief there is none other nearly so qualified as is she.

  "The constitution states all such contracts are held valid until such time as the new government, elected and seated under its provisions, withdraws them."

  He sat and quickly signed the document, then stood to wave it, holding it high and in clear view of the cameras.

  "We are now a constitutional government! I hereby and with these words declare the seated acting council to be the only legitimate interim government of Klarstenland for a period of time not to exceed one hundred days. Ninety nine days from today at exactly noon I will swear in an elected government! That government will meet in first session at dawn one hundred days from today. That is now the law!

  "I further decree that this date shall be called Constitution Day from this time forward. It shall henceforth be a day when we pause in our daily lives, businesses and government to contemplate the meanings, promises, duties and rights brought to us each by the document, to examine those things we have said and done in the past years and to ask ourselves if we have in truth diligently acted out our responsibilities of vigilance in protection of these things for which the Kroon race has fought so long and which were hard won."

  There was a fifteen minute roar before he was able to quiet the people again. He soon grew tired of calling for silence and finally stood, waiting, until he had reasonable order.

  "Citizens, the voting places are established. You have used them to ratify this document. They will have much use in the next one hundred days. Much good use!

  "This document gives you many rights and it gives you many responsibilities. You may not have one without the other! Along that path lies disaster!

  "I will faithfully abide by the responsibilities I am handed and you also must abide by those responsibilities that are yours. We each have our clear duties.

  "I want each of you to think carefully of who would best and most honestly represent you in your precinct area. You are to go to the precinct house and you are to place that person's name for commons. This is your duty under the law!

  "There will be a person in the areas marked on the maps there who will be placed in nomination for elite house and the most deserving and honest person in your opinion in the nation will be placed on the nominations list for chairman. This is your duty under the law!

  "I place the name of Hal Korr, discoverer of the 'A' serum, historian, scholar, teacher and the most decent man I have ever met in nomination for chairman.

  "This is my duty under the law! In fifteen days we will have a first vote on the most nominated names on those lists. The two names receiving the most numerous recommendations in each field will be carried on the voting lists in the next election, which will select both the commons representative and the elite. The commons house will be elected in a system later to be explained.

  "On the ninety fifth day from today we will hold the national election of chairman. I will seat and swear in the new government as I said, ninety nine days from today. You will be...."

  His aide came onto the stage with a handcom and a very nervous look. He was terrified, but he had his orders.

  "It's Jak Tall from Long Island. He says to tell you it's an urgent national emergency!" the aide whispered.

  Enn took the com and said, "Yes?"

  "Repeat after me at the top of your shouting ability," Jak demanded. "WE – HAVE – THE – CURE!"

  "We do?" Enn squeaked incredulously, even though he fully expected it in one part of his mind.

  "We do! I've just dispatched the helicopter with full particulars to every single country on this planet!"

  "The plague!" Far shouted. "The plague is cured! We're saved!

  "I'm talking right now with Jak Tall on the islands! We have defeated the plague! WE HAVE THE CURE!"

  The place turned into chaos. The suppressed fears died, to a great extent. People were dancing together and shouting in pure joy. Enn Far lost all control of the crowds and didn't care. He sat on the steps and cried in pure joy and relief. It was more than an hour later before any semblance of order was restored. Enn discussed in that interim what came next with Sop and Jak. He went into the small chambers behind the dais, sat at the desk there and again cried unashamedly in his relief.

  When he went back out later it was already arranged that Mi would speak to the nation over the television link, acting as National Health Officer. Enn introduced her as her picture came onto the large screen. She was seated at a desk with Sop to one side and Hal to the other.

  "Citizens of Klarstenland, I am speaking as National Health Officer. I was not aware I held any such office until Chairman Far told me so a moment ago. I have read the constitution and know the powers I hold.

  "I feel this will make it much easier for us to get this plague behind us forever.

  "First, let me say the cure is a two-part thing. The first part is the synergic hormone compound that historian Dr. Hal Korr discovered. The subject is injected with the combination we call M fourteen and is three hours later placed into a chamber with a device that was invented by Jak Tall, whose signature on the constitution is so well-known.

  "One short hour later there is a second injection of M fourteen.

  "That's it! You're cured! The plague is dead!

  "It will take approximately three days before the machines can be produced and all doctors instructed in their use. This will be done through television link. We are most fortunate they are a slight modification of a commercial unit used in many household appliances. This saves us time during which the race may well have suffered irreparable damage.

  "A television link has now been promised which will be used by Jak Tall to instruct all who have experience with those units to be used. You will be instructed in the methods of modification.

  "As National Health Officer I must suspend the rights of free movement and of assembly starting tomorrow, so everyone go to your homes. The prohibitions start at noon tomorrow. I am sorry this must be done, but the lives of each of us on this entire planet are at stake and the time of the suspensions will be short. I promise this to you. I would never take such a step lightly.

  "The total success of this operation will depend directly on everyone being tested and all those infected treated. If even one person is missed it will start again. That is our danger.

  "The new detector test for the antibodies takes a total of six minutes. I think no one will object to six minutes of their time that may well be their only hope of life for the next sixty years or more!

  "You must stay in your homes for three to five days. We will arrange for house-to-house movement of doctors and testing equipment. Each person will be tested. Those with the plague will then go directly to a central area for treatment. Only one day after the treatment you are cured. The contagion is gone and you may move about a
s you please, though you will be asked to avoid direct contact with anyone not already having the treatment. Twenty days later all those who did not receive the treatment will be retested to ascertain they had not been exposed and not had incubation time. Only those having contact with any who test positive at that time will be under any restriction whatever from that point forward.

  "We are asking only what we must. I repeat, your lives are at stake. It is a small price. After the twenty days we will repeat the tests and will treat any who have shown virus chains since the first treatment. This will take much longer as the antibodies are a permanent thing with or without the virus being present. It is necessary.

  "Perhaps we will have a better test procedure soon. There is a promising system being worked out to vidri-culture the virus directly which will determine in less than an hour if a person has become reinfected. After that there will be a requirement that every person be tested once a year at their own convenience until we have gone through a period of two years with no cases on the entire planet.

  "I am aware there are those who will wish to refuse testing and treatment. That is your right, but do not forget the rest of the race has rights, too. All who are not tested and who refuse testing will be quarantined to an area which we will set aside. You may die in horrible pain if you so choose, but we are not going to be soft on your lack of consideration for others.

  "If you refuse medical attention you are most likely members of the old Court of Dole sect. Before citing religious freedom bear in mind that CD is based on the Vision of Soolinn, which has been shown to be false. Completely.

  "If we act together we can beat this thing. If we get into a lot of silly petty arguments with a small number of irrational people we will endanger everyone on this planet.

  "I repeat! I am declaring a national emergency! Work with me, everyone, and we will defeat the greatest danger the Kroon have ever known – in only twenty days!