On a well-settled Mars, the five major city Council regimes
struggle to meld into a stable, working government. Embracing an official
Unified Faith In Humanity, the Councils are teetering on the verge of pogrom
directed against Christians, Molesters , Jews, Rapists, Buddhists, Murderers,
Muslims, Thieves, Hindu, Embezzlers and Artificial Humans – anyone who
threatens the official Faith and the consolidating power of the Councils. It
makes good sense, right – get rid of religion and Human divisiveness on a
societal level will disappear? An instrument of such a pogrom might just be a
Roman holiday...To see the rest of the chapters and I’m sorry, but a number of
them got deleted from the blog – go to SCIENCE FICTION:
Martian Holiday on the right and scroll to the bottom for the first
story. If you’d like to read it from beginning to end (70,000+ words as of
now), drop me a line and I’ll send you the unedited version.
“There’s a snake loose
in your paradise, Dear Consort,” said Aster Theilen, former office pool; unintentionally become current Consort
of Mayor-for-Life (something like fourth or thirty-fourth in a line of women seriously
escorting) his Excellency Etaraxis Ginunga-Gap.
Etaraxis said, “vo’Maddux
can’t…”
“Not her. She’s more
like the bull in the china shop.”
“The what?”
“Doesn’t matter – an old
Earth saying Dad would toss at me when I got overly enthusiastic about
something but didn’t understand exactly what I was doing.”
Etaraxis nodded slowly.
“So, this snake?”
“Nothing certain yet,
but my source seems to think that it will strike soon – and it will strike
here.”
He frowned. “I can tell
you know something – who?”
“I don’t have any real
evidence…”
He held up an imperious
hand, and unlike many things he did, it irritated her. He was, in fact the
Mayor-for-Life, typically benevolent like his childhood Earth hero, Paul Biya,
President-for-Life of the prominent nation of Cameroon; but the gesture was so…He
broke into a wide grin and held up his hands in surrender, saying, “If looks could
kill, dear Consort, you would be arrested for my assassination in a moment!”
Aster stomped her foot
in fury, knew exactly when she fit an ancient stereotype and flushed with just
as much fury. The smile fell from his face and he said immediately after, “Forgive
me, Aster Theilen. I went too far.”
She growled, tilted her
head into her hand to rub her temples, then looked up and said, “One of your
aides, Shafter?” He scowled, gesturing for her to continue. “FardusAH and I
were discussing the Orphan’s Ball and he passed us coming out of your office. He’d
just delivered a pile of encrypted, ‘Physical Transfer Only’ chips to your desk.
FardusAH’s friendly to him, but all he ever does is glower. I think he’s
irritated because he believes she thinks she’s better than him.”
“He thinks that of
everyone – even the ones he’s stepped on to climb as high as he can in the Bureaucracy,
but go on.”
She hummed. “He lived on
the Rim at one time, so I know he’s a valuable source of information about what
happens there. He’d slowed his stride, listening until he couldn’t linger any
longer without making us think he was eavesdropping. After he was past us and the
door slid closed behind him – and she ran a proximity check on him to make sure
he wasn’t listening outside – she said, ‘Credits to beignets he’s headed one
place: to see how much this little bit of intel will buy him with Security
Director vo’Maddux.’”
Etaraxis was listening
intently now, “Go on.”
“FardusAH said, ‘Vo’Maddux
may hate you, but based on a my quick assessment of the Mayor’s three biggest
backers, your ideas are going to be a hit for the season.’”
The Mayor exhaled sharply.
“I’m not surprised by the general public supporting the Ball – they love nothing
better than to spy on bigwigs and hobnob with the wealthy and intelligent. But if
– who, Castro, Naidoo, and Zhāng?” Aster nodded, “…give the Ball their
blessing, the rest of the Opportunity will pretty much fall into line.” He
studied her a moment longer, “I may have to extend our contract, Dear. You’re
starting to make yourself indispensable to me.”
Aster felt the blush on
her ears, saying, “I’m doing the job you wanted me to do. I’m trying to be a
good Consort.”
He sniffed, “You’re
doing more than just being a good Consort, Aster – you’re becoming a power in
the Dome.” He squinted slightly for an instant then said, “I have to think
about this, send some of my own security snooping,” at her small gasp, she brushed
off her concern, “No torture – actual Service footwork. I need to know what’s
going on.” He pursed his lips, “And you need to actually hire a Service worker –
this could get much worse before it gets any better. Would your friend, FardusAH
be interested in a promotion to your personal Security detachment?”
Aster hummed, nodded,
and said, “I’ll talk to her shortly.”
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