April (65 page)

"We have to leave you here for awhile, but we'll leave the medics with you and any equipment they want. They're sending a tug to recover the ship, so you'll be OK. Francisco and John, take a pair of wire cutters and snip the antennas on the scooter top and bottom as soon as you get to it. They probably have it set to relay their suit radio to their dispatch. Then get the suit antennas too."

Switching back to the civilian channel, he agreed. "OK we're bringing them out. My guys will kill their motion from the tumble and bring the casualties to the scooter. Can you call please and make sure of the tug? My guys are pretty worried about drifting off."

"They're on the way already Art. We're opening the hatch so we can strap your guys down in the back. Since their suits are good we'll just hurry in and not repressurize. It will get them offloaded at the hospital faster too."

Each of the injured came out the open passage way on the severed end of the shuttle, with two buddies hugging him from each side. They jumped and then recovered from the tumble pretty easily with their suit jets and headed for the ambulance. Art just jumped alone and made his way even quicker to the scooter, where the side hatch was already swung back against the overhead out of the way. He grabbed the edge of the opening and was gratified to see both technicians had come back to secure the wounded. Looking back at the wreck he was surprised to see the front of the shuttle folded over, like an old man with his chin on his chest, looking back toward their own tail. He had assumed it was blown off entirely.

"Just a minute longer. I have two guys easing each of the injured over. I don't think either is in shape to orient themselves. The guy with the jaw is already doped up for the pain. Here's the empty injector so you know what to do with him. He tossed the little pistol shaped tool to the nearest medic. The first trio came up, the buddies on each side holding him at the hip, easing him forwards. As soon as they got to the door they passed him to the medics and jetted away, one over and one under the door.

"I hope they aren't going to try reentering your shuttle." The medic worried. "It can be really tricky even though it isn't tumbling very fast. If one of you gets swatted trying to hit the opening we'll be gone and it'll be awhile to get back. You'll be safer to wait outside until the tug gets here and then you can climb in safe after he kills the spin and ride it back while he pushes it."

"Then you won't have any problem staying here, if it's so safe. At the moment I need this scooter worse than you guys."

They looked up, in surprise to see him holding a pistol on both of them.

"Are you nuts?" Asked the one technician. "You have no idea how seriously either of these guys are hurt. You need to get both of them to pressure and cut their suits off. They could have internal injuries, if they're in shock they can't accurately report their condition to us."

"They are soldiers. They have to wait for us to accomplish our mission. Take anything you want from the scooter. You must have a kit. But no more argument. If either of you tries to argue or delay us, I'm not going to waste time talking. I'll just shoot you."

"OK, no talk." Said the same technician. Holding his palms out to Art. "I'll take our kit off the wall there, he pointed and do as much as I can for them."

"Do it. Move." Said Art. Encouraging them, with a wave of the gun.

The rest of his squad arrived and piled in the hatch. They had to cram in on top of each other. But the hard suits and the fact they could hold on with powered gloves made it doable. The last fellow in the door went up to the two medics and snipped their suit antenna off, flush with the little mounting bump on the surface. The two injured and two medics were all close together and drifting along with the damaged shuttle, when their ambulance left.

"Hey Jerry, any special instructions?" The tug driver asked, as they passed them on the way back. to the station.

"Bunch of guys drifting outside. Nobody has checked the control cabin. Don't know if there may be survivors there. Scooter radio not working right," he said all the while flipping the switch on and off so his suit radio would cut out intermittently. "Gotta go." He ad-libbed and switched off the civilian channel for transmission, but listened.

"He doesn't sound like Jerry," a voice said.

"He didn't say he was Jerry. You did," another irritated voice said. "Visit later. They have their hands full and we've got an ugly tumble here to stop and I want you to pay attention."

Art smiled and kept going for the other end of the station.

* * *

What had started as a meeting of the Rock investors expanded, as many of the investors brought friends and employees, much more concerned about the political situation, than the Rock's finances. Finally they had to move from the conference room they were borrowing, down the hall to the cafeteria.

As people saw what the meeting was becoming, they called friends on their pad and said they should come. Eventually they had to raise a table as a speaking platform, for the crowd to see and a pad setting on it open, with the camera broadcasting to people in places like the infirmary, who could not come in.

After a few awkward attempts at voice votes, to establish community opinion on matters, Mr. Muños, who was well regarded by everyone and worked with data systems spoke. "I have made a vote page here on the local net. Each question which comes up, you can vote yes or no on the issue. Only one vote for each person's primary address. No multiple votes for any secondary addresses, which are listed in the same person's name. The vote will be tallied and the numbers show as soon as there have been no new votes added for thirty seconds. The whole audio record and the statement of what is resolved will be recorded and available later, in an archive with the vote taken also."

"It won't be a secret ballot, because the address will be beside each vote in the order received, but we will be able later to at least make sure nobody voted twice. And if it is not anonymous, well, neither was voting by outcry and it also excludes anybody afraid to vote, because the USNA might find out later they voted. I'm not sure we shouldn't just leave it that way at this juncture," he asserted.

"If the votes are public, everyone can check their vote is logged properly and we can't have the electronic voter fraud and error which have gotten worse each year Dirtside. So if you are too timid to take a position publicly, don't vote. We're all going to be John Hancocks." Most of them understood what he was alluding to. April was delighted with what was happening. What she and her conspirators wanted, was happening spontaneously.

Ajay was not a leader of men. In fact he had no desire to be such a person, despite the enthusiasm they had for his public statement from the shuttle. He informed the crowd before him, leaving no doubts, turning down a motion to make him a temporary leader, until the details of government could be ironed out.

"I am newly married. I have a teenage son and a career in a difficult and fast moving specialty, in which I can easily fall behind. If I take even six months off I will be so far behind I'll have sabotaged my career irreparably. If the Earthies have some crazy idea I am a leader, it's
their
misconception. I'm certainly disabusing you of it right now. I detest politicians. I'd just as soon become a swine herder, or rag picker as a politician."

"Find someone who has a great deal of time on his hands and has social skills and likes people, to be the figure head for the new state. Make sure he has all the advice and respect of some sort of legislature. If I were you people, seeing what professional politicians become on Earth. I would demand the legislators only hold office as a part time community service and must have a full time occupation of some sort elsewhere.

That produced a murmur of agreement, all the way around. George Benne from maintenance spoke up and asked. "So how would we do the elections? What would a legislator represent? Different rings or levels or some association?"

"I have an idea, George" April spoke up. George looked at her with interest. "What April?"

"Let people define their own interest groups. Have any group which signs up two hundred members, send a delegate to the legislature. But you can only belong to one such group. You can join a group which has a focus on some professional group, if your job is most important to you, or even by area like everybody in D ring, if that's what you want." "Whatever the groups focus on, it will mean the business of the legislature is focused on what the people are most concerned with. Try it for a year or two and if it needs modified we can do it later.

"I'm sorry April," another man, Tibbet, from one of the earth companies in executive row spoke up, "but what makes you feel you can speak up and take a hand in the direction of adult matters like this? I'm frankly not sure you should even be here."

Easy rose at the end of the table and looked at the man. "I just got through spending a week in a cramped ship to rescue the Singhs with this 'child' who acted as my copilot and who was the command pilot for hours at a time. She did hazardous rigger's work out in vacuum. She acted unflinching on orders and displayed bravery in combat. She ate the same slop we did, literally scrapped the blood of her enemies off without flinching and went on tired and filthy. Then when we got back, she went home to find her door blown in and the same enemy inside trying to kill her father here," he pointed at Steve. "She went in and shot one of them dead in her own living room. If she's not fit to be here then just tell me and I'll be happy to leave too, because I'm sure not good enough for you either." The look on his face was not pleasant.

"I had heard at least elements of that story as rumors," Tibbet admitted, looking suddenly ashamed and backing down. "I could easily withdraw the question in her case given those circumstances, but respectfully we also have to ask the question for everyone on M3. Who has the franchise? Who is qualified to be in one of those groups of two hundred, if we do adopt that system?"

An older woman from housekeeping spoke up. "Well Tibbet. I'm a woman, I'm not rich, I don't own any cubic, just rent and I don't own a piece of the Rock. So the way politics usually works I'd be disenfranchised, real fast, adult or no. As long as we're revolting let me clue you. Try to cut us so called little people out and they'll be scrapping your blood off the deck," she threatened.

"This is my home and I'll be damned if I'll trade one bad deal for another. Life down below has gone to hell and if we're going to risk everything here to improve our lot, it's not going to be a meaningless cosmetic fix, that just leaves me stuck under a new thumb. As far as I am concerned if you live here you have a voice. Anybody have a problem with that speak up right now, so we know who the enemy is," she challenged.

She looked around. Nobody seemed to want to espouse any exclusionist philosophies.

"First electronic vote." Muños announced. "We'll back up and get the couple we did by voice in a few minutes. But for now, proposed: Franchise to be by simple residence. Any addendums or details to be worked out later. How do you say?" The first vote went surprisingly well, 1243 ayes coming in within a minute, 43 nays, a few of each trickling in for another half minute and then thirty seconds of silence until the vote was tallied. Having such a distinct landslide helped the momentum of the meeting.

April's grandfather Robert, also known as Happy Lewis, spoke up. "I have two proposals. First I propose each anniversary of today, the legislature we form will be in session and they will hold an electronic referendum, of all issues which at least two hundred citizens indicate they wished voted on by the general population, in addition to any issues the legislators are considering themselves, such referendums decided by the same timed, majority vote we are using. This will insure all important matters are considered and the delegates can't conspire to sweep an issue under the carpet, the people want resolved. Can we vote this suggestion first?"

"How do you people say?" Muños asked. A form of address which would become the traditional and formal call to vote for M3.

This pulled 1263 ayes to 32 nays.

"OK Happy, one more, then give someone else a chance." Muños said. Another custom which would become fast, although never formally voted on. The two proposal limit.

"To address the problem and question of my granddaughter's franchise. And all the other young people like her. Many ages and qualifications have been tried by governments to establish adulthood. Some a mish-mash of different privileges phased in at different ages even. With exceptions granted as needed, by emancipation for example. It's a mess. Some people are adults in fact at twelve and some
never
should have to bear the burden of adulthood, because of handicap or inexplicable inability to mature, even at forty years old. I propose we make the assumption of majority, something a person must actively declare, along with the sponsor of at least three other adults, who can testify to their maturity and character, irrespective of age or other qualifying test. If it doesn't work better than what we've tried so far, you can change it in the referendum. That's one thing the referendum will allow us to do; try new things without fear we will be stuck with them if they don't work out." He nodded at Muños.

"How do you people say?" Muños was on a roll.

The first hundred votes slammed right in on each side pretty even aye and nay. But then the votes sort of trickled in, as it was a really different idea and they hesitated to consider it. Especially with so little time to ponder. April was surprised there were not more with an immediate opinion, but the ayes pulled ahead steady and then seemed to gain momentum. At the end the trickle in was almost all aye. It ended 773 to 383 in favor. She wished it was as firm as the others, but it was a win.

The idea was obviously too new to absorb, as many had abstained. She stood back up.

"Mr. Muños. I have two issues to propose. Will you entertain them?" she still wasn't sure yet if she'd get a hearing, despite the previous vote.