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The sun was shining for Violeta’s return to Arausio. She had always thought the weather had a sick sense of humour, and brilliant sunshine did not reflect in any way the mood she was in. She passed through the doors at Rosmerta Spaceport to find the usual crowd waiting for her, headed by her chief of staff, James. He wore the usual costume of a bureaucrat on Arausio, a high-collared double-breasted jacket matched with loose-fitting trousers. His clothes were a rich deep blue that matched his eyes, which stood out against his brown skin. Her own outfit was similar in style, but in an olive green colour.
“Welcome back, Governor Amar. How was your trip back?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Guess, after the meeting I had.” Her eyes travelled around the arrival lounge. “I’m surprised this place isn’t swarming with media.”
A wry smiled formed on his face. “I believe they may have been told that you were on a later shuttle flight down.”
“Nicely done.” She patted him on the shoulder with a wrinkled, light-brown hand. “We’d better get a move on before word is all over the Net that I’ve returned.” Not many people were near them, but many of them were busy on their mobiles, some no doubt informing others of the surprise passenger on the trip down with them.
“There is a pod being held in the Loop, ready for you, Governor.”
Together they headed towards the exit, pausing only briefly when they came to a wooden box that sat in the middle of the lounge. It was filled with earth. A beam of sunlight from the ceiling illuminated it. Violeta dipped her hand into the box and wiped some of the earth in a line across her forehead.
“I didn’t realise you still kept to that tradition,” said James.
“I know I don’t stick to many, but I like this one. It is good to come home and remind yourself of the soil from the world you were born on.”
“The soil is a bit deep here, what with all the concrete around.” He tapped his foot on the smooth floor, which extended in all directions.
“That doesn’t change the thoughts that go with the gesture.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get to the Loop; we have plenty to talk about.”
Security officers flanked them as they moved through the exit doors and into the adjoining building that housed a Loop station. They passed briefly into the glorious sunshine outside and got a brief glimpse of lush green fields with orange hills beyond before entering the station. An enclosed tube, the Loop ferried people back and forth to the capital. The journey to the governor’s would take them less than ten minutes.
A travel pod stood ready and open for them, the interior not the most spacious but enough for the short journey, and it was comfortable enough. They settled into their seats, and the door swung closed behind them. Within seconds, they were propelled towards their destination at over five hundred miles an hour.
“What did the president say in your meeting with her?” asked James. No window in the pod gave a view of the world outside, but monitors on both sides showed videos of pleasant scenery.
“You mean, what didn’t she say?” Violeta sighed and let her gaze meet his. “The president, and the Arausio Republic by extension, will not move from their position. They’ll carry on with their sanctions against the Union of Nine. We’re still headed towards a war with them.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t think it would end so badly. Even you weren’t that pessimistic before you left.”
“It stunned me how little she was willing to listen to my arguments.” She stretched. “Makes me wonder why she even had me go to Kama.”
“Maybe she was trying to wear you out?”
She gave him a look that made him flinch. “I’m sixty-nine, not a hundred and nine. I’ve got a good few decades left in me yet, and if that was her plan, it failed. No, I think she really believed I could be persuaded to her point of view. I doubt she will make the same mistake again.” She rubbed her chin. “They’re rescinding the Governor Act. We’re losing our right to veto by majority. Twelve governors for twelve planets in the Union, and now we are apparently irrelevant.”
James’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s a bold move, even for her. She must know it will only make the situation with you and the other governors worse.”
“It doesn’t matter to her. She’s convinced that this war is best and that we’re all secretly traitors to the Republic anyway.” Violeta stared at nothing before snorting with laughter. “Guess who the Republic representative at the Colonisation celebrations will be.”
He looked at her, confused, before his face broke into one of surprise. “No… they haven’t. The president must know how that will look.”
“Well, she has. The president is apparently ‘too occupied with the current situation’ to attend this year. Sebastian—sorry—Interior Minister Rana will be taking her place.”
James just stared at her, mouth half open.
“A president has never missed the colonisation celebrations on Arausio before.”
“Like I said, she views all us governors as traitors in waiting.” The monitors now showed a video of a river flowing through wide, beautiful plains of green beneath an orange-tinged sky. “At least Sebastian will not mind the role.” She smiled to herself. “It will be good to see him again.”
“Hasn’t it been almost a year since you last saw him? Properly seen him, I mean.”
She nodded.
“At least there is something for you to look forward to, then.” He paused for a second, and his brow furrowed. “That news will make the families even unhappier.”
She rolled her eyes. “What are they upset about now?”
“Guess.”
Violeta squeezed her eyes shut. “They’ve found out about the Contracts bill.”
“That they did.” He leaned towards her. “You should’ve waited until you were back to get it started.”
She opened her eyes and glared at him. “I’m not going to change my plans just to try and keep that lot happy. I hope you’ve been able to deal with any fires they may have started.”
“Of course.” He straightened up. “The fact that this was in your election manifesto has held them back for now, but they want to speak to you right away. They described it as being ‘very urgent’.”
“Damn.” She tapped her fingers on the door handle to her side. “I was hoping for at least some peace and quiet before that would happen.”
“When have we ever had that?” he asked.
“Far too long ago,” she said with a wistful sigh. “Probably back before I was governor.”
“Only eleven years then.” A chime sounded in the cabin. “We’re almost there.”
She ran a hand over her hair. “Any other pressing issues I should know about?”
“The meat labs are having problems,” said James.
“Again? That must be the fourth time this year.” She shook her head. “Tell them if they don’t sort it out, I’m going to nationalise some of them. I’ve had enough of their excuses.”
“As you wish, Governor.” He tapped at his tablet as he scrolled through his list. “Oh, there’s been another demonstration by the Truth of the Past, this time outside one of the temples.”
She scratched at her ear. “They’re that cult that’s obsessed with the old Commonwealth, aren’t they?”
“I believe that is correct.”
“How many were there?”
He searched for the data. “Only a few hundred at most.”
She dismissed the numbers with a wave of her hand. “Nothing to worry about. When they start gathering in their thousands like the families do, we can start to be concerned.”
“I’ll ask that we only be notified when that does happen, Governor.”
“Thank you, James.”
The pod began to decelerate as they approached their destination, but all they felt was a small force pushing them into their seats as it came to a rapid halt. Soon, the door opened and let them out into the station, which sat beside the Governor’s Palace. Violeta put her hand up to her eyes to block the bright glare of the sun. The Palace was an imposing building, a series of beautiful terra-cotta-colour domes and impressive glass. It towered over the surrounding buildings in the district, helped by the raised area it was situated on. Long steps ran down from its entrance to the huge plaza below, where vehicles zipped along the main road. The Loop station sat on the other side of the plaza, not really a building but more of an open area covered by a low glass roof, currently opaque to block out some of the light.
“It doesn’t look like we’ve been spotted yet,” said James. Only a few people were on the steps to the Palace, no sign of the usual horde of journalists and their drones.
“We’d better get moving before that changes.”
Side by side, they headed across the plaza and up the steps, more security officers by their side. James’s mobile sounded an alert, and he checked the message.
“Ah.”
She sighed. “What is it?”
“The families are waiting for you,” he said as he returned the mobile to his pocket.
“So much for a quiet return.”
They reached the cavernous main doors and passed inside into the clean and welcoming reception area, its marble walls contrasted by soft and colourful carpets, chairs, and sofas set beneath a smaller dome. She halted their walk and turned to him. “I think it’s time to remind them again that they don’t run Arausio anymore.”
“They still have lots of influence.” He glanced at his mobile. “I need to be at that meeting with the meat lab owners.”
“Good luck with that. I want you to come out of that with a promise of when they’re going to fix the problems.”
“Don’t worry, I will, and I think you need the luck more than me.” He bowed to her. “Governor.” Then he set off down a side corridor.
She headed towards her own office. Much like other areas of the building, it had been built to impress any who visited it, but she felt it loomed more than managed that. Her desk, made of fine polished wood, sat at the back, where the scale of the room made it look very small. A dome rose above her head, and blue skies were visible through the glass top, a welcome break from all the stone walls. Some of the first things she had done when she became governor were to replace the guest chairs with much more comfortable furniture and to place a few exotic potted plants around. No place with potted plants could feel too intimidating.
She ran a hand along her desk—it had been polished so much she could almost see her reflection in it—before sitting down in her chair, luxuriously comfortable of course, as befitted the governor of a major world, and checked her schedule. Her inbox flooded with new messages from the few days she had been away. She scrolled through some of them, but when the number approached almost a thousand, she closed the monitor, sighed, and opened the intercom.
“Tess, please send them in.”
She leaned back and waited for the doors, huge wooden affairs, to open. They swung open at a careful and silent pace. The gap between them had only just begun to appear when the founding families pushed their way through and marched down the carpet towards her. Not all of them were here—the families were too big for that—but the key members were all present and correct. She rose from her chair to greet them.
“Well, what can I do for you all today?”
“I’m sure you’re aware of why we’re here,” said Talia Idrissi with a glare that would make some people flinch. All the members of the founding families had their faces painted according to which one they belonged to. To wear the paint was a mark of one’s position of privilege and of one’s pedigree. Talia Idrissi had a tricolour of green, blue, and yellow with a white star on each cheek. Her dark skin could barely be seen beneath them. Her clothing matched the colours of her face though her style included a few more frills than Violeta’s.
Violeta stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “Is this about the latest change of plans to the celebrations?”
Talia look confused, and Daan de Vries spoke in her place. “What news? I thought we were to be informed of any changes to the schedule.” His white face bore a white spiral on a blue background, with gold stars dotted around. He wore a long robe, tightly buttoned at the top but flowing around his legs. It was blue like his face.
“I’m afraid President Demir will no longer be attending.” The snub from the president was almost worth it for the looks on their faces. “I believe the president feels the situation with the Union is a more pressing concern right now.”
“A President has never missed the celebrations before,” managed a stunned Omar Al-Rawi. A diagonal yellow strip divided areas of red and white on his brown face. His outfit was almost a typical suit for Arausio, well, except for the copious amounts of gold thread it contained.
“Well, they’re going to miss it now.” Violeta sat back down in her chair. “Minister Rana will be taking her place.”
“I’m sure you are distraught at the news,” said Daan. “Have you agreed to our request to have seating of more importance at those events?”
“No, it is denied. You have your own section; there are more important people who will be seated at the front.” She could feel Talia glaring at her.
“We founded this world; that should be respected.”
“No, your ancestors did. That was seven hundred years ago. Times have changed. Democracy rules now, for the most part. The main seats will be taken by those who run this planet, with Minister Rana replacing the president.”
“Oh, I’m sure you are just torn up at the president not coming,” said Talia. “We all know of your relationship with the minister.”
She met Talia’s gaze. “My private life is just that, private. I will not discuss it here.”
“Then maybe you will talk about this Contracts bill you have tried to sneak past us,” said Omar.
She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk and clasped her hands together. Her eyes focused on Daan. He was always the most reasonable of them, though that wasn’t saying much.
“I object to that claim. It’s gone through all the correct procedures, nominated by a member of the legislature and seconded, and now will move to the debate stage soon enough. No sneaking has been involved.”
“The contracts have kept the economy of this planet going for centuries. They have allowed tens of thousands of people access to a better education than they could dream of,” he said.
“That doesn’t change the fact they are legalised slavery,” she said. “Ordinary people are forced to sign half their lives away to you, living and working where you want if they want any access to a good education or a decent job. I cannot allow that to go on.”
“You are forgetting you were contracted yourself; you’re a product of this system.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I have not forgotten, and I’m sure, given current circumstances, you wish I never had one. The fact that I was under contract doesn’t change the fact of what they are. Having been a part of the system is why I am changing it. No one else should have to go through that.”
“Twice before, you’ve put this bill forward and it’s been defeated. Why will it pass now?” Talia was not even bothering to conceal her sneer anymore.
Violeta held up three fingers. “Three times I have been elected governor, and each time I pledged to end contracts. I keep my promises. My majority of the vote has grown each time, as has my support in the legislature.” She hammered the desk with her finger to ram the point home. “This time, you will not defeat it. It’s time for Arausio to change.”
Daan gave her the same smile he always did, half condescension and half politeness. “Without our philanthropy, how do you intend to pay for people to access the same level of education?”
“It shouldn’t need philanthropy. The contracts are completely unbalanced. You get a virtual slave for thirty years in return for an education that many more could access if you paid your fair share.”
“Our wealth is what keeps Arausio running; our hands steer the course of its economy. Our investment creates many jobs for people.”
“That doesn’t make up for the fact that you take so much from people for so little in return. You make huge amounts of money by controlling people under contract, but the state doesn’t get much of it back.” Her eyes flicked from person to person. Talia looked as angry as ever, with Omar not far behind. Daan at least appeared to be keeping his calm. “I will be putting a second bill forward tomorrow that will secure the funding for greater access to education for everyone. There will be changes to the tax system to make sure everyone pays their fair share.”
Talia looked like she wanted to scream, but Daan stopped her with an outstretched arm. “So you seek to wreck not only the future of the young but the economy as well. Taking wealth away from us will jeopardise the steady growth we have maintained for centuries.”
“These are not the dark days of the Collapse. Arausio is much wealthier now. The economy isn’t going to implode when the Contracts are abolished.” She leaned back in her chair. “Much has changed since this world was founded, even though you’re doing everything you can to deny that fact. The time has come for change, to stop treating people like slaves.” Violeta turned back to her work. “Unless you have any other pressing items to discuss with me, I have other issues to deal with.”
“This is not the end of this debate,” said Daan.
“It never is.” Violeta picked up her tablet and flicked through her schedule.
“You think you have won already, but you have not,” said Talia, every word laced with venom. “We are Arausio.”
“No, you were Arausio. I am the head of this world now, and you would do well to not forget that fact.” She met each of their gazes with a fierce one of her own. “I’d be careful in your ivory towers if I were you.”
“You threaten us?”
“No more than you threaten me.” She sat more stiffly. “Take it as a reminder of the balance of power. Every time I have been elected, it has been with more and more support. The people are behind me, and I will listen to them.”
Talia snorted in derision. “Not all of them are lining up to sing your praises.”
Violeta licked her lips. “Don’t you think it’s interesting to see just how much your support has dropped since you lost the ability to force people under contract to vote for you?” Her eyes met Talia’s gaze and didn’t waver.
“It’s time for us to go. I think enough has been said,” said Daan. “Governor.” He bowed towards her before laying a hand on Talia’s shoulder and leading her from the room with the others following. The big doors closed behind them with a satisfying thud. Violeta stared at them before returning to her work.
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