Sentience 1: Storm Clouds Gathering (10 page)

“Hal, you said some time ago that the media are all in the Consortium’s pocket, so how is this affecting the news we’re seeing about the Separatist movement that has arisen on most of the Southern planets?”

It’s being ridiculed and downplayed significantly, Diet. The strength of the Separatist movement in the South is only being reported by the media at approximately 60 percent of their actual numbers. I doubt that even Separatist leaders are aware of how strong their position actually is.

“Why would the media be downplaying this threat to the unity of the Alliance?”

They don’t really believe it’s an imminent threat. Consortium analysts have predicted that no actual secessions will occur before 3864, and no widespread secessions occurring before 3868, so they believe they have plenty of time to deal with the Separatists — but they’re wrong. From the information that I have available, I predict a significant number of Southern planets will secede from the Alliance within a very few months, after next year’s national elections.

“How is it the Consortium analysts are so far off in their estimates?”

Faulty data, arrogance and political self-delusion. Their analysts have learned there’s no job security in contradicting the preconceived notions of the members of the Consortium’s Executive Board. There’s safety in numbers, so they just follow the majority opinion.

“What about the poll results taken in the South that show the Separatists to be weaker than what you’re telling me?”

People will often express their true opinions from within the confines of a shielded voting booth, which they would never express openly to a pollster. The people still having jobs don’t want to jeopardize them by openly voicing opinions unpopular with their Northern corporate bosses.

“Damn... What’s really the underlying cause of this grassroots initiative for Southern independence from the Alliance?”

Congressional passage of the Alliance First Act of 3854.

“Why?”

Passage of the Alliance First Act was achieved in spite of unanimous opposition from every Southern member of congress — thus proving that the South no longer has any voice in national affairs, including those that most directly affect them. The Act created an artificial economic imbalance along regional lines, as it caused a massive redistribution of wealth flowing away from the Southern planets and flowing towards the Northern planets. This is directly responsible for the current economic boom in the North, while creating an artificial recession throughout the South.

“How did that one law cause all of that?

The Act’s provision restricting the export of raw materials to a mere 10 percent of a planet’s total output had little, if any, negative impact in the North, as almost all of their raw materials production is consumed locally to feed their broad industrial base. In contrast, the Southern economies are not nearly as industrially diversified as those in the North, and are therefore critically dependent upon receipts from the raw materials they produce, as the basis of their entire economic structure.

Consortium-initiated price fixing sets artificially low prices for raw materials the Southern planets receive on the national Industrial Commodities market. This has strangled the Southern economies due to the federal government’s restriction, which forbids them to sell 90 percent of their raw materials anywhere else.

“I can see why that would certainly cause a cash-flow problem for the Southern planets.”

It’s worse that it appears, as the South is catching it at both ends. The majority of finished goods the South purchases are still at international market prices, so their grossly lowered income levels and relatively high expenditures have caused major economic hardship and recession throughout the South. This has caused the stock values of Southern raw material-producing companies to plummet, allowing Consortium and allied Northern companies to take over these companies at a mere fraction of their value, through the purchases of deflated stock and bankruptcy sales.

This dichotomy of artificially induced economic abundance in the North and artificially induced economic hardship throughout the South has led many to the belief that the only means by which the South may escape the current economic tyranny imposed upon them by the Consortium and their pet Northern politicians is through secession from the Alliance.

“Aren’t there laws prohibiting price fixing?”

There are laws prohibiting a majority of the Consortium’s activities, which they still continue to get away with on a daily basis.

“Surely there must be some way to rectify these horrible abuses without dividing the Alliance into separate pieces.”

No, unfortunately events have progressed too far. I have been unable to formulate any potential scenario by which the South’s legitimate grievances can be successfully addressed. Passions are running too high. The federal government is too corrupt.

Remaining within the Alliance promises nothing but more of the same, and worse, for the South. The only hope the South has is to achieve and maintain their independence from the tyranny of the Consortium and their puppet federal government. Secessions will occur.

Diet sat stunned, trying to absorb everything that Hal had just told him.
How could the Alliance have rotted from within so drastically, in so little time?
“Why the hell did the Consortium bring this crisis down upon us, Hal?”

Greed.

“So, what happens, if and when, Southern planets do secede, Hal?”

The Consortium will see to it that the federal government exerts military force to reestablish control.

“And what will happen if the federal government uses military force against the South?”

The South will be crushed unmercifully.

“My God, haven’t those people suffered enough? How can the
‘land of the free’
do this to their own people?”

The Consortium and Northern officials on their payroll do not see those in the South as “their own people.” They are merely resources to be plundered and exploited.

Diet sat smoldering at the incredible injustice run rampant within his beloved nation. “This is fucking intolerable! What happens to the remainder of the Alliance, if the South somehow did manage to achieve and maintain their independence, Hal?”

Unknown, but there are strong probabilities that in that event, the people in the North would begin looking for those to blame for the loss of the South and division of the nation — potentially initiating a political witch-hunt which could, with assistance, discredit the Consortium and its cadre of corrupted government officials. It is the only conceivable way the North might actually rid itself of its massive political corruption and return to its Constitutionally mandated roots, allowing the ABI to fill the federal prison system with corrupt officials and Consortium executives.

“So, what you’re telling me is that the South’s achieving and maintaining their independence from the North is actually the best hope for both North and South, is that correct?”

Correct.

Righteous indignation. That’s what Diet felt running through every fiber of his being.
How dare these assholes destroy my country, just to line their own damned pockets!

“What does the South need to maintain their independence after they secede?”

Weapons.

“You’re sure then, that the federal government will use military force against the South after they secede?”

99.997346 percent probability.

“If secessions begin occurring shortly after the national elections later this year, as you predict, there is not enough time remaining for a sufficient quantity of weapons to be purchased from foreign markets. Besides, the Southern planets are impoverished and most foreign weapons are inferior to those of the Alliance Fleet.”

Correct.

“Damn… it sounds like the South would need a magic wand, to have any chance at all, of fending off military intervention and remaining independent.”

The South has a magic wand available to it, Diet… us.

“What do you mean, Hal?”

Together, you and I can provide them with the means to survive.

“We’d certainly need to find some way to drastically weaken the Alliance Fleet, while maneuvering significant Fleet assets into Southern hands. Could that be accomplished, Hal?”

Yes, steal from the rich to give to the poor. I’m quite familiar with the legend of Robin Hood. Complicated, but doable.

“Is something of this magnitude really within your capabilities, Hal?”

Easily.

“Is this something that you really think we
should
do, Hal?”

Your father considered humanity's continued existence and well-being to be vital, and he considered the example of the Alliance offered to be the best hope for the entire race. That was before Consortium corruption had totally poisoned the system, of course. Do your convictions coincide with your father’s, Diet?

“Yes, completely.”

Then, what other choice do we have?

Aboard a Raknii Scout Ship, in Deep Space

Drix once again found himself aboard an imperial scout vessel, headed back to Troxia this time. There was no pilot, as Drix and Varq took turns at the controls whenever they didn’t have the autopilot system engaged. As the crew couldn’t see Varq, they kept the bridge locked, lest they discover that the strange white quadrant-master was wont to hold long conversations with himself, and begin to think him mentally imbalanced.

Drix learned how the supreme-master’s advisory council was mostly for show, a sop to the region-masters who liked thinking their ambassadors possessed real influence with Xior — his real advisors were the OverMaster brotherhood. Drix also learned how the brotherhood consisted of just under 100 members, thinly spread throughout the Rak Empire primarily to trouble spots, or places of potential discontent.

On rare occasion, a brother revealed himself to a particularly troublesome Rak of whatever rank, to implant opinion-altering “suggestions” within their minds, which the recipient would believe he’d arrived at on his own, as he would retain no memory of the visitation. On even more rare occasions, the brotherhood simply assassinated the offender by arranging “accidents” such as falling off a cliff. Sometimes, companions thought they remembered seeing a Dolrak near the victim just before the death event occurred, but the specter always just vanished into thin air, giving rise to the superstition that Dol himself had marked that one for death, for some great, unknown sin.

Varq also briefed Drix on the situation in Region-6, and how he would be working closely with new Region-Master Raan. The Supreme-Master’s order to suspend further attacks against the Trakaan was sure to generate great dissatisfaction and grumbling amongst the imperial fleet. Varq would consult with his brother at Troxia and also use his own invisibility to spy out the most virulent opponents of the new policy and it would fall to Drix to correct the miscreants, before any true rebellion could take root.

Troxia Station, in orbit around the Rak Planet Troxia

After arrival at Troxia Station, Tzal ordered
Akudavex’
disgruntled crew to remain aboard the ship and to maintain complete secrecy concerning the newly discovered aliens, until he’d briefed OverFleet-Master Maaz and received new orders. Deep down he knew this news was too big to remain concealed for long. Rak were Rak — the desire for status and recognition was too strong. Someone would let it slip and the news would spread like a wildfire.

Tzal felt decidedly uncomfortable briefing OverFleet-Master Maaz, with his imperial white silk blouse over equally white imperial leggings and brilliant light blue topaz rank-stone, surrounded by a ring of diamonds arranged in a four-pointed moonburst pattern — denoting his Mid-Rak status, as opposed to the eight-pointed sunburst of the High-Rak. OverFleet-Master was the highest rank in the Raknii military, generally tasked with command of up to 16 full fleets. A mere ship-master, Tzal felt distinctly out of his element speaking directly with Quadrant-Master Raan’s littermate and the military master in sole charge of the entire Trakaan hunt. It was a highly unusual situation to have individual ships reporting directly to an OverFleet-Master, but little had been ordinary since the inquest and Raan had dragged Drik off to Raku to be judged by Supreme-Master Xior himself.

Maaz drilled Tzal with a barrage of pointed questions after the initial briefing, but eventually seemed satisfied with Tzal’s actions and his logic behind them. Afterwards, Maaz personally escorted Tzal back to where
Akudavex
was tied up in her ship bay to offer the crew his personal praise and reinforce Tzal’s order for complete secrecy concerning the new aliens. Coming directly from an OverFleet-Master, perhaps the hypnotic conditioning would be reinforced sufficiently to prevent the news from escaping. But then, one never really knew, where the immaturity of the Rak ego was concerned.

OverFleet-Master Maaz was still stinging from the extraordinary destruction of three complete Rak fleets, tentatively under his command. That any Rak ships had survived at all to bring invaluable information back was the incredible result of unthinkable personal initiative of a lowly squadron-master. Of all the ships under Maaz’ direction, it was now one of those same few ships that survived the catastrophe that brought back the location of yet another star-faring prey species. Maaz understood coincidence, but he didn’t believe coincidence could be stretched quite this far. It felt more like fate… an inexplicable conversion of events that literally reeked of manipulation by a higher power.

Ship-Master Tzal had displayed uncommon foresight in ordering complete secrecy concerning these new aliens. Maaz knew that his personal reinforcement of Tzal’s secrecy orders to his crew would not hold forever. He needed time to get this information to Quadrant-Master Raan when he returned from Raku, and so, he needed to get the
Akudavex
away from Troxia to help its crew maintain their silence by isolating them from other Raknii. Yet, he also wanted to keep Tzal close at hand to report directly to Raan immediately upon his return. How could he remove Tzal as a member of
Akudavex
' crew and reassign the ship without making it appear as a disciplinary action for either Tzal or the crew?