The Woes of Scorpan

by articunos bitch

Past 3-A Good Wife

“Midas’s Midnight Decree is intolerable,” Scorpan shouted at the man across the oak desk from him. Scorpan only needed his own two hands to count the “men” in the Senate as oppose to the “fools, boys, weasels,” or, worst of all, “self-proclaimed moral saviors.” This man was named Vespucci.

“Scorpan, you have made your point, but you are simply--"

“I am not wrong. Man cannot live like this. This is stagnation; you yourself spoke of ‘wisdom from growing pains’. What happened to that man? What pain will you allow so that we might grow?”

“I have spoken at length with Seimens. He and I agree with you on several factors, but this Decree can work.” Vespucci tried to explain to Scorpan again.

Scorpan took a deep breath before continuing, “This is a Utopia you wish to create, ‘but man has no such place to lay his head. For if Utopia is not a place, but a people, and being such we must choose carefully.’ Sofia Lamb has guided the rest of the Senate long enough. They have forgotten her daughter. Eleanor saved Sofia when she had nothing to gain, just because it was the right thing to do. We have to listen to her words again.”

Vespucci sat down into his seat and spoke firmly, “Scorpan, my word is final. I will not vote against the Midnight Decree. I hope I at least have your respect for why I am doing this, right?”

Sighing heavily, he replied “Yes, you do. Vote as you will, I’m quitting after the vote. And stick with Seimens, he can be trusted to lead you when things turn ugly. Goodbye Vespucci.”

Defeated, Scorpan turned around and walked from the Senators' office. After meeting with five men, he had not changed any of their minds. He had failed his whole nation today.

** ** **

His head hung low as he stepped out into the stormy weather. Ignoring the rain pattering off his head, he didn’t even hear his name being called until he was wrapped by a slender set of arms. Baugh’s words soothed him and he returned he embrace, smelling her greying auburn hair as he took a calming breath.

She could see from his gait how defeated was feeling. From his slumped shoulders and bowed, tilted head, to his eyes tearing up, he was a broken man. His hold on her wasn’t out of passion, but a grip to stop him from metaphoric collapse. She needed to be here for him as she had always been since that night three years before their wedding. She swore to be his rock, and this was one of their many "through thick and thin” times.

“Baugh, it’s over. It didn’t work. Tomorrow evening when they vote on it, we will lose.” She took his arm and guided him toward the bordering house he always rented when Legislature Season came around and he had to leave his home office.

“Aww, that’s alright, Scorpan. You did your best. You’ll do it next time!” Spike said enthusiastically from Baughs’ shoulder where he held her umbrella.

“There won’t be a next time, Spike. My dearest,” he said, turning to his wife. “I’m quitting tomorrow night. I told Vespucci himself.”

She could have been a political animal, but Baugh knew where Scorpan’s heart lay. “Are we really going through with this? Ponyland?”

“We have no choice if we want to live. This Utopia…it’s not living. We are moving first thing next week and not looking back,” he told her with a heavy heart.

“What about inviting your supporters to join us? The other Senators and your constituents? Will they be welcome to join us?”

“Uggh, I guess, I’m not stopping them. There’s plenty of room. But who would want to?” He sighed. “This is the only world they’ve known. No matter how bad it will become, it's home to everyone. We can pick up and leave, but we are weird like that. There are too many unknowns, and no one wants to go and decide to return a few months or years later.”

“But Scorpan, we can have neighbors. And friends. And, and, lots of them!” Spike was clumsily adjusting the umbrella, trying to cheer his master up, but all Scorpan could do was wallow in his despair. Baugh gave him hope as always.

“Maybe Kevin could use a few friends his own age there. Maybe meet a nice girl. It would be good for us all.”

Thinking about his son always filled his mind with “what-ifs”, but she was right. “I’ll invite every one who wants to come after the vote tomorrow night, and again when we get back to Leptis Magna. It’s unclaimed land. Whoever wants it can take it. I want to leave and be done with this place and the people who do want to live here.” Passing strangers could tell by his tone he really did not care about what he spoke of and did not give him a second look.

Silently, they climbed the steps to their boarding room, where he fumbled with the door for her. As much as she wanted him, he needed her more tonight.

** ** **

“So, what happened when you got home, Scorpan?” Firefly bit another mouthful of grass and listened to his story of the past week.

His life had taken the most unexpected upturn since that rainy night a week ago. Scorpan excitedly continued, “My speech was sent home through the telegraph before we boarded the train. There must have been a thousand people waving flags, banners, and what not cheering me on when we arrived in Leptis Magna. I shook hands with dozens and they all said they wanted to join me here. ‘If you’re leaving,’ they said, ‘so am I!’ And that was at the train station. I had hundreds of people wanting to talk to me when we got home; Spike even got them to carry our luggage for him.

“A bunch of the scientists I hired earlier said they would come and continue their work for free if I let them join me. So I threw together another mission and here we are. Only now, we’re looking for a place to actually set a city. We will need a river, a number of wells, easy-to-irrigate farmland OR pegasi willing to create regular rainstorms. Then we’ll need solid bedrock, access to wood…”

“You put a lot of thought into this in a few days!”

“Yes I have. But this is all stuff I planned out earlier. Now I’m thinking over how we will handle foreign relations and finding a common currency with the locals.”

“How many of you will there be living here?”

“From crowds I’ve seen in the past, and how many people said they were there for someone else, too, I would guess ten thousand.”

“Ten THOUSAND humans! Wh- how many of you are there in your home?”

“Ur has a population of fifty-six million, one hundred thirty-four thousand and thirteen. And there are other states with larger populations, more land, better technology. We’re all different. We all know how to handle large populations and, to be honest, ten thousand people is actually a respectably-sized city. Large enough to have a train station and support a complex economy, but it still retains that Anysmalltown atmosphere.”

Firefly laid on her belly and gawked at how he could discuss so many people so casually. She herself grew up in Dream Castle and rarely dealt with numbers beyond hundreds. She knew the sun was millions of miles away, but that didn’t mean much to a pony with her head in the clouds.

“I think you’ve impressed her, Scorpan. She’s staring at you.” A woman’s voice called out from beside him. Firefly and him turned to see a tan, plump woman walking their way. She laid her ruck sack on the ground and leaned against the same tree as he did and asked, “So, are you the pony who always welcomes us humans?”

She stood up and stretched out her wings. “You bet. I’m Firefly!”

“Name’s Mary. Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to shake, but all Firefly did was tap it and look at Scorpan again.

“Is she your mate?” Firefly asked Scorpan.

Both of them developed an odd look and he uncomfortably answered, “Noo, she is not. My wife is a redhead named Baugh. She plans on making one trip here, and it will be to stay. You might see her in a few months. Mary is one of the scientists I hired to make this city a reality. Ph.D of Mineralogy.”

“What’s that?” She turned her head towards Mary.

“I search for minerals, fossils fuels, bedrock, metals, resources in the ground we can dig out and use. I have been here twice, and I’m staying next time I come. Scorpan, I figured it out. I’m opening a butcher shop when I settle down. Mary’s Little Lamb.”

“Have you worked in a butcher shop before?” he asked with all seriousness.

“My uncle’s for two summers. And I got six months to learn,” She said casually.

“I would say that qualifies you to open one in Sumaria. Good luck.”

“What’s a butcher shop?” Firefly inquired, genuinely confused.

"Um--oh! Well...you see.." He struggled for the right words.

“You’ll have to wait and see, Firefly.” Mary told her. “Or not.”

“Okay then. So, how do you like Scorpan? Would he make a good mate?” Firefly asked, changing the subject and unintentionally putting Mary on the spot.

She struggled momentarily and Scorpan felt his cheeks flush. “I…I think he would make a good mate, for the moment and for life. He is intelligent, loyal, brave and strong. And he knows how to value something.” His blush deepened.

“He does sound like a good choice. How do humans choose their mates?” Firefly continued, unaware of Scorpan’s embarrassment at being the center of such a vulnerable subject.

“Men and women live together, so it’s different from ponies,” He interrupted them.

“Is it? She just said everything I want in a stallion and said you’d be a good choice.” Firefly was worried to have missed something in the complicated human mating rituals.

“Men and women live together after they mate, and that raises different social issues. I also should say I trust Scorpan, and that is something every woman want and ponies don’t look for,” Mary clarified for them.

“We don’t look for trust in stallions. I don’t think I get it.”

A silence passed between all three of them as they pondered the implications of their conversation.

“Well, I gotta get going. Good bye, Scorpan. Good bye, Mary!” She took off into the sky.

He turned to his scientist friend. “You really think I would make a good mate?”

It was her turn to fluster, but she spoke without hesitation. “I think you would make a good husband. I do mean it. Your turn: would I make a good wife?”

“I can’t say I know you that well. But you are beautiful enough and have spunk. And smart. Not ambitious, but you know what you want and do what it takes to get it. You seem content in the world.” He tried not to open up about what he thought of others, but he knew she was trustworthy of his secrets. "I suppose you would make a good wife."

“I am content. I was afraid the Senate would drive us back to the Stone Age. But you said 'No'. I see you, Scorpan, bringing us into a new Silver Age.” Speaking heroically, she moved to sit right in front of him. “A time for wise industry leaders. Men willing to get their hands dirty protecting what’s theirs. People who do the right thing for others and never let their secrets be shared.”

“That is what I envision. A society built on responsibility and strong morals.” He put a hand on her shoulder, which she did not shrug away.

“I can see it now. A land where we know of Utopia and try to reach it, but also know it will always be beyond our grasp.” She leaned her face closer towards his and grasped his hands.

He leaned into her face and planted his lips on her own. They shared their first kiss as he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her on top of him as he fell flat on his back.

No other member of the expedition mission saw them until noon of the next day.

Author's Note:

I know it's been too long since I've updated this, but bear with me.
Constructive criticism is welcome.
Again, thank you to my editor Bad_Seed_72.

Comments

[BronyGamer]

Your editor missed a glaring misspelling (in my opinion), you had down "weather" in the last chapter when it's supposed to be "whether"

[Bad_Seed_72]

3121378

Can't find it now, looks like it got cleared up. Like the weather sometimes. I kid, I kid.

[BronyGamer]

3122663 I see what you did there