Chapter 8
Wrenn had been inside the Earthgov council chambers at Harrisburg many times before.
The Council spent a third of the year there, the other two thirds were divided between the European facility in Poland and the Asian facility in Singapore.
The central chamber was made up of a large glass dome, held up by an interlaced triangular pattern of girders, on which were mounted lights at various intervals.
The glass was tinted, lending a foreboding aspect to the already grim sky visible through it.
The Center of the room was occupied by a podium ensconced on the floor in the center of the Earthgov emblem; Three globes showing three different views of the world.
Ringing a little less than half of the room on the side the podium faced were several rows of seats divided into sections. This was where the Councilors sat. Exit and entry doors filled the wall space at the halfway points of the room.
On the opposite side of the Council, occupying less than a third of the room’s circumference, was lower-set seating for the public and the media.
Today only Wrenn, Hutch, Aston, and their two stony faced guards occupied the section.
Emergency Council sessions were closed to the media and the general public, unless special invitation was issued. Since classified data was being discussed, naturally, nothing of the sort had been done.
As they waited, Hutch fidgeted, “Could they have made it... I dunno.... more inviting?”
Aston shrugged, “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? Every command center, every hall of politics, every seat of government; they’re all a power play. Architecturally speaking.”
Wrenn smirked, “I wouldn’t know. I can’t see the color of anything past the next row of seats. I can do a pan and zoom dynamic face scan on people as far away as the back row of council seating though. Makes it easy to spot the liars.”
Hutch sat back and yawned, “Which is to say what? All you have to do is look at any one of 'em to see a liar.”
Aston elbowed him, “You know that's not entirely fair. Martins and her party are doing us a big favor, and a lot of the Council wants to side with us. They’re just intimidated by Korvan.”
Hutch snorted, “Martins lies like the rest of ‘em make no mistake, she’s just lying on our behalf now. Mark my words; once a politician, always a snake in the grass. Always playing the angles. All the angles.”
Before Wrenn could voice his agreement, the Council started filing in.
Men and women from every race and every background. Very little united them visually besides their immaculate dress, and their age. No one was under thirty five, which was considered the approximate agreeable entry age for a Council member.
When all the delegates had taken their seats, a gray haired South-Asian woman took the podium.
The chairman, or chairwoman, was selected by random drawing for every session, with the person who last served discounted from the drawing.
“I hereby call this emergency session of the United Earth Government Council to order.
I, Councilwoman Saura Sakia of the Populist party preside as Chairperson.
I hereby take note for the record that a full Quorum is present, we may begin.
For the first order of business, the Chair recognizes Princess Celestia, leader of the Equestrian nation.”
Celestia stepped from her place by one of the doors to the center of the room, as Chairwoman Sakia returned to her seat. The Alicorn dwarfed the podium, presenting an imposing, but not particularly hostile, visage despite the fact that she was standing much lower than the Council.
“Assembled Councilors, thank you for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice. Allow me to extend my sympathy over the recent attack on your city of Philadelphia. If there is any way in which I can provide aid or assistance, you need only ask.”
The princess paused, allowing just the right amount of time for her words to sink in, before continuing, “I know our agreements allow me nearly unfettered access to your media, but I thought it not only polite, but prudent, to ask your permission and your advice before making a public statement about the attack. The issue is very serious, and I don’t wish to inadvertently say or do something indelicate.”
There was a quiet murmur. Wrenn pegged the tone as generally favorable. He had stood by Korvan’s side, just as each delegate’s current bodyguard stood by their side now, over the course of many Council sessions. He had long since learned to measure the mood of the assembled dignitaries by their vocalizations.
Celestia was shrewd. She had begun the session by ostensibly placing herself in a submissive position, paving the way for her to act as a sensible, amicable arbiter when Siidran came in with his significantly more charged words.
Now the Councilors were all typing at their small holographic consoles, entering a vote and a comment. When the results had been tallied by the resident AI, the Chairwoman would present the finding.
Sakia stood a moment later, reading from her DaTab, “The Council moves unanimously to grant its blessing for you to make a statement at whatever time and in whatever way you see fit, and as per your request, all interested Councilors will have the opportunity to submit their assessment of the situation and recommendations via your attaché.”
Wrenn wondered who Celestia’s attaché was, and where they resided.
This was the first he had ever heard of the position, but it made sense that the Princess would want someone to handle the Earth side of things, in terms of paperwork and keeping an eye on the climate.
Celestia inclined her head, “Thank you Councilors. With regards to the attack, I request permission to bring forward a motion.”
Chairwoman Sakia nodded her assent, “The Chair will permit a second order of business. State your motion for the Council.”
Everyone had known this was coming. This was the real reason for the meeting, and Wrenn suddenly felt nervous. When Siidran started to speak, the lieutenant knew he was going to become the center of attention, for at least a few minutes.
All that time spent as Korvan’s bodyguard, Wrenn had been all but invisible. No one ever paid attention to security. Not once, in his entire tenure, had Wrenn ever been noticed by the Council. He didn’t much care about their opinions of him, but his future was in their hands now, and that prospect did nothing to brighten his day.
Celestia paced for a moment before speaking again, “I bring forward the motion to re-affirm your accords with the Gryphon Kingdoms, and to fully support, both politically and in the media, the timing and nature of their new Conversion program, despite recent events.”
Wrenn stiffened and sucked in a breath. This was where the compost was going to hit the turbines. Celestia hadn’t pulled any punches, her motion made her intentions completely clear.
Most of the council had probably expected her to propose a compromise of some sort, until now that had been her modus operandi; prevent conflict by suggesting well thought out mutually agreeable solutions.
This was something entirely different. This time she was calling the Council out, betting that they would hold to a tighter moral code than usual. Wrenn didn’t hold much hope, but if anyone could do it Celestia could.
Sakia’s face was drawn, Wrenn couldn’t see the color in it, but he guessed by the strain of her muscles that it had drained to a shade of white almost as pale as Celestia’s coat.
The Chairwoman seemed slightly flustered, but managed to regain her composure quickly, “Let the record show that the motion has been put forth, as stated. At this time, the Council will hear any reasonable objections from seated members.”
Wrenn wasn’t surprised when Korvan stood.
“The Chair recognizes councilor Mathas Korvan, of the Bio-Technological Combine party.”
Korvan moved to the podium. Celestia stepped aside, but she did so slowly, forcing Korvan to get closer to her than he probably would have liked. Wrenn decided that the Princess had a greater skill for political machinations than she liked to let on.
Korvan stopped to gather himself before speaking. His voice carried well, filling the domed chamber, “The Biotech party submits that at this time, due to the charged climate created in the wake of the PER attack, that the Council should formally request that the Gryphon Kingdoms move back the timetable on their new program in order to allow things to stabilize and to prevent serious backlash from the public.”
Councilor Sakia swept her gaze around the room, “Will anyone second either resolution?”
Councilor Martins stood, “On behalf of my party, I second the Princess’s motion.”
The words created quite a stir in the council. Wrenn thought Korvan’s mouth was actually going to hang open until something flew in. Clearly he hadn’t expected that, not even in the darkest corners of his mind.
A man Wrenn recognized as Councilor Emmile Vastris, of the Socialist party, stood as well, “The United Socialist Party seconds Councilor Korvan’s motion.”
Judging by Korvan’s momentary relieved expression, Wrenn guessed that he had not expected Vastris to come to his aid. That was quite surprising. Usually a move like that had to be bought with a lot of favors, money, threats, or a combination thereof.
Chairwoman Sakai looked just as stunned as everyone, but she managed to find her voice, “Both motions have been seconded. As per Earthgov standard protocol, each motions’ proponents will be given time to argue their case, then there will be a fifteen minute recess after which the issue will go to vote. The computer will now provide a fair and random coin flip to determine who will speak first.”
One of the fringe benefits of positronic AI was that they could produce ‘true randomness.,’ or at least something so passably close that there was no discernible error.
The AI’s surprisingly pleasant tenor voice echoed through the room, “Councilor Korvan will have the right of first statement.”
There were advantages and disadvantages to being first in a resolution vs. resolution debate. In this case Korvan’s disadvantages outweighed his advantages because he had not been prepared to speak on the issue. Wrenn knew he would improvise well, but with any luck he might make a few small mistakes. Enough to level the playing field.
“Honored Councilors, our position is admittedly complicated. Princess Celestia’s resolution is born of an understandable desire to support her allies, and their desire to maintain the initial schedule put forth in the accords is likewise understandable.”
Korvan paused to draw a deep breath, “But they are not the only interested and affected parties in this matter. Our political situation is already unstable in these difficult times; our economy continues to suffer, terrorists strike fear into our populace, and our world teeters on the brink of extinction. After the most recent attack, and the likely backlash it will generate, is this really the time to ‘muddy the water’ with something new and potentially controversial?”
He glanced down at Siidran, Varan, and Sildinar, “Their world isn’t dying. They aren’t on any sort of clock. Why can’t they simply hold off because it would aid their allies? Their friends?”
Wrenn got the impression that Korvan had more to say, but hadn’t had time to formulate his thoughts into coherent sentences. He returned to his seat, and Celestia resumed her post at the podium. Beyond his nervousness, Wrenn found he also harbored a sort of curiosity. He was interested to see how Celestia would handle something so fractious and conflicting.
“Councilors I will admit that my opponent presents valid points. Your world is suffering more than its fair share of ills, and ours is under no such specter of loss. But I submit that the fundamental premise of his argument is flawed. He claims that Gryphonization will only add to the backlash caused by the most recent PER attack...”
Here she paused to gaze around the room, “...But I rather think it will help assuage the public. You can offer them another choice, you are giving them a new option, a different way out.
In a world where one’s primary concern is having a choice, this stands to be the perfect answer to the PER attack, if you choose to present it properly. If we jointly show a strong face and an unyielding spirit, then these extremists will see not a government cowering in fear, but a steadfast bastion of protection. If you delay this program, you play into the PER’s plan. Why else would they attack you now, and in such a fashion? This new option scares them. The biggest way you can strike back, at the moment, is to do exactly what they don’t want.”
She paused, as if trying to decide whether to stop there, or proceed, “Aside from all this, you owe it to your allies. They have as much a right to present their species to the Earth as my kind does, and they should not be made to wait any longer. Their King has remained my ally despite the fact that I sometimes made... unpopular decisions. Can you not find it within yourselves to emulate them and honor the agreements you have made?”
With that, Celestia returned to her position by the door.
For several seconds, silence reigned. Finally Chairwoman Sakai stood, “There will now be a fifteen minute recess. The Chair is obligated to remind all delegates that they may have no contact with the media, the public, or members of other parties during this recess. You may each proceed to your party’s ante-chamber.”
Once the chamber had been emptied of Councilors, Wrenn stood and stretched.
Celestia and the Gryphons made their way over to the public seating.
Hutch chuckled, “Princess, that was a fine speech. I think you genuinely scared him. Does me good to see them put in their place like that.”
Commander Aston cocked her head and stared at King Siidran, “If you don’t mind my asking sir, why didn’t you speak on the issue instead of Celestia?”
Siidran chuckled, “My kind has no love for machination of this sort. Celestia has a better standing with the Council, and greater skill at political maneuvering. I’m all too happy to let her represent my interests in this. I disagree with her plenty of the time, but I still trust her in this matter.”
Varan glowered, “Your Councilor Vastris... Who is he? Why did he support Korvan so suddenly? The man was practically leaping out of his chair...”
Wrenn shrugged, “Beats me. He wasn’t on the council when I was Korvan’s bodyguard, he’s a new appointment. How do you think the vote will go?”
Siidran shrugged, this time Wrenn nearly chuckled out loud. The gesture was so amusing with wings. “I can not say. All I know, is that as much as I would like to simply dictate terms, we need this to be a mutually agreeable step. If my kind forces this, then it will taint all our future relations with humanity. I’m not keen on politics, but I’m even less keen to upset an ally needlessly.”
Celestia nodded her agreement, “Let us hope then, that Councilor Martins and her party prove to be as valuable a sponsor as you have estimated,”
“The council will now choose a resolution. Please enter your vote now.”
Sakai sat down to enter her own vote. Even though she was Chairwoman, she retained the right to vote, since not doing so would unfairly dock her party one seat.
The room was totally silent except for the hum of the ventilation, and the quiet warble of the Councilors’ holographic keypads.
When she was finished, Sakai stood and waited for the AI to deliver the results.
Wrenn found himself unconsciously scooting forward to the edge of his seat.
In a combat zone he had a weapon and a target. The objective was simple; kill or be killed.
You could reach out and strike your enemy down if you were resourceful and quick enough.
Here, the battle was fought with words, impressions, and machinations of emotional manipulation. Victory hinged on opinion far more than Wrenn would have liked, and waiting for the results drove him to the brink of insanity.
A teal square materialized before Sakai. The hologram was tinted so that it could only be read from her side. Wrenn began to think that if she took any more time, that he might stand up and scream.
Finally, Sakai spoke, “The Council has voted. With a majority of 131 to 90, and two abstainers...”
She looked up at Celestia, “...to approve Princess Celestia’s motion over that of Councilor Korvan. Let the record reflect this decision, to be carried out immediately as previously described. We are all in accord.”
The council quietly echoed her words, “We are all in accord.”
Wrenn thought he detected a hint of rage boiling beneath Korvan’s stony visage as he said the words. He collapsed backwards into his chair. Celestia’s words had done the trick, swaying more of the Councilors than he had expected, by far.
There was a shuffle, the Councilors clearly thought the session was at an end and were already making preparations to leave.
Siidran stepped from the shadows near the door to stand by Celestia at the podium.
As the Councilors began to notice the Gryphon’s presence, they slowly fell silent.
Siidran spoke, his voice commanding just as much attention as Celestia’s. It struck Wrenn how much more resonant the King’s voice was than Korvan’s, and he had once admired Korvan’s voice.
“I have a third order of business, if the Council will hear it.”
Sakai seemed a bit confused, but she nodded, “The Chair recognizes King Siidran of the Gryphon Kingdoms. State your motion.”
Siidran glanced back at Wrenn, then faced the council again, “As you know, our accords stipulate that I have the right to change the candidate list for our new program in whatever way I see fit, but the move is highly discouraged without the assent of this Council. Therefore I submit to the council that, for services rendered in defense of important materials and innocent lives, Lieutenant Isaac Wrenn should be given the honor of the first position in the new Conversion program.”
The stunned silence in the chamber was a testament to the gravity of Siidran’s words.
Wrenn had never seen so many politicians speechless at once.
Sakai seemed unaware of the full charged nature of the suggestion, and recovered quickly, “Let the record show that the motion has been put forth, as stated. At this time, the Council will hear any reasonable objections from seated members.”
Korvan was already halfway to a standing position, and he spoke before being given leave, which as far as Wrenn knew, had only happened three times before without the Councilor in question being declared in contempt.
“I object. The Gryphon Kingdoms have already assented to the list of candidates we put forth. By their own recent arguments, they should hold to the agreement they’ve entered into.”
Sakai glared, “You will remember your place as a dignified delegate of this council, and will speak only when given recognition by the chair. Make it clear that you understand and accede or you will be declared in contempt, brought up for disciplinary action, and your objection will be stricken from the record.”
Korvan gritted his teeth, practically spitting the words, “I understand and accede.”
Sakai nodded, “Very well, an objection has been raised. In accordance with the protocol dictating issues of persons brought before the Council, the Chair will now call for sponsors of both candidates. Who will stand for Lieutenant Isaac Wrenn?”
Varan and Sildinar stepped forward, Sildinar speaking for both of them, “As members of the Paladin order of our kind, the highest military circle we can be inducted into, and as warriors who have fought with him, we stand for Lieutenant Wrenn.”
Hutch stood, “As his current acting commanding officer, I stand.”
Aston was up nearly as quickly as Hutch, “As an officer who has commanded him in the field of battle, I stand.”
Councilor Martins, to everyone’s surprise, stood as well, “I personally vouch for the Lieutenant as well.”
Wrenn thought he might cry. He had been alone in the world for a long time. A display of trust and friendship was almost alien to him. Suddenly he was reminded of how much he had missed having friends.
He managed to shake himself in time to catch Korvan’s reaction. Wrenn vowed to remember it as long as he lived, it was priceless. For a moment the mask completely slipped, and Korvan’s rage was written on his face as plain as ink on paper.
Chairwoman Sakai nodded, “Who will stand for...” She squinted at her DaTab, “Commander Quintus Selfridge?”
Once again, Councilor Vastris stood unexpectedly, “As an honored member of the Earthgov council, I stand for Commander Selfridge.”
Korvan probably would have stood as well, but protocol stipulated that whoever put forth a candidate for something of this nature was not allowed to stand for them as well. The fact that they put forth a candidate was considered enough of an affirmation of their support.
There was an extended pause as Sakai allowed time for others to stand.
When no one else rose, she tapped the holoscreen in front of her, “Both candidates have sponsors. One sponsor for each will be allowed to speak on their behalf, then there will be a vote. The computer will flip a fair coin to determine which sponsor is first.”
The AI’s voice issued forth once again, “The Sponsor of Lieutenant Wrenn will have the right of first statement.”
Siidran nodded towards Sildinar, who stepped forward to the podium.
“As a fellow warrior, I have had the opportunity to fight beside Lieutenant Wrenn, and to socialize with him afterwards. He is the definition of an honorable warrior; he fights in defense of his beliefs, and of the people he is sworn to protect. He values the lives of his fellow combatants, and civilians alike, and he possesses no small measure of skill. He has few friends, but that is not from any flaw of character that I have been witness to, beyond his tendency for self isolation.”
Sildinar glanced wryly up at Councilor Korvan, “As I understand it, Lieutenant Wrenn is responsible for saving Councilor Korvan’s life in this very room, a fact that seems to have gone unnoticed by said Councilor. More recently he participated in the rescue operations in Philadelphia, he had a hand in saving my fellow warrior...”
Here Sildinar inclined his head towards Varan, “...he saved several innocent lives during an attempted hostile bombing, and he aided in the defense of the Manhattan Conversion Bureau. Since giving him the first position would in no way preclude you from then continuing with the list of candidates we have agreed on, I see no reason why you shouldn’t reward one of your own soldiers for outstanding accomplishments.”
Vastris stood next, looking nervous, “I have little further to say. I hold the highest rank of any sponsor who had stood today, that and the fact that we have already agreed on the list of candidates should be enough. Lieutenant Wrenn’s implants will further complicate the issue, adding a considerable amount of strain to an already inadvisable situation.”
Clearly the Counselor had not been prepared to speak, Wrenn wondered if he could even remember the name of the soldier he was ‘sponsoring’.
Sakai stood, “The vote will now commence.”
Sildinar glanced back at Wrenn. He hoped his expression conveyed the thanks he felt for the Gryphon’s words.
Once the sound of typing had died away, the teal square once again appeared before Chairwoman Sakai.
She pursed her lips, “The Council has voted.”
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660373
Just you wait. By the end of this most of the charachters and half the enemies will have pulled every n00b trick you know, and a few you never even dreamed of.
Overkill is underrated.
Tonight's another double feature.
I got caught up writing today and churned out (much, by 4k words) more than I was expecting.
Mild spoiler alert, you don't have to wait too much longer to see Wrenn's conversion, if its going to happen at all.
I hope you all like political stuff as much as you've professed to.
That's about all these two chapters are.
Don't worry, I promise more action soon.
Story's gotta have both to stay on an even keel, otherwise it turns into Michael Bay all over again. *shudder*
647990
Glad you enjoy political thrills, there's lots of that to be had.
I prefer to see combat that's motivated and backed up by lots of interconnected issues, so I also tend to write things that way.
651644
It's been a couple years since I had Assembly, I just wrote down what first sprang to mind.
I'm mostly in HLL programming, tho I admit I liked the logical challenge of programming with efficiency both with regards to instructions executed and instructions written.
651427
You have not met my HLF in force.
You soon will, and you won't soon forget the meeting.
I'm letting out a peek at their upper command in CH-7, but when the real crossfire gets going, the HLF stands toe to toe with the PER and ConSec.
Its gonna be Biblical.
You will hate them as much as the PER, if not more, depending on your taste.
Aww whata tease.
Bah, you call that a cliffhanger? It's more of a pause of minor tension.
667796
Precisely.
Also, I was really really tired.
This is great. You write VERY fast!
Listen, dude, double features are okay by everyone here, agreed?
656343
This is why I like the idea of sleeper ships. I had a look at the first chapter, and it seems like getting Griffonized is basically the same as getting Ponified and alters a person's personalities and that...
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/291/839/03c.png
Yeah, that.
When I saw that this story had a double feature today, I was like i.imgur.com/Uj78G.gif?1 , then I read them almost to the very last sentence and I was like i.imgur.com/nyYGb.gif?1 , but when I read the cliffhanger, I was like i.imgur.com/3wLKP.gif?1 .
I hope you're happy that you've hooked me for the rest of your damn story and it's (hopefully inevitable) sequel.
I BUCKING LOVE POLITICS!
Seriously, this just gets better and better.
Dude. This story. I'm no fan of politics, so what do you do? You make it interesting.
You, sir, are despicably awesome. Much like some other authors I know.
Phew, finally caught up. Awesome story we got here that's for sure. One thing that's really interested me is that you mentioned that there would be a third big bad that would be more threatening than the PER and HLF. From what I've seen so far I'm just gonna go ahead and guess Skynet! This is assuming that the AIs go sentient, that and the fact that in the long run machines are the ones that'll lose it all since you can't really turn them into living beings.
669818
Ya'll just keep speculating.
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition....
hate it when you get so wrapped up into a good story only to find you're on the last published chapter so far
love the story though
Biologically, humans only have one big advantage, and that's the wide range of stuff we can eat.
Biologically.
But humans are master tool users, making tools with smaller and smaller physical demands on the user, that compensate for those biological disadvantages.
Conversion makes the weak flesh stronger, while retaining the strong mind... which may be what Celestia and Siidran are /really/ after. New ideas, in new people, who are used to the idea of improving the status quo.
671286
Nothing, considering she has a vetted and cleared one ton mass of claws and beak with impeccable vision and observation skills sitting over her shoulder watching her every single move. Its not as if she has to be privy to classified data, she's just tracing access logs, reviewing data streams, etc.
Hutch has a very 'do what works' command style.
If Wrenn thinks Skye is ok, and if Kephic can keep a watch on her, then he sees no reason why they shouldn't make use of someone with unique skills.
670064
Ssssssshhhhhh! The audience will hear you!
(This guy catches on *quick*)
669897
Oh of course, it was so obvious! The only possibility for an EVIL 4th (HLF, PER, whatever crops up from the gryphon side) are:
cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/9823486.jpg
A cliffhanger! You... argh!
678462 P.S. reading it late, don't have to wait. u mad?
Man. That's some respect.
From this poor bastard's perspective, he thought he was a conversation away from convincing an old investment to do a friendly little bit of spying. Only now his investment is about to become the "investment" of the other guys. The floor fell out from under Korvan's feet, and his entire world turned 90 degrees sideways. Even if this vote were to fail, he still knows he can't lean on Wrenn anymore. Actual gold.
And then being doormatted with a callout, mid speech, so he can't interject! Between this, and Celestia bodyblocking him awkwardly off the podium, this is just straight up political comedy at this point! They're killing Korvan out there!
--
This whole chapter, man. You have a way of conveying things so clearly yet concisely that I can almost visualize them, and then you pack it full of really clever nonverbal communication. It's always just the right balance of dialogue and body language, so I have very little trouble understanding what someone's true (or truer) feelings might be. All submerged just lightly through Wrenn's perspective, which further adds to his character, because he is picking up on it.
11562217
Thank you!
I love that phrasing
Leaders can be friends even if they disagree. We might've forgotten it in the modern age, but once upon a time...