Kris Schnee - Everyone's Island

His voice faltered. Who was he to say all this, when he was practically copying --

A long line of heroes. He was a ridiculous, insignificant sham, but he was also part of a very long battle for the soul of the human race. The thought made him shiver, suddenly calm and able to speak with a voice that again seemed not his own, too deep and strong.

“It’s frightening to be out here, living without any guarantee of survival. The life I want to live isn’t for everyone. I think that the other way is to be a slave, safe in chains, but that’s not my decision to make for anyone but myself. You can go somewhere else or build your own place next door.

“For those of you — for anyone, anywhere — who’s willing to follow this dream with me, the thought that people can live in freedom, stand with me and I’ll help make it happen.

“I pledge my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor.”

He stopped. There was nothing at all but the sloshing of water and the faint rustle of a flag. The crowd was a little high, a little drunk, staring at him after the flood of empty words, meaningless rhetoric.

No , thought Garrett, squeezing his eyes shut. He meant it. And if need be, he’d kill and die for it.

The applause started slowly and became a roar of cheers that shouted down the sea.

One month later

The pool’s tide lapped at Tess’ bare feet. She lay on a towel. Beside her sat her shoes and hat, toolkit and portable sentient AI and sunblock. Just another lunch hour, but for the election. Warm light and mist tickled her chin.

The mind of Castor — composed of her and Zephyr and everyone who wanted to be part of it on a given day — pondered the vote, speaking more-or-less to her mind and sometimes with her voice. Leda concedes.

Tess sensed Leda in the office that had been Phillip’s, and reached out with her thoughts. “ Come and enjoy the sun.”

A mechanical problem cropped up in one of the power units. She and others quietly spun through the schematics and made sure it’d be okay. A bunch of kids were trying to show her up; they’d all but fixed the trouble already.

Through the link, Leda sounded like she was sobbing. “Tess, why? How could Captain Fox have won?”

“I said, come on down. It’s a nice day.”

Leda slinked downstairs to the plastic beach with its patina of sand. It was part of the Pierponts’ hotel, a fenced-off place to swim and relax. In the network she could see all of Castor politely telling the reporters to give her some time. Tess mentally snugged Zephyr from across the colony and saw the flash of a smile.

“They’re charging to use the beach?” said Leda, audible in person now.

Tess stretched, feeling beautiful and alive. “’Cause it doesn’t belong to us. I’ll pay this time if you want, though.” It was great having a little money of her own to throw around. Favors built up, that’s really what it was.

“Thanks.” Leda entered the fake little island, buried in her grey coat and shades, and Tess became a few credits poorer. Leda stood near Tess and said, “Can I talk to you without the world staring at me?”

“Sure.” Tess pulled off her headset and put it aside, feeling dumber. She could dive back into the sharing anytime she wanted, and be --

But that part was a secret.

What Tess said was, “Why not Noah? He’s hot for you; he’d listen.”

Leda said, “I’m the mother of the Holy Confederacy. People look to me to guide them. Somebody like Noah is too much of a man to understand. They think it’s important to pretend they can be independent. Noah only voted for me out of sympathy, I can tell.”

“Sit,” said Tess. She felt sorry for Leda but annoyed too. The cult leader sat with her knees pulled up. Tess said, “It’s not about what sex you are. I mean, you got over a third of the votes and the gender split wasn’t that big.” Reflexively she called for the exact data, but it was out of reach. “I think the vote was not like, ‘mommy state versus daddy state,’ but like ‘are you a man or a mouse?’ Man, as in adult. Citizen. Human.”

Garrett had really gotten to people that night; Tess hadn’t known he could do that. There’d been more speeches after that, lots of news coverage of the evil anarchist plot to grow kelp and get high, but what it came down to in this morning’s vote was two ways of looking at stuff. Two futures.

Leda said, “People won’t really be citizens here! Garrett was talking about selling shares in Castor, as though some people can be more equal than others. It’s going to be awful! People will starve and get shot and go without education, all because other people are selfish!”

Tess said, “Lighten up. People are already working together just fine without you telling them how.”

“But I can’t just let people be—”

“Yeah, you can.” Tess patted Leda on the shoulder; that coat looked heavy. “If it works, great; and if it doesn’t, that’s our own mistake to make.”

Leda sat there with her head on her hands. Tess pitied her for taking on a job as big as caring for the Leeist cult. At least Tess didn’t have to worry about anything like that; she had Garrett to do the politics, and he was welcome to it.

Tess said, “Look at the sky.” Leda did, and pulled off her glasses, exposing her tear-streaked eyes. Tess went on: “Nice day, isn’t it?”

“God,” said Leda. “What do people believe in God for, if it’s not to know someone will take care of them? Don’t people need to know that?”

“I thought you didn’t really believe.”

Leda was quiet. “I have to believe after all, because we need to.”

Tess hesitated, one hand kneading the edge of her towel. “Don’t worry,” she finally said. “I kind of found God too.”

Now Leda looked right at her. “You did?”

Tess stumbled over the words. “It’s us . You and me and everyone, we’re becoming God together.”

“That’s awful! How can you say that? All you’ve got is a computer network!”

“The computer stuff is only a tool. But look, we’re doing things that used to be impossible, and we keep getting smarter and stronger and there’s no end to it. I can feel something happening to us when we have times like that party.”

“That’s not God at all! God is something outside of you.”

“Maybe there are two kinds: the one that says ‘submit or burn in Hell’ and the one that says ‘be part of Me if you want, whenever you want’. I like my version better.” Tess looked down at the sand, blushing. “Sorry. I’m being pretentious.”

“It’s okay. I’m shocked enough already. May as well get called a fragment of God while I’m at it.”

“You are, you know. We wouldn’t have come this far without you.”

Tess’ headset buzzed. She said, “May I?” and when Leda nodded, put it on speaker mode.

Garrett spoke, with Castor listening and welcoming Tess back. “I’m the Mayor. The damn Mayor of Castor Colony, or Chairman or Grand Poobah Overlord.”

Tess said, “I thought you were putting the inauguration off so you could work on stuff.”

“Yeah, well, something came up.”

Tess sat up straighter. “Trouble?”

“Seven pounds, three ounces of it. A baby at the clinic. A native!”

Tess squeaked. Data spun before her eyes and Castor realized: “The population just hit one thousand. Estimated, anyway. We haven’t got control over exact figures.” The news rippled out through the Net.

“Close enough to celebrate,” said Garrett. “The parents got me to swear myself in as Mayor early, so I could declare the kid a citizen of Castor. I don’t even know what that means yet.”