John Scalzi - The Last Colony

Manfred Trujillo was primary among them. Trujillo had started the push to allow colony worlds to seed a new colony several years earlier, from his perch as Erie's representative to the CU legislature. He had been miffed when the Department of Colonization took his idea but neglected to install him as leader; he'd been even more miffed when the colony leaders turned out to be us, whom he did not know, and who did not seem to be especially impressed with him. But he was smart enough to mask his frustration in general terms, and spent most of the meeting trying to undermine Jane and me in the most complimentary way possible.

"For example, this council," said Trujillo, and looked up and down the table. "Each of us is charged with representing the interests of our fellow colonists. I don't doubt each of us will do that job admirably. But this council is an advisory council to the colony heads—advisory only. I wonder if that allows us to best represent the needs of the colony."

We're not even out of the dock and he's already talking revolution, I thought. Back in the days when I still had a BrainPal, I could shoot that entire thought over to Jane; as it was she caught my glance to her, which told her well enough what I was thinking.

"New colonies are administered under Department of Colonization regulations," Jane said. "The regulations require colony leaders to wield sole administrative and executive power. Things will be chaotic enough when we arrive that mustering a quorum for every decision is not ideal."

"I'm not suggesting that you two not do your jobs," Trujillo said. "Merely that our input should be more than symbolic. Many of us have been involved with this colony since the days it was only on the drawing board. We have a wealth of experience."

"Whereas we only have a couple months of involvement," I prompted.

"You are a recent and valuable addition to the process," Trujillo said. Smooth. "I would hope you would see the advantages to our being part of the decision-making process."

"It seems to me that the Colonization regulations are there for a reason," I said. "The DoC has overseen the colonization of dozens of worlds. They might know how to do it."

"Those colonists came from disadvantaged nations back on Earth," Trujillo said. "They do not have many of the advantages that we have."

I sensed Savitri tense up next to me; the arrogance of the old-line colonies, which had been founded by Western countries before the CU took over colonization, had always appalled her.

"What advantages are those?" Jane said. "John and I just spent seven years living among 'those colonists' and their descendants. Savitri here is one of them. I'm not sensing any notable advantages among those at this table to them."

"I may have phrased that poorly," Trujillo said, beginning what I suspected was another conciliatory knife-twisting.

"You may have," I said, cutting him off. "However, I'm afraid the point is academic. DoC regulations don't give us much flexibility on the administration of first-wave colonies, nor do they make allowances for the previous national affiliation of its colonists. We are obliged to treat all colonists equally, no matter where they come from. I think that's a wise policy, don't you?"

Trujillo paused for a beat, clearly annoyed at the turn of rhetorical events. "Yes, of course."

"I'm glad to hear it. So for the moment, we'll continue to follow regulations. Now," I said before Trujillo could ramp himself up again, "anyone else?"

"Some of my people are complaining about their berth assignments," said Paulo Gutierrez, Khartoum's representative.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"They're unhappy that they're not closer to other colonists from Khartoum," he said.

"The entire ship is only a few hundred meters long," I said. "And berth information is readily accessible through PDAs. They shouldn't have any problems locating each other."

"I understand that," Gutierrez said. "I just think the expectation would be that we would be berthed together in our groups."

"That's why we didn't do it that way," I said. "You know, once we set foot on Roanoke, none of us will be from Khartoum, or from Erie, or from Kyoto." I nodded toward Hiram Yoder, who nodded back. "We're a]l going to be from Roanoke. Might as well get a head start on that. There's only twenty-five hundred of us. That's a little small for ten separate tribes."

"That's a nice sentiment," said Marie Black, from Rus. 'But I don't think our settlers are going to very quickly forget where they came from."

"I don't expect them to," I said. "I don't want them to forget where they came from. I would hope that they would focus on where they are. Or will be, soon enough."

"Colonists are represented here by their worlds," Trujillo said.

"It makes sense to do it that way," Jane said. "For now, at least. Once we're on Roanoke, we may revisit this." That tidbit sat in the air for a few seconds.

Marta Piro, from Zhong Guo, raised her hand. "There's a rumor that two Obin are coming with us to Roanoke," she said.

"It's not a rumor," I said. "It's true. Hickory and Dickory are members of my household."

"Hickory and Dickory?" asked Lee Chen, from Franklin.

"Our daughter Zoe' named them when she was younger," I said.

"If you don't mind me asking, how is it two Obin are members of your household?" Piro asked.

"Our daughter keeps them as pets," Jane said. This got an uneasy laugh. That wasn't so bad. After an hour of being not-so-subtly hammered on by Trujillo, it wouldn't hurt to be seen as the sort of people who could keep terrifying aliens as domestic companions.

"You need to push that son of a bitch Trujillo out of a shuttle bay," Savitri said after the room had cleared.

"Relax," I said. "Some people are just no good at not being in charge."

"Gutierrez, Black and Trujillo have made their own political party," Jane said. "And of course, Trujillo's gone running to Kranjic to spill the details of this meeting. They've gotten very cozy."

"But it doesn't cause us any problems," I said.

"No," Jane said. "None of the rest of the representatives seems to have much truck with Trujillo, and the individual colonists are still boarding; he's had no time to get known to any of them who aren't from Erie. Even if he had, there's no way the DoC would replace us. Secretary Bell hates Trujillo and has since they were representatives. Taking his idea and installing us as colony leaders is just another way she has of sticking it to him."

"General Rybicki warned us things have gotten political," I said.

"General Rybicki has a way of not quite telling us everything we need to know," Jane said.

"You may be right," I said. "But on this point he was right on the nose. Anyway, for now let's not worry about it too much. We've got enough to do and after the Magellan leaves Phoenix Station we're going to get even busier. Speaking of which, I promised Zoe I would take her down to Phoenix today. Either of you want to come? It's me, Zoe and the Obin twins."

"I'll pass," Savitri said. "I'm still getting used to Hickory and Dickory."

"You've known them for nearly eight years," I said.

"Yes," Savitri said. "Nearly eight years, for five minutes at a time. I need to work up to extended visits."

"Fine," I said, and turned to Jane. "What about you?"

"I'm supposed to meet with General Szilard," she said, referring to the commander of Special Forces. "He wants to catch up."

"All right," I said. "You're missing out."

"What are you doing down there?" Jane asked. "We're going to visit Zoe's parents," I said. "The other ones."

I stood at the gravestone that bore the name of Zoe's father and mother, and of Zoe herself. Zoe's dates, based on the belief she had died in a colony attack, were obviously incorrect; less obviously, so were her father's, Her mother's dates were accurate. Zoe had crouched down to get close to the names; Hickory and Dickory had connected their consciousnesses just long enough to have a ten-second ecstasy at the idea of being at the death marker of Boutin, then disconnected and stood at a distance, impassive.