by P. T. Hylton
For her part, Alex was unusually quiet at breakfast. She’d played a role in making today happen, no matter how small.
The day after Brian’s demonstration of the light to Councilman Stearns, Fleming had publicly announced the invention, made his case for how it made Resettlement possible, and called for a popular vote to decide the matter. The idea had enough support that the rest of the City Council had been powerless to stop it.
Today, that popular vote would take place. Every adult in New Haven would vote electronically from the communicator stations in their living quarters and throughout the city. The results would be available in real time, which meant less than half an hour from now, life aboard New Haven could change forever.
The Ground Mission Team had gathered this morning to enjoy some of Firefly’s famous omelets and watch history unfold. The team was overwhelmingly in favor of Resettlement, with only Simmons voicing any dissent.
“Sure, they’d appreciate us,” Simmons said. “They’d come to appreciate the good old days aboard the ship, too.”
Owl punched him on the arm. “You telling me you seriously don’t want to be down there, fighting vamps full time? I thought you loved that stuff.”
“Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s healthy long-term, you know?” He glanced at Alex. “All I’m saying is, nobody knows what it’s like down there at night. Not even us. Not even Drew.”
“I know plenty!” Drew said, managing to send only a few small bits of egg shooting from his mouth across the table.
“We’ve heard CB say it a thousand times. Things are different at night. You want to risk the future of humanity?”
Firefly set down his fork and spoke for the first time. Normally at these gatherings, he stuck to cooking. He was quicker with a grenade than he was with words. “You ask me, you’re being a wuss, Simmons. Everything in our arsenal and you’re telling me we can’t keep one city safe?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Simmons said. “Free rein to light the Earth on fire?”
A smile crossed Firefly’s face. “Wouldn’t you?”
Before Simmons could respond, the screen mounted in the corner turned on and Councilman Stearns’s face appeared.
“Here we go,” Alex said.
The councilman was standing in front of a crowd gathered in the Hub, outside the City Council building. Voting stations were set up along the edges of the crowd. Many of them held homemade signs. One read, “Earth belongs to the humans!” The sign next to it read, “Keep our children safe in the sun!”
Alex quickly scanned the crowd, but she wasn’t able to determine if there were more signs supporting Resettlement or against it.
“Citizens of New Haven,” Councilman Stearns began. “Today, we make a historic decision, one that will determine the future of the human race. Before we do, I’d like to present Councilman Fleming to make his case for Resettlement; then I will say a few words about why I, along with the majority of the Council, believe in staying aboard New Haven.”
Fleming took the podium, and the contrast between him and Stearns couldn’t have been more stark. While Stearns looked every inch the statesman, he also looked…well, old. The few strands of hair remaining on his head stood out against his scalp in bright white. His face showed the lines of every one of his nearly seventy years. Fleming, on the other hand, positively radiated youth and energy. His jet-black hair was carefully styled, and his wide smile revealed perfect teeth. Fleming looked calm, confident, and strong, while Stearns’s demeanor revealed his displeasure at this morning’s vote.
Alex wondered how much that would affect the outcome today. Would people see Resettlement as the future, in part because they saw Fleming that way?
The younger councilman kept his statement brief. “Fellow citizens, one hundred and fifty years ago, our birthright was taken from us. The majority of humanity was destroyed as waves of pure, savage evil poured over the Earth. But the Remnants, our ancestors, escaped through ingenuity and brilliance. Those same qualities flow strongly in our veins. We now have the weapons to take back the Earth. Only one question remains: do we have the courage? Do we have the grit to leave our comfortable prison and claim our birthright? I know the answers to these questions, and I think you do, too. I’m confident you will vote for courage over fear, for the future over the past. We will do what it takes to provide a safe and permanent home for our children. They deserve it.”
A wave of cheers and boos echoed through the speakers as he left the podium.
“Damn right,” Drew muttered. “Let’s do this thing.”
Councilman Stearns took the podium, a few beads of sweat standing on his forehead. “Citizens, I ask this morning that you avoid the allure of change for the sake of change. For one and a half centuries, we’ve been safe aboard this ship. As Councilman Fleming pointed out, we hold the future of humanity in our hands today. Is Resettlement in our future? I believe it is. But not like this. A safe return to Earth will take decades of preparation. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. Our ancestors handed us a very precious gift, but it’s a fragile one. We have to treat it as such.
“Humanity fell to the vampires quickly. Even though humans vastly outnumbered the vampires, the fight did not last long. It’s more accurate to call it a slaughter than a war. Today, the vampires may not even know of our city’s existence. We have to consider the consequences very carefully before we do anything to change that. Otherwise, we could be risking not only any resettlement of Earth, but also of New Haven itself.
“We are safe, we are secure, and as long as we stay aboard New Haven, we will remain so. No one here goes hungry. The wars and violence that have plagued humanity throughout our history are a thing of the past. I have grand hopes for future, hopes of what we can become. If we persevere, if we hold the course, we can grow a future even more wonderful than the storied world before the vampires. But if we are rash, we will end up as nothing more than a meal for the creatures that now infest the Earth. I ask that you use caution, use wisdom, and vote to finish what the Remnants started. Vote against immediate Resettlement.”
He stepped back from the podium and the crowd once again erupted in a cacophony of support and dissent. Through the small speaker on the screen, it was impossible to tell whether the cheers or boos were louder.
“It’s gonna be a close one,” Owl said.
The image of the crowd on the screen disappeared and was replaced with a message: Activate with key card to vote.
Drew stood up and pushed back his chair. “Hope no one minds if I go first.”
He marched to the screen and held his ID card up to the card reader next to it. The image on the screen changed again. Now the text said, Vote on the matter of the immediate resettlement of Earth. Two buttons were shown below the text. One said, For, the other said Against.
Drew dramatically drew back his finger, then pressed it to the For button. “One vote for killing vampires. Who’s next?”
As the team voted one by one, the tension in the room grew. It was somehow becoming more real by the moment. If the vote passed, the GMT’s role would likely change quickly and dramatically. No longer would they serve as a salvage team who ran dangerous but infrequent missions to the surface. They’d be the first line of defense, a group that would need to grow quickly. They would probably be called on to train others, and, once Resettlement took place, combat with vampires would become a much more frequent occurrence. Alex was beginning to feel the responsibility that would fall on their shoulders. Humanity’s survival would depend on them in a much more immediate and direct way.
Still, when Alex’s turn came, she hesitated for only a moment before selecting For.
It only took about thirty minutes before every adult in New Haven had cast their vote. The results appeared on the screen and a shocked hush fell over the room.
The screen showed 51 percent For, 49 percent Against.
Resettlement had passed.
&nbs
p; An hour later, Alex was in the gym, lifting weights and trying not to think too hard about what came next. She was happy about the results. This would mean a real future; it would mean the rest of her life wouldn’t be spent in the oppressive safety of this flying can.
She imagined what it would be like. There’d have to be a city with high walls and active defense systems. Maybe the walls would be lined with Brian’s lights, as he’d suggested during his demonstration. They’d have to stay behind the walls at night.
But what about during the day? Would she be able to roam the countryside? Swim in a real lake? Feel real Earth-grown grass between her toes? She didn’t see why not. And that, in and of itself, was pretty amazing to imagine. That was how humans were meant to live.
She focused on that. There would be plenty of time to think about the hard work that lay ahead, the danger, later.
Simmons was spotting her on the bench press. He’d been quiet since the results were announced. To his credit, he hadn’t complained. He’d simply accepted it. But there was a troubled look on his face.
A loud, familiar tone filled the room, and the screen on the wall came to life. Once again, it showed Councilman Stearns. This time, he was sitting behind a desk rather than standing behind a podium.
“Sweet,” Alex said. “Maybe he’s gonna talk about the timeline.”
Simmons didn’t respond. A dark shadow crossed his face.
Alex toweled off as she waited for the councilman to speak.
“My fellow citizens, a historic vote was cast today. With this vote, you let your voice be heard, loud and clear. The City Council hears and understands that a majority of the people of New Haven wish to return to the surface. Your voices have been heard.”
Alex got to her feet and stepped closer to the screen. Something about the careful way Stearns was phrasing things struck her as odd.
“Alex, this is not going to be good,” Simmons said.
Stearns continued. “After the vote, the City Council met to discuss the results. As the last of our kind, we have a grave responsibility to the future, and it’s one we do not take lightly. As you may know, our city charter grants the Council the ability to override a popular vote if there is a clear and present danger to humanity. We have determined that such a threat exists today.”
“Oh shit,” Alex whispered.
“While we will continue to explore the possibility of Resettlement in the coming years, returning to the surface is not in the best interests of humanity at this time. As such, we are hereby declaring this proposal an immediate threat to humanity and overruling the results. The proposal for immediate Resettlement has been rejected.”
12
Alex felt Simmons’s hand settle on her shoulder.
“Alex, we have to be smart now. People are going to be upset.”
She shrugged off his hand. “You think? Hell, I’m upset.” She threw her towel into the laundry basket near the door to the locker room. “The Council is supposed to follow the will of the people, right? How can they do this?”
Simmons answered her softly, his voice even more careful and measured than it had been before. “Fifty-one percent of the people feel just like you do. Actually, more than that. I voted against Resettlement, and this decision makes me nervous.”
The thought of swimming in a lake, feeling the cool water on her skin, once again passed through her mind. “Oh, I’m pretty far past nervous.”
“That’s exactly the problem. No offense, but you’re rash enough, even when you’re not mad. Remember, we work for the Council, like it or not. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
“Funny, I thought we worked for the people.” She headed for the locker room. She’d had enough of this.
“Hey, I thought you were going to spot me. Where you going?”
She answered without turning back. “To find people who understand.”
General Craig stood in the City Council meeting chambers at the end of a large, u-shaped table. The Council members were seated before him. All but one.
“Dare I ask why Councilman Fleming isn’t present?” he asked.
Stearns exchanged glances with Harriet Yates, the Councilwoman sitting to his left. “After the vote, we had a rather…spirited debate. Fleming wasn’t pleased to lose the discussion eleven to one. He left.”
“Stormed out, is more like it,” Yates said. Like Stearns, she was on the far side of sixty-five.
“In truth, I’m not entirely sure if we’ll be seeing him in these chambers again,” Stearns said.
The general blinked hard. If Fleming left the Council, would his followers still stand behind him? If so, that could make for a dangerous situation. Fleming didn’t seem like the type to go quietly. “Understood. It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Whatever happens next, the Council has the full support of the Ground Mission Team and the police force.”
Eleven expressions of surprise stared back at him. He had the sudden, sinking feeling that the Council didn’t comprehend the severity of what they’d done. They didn’t understand the potential repercussions.
Stearns cleared his throat. “Well, yes, thank you, General Craig. As you say, that probably didn’t need to be said.”
“Understood. In that case, would you be open to suggestions for mitigating the risks of this potentially tumultuous time?”
Eleven blank stares. Jesus, they really had no idea how their decision was going to be perceived.
Stearns leaned forward. “All right, Craig. What would you recommend?”
“Increased badge presence on the streets for at least the next week. You should also double your personal security detail.”
Yates drummed her fingers on the desk. “Is that necessary? I assume we’d be paying overtime?”
“Better to have it and not need it.”
“Fine,” Stearns said. “But if the people are going to be as upset as you seem to think, perhaps what they really need is good news. Engineering tells us the temperature regulation in Sparrow's Ridge is still a little off, even with the motors your team brought back. With the proper parts, we could solve this problem. Jessica has records that indicate a likely location on the surface.”
The general nodded sharply. “Understood. I’ll prep the Ground Mission Team.”
Alex slipped into the meeting just as it was about to start and stood near the back. She was dressed more like a farmer from Sparrow's Ridge then a lieutenant in the GMT. That was by design. She was here because she was frustrated and didn’t know what else to do, not because she wanted to make a political statement on behalf of her team.
Sarah was sitting in front of the room near Fleming. She spotted Alex, smiled, and waved. Alex cringed a little, hoping no one would notice her, but she waved back. Fleming didn’t seem to see her, which was good.
They were in a small community meeting room in Sparrow's Ridge. This place was used for weddings and parties by the people who didn’t have the resources to book one of the fancier locations in the Hub. It was designed to hold maybe two hundred people, but there had to be at least four hundred here. They were jammed in, shoulder to shoulder, most of them standing. Sarah had said this was only for Fleming’s most trusted supporters and it wouldn’t be open to the public. Alex had expected maybe thirty or forty people. This was a bit overwhelming.
Alex hadn’t been sure if she should come, but she was glad she had. It felt good to be with all these people, to see her frustration reflected in so many faces. To feel the anger that she felt amplified hundreds of times in this room.
Fleming stood up and was met with thunderous applause. He held up his hands to quiet the room. “Thanks very much, but this is hardly the time for celebrating. If anything, it’s a day for mourning. Since the time of the Remnants, the City Council of New Haven has acted as the servant of the people. That changed today.”
A rumble ran through the crowd. Somebody near the front yelled, “What are we gonna do about it?”
“Maybe we should
remind them who’s in charge!” someone else said.
A few scattered voices mumbled their agreement.
Fleming again held up a hand, and the crowd fell silent. “What are we going to do about it? That’s a great question, Steven, and it’s exactly what we’re here to discuss. To start with, I walked out on the Council today. I won’t be going back anytime soon.”
“You’re resigning?” a woman shouted.
“Not at all. As far as I’m concerned, the Council stopped being a legitimate government the moment they refused to follow the will of the people. Since I joined the Council, one thing has become clear to me: the Council is only interested in protecting its power. Today proved that even more. Now we must take the necessary steps to put the power back where it truly belongs.”
This time, the room stayed silent when he paused. But it was an electric silence, a silence filled with the potential energy of things unsaid.
“This is no longer just a movement of Sparrow's Ridge. We have in our ranks people in important positions that I hope they will be willing to use for our cause.” His eyes rested on Alex for a moment before he continued. “If we all work together, I think you’ll all be amazed at what’s possible. This is not the end of the Resettlement movement. It’s just the beginning.”
13
The next few days proved the general’s suspicions correct. Even with the increased police presence, protests were turning violent. Three protesters and four badges had to be hospitalized after the third night.
Alex was in bed with Simmons when they heard the news of the protests-turned-riots. He nodded toward the screen showing the report. “This is what you wanted to be part of?”
Her stomach turned. She’d been open with Simmons about her views and her frustration at the Council’s decision, but she hadn’t told him she’d gone to Fleming’s meeting. Or about the conversations she’d had with Sarah since then and what she’d agreed to do for Fleming’s cause. “I said I was for Resettlement. I didn’t say I was for rioting. Just because someone acts out doesn’t mean their opinions are wrong. They’re just frustrated.”
