by Trevor Wyatt
“Alright, Fran. What do you need?” Cassius asked, a bit concerned as to what his brother would want so soon.
“So, Cash, you know one of my businesses is a security firm, right? Well, the contract for the Treasury is up for a vote—and I want it.”
“So? You want me to pull some strings to make sure you get it?” Cassius asked.
“Hah! Exactly, man,” he said.
Cassius felt conflicted over everything. He knew how these things worked, how his brother operated. If he granted this security contract to his brother, then it would open the door for sticky fingers to reach in.
Any money that could be used to help the citizens of Centralia would potentially end up furthering the goals of underground organizations. Nothing much would change, and that was what everyone in power seemed to want.
Still, he saw where his brother was coming from as well. He knew the Pak family was the one that usually held the contract. Much like the Langes, they were embedded and corrupt.
Of course, they did the exact same thing the Rolands would do if they got the contract. And at that, at least Cassius would have a contact with Francis so he would know what was going on with their activities.
At least, he’d have a general idea of what was going on anyway.
“Well, I owe you, after all,” Cassius said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Man, you’re the best!” Francis said. “I’ll let you get back to your breakfast. Call me when you’ve done what you need to do.”
“Fine, talk to you later,” Cassius said as they both ended the call. He turned back around to finish preparing their breakfast.
The three of them finished their breakfast rather quickly, the girls’ expressions showing that they enjoyed what he had cooked for them.
The day came and went uneventfully. As the sun began to set and Cassius put the girls to bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what he was going to do tomorrow. Corruption was the very thing he was fighting against, but it seemed now that he was aiding in it.
Still, he used the same rationalization he’d been using since his brother asked him to in the first place. He would be able to closely monitor the activities of the Rolands with Francis being his brother, rather than let the Paks run rampant without his supervision.
Cassius retired to his bedroom after a shower and a change into his pajamas. With a yawn, he soon fell asleep. His rest remained uninterrupted for the rest of the night, and he woke at the crack of dawn.
The morning came and Cassius got ready for the day. The Labor Oversight meeting was in a few hours, where he planned on making good on his promise to his brother. During his walk, he scrolled through some of the paperwork he needed for the rest of the day.
In the pit of his stomach, he knew that he was being somewhat of a hypocrite with all of this, but it was going to be for the good of everyone involved. He had to keep telling himself that, anyway.
He entered the building, making his way to the meeting hall and taking his seat near the front of the room.
“So I’m sure we’re all aware of today’s order of business,” Cassius said, standing to his feet when the meeting commenced. “Today, we vote on the security contract for the Centralia Treasury.”
One of the other members spoke up, “You mean today we renew the Paks’ contract,” he said. “They’ve held it the longest, they have the most experience.”
“And they also have a track record of letting funds...mysteriously disappear,” one of the other members said. “I personally don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.”
“But who else has the means necessary? They may not be perfect, but they’re better than nothing. Unless you’ve got a better idea?” the first man replied.
“Actually, yes, I have a better idea,” Cassius spoke up. “I spoke with a representative of Starbright Security, and I believe they would be perfect for the job.”
“The one run by Francis Ojun, which is oddly similar to the name Cassius Ojun?” the first man asked, raising an eyebrow at Cassius. “Are you sure your opinion isn’t somewhat tainted?”
“Despite my relation to him, I can assure you that I’m impartial on this. We haven’t spoken in many years and simply connected recently through my efforts in finding the best means of serving the fine people,” Cassius explained.
“Interesting. And you think that he’s good for the job?” he asked.
“Looking into their history as a company, they have a near spotless record. Customer satisfaction is through the roof, no reported thefts of any significant amount, no property damage, and no casualties on premises,” Cassius said as he flipped through a few slides that he’d projected.
They contained information he had received from his brother about the company, things that would make them look to be the most appealing choice out of all the other possible candidates.
“And with that, I present to you the alternative,” Cassius said, flicking through the final slide. “Starbright Security holds a lot of potential. And they have my vote. All in favor of Starbright?”
Cassius watched as just a little over half the room casted their vote for Starbright.
Cassius’ brother’s company won by 65% of the vote. It wasn’t unanimous, but it was more than enough to secure the job.
When the meeting was adjourned, he thanked everyone for their support before leaving. As soon as he was cleared of the building and on the streets, he pulled out his slipstream device and tried to connect with his brother.
After a few seconds of waiting for his call to be accepted, Francis’ face appeared on slipstream. “Hey, man! I heard the good news,” he said in a jovial voice. “I knew you’d pull through for me!”
Cassius managed a smile and cleared his throat. “So I did,” he said. “Well, glad I could help you. It’s the least I can do for you helping me get this position in the first place.”
“Oh, believe me, Cash. It will be mutually beneficial for both of us in the years to come,” Francis said. “You help me, I help you. You know that stuff. We’re family, after all.”
“Sure, family,” Cassius said. “Hey, I need to get going. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah, talk to you later,” Francis said. “I need to finish some shitload of paperwork for my new contract, anyway.”
Cassius disconnected the link and started walking.
He thought about the events of the day as he went home. Despite his rationalizations, he still felt a pit of guilt in his stomach.
What he’d done was a clear and blatant case of nepotism, regardless of how he tried to doctor it up with impartiality. It wasn’t impartial, he knew it, and he knew he’d lied through his teeth in front of all those people in that room. He was sure that they knew it, too, but they didn’t seem to care.
Was he willing to fight corruption with corruption?
Was it really corruption if it furthered his goal to get justice for his people?
These were questions that Cassius couldn’t really find an answer to on his own.
He just had to believe, in his own mind, that what he was doing was right, and that it would get him one step closer to his goals.
Chapter 21
Ketra
Ketra waited patiently and jumped as the slipstream device beeped, satisfied when Cassius finally answered on the other end.
“Cassius Ojun? It’s Ketra, the reporter. I hope you remember me,” she said.
“Oh, hey Ketra,” Cassius said. “The last time I heard of you was from Mia, the other reporter.”
“Yeah, I believe you had a quick interview with her?” she said.
“As far as I could remember, yeah,” he nodded. “What can I do for you?”
“I was actually wondering if I could have another interview with you,” she said. “For initial research on a story I’m following.”
“Of course,” Cassius said. “Meet me outside my office in two hours. We can do it over dinner.”
“Perfect, see you then!” Ketra said.
The line disconnected, and she started gathering her things. She had roughly an hour to get ready, and then another hour to meet up with Cassius.
In a rush, nearly automatic in her motions, she freshened herself up and put on a fresh change of clothes. Ketra hurried out the door, catching the first transport to the inner city she could find.
The ride was spent in silence, Ketra occasionally looking down her watch to check the time to make sure she wasn’t running late. The closer she got to her destination, the more obsessive she got with checking the time. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn’t help herself.
It was just a short walk to Cassius’s building, and Ketra waited outside the door for him. It didn’t take long, as she was just a couple of minutes early.
He emerged from the revolving door and she smiled wide.
“Hey, Ketra,” Cassius said.
“Hey, thanks again for agreeing to meet up with me,” she said.
“Of course. I’ve got a car waiting for us out to the side. He’ll take us to a restaurant I have a soft spot for,” he said.
Ketra followed Cassius into the parking garage and entered the car on the opposite side as him.
The drive took her in an unexpected direction. She fully expected that he would take her to the upscale neighborhoods, but instead, they started toward the slums.
Ketra tilted her head in confusion, wondering why someone as highly ranked as Cassius would even think about entering such a sketchy neighborhood.
The car parked outside a small hole in the wall. If they hadn’t stopped there, Ketra would have not even seen that it was a restaurant. Cassius motioned for her to get out, following suit himself and meeting her on the other side.
“After you,” he said, gesturing toward the door.
She entered the restaurant, seeing that it was a small, somewhat cramped even, diner. The waitress motioned them toward the closest clean and available seat. Ketra sat down, ordering a glass of water to get started.
“So out of all the places we could have gone to, what brings you to this place?” she asked, swirling the water in her glass and examining it to make sure it wasn’t filled with contaminants.
“I used to eat here when I was younger. It holds a lot of sentimental value,” he explained.
“Really, now? And you’re still comfortable coming here?” she asked, genuine concern in her voice. “Not afraid of getting mugged or shot? It’s not exactly the safest neighborhood for someone as high profile as yourself.”
“This is where the real people of the Human Confederation live. I don’t want to become out of touch like my colleagues,” he said. “These people are ignored and forgotten enough by the people who want to stay on the nicer side of Centralia.”
“I see. You know, I can understand that and appreciate it,” she said. “Now, onto business. I wanted to ask you about how the Lange Corporation is responsible for the plague on Elban. You know, the thing you were ranting and raving on in the beginning.” Ketra leaned forward, listening intently.
Cassius shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well, if you want to get some information for your story, I think a better place to start would be the corruption of the people trying to get me out of office,” he said.
Ketra clued in almost immediately he was trying to change the subject.
“Mr. Ojun, with all due respect, everyone already knows about that. They’re not interested,” she said bluntly. “Let’s cut to the chase, here. I want to know why you seem like you gave up on fighting for your Elban and for your people. Ever since you got in office, it seems like you’ve lost sight.”
What was that? A sneer curling up on his lips at her words?
Ketra knew she’d struck a chord, finally. It took a bit of prodding, but now she was starting to get the results she wanted.
At least, that’s what she hoped.
And if not, she’d keep digging, keep rubbing salt in this crack she’d found.
Cassius sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes tightly for a moment.
“Think about it for a moment, Ketra. Why haven’t I gone further with this? Think about the reason your story wasn’t approved all those months ago,” he said.
“Yeah, lack of evidence,” she said. “That’s why you haven’t done anything, right?”
“No, think harder,” he said in a low and more serious tone. “There are people out there who don’t want information on them getting out to the public. And you’re the number one source of the people when it comes to information.”
“What are you trying to insinuate?” she asked, knitting her eyebrows together. He couldn’t possibly be talking about her news editor, could he?
“I think you know,” he said. “You just can’t bring yourself to admit it, because the illusion is just too good to let go. Just like the people in the upscale neighborhoods.”
Ketra bit her lip. She hadn’t once stopped taking notes since they’d sat down, and her voice recorder was still going.
“I think I do know,” she said, all the gears now turning in her mind.
Cassius began to smile, taking a sip of his water for the first time since they’d arrived. “Excellent. Just be careful, watch your step, and things will work out,” he said.
The subject was quickly dropped when the waitress returned to take their order. The two of them ordered their food, which was quickly brought to them, and they ate in silence.
When their dinner was finished, Cassius took the liberty of having the driver take her back to her home.
“Hey, thanks for the ride back,” Ketra said as she got out of the car.
“Don’t mention it,” Cassius replied, rolling down the window. “It was a pleasure, really. Just take care of yourself out there, okay?”
“You take care, too,” she said. The window went up, and Ketra entered the front door of her home.
She locked the door behind her and hung her coat up on the rack near the door. Quickly, she laid her recorder on the table in the middle of the room and sat down in a chair.
Ketra went to work, listening to their conversation over and over again while taking notes down, beginning to compose a coherent story out of what they’d discussed.
The more she listened, the more his words sank in deeper than before.
They were playing a dangerous game, the two of them. She could tell that he truly believed in what he was doing, even if it seemed on the surface like he’d abandoned his prior goal of bringing justice for his people. There were risks, there were people who would silence those who dug too deep.
He was playing it safe, just as she knew she had to.
The worst part of all of it was that Ketra was now faced with the reality that her news editor wasn’t the man she thought he was. She’d looked up to him as a beacon of journalistic integrity, but now her vision had been shattered to reveal the ugly truth that was now before her.
He was corrupt, and didn’t want to make waves for fear of prodding the wrong bull. The status quo was working well for him, and he was simply unwilling to upset it.
But Ketra herself wasn’t satisfied with that. She wanted change, real change for the real people of the Human Confederation.
And if Cassius wasn’t going to give up, then neither was she until she saw that real change she so craved.
Chapter 22
Cassius
“The Secretary for the Governor’s Congress Department of Financial Affairs has been charged with embezzlement this morning. More to come as details emerge.”
Cassius couldn’t help but give a tight smile as the news reported on Lavinia Mehidas’ uncovered corruption. He sat up straight and leaned in on the last report.
“This will be my last report on air, as I will be now taking over the position of news editor, and I will be continuing my duty to provide you with the latest, most important news behind the camera. This is Ketra Wolakkan of the PAK News Stream, now signing off,” Ketra said.
The screen went
dark, leaving him to mull over everything. Things were happening quicker than Cassius thought they would. Thanks to his connections and his willingness to fight dirty, his efforts were finally paying off.
The previous news editor should be laid up in the hospital with two busted kneecaps, all courtesy of the Rolands. A couple of taps later and his curiosity was satisfied.
The one thing about the Rolands that outscored the political arena was that they were true to their word. Yeah, they liked to play dirty, but they didn’t pretend otherwise.
The tenacious Ketra was now the news editor, and maybe the rest of the media would fall in line. She was an idealist like Cassius was, once upon a time. With every day, he grew more and more jaded.
He hoped to hell that didn’t happen to Ketra. There had to be more like her out there somewhere. She was just the tool to root the corrupt out.
The comm chirped just as he exited the hospital database.
“Sir, your ten-thirty is here,” his assistant said.
He quickly tapped the record button on the tablet, “Send her in.”
A frail-looking sixty-year-old who smelled of mentholatum walked inside his office. Her official name was Sandra Vang, and she was here for an interview to fill the messenger position.
The job position requires her to carry files from one office to another, run errands, and make sure the mailroom didn’t mix anything up. Cassius was no fool, though. He ran a background check on everyone pre-interview and knew exactly who she was.
“Ms. Stone, I believe we have something to discuss.”
Her mouth opened and shut several times, her hand went to her chest, and her green eyes bulged.
It made Cassius’ day.
“Don’t look so shocked. Did Pak think I wouldn’t check prospective employees? Your name is Vivienne Stone. You’ve been with Pak since its inception. Your stats say you’re a lowly assistant, but we know better, don’t we?”
Vivienne Stone smiled coyly, “You’re a sharp young man.” She sat up straight and dropped her frail demeanor. He could tell that, when she was young, she used sex appeal to get her way. Now she had savvy and deceiving age lines. She was probably a better poker player than him.
