Classical: MARS: Book 3 of MARS

by Matthew Ellis

  Scout and Jordan met with Wendy and John. They wanted a treaty that would benefit both colonies. Neither side wanted to see the end of the other.

  Scout said, “We already met with you and have the transcript of those negotiations. We can agree to most of your requests, but we have a list of our own terms.”

  Wendy said, “What do you need from us?”

  Scout said, “I’d like to get access to some of your research. Your technological knowledge could help us.”

  John said, “We can share some of that with you, but not everything. We need to make sure you’re not going to betray us once you know what we know. We need to make sure we can defend ourselves if you turn out to be evil.”

  Jordan said, “I thought we were proving that to you over the past few weeks. We’ve bent over backward to help you.”

  John said, “We’re grateful for your assistance, and it makes it more palatable to share our knowledge with you. We just don’t want to give everything in the beginning.”

  Scout said, “That’s probably a wise decision. I actually intend to do the same thing.”

  Jordan said, “Then I guess we can accept that term. What’s next?”

  Wendy said, “We want to make sure the refugees are allowed to join our colony. They’ve already said they don’t want to live in a city.”

  Scout said, “We intend to offer them a choice. We’ll honor their decision.”

  Wendy said, “We also want to make sure you’re not going to absorb our colony into your own.”

  Scout said, “We have no intention of doing that. Your colony is yours, and ours is ours. We’ll each be free to decide how to deal with immigration.”

  John said, “We don’t really want too many of your people overrunning our territory, either.”

  Jordan said, “We’ve already discussed borders with you. We’re offering a hefty portion of the planet.”

  John said, “I’ve studied your treaty, and 10% of the planet bars us from ever expanding. Only governments that control a quarter of a planet can do that. That means only you and DeNoPE currently have that right.”

  Scout said, “We’re leery of giving up that much territory. It would immediately make you a power in the solar system.”

  John said, “That’s not true. Your power comes from your military, and DeNoPE’s comes from both the military and money.”

  Jordan said, “Are you saying you want help building your military?”

  Wendy said, “We don’t need that help. We need protection from DeNoPE until we can build our defenses.”

  Jordan said, “We intend to defend you so long as you don’t betray us.”

  Wendy said, “That sounds like a wonderful plan. We can help you with our technology, and you can help defend us.”

  Scout said, “We can show you how our military machines work, but we have no intention of showing you how they’re put together.”

  John said, “I don’t think we need that information. We can build our own machines when the time comes. We know how to build things, but we don’t have the factories you have.”

  Jordan asked, “Do you need access to those factories?”

  Wendy answered, “No, we know how to build on small scales. We’ve made our own weapons for our whole lives. If we need a factory, we can build one.”

  John said, “We’ve studied your treaty of Luna, and it seems like you’re trying to keep us from expanding when our colony gets large enough. Only nations which control a quarter of their home planet can claim an empire.”

  Jordan said, “We’re not trying to keep you from expanding, but your population is very small. Your colony is leery of outsiders, so it’ll take a while to get large enough to need room to expand.”

  Wendy said, “There were only 22 of you when you first arrived on Mars, but now there’s thousands of you.”

  Jordan said, “But we encourage immigration. We’re always going to grow faster than you because of that policy.”

  John said, “But when we reach sufficient population, we’re going to want to reexamine this portion of the treaty.”

  Jordan said, “That won’t be a problem. We can reach a compromise in the meantime.”

  They spent the next three hours discussing terms of the treaty. They agreed to borders, which gave the original Martians 17% of the planet. They agreed to a mutual protection pact and a right of passage for each side. Buildings and roads were discussed, and it was decided what should and should not be built. At the end of the meeting, they shook hands.

  Scout said, “This has been a productive negotiation. There’s one thing we never discussed. We need a name for your colony.”

  Wendy said, “We’ve always just called ourselves Martians.”

  Jordan said, “We’re all Martians now. What name should we write on the treaty?”

  John answered, “We should call our colony Original Mars.”

  Jordan said, “So we’d keep calling you original Martians?”

  Wendy said, “That’s boring as hell. We should have a name that inspires our people for the future.”

  John said, “Then what do you propose?”

  Wendy said, “We should call ourselves the nation of Red Craters.”

  John said, “That sounds stupid.”

  Jordan said, “Wait, before you dismiss it, let’s work on how to label it.”

  Wendy said, “Our country could be called the Red Crater nation, and we can call our citizens Redcrates.”

  John said, “It’s less stupid. That might actually grow on me.”

  Wendy said, “I actually like it. I’m going ahead with that name.”

  Jordan said, “That’s settled. We’ll put the treaty of alliance with the Nation of Red Craters on paper.”

  John said, “It sounds better when you say it that way. It’s like we’re a real nation.”

  Wendy said, “Eleven people is hardly a nation, and three more isn’t going to change that.”

  Jordan said, “I get the feeling you’re going to start growing very soon.”

  John said, “I hope not too soon. We don’t want to grow as fast as you.”

  Scout said, “That’ll be entirely up to you.”

  John said, “When do you think we’ll have a final treaty?”

  Scout said, “We’ll draw it up, and send it to you for approval. “

  Jordan said, “I expect to have a signing ceremony sometime next week.”

  Scout said, “We need to have the new election reforms in place before then.”

  Jordan said, “We’re only dealing with a small minority on that front. We can get the bill passed in a few hours once we draft it.”

  Scout said, “Then we should get to work on that bill right after we draw up the treaty.”

  They dismissed John and Wendy, and they returned to the guest quarters provided to them.

  Jordan said, “Our jingle’s really convincing people that the isolationists have a bad idea.”

  Scout said, “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still legislate the proper way to run a campaign.”

  Scout and Jordan went to the office and started typing the treaty. They sent the treaty to Wendy for approval once it was complete. She reviewed it and discussed it with the rest of the Redcrates. Once they approved the terms, Scout arranged a full meeting of Parliament to approve the treaty and the alteration to the constitution.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Kidd’s Return

  David Kidd returned to Earth and saw General Rich at the spaceport. His heart stopped beating for a moment and his face lost its color.

  Rich said, “You failed!”

  Kidd said, “They discovered what we were doing, and they have their suspicions that you’re involved.”

  Rich said, “That’s your fault. You failed to keep our secrets from them.”

  Kidd said, “It was difficult to keep our secrets when we had a spy reporting everything to their government.”

  Rich said, “Notah works for me. He told Scout what I tol
d him to tell him. The fact remains that my son’s partner was killed, and we were unable to bring him to justice.”

  Kidd said, “How do you know he hasn’t betrayed you?”

  Rich said, “Because I had the other David report everything he saw to me. Notah’s still loyal, even if Jamison isn’t.”

  Kidd said, “This isn’t my fault.”

  Rich said, “I wish that were true. Then I wouldn’t have to do this.”

  He pulled out a gun and motioned for David to follow him into the bathroom.

  At the same time, David Jamison was claiming his luggage at the baggage claim counter. General Rich sent a subordinate to stop him and bring him to the same room.

  Rich said, “Say anything else and this won’t be quick. I don’t think you want your last moments to be painful.”

  Kidd said, “I thought the reports about you were exaggerated. I didn’t think you’d actually kill me.”

  Former Major Rich walked into the room escorting David Jamison. The younger Rich handcuffed and placed him next to David Kidd.

  Rich said, “I can’t keep liabilities that know too much and can’t get jobs done around. I don’t like doing this myself. I usually get a crony to do my dirty work.”

  Kidd said, “I thought you were bound by rules and regulations. How does this fit in with your MO?”

  Jamison asked, “What the hell did I do to deserve this?”

  Rich said, “Kidd, I put you in a position of power. Rules don’t apply to these situations. This is personal business, not DeNoPE business. Jamison, you’re a Judas. You’ve betrayed me, and I can’t keep you around any longer.”

  Kidd started to run, but Rich grabbed his arm and twisted it to the right. He dragged Kidd into the bathroom and threw David against a wall. Jamison saw how futile it was to attempt escaping, so he didn’t even try.

  Kidd said, “That weapon makes a lot of noise. How are you going to keep anyone from knowing what you’re doing in here?”

  Rich said, “Bind them to the toilets.”

  Former Major Rich and two other men grabbed the Davids and tied them to the toilet. They gagged them while Rich put a silencer on his weapon’s muzzle.

  Rich activated the noise bubble. Kidd instantly recognized the blue light and knew his screams would never be heard.

  Rich said, “Make sure to take the bodies directly to the crematorium. The ashes need to be buried on the moon.”

  Kidd cried and tried to get up, but the restraints were too tight. Rich loaded his weapon and pointed it at Kidd.

  He said, “And make sure the gun is melted. We don’t want anyone knowing what happened here.”

  Rich pulled the trigger and a bullet pierced Kidd’s head. He turned to Jamison and repeated the violence. Blood gushed out of the wounds for a few seconds, and former Major Rich cleaned it as General Rich walked out of the bathroom. They put Kidd’s and Jamison’s bodies in bags and started bleaching the bathroom.

  When the room was clean, they collected the bodies and gun. They took them to the crematorium and the foundry. Two hours later, Kidd’s and Jamison’s ashes were on a ship to the lunar base.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Hearing

  The full Parliament of the Republic of Mars was called to approve the treaty and an alteration to the constitution. Jordan called them into session.

  Jordan announced, “We’re here to approve, hopefully, a treaty of alliance with the Red Crater Nation. Scout Ellison, the First Consul, will read the proposed treaty.”

  Scout read the treaty verbatim, and opened the floor for discussion.

  Scott said, “I don’t think this is a good idea. We need to make Mars for the Republic of Mars. Sharing what has been granted to us isn’t conducive to that goal.”

  Scout said, “I know that you’ve become the leader of the Mars isolationist Party. You used to be my most trusted liaison back when we were still forming this society. You clearly didn’t understand what we’re trying to do here.”

  Scott said, “I know that giving up 17% of our land to another group of people isn’t going to lead to us being the great empire that many of us dream of.”

  Jordan said, “We came here to create a society that’s a shining example of what a society should be. Dreams of empire aren’t what Scout and I had in mind when we came up with this idea.”

  Scott said, “We need to keep Mars for Martians. The people on Earth have ideas that aren’t conducive to our ideas, and the original Martians don’t need as much land as you’re trying to give them. They need about 100 square kilometers.”

  Bob said, “They were here first. They could claim this whole planet as their own, and send us back to Earth. They‘re willing to share their planet with us.”

  Shai asked, “Not only are they willing to share their planet with us, they’re letting us retain our dominant position.”

  Scout said, “Does anyone have an objection to this treaty that doesn’t involve turning the Republic of Mars into a Nazi regime?”

  Johann said, “I object to them having access to our technology. We don’t know that we can trust them yet.”

  Rebecca said, “I agree with Johann.”

  Jordan said, “They’ve proven that they’re trustworthy. They’ve already shared a lot of their technology with us.”

  Johann asked, “Why haven’t we been told about his new technology?”

  Jordan said, “Because we’re still trying to figure out how it works. When the time’s right, we’ll disclose everything to the public.”

  Rebecca said, “We’re not the general public. We’re representatives of the people of Mars. That makes us government officials.”

  Jordan said, “I realize that, but the technology isn’t fully shared yet. Just know that when the time comes, we’ll share the technologies that the Redcrates have shared with us so far.”

  Notah added, “Not only have they shared some pretty advanced technology with us, but they have a lot more.”

  Jordan said, “I never thought I’d say this, but I agree with Notah. The Redcrates have had a lot of time on their hands to develop technologies inspired by science fiction.”

  Scout said, “They’re willing to share with us so long as we’re willing to share with them. It’s a mutually beneficial treaty.”

  Shai said, “I move that we vote, and the vote should be public.”

  Notah said, “I second the motion.”

  Jordan set a timer for twenty minutes. Every member of Parliament was issued a voting device, and abstention was not allowed. The voting commenced on Jordan’s mark.

  Jordan said, “Voting begins now, and your votes will be public record.”

  They had some time to consider their vote, but if they didn’t vote the machine automatically voted against the motion. At the end of the voting, the tally was 89% in favor of the motion and 11% opposed.

  Scout thought, “It seems like 11% of us are isolationists. The election should be the formality it’s supposed to be.”

  Once the treaty was ratified, the subject of the meeting was changed to an alteration to the constitution. Scout wanted to make it clear how elections were to be conducted.

  Scout said, “I want Martians to be free to have differences of opinion, and share those opinions with others. However, I don’t want elections to become the ugly mess they are back on Earth.”

  Jordan said, “We have some very vocal opponents who have turned the upcoming election into a show of hate. We don’t want hate to lead to the rise of another Hitler.”

  Scout said, “I’m going to read a proposal to change the constitution again.”

  He read the proposal, and opened the floor to discussion on the topic. It was very similar to the discussion about the treaty. The vote was 86% in favor of the new rules, and 14% opposed to them.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Future

  General Rich called Notah to verify his standing. He still didn’t know if Notah had become indoctrinated in Martian society.

&
nbsp; Rich said, “Hi, Notah. How are you doing?”

  Notah said, “I’m not sure. This is getting really hard to continue lying to everyone.”

  Rich said, “Do you mean everyone on Earth or everyone on Mars?”

  Notah said, “Of course I mean everyone on Mars. They think I’m on their side, but my loyalty’s with you.”

  Rich asked, “Isn’t this technology nice?”

  Notah answered, “The delay canceling device? It’s great.”

  Rich said, “It was a gift from some friends of mine. I won’t tell you where they’re from, but their technology is quite advanced.”

  Notah asked, “So you didn’t create it yourself?”

  Rich said,” Oh no, my technological skills are extremely limited. They mostly involve destroying things and killing people.”

  Notah said, “So why do you bring them up?”

  Rich answered, “Because I want you to know that I’m watching your every move. If you betray me, I can call my new friends and be done with you in less than an hour.”

  Notah said, “Fortunately, I don’t intend to betray you.”

  Rich said, “You’d better not. To prove yourself, I have a proposition for you.”

  Notah asked, “What else is there to do here besides report everything they do to you?”

  Rich said, “I’ve got some things in mind, and you’re going to help me set my plans in motion. By the way, the reporting everything to me isn’t necessary now that I’ve planted those devices on the planet. Once they start reproducing, they’ll do that for me. “

  Notah asked, “So they don’t need to be built?”

  Rich answered, “No, they’re alive. As such, they can reproduce naturally.”

  Notah said, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do for you.”

  Rich said, “I thought you might say that. Now that I have my devices on Mars, I can keep tabs on everyone there.”

  Notah said, “They are remarkable devices. I wish I knew how they worked.”

  Rich said, “That’s classified, but I will tell you that an unfortunate side effect is that anywhere a device is, communications devices pointed at Earth will have no delay.”