utopia unraveling (The Virtagwala Series Book 1)

by Kyle Malinowski

  A minister stood and spoke without previous acknowledgement, “Mr. Prime Minister, correct me is I am wrong, but I feel as though this can not be an official vote. The Constitution declares that no official governmental votes may take place while in a Sealed Parliament. Therefore, I move to unseal the Parliament so that the vote can proceed.”

  Zhang narrowed his eyes as he gripped the gavel, strangling it. He growled, “I whole heartedly agree with you Minister that we are acting in such a way as to go against the Constitution. However I feel this is a matter better left in the hands of the sealed Parliament, rather than an open Parliament. I do not recognize your motion and refer back to my request for a motion concerning the University’s proposal.”

  Ray snapped his eyes at Rove, who too was not only engaged in what was transpiring on the floor, but shock at what he was hearing. Another Minister, this time it was a woman in a colorful robe stood, “Prime Minister I question your intentions of keeping the vote in a Sealed Parliament?”

  Zhang snarled and snapped his head at the standing Minister, “This vote concerns the financial integrity of our nation’s premier University, a state run and funded entity may I remind you. What would it look like to the world, let alone the students of the University, if it were made public their institution is in financial limbo between barely surviving and collapse,” turning to the rest of the Parliament, “We find ourselves in quite the predicament: whether we proceed with the vote in a Sealed Parliament, foregoing the necessity of publication of this transaction and ensure the integrity of our University, or we follow suit with the constitution, unseal Parliament, and allow our dirty laundry to be aired in front of the entire world.”

  Another robed Minister stood, “I am in accordance with the Prime Minister. We must act diligently so not to allow forces outside of this room to know that our University is in such a financial bind. We may do unspeakable damage to its long term image in terms of attracting domestic students, and qualified foreign faculty and students,” he took a breath and looked down at a piece of paper he was fumbling in his hands, “Therefore I move to suspend the constitution, and permit an official vote to take place in this Sealed Parliament.”

  Zhang seconded the action, and called for the vote. Every Minister agreed with the Prime Minister. Zhang, satisfied with how that resolved, then asked again, “Do I see an official motion on the floor?”

  Ray looked horrified as the Parliament blazed forward, acting as if they didn’t just suspend the official governing document of their nation – a document they were all took an oath to uphold and protect.

  Sensado raised her hand, “I move to loan the University 250 million dollars, and allow them to raise their tuition by seven percent. However, in order to qualify for the immediate loan, the University must sell its land acquisition in Villaggio, and pass a board resolution freezing its administration pay for four years.”

  Chamberlain began to panic shaking his head, and trying to stop the motion. Zhang stood, “Do I hear a second?” Multiple Ministers seconded the motion. “Very well, all in favor of approving Sensado’s resolution?”

  The entire room unanimously agreed. Just as the gavel was to be pounded, there was a thundering on the Chamber’s door. The pounding was repetitive, urgent, and echoing all throughout the chamber. The three hidden witnesses looked at each other confused. No one spoke, as Zhang stood and bellowed, “Guards, attend the door.”

  Two National Guardsmen approached the door and opened it. Rove, Ray, and Lyons watched as Private Harvey, with his bloody nose, stumbled into the Chamber, announcing, “There has been a breach of Parliament! Intruders are hiding somewhere in this chamber.”

  Instantly the Ministers began looking around. Rove, Ray, and Lyons froze, and they could see Sensado glancing between the man and the balcony. Zhang ordered the two National Guardsmen to search the entire chamber, and find if Private Harvey was lying. Ray dropped to the floor, as Rove and Lyons followed suit, whispering, “I think it’s time to go.” The other two nodded, as Ray wiggled along the floor. They reached the door, and heard Guardsmen approaching. Ray shut the door and locked it, he then moved carefully along the shadowed back wall of the deck to the opposite side of the chamber, where they found a fully paneled wall and no escape.

  Rove’s temper began to soar, as a searing pain filled his head. He couldn’t understand how he was creeping through Capital Tower while he was the President. However, he didn’t want to test the waters. For decades there had been a bitter hostility between the Parliament and the President. Turning to look to the floor of Parliament briefly he watched as Chamberlain struggled to exit the tight fitting box. It was pandemonium, but he noticed Zhang talking to Harvey quietly amongst the chaos. From behind him, he heard the hushed voice of Lyons calling for him. Quite to Rove’s surprise, it seems that Ray had known of a secret passageway built into the wall of the observation platform through one of the pieces of paneling. Dashing in, Ray slid the door shut locking it, just as the Guardsman busted through the platform main door. Scurrying along the passageway, Rove’s headache seared.

  Ray slammed into a dark wall, which gave way, causing him to stumble into a narrow dark corridor. Hearing the voices of the guardsmen faintly behind them, Kay looked fearfully at Ray. He took out his phone, and turned on a light. He led the way down a very tight staircase, and along a short tight passageway for what seemed like five minutes. After a couple wondering turns, Rove was beginning to wonder where they were going, and how Ray knew of this passage. In no time, they arrived at another dead end. Hampton Ray, again, threw his shoulder into what seemed to be a solid wall. Just as before, it gave way, and he fell forward. The other two followed quickly landing onto a plush sofa. Ray quickly stood, and closed the false bookshelf that had opened for them to escape through.

  Rove looked at Ray startled, “Where are we?”

  Ray smoothed out his suit coat, “Well the National Archive’s building of course.”

  “How did we get here?” Kay asked looking around, as Ray began to head towards a door.

  “We used a tunnel that connects the Parliament chamber, under the Grand Via loop in front of Capital Tower, to a basement storage area of the National Archives,” Ray explained as if it was all very logical.

  “How did you know that was there?” Xavier Rove exasperated, as they stormed up the stairs to the lobby of the Archives building.

  “I did have other jobs on this island before I worked for your father’s shop,” he chuckled, “My mom worked here when I was younger, and my first part time job was moving books from that storage room to other places in this building. I may or may not have stumbled upon a book that details the underground passages that our city has,” he smiled opening the door to the bright sunshine.

  “There are others?” Kay asked, striding to keep pace with the two men jogging across Grand Via towards the North entrance of Capital Tower.

  “Yes of course, loads of them,” Ray explained, as they entered Capital Tower, “I will get you that book. It is really quite fascinating.

  Noticing the commotion, they scurried to the closest elevator, and quickly raced back up to their floor. Immediately moving into Rove’s office, he slammed the door shut, and led the two following comrades to his sofas. Shutting and locking the door, he turned to them, “Enough with the secret passage babble, what the hell just happened in that chamber?”

  “Parliament suspended the Constitution,” Ray heaved falling into a chair.

  “We committed a felony,” Lyons snickered leaning against a wall. “And now they know.”

  Squinting his eyes, Ray asked, “Mr. President, are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I just have this headache,” Rove mumbled rubbing his temples. Focusing, “Okay let’s digest and move forward, because technically, we are not supposed to know anything that happened back there. I have no doubt they will surely be up here soon. Kay,” he said turning to her, “You did attack a National Guardsman, but you did so on my order. I will vouch for
you if you get in trouble, which I don’t expect,” he smiled at her, as a look of panic overtook her face, “Don’t worry; I am going to say you tripped him. Who are they going to believe the three of us, or one guardsman?”

  Ray chuckled, “True, but you didn’t just trip him, you kicked his ass!”

  “Focus,” Rove said again rubbing his head, “Ray, what did we just witness?”

  “First of all, the Parliament, in a Sealed Session just voted to suspend the constitution,” he looked uncomfortably at Rove, “Which is disturbing in it own right.”

  “Right,” he said nodding as if making a mental note, “We will talk about that later. Go on.”

  “Well besides that pretty massive decision. The University has to sell its land, so there goes our conspiracy theory behind them expanding,” he said leaning forward, “But more importantly we now know the University is in bad shape. Beyond that we know their investors and donators are also in bad shape.”

  “True, and that our government wants to keep that all fairly hush hush,” Rove said pacing around, “We need to get invited to Sensado’s report next week on the economy. We have to find out how bad our economy has shrunk. How bad things really are out there. How unraveled our utopia has become.”

  Rolling his eyes, Ray sighed, “Pending if they figure out we breached the sealed Parliament, most likely will be the determinant of whether we can get an invite.”

  “It also impacts whether I will be President,” Rove looked around, “And whether you two will be setting up new residency in the Virtagwallan National Penitentiary.” Lyons moaned with a sense of dread.

  “True again my friend;” Ray turned to Lyons, “Calm down you will be fine. Harvey was getting on my nerves any ways,” he smiled attempting to calm her.

  “Am I really going to go to jail because I beat up Private Harvey?” Kay interjected nervously off to the side, clearly showing distress for her past decision.

  “You did take out an armed serviceman, and not to mention he is an agent of the National Government of Virtagwalla,” Rove said frankly, “But like I said you will be fine,” he smiled attempting to calm her once again.

  There was silence; Rove was about to speak, when there was a firm few knocks on his office’s door, and a voice asking if he was there.

  He sighed, and turned to his two battle buddies, “Here we go team. Put your ‘just-coming out-of-a-staff-meeting-faces on.” He unlocked the office doors, and glanced back, “Do you always look so frazzled coming out of staff meetings, because we really need to talk about your workload if you do?” Attempting to get a smile out of his secretary, thinking to himself through his headache, ‘Why can’t I just have a normal birthday like everyone else? Just once I would like to have a birthday that doesn’t involve committing a felony, breaching a sealed parliament, and having to commit perjury to governmental interrogators’.

  The knocking thundered again. Xavier Rove slowly opened the door unsure how to face those on the other side.

  End of Book One.

  To be continued in Book Two of The Virtagwalla Series.