The State Series Box Set

by M. J. Kaestli

  “There were ten people in the running, and the Council has narrowed it down to five. Congratulations, you are still in,” Devina reported to her, while still acting as if she were looking at the blossoming garden below.

  “How can you possibly know that?”

  “You know I can’t reveal my sources. We need to expose as few identities as possible in case someone is caught,” Devina replied.

  “So what’s next?”

  “I recommend you butter Victor up the best you can. He has the final vote.”

  “He does?” Somehow Freya found this unnerving.

  “Yes. The head of State does actually have some power. He has to select you as his replacement, and then we are going to kill him.” Devina transformed from a ditzy little girl to some fierce militant personnel right before her eyes. This flirty innocent persona of hers was just an act, and she was good at it.

  A sensation came over Freya, almost like dizziness, yet she didn’t feel like falling. She had been working toward this for so long, and now that it was here, she suddenly didn’t feel ready.

  “So what do I do now?”

  “Nothing. Just be ready. You might want to rethink that little fling you have going on; it’s making some people nervous about you being taken seriously.”

  Freya’s face flushed. So everyone knows, even the rebellion.

  “At least you chose well. A military guy with an excellent track record is a good choice if you want to be careless.” Devina then stood up and grabbed Freya’s sides into a hug while bouncing up and down.

  “I am so excited for my garden!” she yelled.

  Freya marveled at how she could just turn this character on and off. “I think they should have gotten you to do all of this. You would be so much better at it than I am,” Freya remarked while still being shaken.

  “I agree. But I am not old enough. Just be grateful I am here to take care of your useless ass.” She scrunched her face up as though she were speaking affectionately to her. Devina let go of her, and nearly skipped back to the house like a child.

  Freya watched her go and couldn’t help but to laugh. Knowing she had a child-like ruthless sociopath on her side was somehow comforting. Devina could probably just walk in and pull the trigger, and laugh in the face of the military if she was caught.

  Freya continued her work until day’s end. Her mind was a flurry of panic. She was so close she could taste it, the rebellion could taste it, and Lewis knew it, which must have been the reason for their conversation last night. They were all standing on a ledge, looking into the eye of a storm, and no one knew whether they would make it through or not.

  One thing she knew for certain: if she did take over, it was just one small step. The Council also held power, and she didn’t know who was on the Council, or who held power even if they were a part of the Council. The State had done something so wise when they formed, not revealing everyone’s identity, or even numbers. Now the rebellion had learned from it, and it made the world a terrifying place.

  As much as she had never cared for Devina before, she now hoped with everything in her that she came out on the other side. She was exactly who Freya needed to fight beside, the perfect ally. She knew that if she did anything to try to appeal to Victor, it would only hurt her chances. Direct deception would never be her strong point; she had no gift for manipulation either.

  In spite of what Devina had said, if she were to suddenly call things off with Lewis, would that not also look suspicious? She had made it this far; perhaps it was best to just continue on. Lewis was a top military personnel; it would only make her look more compliant to stay with him. She could not be the first head of State to have an off-the-records lover.

  Freya heard herself, listened to her thoughts, and saw them for what they were: justification. Perhaps Lewis was not the best idea, but she needed him. He was the only thing keeping her sane. He ignited in her a passion, and she needed that fire, she needed it to find the strength to keep fighting. It would be so easy to give up, to lose hope, but he kept her going.

  There had been so few happy times in her life; she needed this to remember to keep living, to keep fighting, that having the freedom to choose was more important than power. These stolen moments were exactly what they were fighting for. People should have the right to love, to choose their own path. She was holding onto Lewis; to give him up would just be another meaningless victory to the State. Another life ruined, another spark of happiness snuffed out.

  She continued to ponder while she finished her day and was excited it was almost that time when Lewis snuck into her apartment. There was nearly a spring in her step as she walked into the house. That spring was destroyed the moment she saw Chastity and James standing outside of Victor’s office.

  “Come with us.” James motioned to Victor’s office. She walked in wordlessly, trying her best to keep a neutral facial expression. They led her over to a chair placed in front of the monitor again. Victor was not in the room, which left her uneasy.

  “Hello, Freya,” Victor’s voice said through the monitor. “I am sorry that I could not be there for this meeting in person this time.”

  She awkwardly smiled and nodded, trying to just focus on her breathing.

  “It appears that everyone is here. We have gathered you all together today, as the first official meeting of the new government,” said a female voice.

  Freya jumped at hearing her refer to them as the new government. Was it already over and I lost?

  “We have finished our selections, and we are unanimous about our choices. One of you will be chosen to be the head of State, and the rest of you will take your seats as advisors. I am sure you are all aware by now that the head of State is a public figure, but not the sole leader of our nation. You have all been found worthy of this honor, although only one of you will become the face the people will know. Congratulations to each of you are in order for your accomplishments.”

  There was applause coming from both the monitor and the room. Freya looked back at Chastity, who had a single tear streaking down her cheek. So there were five people who held the power—a useful piece of information for the right time. Of course, she couldn’t tell Devina, not yet at least. If this information were to suddenly leak, there were only four other people to point a finger at.

  “We believe it takes a collaboration to lead the people justly. This is where we have succeeded where other dictators in the past have failed. If only one person were in charge, we would all be led on a series of whims dependent on their emotions and personal agendas,” said a different female voice. “You are to become the future of our sound structure. A new generation of the top minds to confer about our most sensitive matters. Which leads us to our discussion of the day. We have built the moving pieces of our transport device for the colony world. It is now open for discussion as to where we place it. Our first speaker of the night will be Victor, who is on the side of placing it in the military underground. Our next speaker will be Zandra who will be arguing the point of placing the device outside of the dome near the launch site. Victor, you have the floor.”

  Freya felt dizzy and nauseous. Neither one of these locations would be accessible to the rebellion. How could they all have been so blind? How could they have spent decades working toward a plan when the most vital piece was not accessible to them? It would not be possible to sneak hundreds of people to either location, no matter who you had on the inside.

  Victor spoke eloquently. He explained the plans, the logic in such a way it would be madness to even consider any other possibility. Then Zandra took the floor. She spoke with the same conviction, giving statistics and reasons why the launch site was the superior choice. No one interrupted either one of them; no one asked questions. There was no debate between them; they both just simply presented the facts.

  “It is time to put this to a vote. Although not one person can be responsible for an idea, there are two people representing ideas today. Therefore, when it is your turn to vote
, simply type in the name of the person who represented the platform you find most suitable.”

  James held a tablet out to Freya. She took the tablet and stared at it. How could it be that simple? There were only two choices? Once this decision was made, it couldn’t be unmade. The minds of the Council would not be swayed, and it would be too late. Chastity came closer to Freya and leaned down, as if Freya didn’t know how to use a tablet. She shrugged her off, and continued to stare at the screen, pleading with it to give her the solution. Where was Devina when she needed her?

  “All but one vote has been cast. Is there a problem with the tablet?” a male said from the monitor.

  “No, the tablet works fine. I am unsure of my answer,” she said. “Is there no other choice? Have other possibilities been explored?” Freya was certain she was sabotaging her chance at candidacy, but this was even more important than who led the people.

  “These were the two most logical positions for the transport device,” replied the male voice.

  “No disrespect intended, sir, but I disagree. I think the most suitable location would be in the atrium right outside the State house.”

  Chastity gasped, and James shook his head. It was obvious they had been rooting for her, and knew she just made the most monumental mistake. She would appear young and uneducated to try to propose a new plan. Both of the strategies presented were well-researched and documented before hand. The vote was to choose one, not to make up a new alternative altogether.

  “I’m afraid that would be a security risk. Having the unit out in the open like that, people could steal or sabotage the supplies coming in. Not to mention, it would be a vulnerable place if anyone had more malicious intentions. They could try to destroy the dome and unit all in one go.” His voice had taken on a more condescending tone the further he got into the explanation.

  “I can appreciate the risk.” Freya paused. “But I think we are all overlooking that both of the plans presented previously are completely impractical.” A murmur broke out over the monitor.

  “Let her speak,” Victor said over the monitor. “Perhaps this new generation of governing bodies has some insight to share with us.”

  Freya gulped hard. Strategy was not her strong point, especially when she had to make it up as she went along. “The fault of the other two proposals that I see is the resources needed to move any goods we receive from the colony world. I think it would be a far better use of energy to have everything arrive near the train, where it may be easily loaded and transported.”

  “And what do you say to the security risk?” asked a female voice.

  “Well, I would first ask you why you are anticipating one?”

  Another gasp by Chastity, and a murmur through the monitor. She had already made such a mess of things; she may as well make her point.

  “Medical supplies, clothing, rice: these are all items that are already transported. I may be mistaken, but I don’t believe that we have an issue of theft or attacks now, so why should it be any different? When people are fed and cared for, there should be no need to attack these shipments. The other locations would require too much manpower from the military and other workers in regards to the transport device. If we use the military in that capacity, we would lose them in their intended function. We could post regular guards around the transport, increase the security measures surrounding the area if you feel the need. That would still leave us with more manpower for other duties.”

  “So you don’t feel there would be a threat if we placed this unit out in the open?” the male voice came from the monitor.

  “I think that if there is a threat, they will find a way to accomplish their plot no matter where you place the unit,” she replied, sounding much more competent than she felt.

  “You truly believe that the military underground or the launch site could be compromised?” His tone had gone from condescending to intrigued.

  “I don’t know for certain. If you want to base your decision on how easy it would be to penetrate, then I would choose the underground. It would be easy enough for someone to find an access to the outside. Yet if we use the underground, it would no longer be a secure military site, unless we were able to triple our military personnel overnight. How could they properly police us if they are busy lugging supplies from the colony world? Not to mention, we would not be able to send travelers back and forth without exposing the very existence of the tunnel system. I say we place this device in plain view, and use this victory, this step forward, to unite the loyalties of our people.”

  “And you think some simple guards posted would be enough to protect the unit?” he asked again.

  Her mind was spinning, but she had made an impact; she could feel it.

  “I again would ask what information you are basing this threat off of. I do not claim to be educated on this matter, yet it just feels wrong to me. I think that people are excited for the new possibilities of the colony world. If we were to hide the transport device, I think they might feel cheated. This could, in fact, ignite the threat you speak of. Why not make everyone a part of it? Let it show like a statue or monument to ignite the pride for the State in our people. Let them see our amazing breakthrough and remind them of how well-taken care of they are by the State. Let it stand as a beacon of hope, one that anyone can see as they pass by, instead of just on a broadcast in a place that we may not give a suitable explanation to the people of its location.”

  Instead of a murmur, there was complete silence. The only sound was the faint hum of the monitor until it switched off. Freya had heard this sound before, and she understood its meaning. She was being shut out of the conversation. There was no way to know whether it was just her, or all of the candidates. She gripped the sides of her chair, hardly able to breathe in anticipation.

  “This meeting is adjourned. The vote will be suspended until further notice,” said a female voice, and Freya breathed again for what felt like the first time.

  She gasped and nearly choked. Chastity was instantly by her side, patting her back. James just stood there, looking dumbfounded. Freya couldn’t get up. She knew she should leave, but her legs had gone numb.

  James started to mutter words under his breath like “wow” and “hmm,” but no one cared to comment. She had just singlehandedly taken on the entire Council, and there was even a chance she won. At the very least, the vote had been postponed. It would give everyone time to think and strategize.

  “You want to know the best part?” Victor said as he opened the trap door of the underground access in the floor. “Freya almost didn’t get her seat because the Council thought she was too docile.” Victor laughed; he laughed so hard it impeded his ability to climb out of the stairwell. “I kept telling them she wasn’t, but they didn’t believe me,” he said, still struggling to enter his office. “James, do you remember the first day Freya was here, when I said she was feisty—you remember that?” Victor had righted his standing position, and looked directly at James.

  “Yes, I believe those were your words,” he replied.

  “My God, woman, the only predictable thing about you is that if you have a thought, everyone is going to hear about it.” He chuckled. Freya knew she should also laugh, but the feeling of nausea and shock was not letting her mood lighten. “I’m proud of you, Freya,” he said, now with less humor.

  “You like my idea?”

  “No, I think you’re nuts, but it doesn’t mean it’s not an idea worth exploring.” He took a seat at his desk and leaned back with his head resting in his interlocked hands. “I am going to fight your idea, I thought you should know.”

  “Then why were you laughing?”

  “Oh Freya, don’t be a spoilsport,” he said with a light huff. “I think your idea is as reckless as the way you presented it. I also think there are too many likeminded people on the Council. We need some diversity to shake things up, come up with new ideas. It is so boring that we always agree. You could liven things up a bit, keep us on our toes.” He
shrugged. “Who knows, you might even win. That part about pride and monuments—it might actually sway them.”

  “Then why are you leading the fight against my idea?” As she heard herself speak, there was a part of her telling herself to shut up, but she had been reckless, and it felt so damn good.

  “I truly believe that the best place for the unit is in the care of the military. I will fight to make it happen, and that is exactly why we have the Council in place. I could be wrong, you know.” He winked at her. “Go on now, Miss Bossy, take that frown back to your own apartment and plan out how you will beat me.”

  Freya questioned whether her legs would support her weight yet, but it was time to leave. She got up, wobbled a little, but found her way. Never had she been more grateful that her apartment was only steps from Victor’s office.

  Chapter 9

  Freya closed her apartment door and grabbed the meal in the delivery slot. Maybe if she ate something, the trembling would stop. Lewis popped his head up from the floor, and when he saw her sitting there, he climbed the rest of the stairs.