EMPIRE: Intervention (EMPIRE SERIES Book 13)

by Richard F. Weyand

  “I see your point, Minister Noyce. It seems like an intractable situation.”

  “I fear so, Madam President.”

  Turley thought the situation through from the top, and Noyce was content to wait. There was something she was missing. She could feel it. And there had to be a way out of this conundrum. She was prepared to be a rules mechanic if she had to, she just had to find the hook.

  Wait. Wait just a minute. She had it.

  “Minister Noyce. I think we are going at this wrong. We are presuming I must in fact follow what you and I both believe to be the correct constitutional course, but the Council need not. That is just a complicated way to lose the game, when the two sides aren’t playing by the same rules. Under the emergency powers granted to the presidency, do I have the power to name the High Court?”

  “Yes, Madam President, but those emergency powers are not proper.”

  “I understand, Minister Noyce. But if they aren’t proper, then Mr. Mieland had no right to name me to the presidency, either, and then none of this is my problem. But – here’s the big point – those emergency powers have not yet been found to be unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction. Correct?”

  “That is correct, Madam President.”

  “Then our opinion that the emergency powers are improper is just that – an opinion. There has been no finding. So I intend to use those emergency powers until such a finding is made.”

  “I see the argument, Madam President.”

  Noyce now took time to think through the implications of Turley’s line of argument. He didn’t like it – he didn’t like it one bit – but she was right. Perhaps it was time to hoist the Council on its own petard. As long as Turley was willing to abide by the decision of the High Court, once reconstituted, working within the Council’s own rules was acceptable.

  “Very well, Madam President, but what do you do once the High Court does decide the issue? Then the Council is in the driver’s seat once more.”

  “Yes, Minister Noyce. Exactly. Which means I will not name such a High Court until the time suits me.”

  “And when will that be, Madam President?”

  “After the elections, and just before the new Council is seated.”

  “And the current Council, Madam President?”

  “Their terms expired, Minister Noyce. Five years ago. There is now no Council until elections are held. Unlike the presidency, their grant of emergency powers did not include permanent status for the Councilors. Those emergency powers granted the president an indefinite term of office, but they did not do so for the Council.”

  “Oh, bravo, Madam President. I have long wanted to see those people get their just desserts, and you can do it by turning their own actions against them.”

  “Exactly, Minister Noyce.”

  “I would love to see the looks on their faces when you spring that one on them, Madam President.”

  “Then why don’t you sit in on the meeting with me, Minister Noyce. We can play ‘good cop, bad cop’ with them. I’ll be the bad cop.”

  “And I, in all seriousness and with due deliberation, will be able to back up your arguments, Madam President. I have not participated in anything as enjoyable as this promises to be in a long time. Now, let me give you some additional items that will make it oh so much worse for them.”

  The Citizens And The Council

  “Citizens of Julian:

  “My name is Ann Turley. I currently serve as president of Julian. I wanted to address you tonight to tell you what is going on and where things are going.

  “In terms of what has happened, the press – on both sides of your politics – have mostly had it right. I commanded a mercenary force hired by commercial interests, which came to Julian in an elaborate subterfuge, overthrew the lawfully elected government of Julian, and has taken over the planet. As far as it goes, all of that is true. Oh, and I am a despot.

  “What it leaves out are two things: Why? and What happens now?

  “As to why, Julian was on a path to ruin. Without refinery capacity increasing to match population, diesel fuel grew too expensive for farmers to use it to plant crops. Without mechanized farming, there was not enough grain to feed cattle. The result is a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet that is unhealthy.

  “Worse, the increasing population and decreasing farm production were leading to widespread famine, in as little as five years.

  “The other major factor in Julian’s potential path to ruin is a shortage of both electricity and fresh water. Oh, the current sources were enough in the past, but not enough to serve the growing population. The inevitable result of insufficient electricity is economic stagnation, but even worse is on the horizon. The inevitable result of bad water is disease. Cholera, typhus, and other diseases have followed humanity into space, and wait around the corner whenever clean water is in short supply.

  “You don’t need to take my word for any of this. Look around you. Think back. Have your electricity prices gone down over time, or up? Have you cut back on your use of air conditioning to save money? When was the last time you had a thick, juicy steak? Is that just a fond memory? Have you switched to beans as a source of protein to save money as meat prices climbed? And what about water? Have your water prices gone up or down? When was the last time you luxuriated in a full bathtub? Have you instead changed to a quick shower to save water?

  “In a bustling economy, all of these things – electricity, meat, and water – should be inexpensive enough for everyone to enjoy, not just the elites. I will tell you that here in Government Center, there has been no shortage of any of these things. The elites have enjoyed their air conditioning, their steaks, and their large bathtubs. There were never any cutbacks here.

  “I actually don’t begrudge them that. What I want is that everyone on Julian have the same ability to have those things. To live the good life. In that, President Mieland and I are agreed. We want the best for everyone.

  “You see, I don’t believe President Mieland was evil, I believe he was wrong. His policies were wrong. His priorities were wrong. His methods were wrong. He wanted Julian to be a paradise, but he was mistaken in how to get there. A failure to understand economics, or to read history, led him down the wrong path.

  “I, too, want Julian to be a paradise, and it can be. But you cannot legislate paradise into existence. It has to be built. And you need to build it. The first step of that process was to get Mr. Mieland and his associates who pushed those incorrect policies out of the way. Out of your way, in fact, so you can build the paradise Julian can be.

  “But why would an outside commercial organization intervene to stop Julian’s descent into famine and plague? Because there is no profit in famine and plague. Julian as a paradise represents many ways for commercial interests to make a profit. Is it therefore crass commercial interest that brought us here? Of course! Will you then forego Julian as the paradise it could be – live in famine and squalor and disease – to deny them a profit on your success?

  “Consider that question carefully. It is the question before you as we move forward.

  “So what happens now? The biggest problems to solve on Julian in the near term are the agricultural problem, the electrical problem, and the water problem.

  “We are working on the agricultural problem through the construction of a large refinery to augment and surpass Julian’s existing refinery capacity. The end result will be enough diesel fuel and fuel oil to bring prices down to where farmers can once again use mechanized farming to grow the quantities of grain required to raise enough cattle, and hogs, and chickens so everyone can have steak, and pork chops, and chicken, not just the elites, and we can relegate beans back to their proper role as a side dish.

  “This refinery is under construction now–“

  The video feed cut to an aerial shot from a surveillance drone of a huge epoxycrete pad, and workers unpacking the tanks and pipes and valves required to assemble the refinery.

  “
– and will be operational within a month. You should see diesel prices fall soon after. And your farmers will get expedited deliveries of the fuel they need to get much larger crops in the ground.”

  The video feed cut back to Turley.

  “The seeds, too, are on the way to Julian from the commercial interests, and the baby animals needed to reboot your animal husbandry are already on order. They will arrive as those crops come in.

  “With regard to the electricity and water problems, happily those can be solved at the same time, with a hydroelectric dam. That dam is also under construction now.”

  The video feed cut to an aerial shot of huge bulldozers and earthmovers working at removing the top soil from the area of the base of the dam.

  “When the dam is built and the reservoir is filled, abundant fresh water and electricity will be available to the citizens of Julian. Prices on both will come down, and you will once again be able to live in air-conditioned comfort and take those long, hot baths. Even more, the area around the reservoir will be a recreation area where you can picnic with your family and grill some of those steaks and chops.

  The video had segued as Turley spoke from the aerial shot of the construction equipment at work to a simulation of the completed and filled reservoir and recreation area. It now cut back to Turley.

  “In addition to those immediate needs, there are a couple of other areas in which Julian was falling behind: medicine and education. We have brought in enough VR nanites that all your children age four and above can have VR implants and access the Imperial school curriculum.

  “We have also brought in enough contraceptive nanites that every woman, from menarche on up, can have safe, effective contraception.

  “Finally, we have brought in a thousand medical diagnostic chairs to equip your doctors and hospitals with the latest diagnostic equipment. One of the things they can find is atherosclerosis building up to a heart attack. We have brought in enough nanites to treat everyone on Julian who has this deadly but treatable disease.

  “Even with all that, there is one more major thing we need to correct. It became abundantly clear to many of you that the government of Julian was on the wrong path. Yet you had no ability to change it. Elections had been suspended, the High Court dismissed, the Council disbanded. The president was president for life, whether the citizens of Julian wanted it or not. President Mieland was elected with a large majority, but then refused to stand for re-election as his policies failed.

  “I intend to fix that in two ways. First, you must understand that I have no desire to be president of Julian for life, which is what Mr. Mieland’s resignation and his naming of me as his successor would normally lead to. I want to finish the job I came here to do and go home.

  “Therefore, I am announcing new elections, to be held in four months. The government will take petitions for candidates to be on the ballots, and we will hold free and fair elections. Your next president will once again be one of your choice, and for a limited term, as specified in your constitution. That enlightened document, written by Julian Monroe, after whom both this planet and its capital city are named, will once again be the law of the land.

  “The second step we are taking to ensure against a runaway government is more subtle. It is a lesson from history that whoever has the guns, rules. We will therefore restore Julian citizens’ rights to own firearms, as required by your constitution, and denied under the prior government.

  “We have brought in one million civilian firearms, which we are going to give away on a lottery basis, to the citizens of Julian. The way to make sure the citizens rule the government, and not the other way around, is to ensure the citizens always have more guns than the government.

  “We will publish details of the lottery system in the next week or so. I encourage everyone, from every walk of life, to sign up. We intend to have an armed populace police the government, rather than the other way around.

  “So that is our plan. Julian can be a paradise. You can make it so. We will help, with the steps I have outlined tonight. But it is up to you to do the work, and to elect a government that will help you do it.

  “There is one more thing I want to talk to you about tonight. As I mentioned before, President Mieland was not evil, he was wrong. He chose the wrong path. Many of you chose the wrong path in helping him enact or enforce his policies. Many more of you chose the wrong path in electing him in the first place, hoping for an easy route to paradise.

  “That paradise is achievable, but it is not an easy path. There is no easy path. And in working to make Julian into that paradise, you will need all the help you can get. I implore you, therefore, to forgive each other for the roles you played in running down this blind alley.

  “Do not put that paradise at risk by fighting among yourselves over who was at fault for what. Julian needs to move forward, not fight over the past. Join together now, and work for a better Julian for everyone. You can do it. Together.

  “Good night, and thank you for your attention.”

  Mark Chapman came into Turley’s office as the press office crew was taking down their camera setup.

  “That went really well, Madam President. I watched it in VR so I could see it as everyone else would see it. Nicely done.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Chapman. I hope people heed my plea there at the end. No vengeance.”

  “We’ll see. I expect there’ll be some, but less than there would have been. You painted a compelling picture, Ma’am.”

  “Minister Noyce, Ma’am,” Tom North said.

  “Come in, Minister Noyce,” Turley said, leading Noyce over to the seating arrangement. “Are we all set for this morning’s meeting?”

  “Yes, Madam President. I’ve been looking forward to it.”

  “Excellent.”

  Only a few minutes passed before North appeared again.

  “Mr. Rumson and Mr. Bertrand, Ma’am.”

  Turley got up to greet them.

  “Mr. Rumson. Mr. Bertrand. Please join us, would you. This is Mr. Noyce, the Minister of Justice.”

  “Yes, we know Mr. Noyce,” Rumson said as they sat.

  “Where are the representatives of the other party in Council, Mr. Bertrand?” Turley asked.

  “What other party?”

  “The Liberty Party.”

  Bertrand waved it aside.

  “They are inconsequential. Only the Equality Party matters for purposes of our discussion. As Chairman of the Council and Majority Leader of the Council, I and Mr. Bertrand are the only leaders in the Council who matter.”

  “I see.”

  “And to that point, we really must insist that you recall the Council immediately.”

  “For what purpose, Mr. Rumson?”

  “Why, to provide legislative oversight of the executive. I must say that we do not agree with your assessment of conditions on Julian as you explained it last night.”

  “In what way, Mr. Rumson?”

  “All this twaddle about famine and plague and stagnation. Really. And providing massive quantities of firearms to the general populace borders on lunacy. It is clear that, as a foreigner, you know nothing of Julian at all.”

  “You don’t see Julian as being on a downward spiral?”

  “Not at all. The program we put in motion with President Mieland has yet to completely play out. It has yet to reach the payoff for which we have all struggled for the last ten years.”

  “I see.”

  And Turley did see, clearly. True believers, as Noyce had warned. And their failure to address her using her title or anything that could be mistaken for it was not lost on her.

  “You keep saying ‘we’, Mr. Rumson,” Turley continued. “Who would that be?”

  “Why, the Council of course. It is the Council that steers the government. That sets policy.”

  “But there is no Council, Mr. Rumson.”

  “Nonsense. Of course, there is a Council. There has always been a Council. And its members were duly elected by th
e people. You cannot deny the legitimacy of the Council.”

  “Mr. Noyce?” Turley asked.

  Noyce stirred in his chair and addressed Rumson.

  “The Council was elected to five-year terms, ten years ago, Mr. Rumson. Those terms have since expired. There are no duly elected members of the Council, and have not been for five years.”

  “But the president’s term was also for five years. By that logic, Mr. Mieland had no authority to appoint you to anything, Ms. Turley.”

  Rumson said it with triumph, as if he had pointed out something conclusive.

  “Not so, Mr. Rumson,” Noyce answered. “The emergency powers act the duly elected Council passed and the duly elected president signed before their original terms expired, extended the presidential term indefinitely, and gave him sole power to name his successor. It made no such allowance for the Council.”

  “So you see, gentlemen,” Turley said. “There is no Council, and there has not been one for five years. I wanted to meet with you today to make that clear to you. The Council will be seated once its members are, once again, duly elected. But you are without portfolio.”

  “This is outrageous. I have never heard of something so, so, so preposterous. You will recall the Council immediately, or I will call it myself.”

  “And be arrested for treason, Mr. Rumson. Perhaps you can have the same cell to which you consigned Mr. Knowles. He’s told me it’s quite cozy.”

  “I believe the word I used was confining, Madam President,” Noyce put in.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Rumson said.

  Turley had been polite and congenial to this point, but, as a senior military officer, she had mastered the steel-eye years before. She used it now.

  “Try me, Mr. Rumson.”