Chapter 4: Fallout

May 31, 1993

Looking unhappy, President Rohrbach said, “It was a quiet weekend.”

Cabinet Member Neyer said, “There wasn’t a single riot or protest anywhere.”

“Jade Force said they’d end the civil war in five days. It looks like they did it,” Cabinet Member Goil said.

President Rohrbach said, “They printed the treaty in the Saturday and Sunday morning papers. We’re stuck with it.”

He knew that the introduction of term limits on Senators, and competitive elections, would have far reaching consequences. No longer would Senators be elected for life. Politics would shift from having to play political games with other politicians to having to appease the people. They would have to be responsible to the people for their actions rather than to each other.

“It could be worse.”

“How?”

“We could be dead,” Goil said.

“Do you think they would have killed us all?” Neyer said.

“Definitely. You didn’t see how they shot down Senator Hurliman.”

“I saw how they killed Klay. That woman didn’t even blink,” President Rohrbach said.

Neyer said, “I know, but he was being stupid.”

“What do you think Plan B was?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think we would have liked it.”

“Did you watch that broadcast Friday night?”

“It was disgusting. He spouted a bunch of emotional crap, and expected people to buy into it.”

“That little bit at the end seemed to strike a cord with people,” Goil said. “I think he made some very good points.”

Neyer said, “You were always a sentimental sap. That’s why you were stuck for so long in the Senate rather than getting promoted to the Cabinet.”

“I have no problems sleeping at night.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have a clear conscience.”

“Are you suggesting that I don’t?”

“No. I was just talking about myself.”

The door of the room opened. A Jade Warrior, walking with a limp, entered the room. His left arm hung limply down at his side. His face was scarred. Like every Jade Warrior they’d seen, he was wearing armor with a pistol, a sword, a knife, and a rifle. Even with limp and injured arm, he still looked threatening.

“I am Pen Aleksy. I’m the Jade Warrior representative to the President’s Cabinet.”

“Take a seat and we’ll get to business,” President Rohrbach said.

He gestured to a chair in the corner of the room where he’d be out of the way. It was his way of saying that he might sit in the room, but he was a nobody. It was important to establish a proper pecking order from the very beginning.

Pen Aleksy walked over to the end of the table opposite of the president. He looked down at the man seated there and said, “You’re sitting in my chair.”

The man sitting there snorted and said, “Find another place to sit.”

Without saying a word, Pen Aleksy grabbed the man by the neck. He lifted him out of the chair, knocking the chair over in the process. He then tossed the man across the room with surprising ease. He bent down and put the chair upright.

Taking his seat, he said, “I am a Jade Warrior. Don’t forget it.”

“We won’t,” President Rohrbach said.

He was rather disturbed by the ease with which the man had handled the situation. It appeared that Jade Warrior wasn’t going to sit quietly in the corner. That was going to be a problem.

“Let’s get to business,” Pen Aleksy said.

“I guess we’ll hear from the Department of Indigenous People Management.”

Neyer said, “The Misers are starting to return the reservations. We’ll have them under control any day now.”

Pen Aleksy cleared his throat and said, “That department no longer exists.”

“Excuse me. That’s my department and I say it still exists.”

“According to the treaty, the Gangin have full civil rights. You don’t have any Non-Indigenous People, so I’d say, based on that, that there’s no need to have a department to manage the indigenous people.”

Neyer said, “I don’t care what you say. Until I say they have rights, they don’t.”

“Are you suggesting the treaty is invalid?” Pen Aleksy asked looking directly at the man.

Cabinet Member Goil covered his eyes with one hand. He couldn’t believe that Neyer was such an idiot. He knew what was going to happen. He didn’t want to watch it.

“You bet your ass. You can’t come waltzing in here and telling us how to run our country.”

“That’s your final word on the matter?” Pen Aleksy asked.

Neyer said, “Yes!”

Bang!

Pen Aleksy looked over at the man he had tossed across the room. He was still sitting on the floor looking dazed and confused. It was as if his mind couldn’t comprehend how he had ended up there.

“There’s an empty chair at the table for you, now.”

Shocked, President Rohrbach said, “You just killed Neyer.”

Pen Aleksy said, “My job is to ensure that the government of Misera abides by the terms of the treaty. He was violating the treaty. I enforced it. Do you have a problem with that?”

The answer was ‘yes,’ but he wasn’t going to say it.

“Well ... I don’t ... You just ... you killed him.”

“Yes. I am judge, jury, and executioner,” Pen Aleksy said. “It’s in the treaty.”

“But...”

“Let me explain something. In the eyes of the government, the Gangin have civil rights. It doesn’t matter that they were bestowed upon them by the treaty. They have civil rights, just - like – everyone - else.

“If a government employee tries to deny a Gangin his rights, then that’s a crime. In fact, if a government employee tries to deny anyone his or her rights, then it is a crime. I will punish it. So will any Jade Warrior.

“I don’t care if the government person is a lowly mailman. If he refuses to sell a stamp to a Gangin because he’s a Gangin, then the Mailman is dead. That’s it. Short and simple.”

“You can’t go around killing everyone who isn’t nice to a Gangin.”

Pen Aleksy said, “I won’t. If some average guy doesn’t want to hire a Gangin to mow his lawn because he’s Gangin, it doesn’t matter to me. I really don’t care. That’s a personal issue between the guy who wants his lawn mowed and the guy wanting to be hired. He’s not representing the government and is not taking away the man’s civil rights.

“A civil right is a contract between a citizens and their government. When the government violates the civil rights of an individual, it is breaking the contract.”

Cabinet Member Goil said, “He’s got a point, Mr. President. People do not have to be nice to each other, but the government has to treat everyone equally. I suggest that we remind all government employees of that before we run out of government employees.”

“That’s an excellent suggestion,” Pen Aleksy said.

Sarcastically, President Rohrbach said, “I’m glad you approve.”

“I’m not here to earn your approval.”

Looking down at the body, President Rohrbach said, “Can we have him removed from here?”

“That’s another excellent suggestion,” Pen Aleksy said.

He turned his head and spoke a few words, in a language no one understood, into the microphone attached to his shoulder.

Shield Wong entered the room. He looked down at the body. He picked it up and, using a fireman’s carry, carried it out of the room. He paused at the entrance long enough to close the door behind himself.

“He’ll take care of it. I guess we’re on to the next departmental report,” Pen Aleksy said.

Cabinet Member Goil said, “I suggest we end it for the day. We’ve all got to communicate some important information to our various departments.”

“That’s a good idea,” President Rohrbach said. “Besides, I want to find out why our security didn’t come in after the gunshot.”

“I can answer that. I have Shields at all doors to the room. Your security folks are tied up,” Pen Aleksy said.

“I guess I should have known that,” President Rohrbach said in disgust.