[Lauchenoiria]

Preventing a deal?

Communist Party HQ, Buttercity
8th September 2019 – morning

Two women sat in the deserted headquarters of the Lauchenoirian Communist Party, a plate of plain biscuits untouched in between them. The small, cramped office was deserted, given it was a Sunday. Paperwork sat in untidy piles on the tops of desks, and a dictatorship-era Lauchenoirian flag was draped over a chair in the corner. One of the women noticed the flag and wrinkled her nose a little.

“I must say, I’m surprised you wanted to speak to me,” Lucie Scott, leader of the Green Party said, glancing around the empty office.

“Nobody is to find out about this,” warned Élia Agramunt, new leader of the Communist Party. “I think we can help each other.”

“In what way? You must realise that my party is fundamentally opposed to yours, given the events of last year. We may share some policies, but, well, to be blunt – we don’t trust you, since the Clarke incident,” Scott said, biting into one of the biscuits. It was just as tasteless as she was expecting.

“I understand you are opposed to this Shuell trade deal that Alvarez is planning. Something about Shuell’s lack of environmental policies, I believe. Naturally, we are too,” Agramunt said, leaning back slightly in her chair. “The Alvarez administration is temporary, but if this deal is made, it will last longer. We cannot let this pass, it would be a disaster. The coalition is fragile, if both our parties work together, we can stop this.”

“On this one issue? Well, I must say I’m not a big fan of this deal. The Bloch incident worried me, but I don’t think it is necessarily the total disaster you make it out to be. Shuell has some environmental policies, although they do solely focus on the oceans. This deal could, if played right, be used to encourage Shuell to improve their policies on the matter. I understand why you might be concerned, but you will have to convince me.”

“You really think you can influence Shuell? I would call that naïve, no offence. They are stronger than us, especially since the war. They will more likely than not be the ones who influence us. Our environmental regulations will get worse, our services will be privatised, and our democracy may well find itself under attack.”

Scott laughed in response to Agramunt’s final comment. She took a sip of water from the reusable bottle she carried around with her.

“I hardly think your party is one to talk about democracy. Look, I sympathise, but from what I’ve heard, the Shuellians are actually going to give us a very fair deal, something which may be difficult to come by given our current, well, situation. I obviously don’t agree with them ideologically, and to be honest we will probably vote against or abstain. But I don’t see the need for a massive effort to turn coalition members.”

“I’m disappointed to hear that,” Agramunt said. “Especially from someone who claims to support our democracy so much. I also am disappointed that you are continuing the narrative that we oppose it. Charissa Clarke was a Kerlian. And Suleman Chaher… he had been a member of, what was it, four parties before ours?”

“That flag in the cornet suggests otherwise,” Scott pointed out.

“Hmm?” Agramunt said, glancing around. “Oh, that. Yeah, we only just got around to clearing out Flynn’s office. That’s going in the rubbish, I promise. I’m quite offended you think I would want something like that here.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend you. I understand why you dislike the Shuellians so much, and if you can come up with a better reason, I’m willing to listen. I don’t have long though, I’m meeting my sister and my nephews in the park for family games,” Scott said, dusting some crumbs off her trousers and standing up.

“Of course, I don’t want to disrupt your weekend. We can talk more during the week, if you prefer?” Agramunt said, picking up the plate of biscuits and covering it with foil.

“If you have something new to add, sure. Are you not doing anything today? We have family game day every Sunday.”

“My husband is coming by shortly, we’re going to go out for lunch.”

“I hope you enjoy yourself. Try to relax, I don’t think we need to worry about a Shuellian invasion just yet!” Scott laughed, heading for the door.

“I’m sure,” Agramunt said, then sat back down and sighed as Scott exited. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Her party had seen failure after failure recently, and she was afraid her country was going to end up a hyper-capitalist state full of inequality. She feared for the poor communities in Summersea and Annatown, that they would remain at their present standard of living while the rich would get richer.

She stood, picking up her light jacket and walking outside to where her husband, Jon, stood, waiting for her and smiling. A couple of security personnel protecting Agramunt stood at a discrete distance, but the couple ignored them.

“Hello, honey,” he said, with a soft kiss on her lips. “I was thinking we could go to that new Zamastanian restaurant that has opened in the east end. I hear it has a lot of variety.”

“And give more money to the capitalists?” she joked, laughing, taking his hand as they began to walk to the nearest subway station.

“You’re the one who always says there’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism,” he pointed out, mocking her a little. “Or would you rather go back to that community meal place from last month?”

“Oh, God no,” she shuddered. There had been a small disagreement with an anarchist the previous month, when the man had realised she was a Communist Party member. It would likely be even worse now given her position. “Zamastanian capitalists it is.”

Jon laughed, and swung their joined arms a little as they walked. She joined in, as they began walking down the stairs into the subway, hiding from the bright sunlight that still shone across Lauchenoiria.