12-01-2019, 06:01 PM
Unknown Location, Kerlile
1st December 2019
“I can’t believe you blindfolded me before bringing me here,” complained Councillor Jennifer Hale. “Aren’t you the one who has insisted that people of our rank should be treated with dignity at all times?”
“Jennifer, you and I both know that you are not fully trustworthy,” replied Councillor Pauline Pierre. “I cannot guarantee you will not tell Lauchenoiria.”
“I mean… fair,” she shrugged and then turned back to the Aurora Programme staff who were sitting at computers. They were in an underground room – apparently Jennifer was not allowed to see the outside – which was full of computers, and a number of staff members responsible for communicating with deployed Auroras. “So, how long will it take to contact all of them with the warning? We’ve been here for hours now.”
“Approximately 4 hours total, Councillor,” one of the women said, bowing her head deferentially in the presence of the two Councillors. “So, about another half hour.”
“Thank you,” Jennifer smiled at her and turned to Pauline. “I bet you were angry when President Arnott and Councillor Chiu insisted I work with you on this,” she smirked.
“I would rather work with you than Councillor Robinson, but being forced to work with you and the Kvaskm is, well, not what I had in mind. Especially since we do not know when this crisis will end and you seem to insist on following me around,” she rolled her eyes, and then turned back to the same member of staff Jennifer had spoken to. “Why is it taking so long?”
“We cannot use the same method of communication or the same code for all Auroras for security reasons your grandmother insisted on, Councillor,” said the woman. “It is important that we maintain the security of the Programme.”
Jennifer Hale snorted with laughter at the idea that the Programme had remained secure, earning herself a glare from Pauline. The other women in the room did not react, fearing Jennifer’s position, but internally they were upset to see a Councillor laugh at them.
Suddenly, a phone rang and the entire room jumped.
“What is that?” Pauline asked.
“Ma’am, it seems an Aurora is… well, calling us,” stammered the woman. “This is… highly unusual.”
“Answer it!” demanded Pauline.
*
Tlālacuetztla, Xiomera
Omapācatl was extremely nervous. She did not regret the decision she made, but she felt guilt over the lack of regret and over her betrayal of the Matriarchy. She was a Xiomeran now, truly, like her ancestors had been. And yet, she had been born in Kerlile and still had ties there – ties she needed to sever once and for all. So, she took out her phone – her real one, there was no need for further pretence – and dialled a number.
As it rang, her nerves increased. She was about to do something no Aurora had ever done, something she expected no Aurora would do again. And she didn’t know how the Matriarchy would react. She…
“Sunrise Holidays, how may I help you?” came a voice on the line. Omapācatl froze. The code phrase was correct, there was nothing wrong, and yet she was suddenly overcome with a great fear over what she was about to do.
“I…” she began.
“Yes?” said the voice, which had a worried tinge to it.
“I wish to resign my position as a member of the Aurora Programme,” she said. It was a strange way to phrase what she was doing, but it was technically true – she was quitting her job as an agent of the Matriarchy.
There was a pause from the line. It lasted so long that Omapācatl had to glance at her phone multiple times to check she was still on the call. At first there was only silence but after a while she could hear voices in the background, getting louder and louder – an argument.
“You want to what!?” came a different voice, one Omapācatl recognised and which shocked her to hear. “Confirm your identification number because this has to be a trick. None of my agents would ever do such a thing, nor would they mention things one should not mention on insecure lines. This is a prank, yes?”
“My Kerlian citizen ID number is 28921824,” she replied. There was conferring on the other end of the line.
“Request denied. In fact, you are going to come home immediately where you will spend the rest of your life in a cell and if you do not, I will send someone to drag you there and I will make sure your life is very painful in… what is it Jennifer!?”
There was sounds of another argument on the end of the line, as Omapācatl listened to the voice of Councillor Pierre, someone she hadn’t expected to hear. There was a crash and a shriek on the phone and then a new voice appeared.
“Hello, this is Councillor Hale. To whom am I speaking? I don’t want to call you by your ID number, that seems rude.”
“My name is Omapācatl, Councillor,” she said hesitantly.
“Okay, Omapācatl. May I ask why you want to resign your position, and why you have chosen to contact the Matriarchy in this method? Surely you know it is dangerous.”
“I do, Councillor. But the Xiomerans already know of me.”
“I see,” said Hale, who then whispered to someone off the screen. “Have you seen any blue… blue whales recently? Seriously? I can’t… oh, never mind.”
“Yes,” she replied. The code phrase someone had told Hale to say asked her if she was being coerced. A response of ‘no’ would have meant ‘yes’.
“Okay…” Hale conferred with someone again. “How are you contacting us, if you were discovered as you claim?”
“Well, here’s the thing,” she began, launching into the story of her capture, the day in her hotel-like cell and the offer she had been made. Councillor Hale listened silently to the whole story, not interrupting or yelling at her even as she told the Councillor she had sworn loyalty to Xiomera. When she finished, the Councillor was silent for a few moments.
“I see,” she said eventually. “Well… this is rather unexpected. I… am not sure what to say to you, Omapācatl.”
“Councillor, my ancestors were Xiomeran, as are my own family. To be blunt, why should I support the Matriarchy who stole my childhood over the country that gave me a life I could be happy and enjoy?”
“I can… no, Pauline, you can’t speak to her…” Hale grunted as there was another struggle on the end of the phone line. “Goddess, you’re such a child, Pauline…”
“Kerlian Citizen 29821824. You are to remain where you are. A team will be sent to return you to the Matriarchy where you will stand trial,” came Councillor Pierre’s voice. “Failure to obey this order will result in action being taken against your family.”
“My family and I are Xiomeran citizens, under the protection of the Xiomeran Empire,” replied Omapācatl. “If you try to hurt us, there will be consequences for you.”
“Are you threatening me, you disgusting slimy little traitor!? I swear to the Goddess, when I get my hands on you, you will feel more pain than anyone on this planet has ever felt before… no, Jennifer…”
“Omapācatl,” came Jennifer’s voice. “Given the circumstances, I believe the Council will agree with me and not with Councillor Pierre on the best course of action to take relating to your case. As I understand it, there is nothing under Kerlian law that prevents you from resigning… shut up Pauline! As I was saying, there is nothing which prevents you from resigning your position. The fact you have clearly, well, committed treason on the other hand, is somewhat different. I would recommend you never set foot in the Matriarchy again, in my personal opinion.”
“I don’t intend to, Councillor,” Omapācatl said.
“Good. Now… no, Pauline… you should probably get off the line before Councillor Pierre steals the phone from me again. We’ll be in touch,” Hale said and then the line went dead.
Omapācatl stared at the phone for some time. The conversation had not gone at all as she expected. For one thing, she hadn’t thought Councillors would be in the communications centre. Never mind Councillors fighting with each other, and telling her entirely contradictory things. When she reported this to Zalpalatli, she wondered if he would find it amusing. She, on the other hand, was very confused. She had no idea if she was in danger or not, or if her resignation had been accepted or not. Well, she imagined she would find out.
*
Unknown Location, Kerlile
Councillor Pierre glared at Councillor Hale, who was standing with an old landline in her hand, which she had pulled out of its wall socket. Pierre growled at the other Councillor, and then lunged at her. She shoved Hale into a wall and punched her in the face. Hale gasped, struggling.
“You would allow an Aurora to defect to another country!? You would let a traitor go free!? You deserve nothing but death yourself!” Pauline screamed, grabbing Jennifer’s throat. Jennifer gasped for breath, struggling and clawing at Pauline’s hands.
“C… Councillor,” one of the staff members piped up. “You… you shouldn’t kill her.”
“I will kill you as well!” Pauline snapped, but she let Jennifer go. The other Councillor slid onto the floor, gasping for breath and looking up at Pauline with fear in her eyes.
“Pauline,” she gasped out in between breaths. “You… know… you… can’t… risk… our… alliance.”
“The Xiomerans can go to hell,” spat Pauline. “Everyone can! LONG LIVE THE MATRIARCHY!”
“Long live the Matriarchy,” chorused the room, except Hale, who was still gathering her breath.
“Pauline… listen to me,” Hale said. “If Omapācatl speaks the truth, then Xiomera is not killing our Auroras or hurting them. This is good news. It means the revelation of the Programme doesn’t threaten our alliance. Which is something I know we’ve all been worried about.”
“That is not her name. It is fake, like her loyalty to Xiomera was supposed to be!” Pauline screamed, knocking a stack of paperwork off a table in anger. The assorted staff members had retreated to the edges of the room, watching the two Councillors like they were fighting animals.
“Does it matter? We have never activated an Aurora in Xiomera, and given the alliance we aren’t going to. We don’t need them there any longer. We could order them all home today, and it would probably be better.”
“Councillor Hale, I understand why you would sympathise with a traitor who has become loyal to a foreign country, given your infatuation with Lauchenoiria and their Prime Minister. But we simply cannot allow people with this much information to defect!”
“Information on a Programme which is fast becoming defunct. Pauline… this is not as bad as you are making it out to be. I’m not saying what Omapācatl is doing is right, but what I am saying is that there is nothing we can do about it. Now, either you can fight me, or we can wait until the warning is sent and then go report what Omapācatl said to the rest of the Council.”
“As much as I want to kill you, that would probably end badly,” Pauline conceded, having calmed down a little. She spoke as if she was joking, but Hale could sense that at least part of the other Councillor meant it.
“Um… Councillors?” one of the other women piped up hesitantly.
“Yes?” asked Hale.
“The warning has been sent to all Auroras. They have been told that they may be hunted, and that if they fear they are in danger of being discovered, that they should contact us to request evacuation. We have asked them to check in at some point over the next week, so that we know if any have disappeared.”
“Good,” Pierre said. “I would rather all of them came back here than allowed themselves to be brainwashed by Xiomera or anyone else. Come, Jennifer. We need to speak to the rest of the Council.”
Jennifer nodded, following Pauline who had turned on her heels and stalked out the door at an alarming pace. They would return to the capital, and pass on the information they knew. In spite of what she had said to Omapācatl, however, Jennifer was a lot more taken aback and slightly annoyed with the new Xiomeran than she had let on. Yet, she was glad the warning had been sent. She hoped she would have names to give the Union of Merchants soon – lest they think Kerlile had not accepted their deal.
1st December 2019
“I can’t believe you blindfolded me before bringing me here,” complained Councillor Jennifer Hale. “Aren’t you the one who has insisted that people of our rank should be treated with dignity at all times?”
“Jennifer, you and I both know that you are not fully trustworthy,” replied Councillor Pauline Pierre. “I cannot guarantee you will not tell Lauchenoiria.”
“I mean… fair,” she shrugged and then turned back to the Aurora Programme staff who were sitting at computers. They were in an underground room – apparently Jennifer was not allowed to see the outside – which was full of computers, and a number of staff members responsible for communicating with deployed Auroras. “So, how long will it take to contact all of them with the warning? We’ve been here for hours now.”
“Approximately 4 hours total, Councillor,” one of the women said, bowing her head deferentially in the presence of the two Councillors. “So, about another half hour.”
“Thank you,” Jennifer smiled at her and turned to Pauline. “I bet you were angry when President Arnott and Councillor Chiu insisted I work with you on this,” she smirked.
“I would rather work with you than Councillor Robinson, but being forced to work with you and the Kvaskm is, well, not what I had in mind. Especially since we do not know when this crisis will end and you seem to insist on following me around,” she rolled her eyes, and then turned back to the same member of staff Jennifer had spoken to. “Why is it taking so long?”
“We cannot use the same method of communication or the same code for all Auroras for security reasons your grandmother insisted on, Councillor,” said the woman. “It is important that we maintain the security of the Programme.”
Jennifer Hale snorted with laughter at the idea that the Programme had remained secure, earning herself a glare from Pauline. The other women in the room did not react, fearing Jennifer’s position, but internally they were upset to see a Councillor laugh at them.
Suddenly, a phone rang and the entire room jumped.
“What is that?” Pauline asked.
“Ma’am, it seems an Aurora is… well, calling us,” stammered the woman. “This is… highly unusual.”
“Answer it!” demanded Pauline.
*
Tlālacuetztla, Xiomera
Omapācatl was extremely nervous. She did not regret the decision she made, but she felt guilt over the lack of regret and over her betrayal of the Matriarchy. She was a Xiomeran now, truly, like her ancestors had been. And yet, she had been born in Kerlile and still had ties there – ties she needed to sever once and for all. So, she took out her phone – her real one, there was no need for further pretence – and dialled a number.
As it rang, her nerves increased. She was about to do something no Aurora had ever done, something she expected no Aurora would do again. And she didn’t know how the Matriarchy would react. She…
“Sunrise Holidays, how may I help you?” came a voice on the line. Omapācatl froze. The code phrase was correct, there was nothing wrong, and yet she was suddenly overcome with a great fear over what she was about to do.
“I…” she began.
“Yes?” said the voice, which had a worried tinge to it.
“I wish to resign my position as a member of the Aurora Programme,” she said. It was a strange way to phrase what she was doing, but it was technically true – she was quitting her job as an agent of the Matriarchy.
There was a pause from the line. It lasted so long that Omapācatl had to glance at her phone multiple times to check she was still on the call. At first there was only silence but after a while she could hear voices in the background, getting louder and louder – an argument.
“You want to what!?” came a different voice, one Omapācatl recognised and which shocked her to hear. “Confirm your identification number because this has to be a trick. None of my agents would ever do such a thing, nor would they mention things one should not mention on insecure lines. This is a prank, yes?”
“My Kerlian citizen ID number is 28921824,” she replied. There was conferring on the other end of the line.
“Request denied. In fact, you are going to come home immediately where you will spend the rest of your life in a cell and if you do not, I will send someone to drag you there and I will make sure your life is very painful in… what is it Jennifer!?”
There was sounds of another argument on the end of the line, as Omapācatl listened to the voice of Councillor Pierre, someone she hadn’t expected to hear. There was a crash and a shriek on the phone and then a new voice appeared.
“Hello, this is Councillor Hale. To whom am I speaking? I don’t want to call you by your ID number, that seems rude.”
“My name is Omapācatl, Councillor,” she said hesitantly.
“Okay, Omapācatl. May I ask why you want to resign your position, and why you have chosen to contact the Matriarchy in this method? Surely you know it is dangerous.”
“I do, Councillor. But the Xiomerans already know of me.”
“I see,” said Hale, who then whispered to someone off the screen. “Have you seen any blue… blue whales recently? Seriously? I can’t… oh, never mind.”
“Yes,” she replied. The code phrase someone had told Hale to say asked her if she was being coerced. A response of ‘no’ would have meant ‘yes’.
“Okay…” Hale conferred with someone again. “How are you contacting us, if you were discovered as you claim?”
“Well, here’s the thing,” she began, launching into the story of her capture, the day in her hotel-like cell and the offer she had been made. Councillor Hale listened silently to the whole story, not interrupting or yelling at her even as she told the Councillor she had sworn loyalty to Xiomera. When she finished, the Councillor was silent for a few moments.
“I see,” she said eventually. “Well… this is rather unexpected. I… am not sure what to say to you, Omapācatl.”
“Councillor, my ancestors were Xiomeran, as are my own family. To be blunt, why should I support the Matriarchy who stole my childhood over the country that gave me a life I could be happy and enjoy?”
“I can… no, Pauline, you can’t speak to her…” Hale grunted as there was another struggle on the end of the phone line. “Goddess, you’re such a child, Pauline…”
“Kerlian Citizen 29821824. You are to remain where you are. A team will be sent to return you to the Matriarchy where you will stand trial,” came Councillor Pierre’s voice. “Failure to obey this order will result in action being taken against your family.”
“My family and I are Xiomeran citizens, under the protection of the Xiomeran Empire,” replied Omapācatl. “If you try to hurt us, there will be consequences for you.”
“Are you threatening me, you disgusting slimy little traitor!? I swear to the Goddess, when I get my hands on you, you will feel more pain than anyone on this planet has ever felt before… no, Jennifer…”
“Omapācatl,” came Jennifer’s voice. “Given the circumstances, I believe the Council will agree with me and not with Councillor Pierre on the best course of action to take relating to your case. As I understand it, there is nothing under Kerlian law that prevents you from resigning… shut up Pauline! As I was saying, there is nothing which prevents you from resigning your position. The fact you have clearly, well, committed treason on the other hand, is somewhat different. I would recommend you never set foot in the Matriarchy again, in my personal opinion.”
“I don’t intend to, Councillor,” Omapācatl said.
“Good. Now… no, Pauline… you should probably get off the line before Councillor Pierre steals the phone from me again. We’ll be in touch,” Hale said and then the line went dead.
Omapācatl stared at the phone for some time. The conversation had not gone at all as she expected. For one thing, she hadn’t thought Councillors would be in the communications centre. Never mind Councillors fighting with each other, and telling her entirely contradictory things. When she reported this to Zalpalatli, she wondered if he would find it amusing. She, on the other hand, was very confused. She had no idea if she was in danger or not, or if her resignation had been accepted or not. Well, she imagined she would find out.
*
Unknown Location, Kerlile
Councillor Pierre glared at Councillor Hale, who was standing with an old landline in her hand, which she had pulled out of its wall socket. Pierre growled at the other Councillor, and then lunged at her. She shoved Hale into a wall and punched her in the face. Hale gasped, struggling.
“You would allow an Aurora to defect to another country!? You would let a traitor go free!? You deserve nothing but death yourself!” Pauline screamed, grabbing Jennifer’s throat. Jennifer gasped for breath, struggling and clawing at Pauline’s hands.
“C… Councillor,” one of the staff members piped up. “You… you shouldn’t kill her.”
“I will kill you as well!” Pauline snapped, but she let Jennifer go. The other Councillor slid onto the floor, gasping for breath and looking up at Pauline with fear in her eyes.
“Pauline,” she gasped out in between breaths. “You… know… you… can’t… risk… our… alliance.”
“The Xiomerans can go to hell,” spat Pauline. “Everyone can! LONG LIVE THE MATRIARCHY!”
“Long live the Matriarchy,” chorused the room, except Hale, who was still gathering her breath.
“Pauline… listen to me,” Hale said. “If Omapācatl speaks the truth, then Xiomera is not killing our Auroras or hurting them. This is good news. It means the revelation of the Programme doesn’t threaten our alliance. Which is something I know we’ve all been worried about.”
“That is not her name. It is fake, like her loyalty to Xiomera was supposed to be!” Pauline screamed, knocking a stack of paperwork off a table in anger. The assorted staff members had retreated to the edges of the room, watching the two Councillors like they were fighting animals.
“Does it matter? We have never activated an Aurora in Xiomera, and given the alliance we aren’t going to. We don’t need them there any longer. We could order them all home today, and it would probably be better.”
“Councillor Hale, I understand why you would sympathise with a traitor who has become loyal to a foreign country, given your infatuation with Lauchenoiria and their Prime Minister. But we simply cannot allow people with this much information to defect!”
“Information on a Programme which is fast becoming defunct. Pauline… this is not as bad as you are making it out to be. I’m not saying what Omapācatl is doing is right, but what I am saying is that there is nothing we can do about it. Now, either you can fight me, or we can wait until the warning is sent and then go report what Omapācatl said to the rest of the Council.”
“As much as I want to kill you, that would probably end badly,” Pauline conceded, having calmed down a little. She spoke as if she was joking, but Hale could sense that at least part of the other Councillor meant it.
“Um… Councillors?” one of the other women piped up hesitantly.
“Yes?” asked Hale.
“The warning has been sent to all Auroras. They have been told that they may be hunted, and that if they fear they are in danger of being discovered, that they should contact us to request evacuation. We have asked them to check in at some point over the next week, so that we know if any have disappeared.”
“Good,” Pierre said. “I would rather all of them came back here than allowed themselves to be brainwashed by Xiomera or anyone else. Come, Jennifer. We need to speak to the rest of the Council.”
Jennifer nodded, following Pauline who had turned on her heels and stalked out the door at an alarming pace. They would return to the capital, and pass on the information they knew. In spite of what she had said to Omapācatl, however, Jennifer was a lot more taken aback and slightly annoyed with the new Xiomeran than she had let on. Yet, she was glad the warning had been sent. She hoped she would have names to give the Union of Merchants soon – lest they think Kerlile had not accepted their deal.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax