[Junk XIII] First Council Meeting (K 6-2, S 6-2)

Rich

Kiddo and Stitch,

The Council and Nezzy all come back to the infirmary and head to the conference room. Chufi arrives a little late. Bacardi and Barilla arrive together. Hublot comes in right behind them, chatting Nescafe's ear off. Nescafe could care less, but he doesn't say anything to interrupt Hublot's diatribe about some design element.

Nezzy calls the group to order. The main items on the "agenda" are as follows:

What to do with the influx of new people - With news of Branigan's death spreading, folks are coming in more often.
- Bacardi wants to let the prices go up, then drive out the riff raff; Barilla will side with Bacardi in a vote
- Beneful and Hublot are more concerned with distributing the housing to people who contribute to the society best

How do you fall on this issue?

On a similar note, Nezzy announces that Proper and his burlesque show are traveling here for a semi-permanent attraction. Nobody seems to have a problem with this news.

Lastly, during open discussion, Beneful brings up his issue, clamoring for more security for the Garden, and that the thieves be brought to justice. Barilla argues with him, but Hublot chalks it up to a small price to pay for people to feel free. Looks like the vote may be close on this one.

What do you do?

Adam

Beneful and Hublot are preaching directly from my Dad's book — and you might say I'm a firm believer in that school of thought, yeah? They've got my vote for sure.

I've heard of Proper's joint — they do sexy dances and stuff, yeah? Charge way too much for a lay? It's not really my scene; but I guess if that's what folks want, then we can't really stop them if they can pay the rent.

The deal with Beneful's issue has me weirded out... Stitch brought it up earlier, and I really trust her opinion — but I'm not comfortable bringing in more guns for Nezzy to throw around for whatever reason she pleases... It's not that I want the Candies to oust her, or something — I just don't wanna start cutting folks hands off when we don't know for sure who the thieves are...

I mean, other than Costco and his folks — 'cause we know that. I'm just saying a little bit of security isn't a bad thing, but a lot of it sure as shit doesn't make people free, yeah?

"How do we decide what's "just" Beneful? How do we sort out the criminals from the regular folks?"

Genevieve

I'm all for more security, but I'm totally with Kiddo on this one. More security in the garden- sure. How do we know that it wasn't some hungry kid? I'm not about to sign up to act as executioner.

Rich

Beneful looks around, "Well hell. We are a community. We need rules. And punishments for breakin 'em. Aint so hard, is it?"

The Council dissolves into discussions over what rules should be held, who should be the judge, what punishments are fair.

In the end, Nezzy calls the group to order and tables the discussion. "This whole council can't hash out laws without taking weeks. I'd like three volunteers to draft up a code of laws. I'll work with them. Then we bring that to the next meeting and work on them until we can pass it."

What do you do?

Adam

I dunno the first thing about laws and stuff... But Dad does. I'm sure if I bounced some ideas off him he'd be happy to put that ol' noggin of his to use.

"I'll do it," I say, lifting my hand slightly. It'll give me an excuse to take it easy for a few days, and get Vee off my case about working too hard.

Genevieve

My first instinct is to keep quiet- I'm not going to pass judgement on folk. The more that I think about it, though, the more I wonder if I should be volunteering. I have no desire for power or control of folk. And maybe that's a good thing.

"I can help." I raise my hand. I'm not going to get offended if other council members don't want my help, but I need to offer it.

Rich

Nescafe and Bacardi also volunteer. Seems like Beneful doesn't object to either of you, nobody votes you down.

The meeting is concluded in short order after that decision, people start filtering out of the conference room.

What do you do?

Genevieve

"Kiddo- I need to get a blood sample from Costo. Can you loan me a couple Candies?" I ask her.

Adam

This'll do... I nod to Stitch, "Spree and Mamba can help you out, sweetie. Want me to go get 'em for you?"

Genevieve

"Yeah, if you don't mind. Thanks." Stupid chair.

Adam

I smirk, "You've gotta get out of that thing, sweetie. It doesn't suit you."

Genevieve

"I know! I'm doing the therapy. Walked four whole steps before the council meeting." I tell her.

I wonder if I could do my brain-healing thing on myself. I've never tried before. I'm getting so tired of being in this chair, it might be worth trying...

Adam

I pat her on the shoulder, "Well, keep at it. If you work as hard at therapy as you do on your patients, I'm sure you'll be out of there in no time." I'm sure Vee would love to take her running at some point... That would be brutal therapy. I giggle to myself.

Genevieve

"Thanks." I reply. "You got some time? I've got something in the infirmary I want to show you." I say quietly.

Adam

I cock my head curiously, "sure thing sweetie, what is it?"

Genevieve

I start rolling towards the infirmary, to the room with the iso-cubes. I open the door and have Kiddo go in first.

"Iso-cubes, like mine. Six." I tell her. "They were criminals."

Adam

Well now... This is interesting...

I look back to Stitch, a little uncertain when she says they're criminals, "So they stick six criminals in ice cubes on a big empty ship like this? What the frak were your people thinking, Stitch?"

Genevieve

I take her over to a terminal and show her what I found on the people. "Here."

"I don't know. I knew that some of the people in the program had been criminals- rumor had it Svenja was one of those folks- but murder?" I say, confused as well. "Criminals on the moon were put to work, generally. They did execute the worst, but that was very rare. I don't know why they'd put them in stasis..."

I have a thought. What if they were trying to rehabilitate them via stasis? Would that even work? "Maybe rehab during stasis. That's my only guess." I tell her.

Adam

Rehab? How the frak would that work? They're sleeping! I skim over the manifest, looking at all their crimes... Some of these I have no idea what they are, others — like murder — that's more obvious. "Well... I guess there's only one way to find out, yeah? Why don't we pick the one with the least dangerous record, and wake them up? Ask some questions. If they're dangerous, then me and the girls can handle them... If not, then we can ask 'em questions until we trust 'em."

Genevieve

"Yes, dealing with them on an individual basis would be good. They may not even know each other." I tell her. "I don't think they deserve to stay in stasis forever, but I also don't want to let criminals loose here."

Adam

Frak that's even better, "If they don't know each other, then they won't care if we separate them. In case you haven't noticed, sweetie, the rules out in the flats are a little less vague than they are in towns and places like this. Folks carry guns... If anything, those six will be in for a bigger shock than we would be if they turned out to be killers."

Genevieve

"Yes. This place is very different from where I thought I'd wake up." I muse.

"Anyway- how are you feeling? Nausea all gone? How are you sleeping?" I ask her. It seems like forever since we've talked. I wonder if she has any idea where Rinso is, but I'm not going to ask. He's an idiot if he walked away from her.

Adam

The shift in conversation catches me off guard, but I try and relax. She is a doctor, I guess... "I'm... Better. I can keep meals down way better than before, and I'm sleeping alright so long as Vee's with me. Ma's filled me in on some of the stuff she went through with us, and I'm kinda following the same deal... Lots of peeing, sleeping, and soreness... Y'know — pretty much exactly how I'd expect to spend a birthday."

I lean against the wall, "Why? Is there something else I should be doing?"

Genevieve

I smile at her birthday comment and a thought catches in my head. I have a birthday coming up... I think. I'd have to do some math to figure it out. I wonder how old I'd be- the last time I celebrated it I was 36. Do I add in all those years in stasis?

"No, you're doing fine." I assure her. "Eat as healthy as you can, drink lots of water, exercise. The vitamins I gave you will help."

Adam

I look around the room, anxious about being heard for some reason, and lean close to Stitch. "You... You remember back in Boomtown, when you used that thing... With the heartbeat... Can you... Y'know... Show me again?"

Genevieve

"Of course. Let's go into the exam room." I tell her. "I've only told Metro and Janco about these 6. I don't really want Nezzy asking questions about how I know so much about iso-cubes..."

We get over to the exam room and I have Kiddo close the door. I get the equipment. "Can you pull up your shirt a bit?" I ask her. I place it on her skin, and we hear the baby's heartbeat.

Adam

I nod along when she mentions not wanting Nezzy to find out about the ice-cubes. I wasn't gunna tell anyone, anyway. That'd just be weird... It's not my secret to tell, yeah?

I sit down on the exam table when Stitch points me over, and lift my shirt up when she asks — I'm a little nervous, to be honest... With all the excitement lately, and me riding yesterday I had some spotting this morning. Ma' said I shouldn't worry — but Dad said Ma' bled really bad when she lost Simon... I'm watching her work, getting the monitor, and fumbling around my belly looking for the right spot... My face lights up when the little heartbeat comes through the speaker again.

It's so fast — and so much stronger this time around.

I figure things would be a lot worse if baby was hurt — but hearing that heartbeat puts me at ease. Call it whatever you want, but something about that sound clicks in me — I'm really gunna be a Ma'. I smile over at Stitch, contentedly, and whisper, "is she healthy?"

Genevieve

I smile back. "I won't be able to tell you if it's a girl or boy for another few months, but I know what your mom's having." I tell her. "But yes, your baby sounds healthy. I can do an ultrasound in a few weeks- then you'll be able to see her."

My smile is warm and genuine- I know Kiddo was nervous about the baby at first, but she will be a great mother.

Adam

I smile when Stitch dances around the gender — but I've got a feeling. Ma' said she was pretty sure Vicky was a girl because of a few things she felt with me, and I'm feeling that way too... The thought of seeing her gives me pause. I bite my lip, and shift on the cold examining table. I mean... I know Stitch did stuff with Ma', but I didn't know you could see the baby. I'm nervous... Should I really be looking when she's not ready?

"Just lemme know when, doc... I'll be there with bells on."

Genevieve

"Of course!" I tell her. "I'm hoping to get out of the chair in the next week or so, then we can talk about your dad's surgery. So far it doesn't look like it's spread, which is very good. Janco has been taking good care of him."

I know full well if Zero hadn't brought Ollie here he'd be dead by now. I'm not sure how badly Bran messed with her... that reminds me- I should suggest she talk to Metro. He may be able to help her.

"How is Zero doing? I haven't seen much of her lately." I ask. "I wanted to suggest that she talk to Metro- he really helped me with some of the stasis issues I had."

Adam

That is good news. I smile back to her, and brush a few strands of hair behind my head. "Ma' doesn't really like talking about her feelings much, sweetie... It was something that always broke Dad's heart, 'cause he's a wordsmith. Talking, and singing, was how he got through hard times."

It occurs to me that Dad hasn't sang in a while 'cause of that frakking tube... I shrink a little, and avert my gaze. " ... I dunno if she'd talk to anyone without a good reason Doc. She loves riding — it's how she got through Simon, and Vicky. The sooner my Dad's all fixed up, the sooner she'll feel better." That goes for all of us.

Genevieve

"It's not about talking about feelings." I tell her. "Who knows what Bran put in her head? But... I get it. Will you tell her it's an option, though?"

Adam

Something about the way Stitch puts that rubs me wrong... Branigans putting shit in my Ma's head... She's a victim here, not a frakking puppet, like those assholes we've been putting down ever since that stupid dinner.

Whatever... I nod. I'll tell her. She barely reaches out to me, and she isn't talking to Dad... I dunno why Stitch thinks she'll talk to cold old Metro. The guy doesn't talk to anyone except Stitch, hardly...

Genevieve

I sigh. I'm going to have to give Kiddo a reason to suggest it to Zero.

"Kiddo..." I start. It's not really my secret to give up, but if there's anyone I trust on this junk heap of a planet it's Kiddo. "Metro is an artificial person. He can help her. Please don't tell anyone."

Adam

My eyebrow raises in curiosity, and I feel my head tilt back involuntarily.

What. The. Frak?

Don't tell anyone, she says... No frakking shit. He's one of those androids? Like lime, and that bitch in the Valley? I'm so confused... What the frak is he doing with Stitch? Is Stitch an artificial person? I saw her bleed once... Androids don't bleed, right? Olimpia didn't...

Ok... So maybe he's an Android... I run my tongue along my teeth a few times, and bite my lip in contemplation. "Uh... Ok. So... He can, like..." I'm not sure how that makes him a better person to talk to than me or Stitch... I sigh lightly, and quirk a frown. "I won't tell or anything, but why does that matter?"

Genevieve

"He's a trained counselor. For therapy, he's a better doctor than me." I tell her. "He was part of the first iso-cube program. He was there to help the people adjust after they woke up." Not that they needed to...

"The reason it matters is because he's programmed to follow a set of laws- laws that prevent him from doing any harm to humans. Laws that force him to do whatever he's commanded to." I let that sink in. "That's why he keeps to himself."

Adam

I look at her dubiously when she claims Metro's a better doctor than her — she can say it all she wants, but I don't buy it. Then she starts talking about the laws, and how he's gotta do the things humans say... I wanna believe her, but my experience says otherwise.

"I dunno, sweetie," I shake my head, "have you heard about what happened in the Valley?" Metro's probably right to not go advertising this shit... The only reason I'm not flipping out is 'cause Metro's been real good to me, and Stitch... And Stitch is a decent judge of character. I relax a bit, "I'll talk to her... And I won't tell anyone about Metro, either... Just... Don't go trusting Androids 'cause they've got those laws, sweetie... They don't all obey 'em."

Genevieve

I balk at her last sentence. "What? What happened in the Valley?" My mouth hangs open a bit.

Back on the moon they were just starting to develop artificial people. The laws were put into place- coded in so deep... That's why I'd never tried to find away to take that coding out of Metro, to free him. I didn't think it could be done.

Adam

I shift uncomfortably, and cross my arms... It's hard to believe I was alive for most of this — it feels like ancient history now. "About 13 years ago there were a few towns out west in a place we called the Valley — it's where I'm from, and Rinny and Vee are from, and a bunch of other folks. So I dunno if you've heard of the Pods, and Sector, but they were the towns in there, and there was this old Order of priests and pilgrims and shit that used to worship the old gods. They had an oracle that died when I was a little girl — Saff's Ma' killed her. When she died, everything kinda went to hell..."

I lean against the wall of the room, and start gesturing wildly to accentuate various points, "So Lost dies, yeah? And then the Temples think it's a political hit — so they leave the valley looking for warriors. Knight, the leader of Podby — who happens to be an android too — goes nuts and starts waging war against the Temples, 'cause apparently one of the Temples wanted to off him, and some other artificials."

I stop a moment to take a breath, and make sure Stitch is following me. "So the Temple pilgrims come back from their trek with this gang of huge mother-frakkers called the first men — and they were led by an android who they called "The Goddess of Love". Under her influence, the first men killed a lot of people — like full on slaughterhouse bullshit — my Ma' saw them take down an entire building filled with innocent folks to prove a point. I spent a night huddled next to Rinso, petrified that my Ma' was going to get killed by those crazy frakkers, listening to explosions and gunfire not a ten minute walk from where I was sitting... I was four at the time."

I shake my head, "I dunno what really happened after that... Not many folks do... My Dad packed up all the shit he could, and a bunch of us rode south to found Boomtown. Rumor has it the temples went frakking nuts and blew up the old starship engine that used to be the Temple of Death. The place has been burning ever since." I give Stitch a very serious, somber look. "An artificial person is the reason Vee's missing a leg... I dunno how she'd feel if she found out Metro is an android... I'm not saying Metro's bad — or that he's responsible for any of those things — I'm just saying there are some androids out there that don't follow those rules... And you should be careful."

Genevieve

Wow... that's... no wonder he keeps it such a secret- it's not just to keep people from ordering him around. I nod at Kiddo's last words. "I will." I tell her.

That's a lot to digest. Between therapy, the council meeting and now this, a wave of fatigue washes over me and my eyelids get a little heavy.

Metro is doing good here. He's building the towers, fixing up the Ascendant. He's a good person. Thoughts swirl in my head, but I can't go anywhere with them, I'm too tired.

"I think I'm going to go lie down." I tell Kiddo. "Unless you need anything else?"

Adam

I nod back, felling a little bad for dumping all that on Stitch... She works hard, and she doesn't deserve to be questioning Metro or anything. Who knows... Maybe he really does follow those rules. "I'm good... Look — Metro's a good guy, yeah? He's been real good to you — and me too, really. I'd stack that pretty high against the shit his brothers and sisters have done, if you ask me."

I walk over to the door, and open it for her.

Genevieve

I nod- I can only imagine the kind of prejudice Metro would face if people knew. "Thanks." I tell her.

Rich

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