There'll be Some Changes Made

Posted on Wed 18th Apr, 2018 @ 8:31pm by

808 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Brushfires
Location: Orchids and Jazz, Deck 600, SB 109
Timeline: MD 10, 10:30

Captain Suzuki leaned on her cane in the entrance of Orchids and Jazz, waiting beside the host station. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Captain," Reon greeted her, as he unobtrusively buzzed Jade's office. "We aren't officially open again until noon, but I have no doubt that Miss Lantz would be happy to see that you are accommodated with whatever you'd like. You're on the list," he grinned.

"Thank you," the Captain answered. "But as it happens, what I want is to talk with Ms. Lantz. I came during a time you are closed in order to get her undivided attention." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "In the meantime, could you find me a place to sit? My leg is aching. It's a long walk here."

"Absolutely, Ma'am. I can - " he broke off as Jade came around the divider between the restaurant and the entrance.

"Captain Suzuki! What an honor to see you. We can sit in my office, if privacy is required, or at the first table we come to if that isn't important. Everyone inside is my staff, and I trust them, but even so ...." She shrugged and waited to hear the captain's pleasure. It's hard to imagine a reason the captain has arrived at my doorstep, but the sooner we're seated, the sooner I'll find out.

"Closest table is fine," Suzuki said, limping after the attractive restaurateur. She seated herself with a sigh, stretching her braced leg out and leaning her cane against the table. "First of all, I wanted to thank you for your welcome the other day. I apologize that we were interrupted."

"Oh. You're welcome," Jade shrugged. "A captain's life is a busy life. Welcomes can always wait. Would you like something now? If you haven't eaten today, it's no problem to make a full breakfast for you, or maybe you'd like a cup of tea? Not replicated," she promised.

"Not right now," the Captain said with a smile, "though the offer is appreciated. No, the bigger thing is this: there are... what? seventy thousand civilians here at the moment?"

"I'm not sure how many are actually on board, but I know there is room for about 240,000 on a stardock facility," Jade answered. She's 'fleet. She has to know that, and have numbers at her fingertips. Why the low estimate? Her mind felt unanchored, because she didn't know where this conversation was headed, a rare thing for her.

Suzuki nodded. "Either way, Starfleet is simply not staffed to administer numbers like that, not here and not now." She grinned ruefully. "My last command had seven hundred and nine crewmembers." She made a gesture as if brushing that information aside and went on, "I am also not certain that it is appropriate to leave the administration entirely in the hands of the Federation Civil Defense Authority. I know they've done reasonably well here, but I also know that they're not accountable to anyone here."

Jade nodded, "They are mostly bureaucrat functions, and not governing functions. We have a Business Association which keeps businesses in line and happy, and the FCDA does have a small civilian security force ... not up to the standards of a city-wide police force on Earth, of course, neither in training or in numbers."

A government "of the people" had crossed Lantz's mind in the past, and no doubt other people's minds, too, but nothing had been done. "I suppose we are all guilty of not making something better when what we have is working, even if not well. What do you have in mind to replace it, Captain?"

"A Mayor," the Captain said. "But everyone mentions you in the same breath as 'the civilian population,' so I wanted to run the idea by you, first. And a good thing... I suppose we'll need other trappings, such as the police force you mentioned."

Lantz nodded thoughtfully, "A mayor. Elections then, I expect. Hmm, you'll need someone to organize that for you. Then a police force of some kind, yes. Perhaps a council to assist, and other things will come to mind as you proceed, but someone at the top to take care of figuring things out, and a group to keep the peace would be at the top of the list, I think." Her mind raced rapidly as she thought of ways to organize an election, as a first step.

"Really, you need someone, or a group of someones, to spend a week or two studying how a small government is set up, and then submitting recommendations to you. You wouldn't have to give it any more thought until such a report is finished."

"Fantastic," Suzuki said, tapping the table with the flat of her hand. "I'll expect the report in two weeks then, shall I? Thanks for taking the job."

 

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