Here We Go Again
08 Aug 2019Jim Beaumont
As I sat drinking my Doombar, I noticed something was missing.‘Samson, where has the info screens gone? It’s all entertainment stuff’
‘Not enough people wanted it anymore.’ He replied as he tossed me a flat screen from under the bar top. ‘Have a look on there, traders and couriers use these now.’
I pressed on the screen and it was full of menu’s telling me all sorts of market information but more importantly what I was looking for in the political stuff about the WP, where they were and the population popularity of the WP. None of this was available in this way 3 years ago.
‘I’m liking this a lot Samson. Need to get myself one of these’
‘For sale on the promenade, also work via the comms link in your ships. Your never disconnected Jim, welcome to a more up to date universe’ he said with a chuckle.
For the next hour or so I spent time looking at where the WP were, what they had control of, where they were struggling, past conflicts and with who. It was a mammoth amount of information and detail, which was a huge task for me to absorb. What it did do though, was clearly identify and confirm the downfall of the WP and the domino effect that happened within this little corner of the outer reaches of the bubble. Discontent spread like a plague once the first system toppled. In a total of 21 systems where they had a presence, they now controlled just 4 and none with a major starport. 3 outpost systems of no consequence and then 802 with its single planetary port. And even there they were fighting an Election to remain in control, albeit they were winning it hands down after 5 days. There was also the prospect of another conflict arising in their home system as tensions have risen over the control of one of the 2 outpost stations. This time the WP being the aggressors. They are down, but not dead and oddly enough, despite what looked like a bleak picture having lost home and Odu and their lowly status overall, people did seem happy across the board with them. No revolts or anything obviously being against them, almost like the plague has moved on and left them alone now to look for its next victim.
Amazingly, here in 3C, in what was Duta’s backyard and where it all started the WP were rising and what clearly stood out as a rapid ascent. Just over a month ago, sat at 4% they are now riding at a long time high of 24%. Still a huge 30% behind the leaders, but something was changing and I needed to know what. A huge rise here, runaway victory in elections in 802 and the upcoming conflict for control of a station at home; a picture was beginning to form in my mind. A very muddy one though.
My first stop was Odu, to pay my exorbitant bills. The clerk was less than happy with my lack of communication during the intervening years but she got over it when I paid the bill in full, all 95Mil Cr. I went to see what work was on offer but again that has changed. The official stuff was all available on the new gadget, the usual courier stuff of packages or requests to move specific goods. Electronic transactions all without the need to leave the cockpit. Easy enough if that’s what you want. Since the Coalition had took over, all the political offices have been placed in a ‘Diplomatic Zone’ as they have called it. To make way for that, they had trashed and then built the Commodities Zone, where the station import and export market was arranged. As I walked around the Diplomatic Zone you could see the WP were looking pleased with themselves, a complete change to the low faces of the Asylum. Apparently, while the election in 802 was happening, there had been a huge flow of goods from Odu to 802 most of which had been organised and supplied by the WP which bolstered the vote in 802 and carried much favour with the Odu manufacturers. And so small gains have been made here too.
I finally plucked up the courage and hit the send button.
Merc,
I’ll be sitting with Samson the day after tomorrow and having a Doombar if you fancy one.
Sorry.
Jim