The Delegate

June 1 - Al Raqis

"Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough..." - John Stuart Mill, 1859

-----

"No. no, no.... that is connected to the green pipe not the blue one!"

The woman who spoke stood in front of a solid looking cargo ship. She had short red hair. She wore an earpiece and microphone. Her clothes indicated a woman not content to sit behind a desk, but rather someone who took a hands on approach to her trade.

"Are you quite sure, Captain?" answered a second woman suspended on the side of the craft.

"Well," replied the captain, "Yes! You just try it. You'll see."

I stood quietly watching the activity on the dock. Observation is half of my job. If the registration office was correct, this was the woman I had come to see.

The captain noticed me and muttered, "Oh, a visitor." She called out, "Can I help you there, friend?"



"Delegate Undercroft?" I asked.

"Aye," said the captain, "that's me."

"I am Major Siamendes with the Special Investigations Unit, Alliance Military. May I have a moment of your time?" I smiled pleasantly.

"Special Investigations Unit, eh?" she asked, "Alliance..... Bit out of your comfort zone out here, ain't ya?"

The ventilation shafts on NIV. The lower corridors of the Doomed Ship. The dissection room on Caliban. No. We would not be discussing those times I felt out of my comfort zone.

"I am used to travel," I said instead. "I am investigating a number of threats made against citizens of the UAP by a group known as The Jade Congregation."

"Aye," she began, "well... I did recommend to the Consulari you get involved earlier but non-intervention policy or something. Anyways, not my position to complain about the inadequacies of the Alliance...."

"Get involved?" I asked, seizing the opening.



"The late Ms. Moonkill was one of your lot...wasn't she?" she responded. "Anyway, I'm sure you're probably aware it wasn't just members of the UAP having trouble with this lot. Apparently the whole Dawla got an earful."

"I was informed that you and other members of the Beit Dawla received threatening letters....  Shall we find a place to sit and chat?"

"Sure," she replied. "Why not? Council offices be okay?"

"That would be fine," I said with a smile.

Delegate Undercroft called up to the woman still hanging on the side of the ship. "Yo Elena, I'm heading to the chambers. Be done by the time I get back!"



-----

We passed through the settlement, neither of us uttering a word until we reached the council chambers. Delegate Undercroft led the way.



"Top floor, Major," she directed.

"Thank you," I replied.

-----

Delegate Undercroft pushed a button on her desk and a spring-loaded draw opened. She reached inside and pulled out a crumpled piece of spice paper. "This turned up in my internal mail a few weeks back," she explained, "I guess you'll want to see it."



"Yes please," I replied. "It could be helpful." I accepted the document and scanned the text.

-----

To the trader who brings false testimony,

You are an irrelevant opportunist who seeks to reflect in the light of the Messiah. We have monitored your election pledges and find that you have failed totally in your attempts to fulfill your doe-eyed objectives. You speak of democracy and freedoms for the people yet you deliver nothing, sitting in endless committees like a clutch of noisy chickens while you feather your own nest.

Your motives are unclear. You proclaim yourself a champion of the people but you are a poor substitute for Muazii. You think of yourself and your organisation above all else. What motions have you passed to better the life of people on this planet? Like the Woman of Red Satin, you are good at your masquerade. Your propaganda machine works efficiently, fooling the people while you idle your time away counting your credits.

Your name befits you for you truly deserve the name Undercroft. A cellar. A crypt. Something beneath ground. This is what you are for you hide your intentions deep below the artificial ego you have created for yourself. We know what you did, the darkness that lurks in your past. What would the great and the good think of you with your lies, deceit and sins spread out before them?

Be warned. For we will watch your actions from afar.

---The Jade Revolution
-----

As I read, a flicker of a frown crossed my brow.

Muazii. That was a local word...

"When did you first hear of the Jade Revolution?" I asked the Delegate.

"The first time was probably when I got that letter," she replied, leaning back in her chair. "Apparently they'd had some problems with the terminals down in the chambers below but that was before my time in office."

I nodded, "And when did this letter arrive?"

"Two or three weeks ago," she estimated, "heck it could have been a month. As you can imagine, I get a lot of mail."

"Of course. How did it arrive?"

"I found it here on this very desk," she said. "Normally, the mail arrives electronically or a clerk from the basement brings it up from the postroom. I can't say how it got onto my desk."

If true, this meant they had physical access to the offices or allies inside the council building.

"Have there been further threats to your person or property?" I asked.

"From these Jadeist clowns? Not that I know of," she replied, "But that's a busy landing bay. If I were being watched, I couldn't say with any certainty that I'd know about it."

"Have you arranged for increased security?"

"I haven't," replied the Delegate, leaning forward. "Do you think I should, Major? Is the risk that grave?"

"They warn they will watch your actions from afar," I mused, "but it is the references to crypt that would concern me. They have proven they can get into your offices. Were you making repairs to your ship when I arrived?"

She leaned back in her chair. "Aye. I was. One of the coolant pipes got damaged. We're not sure how."



I nodded. "Standard repairs... or any signs of possible tampering?"

"Lots of junk gets pushed up in engine flow," she said. "It's par for the course."

I scanned the paper again. "Did you know Jade?"

"I bumped into her once or twice," she replied. "I have to say I found her to be.... someone I'd have liked to have known better. Why do you ask?"

"Your letter," I explained. "Some of the other notes have contained personal references. This letter focused on your political platform. See?" I leaned forward and indicated a passage.

"We have monitored your election pledges and find that you have failed totally in your attempts to fulfill your doe-eyed objectives."

"Aye...I noticed, Major. Good grief."

"This is important," I insisted. "Might I keep this letter? I would like to have the paper tested."

"Well sure. I certainly don't want it," she answered.

"You mentioned that you would have like to have known Jade better. Why is that?"

"Oh, I see where this is going..." she began.

"Oh?"

She leaned back and nodded, "Yep. Sure. I liked Jade. She had some bright ideas and you know what? Yeah, I found I was surprisingly upset when she died.... I've been quite vocal in my support for her views so....." Her voice trailed off.

I paused for a moment then nodded. "She was a genuine soul."

Delegate Undercroft continued along a different track. "If you wanna throw suspicion on anyone, Major, you might think about Mr. Gustav."

I looked at the letter again and smiled. "First, the present threat."

"Threat?"

"The Jade Revolution," I replied. "Do you think Mr. Gustav is involved?... in what happened to Jade?"

"I don't know about that," she replied, "He's works for one of the biggest security firms on the planet, we already know he'd sell his granny for a profit. And hey, he's the security guru around here and they're running rings around him... so what do you think?"

I twisted my mouth as I formulated my reply. "Honestly," I said, "there are a number of people who would benefit from Jade's death."

"I wouldn't know," said the Delegate, "I'm just a dumb, humble trader, Major.

I smiled, "But with ideas of democracy and freedoms... according to the Jade Revolution. Tell me about your political platform, Ms. Undercroft."

"I have lofty dreams of ending the wars that persistently cause harm to the people of this world," she said. "I'm advocating total transparency of the government and want to put the people before the factions who will stop at nothing to bleed this planet dry."

"Go on," I prompted.

"Have you seen what's going on out there?" she challenged, waving her arms to emphasize her point. "The Magistrate basically sold the planet out to all and sundry. What right do the people of Botany Bay or the Federation or your precious Alliance have to sit on our government and decide our fate?"

I asked a question of my own.

"May I see your campaign literature, anything that details your election pledges?"



She stopped and looked at me, then said, "Sure. I probably have it around here somewhere."

"Thank you."

The woman began to rummage around inside her desk.

"Do you follow the writings of any specific political scientist or philosopher?" I asked.

The Jade Revolution had seized upon the campaign promises of this woman. It moved them enough to write her a letter chastising her when they believed she had not followed through on her pledges. Her ideas were therefore important clues. To some degree, they reflected the concerns of this movement.

"I was never much for politics, Major. Which is kinda funny since I ended up as a politician." She rummaged round in her desk some more and then added. "Of course, if you're hunting down certain political types.... apparently that happened on Earth quite a bit back in the day.... no comment."

I smiled, but not so warmly this time. "I am hunting, Delegate Undercroft, but not for you."

She found a sample of her campaign literature, a photo and some leaflets. They were covered in a thin coating of dust, which she brushed off before offering the documents to me.

"May I keep these?" I added pleasantly.

Delegate Undercroft laughed harshly. "Sure, I got a ton more sitting in the printers for an election that never happened."

"Thank you," I said as I got up from my chair. "I will not take any more of your time. Thank you for your help."



The Delegate smirked and gave a slight shrug. "Any time, Major. I'm sure you know your own way out."

----

From the campaign literature of Delegate Undercroft:



With continuing unrest upon Araxes, I would ask that you vote me in for a second term so that I can achieve the goals I set out to do. The wheels of government work slowly and we still need to make strides towards transparency, inclusion, feedback and increased democracy.  There are a wide range of scenarios to be explored on Araxes and with increased military representation on the Laandsrat we must be careful not to succumb to their endless warmongering. My agenda is as follows:

TRANSPARENCY: That all government transcripts be published on various channels including the Network and PlanetComms. Our actions can be scrutinised and followed with ease allowing everyone to know what we're doing. This enhances freedom of the press and allows us to avoid being quoted out of context.

PARTICIPATION: Encouraging people to attend Laandsrat and Beit Dawla meetings in action and having post-meeting feedback.

INDEPENDENCE: I'm an independent. This means I represent everyone and not the narrow goals of a specific faction who will have increased power in the Laandsrat. Elected faction members may be influenced by faction leaders. I want to serve YOU not the faction leaders. I want to explore the many varied avenues of Araxian culture, not beholden to a government that would see us in endless conflict.

OPEN HOURS: I will have regular, scheduled office hours in which people can discuss their ideas and criticisms in person or through secure comms.

Vote Undercroft: For the people, not the factions!