By David C. Daoust
Merrick Denali had a voice, a voice he tended to use- a lot. A crowd favorite among the throng of speakers that were so popular in the UM. Though, like all those with the confidence to speak his mind, Merrick was convinced he differed from the rest. Deep down he always felt he had an ability to see both sides; to see where the simplistic good ideas of one group, came in contact with the other groups, opposing simplistic ideas, creating friction, which inevitably led to conflict.
Back in the Time of Dispersion, when The Royal Banks were first being set up to support the laissez fair Capitalist era that was to come, (leaving out exactly whose idea it was to convert to capitalism) all Royals seemed to agree- capitalism was the best way to grow the fledgling solar system. All the Royals agreed to support the coming autonomy to the people. Because the entrepreneurship, and the drive of one’s own interest, involved in successfully building what was needed, could never be simulated by that of a state run official trying to meet the demands of the ever changing environment. They all agreed capitalism was the way of the future. The Royal Banks afforded cheap loans for anyone with a solid business plan and a good reputation.
Yet in many ways, among the Royals, there was disagreement. Those of the Vanguard felt that if the people were just allowed to run rough-shot through the Solar System, it would lead to imbalance and rampant oppression. They put forth their ‘Solid Foundation’ plan– which was a plan not welcomed by all.
Talk of ‘Solid Foundation’, was corrupted by what the Vanguard had referred to as Demagoguery.
They claimed the ‘Demagogues of the Royal Alliance’ preyed on the peoples’ thoughts and fears of the time. Descendants of those trapped aboard the ‘Ark-ship prisons’ for generations, they feared they were being manipulated at every turn; watched and studied. Concerns turned to pure anxiety, for those that could not take a breath without it being recorded by a system that was far beyond their comprehension. Despite having limited knowledge of the details, could feel the ever present grip of its manipulations and, deep down, wanted to be free of it.
This is where Merrick differed from the historians. What the Vanguard referred to as demagoguery, Merrick felt he could see the true motivation of the Alliance. It was not hard for Merrick to fathom that the freedom the Alliance Royal’s spoke of– was their own freedom. While Ark-Ships truly were prisons, those that were truly trapped, were the Royals themselves. Those that had to serve all the people, every waking day of their lives, for all the centuries that made up the Ark-Age.
The Royal Alliance offered Freedom- Plain and Simple. The freedom to leave the Arks to form communities and governments, as the people saw fit. The Vanguard wanted to guide the people in building fair and just governments, by constructing, first, a central Federal Government.
When the Vanguard insisted that the Royal’s job was not quite done yet, the Alliance recoiled and struck out, calling the Vanguard fascists. They campaigned hard against the Royal Vanguard- Hard against the proposed Federation. A Federation threatened to extend their servitude to the people, where a Confederation would allow them room to breathe, to do their own thing, as those other people were afforded the same right.
Alliance fought hard against the structure the Vanguard felt was imperative for a healthy solar system.
Merrick could see that The Alliance wanted their freedom, they wanted their due. They wanted their homes on the inner planets; they wanted freedom from the people, from the lime light, from all the attention that was heaped on their every move.
They wanted their freedom so much, that, The Vanguard’s ‘Solid Foundation’ plan- was successfully crushed by the Alliance and cast out by the Assembly.
Yet the Royal Vanguard believed they were right. They believed they needed to form an Imperial Force- They believed the history books would thank them- Thus the ‘Factions War’ tore the newly founded solar system asunder.
The Factions War fed the wrong people; the Royal Banks floundered.
The Vanguard fell.
And the history books called them tyrants.
Their fall left Merrick to watch the aftermath, he was not surprised to see the strife throughout the Solar System– the very same oppression that was predicted by the Vanguard.
He watched as the Trade Consortium divided and trapped the people in Corporatism. A monstrosity built to feed a single central bank, corporations all pulling for the strength of the State, working to glorify the Plutocracy that held the reigns. He watched as the central families that first founded ‘the Board’; fascists, who created the illusion of freedom, promised a path of advancement, only to have the lower class blocked at every turn.
He watched as the Royal Alliance City-stations were snapped up by the Viceroys. Taking advantage of those that feared change, they took to the airways to spread their support for Socialism and promises to keep the City-station way of life alive and healthy; to keep the Democratic Assembly relevant. Though as they found the task at hand, well out of their means of control, these regimes formed and twisted to favor those only in Power; Leaders more interested in holding on to Power, rather than following the will of the people.
But the damage of the Confederation did not end there, as the many, who cared more about equality for all, failed to hold their own against the growing power of the few. Workers smart enough to protect not only fair wages, but the very paths available to so many, all to achieve the promised dream of a capitalist society, formed unions, too little, too late. These unions were beaten down and crippled, not only by the Bigwigs of the Trade Consortium’s corporations, but by the Viceroy’s ‘State-Capitalist’ regimes that hid behind the guise of Socialism.
The Unions grew desperate to be heard.
Merrick watched as the small militant force, which seemingly erupted from nowhere, stole the voice of these Unions, and formed the Communist Red Faction. The Red March was chilling; so many workers from all over the Onion flocked to the Reds; A growing threat to all.
The Onion was full of conflict and strife, every aspect of every life, was under threat.
From here the local governments were influenced, ever more, by what was becoming the reality of the Onion. From Classic Liberals, who only ever wished to own their own business/property, which finally split from the Consortium to form communities, like Grady. To the anarchist, that only wanted freedom from the oppressive laws of the Alliance, like the First Wave. These were fairly common offshoots throughout the solar system, though many more seeded the moon colonies.
Many of the people, which still huddled on the remnants of the Ark, feared change. Many more, were waiting for their promised homes on the inner planets; What Merrick thought of as ‘The Royal Planets.’
Merrick knew better than most, Merrick knew that no ‘commoner’ was ever going to see planetfall; the Royals simply were not going to allow anyone else on those planets. Anyone that believed otherwise was a duped fool. Merrick wondered if the Viceroys even knew how instrumental they were to forcing people off of the City-stations. Because, put simply, the more colonies that chose to build their homes on the moons, the less people the Royals had to worry about when the domes finally became obsolete.
The centuries of the Thirteen Royal Families had created what the Royals were already calling the ‘Arkroy Race’. By far, Merrick considered this a much graver threat than all the conflict throughout the Onion.
Merrick was far more than what he appeared, far more than just a UM rep…
Merrick Denali swore with every fiber of his being, the Vanguard would rise again!
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