Capítulo 37: The Puppet who Grew a Human Heart - Part III
15th March
Old Settlement, Artemis, Freehold territory
After I met with him, Frank and I left his office to talk. He asked me about Alexander, and what I thought of him, but I wasn't entirely sure how to answer. Frank seems a little different than usual as well. I don't know if it's because of his arm, or if it's something else, but he doesn't quite seem like himself at the moment.
We both look over towards the warehouse, and continued to look at it for a while. From the outside, you wouldn't know that it was a crime scene inside. Frank turns toward me, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
"I've got some instructions on handling the provisional government for you. Basically, you just need to get them to agree to making the moon a state within the Freehold. It shouldn't be a problem, however. The majority of the members will vote in support of whatever we say. It would be ideal, however, if you can convince at least some of the Justice Association members to vote in favour of the state we plan to create."
As he spoke, I got out my phone, and turned it on. He touched his phone to mine, and I received a large file from him.
"The format for the state?"
"Yes. In the future, each of the states of the Freehold will have it's own unique style of government that best serves the needs of the environment the people of each state find themselves in. Or at least that's the idea. The moon's state government isn't exactly what I originally intended, but I was forced to make some concessions to the tigers to get them to agree to it. Either you or Jazz will introduce the plan, and then the members will debate it. Of course, all the members except you were given a copy a couple of days in advance to read over it. But like I said, it isn't going to matter, either way."
"Jazz is going to be there?"
"Jazz is serving as Governor of the moon-"
"No I mean as in... isn't Alexander with him?"
"Oh, I'll be seeing Alexander when the meeting is on."
"I see."
"Read over the outline at least before the meeting," Frank said to me, pointing at my phone.
It takes me about twenty minutes to read through even just the overview. The moon's government seems somewhat reminiscent of a parliamentary democracy, but the differences that are there are quite important. Candidates will be voted to the parliament in electoral districts. A preferential voting system will be used, with the top three candidates from each district being elected to the parliament. The representatives, however, will have other responsibilities besides the ones that they share with their equals on Earth. The three representatives will also oversee the judicial branch of their district, with the ability to veto decisions by courts in the district if two of them agree to it.
This gives the appearance that the lunar parliament will hold excessive powers, but compared to other powers on the moon, this won't be the case. The parliament can be overruled by a Senate majority and the support of a Consul, or simply by a joint decision by both Consuls. In reality, the parliament will probably lack any real power. Representatives will probably discover themselves being pressured by officials above them, or by the transnationals into voting certain ways, and passing certain laws, and they probably won't have the ability to refuse. I'm sure that the Justice Association would oppose this merge of legislative and judicial powers, so I'm not sure why Frank would design it like this. It doesn't seem worthwhile to provoke the Association like that, but I'm sure Frank has some reason to that I just don't understand yet.
I'm going to have to go chair the provisional government's meeting soon, so that's what I should be focused on, but even now, I've got more than just that on my mind. Just what is it that Frank wants? How much should I trust him? No, why am I even doubting him in the first place? Frank has done so much to get this far. I've done so much to get Frank this far. It must be worthwhile, must it not? This dream of Frank's. Just because a sixteen-year-old kid said that he was untrustworthy, I began to doubt him. Is my resolve really that weak? Perhaps I already suspected what Alexander told me, but I just didn't want to admit it to myself.
'Uses his abilities to help people, huh?'. That was what Frank found most interesting about what I told him of Alexander. And perhaps that is the most important thing I told him. The most core element of what makes him a runaway of mysterious origins, Alexander Giovanna, as opposed to Alexander Acland, the son of Frank Scuderi. Me and Alexander had an extra day before we had to leave for Singapore to catch the next shuttle, so we went to Alexander's work even though he had the day off, so that he could inform his boss that he wouldn't be able to work for the next week or two. At first his boss wasn't very happy about the late notice, but some money under the counter changed his tune. Anyway, while we were there, I spoke to one of Alexander's workmates and friends. I don't remember what her name was, but apparently Alexander had helped her out with some family issue or other. From what his girlfriend, Tayla, told me as well, I think he helped her out of a pretty bad situation a while back as well.
From that, and how he himself acted, it seems clear to me that he uses his skills and knowledge to help others out. Why he does things like that, I'm not sure. But it struck me how different that was from how Frank has acted the whole time that I have known him. And because that's how Alexander came across to me, I believed him when he said that Frank was untrustworthy. He wasn't saying it just in spite of me or his father - that's truly what he objectively thinks. The two them are probably meeting very soon. In fact, they might already be talking right now. Alexander believes that Frank has some ulterior motive for bringing him to the moon. Frank told me that he asked me to bring Alexander here because he wanted Alexander to be safe from everything that's going on at the moment. I wonder if Frank is telling the truth. I wonder which one of them I should trust and believe in.
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