The journey itself, is freedom
by Ainzfern
19
Sitting in his usual spot on the balcony wall smoking one of Katze's cigarettes, with the mid-morning sun warming his back and a steaming mug of coffee in his free hand, Riki grinned at the tall and handsome redhead standing alongside him.
Katze had arrived at Riki's apartment only a short time ago, ostensibly to enjoy coffee in the company of both Riki and Esra, who was yet to arrive. Almost as soon as he had walked in, Riki had noticed that Katze's demeanor was a vastly improved one from the last time the dark haired mongrel had seen him. True to his inquisitive nature and indeed the genuine honesty of their friendship, Riki could only take about five minutes of their standard check-in conversation in reference to their mutual business interests before he just had to mention that he'd noticed.
"So, you look like you're in a much better head-space this morning," he lifted his half finished coffee in a relaxed salute.
Crushing out his own cigarette Katze raised his coffee to his lips, his striking golden eyes shooting a level look over the rim of his mug at Riki's impish expression. "I am," he said at length, lifting one broad shoulder briefly. "I got an inside line on a very different viewpoint on the past and... well, it kind of put things back into perspective again."
Riki nodded, flicking his finished cigarette butt expertly over into the same ashtray Katze had used. "Raoul?" he guessed softly.
"Yeah." Turning around, Katze leaned back against the sun-warmed balcony wall, his elbows comfortably propped. "It's actually pretty remarkable just how good Elites can be at that kind of thing."
"True." Squinting up at the clear morning sky for a moment, Riki leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Especially ours, y'know? I mean they project this whole cool and distant remoteness so much of the time but," he shook his head fondly, "when it comes to all that heartfelt shit... they just seem to know what to say to make it better."
Katze stilled, looking seriously at him. "Because they know us," he murmured.
Riki frowned at him. "I'm not following you, man."
"Well, think about it for a second." Katze's eyes narrowed slightly as he expanded upon his thoughts. "The average Elite, if there even is such a thing, is vastly intelligent, right? Capable of directing almost immeasurable reserves of energy and intellect towards their goals... towards their chosen points of focus."
"Yeah?" Intrigued, Riki sat forward, his dark eyes intent on Katze's face. "So you're saying we're a focal point?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Katze snorted dryly and lit another cigarette. "I mean, by now Raoul probably knows me better than I know myself. And he'll remember everything, Riki. Just as Iason will about you. It's the way their minds work. I'll bet that you could ask Iason to tell you what you said to him over dinner last Tuesday fortnight and he'd be able to do it. Maybe not exactly word for word but he'd be able to repeat the gist of the conversation, which is more than you or I could do."
Riki considered his friend's words for a moment, staring down at his hands. He had to admit, what the ex-Furniture was saying did make a fair amount of sense. However, there was a couple of glaring holes in the premise that didn't really sit very well with his personal view of his Companion. "I don't know if I'm all that comfortable with your theory, Katze," he said at length. "You're making our boys sound pretty fuckin' cold, there... like it was just a matter of facts and details. You know there's more to it than that."
"No, trust me... I do know that. But that's just it, Riki." Far from looking miffed by Riki's comment, Katze actually smiled broadly at him, clearly enjoying the hypothesizing. "The difference is the emotional connection. What I'm saying, admittedly not very well, is that loving us brings all that incredible mental ability into sync with their feelings. The emotional drive is what motivates that focus, what makes them appear to 'know' just what to say to us, how to touch us, how to make us feel better... because they've remembered, hell – probably even mentally catalogued, everything we've said, every nuance of our responses to certain stimuli, every reaction we've had to situations or words."
"Well, okay yeah... yeah, I'll buy that," Riki gnawed gently at his full lower lip for a second, "but also don't forget that it's still a two-way street, right? We do the same thing in reverse. Maybe not as well, or with as much accuracy but we still strive to know the people we love as best we can... to remember the things they like or don't like, to be considerate of them. I mean that's just normal healthy relationships."
"Oh, I'm not going to argue with that at all," Katze looked thoughtfully at him, smiling slightly. "In fact, that's the whole rationale for my thoughts on this."
Feeling as though the entire conversation had just turned a quick full circle, Riki pressed the fingertips of one hand to his forehead. "Katze... is there an actual point to his one? 'Cause you're making my brain bleed. Again."
"The point, man, is the paradox," Katze said somberly. "Raoul's 'Elite' attributes, his hyper-intelligence and his superior resilience... these are the things that I've grown used to, that I've come to love, because they mean that he'll never forget anything about me, never let me down, never lose his focus on me or the things that matter to me," he paused, a look that was very much like wonder crossing his pale, well-formed face, "and they are the very attributes that I once used to be so afraid of."
Clarity abruptly arrived in Riki's mind. He heaved a long slow sigh, nodding at the redhead. "All-right," he murmured. "That one, I can relate to."
Katze huffed a soft sigh, a rueful little smile curving his lips. "I've, uhm... I've been pondering the past a bit lately," he admitted.
Riki nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah. I kinda guessed that." He rubbed one hand over his cheek and pulled a little face. "Actually, I was a bit worried about you the other day. Y'know... just after Enif had left. I know you have this tendency to obsess over shit."
Katze snorted, arching a sardonic brow at the dark eyed mongrel. "No..." he said with heavily laden sarcasm, "really?"
"Smartass," Riki shot back amiably. "What I was about to say was that I'm glad you talked to Raoul about it. I'm glad you're not still kicking the hell out of yourself, that's all."
"I'm getting there, Riki," Katze's demeanor relaxed, becoming almost serene. "I'm getting there."
"Riki?" The pleasant tones of Dane's voice forestalled the mongrel's reply. "Sir Esra has arrived."
Turning to face the open balcony door and the attractive and open-faced young Furniture currently politely waving Esra out into the warm sunshine to join his two friends, Riki grinned broadly. "Thanks, Dane. Can you kit Esra here out with a coffee?"
Dane chuckled, clearly amused by Riki's turn of phrase. "Of course I can." He smiled warmly at Esra. "I won't be a moment." Swiftly, he disappeared back inside.
"Morning Esra," Katze greeted the young ex-Pet with a broad grin, saluting him casually even as he lit up another cigarette.
Esra nodded, smiling back at him. "Hi Katze. It's good to see you again."
"Hey," Riki scooted forward on his section of wall, his dark eyes alight with welcome. "Katze and I were both looking for you at Partia last night."
"I'm pretty sure we spotted Laron early on, but we didn't spot you at all," Katze added in his deep soft voice. "You didn't come?"
Esra shook his head. "No," he flicked a wry little glance at Riki. "There was a pretty good reason for me not being there, though."
Intrigued, Riki nodded for him to continue.
Heaving a soft sigh, Esra took a seat on the nearest bench and smiled a brief thanks at Dane as the Furniture delivered his beverage and then once more quietly withdrew back indoors. "Laron's having some... well, I guess you would call them 'issues', with his former department head."
"Former?" Katze's golden eyes narrowed a touch.
"Yes," Esra nodded sadly. "Laron resigned after Kyle Li refused to accept his application for promotion within the department. Because of me," he added unhappily. "Because the idea of Laron being an ex-Pet's Companion offended him."
Riki made a disgusted little sound and turned his head, meeting Katze's knowing gaze. He and the ex-Furniture could both relate to where Esra was coming from. "Yeah," he heaved a sigh, feeling a certain empathy for Esra's position. "To be honest, Esra – I was really wondering whether or not to mention this to you at all. Even though we only heard the rumors last night, I wasn't sure how much you knew about what's been going on."
"All of it," Esra assured him softly. He shrugged grimacing a little. "At least, now I do."
"Came clean with you, did he?" Katze murmured.
"Eventually," Esra frowned. "Please... what happened last night? Laron's only given me the briefest details."
Riki winced, drawing in a deep breath. "Kyle Li pretty much held a bitch's court in the centre of the fuckin' conference hall."
"And..?"
"And," Katze continued, his tone indicating his contempt for the whole incident, "your guy's name came in for some pretty heavy vilification, I'm afraid."
Esra closed his eyes for a moment, his brow creasing. "Oh Laron," he whispered, frustration in his voice. He looked up at the two mongrels, his expression sad. "No... He didn't tell me these details."
"Well, I can't blame him there," Riki told him gently. "I mean think about it. There's nothing you can do about it, right? So from his point of view, he probably just doesn't want you hurting over it."
Esra sighed again, nodding his acceptance. "Actually," he tilted his head thoughtfully, "considering what really happened, Laron was in a surprisingly good mood when he got home last night. He told me he spent the greater part of his evening talking with Tahna Lam, of all people. He's got an appointment tomorrow morning with him to discuss a possible placement in his department, apparently."
Riki blinked and shared another brief glance with Katze.
Not that he wanted to be an alarmist at all, but the fact was – for all that he'd discovered that Tahna just possibly wasn't the living incarnation of evil that Riki had always thought him to be, he still couldn't pin down a clear picture of Tahna's motivations. All he knew was that the Blondie was unlikely to do anything even remotely magnanimous unless there was something in it for him, and that Chey Neeson – the federation government's foremost negotiator – was probably the only person in the entire universe that could handle Tahna with any modicum of success. "Uhm, not to rain on anyone's parade here but... Laron has dealt with Tahna before, right? I mean, he knows not to pin too many hopes there, doesn't he?"
"Oh, believe me," Esra told him earnestly, "he's being very cautious about the whole thing."
"And, if all else fails," Katze drawled laconically as he crushed out his cigarette, "he can always fling another salad at him."
Esra chuckled for a moment, before sobering once more. To Riki's sharp eyes, it was still very clear that his young friend was as worried as hell about his mate.
"Listen," Riki slipped of his perch on the wall and moved to sit beside Esra on his bench. "You'll probably appreciate knowing this, especially now. But I wanted to tell you that Iason was pretty ticked off about the whole scene himself."
Esra blinked, surprise entering his huge brown eyes. "He was?"
Katze snorted softly. "Ohhh, that's an understatement."
Riki grinned at him briefly. "I just wanted you to know that he's all over it, okay? Kyle Li bought himself the wrong kind of attention last night and very soon, he's going to realize that."
Esra sat back. "You know what? I don't like to think of myself as a vindictive person... but I am really glad to hear that."
"Cool." Riki winked at him. "Now... What I really want to hear about is how your other project went."
Moving over to join then, Katze pulled up a chair, his expression intrigued. "What other project is this?"
Esra blushed but, to his credit Riki noted with approval, he answered quite calmly anyway. "Oh, you missed that conversation, but... Riki gave me a few pointers on seducing hesitant Elites."
"Ah," Katze nodded delicately.
Riki clapped the redhead's shoulder, a wise-assed grin covering his handsome face. "You should be able to relate to this one, man, seeing as how you were involved in what was possibly the longest fuckin' courtship in the history of Amoi."
"Up yours," Katze drawled easily at him, winking at the blushing ex-Pet. "Ignore him, Esra. Nothing is sacred to some people."
"Hell no," Riki agreed placidly enough. "So... don't keep us guessing, Esra, my man. Has 'contact' been achieved?"
The smug little grin on Esra's face answered the mongrel's question more eloquently than any words ever could. Sitting forward a little, his amusement and affection for the young ex-Pet rapidly reaching boundless proportions, Riki once again privately admitted that the kid was pretty adorable. He could see, judging from the look of almost paternal indulgence on Katze's face that the ex-Furniture was just as charmed by the young man as Riki was.
As he paid all due attention to Esra's personal de-brief, Riki silently began to chuckle with a sincere sense of wonderment at the sheer incongruity of the setting he was in right now. An ex-Furniture, an ex-Pet and an ex-Ceres gang leader, sitting together in the warm morning sunshine and not a one of them feeling that there was any real difference between them.
Probably, Riki added in the silence of his mind, because there genuinely wasn't.
A simple truth, but nevertheless a profound one.
"Your Excellency," Kyle Li's expression was genuinely startled as Iason walked unannounced into his office on the mid-upper levels of Jupiter Tower. "I apologize, I was not aware that I had a meeting with you this morning."
"Actually, Kyle, there was no meeting as such arranged, thus an apology is not at all necessary." Iason waved a placating hand at the Blondie as Kyle, observing the traditional courtesies, rose to his feet. "I do hope I am not inconveniencing you with my rather abrupt decision to come and see you in person."
"But of course not, Sir Iason," Kyle waved him to sit with a graceful gesture of one elegant hand, sinking back down into his own chair once Iason had settled.
"Thank you," Iason leaned back a little, steepling his long fingers in front of his chest in a pensive manner. "Regretfully, I only have a few moments to spare this morning," he advised in his deep velvet voice, "I have another appointment to attend to shortly." He sighed in a vaguely long-suffering way. "With Tahna Lam, strangely enough."
Kyle's expression hardened upon hearing that name. "Truly? Well I can only wish you the best of luck in dealing with that harridan."
Iason inclined his head in acknowledgment of Kyle's remark. "Offended you recently, has he?"
"Oh, as a matter of course, I believe." Kyle lifted one broad shoulder. "As he seems to go out of his way to do to all of his peers."
"He is a unique challenge at times, I will grant you that much," Iason straightened his broad shoulders assuming a business-like air. "However, Tahna Lam, as fascinatingly objectionable an individual he might be, is not the reason I have dropped in on you."
"Well, with that in mind," Kyle lifted an elegantly querying brow at him, "what did you wish to discuss with me?"
"Laron Tak," Iason replied evenly, "as a matter of fact."
Kyle's eyes narrowed and, to Iason, there was a definite light of malevolence there as well. "Really?" the Elite murmured, his tone soft but noticeably tense. "He's gone running to you with his tragic little story already, has he?"
"Actually no," Iason sat back, crossing his long legs comfortably, his pale eyes never once breaking from Kyle's face. "Although I am most intrigued as to why you would immediately assume so. I understood you had dismissed him for reasons of poor performance. A man in such a humiliating position is hardly going to attempt to seek support from the most senior member of the Syndicate, is he?"
The expression on Kyle's patrician face became very careful. "Of course not," he replied stiffly, his tone indicating to Iason very clearly that he had not appreciated Iason's comment. Or his perceptivity. "Thus I am very relieved to know that you were not bothered. However, your interest in the matter is unexpected."
Iason smiled coldly, curling the elegant fingers of one hand under his chin as he gazed steadily at his subordinate. "Do you think so? Should a good leader not make every effort to touch base with his department's activities in person at least occasionally?"
"And that is what this interview is, your Excellency?" Kyle's normally generous mouth had thinned to taut and unhappy line. "Just a check-in upon the general state of play? I would hope that my high standard of monthly reports would be more than sufficient for that."
"Oh indeed they are," Iason rather artfully concealed a somewhat wicked smile with a delicate clearing of the throat. "And I must say, Kyle... I don't like the word 'interview' in this case. That is far too formal a description for what should be viewed as a casual visit only."
"I thank you, your Excellency, for pointing that out," Kyle's tone literally dripped icicles. "One is never too senior to be corrected, is one?"
"No... 'one' is not, and you are most welcome." Manfully keeping his expression serious, despite the surge of amusement that rose in him, Iason inclined his head graciously. "Now... I must advise you that I have not personally spoken to Laron Tak at all. My interest was wholly and independently caught by the rather intriguing conversations that appeared to be buzzing throughout the Partia conference hall last night."
"Ah," Kyle at least had the good grace to look the tiniest bit uncomfortable, as if he was well aware of just how much beneath his station the gossiping behavior of the previous night had actually been. However he rallied magnificently, holding Iason's gaze levelly, even defiantly. "Well, as I am sure you can appreciate, I am not at all responsible for what any particular Elite repeats to his colleagues following a conversation with me."
"Of course not." Iason quirked a knowing brow.
"Nevertheless," Kyle went on, a hard glint entering his blue eyes, "you did indeed hear the general heart of the matter. Laron Tak was dismissed because of an unacceptable and quite noticeable drop in his focus towards his duties."
"I see." Iason shifted his long and elegant limbs into a more comfortable position. "How interesting. And yet his previous performance appraisals have been consistently excellent."
"Tragic, I know," Kyle said flatly.
"Hmm," Iason stared directly into Kyle's eyes for a long moment. To his credit, Kyle Li stared right back. "Tell me," Iason said at length, "have you any theories of your own as to why Laron experienced this abrupt 'downturn', so to speak?"
Kyle's full mouth twitched into something that might have been a smile. "I really could not say, your Excellency."
"But the change was recent, you agree?"
Kyle nodded, his eyes growing even more cautious. "Relatively recent, yes."
"Would you hazard to guess that it was possibly around the time Laron upgraded his Pet, Esra, to be his legal Companion?" Iason closely watched Kyle's reaction and was not disappointed. The slight twitch under Kyle right eye, the tiniest disgusted curve whispering over that full mouth was more than enough to confirm his suspicions.
Kyle, however, was still playing it close to his chest. "I really don't wish to speculate if that was the cause or not, your Excellency," he answered coolly. "I would not dare to presume that the distraction of a... a 'mate' is detrimental to an Elite's intelligence at all."
Iason flashed a wolfish smile. "A fascinating observation, I must say."
Kyle's eyes widened just a touch as he clearly realized that the insult meant for Laron had neatly included his Leader as well. "Of course, such an observation is only spoken in the nature of conjecture. Certainly I would not be so crass as to claim that opinion as my own."
"And certainly not in front of me, I have no doubt," Iason murmured dryly.
"But of course not, your Excellency."
"I note that you do not currently have any Elites who have taken Companions working in any of the key positions in your department." Iason's look was very direct, and he noted with some satisfaction that Kyle visibly bristled at the statement. "This, I must confess, I find rather intriguing."
The muscles along Kyle's handsome jaw worked for a moment. "Coincidence," he bit out at length.
"Ah," Iason nodded sagely, rising to his feet and bowing his head with exquisite courtesy as Kyle also rose with him. "I thought it had to be something along those lines." He smiled a beautiful smile, but his ice-pale eyes remained cold and calculating. "Because I'm sure that the notion of deliberately circumventing my, and indeed Jupiter's, legislative conditions concerning matters of equality and fair employment opportunities never crossed your mind."
Kyle's faced flushed. Just slightly, but it was definitely there.
For a mad moment, Iason had to resist the impulse to crow, keeping his outward composure in place through sheer effort of will. As Riki would have no doubt said, Iason had the fucker by the balls... and both he and Kyle knew it.
"Of course not," Kyle replied, his voice little more than a hoarse murmur. "Perish the thought."
Iason nodded at him once more. "I am pleased, Kyle, to know that you are clearly running your department with an admirably unbiased hand." His normally cool and slightly superior smile became positively evil, although the inflection in his silken voice remained as urbane and calm as ever. "Of course, the nature of our positions of power within the Syndicate give us a remarkable advantage, don't they?"
Kyle remained silent, his beautiful eyes burning with impotent fury.
"Mmm," Iason continued smoothly as if Kyle had happily agreed with him. "For example; if I were to find one of my department heads who was not performing to the more modern standard that is now required or who perhaps was simply no longer, shall we say, effective in his role... I could simply dismiss him. I wouldn't have to explain why. The fact that I am the Leader of the Syndicate is enough. My word... is law."
The Blondie opposite him swallowed hard, his breathing becoming quite audible to Iason's sharp ears as he reacted to the unspoken promise, the not so hidden threat, in Iason's 'example. He was keeping his composure, but not without supreme effort.
Deeming that the message had well and truly been received, Iason gave himself a little shake, an artfully pleasant and open expression crossing his flawless face. "However," he said almost brightly, "fortunately, all of my department leaders are performing to a most impressively high standard and I see no reason why that state of affairs will not continue. And, as we both know, it would ill-behoove me in the most extreme manner to abuse the power that I have over my subordinates." He arched an elegant brow at Kyle, tilting his head slightly to one side.
Pulling in a deep slow breath, Kyle nodded. "Indeed it would, your Excellency," he said in a vaguely sickly tone.
"I would expect, Kyle, that you are of the same opinion on that particular matter?" Iason shook his pale hair back from his face. "And I am equally certain that your department subordinates will continue to enjoy future opportunities based solely upon their aptitudinal merit?"
Briefly closing his eyes, his perfect face rigid and pinched with upset, Kyle nodded shortly. "But of course," he bit out flatly. "It is, as we both know, every Elite's birth-right and duty to see that Jupiter's will is carried out to the best of our ability."
"Indeed it is," Iason literally purred as he adjusted his sash-coat neatly in preparation for leaving Kyle's office. He sighed in mild mock-regret. "But it's so ironic, I think you'll agree, just how often I find myself having to remind my Elite brethren of that fact."
Kyle's nostrils flared for a moment.
"I'm gratified I did not need to in your case." Iason continued. He dipped his head in the standard courtesy one final time, noting how Kyle, even in the midst of his chagrin, mirrored the gesture immediately.
Old habits, he supposed. Some were not so harmful, but others...
"Well I thank you, Kyle, for welcoming my visit at no notice," Iason smiled pleasantly. "Such a call is always worthwhile even if just to ensure that all is well."
"It was my pleasure, your Excellency," Kyle grated through a smile cold enough to freeze water.
"Equally mine, Kyle," Iason replied just as distantly. "I look forward to your next report. Good day to you." With that he turned and strode from Kyle's plush office without further word, feeling altogether satisfied with the morning's efforts and more than content to leave Kyle Li behind him, gnawing at his own liver in frustration.
As much as he was generally content to let each department head run his own section as he saw fit, in Kyle's case he knew that he was going to be keeping a rather careful eye on the man moving forward. Although Kyle had been quite cagey during their conversation, being particularly mindful after his initial slip not to pass any comment that might be construed as an insult or a slight against Iason's own companioned status, Iason himself was very aware of Kyle's real feelings on the matter. He knew that Kyle Li resented quite a few of the newly implemented policies, particularly those based around the ownership of Pets, and the Companion contract.
Kyle had never been shy in the public arena in voicing his opinions to that effect and only the fact that he was now also able to ship his unwanted Pets off to the Hepstra program rather than having to pension them off with his own money, had kept him from causing too much open fuss about Iason's decisions to implement such sweeping reforms.
But... Iason continued to muse as he entered the lobby lift that would take him back up to the top level of Jupiter Tower and his own office adjacent to Jupiter's sanctuary, what Kyle had done to Laron was something new, something quite disturbing. An attempt, in fact, to sabotage a talented and capable Sapphire Elite's efforts to take advantage of the new legislation dissolving the old Elite caste structure. Kyle, despite his claims to the contrary, had held Laron back because he had a Companion, because he had fallen in love and chosen a life mate.
Just as Iason had.
He had to wonder... was it the fact that Laron had chosen an ex-Pet as a mate rather than, say, an Amoian civilian or a retired Furniture to share his life that had offended the Blondie so? Or was it simply the fact that Laron had decided to claim a Companion at all?
Either way, Kyle had made a significant tactical error in choosing Laron Tak as his target. Laron's prior performance reports had been impeccable. In every section he had worked in, with every superior he had worked under, his performance appraisals had always been nothing short of glowing. And, over six months ago, when Laron had taken Esra as his mate, that situation had continued unchanged. Laron's performance had been unimpeachable, his output impressive and the reports lodged by his section heads were of a consistently brilliant standard.
Until he applied for promotion.
Then all of a sudden, Kyle Li seemed to find fault with the man's performance.
Striding gracefully through the anteroom outside his office and then through into the familiar interior, Iason headed directly to his desk, assuming his usual seat and immediately logging in to his personal terminal. He called up Laron Tak's dossier and spent some moments reviewing the man's history, a smile gracing his face and his brow twitching with a certain clinically aesthetic approval at the image capture of his young mate, the ex-Pet called Esra.
A rather beautiful young creature, Iason noted; and evidently quite capable of bringing money of his own into Laron's household as well. Laron had chosen well there. Of course, Iason's smile warmed a touch as he continued to scan through Laron's more recent information; Laron's mate wasn't really Iason's type per se, although he could appreciate what Laron saw in him. For the Elite leader of the Syndicate, there was only one person with enough fire and strength, with the so perfectly imperfect rightness of feature and grace and raw sensuality that could hold his attention.
How fortunate for him that he already had him as a life mate.
Swiveling his chair away from his terminal, Iason spent some moments gazing pensively out the window at the magnificent vista of Tanagura so far below.
He would make a point of keeping an eye on Laron as well, he decided as he sat there, his long fingers absently tapping out a little staccato on the arm of his chair. After what he and Riki had observed during the bi-annual Syndicate dinner in Partia the night before, he had a feeling that the Sapphire was going to find it quite difficult if not nigh impossible to secure a decent position in any Syndicate department.
Iason's pale eyes narrowed again, a certain dangerous light entering them.
He was well aware and completely accepting of the fact that some of his Elite brethren were not going to agree with the new legislations. Such things were inevitable and the sign of a healthy governing body. Even if they clearly understood and accepted that these changes were things that Jupiter herself wanted put into place for her children moving into the future, there were always going to be Elites that would find fault with the delivery of those changes, or the wording of the legislation, or just the fact that it was Iason overseeing the implementation.
Elites were an argumentative race. Iason Mink had long since come to admit that.
But... he was also able to accept that he may have to step on a few necks to ensure his vision of a strong, revitalized and dynamically free-willed society was not sabotaged before sheer momentum began to carry it forward under its own volition. And that time was coming. Whether Elites like Kyle Li wanted to believe it or not, the fact was that the larger percentage of Amoians supported the social reform program. They saw it for what it was... the ultimate opportunity.
He would not, could not, sit silently by while Kyle Li did his best to ignorantly undermine the effective dissolution of the redundant caste system.
And ignorance was what it was. Lack of foresight. Iason swiveled back to his terminal, a scowl creasing his normally smooth brow. Kyle was so caught up in 'punishing' Laron Tak for offending his sensibilities; for taking an ex-Pet as a mate, where Kyle clearly thought such creatures were only worth looking upon briefly before discarding, that he was failing to see that his efforts to destroy Laron's prosperity, indeed his future, would have an inevitable carry-on effect. If he were allowed to succeed in this, there would be a precedent set. There would be nothing to stop other Blondies and Platinas, the greater and lesser department heads, from refusing to promote any other color castes en mass. The entire dissolution legislation would be rendered worthless.
It was not going to happen. Iason set his shoulders and rose to his feet, striding with a purposeful gait towards Jupiter's sanctum. He had a few moments to spare before his next appointment and although he had a good idea of what steps he would take as required, an even tempered counsel was always welcome. He paused as he reached the outer anteroom, waiting until Jupiter's presence entered his conscious mind and bade him enter. As he stepped into her pristine sanctuary he nodded almost to himself.
He now had a vested interest in seeing Laron Tak succeed. He would create a job for the man himself if he had to. For now, however, he would simply watch and wait. Reviewing Laron's records, Iason had to confess that he did have the oddest feeling that Laron Tak might just surprise all of them.
The journey itself... – chapter 18 << >> The journey itself... – chapter 20