Exiled to the Stars (32 page)

Susan frowned. “I suppose there will. It’s hard to believe that people still worry about that race nonsense.”

Vlad burst into laughter. “Sorry, blondie, but a
lot
of people still worry about ‘that race nonsense’. I know that EarthGov thinks they’ve eliminated racism, but they’re wrong. Just because the parlor progressives think they’re above it, that doesn’t mean race isn’t
very
important to those farther down the food chain. And don’t think it’s a one-way street,” he continued. “Black people, or Asians, or Arabs, can all be as bigoted as the whites.”

Susan’s face darkened, and she started a hot retort, but Cesar stopped her. “He’s right, Susan. Racism stems from insularity, and Drones can become very insular. If you spend your entire life seeing only Asian faces, encountering a white one can be a shock. One always thinks that their birth culture is the ‘right’ one, and anything different must be less perfect. It’s human nature.

“You’re a blue-eyed blonde,” he continued. “Surely you noticed all the stares in the Drone dorms.”

Susan’s expression was still stormy. “Of course I’ve noticed it. The only time it ever bothered me was when a mother would snatch up a child, as though I were some sort of child-devouring monster.”

Cesar shrugged. “To her you were different, and therefore an unknown danger. It’s not much of a stretch from ‘unknown danger’ to ‘known threat’ and eventually to ‘evil’.

“Our survivors are seventy three percent Asian,” Vlad put in. “I’m sorry, dear, but there are two blue-eyed blondes. In a century there won’t be any, unless we meddle with the genes.” He shrugged. “It’s even worse for me. I’m the only black left. Oh, you have samples from another dozen or so, but I’m the only one still walking around.”

Susan’s proposal set off a firestorm on the Council. Vlad and Cesar were correct. Most of the Drone Councilors insisted on ‘racial purity’, while the white and Mediterranean Councilors, now a minority, raged against the discrimination.

Doug Ryles was uncharacteristically silent on the issue. He understood the threat, of course, but he was simply too self-centered to expend political capital on an issue that would not surface during his lifetime. The surviving Caucasians would insist on Caucasian babies, so their race would survive at least several more generations. And genetic diversity is a slow-motion bomb. It would probably be centuries before inbreeding caused the colony to fail and the colonists to die off. There would be generations of Councils to worry about that threat.

He did realize that at some point whoever controlled the breeding program would become one of the most powerful and influential people in the colony. But for at least the first few years, it was obvious that they would need a scientist to head it up; and there was really only one colonist qualified for the job: Susan Renko, wife of Montero's tame black, Vlad Renko.

So, there was no need to become involved yet. He'd make his move once the technical details were worked out, and special knowledge was no longer needed to run the program. Then, even if the Montero crowd succeeded in keeping him from being elected Colony Administrator, as head of the breeding program he'd be very nearly as powerful, with a hold over popular opinion that even Montero wouldn't dare challenge.

Chapter 12

Ninthmonth 17, Year 2 of the Landing

Finally, at the insistence of Cesar, Sun, and their allies, the Council decided to convene a meeting of all the colonists to discuss the issue. Doug Ryles voted against the meeting, more out principle than actual opposition. He wanted to keep as much decision-making power as possible for the Council, and didn't want to establish a precedent for popular vote. He had leverage on five of the thirteen Councilors, and was working to gain influence over as many of the others as possible. But over twelve hundred people?
Nobody
had that much influence, even Montero. So why would the old chink push for a meeting? There must be an angle Doug wasn’t seeing. He voted 'No', but didn't use his leverage to press the others. Every time he used his power over the others, it increased the chances some fool with more courage than good sense would get up on his hind legs and begin fighting Doug instead of caving to him. Without knowing Montero's angle, it would be foolish for Doug to risk it.

"I think we're going to lose," Vlad said glumly. "You saw what happened in Council. They voted almost strictly along racial lines."

Cesar sighed. "I know," he replied soberly. "But we have to give them the chance to vote. At least we'll get a chance to make our points." He shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to hope they vote with their brains, and not their prejudices."

Helen Shourd, now Helen Montero, shook her head. "Logic is a frail reed to stand up to prejudices ingrained since childhood. I'm afraid Vlad's right. You won't get many Asians willing to accept a Caucasian baby as their own."

Susan Renko, formerly Susan James, snorted derisively. "Why must people think in absolutes? This isn't black or white, or in this case Asian or Caucasian. There are many shades of gray, or brown. We're not telling an Asian woman she must raise a Caucasian child. All we're asking is that they consider adopting a mixed-race child. Surely that's not too much to ask."

Vlad shrugged. "I still think we're going to get beat."

Helen scowled. "I agree. But what irritates me even more is Ryles' toadies spreading a rumor that Ryles rammed the meeting idea through the Council, while Cesar and his 'henchmen' fought to 'deprive the people of their right to make their feelings known'."

Cesar shrugged. "There's not really much we can do about it. We all know that the truth will never catch up with a rumor. It's hardball politics, and it's actually smarter than I gave him credit for being." He turned to Vlad with a grin. "How's it feel to be a 'henchman'?"

Vlad shook his head. "I think I preferred being a 'minion'."

Despite the fact that the meeting was to be broadcast simultaneously over the colony's 'net, every colonist not on essential duty seemed to have gathered in the Colony building. The meeting had been announced over the 'net for more than a week, and had been scheduled for Rest Day morning in order to assure adequate time and maximum attendance. It seemed no one wanted to miss the first in-person meeting since the landing.

"Good morning," Cesar greeted them. "As you know, it has been our custom for the Council to regularly report its activities over the 'net. However, we are approaching two years since our arrival on the world we have named 'Crashlanding'. We of the Council felt that it was time for a comprehensive, colony-wide meeting to address where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.

"We have faced many challenges, and surmounted many crises during the last two years, and we can be proud of our accomplishments. We have survived the crash of our starship and the deaths of more than twenty percent of our people, and we have survived the plague that claimed over 60 percent of our loved ones that survived the crash. We have now survived two of Crashlanding's winters, which we have learned are relatively mild at this geographic location.

"Still," he continued, "We have much of which we can be proud. Despite a total population of only 1240, we completed the dam that protects the ship and its critical resources, and have begun work on the 'castle' structure to protect us. We now have over five hundred hectares under cultivation, and an estimated 1100 head of livestock to provide us with real meat, milk and cheese to accompany our crops. Our scouts report that earth-descended grasses, insects, and wildlife have spread aggressively, and now dominate almost 26 thousand hectares of land. That is land which we can use for future development, and it continues to grow.

"It was more difficult for earth-descended life to take over Gouge Lake. The native marine life is tough and tenacious. But now, a year after seeding the lake, we have a stable, earth-descended aquatic environment, as our fishermen can testify.

"Altogether, we have been able to stop using the ship's supplies to provide food for ourselves, and as a result, we have an emergency reserve in case of catastrophe.

"As for the colony itself, we continue to convert empty domes to workshops, and a healthy economy has developed, though we must still use 'ship scrip' as currency. We are actively searching for a currency base that can replace the beer-based currency of the ship, and as we locate base materials, our manufacturing capacity continues to grow."

Cesar took a deep breath and smiled. "It hasn't all been catastrophe and hard work, though. We have celebrated over a hundred weddings, including my own," he paused as a roar of applause arose, accompanied by shouts and whistles. "…And welcomed over a dozen new births into our growing colony," he continued. "More on that later, but to continue, our monthly fiestas continue to be a great success, thanks to the efforts of the volunteer planning committee. In short, in our two years on Crashlanding, we are confident we have established a thriving, successful colony.

"Still," he continued, "there remain many challenges to overcome, and this meeting is intended to address some of them.

"We have much to cover today," he continued, "and many diverse viewpoints. The Council wishes to make certain that every point of view is heard, so we have devised the following procedures and rules:

"First, as Chairman, I will conduct the meeting. The first orders of business will be those the Council has deemed important and controversial enough to require votes of the entire colony. Speakers representing various points of view on these topics have already been scheduled, and will be heard in predetermined order. Once the scheduled speakers have been heard, the floor will be opened for general comment and discussion. At that point, you may feel free to address
only
the subject being discussed. Once the predetermined topics have been addressed, the floor will be opened for unscheduled topics.

"As I have mentioned, these topics are controversial, and emotions will no doubt run high. But disruptions and disorder will not be tolerated. You opinion
will
be heard if you will simply press the star key on your tablet. The computer will register your press, and you will be invited to speak in the order in which your signal was received. But if you just start shouting, or interrupting another speaker, you will be ejected from the meeting, and will able to attend only via your tablet, which will not accept verbal input for the duration of the meeting, except during your requested comment period. So please grant those with whom you disagree the same courtesy they will grant you in your turn.

"When called upon, you may opt to address the meeting from the podium, or simply through your tablet."

He smiled. "We expect that this meeting will take most of the day. So, we have arranged for the computer to provide a lunch from ship's supplies. If necessary, it will also provide an evening meal.

"After the meeting, there will be an ice cream social on the colony square." His smile turned to a genuine grin. "We hope the ice cream will help cool some of the tempers raised by the meeting.

Cesar straightened. "And now," he continued, "I would like to introduce Dr. Susan Renko, who has a matter of great importance to bring before this meeting. The Council feels that the issue she is to raise is so important, and so controversial, that only a vote of the entire colony will suffice. Please give Dr. Renko your full attention, and hear her out without interruption."

There was a shifting, a loud mutter, and even a spattering of applause as Cesar took his seat, and Susan approached the podium. Cesar suppressed a wince at the loud groans audible even over the applause. For two years, Susan had been preaching 'genetic diversity' to anyone that would listen, and many in the audience were certain they would be enduring another lecture on the subject.

They were right, of course, but Susan managed a wavering smile as she placed the tablet with her notes on the podium before her. She, Vlad, Cesar and Helen had spent hours polishing her presentation and smoothing over objectionable parts of the plan she was to propose. Still, she was not a skilled public speaker, and her manner was nervous as she began.

"Thank you Messer Montero. Good evening, fellow castaways. That is what we are, you know. Castaways, marooned on a deserted planet by a shipwreck.

"Unlike castaways on Earth, though," she continued, "we have no hope of rescue. There will be no other ships. As you know, EarthGov does not launch any two ships on the same course. They want to spread the seed of mankind as widely as possible. Whether we survive, whether our children or their children survive to build a new world on Crashlanding is entirely up to us.

"As of this morning, there are one thousand, one hundred and eighty-two of us. 1240 actually survived the plague, but even with the births we've had, colonists are dying faster than they are being born. At our present rate of loss, the last of us will die in less than twenty years. Long before that, of course, the population would become too few to survive this hostile environment.

"It takes twelve to fifteen years to raise a child to the point where he could be expected to survive on his own for more than a few days, and eighteen to twenty years before we consider him adult.

"But that is not the only threat. Twelve hundred people are barely enough to be considered sufficiently diverse for a viable community; but it is sufficient
only
if their genetic makeup is carefully monitored and, yes, controlled.

"In short, our population is too low, our birth rate is too low, and we will soon begin to see defective children born unless we take action now."

"Once again she tries to make our women bear white babies!" A voice shouted from the audience.

Chaos erupted, with colonists shouting at each other, shouting into their tablets, and a scuffle or two broke out. Cesar muttered into his tablet, and then his voice roared out, overwhelming the loudest of the shouters. "
SILENCE
" he roared. Silence fell, and he continued in a more normal, if agitated, tone as the computer readjusted the volume, "You will be heard, but you will do so in an orderly fashion," he thundered. "And when you speak, Doctor Renko will do you the courtesy of hearing you out without interruption. You are free to be as stupid, rude and uncivilized as you wish in your own homes, but colony meetings will be conducted in a courteous and civilized manner."