I sensed Savitri tense up next to me; the arrogance of the old-line colonies, which had been founded by Western countries before the CU took over colonization, had always appalled her.
“What advantages are those?” Jane said. “John and I just spent seven years living among ‘those colonists’ and their descendants. Savitri here is one of them. I’m not sensing any notable advantages among those at this table to them.”
“I may have phrased that poorly,” Trujillo said, beginning what I suspected was another concilitory knife-twisting.
“You may have,” I said, cutting him off. “However, I’m afraid the point is academic. DoC regulations don’t give us much flexibility on the administration of first-wave colonies, nor do they make allowances for the previous national affiliation of its colonists. We are obliged to treat all colonists equally, no matter where they come from. I think that’s a wise policy, don’t you?”
Trujillo paused for a beat, clearly annoyed at the turn of rhetorical events. “Yes, of course.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So for the moment, we’ll continue to follow regulations. Now,” I said before Trujillo could ramp himself up again, “anyone else?”
“Some of my people are complaining about their berth assignments,” said Paulo Gutierrez, Khartoum’s representative.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked.
“They’re unhappy that they’re not closer to other colonists from Khartoum,” he said.
“The entire ship is only a few hundred meters long,” I said. “And berth information is readily accessible through PDAs. They shouldn’t have any problems locating each other.”
“I understand that,” Gutierrez said. “I just think the expectation would be that we would be berthed together in our groups.”
“That’s why we didn’t do it that way,” I said. “You know, once we set foot on Roanoke, none of us will be from Khartoum, or from Erie, or from Kyoto.” I nodded toward Hiram Yoder, who nodded back. “We’re all going to be from Roanoke. Might as well get a head start on that. There’s only twenty-five hundred of us. That’s a little small for ten separate tribes.”
“That’s a nice sentiment,” said Marie Black, from Rus. “But I don’t think our settlers are going to very quickly forget where they came from.”
“I don’t expect them to,” I said. “I don’t want them to forget where they came from. I would hope that they would focus on where they are. Or will be, soon enough.”
“Colonists are represented here by their worlds,” Trujillo said.
“It makes sense to do it that way,” Jane said. “For now, at least. Once we’re on Roanoke, we may revisit this.” That tidbit sat in the air for a few seconds.
Marta Piro, from Zhong Guo, raised her hand. “There’s a rumor that two Obin are coming with us to Roanoke,” she said.
“It’s not a rumor,” I said. “It’s true. Hickory and Dickory are members of my household.”
“Hickory and Dickory?” asked Lee Chen, from Franklin.
“Our daughter Zo? named them when she was younger,” I said.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it two Obin are members of your household?” Piro asked.
“Our daughter keeps them as pets,” Jane said. This got an uneasy laugh. That wasn’t so bad. After an hour of being not-so-subtly hammered on by Trujillo, it wouldn’t hurt to be seen as the sort of people who could keep terrifying aliens as domestic companions.
“You need to push that son of a bitch Trujillo out of a shuttle bay,” Savitri said after the room had cleared.
“Relax,” I said. “Some people are just no good at not being in charge.”
“Gutierrez, Black and Trujillo have made their own political party,” Jane said. “And of course, Trujillo’s gone running to Kranjic to spill the details of this meeting. They’ve gotten very cozy.”
“But it doesn’t cause us any problems,” I said.
“No,” Jane said. “None of the rest of the representatives seems to have much truck with Trujillo, and the individual colonists are still boarding; he’s had no time to get known to any of them who aren’t from Erie. Even if he had, there’s no way the DoC would replace us. Secretary Bell hates Trujillo and has since they were representatives. Taking his idea and installing us as colony leaders is just another way she has of sticking it to him.”
“General Rybicki warned us things have gotten political,” I said.
“General Rybicki has a way of not quite telling us everything we need to know,” Jane said.
“You may be right,” I said. “But on this point he was right on the nose. Anyway, for now let’s not worry about it too much. We’ve got enough to do and after the Magellan leaves Phoenix Station we’re going to get even busier. Speaking of which, I promised Zo? I would take her down to Phoenix today. Either of you want to come? It’s me, Zo? and the Obin twins.”
“I’ll pass,” Savitri said. “I’m still getting used to Hickory and Dickory.”
“You’ve known them for nearly eight years,” I said.