Shipwrecked - Chapter 138: We the People (nosex)

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Chapter 138: We the People

I got enough sleep to feel a bit refreshed when Nina woke me in the night. I kept a silent vigil while she got some rest, seeing nothing of concern throughout. I hoped that was what we'd always find on our nightly watches.

Morning arrived and the camp was abuzz with activity. Nina began her work on our security with gusto despite only getting a few hours of sleep that night. As those of us in the main camp crowded around the morning cook fire, munching on fish and vegetable stew, Nina laid out her initial thoughts. We'd assign two people each night to monitor our primary shelters, working from dusk until dawn. We'd need to keep at least four people North in order to stay vigilant there, as well. In addition, we needed to construct outposts, holding seats and a mattress as well as storage for items needed there, such as binoculars and snacks, blankets and weapons.

We knew Popko and Hunamu were willing to stay North for a while. They had come South briefly the day before during those frightful hours awaiting the unknown boat approaching our shore, and after greetings and hugs, had headed back to tend the fields. Tila and Tika volunteered to join them, and those four would be the first to start our watch vigil in the North. It made sense to have more people North beyond our need for security. The Spring and Summer months were always busy in the fields, and we'd soon be sending more hands to help out there anyway.

Nina and I agreed to take the night shifts over that same period in order to give us time to sort out schedules. Keekah was due any time during the next month or so, so she was out of any rotation. Amy, too, was excluded. And it made no sense to have Bailey included given how vital she was for both our child and her support of Amy and Keekah. Manu needed to be ready for Keekah's moment, and so it made no sense to have her wearily keeping watch in the night.

That left, after me, Nina, and the four in the North, a group of nine, Tok, Kate, Kylana, Kunomo, Gale, Amu, Hakee, Mie, and Poln to keep the main camp going. With two returnees back and a new member in our ranks, it made the work less challenging than it might have been otherwise. Plus, Nina and I still expected to contribute. We just needed to ensure we had some time set aside during the daylight hours to catch up on sleep missed overnight.

Tok and Hakee began working on the main camp outpost immediately. After getting the details of what was needed from Nina, they drew up plans and ensured we had ready what was needed. Thankfully, we had plenty of seasoned lumber available and with Mie and Poln, they had the foundation built into the sand by evening.

We'd decided it made sense to place it near the shoreline directly in front of the shelters. It gave us the best range of views East and West and offered the most convenient spot for those keeping watch if they needed to empty bladders or retrieve something from camp. Like with the bunkers, I felt some reluctance acknowledging that I'd have to see those necessary structures in camp. They reminded me how vulnerable we were, and I hated having to remember how easily our lives could be upended by violence. But they were necessary. And preparing our defense was the only responsible thing to do.

The outposts were an immediate, tangible sign of the very real changes coming to our home.

- - -

We held our first serious discussion about our new rules and government on the evening of November 3rd. The agenda had been finalized by Amy, with help from me and Manu. Popko and Hunamu had returned for a few days, both eager to take part in the discussions. Tila and Tika stayed North, neither terribly interested in what was taking place. They promised to ensure a nightly vigil and to keep up work on the fields during the day.

With one eye on Keekah's imminent childbirth, which, based on the bulge in her stomach, looked like it could come any moment, the rest of us settled in around the fire before the sun had been lost from the sky. Nina and Gale each took notes.

Foremost, we were determined to define our power structure. Based on her research, Amy suggested that the Elder system used by the Uhonamonans and, previously, by the Hahonokoans, was a good basis for the general oversight and lawmaking we needed, though she suggested that an executive above that made sense for security and day-to-day administration. He or she would have the ability to delegate powers except for that of Commander of our security, and it was agreed the Chief would choose a Vice-Chief capable of filling in as needed. In the event of a Vice-Chief needing to step into the Chief role, it was decided that this would be temporary, lasting no more than three months without elections, with an exception for major crises as determined by the Council.

After some discussion, those present had a consensus around a Council of three elected Elders, with an elected Chief over top. The Chief was the executive, sort of like a President, while the Council was more like Congress, in a sense. The Chief served as both top-level administrator and head of state, both a dignitary and a domestic leader. Elders passed laws, to be signed by the Chief or vetoed. Elders also served as the judicial branch except in cases involving an Elder, and the remaining members along with the Chief would serve as arbiters then. We had yet to get to what laws made up our basic foundations, and how we handled the times when someone violated them.

We debated how to determine who could vote, which led us to consider who might become full citizens. After some minor disagreement, we settled on a requirement that someone must fully reside on Phoenix for three months before becoming a citizen with full rights. The person had to live within the community and contribute a fair share based on their situation. They couldn't be a hermit who resided in secrecy or someone who offered nothing, though we ensured that we could still take in people with extensive needs or disabilities and consider those situations as needed. Beyond that, the age of puberty was determined to be the point at which one could cast a ballot and take part in other official decision-making events.

That meant that everyone currently living on Phoenix with the exception of Kunomo, Katie, and Azure could vote. Katie and Azure gained birthright citizenship, we decided. There was disagreement over whether Kunomo should be granted an exception to the proposed rule of citizenship. No consensus was reached that evening.

Council and Chief elections were to be held every two years, at minimum, during the final week of December, but could be called more frequently by a majority of the Council, the Chief alone, or by a petition of the majority of eligible voters. In such cases, elections must be held within two weeks of the official notice. Exceptions were proposed for times of war, crisis, or a substantial portion of the population being away, but we put that discussion off for another session.

That took all evening, and by the time consensus was gained, it was time for those not on watch to head to bed. It had actually been an interesting and fascinating discussion. We were present for the birth of a new nation, and we were deciding, for ourselves, what sort of government and leaders we wanted as our own. There were many, many more details to hash out, but it felt like we'd made good progress. Nina and I took our place at the newly-completed outpost, and we settled in for a long, warm Spring night.

- - -

The next evening, we were back at it. It was amazing to see everyone so engaged. Not one person failed to offer suggestions or thoughts, including our youngest participants. Mie even asked really great questions about the sorts of punishments we would allow for those breaking rules.

We put aside the foundational laws and punishments for a time so that we could instead finalize our government structure.

We'd already reached agreement on the Chief, the Elders, and questions of citizenship and enfranchisement. It was agreed that Kunomo would be afforded citizenship immediately following our initial elections. We finalized other agreements by requiring that the Council hold public meetings no less frequently than once each month to talk to those interested about the state of our society and to field questions and concerns. It was clear that everyone wanted all such meetings to be written and recorded for posterity, and for records of all votes and non-publicly-made agreements to be posted somewhere obvious and accessible.

It felt good to finish that part of our agenda and move into what Amy labelled the 'Bill of Rights' segment. We kicked around all sorts of foundational rights and laws we might need for a few minutes, but then Gale had a thought we needed to address first.

“We really need to decide something even more basic than rights of speech or religion... What about our resources? What about the economy? We're a commune right now. There's not much in the way of private property, not really. Nothing beyond trinkets or personal items. There's no wealth here not held in common. I, for one, love that and wish it to continue.”

“But what about an incentive to do more than just survive, Gale?” I offered. “Shouldn't people be encouraged, at some point, to take risks and seek some personal gain in order to make it better? You know, research new crops, find new trading partners, new ways to make plumbing?”

She shook her head, unsettled, “Do you mean to tell me that you think that the people here have done less than they could to address every need we've had? Do you really think we'd have better plumbing, or better food, if people individually owned the land, the crops... the plastics and metal and wood?” Gale was visibly upset. “Kal... I cannot believe you think that...”

I sighed. “No... I don't believe that Gale. I think, honestly, you and I actually agree on what is best for us. But I think we're all rather used to the way we've been living, the way we've shared and succeeded, and I don't want us to overlook another idea just because we are comfortable. I put out there the idea of private property only to ensure we give it proper consideration. Most of the world had adopted capitalism at some point, and it brought a lot of advantages.”

“Sure,” Gale said less bitterly, “and look what good it did them. It was all blown up while men fought over private property.”

“True, perhaps. I don't pretend to know the motives of those who started the war, but point taken. Please, who else wishes to consider this issue?”

There were good points made for and against our way of communal living. What about gifts for birthdays? What about special treats? What about things we had very limited supplies of and couldn't so easily distribute? If one of us goes on a trading mission and returns with a bottle of wine given to that person as a gift, who owns that? If they get a barrel of wine?

That discussion was the meat of what we really needed to define. It wasn't so much a capitalism versus socialism situation. We already lived communally, and given the unique conditions on the island, I thought that made the most sense. We were all better off sharing what we had, so we needed to figure out where to draw the line in a practical sense.

This led to Amy suggesting the Bottle-Keg Rule. Basically, if something was the size of a bottle, couldn't be easily or practically shared with all, had a relatively low value in trade or to the community, and wasn't already owned communally, it was probably best to consider that private property.

If, instead, it was the size of a keg, could be shared with all or most, and/or had a moderate or high trade or community value, it probably should be communally owned. Sure, there was a lot of grey area, and, as Amy pointed out, someone could accumulate a lot of 'bottles' over time and become relatively wealthy, so we didn't have every detail nailed down perfectly. But by the end of the spirited discussion, it was clear where we fell. The communal, sharing society which used the Bottle-Keg Rule as a framework for determining ownership was the one we elected to start with.

We had enough time to then move back into the foundational rights. I strongly favored adopting, in modern, simplified terms, the spirit of the First Amendment of the of the US Constitution. I laid out my case as best I could, arguing that speech, even speech we disliked, should be free. We draw the line at harassment or abuse, but thoughts and ideas spoken aloud, even those we despise, should not be criminal. Along those lines came freedom of religion and press, should we grow that large, as well as assembly and petition.

There was more disagreement than I had expected. Manu's comment led the way. “Offending someone is wrong.”

“Wrong, or criminal?” I replied.

“What's the difference? Something wrong should not be done. Something criminal should not be done. Why would we not treat them the same?”

“Okay,” I conceded, “but who decides what is offensive?”

She hesitated, considering. “The person who was offended.”

“So... to be clear,” I asked evenly, “we should punish someone only because a person they talked to is offended by what they said?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe...”

Hakee came in to support Manu's position. “What if they are mean to someone? Like... really mean to them?”

“Harassment? Abuse?”

“Yes, those,” she replied.

Gale responded for me, “Those would already be covered as crimes. The words don't matter, the method of presenting them is what is important. Telling someone she's fat is offensive. That doesn't mean the person saying it should be punished by the State.”

“What about telling lies about others?” Mie asked. “Is that okay?”

Tok replied, “We need to be careful about the way we're discussing this. Let's be clear. There is a difference between illegal and unsavory. Telling someone a lie is unsavory but not illegal most of the time, though on some occasions, it is possibly illegal. Telling someone they look young when they do not might be a lie. Should we punish that person? If I tell you I'm feeling alright this evening when, in reality, I'm very tired and sore, that would be a lie. Should I be a criminal as a result? I think we cannot legislate truth or lie except in very vital and rare cases. Someone telling people that the Chief punched them when in fact he had not. That is a false accusation with serious consequences if true, and those lies are the ones which matter most.”

“And yet,” I broke in, “it will be almost impossible to legislate lies ahead of time. I suggest, on that count, we include issues of fraudulent behavior, and other sort of high-impact situations, but otherwise, I still stand by the idea that speech should always be free, even if we don't like it.”

I took a breath and waited for responses. When none came, I said, “Imagine a scenario a year from now. Instead of the twenty-something of us now on Phoenix, we have fifty. Instead of original citizens on the Council and as Chief, the newcomers have elected people they know better instead. They decide that it is offensive, and thus, illegal, to openly discuss sex outside of shelters. While this might not seem a big deal in the grand scheme, that's just one change they make. They also decide that discussing your ancestors' religions to be offensive. Further, they are so offended by such talk that the punishment for offenders is one month spent in isolation.”

“Kal... you're being ridiculous...” Manu cautioned me.

“Am I?” I tried not to become angry. I was passionate, to be sure. “Can you not see that we aren't protecting ourselves against ourselves, those of us here, now. If it was just us and forever that way, all of this is unnecessary. We get along fine and settle our issues fairly and justly. But the more people we let in, the less control those of us here now have over the way things are run, the more we open ourselves up to such abuses.”

“It has happened,” Amy cut in. “I've read about those sorts of things. Usually in big countries. But when there aren't those sorts of protections in place, sometimes those in power use restrictions on speech and assembly and religion to crack down on opponents and to force their views on those they rule. It isn't pretty.”

There was a quiet consideration by all for a few moments, then Manu spoke up. “This I must think on. I do not wish us to restrict speech, I just...” She threw up her hands. “I just want us to be kind to each other, that's all. I don't want people to come here and treat us poorly. I don't want to offend anyone, and I don't really care if they offend me, I just... Maybe this is more a problem of deciding who we let in. Yes,” she said, looking determined and nodding her head. “Yes, that's my real problem. Not allowing that freedom for all here, but controlling the sorts of people we let join us. That is what I need to focus on.”

Surprisingly quickly, there was a new consensus around the rights enumerated in the First Amendment so long as we agreed to seriously consider our immigration policy and exceptions to those rights, as well.

It may seem tedious, as indeed, perhaps, some of these discussion could have been, to describe the ways in which we chose our social rules. But I can't stress how vital a moment that was for us. It meant the days of an odd libertarian-communistic community became one of codes and laws. These were discussions which were vital for ensuring our own success, but more importantly, the success of our descedants who would need those codes and laws to navigate through a changing world.

Sure, I recognized that it may well be a temporary play at being a new 'nation.' One day, perhaps even soon, I knew it was likely that a stronger force would come calling and we'd probably be forced, against our will or with it, to become part of some other nation which was willing to use force to get its way. That didn't matter much to me, though. We had to plan for what we could, to take control of what we could control. Everything which was beyond our control was, in some ways, beyond our concern. As we had for years on Phoenix, we took advantage of what was available to us, used our wits and our labors to make things better, and then did our best to keep the pressures from the rest of the world off our backs when it was clear we had no say in them.

So, that night, we added a few additional fundamental laws, largely about specific crimes of violence, and theft, and definable harms to our society. We did not include a right to own personal weapons. Our common policy had been that everything was communally owned, and because a firearm was more like a keg than a bottle, those two belonged to all of us. Knives, we felt, were less than kegs, and they had a utility the automatic rifles and handguns did not. Personal knives and similar items were private if not already communally owned or vital as a rare tool.

Amy let us know that she would include in notes the thoughts we had on each item. Even if our sentiments on guns and knives weren't specifically codified, future interpreters would be able to read our reasons why, and could use that sense of the authors as to why certain laws were written, and others discarded.

We used our remaining time that night to spell out some of the expectations for those on the Council and the Chief, such as that the Chief could appoint cabinet members who were essentially department heads. I suggested three we should add, those being Security, Resources, and Education. Each of those would require coordination and planning, and it made sense to formalize each and deputize someone to head each realm. Others were thrown out. Tok suggested Trade as a department, and we debated whether Trade is part of Resources. For the moment, it wasn't necessary to codify or come to a consensus since it would be up to the Chief to determine, but it was interesting to try to divide up our world into clear and distinct categories.

Additionally, the Council could create Exceptions to any of our laws by majority vote of the Elders and ratification by a majority of the population.

Perhaps the easiest decision we made that evening was our official name. I reminded everyone how Bailey had been the one to first call this place the Island of the Phoenix, and briefly summarized the origin of the phoenix myth and how Bailey had used a Harry Potter book to bring it to our attention. We'd taken to shortening the name to Phoenix Island, or just Phoenix. No one disagreed when I suggested Phoenix should be the moniker of our new state.

- - -

By the next evening, Amy had rewritten all the scratched out ideas and presented us with a finished draft of the full document. She'd even made several copies, with the help of Kate and Bailey. All of that with a new baby on her arm or at her chest. It was very impressive and wonderful to see Amy, once again, blossoming in front of me.

She'd also written a preamble to our Constitution. The explanatory introductory text gave a very brief description of who we were and why we had established Phoenix. I'll include it here:

Those of us residing on the Island of the Phoenix do hereby establish a new Constitution to aid us in providing liberty, security, compassion, justice, fairness, equality, and opportunity for those in our society. We come from many places and through trials and ordeals, we came to call this place our home. Herein, we hope to guide ourselves and those who follow us to know love, contentment, and peace.

“Perfect,” I told Amy after she read it aloud.

“I love this,” Keekah added, leaning on a small pillow while stretched out on a red blanket on the sand near the cook fire, “this is us.”

Amy beamed proudly. “So... now what?”

“I think we've forgotten something that makes us different,” Gale said, reading the draft of the document. “Something we need to discuss.”

“What's that?” I asked.

Gale let the paper drop and looked at me evenly. “Sex. Nudity. Incest. Sex with minors. These are things other people don't really allow where they are from.”

“Yeah,” Nina replied, “but those seeking to come here do so because of those things.”

“Perhaps some of those things are acceptable to each, but all those concepts to each one?” Gale countered. “What if the mother and son who accept incest and sex with minors don't wish there to be nudity? What if a father and daughter are okay with the incest but not the low age of consent? What about someone comfortable with being nude but horrified by the thought of incest?”

“What do you suggest, Gale?” Kate asked, “we legalize incest? Underage sex? I mean... yeah, that's normal to me now, and it's okay, I think, but to actually put it in writing? I feel a little creeped out, honestly.”

Gale nodded, “I understand. What I'm suggesting is that we codify the rules, not enforce activities. For instance, we add a rule which protects the individual right to wear clothes or not. If we need exceptions to that, maybe for safety or health, the Council can create an Exception. Also, a freedom of sexual expression. We recognize the right to be intimate in public places. Again, the Council can create Exceptions for safety, health, security, all that.”

“I'll accept those. What about the age of consent?”

“I suggest we include a freedom of consent which starts at puberty.” Gale replied. “That's what we've been largely doing here already.”

“Sort of,” Manu admitted. “There were certainly interactions prior to puberty with some...”

That was a tough issue to consider.

“If someone is old enough to ask about it, to show interest in it,” Hakee asked, “aren't they old enough to be allowed to take part?”

“What if it is a four-year old?” Mie said quietly.

Silence met her question.

How did we answer this? It wasn't so easy at to put an age, or a state of development, as some sort of logical benchmark. It didn't fit the society we had built, right or wrong. Mie and Poln had both been somewhat sexually active before puberty, and I have a hard time believing either suffered or took anything but love and pleasure from those moments. But in the future? Could we put other children at risk of abuse by not addressing this somehow. I thought we could, and I worried about being one of those who, indirectly, sanction that abuse. Even if Exceptions were made later, the rules changed, the harm would already be done and it would have been legal.

“How do we determine who can consent?” I asked after a long quiet.

“They must understand what sex is.” Kate offered. “They must have received sexual education first. They can't even begin to give consent if they do not understand what they are consenting to.”

“They must express an interest openly,” Manu added.

“How would we determine that?” Tok asked. “How would we know that a consent was given freely and not under pressure? The younger they are, the more easily they can be coerced into something without a full understanding of what is going on.”

“Anyone below ten cannot possibly consent, however you define it,” Bailey asserted. “and I'm admittedly very uncomfortable setting the bar that low. ”

I nodded, as did several others. “Ten sounds like a place to start. No consent below ten. And then, from ten to puberty, which ever comes later,” I suggested, “there are requirements of sex education which must be completed first.”

We talked further and came to a consensus around those lines, knowing we would probably want to rethink this issue once our Constitution was finalized.

“So I assume incest comes along with that?” Kylana spoke up for the first time.

Gale replied, “if we add a clause which includes freedom of choice of consenting partners, regardless of prior relationships, we can tackle that one, as well.”

That, too, was agreed upon.

While Amy, Kate, Manu, and Amu worked on revising the document and readying the final version for our ratification, the rest of us closed down the camp for the night. I took a fresh jug of water and a bag of dried berries out to the outpost, checking on the weapons and blankets kept there. This night, like the last several, was warm and still. Stars twinkled through breaks in high, thin clouds. We saw those clouds often and usually only during long periods of dry and calm. I hoped that the rains didn't stay away long. The soil for our crops depended greatly on getting large volumes of rain during the Spring, as did the Lake we used to irrigate them.

By the time the camp work was finished, Amy and her assistants had new copies of our Constitution, including one she identified as the 'original document.' It made sense that we go ahead and make it official. By consent of those present, we agreed to immediately adopt the Constitution of Phoenix and begin to live by its rules.

“Shouldn't we go ahead and get the election underway?” Bailey asked, a grin on her face. “We are now bound by law to elect our Council and Chief.”

We'd put no specific mechanics in place for our elections. That felt like a big oversight at that moment.

“How do we do this?” Amu asked, echoing my thoughts.

“Written ballot?” Amy suggested.

“In what language?” Gale asked, “We all speak English, but not everyone can read or write it.”

“Numbers then,” Nina offered. “They're just simple symbols even if they mean nothing to you. We assign numbers to those nominated, and put a sign on each during the voting. That way, you just mark on your ballot the number you see for the person you want.”

The non-English readers agreed they could do this. Most of those who couldn't read English could still recognize Arabic numerals.

And, as it seemed she was Master of Ceremonies and our primary Constitutional scholar, Amy said, “then I nominate Kal for Chief.”

Nominations we had covered in the charter document. Names were submitted and must be seconded and thirded, as well as accepted by the nominee, to be considered. We elected the Chief first, and then the Elders.

“I second.” Kate said confidently.

“As do I,” Manu added quickly.

Several other heads nodded.

Amy asked me, “Kal? Do you accept this nomination?”

It was a big question despite it seeming so simple and its answer obvious. I had been stressed more than usual recently, the weight of my responsibility for others starting to wear on me. I still held fears for doing the wrong things, making poor choices. I considered declining if only to let that burden fall on someone else.

But that wasn't me. It wasn't about wanting to be in charge. Well, that's not completely true. What I wanted was to protect the ones I loved, the island I called home. I was unwilling to step back and let someone else be responsible for it. People looked up to me. They already thought I lead them. I'd heard that a couple of times recently. Instead of explaining myself, explaining my hesitation, I made my decision certain by saying simply, “I do.”

Amy smiled and then asked the others, “Who else do you nominate?”

There were no other suggestions. I found that stunningly humbling. I considered nominating Manu if only to recognize how valuable I thought her leadership had been over the years, but I held back only because it might be seen as doubt in myself instead of the honorable recognition I wished to convey.

“Well, I suppose a show of hands is all we really need here...” Amy looked at us eagerly. “Who here votes in favor of electing Kal as the Chief of Phoenix?”

Every person raised their hand, including me.

“Hail to the Chief!” Amy shouted, laughing.

Instead of hearing that as the good natured joke in which it was intended, her cry was echoed by several others in delightful cheers and more solemn attestations.

“So, I suppose I should give a speech...” I said, sarcastically. From the reaction I got, it seemed they expected I would.

“Thank you all. This is a very humbling moment. I accept this role and promise to do everything I can to live by the rules we laid out this night and to be just, kind, and fair, to the best of my ability.” I really didn't know what else to say.

“Hail to the Chief!” cries went all around, and I got hugs and handshakes from everyone.

Amy drew us back to order and said, “Nominations for Elder?”

“Manu.” I said without hesitation.

Amu and Hakee seconded in unison.

“Nina,” Hakee added after seconding her mother.

She, too was seconded. Kate was offered up, and Tok, and Bailey. All got their seconds and thirds. Gale, as well. Each of them accepted the nomination.

It was going to be a very difficult selection. I asked that we allow ourselves a night and day to think it over, not certain how I could select three from the six candidates. It was agreed to postpone our decision until the following evening, and Nina and I soon retook our spot in the outpost and spent the night in alternating shifts.

- - -

So many of my thoughts that night centered on what sort of leader I might be. During our change of shift in the middle of the night after being awakened by Nina, my watch partner emphasized again that I didn't really need to change anything I was doing. I just needed to continue being the guiding hand I'd always been, and the rest would follow on easily. I hoped she was right. Still, I worried that making things official had changed, in some fundamental way, the expectations for my performance.

After Nina took my place on the mattress and quickly fell asleep, I turned my thoughts to the election of Elders. I had no idea how to make such difficult choices. Manu seemed like a no-brainer for all the reasons I'd have given if she had been chosen as Chief. She was intelligent, kind, and very capable of leading, and we absolutely needed her on the Council.

Beyond that, I struggled. I knew Bailey was my rock, and had been so for many in our community. Yet, so had others. Kate's shorter stay on Phoenix had nonetheless provided an oversized impact on all of us, in a positive way. Nina, as well. Tok was a natural leader, as was Gale. How could I possible pick two of those five and not vote for the others? I had no idea how to proceed.

- - -

Politicking began at first light. I don't mean the machinations of laying out our rules and processes, I mean the personal discussions, the alliances, the influencing of others. Hakee asked me before most others were up who I planned to vote for. When I told her I didn't know, she suggested her slate included Manu and Nina, and she was open to being talked into a third if I felt strongly about Bailey or Tok or Gale or Kate. She hoped that we could make a deal to ensure her two preferences were on my slate, as well. I declined to take part, suggesting I was truly uncertain and didn't wish to make up my mind without coffee, anyway.

Manu, too, sought out my thoughts. She didn't reveal her own selections, but she offered that if there was someone I wished to work with me on the Council, she would vote that way, as well, and since she was leaning towards a vote for Tok, perhaps I could ensure I listed him on my own ballot in exchange for whomever I desired being listed on hers. Again, I declined.

Even Bailey discussed the vote with me over breakfast as we set aside from the others, me holding Katie while my young wife ate.

“So you really don't know who you will vote for?” She asked me with skepticism. “You won't vote for me?” I couldn't tell if she expressed hurt or merely curiosity at that implication.

“I—” My response began and cut off as Bailey cut back in.

“It's okay. I'm not voting for me,” she interrupted.

“What? Why not?” I asked.

“It was nice to be nominated, Kal, but... I think I've got enough going on right now, honestly. With Katie, and helping Amy with Azure, and soon Keekah's baby... I think it would be better to not add Elder to that list. Plus, Elder makes me sound old, doesn't it? I'm not sure I'm ready for that.”

I chuckled lightly. “So... you'd prefer I didn't vote for you?”

She shrugged. “Not saying that, exactly. Just that... Well, if I'm chosen, I'll accept, since that's what people want, but honestly... I think it would be better if others took that spot.”

“Like who?” I questioned her, hoping she would share her thoughts.

“Manu, obviously, and Tok, for sure,” Bailey said between mouthfuls of porridge. “Beyond that... I'm probably biased, but... Kate is my choice. She just... she's been great to me and I see the way everyone here respects her and listens when she speaks. I think she'd be perfect.”

“Manu, Tok, and Kate,” I repeated. “I could get behind that, though I don't know how I don't vote for you. Really, I'd love to see you get the respect you deserve for all you do for us. You are wise beyond your years, Bailey, even if you aren't old enough to be called Elder.”

She laughed, “yeah, well...” Bailey scraped the remains of the bowl and put the spoonful in her mouth. “I'm just saying I won't be voting for myself, and if you don't vote for me, that's fine.”

“I don't want to hurt you, Bailey,” I replied. “It sort of feels like a slight to even consider doing that.”

“You're a politician now, Kal. You have to make hard decisions, and some of those are going to hurt people, even people you love,” she said evenly. “You know that I'm not the best person for the job.” When I started to protest, she held up her hand that said immediately that my argument was invalid. “You know I'm right. Manu, Tok, Kate, even Nina and Gale... They have more experience and should be the ones you chose from. One day, I'll be ready for that role, I think. But right now,” Bailey said, setting the bowl aside and slipping her shirt down over one breast, then reaching for Katie, “I have enough responsibility to keep me busy.”

I smiled at her after watching Katie settle against her chest and begin to suckle quietly. “Thanks, Bailey. You would make a great Elder even now, you know. You are way too clear about things to be only fifteen.”

Bailey grinned at me, and the conversation died down again as Tok strode over wishing to talk to me about the outpost still needing built in the North.

Others were huddled in conversations of two or three, and from the brief snippets I heard, the election was very much on everyone's minds. I worried that those not selected might feel slighted, that they might assume that not being voted into office was somehow indicative of a lesser importance to our society. I hated that that might happen. It sucked, honestly. I could only hope they understood that this was all for the best, over the long term, and that they would all still play vital parts in what was to come.

- - -

So in the early evening, still a couple of hours of light left in the day, we settled into the common shelter to cast our votes. Popko and Hunamu were heading North before dark, and Tok, Kunomo, Gale, and Amu were going as well, carrying supplies needed to build the outpost. We had a stockpile of seasoned wood in the North, though not so much as around the main camp, and Tok thought it would be enough to get the job done. They also expected to start the big mid-Spring crop work, so a larger part of us would stay North for some weeks.

Amy used dried leaves from one of the large, elephant-ear like plants for scratching numbers of the nominees onto the surface, then had each of the possible Elders hold those for all to see. From 1 to 6, they were arranged in front of us: Manu, Nina, Kate, Tok, Bailey, Gale. Those were our choices. I felt like, no matter how it went or how I voted, we would be well represented.

One by one, each of us scratched three numbers onto our own dried leaves and put them in the basket on a table to one side. I watched as others finished and sat back, awaiting the completion of the voting. I had made up my mind only about an hour earlier. It had not been an easy decision.

I was the last to turn in my ballot, having just scratched '1,' '3', and '4' on the surface. I let Bailey's words decide for me that I wouldn't vote for her. It felt like betrayal in a small way. I really believed she was one of our leaders and she would have been an excellent Elder, but she'd convinced me to do otherwise, and I let my rational mind take over and select the three I thought best able to be on the Council, though, even as I made my marks, strong arguments for Nina and Gale were still swirling in my head.

Once the ballots were turned in, Amy read numbers from each one while Hakee and Kunomo kept a tally of the votes. It was clear halfway in that Manu and Tok were going to be elected. Most ballots held both names. Kate was running strong, as was Gale. Nina's vote count suggested she would fall short.

One by one, the ballots were withdrawn from the basket, read aloud, and set aside as tallies grew. Sixteen ballots were cast in total, Kunomo accepting that he was, as of yet, ineligible, and the twins were still in the North. We'd decided that in the event of close counts, we would need the twins to cast ballots to break ties or be certain of a result.

“That was the last one. What are your totals?” Amy asked the counters.

Hakee and Kunomo compared notes a moment and had matching counts. Hakee read the results. “Manu, fifteen. Tok, fourteen. Bailey, three. Kate, eight. Gale, five. Nina, three.”

And so it was decided. There were hugs and handshakes and congratulations for the winners as well as those who came up short. I noticed that Bailey's smile looked forced. Perhaps she really had hoped to be elected and her words to me were less honest than they'd seemed. My stomach turned over at the thought.

Regardless, in that moment, I knew what I needed to do.

I'd spent part of my watch the previous night scribbling ideas by the light of a small candle. I pulled the sheet of paper out when everyone had settled down, and proceeded to speak.

“We are well represented by our choices this day. I hope everyone understands this is not an exclusion of anyone not chosen, but an elevation of those who were. Lead us well, all of you. That said, as Chief, it is my responsibility to delegate authority and to create the optimum structure in our government to see us thrive and progress.

“As such, I hereby create three new Cabinet positions and assign to each a set of responsibilities. First, we absolutely must have a Department of Security. Responsibilities include our common defense, training, preparations, and assessments of everything we must do to protect ourselves from outside force. It is an easy choice in my mind to name Nina as our Secretary of Security. Nina?”

She smiled and nodded. “I accept.”

“Great. Tonight, we can discuss how I and the Council can assist you in our common purpose.”

She grinned, and I moved on. “Second, we are similarly vulnerable in our crops, our supplies, our commonly-held assets. As such, I hereby create a Department of Resources in order to maintain and expand our agriculture, our trade, our labor, and our planning for future crises. I am excited to put forth Gale as Secretary of this department.”

Gale accepted her role graciously, saying, “so long as Manu and Amu can assist since they have done so much over the years keeping our fields going strong and our inventory maintained.”

I continued when attention was back on me. “Finally, but not least, we are nothing if we do not learn from history and prepare our minds to be ready for our future. I hereby create the Department of Education, and I name Bailey as the Secretary.”

Her smile was genuine this time. “I'd love that. Thank you.”

I gave her a warm hug, then said, “We will coordinate over the next few days, along with the Council, on our strategies moving forward. I needed each of you to select a person to assist you in your efforts. Their titles will be Undersecretary in each respective department. This selection is up to each Secretary to make and I would appreciate this being done within two days.”

“I already know who I want,” Bailey said with cheer, “Amy. She's a brilliant teacher and she knows history better than anyone here.”

That made Amy smile broadly and she nodded. “Sure. Sounds great!”

“And I wish Amu to join me in Resources,” Gale added. “He may be a quiet man, but I have no doubt we are a better place for his hard work and excellent ideas.”

“Hear! Hear!” I replied. “Excellent choices.”

Nina chimed in, “I want to think about it. So many great people, I want to talk to them first. I'll let you know soon.”

- - -

We wrapped up soon after, and those heading North took off so as to not lose the remaining light, taking supplies with them after a very quick meal. The rest of us ate more slowly around the fire and spent a good hour talking excitedly about what we'd done over the past few days.

It was a big step for us, I thought. Sure, we were a community of twenty or so people, and admittedly, I felt like a big fish in a small pond in many ways, but still, we'd come together and formed a new state, identifying our priorities and our principles, and ensured that we protected what we valued. I could only hope I was up to the task of leading. I knew I'd lean heavily on the Council in many matters.

I had yet to appoint a Vice-Chief, and I found that decision very difficult. There were no restrictions in our laws. It could be anyone. A member of the Council. One of my Cabinet heads. I wasn't really sure how to make the selection. Manu was my first choice, but it felt somewhat wrong to name someone as my Vice who was already holding an important role on the Council. Sure, the Vice-Chief held no power and was someone who must step in only if something incapacitated the Chief, but I wanted to pick someone who was outside of the existing roles, someone I could mentor.

Mentor. That seemed like a ridiculous word given how I was about to be the one learning on the job. How could I mentor someone if I didn't yet know how to do it myself?

And then I realized who I would pick.

Hakee fit everything I felt I needed in that moment. Yes, she was young, and yes, there were certainly others more immediately capable of stepping into the role of Chief. But Hakee had a good head on her shoulders and had demonstrated leadership many times over. She had the requisite stubbornness to push through obstacles, but also the humble humanism to empathize. She was young with a lot of potential, and she had all the tools necessary to learn the skills needed to lead our people.

I talked it over with Nina that night in the outpost before one of us was tired enough to sleep. I sipped coffee, wanting to take the first watch, my mind racing and unlikely to settle down for hours yet.

“I'm thinking of selecting Hakee as my Vice.”

“I like it. She's very strong minded, Kal.”

I chuckled, “to be fair, you are biased since you love her and all.”

“Me? Biased,” Nina said with feigned outrage. “That's rich coming from the guy who just put his fifteen-year old wife in a position of power.”

I laughed. “Good point.” I added a touch of the precious sugar to my coffee. “Seriously, though, what do you think?”

“I like that choice,” Nina repeated. “You know I think the world of her. Yeah, she's eighteen, but she's a very mature person. She cares deeply about people, and I think she'd do anything for us. She's smart. She's open-minded. Hakee is the love of my life, so, yeah, I'm biased, but I think you see what I see in her.”

“I do. I really do,” I agreed. “I thought we needed someone not already on the Council or as a Secretary. Someone who didn't already have extra responsibility in our governance. It gives us a chance to work together to figure things out and to learn as we go. Do you think... do you think people would accept her leadership... if something happened to me?”

Nina thought about my question quietly for a moment, then replied, “I hope so.”

“You hope so?” I followed up.

“I mean... this is a pretty new thing we just did. We sorta just formalized what already existed, so no one is going to put up much of a fight. It was a no-brainer to pick you, and Manu, Tok, and Kate were my picks for the Council. Your Secretaries make perfect sense. Nothing to ruffle any feathers.” Nina leaned back in her chair. “But Hakee... I don't know. Don't get me wrong, she's capable, but if the worst happened to you, and she stepped in, would people listen to her or would they follow the Council instead? Hard to say. Right now, I cannot predict how that might go. I really don't want to think about anything bad happening to you...”

“Nor do I,” I replied, “but it is now my job to think about that as Chief. And it's your job, as well. Our security depends on a smooth transition in those terrible moments. We have to consider the consequences fully. If there is any doubt about accepting Hakee as our leader, I have to consider other options.”

Nina nodded silently.

“I'll take a few days, I think, to mull it over. I still think she's the right person, but I must admit that I cannot have a Vice who would not immediately be accepted in my stead. Perhaps Manu, or Tok, might be a better choice even though the are on the Council.”

“Maybe...”

“Anyway,” my nose wrinkled at the strong briny odor washing up from the shore, “have you had any time to think about what you wish to do in your new role? I know it's only been a couple of hours, but I know you well enough to expect your mind has already churned over a good deal of water in that time.”

“I know what I want to do for training. I assume that Resources is responsible for allocating work assignments moving forward?”

“That was my intention, so, yes.”

“Then I'll need to work with Gale to figure out how to get in more training with the guns, but more importantly, in tactics.” Nina glanced my way, staring past me a moment. “I also need to draw up plans for whatever we might face. An assault team rushing our shores in the night. Attacks from multiple angles. I need to teach people how to estimate distances and force size. How to retreat without panicking. So much we need to do.”

She sounded a bit stressed, so I said, “You'll have my support, as well as the Council. We can provide any assistance you require. Plus, you still have your choice of Undersecretary to help out.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm not really sure who to pick.”

“Might I suggest that Kunomo has some experience in this regard? Not formal training, I think, but he has been involved in a few fights with GS over the years. Perhaps he is capable.”

“I'll talk to him. I just don't know him well, right? I kinda feel like whoever I pick should be someone I already trust. I don't know him well enough to say that yet.”

“Understood. You can pick someone on the Council. Tok fought in our defense here the day I was kidnapped. Perhaps he can assist.”

“Maybe... I'll talk to him as well. What about Popko?”

I didn't respond immediately. I hadn't really considered the young man, but he had seen a bit of action, as well, and perhaps he might have some attributes which made him a good choice. “Yeah, you should consider him, I think.”

Nina let out a long sigh, then yawned. “Think I'm ready to crash. Thanks for everything, Kal. I feel a little better about all this now. I'll let you know when I've made a decision.”

“Sleep well, Nina. Love you.”