The City At The Center of Mars (Red Planet Rising)

Spaceport Strike!

Part Two: The Sisters of the Free Labor Association!​

Sister Galle seems to be most in need of your assistance, and so you sweep in, badge prominently displayed on your lapel. You allow your officious demeanor to clear the way for you, an aura of determination emanating out from your expression in such a way as to clear a path through the crowd, with only a few sorry's and excuse me's exchanged. Within a moment, you've made it to Sister Galle's side.

"So, wait, if that's what the first settlers wore, how'd you get your hands on it? Shouldn't it be in like, a museum or something?" One of her questioners is asking, with the others murmuring along. "Well, it's only a replica, it's not really what they wore. It's a symbol, you know, of respect for the past." She chuckles nervously, pulling at one of the loops on her webbing in a self-conscious gesture. "Wow! That's super neat, yaknow-"

You choose that brief pause to interject yourself into the conversation. "Pardon me, Sister Galle, but would you mind if we had a brief word?" She blinks, surprised - Did she not notice your approach? You suppose the peripheral vision with her helmet isn't very good, so it's excusable, but you'll have to make a mental note to ensure it doesn't cause any problems at a later date. "Oh, uh, Comrade Rosalind, I, uh, am I, er…Sure, alright! Sorry, folks, I, uh, gotta talk with Comrade Rosalind here for a bit." She glances around apologetically to her questioners, most of whom nod with understanding, before dispersing into their own conversations.

You lead Sister Galle over to a small corner of the party, clearing a path in the same way you cleared a path to her. While not quiet and certainly not isolated, it'll do well enough for your purposes. Just as you're about to speak, Sister Galle speaks first, her voice betraying a deep nervousness matched by her expression. "Uh, Comrade, am I in trouble? I swear I didn't discuss anything sensitive with them or anything, I promise. I know I'm young and all but, I, you know I wouldn't do that, right?" You're surprised that she'd think she's in trouble, and it must show on your face, as she begins to nervously pace while muttering - "Oh, geeze, I must've-" You cut her off before she can cause herself any further mental anguish through overthinking. "You're not in trouble, Galle." She pauses her pacing and relaxes slightly at that, as you continue. "I just saw you were surrounded by a lot of people asking you questions and looked nervous, so I decided to step in to help get you a breather. I apologize if I overstepped or made you uncomfortable - I understand that I might have misread the situation. But I also know that one's first…Stadium party can be an overwhelming experience." You certainly remember your first experience at one, in the aftermath of the War. Entire districts basically turned into massive street parties as Stadium's people celebrated their victory and mourned their losses in the best way they knew how.

After a second, Sister Galle nods. "...Oh. That makes sense. Uh, sorry, Comrade - I just saw your face and you looked so serious and, like, official, that I thought I was being called over to be reprimanded or something. Like, that was absolutely the pitch-perfect replication of the look Brother Maven used to give me when I was talking a bit too loud during class." You sigh at the reminder of how young she is, before saying "My apologies. Regardless, you're not in trouble, I promise. Besides, this gives us the chance to talk about a few things outside of work. I appreciate knowing my comrades on a personal level…and this also means you can simply use my name, rather than saying Comrade Rosalind or Comrade every time, hm?" You chuckle, lightly, as Sister Galle nods enthusiastically. "Yes, Com-er, Rosalind! And, uh, well…you already call me Galle! So, feel free to keep doing so! And, uh, you were right, by the way - It was a bit overwhelming to talk to all those people. Stadium's really something, huh?"

You smile at her, trying to put her slightly more at ease. "It definitely is. So, Galle - What brought you down south? I know you folks came down as part of the Administrative Exchange program we've got set up with Biodyne, but I figure it's volunteer work, right?"

She nods, more slowly. "Uh…Sorta? Like, sure, it's volunteer work, but like…you can only volunteer if you're not working elsewhere, you know? And you have to be in the priesthood to qualify. I'm from the Headquarters, so, like, a lot of people who live there either aren't in the priesthood or they're busy with the Terraformer, may the Mother watch over it." She makes the sign of the Mother over her stomach as she says that. It seems to be instinctual, rather than a conscious action, to your eyes at least.

"Alright. So, why'd you volunteer?" You ask, trying to nudge her back to the original topic. "Oh! Well, before the Night of Dust…I was just an acolyte. But, uh, after…there were…" She waves her hand. "A lot of people in the priesthood resigned. Or were taken in by the Chosen for Red Mars sympathies. And so I wound up getting kind of promoted? More of a…fast graduation, if that makes sense. Because, like, as an acolyte, you're kind of a junior priest in training, even though some people choose never to move past it? And like, I know stuff! Don't worry, I know everything I need to know - But there's just a lot of tests and extra training and all that to make sure you have the proper understanding of doctrine, and most of my wave kinda…wound up skipping those just to fill in the holes left behind."

Once more, you try to keep her on track. "Alright, I understand. But…why did you volunteer, then?" She pauses, then she giggles. "Oh, wow, I've really been going off on a tangent, haven't I! Well, essentially…I'd read some socialist theory as part of my training. Specifically, uh, the works of Engineer Montgomery, of, well, I imagine you know who he is, right?" Engineer Montgomery was one of the engineers who helped save those on the trains in the aftermath of the Collapse. He would go on to serve as Stationmaster for two years when elections began, before choosing to return to his work. In the later years of his life, he became an author, primarily writing about the founding of Station and his part thereof, though it included some economic analysis. There's a small statue of the man in front of…you want to say it's a library in New Ys you visited some time ago? You can't quite remember. Regardless, you nod. "Indeed, I do."

"Yeah! Well, his writing, though kinda tangential, really inspired me to look deeper into that sort of thing. When the Enterprise Civil War broke out, a few revolutionaries fled into Biodyne, and I talked with one of them who had joined our acolyte program, and they gave me some recommendations on what to look at in our library! Anyways, uh, I read a lot of books about it, and…I think it's good, hah! It's what worshipping the Mother, Mars is about, or, uh, supposed to be about! The common good of the planet, and by extension, humanity! And, so, when I got the chance to actually go down to Station, the heart of modern socialism and the home of Stationmaster Rutherford, I had to leap at it, right? And now I get to do the good work of spreading it myself!" You slowly nod. You understand her motivations, you really do - But you also wonder if she isn't perhaps just applying her religious framework to a new idea she's latched onto. Oh, well. You'll see later, and it's getting a bit late for you anyways.

"Well, that's wonderful to hear, Galle. I do think I've kept you long enough, though - I'm sure all of your new acquaintances are waiting for you to return. I need to get to sleep myself, anyways. We've got to depart bright and early, after all." Your demeanor returns to a slightly more stern look as you remind her. She only smiles, though, and nods. "No worries, Rosalind! I'll be up at the crack of dawn, no problem!" And with that, she stands and strides back over, rejoining the conversation. You're not absolutely sure, of course, but she seems more at ease than she was before. You hope your conversation with her helped her, though it definitely helped you get a better grasp on her.

---

While Matt mentions the Free Labor Association to you, he, unfortunately, doesn't know where they're headquartered. The best guess he can give is some buildings he knows were being reserved for usage by the Garrison that they might have used for refugees. Still, it's better than nothing. During a small break of the caravan before arrival at the formal staging point for supplies in Watson District, you gather your team together and bid your farewells. Matt offers you a salute as you begin your trek toward the buildings he outlined. It's only a few miles away, with the weather seeming largely cooperative today, so it should be fairly pleasant. However, as you begin to approach, River Daly steps up beside you. She glances around at the rest of the team, who all are a few steps away, and leans in to talk to you.

"Conductor Beriel? I just wanted to say, your friend back there mentioned that this organization we're going to see seems to be made up of a lot of refugees. If any of them are Enterprise, I might be able to talk to them a bit more freely, get some information about what's going down, if you'll give me permission." You consider it for a moment.

"Provisionally granted, but accompany us during the initial meeting and introduction. I'll make sure you have the chance to check around, I just don't want you getting into trouble with twitchy guards." She nods, accepting your decision, before hastening her pace, moving into step beside Sister Galle, who offers her a cheerful nod.

---

Your journey is largely uneventful, occasionally seeing passersby or residents who offer you brief nods and waves, or even a shouted greeting or two when they see Bill's uniform. When you arrive, the building is clearly occupied. Two Red Stadium militia are guarding the front, and they tense up at the sight of your armed group, before relaxing upon identifying your uniforms, though one of them frowns at Bill's. One of them calls out. "Hey there! Can we help y'all?"

Bill nods to you. "Let me handle this, boss. You'll know when to step in." He steps forward and shouts out. "Howdy! We're the investigative team y'all sent for, to sort out this whole mess with the Council, make sure everything's fine and dandy for you folks. We were told this is where the refugees are staying? We need to interview 'em a bit about the eviction thing, sort out what happened." One of the guards starts nodding, though the other seems a tad more skeptical.

"I knew a team was coming, but have you all checked in with Captain Hellas yet? We didn't get any kind of report that your team was coming this way." Bill glances back at you, and you recognize this is your time to step in.

"Special Conductor Rosalind Beriel, at your service." Both of them blink slightly, likely not having heard that specific title before. They do clearly recognize your badge, though. "We'll be checking in with Captain Hellas after the initial interviews are complete. It's a matter of procedure for this sort of investigation - He'll need to be a part of the final report, after all, and it prevents theoretical tainting of the report by biases introduced during his interview." The skeptical guard nods, his slight mistrust assuaged by your display of authority. "Well, ma'am, head on in. You'll probably want to speak to the Syrtis sisters. They'll be on the first floor, past the elevators and into the main office. They've taken charge of organizing the refugees, and they'll definitely have a lot to say about the eviction attempt." And with that, he opens the door, allowing you inside.

The first thing you notice is that the building's temperature is in a slightly uncomfortable spot between warm and cool, and the halls are clean in the way that only a freshly occupied building can be. This place is habitable, but it's only been in use for a short period of time - Not enough for the residents to get used to it. You stride into the empty lobby, walking towards the sound of noise emanating from a hallway that leads past rows of elevators. A small stairwell lies behind a door, and River gives a glance to you, silently asking permission. You nod, and she opens it, beginning her own search. Meanwhile, you and the other three keep moving down the hall, heading for the indicated offices.

Once you get there, the staleness of the lobby fades away, replaced with a scene you recognize quite well from your time in the LCTF - That of a supply distribution point and work assignment office being set up. Men and women are unpacking crates of food, water, and other necessities and tallying them up; someone's standing on a ladder to try and fix a light in the ceiling, yelling down at a teenager to "Hand me the screwdriver!"; and children are running around the legs of their parents, giggling and yelling as they play. At the center of this maelstrom of activity, two young women are sitting next to each other at a desk. One of them is calmly writing, while the other is speaking in a rapid tone to a much older man standing in front of them. "Alright, we've got enough water for the next three weeks? Great, great. How's work going on Nili's daycare idea? I know he's got his apartment set up already, what does he need-" She abruptly cuts off upon seeing your approach. "Pardon me, Jezero - I think we have some special guests." At her words, the man turns around and grimaces at the sight of your uniforms, before stepping away.

With the opening granted and the implicit permission of the women you assume to be the Syrtis sisters, you step in. "I'm Special Conductor Rosalind Beriel, a pleasure to meet you. These are my comrades, Sister Galle, Sergeant Ranfield, and William Fitzroy, of the Stadium militia." They all offer various greetings of their own, none of which the young woman responds to. She fixes her eyes on you, instead. "I am Eva Syrtis. This is my sister, Kelly Syrtis." She gestures to her sister, who hasn't stopped writing. The woman in question glances up and offers you a brief nod, before returning to her writing. Now that you're closer, it seems she's writing down numbers in neat columns, which you recognize - This woman must be in charge of managing the supplies of the FLA. "What interests Station in the affairs of a small labor association?" Her fast manner of speech from earlier is gone, replaced with a careful and measured tone. You can feel eyes watching you - Though the hustle and bustle of the room hasn't ceased, several of the adults watch you from the corner of their eyes. They are wary - But of who, specifically? You can't tell.

"The MPA-" A key distinction you are going to make, first and foremost. "-is interested in the story of the Free Labor Association, considering its relevance to the ongoing issues related to the Laborers of the Martian League, as well as other parties in the region, as well as to ensure that no mistreatment or exploitation of refugees is ongoing by MPA allies or forces in the region." Eva grimaces at the name of the Laborers but listens carefully to the end before she speaks again. "Right. Well, then, this is going to be a long story. I'd better take you into the back office so you can hear it without getting in the way of everyone else around here." You nod, and Eva stands, gesturing for you to follow her back.

---

As Rosalind prepares to hear the story of the Free Labor Association, forces elsewhere are moving! Someone has heard of the team's arrival in the region, and will begin to make moves in response to it - But who?

[] The Stadium Garrison has received a report from their men guarding the building, telling them of the arrival of the team.

[] The Watson Council has heard word from a careless caravaneer who let slip news of mysterious passengers.

[] The Laborers of the Martian League had a sympathizer who saw the group on their way to the FLA and sent a message informing them.

Meanwhile, River Daly has met some Enterprise refugees more then willing to share information with a fellow countrywoman. She's gotten the run-down on…

[] Captain Hellas of the local Stadium Garrison.

[] The current state of local politics in the Watson Council.

[] Recent local history, specifically relating to the Laborers.

Author's note: As always, thank you for reading! I'll be here and in the discord to answer questions! Voting will be open for 24 hours, with no moratorium.

Spaceport Strike!​

Part Three: Which Side Are You On?​

Once you and your team are in the back of the office, Eva shuts the door, closing out the noise of the ongoing setup outside. "So. Let's start at the beginning, I suppose?" She sits down on a swiveling chair, spinning it around and putting her feet up against a desk. "Feel free to make yourselves comfortable." Eva gestures around the room and your companions take various positions around it as best suits them. Janice moves to stand by a window, keeping an eye on it as if expecting some assailant to burst in at any moment. Bill stands to the side, leaning against a wall, face not betraying anything but pure calm. Sister Galle, on the other hand, simply takes a seat on the chair in front of Eva, prim and proper with perfect posture. You, of course, remain standing - You're perfectly comfortable as is, after all.

"So, as you may have guessed, not a lot of us are from around here. Most of us come from further northeast - Where Central used to be. A few come from further north or from the south, where MCPD was, but most of us are from the northeastern part of Mariner City. Things have been bad up there. Furthest from supplies, hit hard by the War and the Great Game, it's not great. So, when we heard there was some kind of work stoppage and an opportunity to get in good with the MPA, we came south. The initial group wasn't as big as we are now, but we picked up more folks on the way, and when we got here, we absorbed a lot of the refugee population already here. We were in a big camp, which is a bit to the north of us, while the garrison tried to sort things out - Not that it's there, anymore." She takes a breath, reaching under the desk and grabbing a canister out from under it, which causes Janice and Bill to tense slightly. "Sorry, I've got to stay hydrated, you know?" She unscrews the cap and takes a sip, before wiggling the canister at them slightly, trying to show that it's harmless.

"Anyways, the Garrison was onboard with our proposal - Captain Hellas wanted work to restart on the Spaceport as soon as possible, and the Laborers weren't cooperating. We were going to step in, show we were willing to work in order to force them to come to the table, and once they were back to work, we'd be free to do whatever we needed. He promised to expedite any necessary paperwork for citizenship, ensure we got spots on supply caravans heading home or south, make sure we got all the supplies we needed while we were here, everything we could ask for. He's a good man! Good guy, yeah." Sister Galle frowns at this and speaks up. "So, he was going to have you scab?" Eva points at her. "Exactly the point I was getting to!"

"See, that's when the trouble started. See, the Council flipped out on him - Called us scabs, said we were 'hurting the interests of all honest Watson workers', called the Captain a traitor to socialism and all that. They don't care much for the Laborers, but apparently, they don't care for us even more. One of their people, I think her name was…Rosa Lederberg? She's one of the councilors - She came after us hard. Told us we could get the hell out of the District, or that she and hers would make sure we did. Obviously, the Laborers weren't fans either, but they did their thing instead - They barricaded up the Spaceport, declared that the entire thing was a sham, and demanded new elections and an investigation into Stadium corruption." Bill grimaces at that but doesn't speak. Janice rolls her eyes slightly at him, but a brief glance from you is enough to quell both of them.

"So, a day or two after that whole fracas, it's the middle of the night, most of us are asleep in the camp - All of the sudden, there's a fucking fire in the middle of our encampment. The temporary stuff we were using at the time was flammable, and so it started spreading quick. People are screaming, rushing around, trying to put it out - It's manageable, though, and we get it out without anyone getting hurt badly. Quite a few tents are wrecked, though. Then, middle of the night, with no forewarning to them, right after the fire's put out, a bunch of 'Watson Council enforcers' we've never seen before show up, declare the entire camp a fire hazard, and start kicking us out. Anyone who tries to fight back or even puts up a mild show of resistance gets put on the ground and 'detained' - Hard. It's still the middle of the night. We have nowhere else to go. We don't know where they're going to be taking the people they're detaining. Things are getting ugly, and people are so frightened and on-edge, I'd put 50-50 odds on whether it would've spiraled into a rout or a riot…if Captain Hellas and his men hadn't intervened." Sister Galle gasps, fully enthralled by the story at this point. Janice…looks uncomfortable, in a way you haven't exactly seen her look before. Bill just nods, grim-faced.

"Apparently one of his patrols had seen the fire and rushed to alert the garrison, who came running - But when they arrived, it wasn't the fire they were facing, it was a bunch of the Council's goons. Things turned into a standoff, but, well, we all know who blinked first. It was a bunch of actual soldiers versus some bully boys. They tried to make a bit of a show of it, but they left before anything got physical, and the 'detainees' were released by the Garrison. Captain Hellas moved us into here after that, and, well, you presumably know the rest. We've spent most of the last few days getting the upstairs livable and cleaned out." She crosses her legs, up on the desk. "Any questions?"

You glance at your team. Sister Galle speaks first. "How can…someone just…do that? That's awful!" You nod, agreeing with the sentiment - If not necessarily considering Eva's testimony to be entirely truthful. You notice the lack of description of the FLA's response to provocation, as well as how she paints them as being entirely passive participants in the schemes of others. Perhaps they were entirely innocent - Or perhaps she's simply showing a side of the truth she believes will be more appealing to you. You'll need more information to be sure. Janice and Bill seem to be staying silent, so you speak up. "Thank you for your testimony, Eva. We'll make sure it's taken into account during the resolution to this conflict."

She waves you off. "Of course. Anything to help the good men and women of the MPA." It's warmer then her tone was at the start of this, though that doesn't do anything to assuage the wary eyes of her fellow residents as your team departs.

---

Once you're outside, River meets up with you, having exited prior to you. Once you're a block or two away, you gesture for the team to follow you down a small alleyway - Where you can have a private talk, free from passersby listening in. "Right. River, did you find anything out?"

She nods. "I found a few Enterprise people hanging out, and we got to talking about the Watson Council and some of the issues they've been having with them. Apparently, there are about three and a half tendencies in the Council itself that have been fighting, but they're all sorta united against the FLA. There's a pro-Stadium faction, which is led by a guy named Alex Byrd, who's apparently gotten in good with the Garrison. He's really anti-Laborer, though, because he and his are generally in charge of 'work organizing and supply procurement', which means they're at odds a lot. There's a faction aiming to be more independent, but loyal to the MPA, which is led by a woman named Rosa Lederberg - She's apparently a bit more neutral to the Laborers but wants them to come to heel to the Council, and she thinks the FLA are endangering the future of the district's independence. And, finally, there's a faction who thinks Watson should actually be trying to draw closer to University, since the Spaceport's here - They're led by a woman, Marie Dollfus. The gist I got for her opposition is that she just doesn't like organized labor." She pauses. "Oh, and there's like…one or two people who were MUC collaborators who defected when the MPA started winning, but they're kind of locked out in the cold, politically speaking."

She continues. "Most of them are community organizers or leaders - Not a ton of organized labor representatives, though. These were the mayors and the block leaders and militia commanders and all that. Most collaborators got locked out, though - Barred from holding power. I don't think we have to worry about MUC subversion or anything - Most of them are pretty onboard with socialism…or, well, they're pretty onboard with what socialism can do for them and the district. I doubt they're incredibly ideologically committed."

Janice speaks up. "Excellent work, River." River grimaces at the praise, uncomfortable with it - Or perhaps with the person giving it. She attempts to move past it quickly, though. "So, what did you find out from the FLA?"

You relay the story that Eva told you to her, and she nods. "Sounds like there's a lot of things there that we need to verify. Once we're done getting initial interviews and introducing ourselves, I think checking out the old camp might be a good idea - If only to see if we can discern anything about the fire. If it was set by the Watson Council, then that's a really clear escalation - People could've died. I'm glad the Garrison was there to save them." Sister Galle nods firmly, determination in her eyes as she speaks. "I can't believe that the Watson Council would do that! They need to be removed - Before they can hurt anyone else." Janice and Bill both open their mouths to speak, before realizing that the other was about to and pausing. Janice closes her mouth first, gesturing for Bill to speak.

Bill sighs. "Look, Sister - I get the urge to make judgment calls right now. But we gotta take into account that folks might be lying to us. They might not present all the facts - Hell, they might not know all the facts. The fire could've been set off by accident, by a refugee. She said their campwere flammable - And if there was some amateur electrical work, or hell, any number of things that could've started a fire in a makeshift encampment like that, then the Watson Council…might've been doing the right thing - For the wrong reasons, maybe, sure. But people can't stay in a fire hazard - Something like that could endanger the entire district. Fire hurts everyone. And, uh…the FLA also was planning to scab, which would be against MPA policy, it seems like." He nods to Janice, who then speaks up.

"I also think that for all that she emphasized that the Watson Council showed up fast, the Garrison showed up fast, too - And just in time to be too late to help with the fire, but right in time to save the FLA from the people menacing them, who none of them had seen before, but claimed to be from the Council. Maybe they weren't from the Council at all - Or maybe the Garrison simply took advantage of the Council's reaction to their own plan. Maybe the Garrison wanted to blame the Laborers for attacking the FLA as a reason to shut them down." She nods, before frowning. "However - What was happening there sounded…not dissimilar to certain MCPD tactics. We might be looking at some deserters who joined up somewhere…if we find them, I can probably get some more information out of them."

Sister Galle looks between them, looking a bit shocked. "Could people really do that? I mean, we're all on the same side, aren't we? Setting fires, framing people, fighting labor - It's a detriment to the cause! It's against the principles of socialism!" The rest of your team just awkwardly shakes their head or looks to the side. Seems like it's time for you to step in.

You speak in a commanding tone of voice. "Galle, that's why we're here. Socialism is an ideal - A state that must be worked towards. There will be those who attempt to resist or subvert it for their own ends. Sometimes, people may even think that the actions they take that go against socialist principles are forgivable because they are for the greater good. And perhaps it is - But that isn't their call to make. We'll ensure that the truth is found out, one way or another." She nods, but her face remains troubled…perhaps a talk later might be in order.

You clap your hands together. "Alright, then! Now that all that's settled, we'll be heading to…"

[] "...the Laborers of the Martian League - Their side of the story is the only one we have no clue about thus far, and we need to get it."

[] "...The Garrison - I've got some questions for Captain Hellas."

[] "...The Watson Council - We're going to see just how deep those divisions run."

Author's note: As always, thank you for reading! I'll be here to answer questions!