Building the Collateral - 86 - Early Access (Patreon)

Smith-Shimano Corpo deciding that we were the very lucky recipients of a charity effort they recently threw together felt just a little bit suspicions to me. Especially when the few inquires I sent to the local branch kept stating it to be like something they owed us, of all people. What the heck?

Look, I realize that the megacorporations in this setting are somewhat unrealistic, given that they do sometimes do act in the name of the greater good and with long-term profits in mind instead of simply squeezing the short pump for shareholder value. But I’m also understandably a little wary of one approaching a Diaspora state all of the sudden, even if they claim to offer charity. It felt just a bit too suspicious, especially when my own recent thoughts have been considering how to garner a fraction of this new interest.

It reeked of something dodgy, so I started considering the options. And well, when I put my mind to it, a very clear motive surfaced.

My new ward and cousin-slash-niece, Morgan, she’s made mentioned of escaping from facilities that had Smith-Shimano branded all over them. Her frame had been a Monarch, a mech so associated with the SSC just as much as one thought of Harrison Armory when seeing a Genghis. It wasn’t hard to connect the dots that they might be looking to take her back.

Which, needless to say, wasn’t going to happen. From what she’d confessed, I was not going to let her out of my sight around those shady doctors. Argh, it was really starting to sound like a pretty typical ‘supersoldier project’ sort of backstory one would expect of lancers.

Just like that cliché though, I suppose I should be prepared in case they decide to press the claim. While Union law would technically forbid a corporation owning an individual, the reality of things as always murkier out there in the underdeveloped regions of space. Heck, the clones we employed still sometimes had a hard time wrapping their heads around making their own decisions. It was becoming even a local Cavia joke that offering one a menu was sure to result in the decision being passed up the chain of command.

Hmm. Trying to leverage something akin to a bond debt probably wouldn’t pan out well, given that Morgan didn’t seem to realize the value of things. So dropping a figure was probably just going to earn a blank stare of noncomprehension; that wouldn’t work as an approach. She wouldn’t understand any obligation to pay that back.

How about if they tried for something more personal, like a familial angle? That was a hard sell if the public record about her mother, my aunt, was true. Maybe if there was somebody like the other partner or contributors to the union, then they could try to claim she belonged more rightfully with them. After all, they would be the direct parent, whereas my own blood relationship is that of a first cousin. Thus, priority for guardianship would naturally fall onto them by being closer family.

Personally, I’d also point out they couldn’t be so close given they might have given her to a company, the corporate stooges they might be. But well, typical societal norms might favor them all the same. It’d also be something I could see Morgan unfortunately being swayed by, the idea of meeting one of her genetic sires.

That last bit, I couldn’t do much about and if it was her own choice, then so be it. The former though; that, my courts could prepare for. Mingyu seemed quite amused by my plight, but thankfully agreed to humor my concerns by going through the laws to clarify our stance on guardianship. He also made the very reasonable argument that given the sudden influx of orphans the government was taking in, we better make sure everything was settled with our state ward program. Which, you know what? Fair enough.

Doing some proper bureaucrat work was the only natural price to pay if I was going to be a little bit selfish for my family. Especially when she alone shouldn’t be just benefiting from this focus of mine.

The plan had been somewhat in the works between Veronica and I for some time, one of those little programs we drafted up but didn’t really work on much. There hadn’t been a proper reason for a formal roll-out yet, as Cavia at the time didn’t really have an issue with orphans. Surprising, I know, considering the previous regime- then we looked a bit further into it and got a little sad. Because believe it or not, there had been an actual state-run program for orphans under House Hessin. Which, in hindsight, made sense.

The Half-Committee had one too and, needless to say, both utilized those very malleable children in what you would expect of authoritarian regimes.

The local communities realized the pipeline and thus helped resist in their own little way, by immediately taking in any kid without family to head towards before they could be snatched up and groomed into being brainwashed enforcers. It was a little heartwarming to see it partially continue even after we stepped in, but it also raised rather uncomfortable questions regarding child support, taxation, obligations. All those sort of fun things that comes with having a non-oppressive government that just wants a proper headcount of households while doing occasional wellness checks. We trusted the locals, but sometimes, you just had to make sure.

Plus, there was always the possibility that a community could, for one reason or another, support an additional mouth without more work. Seeing as we’re not about to legalize child labor too, it put them in the very difficult spot. But again, this was the rarity on the planet, where the people knew this sort of hardship and built their own ways to handle it.

In contrast, the situation in Port Barbarus could only be generously described as ‘psychopathic.’

Generations of anarchic rule and gang shakedowns meant a very literal survival of the fittest. I heard it firsthand from Morgan’s friend, that girl who was absolutely way too young to be working around heavy machinery. Not to say that passion was a bad thing, but given how she had supposedly worked power tools with no other safety equipment than perhaps a squint of the eyes, that felt like it was taking it way too far.

Now multiply that sort of history across an entire formerly rogue station. Yeah, I think we might have something of an orphan problem.

It also didn’t escape my realization that ‘lone orphan surviving on the streets’ also happened to be like the number one ‘tragic backstory’ in tabletop settings. Unless that was ‘killed my own parents.’ Might’ve been some hybrid of the two.

Anyways. Let’s make nip that in the bud now.

The Cavia Ward Service was to be a joint effort across multiple branches of our government, including the soon to be established Departments of Education and Health. It was to be something that was to be an evolution of what already existed planetside, but now formalized and at the federal level. Quite importantly, it was meant to be something that all could turn to, instead of relying on just local communities. It was that backup option if need be if the traditional system didn’t work, or perhaps even the first if that was simply what was better for the child in question.

As the name implied, we’d take them in and offer them simply whatever they needed to grow up and become healthy adults. There was the option for them to be adopted out if things worked out, but for those who couldn’t find families, then the answer was simply that the other orphans would be their family. We did have caretakers in mind for running each house of children, but I thought it more likely that the young ones would immediately sympathize with one another, already sharing the understanding of having none to turn to.

Maybe even time, something like the eldest orphan would become the caretaker. Because while it would be ideal to have each and every individual employed in the role posses a burning passion for child-rearing, reality was unfortunately not so generous. We’d have to keep a very close eye on them all the same, to make sure that these houses were doing all they could to provide stable childhoods despite rocky starts.

Once we laid out the idea of these houses, things simply fell into place from there as extensions of the intent. That was about where Mingyu got involved and he had plenty of helpful suggestions. Small little things, like clarifying the legal protections wards had and clarifying our state’s position on them in technical lingua. Overall, unless alleged family had both good reason and the willingness to take it to the courts, then those children entered into state custody would be very difficult to simply take out. It’d take a combination of time and money, which was as fair as a barrier as any to those who would claim attachment to a child.

We also slipped in a couple loopholes, little clever wordplays that let judges in the know bend things if need be. It was more to protect the kids from exploitation, and we didn’t want to necessarily keep families apart if there had truly been an error or it was simply a financial barrier. Though in my opinion, giving back at least a little bit like a donation to recoup for state expenses to that point would be nice.

Ah, speaking of that, there’s that dirty side to this entire program: manna. It wasn’t going to be cheap and while our government budget could fit it in, I also wanted the thing to also be able to stand on its own too legs. Letting it just be a simple expenditure on the rolls without proper backing was just asking for a future administration to do something like slash its budget to afford whatever new frame was being paraded around.

Let’s not have that path to a very grim future remain open for any longer.

Of course, the issue is that since this was a somewhat charitable program, you can’t really go in with the mindset of trying to make money off it. Not to mention that hey, that’s child labor, and that’s exactly why I’m trying to prevent here. I suppose that the oldest kids such as teens can work like summer jobs, and there’s always that adorable idea of a lemonade stand for even young tykes to handle. I’m pretty sure as well that if I were to institute a hard ban on working small jobs to earn an allowance, the kids themselves would riot.

At the same time, we really had to stress what they earned was exclusively for themselves. No other word about it- if they wanted to do something like donate a portion to buy their house a better meal or something, then that’s fine. But instituting something like a mandatory tax on their earnings was cruel truth that I thought the children should be spared of, at least a little.

Looking at the figures, I realized that the majority of the expense was just the initial setup at least. Running it was costly yes, but nothing that we couldn’t handle. It was simply the upfront cost of the houses that was going to matter, what with acquiring the land and constructing the buildings themselves. Now the cost of those could be made cheaper if I exercised a little bit of my authority or asked for public charity- but at the same time, I also happened to have a rather convenient donor land in my lap all of the sudden.

Well, Smith-Shimano, if you wanted to prove your intentions- then here’s your first bill. Please and thank you. You might’ve come for one child, now you’re stuck with paying the fee for the rest to have a nice home.

Now for the rest of the funding. As mentioned, we could handle it, but as I wanted to very deliberately establish it as its own thing that should never be touched, that meant needing to set it up so via congressional approval. Nothing to it I suppose, off I go to the elected representatives to convince them to fund this program.

As to be expected, a ‘fund the kids’ program was of course instantly popular. The moderates hoped on without any need for further bargaining, which was quite welcomed. The other two political blocs did also seem quite in favor for it; but well, politics being what they are, the leaders of those respective groups had a chit-chat with me behind closed doors to gauge what additions or suggestions they could make before giving the tentative go-ahead.

It wasn’t like I really needed their full approval, but I’d hear them out all the same. They did recommend some things that surprisingly took off later with the labor corps. Might as well see if lightning can strike twice.

Honestly speaking, Kyle was absolutely in favor of the program. He had children too, mouths to feed back with his mining efforts, and imaging them going hungry like the old days, that was a dark thought. Even if they weren’t his, none of the young should have to scrape and beg for survival.

He knew Chloe agreed, which ordinarily rendered this meeting entirely moot. After all, the resolution would win the vote easily with or without their input. But the Premier-General still sought them out to reassure their worries, which was… greatly appreciated, to say the least.

Even though it’d been some time, even thought he knew the man was absolutely nothing like what came before, there always was that nagging fear. Always that small little whisper, that reminder that he wasn’t technically one of them. He’d been born on a world other than Cavia, learned at the heel of a militarist government. Moores might not seem like it, being so usually friendly and open in their chats- but one also merely had to glance at what currently was in orbit around their world to remember what he was capable of.

So they had to make sure. Both of them, progressive and reformist alike.

“So,” Chloe voiced for the both of them, showing her bravery to say the hidden fear, “This isn’t meant to be like something to create future… patriots, shall we call it?”

The Commander’s eyes narrowed, yet also softened. He looked both offended but understanding of the thinly veiled implication. “I would not deny that there is a degree of… call it hope that they will remember and acknowledge their caretakers in tough times,” he delicately phrased, before shifting to a low tone. “But never is this program meant to be anything close to those operated by regimes. It is not a system meant to guide children- merely mind them until adulthood. I wish for all their decisions to be their own, their paths whatever they wish to walk. If it takes them far from us, then so be it- but if it is one that would see them work with us, all the better.”

A tension that had been held in Kyle’s shoulders faded and he relaxed slightly, that darkest fear easily assuaged. Judging from Chloe’s brief exhale, she must feel the same way. Which meant that it really was just a formality now, as there was little they had to fret about.

But while he did have the ear of the Premier-General on the subject, why not contribute to it too?

“If said paths to elsewhere were to exist, then how about we already prove that they needn’t think themselves alone on that road?” the miner and politician suggested. “Harrison Armory does have its own youth program, don’t they? Whose to say that we can’t work in conjunction with them?”

Moores hummed, rubbing his chin. “Possibly. It would have to depend on circumstance and the nature of the arrangement,” he threw out there, notably not immediately refuting the possibility. “I’ll chat with Director Erica and see how she feels about the idea.”

“But it shouldn’t also just be roads outside our borders either,” Chloe stressed, chiming in with her own thoughts as well. “If anything, we ought to highlight our own features even more. They are our children, it should only be natural that we provide them with ample opportunities here too. Especially to those freed of any such prejudice or preconception!”

Now the Premier-General raised his hand to try and calm the mood, but there was no denying the slightly upturned lips he had. “I understand your point. It would indeed be quite a waste if we did not make use of this program to demonstrate the best of what we can be.”

There was something there. A hint of a plan, one which had both bloc leaders leaning in. “So?” Kyle prompted. “What is your idea?”

“How would you combine our proposals?” Chloe questioned, interested. “They do seem rather mutually exclusive.”

“Hmm. It’s still definitely in the works, but I did mention wishing to establish a Department of Education. Something that I do also have personal vested interest in, as I do also now have a niece to think of,” he confessed. A little reminder that despite his title and fame, Moores still held very human and relatable worries. “As is, I am… struggling with the decision on where she should receive further education. Something that I am sure our state wards will also need. Our education system is acceptable as is, but I confess to wanting something better. Something unique.

“Kavgarad could do with an institute of learning, don’t you think? A university perhaps or, if more befitting of all ages, an academy. I do like the idea of that.”

So did Kyle, when he thought of his children again. Again, trust the Cavia Cavalier to be already plotting steps ahead of everybody else.