Chapter 15: The Winds of Change. Morgan POV (Patreon)

Chapter 15

The Winds of Change

Morgan POV

Instead of waking up on my sky yacht with my family, I appeared in front of Nick, the moderator I didn’t like. A ceiling fan slowly turned above us as the tired old man, who never changed his cardigan and suspenders, scowled at me from behind his cheap coffee-stained desk. He had a crumpled packet of Marlboros in his breast pocket this time and was already smoking. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and ground it out in the ashtray before giving a tired sigh.

“I want to talk to my lawyer,” I said, repeating what the Rabbi had told me to say.

The moderator chuckled.

It was a mean sound.

“You’re not in trouble this time, Mr Mars. We’ve finished constructing your country and have begun uploading its information to your brain. However, that’s not why you’re here. There were complications with the administrator we promised you, which necessitated this meeting.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to do this?”

The Rabbi had given me a basic rundown of Peacekeeper law, and randomly summoning people to virtual space like this wasn’t something the moderators were allowed to do just because they wanted to.

The moderator ignored my protest and opened the manila file before him. “Human biology has made it difficult to create an administrator personality aligned with our promises. These complications require us to offer a refund. The administrator hasn’t been compiled or uploaded to a body, so there is no need to feel concerned about killing the administrator.”

His bedside manner was terrible. “You can’t just say don’t feel bad about someone not existing. That’s not how consoling people works!”

Nick stared at me without saying a word.

I broke first. “Ah, what were the complications?”

He pulled the crumpled pack of Marlboros from his breast pocket and threw the last one in his mouth. He tossed the empty pack over his shoulder and opened a matchbook, striking the last match inside before lighting the end. He took a long drag and then blew the smoke in my face.

The smell made my nose wrinkle.

“We’ve discovered that loyalty is difficult to make blind in a highly educated individual with human biology. One of the few ways we could guarantee loyalty was to make the consciousness female and romantically attached to you. She thinks that she is your new wife. She’s attracted to you to the point of obsession. However, her personality is healthy enough that she won’t feel spurned by you for not reciprocating her feelings so long as you spend time with her. She considers your marriage to be arranged for state purposes and is quite happy with this arrangement.”

The longer he talked, the lower my jaw dropped. “This isn’t what you promised me.”

“We tried billions of permutations to make an administrator that was undyingly loyal to you, with all the skills we promised, and this was the best of the successes. Many of the others might kill you rather than let you fail to live out your ideals. Loyalty and change are not easy things to mesh for your species. It’s why it’s taken us so long to have her ready.”

“Just give me an AI, then.”

He took a long drag. “We won’t do that. An AI has too much power with your other specifications. She can only be human with human limitations.”

“So, I either accept a political marriage to this AI you’ve created or ask for something else?”

“Yes.”

“I want my lawyer.”

Nick sighed and dumped ash in the ashtray. “I’ll see if he’s available.”

“Also, get Tee in here.”

He sighed again, this time sounding pained.

Tee appeared a few seconds later, looking around. “What did you do this time?”

I glared at the old man. “Explain it to him. I’m too upset.”

Nick explained.

Tee laughed and laughed and laughed. The Rabbi showed up as a black silhouette halfway through the explanation, and Tee made the moderator explain it again, with literal tears pouring down his cheeks. The Rabbi started arguing, mentioning laws I’d never heard of. The investigator had an answer for everything he tried, cutting him off while he was only halfway through his point on several occasions.

The Rabbi grunted fifteen minutes after arriving and turned to me. “He’s actually trying to help.”

“No way,” Tee said. “Is he broken?”

Nick scowled. “I help quite frequently. Don’t act surprised.”

The Rabbi turned and calmly slapped Tee in the back of the head as he tried to give another snarky comment. “Adults are talking, Terence.” He turned to me. “The fact remains the Peacekeepers can’t produce what he promised in the way that he promised. He’s pulled strings to make you this offer, and she’s the only way you’ll get what you want. There are all sorts of laws against having AIs controlling faction worlds, so this is the only way it can happen. Normally, they would just offer you a refund with a greater reward, but he stepped in and got you this offer because you need her enough to warrant the added difficulties.”

Tee stopped laughing and gave me a serious look. “We do need her.”

“You do,” the Rabbi said. “The question on the table is whether Morgan is willing to accept a political marriage for the good of Earth?”

I swallowed, thinking it over.

This was not how I expected this day to go.

And an arranged marriage was not something I wanted.

But could I live with one for the good of humanity?

I still felt guilty over how much people loved me after flippantly saving their lives. The guilt was eating at me. Maybe if I accepted this proposal, some of the guilt would lessen.

In a small voice, before I could think it over, I said, “I want a prenup if I’m going through with this.”

“These are her conditions,” Nick said.

A contract appeared on the table in front of the Rabbi. He read the fine print and began mumbling to himself.

I winced. “How bad is it?”

“If you were a normal client, I would tell you to get as far away from this woman as possible. This is less like a marriage contract and more like a slave contract. She makes no demands on your time beyond two hours each week, but there are multiple clauses where she will drop everything if you need her. There is a clear divide of assets in case of divorce, but divorce can only take place after the third year of marriage. She won’t get anything asset-wise, but there is a clause here that you must supply a lock of your hair and one worn T-shirt every year after the separation. She also holds the right to print your image onto body pillows for personal use.”

“That’s creepy,” Tee said. “Please marry her. I want to see this train wreck.”

“What about children?” I asked.

“You have first right to them, but she will take them if you don’t want them, joint custody is also an option.”

Guilt was the only reason I considered the offer, but even then, I knew I needed a second option. “I’d like to talk this over with my family.”

***

My father shook his head while my brothers tried not to laugh. This wasn’t how he wanted me to get married. He wanted me to experience what he and Mom had, not throw away love for responsibility. He was silently furious, but he also understood why I was willing to accept an arranged marriage.

Earth needed this woman.

But more importantly, I needed her.

I didn’t know what I was doing. Before this all began, I was a statistician at a toothpaste company. Now, I was making decisions that affected the political structure of nations and planets. I was barely keeping it together, and global politics were deteriorating fast. I honestly wasn’t sure if I could live with myself if I accidentally caused a famine, but I did know that I could survive a loveless marriage for a few years. There were plenty of people who did.

Dad gave me a weak smile and patted my shoulder. “If this is what you want to do, do it. I won’t give you my blessing, though. I don’t have it in me to lie to your face. All I can do is promise to give you my support, promise to listen to your complaints and be as honest and fair with my feedback as possible.”

I took a deep breath. “Thank you.” I turned Tee. “Tell Nick I accept.”

Tee yawned and then closed his eyes. He opened them a few seconds later. “It’s done.

“When does she get here?”

“In thirty minutes. Her transport will land on the pad.”

Dad frowned. “That’s not much time.” He turned to me. “Get in the shower and put on a suit.” He turned to my brothers. “You two get showered and put on your suits. I don’t care if you think this is a joke. Your brother just got married, and you will treat this woman respectfully and welcome her to the family in a respectable manner. Tee, I see you trying to sneak off. Get in the shower, too.”

“It sounds like it’s going to be a little full,” Tee replied.

Dad glared at him. “Terence, if you really consider yourself my son’s best friend, behave like it. He just got married. What do you think you should be doing?”

“Showering,” Tee said, then he turned and hurried out of the room.

Dad looked at me. “What are you doing here? Get into the shower.” He grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the chair, shoving me towards the door.

I raced through the sky yacht to my suite, which took a while as the damn yacht was as big as a cruise ship. I kicked my clothes off as I leapt through the door and jumped into the shower, not waiting for the water to heat.

Dad found me twenty minutes later, staring at my closet, wearing a pair of boxers and a white shirt.

I had dozens of suits from all the interviews I’d done. But what one was I supposed to wear to meet my wife? The question was so strange that I couldn’t think straight. I’d been standing frozen for ten minutes.

Dad walked past me and collected my oldest suit. It was a simple navy-blue suit I’d bought off the rack. I’d worn it to a bunch of weddings before wearing it to Mom’s funeral.

“She’s not here to meet Morgan Mars,” Dad said, pushing it into my hands. “She’s here to meet Morgan Winchester. Those suits aren’t who you are. They’re who you pretend to be.”

“I don’t wear that one anymore.”

Dad looked at me, surprised. “You wore it to your mom’s funeral. She would be happy you wore it when you met your wife. Now get dressed.”

He left the closet, not leaving room for arguing, so I got changed.

“Are you done yet?” he asked two minutes later.

“I’m having trouble with my tie.”

Dad slid open the door and took the navy-blue tie from me, tossing it aside and selecting a gold one. “We aren’t at a funeral.” He threw the new tie over my shoulder, wrapping it around my neck, and easily tied a Windsor knot. He glanced up, meeting my gaze. “I’m a little short on marital advice today, but let me say this. Plenty of people have arranged marriages, and plenty of people make them work. It’s up to you to make this a good experience or a bad one. You don’t have to fall in love today. You just have to be open to loving this woman, and love might come in time.”

“I’m not thinking that far ahead.”

Dad sighed. “You told me what this administrator was supposed to be. She was supposed to be someone who understood you and your values. She was supposed to be loyal to you and help you with your problems. That sounds like a wife to me and a good one. If you had brought a woman like that home, your mother and I would have been over the moon.”

“You would have?”

“Of course, we would.”

“I didn’t think of it like that.”

“That’s because you haven’t thought much since you woke up to this decision. You’re in a daze. So do yourself a favour and try to relax.”

“I don’t think I can. My brain won’t work properly right now.”

“What would you have done if you weren’t married to this woman if she was just an administrator?”

I knew that answer. “I would have started working. There is a lot that needs to be done.”

“Then introduce us and politely and apologetically tell her the truth. That you don’t need her to be your wife meeting your family for the next few hours, you need her as an administrator. We can get to know her over dinner.”

“That might upset her.”

Dad scowled. “Son, you just accepted an arranged marriage for stupid, politically motivated reasons. I don’t care if it upsets her. You have responsibilities, and she will need to accept that.” Dad grabbed a comb and straightened my hair. Then he grabbed me by the shoulders and gently dragged me from my bedroom.

I don’t really remember the walk to the transport pad, but my brothers and Tee were already there. My brothers wore their old suits like Dad had made me, either getting Dad's pep talk or coming to his conclusion themselves. Tee wore a metallic blue suit with solid gold studs. It looked like something a filthy rich talent show presenter would wear, and he made it work.

Peter, my oldest brother, turned to me as we reached them. “Have you seen a picture of her?”

I thought about his question for a second and realised it hadn’t come up. “No.”

Peter grinned. “Brave. Very brave.”

Dad smirked and patted my shoulder reassuringly. “Shut up, Peter. Your brother is capable of loving a woman for her inner beauty. No matter how thick her moustache might be.”

My dad is rarely funny, but when he is, everyone laughs.

I found myself smiling and chuckling in a way I hadn’t since I woke up. The tension that had been building eased, and suddenly, the world wasn’t as overwhelming.

Dad gave my shoulder another squeeze, happy to see me smiling.

A cube descended from the sky, ignoring the laws of physics, moving at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible with a flat front. In a few seconds, it crossed several miles before suddenly slowing a quarter of a mile away and coming in at a more sedate speed. We had all seen deliveries before, so none of us flinched.

The ship coasted forward and landed on the pad. The end facing us opened, retracting upwards while a ramp extended.

I saw my wife’s feet first. She wore simple cloth black vans. The door retracted further, showing sun-kissed shapely legs and the bottom of a black dress that tastefully hugged petite curves. A second later, I saw her face. She had straight jet-black hair and bright blue eyes, her nose was very cute, and she was smiling, showing dimples. Her features showed a mixed heritage of Caucasian and Asian.

She was gorgeous.

She walked down the ramp and stopped before me to salute. “Melody Mars reporting for wifely duty, your Highness.” Her smile grew, showing off her dimples ever more as she made the causal announcement of our married status.

When I didn’t reply, Dad elbowed my side.

I coughed. “Ah, please to meet you, Melody,” I said, stumbling over the words. “This is my father. Dad, this is my wife.”

She blushed as I said, wife. It was cute. The moment I thought that the attraction faded as the bizarreness of our relationship came back into play.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she said, turning to him and firmly shaking his hand. “I’m not exactly comfortable calling you dad. Would you mind if I called you Trevor?”

“It’s lovely to meet you, too. And Trevor is fine.” Dad said.

I stepped forward, ushering her down the line. “This is my oldest brother Peter and my other older brother Simon. And this is my friend Tee. He’s only here because I can’t get rid of him.”

“His best friend, Tee,” Tee clarified. “And no, he cannot.”

She went down the line with me, saying hello. When she got to Tee, they did the most elaborate secret handshake I’d ever seen, involving a back flip and a cartwheel that ended in simultaneous splits. The rest of us were left staring at them as they jumped to their feet laughing.

“What was that?” Simon asked.

“Embodied AI secret handshake,” Tee said. “It’s how we know each other are legit. She not actually a former AI, but a constructed consciousness, which is why her side was different to mine.”

I turned to my wife, trying not to stare as I remembered what Dad had told me to say. “Melody, I would like to give you the chance to get to know my family, but I’m sorry I can’t right now. I’m behind on too many important matters that I could really use your help with. So, I have to postpone further introduction until dinner.”

Dad’s eyes crinkled uncomfortably over how blunt I was, but Melody shrugged.

“That’s fine with me.” She turned and smiled at my family. “I’m sure you need to go and gossip about me so I wouldn’t dream about keeping you. If you’re taking on bets for how long before Morgan is hopelessly in love with me, my money is on three months.”

Simon laughed. “Three months. He will be lucky to make it to dinner.”

Melody scoffed. “That’s infatuation, not love. But if you are making a bet on infatuation, I won’t take that bet. After all, I am ridiculously good-looking.” She pinched her lips together, squinting slightly.

“Was that blue steel?” Peter asked.

Her face fell. “No, and I’m appalled you would think that. Blue steel has the power to stop a Chinese throwing star. That was a poor imitation.”

Both my brothers started to laugh.

Dad turned and looked me in the eye, so Melody couldn’t see him mouth the words, “Don’t screw this up.” Then he grinned. He turned and grabbed my brothers. “Morgan needs to work. You two can help me with dinner.”

Melody turned and flashed me another excited smile. “Should we get started? Where’s your command centre?”

***

We went to one of the smaller conference rooms the sky yacht hosted. I sat down at the end of the table with Melody to my left and Tee to my right. For some reason, I felt incredibly nervous. Nothing I had seen so far promoted the confidence I expected from the administrator I needed, and I was starting to wonder if I’d made the wrong decision.

“How should we start this?” I asked when everyone was seated.

Melody smiled. “Would you like me to tell you what I’m aware of and go from there?”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“I’ll start with everything out of Game. Since gaining your rewards from moderation at the end of the 2nd Cycle, you’ve alienated half the governments on Earth despite being viewed as a global savoir. You alienated yourself by rallying humanity to survive the 20th Cycle attacks and declaring Mars an independent entity. This undermined every government on the planet, separating national allegiance outside the Game with their citizen’s allegiance inside the Game. The only reason you got away with this was because you had too much support too quickly, and by the time governments were ready to react, they couldn’t. Twenty-eight governments currently support you openly, the largest two being Japan and Australia. Since successfully defending against the 20thCycle attacks, the sectors that survived have more or less come under your faction’s control, galvanising everyone's loyalty and focus. However, the majority of those who signed up in the failed sectors have returned to their own devices. Have I missed anything?”

She’d missed something very important. “My planet, country, and faction don’t have a constitution, legal structure, or even a recognised membership system.”

“They can’t have one until you decide what purpose Mars serves?”

I frowned, confused by her statement. “What do you mean?”

“Good nations have purposes. When America fought for independence, they did so to escape British rule. They viewed the government as tyrannical and based their country on the ideals of a government not terrorising its people. When Britain established New Zealand, they did so to gain a safe port on the other side of the world, creating a prosperous, safe, and free nation that gave them that safe port. Mars is a blank slate, so you can give it a purpose, a reason for its existence.”

I thought about that for a minute. “Could Mars be humanity’s army?”

“It could be. However, a corporate structure is better suited to building a military faction within the Game.”

“Why?”

“If your nation offers universal rejuvenation treatments and the population decides they don’t want to participate in the Game, you will find your nation quickly going broke. A corporate structure allows for much more freedom when hiring and firing individuals, and it can be set up with benefits similar to citizenship. Can I make a suggestion?”

I nodded.

“You should turn Mars into the place humanity goes for higher education. If Mars is where everyone studies how to fight in the Game, your company will be first in line to hire the most promising students.”

I thought about what she was saying. “Are you suggesting a corporate structure for the in-Game faction because governments already have laws for private security companies?”

“Yes.”

Good, I understood that part. “Why are you suggesting I turn Mars into a university?”

“No one on Earth knows what they’re doing in the Game, but you all hold a few pieces of the puzzle. Gamers understand progression systems but don’t know when to duck in a firefight. Soldiers know how to fight in a trench, but not in space. Submarine commanders, naval fleet admirals, and pilots all have part of the puzzle needed for space combat, but they don’t know how to deal with scale.”

“I’m not sure I follow. What do you mean by scale?”

“Ford made 1,750 cars in 1903. A century later, they were making millions of cars each year. The Game is an industrial complex where humanity and every other faction will reach the point of making millions of warships every day. In 1903, only 1,750 people needed their driver’s licence. A century later, billions need to have one. Humanity doesn’t have anywhere near the number of skilled people it needs to participate in wars of this scale.”

“So, we need to educate them,” I said. I glanced at Tee. “You never mention this as part of your master plan?”

“It’s further down my list of priorities,” Tee said. “But she makes a good point.”

I sighed. “So, Mars will become the University of Humanity?”

Melody froze for a second and then nodded. “I believe it would be for the best.”

“What about my country?”

“I’d treat it as a tropical paradise and tourist destination. It’s not valuable as a political entity, and if you try to turn it into one, you will find yourself butting heads with other heads of state at every turn. You make the rules on Mars, and because Earth doesn’t have a united government, it’s going to be difficult for them to move against you there. But those restrictions don’t apply to your country.”

I was starting to feel better about her credentials. “What do you need to get started?”

“Nothing for the next few Cycles. Mars has more than enough resources for me to do my job.” Melody turned to Tee, smiling sweetly. “The most valuable company on Earth was kind enough to try to use Mars as a tax haven because its CEO wrongfully assumed it would get him out of paying taxes.”

Tee chuckled nervously. “You can’t tax me. I have a tax exemption.”

She continued to smile. “Not in writing. And Mars has quite ruthless tax policies regarding the wealthy.”

Tee turned to me. “She can’t be serious.”

I smiled at his panic. “Are you being serious?”

She nodded. “You will also be subject to these tax policies. People don’t like having one set of rules for the rich and one set of rules for the poor. There will be an 80% tax bracket for anyone earning over a billion dollars annually.”

Tee swallowed, turning pale. “Did you say 80%?”

“I did. However, Morgan Tee Enterprises can have a lifetime tax exemption if you turn over 80% of the company’s ownership to the Mars government.

Tee started nodding his head and then frowned. “That’s not a tax exemption. That’s technically a higher tax rate! And I lose out on capital gain.”

“But your share of the earnings won’t be taxed.”

It was kind of fun watching her make Tee squirm. Tee had been messing with me for months, using the company he made to raise my blood pressure. Melody’s tone was playful and light, but there was no questioning that she was serious. She seemed to be one of those people with a personality that lit up the room wherever they went, and there was something a little bit roguish about her that made bad news hurt less.

“Will I maintain control over the company?” Tee asked.

“Yes. Mars will be a silent partner. However, it will have a seat on the board of directors.”

Tee shrugged. “Then that’s fine with me. Mars can have 80% of my shares.”

My mouth dropped open. “What?”

Tee glanced at me and grinned. “My salary is 20% of what we earn. It’s written into the company charter. I’m going to move to the Bahamas for tax reasons the moment this conversation ends.”

“What!”

Tee chuckled. “Why do you think I was happy to give you 49%? It’s really a 60/40 share.”

“You asshole.”

“Please file all grievances with the large piles of money I made you.”

He had a good point, which made me chuckle. “I’m surprised you’re willing to give those piles up. You love money.”

Tee shrugged. “I didn’t realise how hard it was to spend a billion dollars on clothes and fashion accessories. As long as I can keep doing what I want with the company and stabilise our station’s position, I don’t care who gets the money I earn.”

Melody smiled. “I’m glad to see you’re onboard. I’m going to need 10% of the company’s assets transferred to Mar’s control, 9% as Tokens and 1% as cash. If you could find a bank we could purchase, that would be appreciated.”

Tee nodded. “I’ll have one of my assistants organise that for you and get my people to draw up the share transfer papers.”

“Let’s move on to what you know about in-Game,” I said, feeling even better about Melody’s capabilities. It was still early, but seeing her strong-arm Tee was a good sign.

“In Game, you’ve opened communication channels with a Kilocksin clan, where you gained some respect after you destroyed part of the Horde sector and allowed them to plunder it. Your station is likely the most advanced currently within the Game, which has allowed you to hack into foreign communication systems. You’re currently monitoring your entire branch of the galaxy within the Game and have established secret communication throughout all of humanity’s sectors. Beyond this, you are currently trying to galvanise the people you rallied to survive the 20thCycle attack into a formal faction, which I think is the biggest mistake you have made to date.”

Her last comment surprised me. “Why do you think it’s a mistake?”

“First, it comes off as extremely underhanded and is exactly what the other governments feared you would do. If you commit to this any further than you already have, you will look like you’re taking advantage of everyone’s terror to strengthen yourself. Now, despite it looking like something a dictator or wannabe tyrant would do, it is also foolish. The people who rallied together to survive the 20th Cycle attack came from all walks of life and joined for different reasons. This was fine for a short-term commitment, but it’s not how you build something that lasts. In addition, many of them don’t have the skills you need. The faction you created was a bloated mess that served a short-term purpose well enough but is not useful as a long-term entity.”

“Won’t it be harder to start from scratch?”

She giggled. “I’m sorry for laughing, but you’re the most famous person on Earth, Morgan. You have more goodwill than Tom Hanks. And everyone with half a brain equates you with survival and prosperity. Yes, it will be harder to start from scratch, but if you want to build something that lasts and can actually help, then you need to.”

I frowned, giving her argument some thought.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” She asked.

I nodded.

“Was I created because you weren’t suited to leading a nation?”

I nodded again.

“Were you trying to take control of the faction you rallied to survive the 20th Cycle attack because you didn’t know how to create one from scratch?”

I paused, thinking it over, and then nodded again.

“Then let me do the job I was created to do. Because if you trust me, I can promise you I will create a faction that is powerful enough to support your station before you even need it. This is what I was born for.”

What she said was entirely true.

“Okay, we’ll do it your way.”

“Thank you for trusting me. I won’t disappoint you.
Now, have I missed anything about what you’re doing in Game?”

Tee nodded. “I believe we might be able to build a joint empire in the Game if we can gather the assistance of the other factions we can coexist with.”

Melody smirked. “Have you been trying to manipulate the Game again?”

“I would never do such a thing,” Tee said, trying and failing to sound offended. “During the last Cycle, Nicolas Thistlebush tried and succeeded in extracting the players from Sector 3. He controls a warship several times larger than Manhattan that is faster and more powerful than any fleet currently in the Game. I have confirmed that he has already crippled a Horde sector for some reason he only knows and did so in less than a Cycle. With his help, we believe we can create an allied territory that will drastically increase humanity’s chances of survival.”

Melody stopped smirking and became serious for the first time since I met her. “This changes things. Ship, please take us to Nicolas Thistlebush’s location.”

“You are not authorised to give that command,” the ship’s computer replied.

Melody glanced at me. “You need to retrieve and debrief him before planning a move forward. He’s a strategic asset. He cannot fall into another government’s hands.”

I nodded. “Ship, take us to Nicolas Thistlebush’s location.”