Ceres Chaos [Exosuit Progression]

The conference room was permeated with a solemn tone. Thousands of participants were huddled in their many groups in the large ballroom in an orbital habitat, where they watched the competition from previously.

There were considerably more participants than there had been because today was an important meeting – the annual conference for the Consortium of Athen.

The Consortium of Athen was an official governing body presided over by the ‘owner of the planet’ which was Cardenia Hawthorn.

It was a place to discuss future plans and negotiate deals with others. Many participants, both old and new took the chance to make friends with others from around the planet.

Some participants tend to cluster among their own areas – New Saint, Rockhold, the researchers of Abela Forest, Bee Strathon and so on.

They usually formed interest groups representing their areas, but naturally, New Saint was the most numerous: they were the largest city on Athen, after all.

Soon, the double doors of the large conference room swung open, revealing the members of the Five Families who had come to attend. Oliver Athen led them from the front, walking in with a sizable entourage.

The room was abuzz with whispers, most notably from those who were not privy to the inner workings of New Saint and wished that they were in the same position as the Five Families.

The Athen Family dominated the educational and administrative sectors in New Saint. From schools to all public utilities, they controlled many parts of society in New Saint, a monopoly on their own. While Oliver Athen had his roots in mining, he had since transitioned out of that industry into what he believed was the future.

The other four families were no slackers either. The Derfas family controlled the entire legal and military system. Enforcers, judges, and tribunals were all under their control, with their direct descendants and in-laws in power. Major Derfas, the current family head, was also the head of all city enforcers in New Saint.

The Seras Family controlled the medical industry into a stranglehold. Messing with a Seras pretty much meant you could expect to be beaten up pretty badly until your medical bills were sky-high! It was a running rumour that the Seras Family tries to induce chronic diseases in their patients in order to generate more recurring revenue, but they have persistently refuted that accusation.

The Portu Family handled all logistical infrastructure. Shipping, space travel, tourism, everything that involved moving one person from here to another place – it was them. They monopolized every loop train contract since the founding of New Saint, making it hard for competitors to enter.

The Vitta Family focused on agriculture as much as they could, but have yet to fully establish a majority yet. They still retained a monopoly of consumer product manufacturing, but are looking to expand further. They were a notably late addition to the ‘Five Families’ as people knew them today, but they complemented the other four families extremely well.

The Five Families could theoretically utilize their skills to build a brand-new city on Athen all on their own. However, their assets and wealth were too deeply intertwined with the future of New Saint such that it was practically impossible for them to leave so easily.

Each of the Five Families’ representatives followed Oliver Athen into the conference room, with a horde of other descendants who proudly followed along. Many of them were entrusted with a portion of the family’s business, being delegated to a slice of the pie.

However, due to the enormous size of the planet and its sprawling land masses including underground cavern systems, it was hard for the Five Families to exert much influence, especially when many towns and outposts could easily survive without the need for reliance on New Saint.

Rockhold was a burning testament to this, and the gang leaders who all attended the meeting today were a sore thumb in the eyes of Oliver Athen, a direct affront to the dominance of New Saint over the planet.

Rockhold was not the only other city on the planet, but it was by far the largest criminal enclave, but the Consortium had long accepted that such black market trade was reasonable for the colonization period and that it was better to keep Rockhold within view rather than force them even deeper underground.

Many members of the Consortium also did not have the motive to eliminate Rockhold outright – many goods they relied on could only be sourced through Rockhold.

The Dynasty of Hawthorn was aware of this and effectively turned a blind eye. They chalked it up as refraining from impinging on the independence of the citizens of Rockhold.

Oliver locked eyes with one of the gang leaders from Rockhold, who sneered back at him. It was no secret that the Five Families had always looked to get their tendrils into Rockhold, so the hostility was pretty open.

Scoffing, Oliver led the Five Families’ entourage towards the centre of the conference room. He noticed that the throne in the room meant for the owner of the planet was empty.

A few rumours were already brewing among the crowd about the wager between Oliver Athen and Cardenia Hawthorn. Some wondered why Oliver was working so hard to gain a university, believing that either way Oliver was bound to lose.

How could a mere lowborn colonist family hope to compete with the Dynasty of Hawthorn’s resources? Cardenia had more than enough resources to fully gear up three competitors to fight against Oliver’s students, so some tried to figure out where Cardenia was training her ‘champions’.

Oliver checked the time that was blazoned in a hologram over the conference table. He walked up to the throne, staring at it before turning to face the crowd of members. “It is a minute past the arranged timing for the meeting. Since the leader of the Consortium, Cardenia Hawthorn, is not here, as per regulations I will be chairing over…”

“No need to take control, I am here.”

The same double doors swung open with a much grander and more intimidating entrance than what Oliver Athen just pulled off. Cardenia floated in with the same red-green dress she wore previously, flanked by her personal honour guard and Senia who followed dutifully behind. Her dress was now laced with copious amounts of Floa, far beyond what anyone else in the room would consider as affordable.

“My apologies to everyone, I was busy with other matters,” Cardenia spoke mildly, immediately cutting off Oliver Athen who immediately bowed and retreated from the throne, allowing Cardenia to gently float over and sit on the throne, with her guards immediately taking up positions behind her and Senia to her left.

Everything in the Consortium was a show of force, an act of political power. The members of the Consortium fell silent upon seeing Cardenia sit on the throne.

Senia cleared her throat. “The meeting shall now commence under the purview of the appointed scion from the Dynasty of Hawthorn, Cardenia Hawthorn.”

The conference room was not large enough to offer everyone a seat, so only the members with the largest voting bloc had a seat at the round table which could hold twenty.

More than 13 of the seats belonged to the Five Families, showing the overwhelming majority they had over the rest of the Consortium.

“The agenda for today’s meeting is long. Firstly, we have a complaint brought forward from Bee Strathon, claiming that Outpost Kah-Yul, officially designated as Outpost S-A-17827 has violated the terms of the agreement set forth by the Consortium by illegally mining their veins that have already been claimed. May I invite the representative of Bee Stra-”

“That’s bullshit!” One of the shoddier members raised his voice, interrupting Senia. Though his face and hair were obviously cleaned thoroughly before the meeting, his slightly dirtied shirt and accent betrayed the rural nature of his outpost.

“We found the vein fair and square, and even it was announced in the news recently! You can’t just put a claim to every mining vein on this planet the moment you hear about that! Why don’t you go after the mining companies operating out of New Saint!?”

“Enough. You have spoken out of line.” Senia glared at the man, who immediately fell silent. No one dared to go against the Dynasty of Hawthorn upfront, and certainly not him.

A representative from Bee Strathon stood up, reading from a multi-terminal. “We have received a license from the Dynasty of Hawthorn stating that mineral veins discovered by Bee Strathon first planetwide will automatically be claimed by us. We have evidence that our orbital scanners detected the veins about two weeks before you announced it.”

“Then why didn’t you send anyone over for it, hmm? The fact is this: Your orbital scanners did not go deep enough, and we spent three ENTIRE months digging and scanning how deep it went. Our scanning data is far more detailed than you have, and as far as I’m concerned, we have the right to the vein that you only saw a fraction of!” The outpost’s representative interrupted yet again.

Before both sides could continue arguing, Cardenia held up her hand, causing the argument to pause. This was a dispute that had been ongoing behind the scenes, with this being the official trial.

“I have heard both sides and seen the data from both sides. As a fair Consortium head, I have done my due diligence and noted that Outpost Kah-Yul discovered the vein first and as such has a claim to it. They discovered the first inkling of it before Bee Strathon did, and it was only due to their surface mining exposing the underground that Bee Strathon’s orbital scanner was able to see the vein in the first place. The dispute is dismissed.” Cardenia stated clearly.

The representative from Bee Strathon did not push any more. He was merely a mouthpiece, and Bee Strathon was known to try this sort of move on a continuous basis.

Cardenia sighed, knowing there were probably countless other outpost owners who did not attend this meeting but were bullied by Bee Strathon throwing their weight around and threatening action.

It was one thing for Bee Strathon to threaten with legal action, but Bee Strathon was well capable of hiring mercenary outfits to cause the outpost to run into ‘difficult situations.’ They also boasted their own corporate private armed forces that could rival the New Saint enforcers!

There had past situations where a few outposts were overrun by wildlife due to Bee Strathon not containing them when they were digging into their natural habitat. Officially, this was an ‘honest’ mistake, but Cardenia knew better than that. She did not disdain their methods, but she had to maintain her image, lest she wanted the Consortium to revolt against her.

Senia swiped through the list, checking the agenda. When her eyes landed on the details of the next item, a flash of irritation crossed her face for a moment.

“Our next item on the agenda has been proposed by Major Derfas. He is activating article 17 of the Consortium’s original binding rules, in which a nominee for consolidating the Consortium into a single political entity is chosen. Major Derfas, would you please tell us who you nominate?” Senia continued, pointing towards Major Derfas.

“Oliver Athen.”

A significant groan went out from the members, many were of independent outposts and towns who were not afraid of retaliation since the New Saint enforcers were locked into their own city jurisdiction areas.

“You guys try this every year, are you not sick of it? It’s been thirty-three years now!” One of the other members shouted. “At this rate, I’m going to nominate myself every year too.”

Senia did not show any reaction, instead pulling up a hologram showing a poll of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. “According to article 17, an overwhelming majority is needed for this. 75% ‘Yes’ is required for Oliver Athen to be the unifying leader of the Consortium.”

The poll went smoothly, with everyone understanding what was at stake.

If Oliver Athen won, Athen as a planet would be consolidated into a single political entity, where New Saint would be the capital.

This meant that he would be able to establish a full planetary administration complete with enforcers and oversight, allowing him to rein in all independent outposts, towns and cities across the globe.

None of the consortium members who were outers or residents from beyond New Saint wanted this! After a short ten minutes of tallying the votes, the result was displayed.

“The final result for the poll is 52% ‘Yes’, 38% ‘No’, 10% ‘Abstain’. This is the 33rd Nomination for Oliver Athen, which has failed to achieve a 75% majority and shall henceforth be rejected. The results of the poll shall be recorded.” Senia said without a tinge of emotion, the result expected.

Cardenia did not intervene – this was all according to the rules of the Consortium. Every year, Oliver could try once and Cardenia did not think this was the wrong thing to do.

Every colony eventually tends towards consolidation, just like how the Loeric Empire was formed in the first place. However, no colony so far has actually managed to achieve consolidation. The Dynasties kept the colonies far too divided and suppressed to do so.

Using strength and a meritocratic basis, the Dynasty of Hawthorn fostered ‘competition’ amongst the unique entities of the Consortium. Survival of the fittest would breed the strongest cities and planetary consolidation under the societal theory that the Loeric Empire subscribed to.

With the Dynasty continuously monitoring the situation, it was near impossible for any planet to achieve such unification. Cardenia had full assurance in this as long as she remained the owner of the planet.

Even if she lost the wager and certified the university, it would only lead to a marginal improvement. Under no circumstances is Cardenia allowed to let a colony slip away from the Dynasty of Hawthorn’s hand to become semi-autonomous!

It is with this in mind that Cardenia eyed Oliver with a tinge of suspicion. There was another aspect of the wager that was at stake – prestige. “If he wins the wager, he’ll get a huge boost in prestige, and that may be the finishing move to ensure that he consolidates the consortium…” Cardenia thought to herself…

“Next on the agenda, a discussion on how to best exploit the unique ecosystem of the Abela Forest…”

***

Oliver slowly tapped the table. He was now in a completely different meeting, which only had the Five Families together. It had already been seven hours after the end of the annual consortium meeting.

“It’s impossible to get anything through Cardenia now, the wager has made her wary of any of the motions or discussions we put forward. All items we have put on the agenda of the Consortium have been blocked or vetoed by her. I fear we may have acted too boldly on the University Plan.” Major Derfas stated in a factual tone.

“The University Plan is the only thing that can bring us out of this rut. Any other ‘concessions’ that Cardenia might otherwise make would only be related to mining, shipping, logistics and so on, causing us to dig a pit even deeper into what we already are today. There will be no change.” Oliver frowned.

“In order to break out of Athen and gain an empire-wide prestige, we need to be radical. Being ‘afraid’ of a scion from the Dynasty of Hawthorn is a step backwards. New innovations, new research. Boundless opportunities for us.” Felton Seras, head of the Seras Family remarked.

“But it is not our current strength! We have spent our entire lifetimes building up the current infrastructure and logistical supply chain, but to what effect? Nothing we have done prepares us for hosting a University!” Verna Portu, head of the Portu Family argued back.

She was not wrong. The amount of investment and energy each of the family had put into ensuring their dominance in the market was astronomical relative to their wealth. It did not feel right to some of the members in the meeting that they were not leveraging their current skills and advantages.

“Would a cleaner who wants to live a luxurious life, leverage himself into a cleaning company merely because of his skills? Or would he try to learn more skills to get him further ahead in society, to truly jump the gap between classes?” Oliver said quietly, standing up and walking around the conference room.

“None of us knew anything when we first came, and even then we were not the first per se. We didn’t have any of the skills we have today or the connections, but we gritted our teeth and worked through it. I am not content with this position in society, and if the skills I learnt and the buildings I’ve built for the last four decades will not help me to make even a single step further, I would ditch them without hesitation.”

Oliver spoke, and the other heads began to agree with him. They were all desperate migrants at one point, trying to make a new life for themselves in Athen. Cunningness and ruthlessness had brought them to the top, but was this ‘top’ enough for them?

“Adapt or die. That is the nature of this society. And for those who can’t adapt, we’ll be sure to make the most of them.”