A Break in Command (fanfiction)

[previous chapter](https://www.reddit.com/r/AfterTheEndFanFork/s/BWoFuaGJXi)

────────────

As the crowd dies down an old man follows a younger one, both stop below the focus of the arch. More men step forward as the crowd grows loud with their fists and shout taking over the delegates’ vision. Eighty-three delegates hold in front of the crowd until the younger man raises his left hand for their silence. A few men still walk out from the hall, carelessly pushing past those delegates who have chosen to stay. The session had not even begun and, of the hundred representatives meant to fill this hall, only the military commanders and those under their direct influence were still present. 

Building-Arms, presider over this conference, looks across the desolate hall, his mind filled with indictments he had no opportunity to voice. Still, in a token effort to stop the already departed delegates, Building-Arms repeats himself.  “Are there any more who refuse the sanctity of this Command?” Building-Arms bellows to the miniscule crowd. When no representative steps forward, Building-Arms speaks again. “Are there any who refuse the rightful call of our nation and industry?” With this new wave of silence Building arms is satisfied and so returns to decorum. “Are there any motions on the floor?”

The steelworkers’ representative raises his hand, “Motion for a round robin.”

John Jones, the dock workers’ representative, groans.“By Lincoln, Aaron, we know who we are. We don’t need a role call.”

“Well it is procedure-”

“There are barely more than ten people in this room. If we go by procedure we won’t have enough votes to adjourn.”

“We could call the deserters back in,” Clarissa says, “Not that they would but I wouldn’t mind roughing them up a bit.”

The dock workers’ representative laughs, “I think that ship has sailed.”

Building-Arms interrupts, “Decorum delegates. Chair’s discretion, all in favor of opening session. Quorum excluding all members not present at this time.”

“We’re already in the Pitt.” And with this rousing call to action, as well as another call for decorum, the delegates unanimously vote in favor of opening the session. “Is there anything on the agenda today, Mr. Chair?”

“First,” Building-Arms looks to one of his secretaries, “Have dues been paid by all present members?” The room groans.

A secretary from the local office begins the procedure by asking for the names of each delegate. “All members present-”

“Aaron Rooney, Steelworkers. Smokestack L'éclair, Postalworkers. Marshals Gunner Washington, Grant Carnagie, Jet-Fighter Patterson, Daniel Coolidge, Victoria Steeler. Admiral Scott Freeman. Pibber George Smith. Commisioner Ann Allan. Clarissa Van Der Meer of the Command Volunteer Corps. Mayor Mickey Romero. John Jones. Dockworkers.” John looks to the secretary. “All dues paid?” the secretary nods. “Good. Motion-”

“Decorum delegate!” Building-Arms furiously bangs his gavel. “If you have another outburst like that you will be thrown out.”

John doesn’t object and patiently leers until Building-Arms speaks again, “With that out of the way, are there any motions on the floor?”

Smokestack raises his card. “Motion for a forty-five-minute moderated caucus with five minutes of speaking time to discuss the walkout.” 

“This is an order, all opposed to the proposed caucus raise your card.” nine delegates raise their card. “The motion fails. Any other motions on the floor?”

John raises his card. “Motion for a forty-minute unmod.” 

Building-Arms taps his gavel. “No caucus can be made without a topic, delegate.”

John keeps his mouth shut and Building-Arms moves onto Gunner who has raised his card in John’s stead. “Motion for a forty-minute unmoderated caucus to draft and discuss plans following the walkout.”

“This is an order, all opposed?” two delegates raise their hands, “The motion passes, you may proceed into the unmoderated caucus.”

All the delegates stand. The military representatives form a circle at the center of the hall which breaks into three smaller circles when the workers’ representatives arrive. The group around John is already discussing a paper as Clarissa walks up to Smokestack. “Did I get anything in the mail?”

Smokestack shrugs. “That’s a point of action.”

“Did you hand everything in already?”

When Smokestack nods, Clarissa pushes forward. “I’m not calling a point of action just to check the mail. You know what’s in there, you have to check it, just tell me and,” Clarissa tries to come up with a threat that sounds legal. She fails, almost attempting a more friendly approach before she is interrupted.

“Van Der Meer. Can you come over?” Gunner shouts. Clarissa looks to him and quickly raises her hand with a thumb up.

Gunner hopps across the hall, eventually landing across from Clarissa. “Me and John have been discussing the walkout. We think there’s a larger scheme afoot.”

“Really.” Clarissa’s face only shifts to annoyance. “What do they think they’re doing?”

Gunner shurgs. “I mean, I don’t know specifics but they’re buckeyes, they’ve probably got something bad planned. Even they’re,” Then he waves his hand in front of his face with a blank expression. “Eitherway, John has a plan and we wanna know if you’re interested.”

Clarissa shakes her head. “What’s the plan?”

As the words come out of her mouth John is close enough for Gunner to give him the burden of explaining. “John?”

John affirms the trade off and focuses on Clarissa.  “First, I have some news but you need a little background for it to make sense. Do you know about Poker Night?”

“I don’t see why I should. I’m not a gambler.”

John fakes a laugh, “No. Poker Night is code for a meeting, actually a few meetings, between the union leaders we can now associate with walkout.”

Clarissa nods along. “Why is it called Poker Night?”

“Oh, there’s this theater production that- doesn’t matter. Poker Night is something that concerned citizens, like me, have been looking into for a while. At first it seemed like an opposition meeting and, well, it was but there’s more. I’ve been able to find credible sources saying that, along with coordinating this general treachery, something more debased was occuring at these Poker Nights.” John pauses, making sure everyone in the circle is paying attention. “According to my sources, the Poker Nights were not just the meetings of a seditious kabal but a panoply of perversions, an anrchistic orgy, a safehaven of sodomy with men going at each other like rabbits, little children being passed around like dinner plates, and wives doing something my informants could not repeat but was probably equally bad, if not worse.”

Clarissa nods along again, letting her eyes track John’s wild expression as he spoke. “Who told you this?”

“Vigilantes, I’ve got my people but in order to stay in the business I have let some people stay quiet.” John shrugs as the group seems satisfied.

Clarissa shakes her head. “That’s not news, that’s a rumor. I thought there was plan, why would you believe a vigilante?”

“Hey, he’s trustworthy, okay? He’s a citizen worried about the current state of our Command.” John smiles. Look, you don’t have to believe me. These things make themselves evident, eventually.”

“Plus, do we really think this is something the unionists wouldn’t do?” Victoria says, “The industrial guilds have always acted like deviants in the open, I don’t see why that would change behind closed doors.”

Grant continues, “We don’t need to defend them, they’ve already abandoned the Command. If we’re wrong, and I consider that a big if, we’ll print retractions but right now we don’t have time for John to go out finding more evidence. We gotta get these perverts now!”

John speaks again. “I have the evidence, not on me but I can show you after. It will show that they were there, the time they were there, and a noise complaint from one of the rooms next to ‘em. Now, we can ignore that and wait for the Industrialists to have enough power to cover this whole thing up or we can throw down the anchor before they’re able to set off.”

Clarissa’s head throbs but tries to compose herself. “What’s the rest of the plan?”

“We’re going to release the evidence we have to the masses.” John explains. “Over the mail, of course, since the newspapers are compromised. Then people are going to get riled up, saying things like ‘I knew it’ or ‘How could they’ or maybe they’ll just be stunned but either way there’s going to be marching in the streets, demanding the next person coming out of their house go back a foot shorter. We come out, make sure they know who they're after, then the mobs storm in with swords flashing. By the end of the week, new leaders are in charge and ready to serve their country.”

“You make it sound like a guarantee.”

“Well it should be.” John leans in. “That’s why we want the Volunteer Corps there to act as independent observers.”

Clarissa stands still for a moment, thinking of every scheming judge or corrupt leader she would want stringed up, before leaning away. “We’re not assassins, John.”

“I know, I know, but think of it as guard duty. We’ll be paying you to protect the people and, if things get out of hand, you can set them right. No different from the rest of your work.”

“We aren’t mercenaries, John.” Clarissa’s mouth gets a little tighter. “I’m not sending my men in to protect your insurrection.”

“It’s not an insurrection, it-” John straightens up. “You’re not mercenaries?”

“No, we-”

John interrupts. “But you’ve done mercenary work.”

“No.” Clarissa clarifies. “The Volunteer Corps is an independent military organization given authority by the North-West Command. Our job is to ensure that all lands under the authority of the North-West Command are building Industry and promoting the American Dream for its people.”

“This is for promoting the American Dream. It’s truth and justice and I’m just asking you to keep the people safe.”

“Come on, you can’t make yellow news and call the outrage justice. I’m not letting the Volunteer Corps get dragged through the mud just to deal with some scandal from the Pitt.” Before John can continue Clarissa  has turned around and begun walking towards Building-Arms.

Building-Arms had been watching the circle for about twenty minutes at this point. He tries to remain passive during the unmods but he’s paying attention by the time Clarissa is at the podium.  “Point of information; Has the Chair screened any letters addressed to Clarissa Van Der Meer or the Volunteer Corps?”

Building-Arms straightens up slowly. “Sustained. The Chair has screened two items, first a shipment from Baton Rouge containg several pounds of roasted coffee beans and second an invitation from the rebel state on the Potomac.”

“Point of personal privilege; I would like to take both the items addressed to the Volunteer Corps and myself into my possession.”

“For what purpose?”

“Distribution among those addressed.”

“Sustained.” Building-Arms looks to a secretary who walks into a small door behind the podium and, after a few minutes, emerges with  the coffee beans along with the invitation sent by Bannister Smithson. Once each item is in Clarissa’s hands she makes one final motion to Building-Arms. “Point of personal privilege; May I be dismissed from this session.”

Building-Arms’s eyes bulge. “That motion is denied. With the current number of delegates, the Chair cannot allow any delegate to be dismissed until the end of the current caucus.”

Clarissa nods politely but still walks out of the room. Building-Arms is about to protest and slams his gavel. All delegates, aside from Clarissa, look to him as she exits the room. Building-Arms flushes. “Decorum. Clarissa Van Der Meer of the Volunteer Corps is dismissed from the session.”