Survivors - Jean Lorrah [70]
He described a pattern Yar had learned about in her required studies in history and sociology, one repeated time after time across the galaxy. Some governments were wise enough, as Treva’s council of warlords had been, to recognize that trading away natural resources was planetary suicide. The only other choice was industrialization.
But as the level of technology on a planet climbed, the education of its workers had to follow or there would be no one capable of designing the equipment or doing the work. With education quickly came discontent-and insistence on sharing in the wealth they created.
Once the people acquired economic power, political power quickly followed. Governments changed from tyrannies, monarchies, oligarchies, to the many variants of rule by the people. On Treva, Rikan said, bemused, “We ruling families found to our astonishment that our lives were no worse than before. At least for those of us who bowed to the inevitable. My father no longer ruled by right of birth, but he was elected to the new Legislative Council, and when he died I replaced him. It was the same for all the great families. The power of the sword was replaced by the power of the vote-but it was still power.”
His face grew sad as he continued, “Some there were who would not give up the old ways. They actually did what Nalavia accuses me of: built armies and attempted to win by might over those who welcomed the new ways.” He sighed. “My father said, ‘You cannot fight the future.’ He was forced to take arms against some of his oldest friends. They called him a coward and a weakling, but they were wrong.”
By this time they were standing on a balcony overlooking the chasm that formed a natural defense for the castle. “They were wrong,” Rikan repeated … but Yar heard something in his voice….
“Do you doubt that?” she asked.
“They said the common people could not be trusted, that they were weak and lazy and stupid. The warlords died fighting, like men-and cursing those like my father who, they said, turned against their own kind.” His mouth thinned. “We were four, four who looked to the future and trusted in our people. Now all the others are gone.”
Yar suddenly remembered, “Three members of the Legislative Council were murdered. Not-?”
Rikan nodded. “Yes-the other warlords. And suspicion cast on me, although of course there was no proof. I am the last, and I am childless. When I die, there will be no more warlords on Treva … and I have survived to see the prophecy come true: the people elected Nalavia, and now as she takes their power to herself they don’t seem to care! As long as they have life’s necessities plus entertainment and intoxicants, they don’t think of the future. Weak and lazy and stupid.”
“Then why do you fight?” Yar asked.
“There are days when I ask myself that,” Rikan replied, “and cannot find an answer. But then I go among my own people, here in the countryside. They work eagerly, play hard, live well-and I say no, Nalavia will not turn these people into her slaves! Not so long as I have breath and strength, or the wherewithal to get help for their struggle.”
“So you hired Dare.”
“His reputation has it that he can organize a small number of people to be as efficient as an army.”
Oh, yes-Starfleet Security training had certainly taught him that.
“And has he done so?”
“Yes. His people trained and drilled us-and then these so-called terrorist attacks began, and the blame was placed on me. It cost me a large number of supporters.” He turned the open, young hazel eyes, so incongruous in the old, wrinkled face, on Yar. “Natasha-those attacks are not Adrian’s doing, nor mine. We believe they may be perpetrated by Nalavia herself, to rouse her people’s hatred against us, but we have no proof.”
“If that’s so,” Yar said, “Data will find out.”
“Data? The android has such powers?”
She told