“Going forward, we should probably get the government out of the manufacturing business. It is too inefficient – even with the automated factories – at least compared to what we could be doing with that capacity. My own recommendation is to spin these factories off as commercial entities, and to sell off their ownership in the form of shares in the corporations created.
“Other things are appropriate for government involvement, if not outright control. Education is one such, particularly in two areas. The first is identifying the most gifted among us and ensuring their talents are developed so that we might all benefit. The second is having a true university, so that we can begin advancing the considerable knowledge we are heir to.
“There are other candidates, too. Health research is certainly one. Some forms of transportation, perhaps, like the buses. Highways to link our cities as they grow.
“I would think some form of government funding in these areas is beneficial, while perhaps government control is less so. These are open questions for you all.”
The Chen sipped his tea once more, and stared at the floor in front of him. It was clear he was accessing his heads-up display.
“Ah, yes. One more thing.
“When you have finished your work, and produced a document the bulk of you can support – more than a simple majority, I would think – it must be submitted to the population for a vote. I do not think we want to enter another era in which the government is set for us by some entity that stands apart from the people subject to it.
“Toward that end, this group may want to solicit input as you go, asking people for their ideas. I doubt I have drawn together here everyone among us who might have good ideas on this matter.
“You may have questions for me. I would encourage you to send them to me. I will consider them, and answer any for which I have pertinent thoughts on the matter. I will copy those answers to you all.
“Let us now move on to the matter of a chairman. Consider carefully the people around you. Many of you know each other, or some subgroup of each other. Who among your peers seated here do you think has the patience and the skills to chair such a group?
“The floor is open to nominations. Please wait for a young man to bring you a microphone.”
A young woman wearing a lavalava and flip-flops came out and sat on the floor next to the Chen. Two similarly dressed young men with microphones came out and took the steps down off the stage. People began to hold up their hands, and a young man went to each in turn as they made their nominations. A number of different people were nominated, including Adriana Zielinski.
In all, two dozen people were nominated. The young woman entered their names into her computer account using her heads up display. When the nominations were complete, she sent her list to the Chen.
“I have the list of nominations from my granddaughter JuPing. I will send this list to you all. Please consider this list for a moment, and pick your favorites. I would ask you to select three. When we are ready, JuPing will read off the names one at a time. If that person is one of your three favorites, please hold up your hand.
“If we are ready?”
JuPing read the names one at a time, and people held up their hands for their favorites. When she got to the end of the list, the Chen nodded.
“From my observation, we have five clear favorites. I have sent you the list. Please pick one person of these five. When JuPing reads the names one at a time, please hold up your hand for your favorite.”
JuPing read the five names while the Chen watched the room.
“We are now down to two people, Adriana Zielinski, the provost of the university, and Indira Bakshi, the director of the hospital. We have two choices now, so hold up your hand for your favorite when I mention them.
“Adriana Zielinski.”
The Chen looked around the room.
“Indira Bakshi.”
The Chen surveyed the room again.
“You have your chairman. Adriana Zielinski, please come up to the stage and claim the microphone.”
Zielinski got up and went down the aisle to the stairs, mounting them to the stage. The Chen stood as she approached and shook her hand.
The Chen then turned to the room, bowed to them, and walked off the side of the stage with his granddaughter and grandsons.
It took several minutes for the applause to die down enough for Zielinski to proceed.
Forgotten Legacy
On the first day of deliberations of the constitutional convention, the chairman recognized the utility of setting up committees to consider the various questions before the larger body. Committees were formed on the rights of citizens, the powers of the executive, the powers of the legislature, the manner and frequency of elections, the establishment and powers of political subunits, and so on. There were many things to consider, and committees were formed to cover all of them. That took the whole first day and most of the second.
On their third day of deliberations, the delegates woke to find a mail in their account with an attachment. The mail had no sender name on it, and they assumed it had been sent around by the Chen.
The attachment was a large document from the archives of the colony headquarters back on Earth, from about two years before the colonists had departed the home planet. The archives themselves were part of the library that had been sent along with the colony when it had been planted on Arcadia. The title drew their attention immediately: ‘A Proposed Intermediate Structure For Colony Government, With
