The Unincorporated War Read Online Free PDF

They would not declare against incorporation. It was clear to Tyler and all Erisians that incorporation was a festering corpse tied around the neck of man and must be cut away if the human race was to survive. If those idiots on the core worlds wanted to let their dreams fester and their souls rot, that was their concern, but the Alliance should know better. He’d already given speech after impassioned speech in all the preliminary meetings on Ceres. On Eris it might have gotten him elected governor if the election were held again, but here, he thought sadly, they only yawned; some even got angry. Angry! Today in Congress when he’d proposed a law declaring incorporation be abolished he could barely get it seconded by anyone outside of the TNOs, and then the rather sizeable Shareholder faction had the matter easily tabled. The only bright spot had been that at the end of the day he’d received the invitation he’d been trying to get for the past four months—a chance to meet the great man himself.
    So now Tyler Sadma paced.
    “Mr. Sadma, I presume.”
    Tyler swung quickly around and was shocked to see Justin Cord standing alone in the doorway, hand extended. Tyler had half-expected to be shuttled through a series of ante chambers, eventually to end up in the august quarters of the living legend himself. Instead, this. That Cord, unaccompanied, had come out to greet him personally had taken Tyler completely by surprise.
    The President’s extended hand was the new form of greeting that had already gained wide acceptance—not only on Earth but also and especially in the outer colonies. His handshake, noted Tyler, was firm and his eyes, though tired, were trained intently on Tyler. Justin led him into a side room with a small conference table. There were no personnel, congressmen, reporters, or mediabots. Tyler was both honored and miffed. Honored to have this man all to himself, miffed that the meeting would be off-the-record.
    Rather than sit at the table, Justin led Tyler through the room and out onto a veranda and invited him to take a seat at the edge of a small table. Drinks and food were laid out, including, Tyler saw, Erisian ale—a rare and expensive commodity in these parts. Tyler could also see from a small holodisplay that the privacy shield had been activated. They could see out, but no one could see in. It was the last straw.
    “Am I so odious, sir, that you don’t want to be seen with me?”
    “Not at all, Mr. Sadma,” answered Justin calmly. “It’s
me
who prefers not to be seen. I once made the mistake of walking out onto a veranda with the shield off and within minutes was surrounded by a wall of mediabots so high they blottedout the cliffs above. Fortunately,” laughed Justin, “I was clothed at the time. Anyhow, all my verandas are now permanently set to ‘shield.’ However, if you don’t believe me we can open this one up right now.”
    Tyler thought about how the exposure would help his Political career and for a second actually entertained the notion. But he also realized that Justin was a man he’d need favors from and if he was lucky the opposite would also prove true. Best not to act rashly.
    “My apologies, Mr. President. Shielded is fine.”
    Justin nodded respectfully and once again invited Tyler to sit.
    “With regards to you personally,” said Justin as he took a seat, “I must confess to quite a bit of admiration. Especially with regards to your spirited defense and victory for the corporate execs. That took real chutzpa.”
    “Sir?” asked Sadma as he too sat down.
    “Sorry, I do that sometimes. ‘Balls.’”
    Understanding registered on Sadma’s face.
    “I did not do it to earn your respect.”
    “Nevertheless, Mr. Sadma, you have it. That’s why we must talk.”
    “I’m all ears, Mr. President.”
    Justin tipped his head but waited a few moments before speaking.
    “I respect you, Mr. Sadma, but you should realize that I also fear