Tisis

The Council of Masters (S)

At long last, those stupid two days are over and since I didn't grow a new arm or whatever they were checking me for, I get to leave the quarantine station, escorted by two armed guards.

There are curious looks all over the place, as we head through the corridors, when something familiar catches my eye.

"...hey guys...I know these probably all look the same, but...which block did this use to be?" I ask, staring down the corridor, which looks an awful lot like the one I used to trudge down for years and years.

"You are not mistaken, Sirus," Robert replies after turning to me, "This whole area used to be block D. Apparently the Asmodei planned for contingencies and built the ship, so every block can survive on its own. When the whole thing went to hell, the parts got sealed off from each other and the explosion hurled us off into deep space, directly into that...whatever it was."
"Wormhole...I think it was what she said," I help out absent minded.
"Right, whatever. So yeah...I don't know where the other pieces of the ship are, how many blew up while in space or whatever...but chances are, that those who didn't blow up, are now drifting through the grand void."
"Do...do you think, they are still alive?"

Robert gives me a pitiful look and then replies, "Probably not. I mean, we got incredibly lucky that we landed here, where there is fresh air and everything. I don't think we would have survived very long if not for that."

"I...see...so...", I say and move to the next topic while starting to walk again, "Mind telling me what to expect? I mean, I know I said I wanted to talk to the council, but things seem...a bit different from when I lived here."
"Yes, we needed to make a few changes and improve on some of the rules we used to live by. We're calling ourselves 'the Council of Masters' these days."
"Council of Masters? Master of whom?"

Robert throws me a wry smile and replies, "After the crash, there was chaos. Without the Asmodei enforcing order with their weapons and without the elders telling us what to do, everyone suddenly wanted to be the boss. And there was no shortage of violence towards the end, because everyone assumed to 'know best' what to do."
"The old story, huh?"
"Yes, the old story...hard to believe that we would repeat the same crap that cost our ancestors their home world at the first chance we get, huh?"
"So...what happened next?"
"Yeah well, after a lot of scuffling, I assumed responsibility and lined up a few of our old comrades from Block D, plundered a weapons cached and enforced a truce."
"...using violence to keep the peace? Really?"
"When all is said and done, violence is still the only language everyone understands, Sirus. That's the way it always has been and always will be."
"So...you're the boss now? Because you've got the guns?"

Robert gives me a hearty laugh and shakes his head.
"Not quite, Sirus. As a response to my 'uprising', others also started gathering people around them and armed them...a lot of blood would have been shed eventually. But fortunately, before that happened, the factions that had formed came together and started talking. The result of this talk was the creation of the 'Council of Masters', where each faction has one seat to speak for their cause. Right now, we have 7 masters on the council. Each faction has assumed one vital function of the colony and can do pretty much everything they want within their boundaries, as long as it does not impact the other factions negatively. We are down to about 500 people, Sirus...we need to work together instead of against each other, if we want to make it."

I nod and reply, "That's definitely something I can agree on...so what factions are there?"
"I'll introduce you in a moment. Alright guys, it should be fine now."

I look up and sure enough we stand in front of the door.
"...say, what did you use to write that sign anyway? For some reason it gives me the creeps," I ask as Robert reaches for the door.
"Ah yeah...we used blood to write that."
"...why in the world would you use blood?"
"It is a symbol. The council exists, so no more human blood must be shed by human hands. Don't worry, nobody had to die for that sign."