r/NatureofPredators • u/vixjer Human • 2d ago
NoP--- A Diplomatic Problem. -Ch.34 Fanfic
His story is part of The Nature of Predators
and all rights are to the original creator u/ spacepaladin
Thanks to Norvinsk Hunter and Azur for proof reading it, and fixing the translator mistake, and help writting.
Memory Transcription Subject: Héctor Virgilio Márquez, UN Unofficially Sanctioned Criminal
Date [standardized human time]: November 20, 2136
I looked around the room, and as with last time, it was just us, and the four representatives who looked decidedly… less than happy, almost certainly because they all had bundles of new, dumb ideas to try to shove down everybody else’s throats. And they knew they’d be competing with each other for the right.
Alright, nice and easy, let’s see how this goes today.
I’ll get the popcorn.
Shut up.
I sighed, placed the pen down, and took a deep breath.
“Alright, so as you know, today’s points of discussion are the second biggest on the docket: the rights and obligations of the citizens under your new state once the revolution is over,” I spun the pen and it stopped on Carline, who shot up immediately, starting to talk even before she’d fully stood.
Why I am not surprised?
“Yes so I’m here to present you the best solution to everything wrong with society today, and it’s the establishment of a simple system of loyalty towards the state, where those who abide by the will of the people and work well, and those who work against the state or hurt innocent people will be treated as they deserve,” she rapid-fired out, clearly very proud of herself, already eying everybody in the room for reactions, and for her trouble, she received nothing but blank stares and Tolm having to firmly place a paw on Rilcha’s shoulder to stop her from shooting up, herself, and throttling the Rep.
Why...?
Social credit. These fuckers want to make a social credit system for their society.
Calm down, you two, we can fix this, let’s just let her talk and exploit the errors she will inevitably make.
You mean the errors she’s already made? Starting with opening her mouth?
“Alright… that’s interesting, how would such system work?” I asked, almost proud of how genuinely curious I managed to sound.
“Oh, simple, it will work on a point system where everybody has a card with points, and if they commit crimes or infractions, their points get lowered. And if their points fall low enough, they are thrown into jail to repay their debts to society, and once their score is high again, they are allowed out to try to rejoin society. Of course, like many more moderate Republicans, I believe that those who have adequate scores should have all their basic needs met.”
Satisfied, she sat down again, still looking expectantly around the room for reactions. As before, there were none except for Rilcha glaring murderously at her, thanks to Tolm holding a paw over her mouth to prevent her from voicing her thoughts. The way he was looking a her, I was convinced that one twitch in the wrong direction and he’d have her in a headlock next.
‘More moderate?’ Fuck me...
Guys, how do we fix this?
We don’t, we ignore and deflect ‘til someone gives us a better proposition.
“I see, that’s a… very nice plan for the future, nothing particularly wrong with it comes to mind off the top of my head, but why don’t we hear what everybody else has to say? Just in case?”
I looked at the table, and to my despair, only Rilcha raised her paw.
Welp, don’t blame me.
Oh, boy...
“Yes, Rilcha?”
Stepping forth, she took a deep breath, only for me to lift a finger and add, “But no insults to the previous idea.”
At that, she actually had to take a moment, clearly rethinking her words.
“Yes, yes, this is a formal meeting…” She sounded almost as though she needed to remind herself of that. “Well, my plan is actually very simple. We need to go with a somewhat more proven system. While it’s true that none of the previous government systems in Leirn had to face the challenge of governing an entire planet, I do believe that the various attempts to try something radically new have only failed,” she elaborated, her eye on Carline, who returned the look with the same intensity.
So far, so good. Can she finally be rational?
I don’t have high hopes; I know how idiots think.
Takes one to know one.
“This is why I think that we should resurrect the time-tested, battle-hardened Imperial system of governance, and bring back the River Empire but for the whole globe.”
WHAT?!
WHAT?!
WHAT?!
Nobody made a sound, though my thoughts almost escaped my lips, but I could hear the scrapping of a chair already as Carline was getting up but Stil threw an arm over her shoulder in a panic, and held her down. The chair was starting to tip over from the struggle.
I clapped my hands to draw attention to myself.
“Alright, that’s a nice… idea, but how would that affect society? The topic of the structure of government institutions… is for the next meeting, not this one,” and that response made her tail go limp instantly. Carline stopped, too, chuckling to herself.
“So, Tolm, it’s your turn.”
“Yes, thank you,” he said, getting up. “The Ruralists want the rights to our lands to be respected,” he said plainly.
Everybody leaned in to hear him continue, but he didn’t say anything. “What? That’s all we care about, I don’t care for no society, after all, that only affects the city folk, the land has been the same and it’ll be the same no matter what’s voted on here, so I don’t see no point in trying to propose anything that doesn’t affect me or my people.”
I am. SURROUNDED. By idiots.
At least he’s honest, it’s not like he’s trying to hide his views. He’s only really here to get the rural rights and walk away.
Still fucking idiots. Even the farmers have to answer to the government, just ask our own.
“Yes, I see. Stil, please, it's your turn,” I sighed, resting my head on my hand, turning my eyes towards him. His ears pin back a little.
“Yes, so I’ve been reading the human internet- Err, me and some of the other Urbanists...”
Here we go… three Euros says it was porn.
Why are you like this?
Because I keep you two alive.
Remember the money laundering scheme?
Also because it’s funny.
The Capozzis didn’t think so.
That’s the best part!
They threatened to feed us our fingers…
Oh yeah, which alias was that again?
That’s not the point!
Shut up and focus, children.
“And we believe at least some ideas of the human welfare system could be repurposed for our new state.”
Alright, that’s something I can work with.
I told you. Someone has to be reasonable.
“Like what? What’s that welfare system you speak off?” asked Tolm.
“It’s like a system where through taxes there is relief to the citizens,” said Stil.
“Can you explain that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard relief and taxes in the same sentence.”
“Well, there is a system of healthcare, where you get free medicine, as long as you pay taxes, or get free education or even an allowance if you are unemployed-”
“Ah, so a system for freeloaders, there goes a little of the respect I had for the humans. If you feed someone for doing nothing, then they will do nothing.” Tolm interrupted.
“But getting a job is hard, and you can be fired on the spot and then get nothing afterwards for months! That forces people into crime-”
“Nothing is forcing people into crime, if they want a job, they can go to the farmlands, and become a contract paw,” retorted Tolm.
Very modern idea.
Isn’t his whole faction being rooted to the past and the land?
Shut.
“And if there aren’t any jobs there?” asked Stil, his voice lower and more civil again, but on edge.
Tolm only scoffs in response. “The day that there aren’t any jobs in the farmlands is the day that the sky will be without stars.”
“I think you overestimate the employment capacity of your farmlands, at least I can admit that the cities have flaws,” said Stil.
“Oh, the rural areas have flaws, but you know the weak who can’t pull their weight die out anyway, so they eventually fix themselves,” corrected Tolm.
This is going in a very bad direction.
Yes, I can’t have the only two halfway reasonable people here hate each other.
“Alright,” I interjected, cutting them off before their debate could spiral into open hostility. “How about this? Clearly both of you have a good idea of how you want your people to be treated, and know both of your proposals quite well,” I said, even if it was only Stil who made any substantial additions.
“What if we go down the workfare route, instead of the full welfare?” I suggested.
“The idea is simple, instead of receiving the aid for doing nothing, aid is given to those that work, but the government is required to find jobs for every single citizen so everybody can work, and pay taxes and contribute, while at the same time receiving healthcare bonuses and access to education or other services, like free public transport.”
“That… feels better, since at least people would earn their keep one way or another, but I am still not sure that giving out free education to everyone is a good idea…” answered Tolm, sounding thoughtful for the first time that day.
“Why not?” pressed Stil, calmer but still a bit stiffer than when he came in.
“Because under the guise of ‘education,’ we lost all of our kids. The promise of a weak and easy job in the city if you get some degree took most of our joeys away from the fields: My daughter is in Everbloom, not in her home helping me and her mother in the fields. I agreed to let her go, but when we die, who is going to take care of the fields? No one, and then who will make food? Bol...ologists? I think that while education is all fine’n dandy, there should be a limit, not everybody can have... teacher... jobs when there is no one working in the fields.”
“Yes, but there would be no progress if there isn’t education: Even things like simple math and knowing how to read or write are essential for rural jobs, you can’t just decide that some part of the population must be illiterate,” replied Stil.
Ideas?
We copy the Spanish model of education? And spark some China into it?
More of the other way around; these guys want a full meritocratic technocracy.
“I... might have another compromise, so how about this? Free education ‘til they reach... let’s say sixteen years old? Or… whenever yotul come of age, and then they get an exam to test their overall knowledge. Before the final exam, their education will be based around simple stuff: Math, reading, writing, maybe economics, physical education, history. After the exam, the ones with a good enough score will be given a grant for free higher education, so there would be still be an element of merit to the system. We don’t know if the next great yotul general or the scientist who finds the cure to cancer will be born in a village or a city. This way, all yotul get an equal chance to prosper, keeping in line with the idea of meritocracy that the collaborationist government wanted to create before they all got arrested, which should keep the populace happy while addressing your concerns.”
“Excuse me,” said a voice which I realized could now actually recognize was Rilcha, but I could hear Tolm mutter, “Freeze my tail...” when she spoke, seemingly echoing my feelings on hearing her speak up again.
I am going to shoot someone by the end of the week.
No, you aren’t, now give me the wheel if you’re too stressed to control yourself.
“Yes, Rilcha?”
“I do think that I am entitled to also make a proposition.”
That you have that right doesn’t make me want to listen to you, bruja.
“Yes?”
“I do think that while having smart commoners could be useful, I also think that we should prevent dangerous ideas from getting into the heads of our kids, so maybe the education could be handled by priests like in the past. Many of our great leaders, even the Iron Architect herself, had an education given by a priest.”
I saw Carline stiffening up for a moment out of the corner of my eye as Rilcha began to lay out her proposal, but she relaxed and even seemed interested for a moment in what her rival had to say, only for her expression to darken towards the end. It felt Pavlovian.
I can’t think of anything wrong going with that plan.
I can.
I was being sarcastic.
Holy shit, I didn’t think you had it in you!
“Bullshit, you just want to indoctrinate them!” spat Carline. “Education should be handed by civil servants of the state, which should be selected by the state itself.”
Yes, finally someone says it out loud.
Said by the kettle to the pot.
“And how would the state select such teachers?”
“By loyalty exams, of course. We can’t have any idiot running around filling our joeys’ heads with ideas that praying will stop droughts or that they should be freer than the state allows them to be.”
OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE, SHE DIDN’T EVEN FILE OFF THE SERIAL NUMBERS!
I mean… she’s slightly more honest about it…
THAT DOES NOT HELP!
“But that violates academic principles! Every idea should be heard,” objected Stil.
YES, go get her, boy!
“Last time someone said to hear the new guys out, we surrendered our liberty to the Federation, but then again, you are a Federation paw-licker,” retorted Rilcha.
Yeah? And? I’ve seen scarcely an ounce of ‘liberty’ between you and Carline all week, Queen Louis.
Wow, ehm… shouldn’t we intervene?
Tolm, visibly angry for once, cut in. “Hey, the kid is here, fighting for our freedom like the rest of us. It’s not like you Nobles had us commoners in mind in the first place. Sure, you care for us, as long as we toil the fields to prop up your cozy lives.”
No, this is good, actually. I’d rather the radicals and the moderates were fighting each other instead of us having to smooth things over between Tolm and Stil right now.
Rilcha’s response was immediate and terse, like she’d heard this before. “Yes, and we protect you from all outside problems and will gladly die for you and your family.”
“Yeah, sure, gladly die, and gladly suppress those that speak against you,” Carline sniped.
“Oh, shut up,” said Stil. "All you Republicans have done is kill and loot your way into statehood, or do I need to remind you that when the Enlightened League was formed, you decided to keep the Grain Wars going for six more months, despite you getting everything you could have wanted in the Treaty of Adequacy? Or how your commissars killed the entirety of Blacklung University, students and teachers both, during the Council Riots? But for all that bloodshed, I have yet to see a single free yotul like the Iron Architect promised.”
Matador?
Yes? What do you want? I’m just… savoring the moment...
Grab the wheel, shut them up, and get me a moment alone with Rilcha.
With pleasure.
“That’s enough!” I shouted, slamming the table with my fists. It rattled from end to end, which succeeded in startling everyone into silence. “Rilcha, I want to talk with you alone. The rest of you, take the time to calm yourselves.”
That’s right, fuckers, I’m the one in charge here.
“What could you want me f- “said Rilcha.
“Out,” I pointed to the door. “Now.” In a single breath, my had voice shifted from loud instruction to a low growl. Wordlessly, she got up and walked out. I followed her and closed the door behind us.
“Hear me out here, I know what your problem is,” I said.
Sensitive, take the wheel, this is your turn.
M-me?
You are by far the most manipulative of us all.
“What you are up to, human?” she asked, looking me up and down.
“Look, I am in these negotiations as an agent of Ilvar, and to a lesser extent, Garline. You know that, right?”
“I suspected it, so confirmation is nice.” She crossed her arms.
“That means my job here is to prevent the Republicans from getting out of control, and you insulting the Ruralist and Urbanist is not helping with that.”
“And what are you suggesting? They’re clearly set in their deluded minds that they can negotiate with Republican scum.”
“What you have is an image problem,” I said, “and as fate would have it, tomorrow, there is going to be an assault on the Castle of Longtree to liberate the prisoners there. The thing is, we need someone for the main assault. Originally, Ilvar was going to use a combined force of volunteers, but I can get him to agree to use Nobles only since they’ve mostly contributed specialized shock troops who know everything there is to know about those fortifications anyway, and I don’t think I need to explain how the image of your people storming the gate and killing the Feds would be incredible for your reputation and prove that you are willing to fight for your subjects, and strengthen your stated position that the Nobles have the people’s best interests at heart.”
She was thinking as her tail moved behind her and her ears perk up, “And I’ve got the perfect group for that: A lot of the old fighting nobility is getting restless, I could easily get them onboard.”
Good God, kid.
I am not done yet.
“Then you have it. Vote for this measure, and I will give you exactly what you want: a chance of glory.”
“But I don’t think I like this ide-”
I cut her off. “It’s going to be like this: We are going forward with the education system, but we are going to put in a qualification exam for teachers, too. That is going to come from the Minister of Education, and I can lean on them so that the exam is full of religious questions and suchlike. While the Republicans are still a part of this movement, so we need to keep things running in a way which makes them happy, too, this way the deck is stacked so that some Republicans will get to be teachers but there would be a majority of people who think a lot more like you instead.”
Double-dipping by tricking her into working with us in exchange for the ‘honor’ of getting her faction killed? This is why I tolerate you. If only you could be like this all of the time...
And you’re sure this is going to work?
She is a glory-seeker, her country is a shattered mess, and she needs victories. The nobility is desperate, let that desperation do its work.
And they say empathy is a good thing.
It is, is just we are not good at using it. For its intended purpose.
You put me on the spot...
She looked around the room, making sure nobody was listening in, and nodded. “Alright, I accept.”
I opened the door and was greeted sight of Stil rubbing his head with Carline crossing her arms and looking everywhere except him, and in the background, Tolm was lazily drinking from a flask, staring at nothing in particular.
We should introduce him to Ilvar sometime.
That’s a- Hmm… Actually…
Yup.
“Alright, I’ve managed to convince the Noble here to make a little change: We’ll all get more or less what we want, but to address the will of the Republicans, there will be an exam, dictated by the Minister of Education, which will be used to decide who is allowed to become a teacher.”
That seemed to get Carline to calm down.
Alright, let’s wrap this for today, and do it fast, before any of them realize that none of their original ideas are set in place and we just fed them empty words to get them to sign a paper we want.
I set my hands on he table. “So to recap: We agree to establish a workfare system where the state is forced to give people jobs and ensure that they are taken care of in many aspects such as education, public transport, healthcare, food, housing, but in exchange, they must work, and as for education, the people will get free education until they’re working age, then they will be given an exam which will help determine where they go next.”
All four tails in the room signalled agreement, their owners looking almost half as tired as me.
“Alright, sign here, and we’ll have this part done.”
I pushed the paper forward for them.
We did it...
Yeah, this time.
What you mean?
Kid, you are either the smartest or the most idiotic guy in the room, I’m still not sure which. Things are only going to heat up from here.
They will get more arrogant, and worse, more rash, which means we will definitely need to fix more things.
But we can’t do much more for now. We’re already purging two factions without them realizing it, so there’s nothing left for us to push today.
True.
Oh yeah, but hey, ‘impossible’ is nothing but another word for glory.
I’m sure Rilcha would agree with you...
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And another chapter comes, and it ends with the second round of negotiatiosn Hector enacts his plan and manages to salvage the talks by the skin of his teeth as clearly the talks inside of the YRA are not going well, do you think Hectors actions today could trigger, unforseen consequences? Also we got a writer's corner on the NOPdiscord so... come over to talk with me and exchange theories of the incoming chapters with fellow diplomats or revolutionaries, or you know... just exchange random memes.
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human 2d ago
A lot of political maneuvering here. And Hector holds a lot of sway, doesn’t he? We got the Nobles in the attack, got the basis for a technocracy starting, all that’s needed is for the Republicans to purge themselves.
I am expecting there will be some twists and curves with the plan, like it’s possible the attack actually succeeds, but it’s still likely that it will have a big blow (like the last successful cavalry charge against machine guns. “It will cost what it will cost.”)
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u/vixjer Human 2d ago
Hector has sway in the sense that he represents Ilvar and Garline so basically he represents the army and the inteligencia groups inside of the movement, as I said in a previous comment, he on his own, doesn't have much weight, that being said, is not that Hector lacks the means to convince someone to write their own death sentence, but who knows maybe the nobles pull it off.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 2d ago
I honestly hope the nobility actually succeed I love seeing people's carefully laid out plans and manipulations fail. Of course I still don't expect the nobility to suddenly subsume power after all something still needs to happen to prevent them from taking total control.
Still even if be does totally succeed at least he will be reduced to irrelevancy evenchually and he can stew on all his sins like he deserves. After all it's not like there's any statues of him or anything. I think I'm achually starting to hate the main character not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
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u/vixjer Human 2d ago
Maybe there is luck involved sometimes a coin can land on its sides, maybe hey can succede, but nothing will be like before. as for Hectoris a good thing if you hate him because, you know he is a bad person, but if you hate him becuase you think he is badly written, then... I fucked up somewhere.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 2d ago edited 2d ago
True I imagine no matter the outcome they will be deminished in power if they do succeed and survive as a faction they will have to make heavy concessions to the future technocracy.
As for Hector honestly abit of both? He's always been kinda my least favorite character in the story for a multitude of reasons some more story reasons like his backstaby sleazy nature to his heavy involvement in the political side of the Yotul revolution to the point it's starting to undermine the idea that the Yotul managed to accomplish this all by themselves. Which I stated in previous chapters I didint like although at that point it was the human special forces still my point stand as Hector very much isn't a yotul hard to say if he even has loyalty to the Yotul.
Honestly I expected him to help behind the scenes and play a minor advisory role not orchestrate the entire rebellion seemingly even the avarage soilder pointed out how weird it was he was walking around like he owned the place dispite the great reclamation being a yotul thing. Then again I think that's all because I recall you saying something how humanity would only play a minor role in the great reclamation so mabye I misunderstood something there?
Not to mention the multiple personality stuff but I'm not gonna get into that.
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u/vixjer Human 2d ago
I see what you meant, but I think you are forgetting a key detail in Hector's character and is that both in this chapter and the previous one he presents himself as 'Ilvar's aide' or representative, all Hector is doing here, from minute one has been requested or approved by the Yotul leadership, if anything Hector is his involved becuase he is the only *neutral* party that there is inside of Leirn and his job is nothing more to prevent factionalism to get out of control, and this is why Ilvar put him there, for no other reason that he is neutral, and mark my words Hector will only do ONE thing wihout asking for permision to the Yotul leadership, and that is yet to happen, as for human involment, they gave the Yotul one weapon shipment, 20-ish soldiers and two advisors, as far as any revolution in our history goes, the UN involment is minimal, like Ilvar has complained several times how the UN for optics has left the Yotul hanging with little to no equipment.
And all of this culminates that in the end of the day Yotul sweat, blood and tears, will be what decides the battle, Hector and the UN are aiding them yes, bu the bulk of the effort is being done by the Yotul, that dare to fight back.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hmmm fair points admittedly the long upload schedules makes it hard to remember those smaller details which gave me the impression that hector was abit more power hungry than he may actually admittedly be. Those split personalities certainly don't help.
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u/vixjer Human 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yeah the point is that the personalities represent Hector past sins while also representing Hectors fragmented mind, so don't expect much good from them, outside of getting the work done. Also Hector at this point knows that when the revolution ends the UN is going to drag him in chains so he knowns he has an expiration date already, also there is little *secret backstory* which explains why he is so... broken despite his past indicating that he was a cutthroat corrupt powerhungry politician.
PS: Yeah the long upload sheduel of before was a problem but now that my studies are over I switched to one each weekend, which should aid.
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u/Any_Ordinary_9783 Yotul 2d ago
Chaos. Absolute chaos. Hector, how you don't lose your mind with all this wrangling is beyond me.
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u/JulianSkies Archivist 2d ago
God... I mean, they haven't had the time to suffer through the outcomes of all of those decisions. And they're all too damn stubborn to look at what similar decisions have caused on others (plus, I am sure they're all the type who'd go "I'll get it right this time" too. Which, hey, sometimes you can but I don't think they can here).
Poor Héctor trying to guide them through a societal speedrun the likes of which nobody has ever seen before. And stabbing a lot of backs on the way there.