"99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" (closed)

[CutiePie1997]

"99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"

(closed)​

Background of the story:

• World War III
  • In 2050, nuclear war sends the Human race toward extinction.
  • There is a shining light, though.
  • Between 2020 and WWIII, 12 new manned space stations were built.
  • These 13 stations -- including the ISS -- agree that peace will reign in space.
  • 10 merge to share resources and, with luck, preserve the Human Race.
  • The fate of the other 3 stations is yet to be explained.
  The Ark:
  • The new super-station is called the Ark.
  • A representative government is formed, called the Council.
  • Crime and other events are a constant threat to the Ark.
  • The Council slowly adopts a draconian set of laws and rules to stop crime.
  • The death penalty is authorized for any crime that threatens the Ark, its future, or its people.
  • Other violations offer an option of solitary confinement accompanied by forced labor and reduction in resources.
• 2250
  • The Ark can no longer sustain its population, now at 505.
  • Studies of the surface indicate a moderate chance of survival.
  • The Council announces a plan to return citizens to the ground.
  • A landing pod is capable of carrying up to 100 people and supplies.
  • The entire prison population of 60 is forced to become Resettlers.
  • 20 others volunteer.
  • The remaining 20 are also forced. They each provide a skill vital to the future of the Resettlers.

CLOSED

 

[CutiePie1997]

Introducing Governor Gwen Marston

Gwen Marston
Governor, Ark Resettlement Mission to Earth

The drop ship shook furiously as it entered Earth's atmosphere. Gwen honestly believed they were all about to burn to death.

She still couldn't believe that she had volunteered to be Governor of this mission. She had had a relatively comfortable life back on the Ark. As one of the 9 members of the Ark Council, she'd had better than average quarters, privileges, allotments, and more. And she'd given all of that up for coming down to Earth? Insane.

Despite being part of the Ark's privileged few, Gwen had been unhappy. She had been for a long time. Her husband had been executed by ejection from the station, otherwise known as Floated. He'd been having an affair he desperately wanted to keep secret from his Council Member wife; the woman in question had blackmailed him into pilfering some additional resources for her; and they'd both been Floated for their crime.

As a Council Member, Gwen could have blocked her husband's execution; her veto of the sentence would have put him in Detention, performing forced labor for half rations for 5 years. But she'd let the execution proceed. It would have made a bad impression for her to save her husband when so many others had been Floated for similar or even lesser violations.

Gwen demanded one stipulation to coming down to Earth, though: she retain her seat on the Council, despite no longer being aboard the Ark. Keeping her seat meant that she had a say in matters and, more specifically, a veto for any action that had the potential of ending a life or lives. No one knew whether the Resettlers could survive down here, and Gwen wanted a say in anything and everything about the mission upon which the Council was voting. In addition, she put forth motions that concerned the mission, even from down here.

Gwen looked about herself at the Resettlers. The Drop Ship had 3 levels, so she couldn't see everyone of the 99 men, women, and children over whom she would be governing. Governor … Governor Gwen, she thought as she looked into their faces. She was supposed to be the leader of this mission and these people. But really, were any of them going to follow her? Respect her? Follow her commands and edicts?

Of the Resettlers, 60 were from the Detention Block. Between them they had more than 350 convictions: theft, extortion, assault, involuntary manslaughter, vandalism, sabotage, arson, and more. None of them had volunteered to come down here, but some of them were more than happy to be doing so. The Ark was would soon be unable to sustain even the free population, and when that happened, the first to be purged were those in the Detention Block.

Gwen had one thing going for her: the Guard. The Council had wanted to send down a Guard of 12, a ration of 1 Guard to each 5 inmates. That was better than up on the Ark. They got their Captain easily, in the form of Lois Connors. But they'd only gotten 2 volunteers from the existing Ark Guard. Incentives had been offered, getting them 2 more. Finally, the 5 more spots were filled by newly trained members. That was 10. It wasn't enough, but then most of the Council didn't honestly believe that even 20 armed Guards would be able to maintain control once the inmates were loose and free on the ground.

Gwen had a second thing going for her, actually: family. Several of the older members of the Resettlement Mission were parents or siblings of the inmates. Gwen hoped that they would have a stabilizing influence on their convicted family members. But then, some of those inmates had had estranged relationships with family, so again, Gwen couldn't know what could happen once the reached the ground.

Presuming they reached the ground in one piece.

 

[CutiePie1997]

Commander Lois Connors
Image
44 years old
5'8", fit, strong, shapely.

Lois had some of the same misgivings being contemplated by her new boss, Governor Marston. Lois, though, had an advantage over the thugs, though: guns. She and her Guard staff had access to an armory that was for maintaining control of the loosed inmates and for other non-policing matters, such as hunting and construction, or more specifically the clearing of land.

The armory consisted of:

• Guard use only:
  • 5 semi-automatic pistols, Earth-made.
  • 12 shock sticks, Ark-made.
  • 1 shot gun, Ark-made.
• Controlled access for hunting, camp defense, brush clearing, etc.:
  • 2 long rifles, Ark-made.
  • 2 crossbows, Ark-made.
  • 4 bows, Ark-made.
  • 6 machetes, Ark-made.
  • 10 knives of various types, mostly Ark-made.
• Ammunition for the above weapons.

Regarding maintaining control, the plan for Lois was simple: reach the ground, secure the drop ship and all the supplies within it, and tell the others You want something ... behave!

At least, that was the plan.