The Inaugural Address

PART I - CHAPTER VIII

8.

"You went too far," Brock said in a hushed tone as I approached him behind the cameras of the Collingwood-esk set. He was alone, I had no idea where Charity, Leo, or Mabel went after the interview ended. "I just don't –"

"Please, don't start," I interrupted. "That prompter was trying to get me to lie to everyone. It wanted me to say Alexandria was innocent. I'm starting to think that their loyalty to Alexandria is stronger than loyalty to the actual resistance."

"Do you hear yourself? That's absurd and you know it." Brock was visibly agitated with me but I refused to apologize for the interview.

"It's actually not, unfortunately," I heard a familiar voice from behind me add. I turned to see my interviewee.

"Eleanor," I began, "Am I wrong to assume–"

"No, we were on to something there." She replies, walking up to offer a hug. I accepted and felt a mix of relief and unease, a combination I'd never experienced in such a way before.

"This is all so..." My voice trailed off, I was unable to verbalize how to describe the situation.

"Overwhelming?" Eleanor says, offering a great description. I'm surprised I couldn't think of the word myself. "You just met your biological grandmother and together you potentially committed treason against not only the Commonwealth but also Mabel's 'rebellion'. You're about to start a resistance within a resistance, it's definitely overwhelming." She released me from her embrace to be able to use her hands to mimic air quotations as she said the word "rebellion". Was she onto the same idea I was? Was Mabel's loyalty with the rebellion or with my sister?

"What do you mean?" Brock asked,

"A true rebellion is led by a leader who embraces those at the heart of its movement. A rebellion isn't led by a leader who waters down the mission while pretending that doing so advances their objective." Eleanor explained.

"So you're implying–" Brock began but stopped as if to have someone say what he wasn't ready to consider yet. I finished his thought, as I believed I was following Eleanor.

"Mabel's not leading a rebellion," I assumed, "or if she is, she's horrible at it."

"Oh, she's anything but horrible. Mabel's goal is a pseudo-rebellion, and let me tell you, the House of Scorpius is not as clueless as you may expect." Eleanor's voice was hushed.

"What's your evidence of this?" Brock asked.

"There's plenty of evidence. Liberty Island, for one, couldn't have been converted to a safe haven for the rebellion without the knowledge of some senior member of the House of Scorpius." Eleanor began, "You really think that the members of the House of Scorpius would just turn a blind eye to the entire landmark compound disappearing because some Arisean militants claimed it magically went offline?" Eleanor kept going before we could verbalize our contemplation. "And Mabel told you she's an ex-Arisean military analyst, right? Well, given her level of clearance she'd would've been imprisoned if she ever actually tried to leave the military, it's either that or she would have a soldier assigned to her for life to assure she didn't do anything that would jeopardize the Commonwealth's national security."

"So what – why is she working with Alexandria?" I asked, feeling as though there was more to be told.

"I'd say she's working through Alexandria, not with her – they need each other." Eleanor began, and I was still lost. "I've heard that Alexander IV isn't inticating the transfer of power procedures that are historically typical and mandatory for a smooth, peaceful transition of power." Eleanor continued, shining light on what she believes could be happening.