[Fiction] An Unwelcome Visitor

[robkelk]

Convention Authority offices
Port Luna

There was a quick knock on Mr. Donaldson's door, then Patience McInnis walked in without waiting for permission.

"Excuse me, Consul Walker," the office's inhabitant said to his telephone. "It appears something's come up." He put the phone on mute. "I'm on a call with Australia -"

"There's trouble in the Jovians, Rob."

"There's always trouble in the Jovians, Pat."

"This trouble's generating paperwork." Patience handed Rob a tablet. "Over a hundred requests for a Convention in the last ten minutes, all with essentially the same reason."

Rob sighed, then took his phone off mute. "I'm sorry, Constance, but I'll have to call you back."

Five minutes later, the entire Convention Authority was assembled in the office's boardroom, watching the Interwave feeds. Finally, the Authority's resident AI broke the silence. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say, 'oh, shit.'"
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012