Link entered the classroom, immediately scanning the room for one particular friendly face. He found her, sitting at a desk and fiddling with the various features. Electronic desks. Was the pencil and the piece of paper entirely obsolete on Skyloft? He sat down by her. "From the look on your face, you seem to be in the same predicament as I."
"And what predicament would that be?" she asked, switching off her desk, which took on the appearance of a conventional wood plane, and leaning on one elbow as she turned to him.
"These desks are new for me," he said. "Might I assume they are for you, as well?"
"Yeah." She grimaced. "As much as I hate to say it, I came from one of the less technologically advanced places on this planet. My parents were never wealthy."
"There's no shame in that. If anything, it only increases my guilt for having pare-...family who is well off."
"Well, there's no shame in that either."
Link shrugged humbly. "There are some radicals who would say wealth through birthright is shameful."
"Well, those radicals also say that rich kids should be kidnapped and purposefully put in middle class foster families, so..."
"Hmm. Is fairness even possible?"
"It's hard to say. What is fairness anyway?"
"When all people have equal opportunity."
"Opportunity to do what?"
"Opportunity to pursue what they desire in life?"
"Which might very well put them in a position to take others' opportunity away."
"True. But to take their hard earned power, wealth, whatever they might value..."
"I know. That would tip the balances as well. Say, how'd we get talking about this? I thought we were merely discussing our own personal situations, and now suddenly we're having a debate of philosophical proportions."
Suddenly, another voice, bright, intelligent, welcoming, yet coolly condescending, came from behind them. "Philosophical proportions. If that's where your natural conversation leads you, then I would deem you fit for this class."
Link and Zelda spun around, feeling strangely guilty despite the meaning of her words. "You're the teacher, I would assume?" Link asked the woman he found himself facing. Her face was young and taut.
"Yes, I am the teacher. My name is Ms. Maxwell. Although I'm sure you'll find that out doubly when I announce it in front of the class."
"Well it doesn't hurt to know somebody before you're supposed to, does it?"
"It doesn't hurt whom? You or the person you're meeting?"
"Well..." Link couldn't decide whether to like or dislike his history teacher. "It all depends on what stance you're taking."
"And what stance are you taking?"
"One of a student meeting a teacher for the first time?"
"Good answer. Superficial, but good."
She proceeded to walk to the front of the class, her heels giving an extra three inches or so to her height, where she cleared her throat and raised a hand charismatically. The class, now situated, fell silent.
"I'm Ms. Maxwell. As you well know, I am your first period history teacher."
"Hi Ms. Maxwell," the class parroted with the utmost enthusiasm.
"Ha!" she exclaimed. The laugh almost sounded honest. "You'll have to do better than that to make me feel welcomed into my own classroom. Now, I will try to keep our class briefing short. I want to get to some material today, however sparse that might be. This class," she continued, striding along the front row of desks, "is not about what the people of our past did. It's about why they did what they did. It's about finding the key to the door that leads to a more productive future for the human race."
Somebody in back raised his hand. "Ms. Maxwell, I hate to say this, but you might want to rephrase that." Link turned around, as did the rest of the class. The boy who had spoke was thin and pale, his bleached hair drooping jauntily over one eye.
"And how might I rephrase that?" the teacher asked expectantly, ready to either uplift the student or rebuke him depending on his answer.
"Well, I'll leave the phrasing part up to you," he began with a grin, "but I thought you should know that the girl beside me would fit outside the category of human." The girl beside him, startled, jerked her head upward. Her face had previously been buried in her desk, but now she shot her gaze warily about the room like a hunted animal. Her skin, a rich auburn. Her face, bony. Her hair, a burning orange.
Whispers of "gerudo" reverberated throughout the room.
Link felt his face blanch as the memories that had been, for the most part, diffused into the subjectivity of his mind condensed once again into vividness. No, he told himself. He couldn't associate this girl with his own bad experiences. It wasn't right. He needed to treat her like anybody else. Yet he still felt the dread rise within him.
"Something wrong?" Zelda asked, startling him.
"No, not really."
"An alien presence doesn't...bother you, does it?"
"No," he said tersely, forcing a smile.
Meanwhile, the class was still gawking at the gerudo, whose image they had only seen in gut-wrenching documentaries about fateful raids. "Just wanted to include everyone," the boy said, slouching back and folding his arms like a king. He had caused a fair amount of turmoil and controversy, and was obviously reveling in it.
Ms. Maxwell opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, then opened it again, her voice successful this time. "I...I'm sorry that I assumed everyone here was...of the species homo sapien. I didn't mean any offense. Surely, you understand the reasonableness of such a mistake?"
"No offense taken," the gerudo girl replied softly, her lips barely moving.
"Good. And what's your name, if I may ask?" She said it was Nabooru. "My pleasure. And what's your name, you, the young man who pointed this out?"
The boy touched his chin as if considering whether to comply with her request. "I have a variety of nicknames, from a variety of people," he began, "but you can call me Ghirahim. It's my birth name. Some call me Gary, for short, or mi'lord, if they know their place, but to maintain a certain level of formality in a classroom environment I would like it if you called me Ghirahim, although I wouldn't mind it if you used 'mi'lord' once in a while for-"
"Thank you, that will be enough." The class burst into laughter, Link and Zelda included. The only person not laughing was Nabooru, who had her forehead pressed into her palms, her elbows on the desk. Link, when he noticed her, tried to send her a reassuring glance, but once he had her gaze, he couldn't hold it.
The chaos eventually subsided, and the teacher went on with her spiel about the value of history, which few had the focus to take seriously. Link and Zelda were among those few, but a way's behind them Ghirahim was too busy basking in the glory of his role as the class clown to pay much attention. A thought occurred to Link. He tapped Zelda on the shoulder. She leaned in, her pointed ear turned curiously to hear him. "You'd think Nabooru was new, seeing as how surprised everyone was just a second ago, but I didn't see her at orientation yesterday. Why do you think that is?"
She considered for a moment. "Her parents probably didn't want her to thrust her so quickly into a place that demanded social interaction. They probably thought a teacher-driven classroom was a safer place to start."
"I'd have to agree with you there."
The teacher had finished her speech and was busy typing something into her tablet. Everyone's desk suddenly sprang to life, beeping in unison as a flashing assignment notification appeared on the smooth surface.
"Now, I'd like you to get in groups of two to four and discuss the questions presented. When you are finished, compose a statement summarizing your discussion and send it to me under the names of everyone in the group." She left the students to themselves now, sitting down with her personal tablet and doing something, presumably business.
Link and Zelda turned to each other in mutual agreement, like two close friends. But then Zelda cast her eyes away, back to where Nabooru was sitting. "Maybe we'd better include Nabooru. She doesn't look inclined to find a partner herself, nor does anybody look inclined to choose her as a partner."
"Okay," Link said. He and Zelda approached her slowly, though openly. Her hair was sprawled upon the desk, hiding her face. "Hey, um, could we work with you?" Link asked nonchalantly. She pulled her curtain of hair partially away, revealing a solemn yellow eye. "If you don't want to, that's fine, we were just looking for another person, and it looks like you happen to be...free."
"Sure," she said, nearly whispering. Without another word, she opened the assignment. Zelda shot Link a quick glance as if to say that he had done a good job. The three of them read silently.
Excerpts from the UIR (United Interplanetary Republic) Constitution; Section I, Article III
Independent governments or corporations under the jurisdiction of the Hylian Matriarchy may compose, ratify, and enforce constitutions as long as the private constitutions do not conflict with the federal constitution, or are deemed by the Hylian Matriarchy to be inhumane or unjust. In such a case, the institution enforcing the constitution shall be notified of its violation immediately and allowed a time period of 504 hours to either revoke the constitution or re-ratify it under terms compliant with federal law. If such action is not taken, then the federal government has the right to intervene with military action.
Section III, Article IV
Independent governments or corporations under the jurisdiction of the Hylian Matriarchy are required to pay taxes to the federal government. All tax rates will be based on populace and standard of living, and will be organized by institutions, who are given the arbitrary power to determine individual tax rates and distribution of the net amount for each institution as determined by federal law. The algorithm derived to determine said tax rates can be found in Economics by Nayru.
1. What does the constitution suggest about the views of the UIR toward institutions' rights?
2. Using your answer for question 1 as a premise, what does the constitution suggest about the views of the UIR toward individual rights?
"Well, that's quite the way to welcome us to the class, I must say," Link commented, eyes still scanning the questions. "Personally, I think I'll be happy with the challenge."
Zelda smiled. "That remains to be seen."
"Philosophical proportions," Link joked, returning her grin.
Meanwhile, Nabooru was still studying the documents, leaning over the table intensively, the glow of the desk casting a pale light up into her face. "Individual rights," she muttered.
"Tough question, huh?" Zelda said.
Nabooru looked up. "They sound open-ended, but there are always parameters." Her eyes darted to Zelda's, then away, then back again, then down, and they carried the rest of her face with them.
"Like what?"
"Like...they're not going to make the government look bad."
"I'd have to agree with that," Link added. "Of course, the questions are geared toward us saying that the UIR favors individual rights; it would take a daring teacher to say otherwise on the first day of school. You have to admit, it would look insane out of context."
"Hmm. I guess so. Why don't we try to actually answer the questions?"
"She didn't actually say to answer them; she said to discuss them." He received a half-amused, half annoyed glance from Zelda. He laughed. "So let's discuss the questions."
"And it would take a daring student to question the teacher's objectivity on the first day of school. You have to admit, it might just look insane out of context."
"Why are you so good at using my words against me?"
"You set yourself up."
"I suppose I do. But do we want to present ourselves as hasty people who want the 'right answer,' or thoughtful people who want the honest answer?"
"I'd take the latter."
"Then so be it."
"But we should actually discuss the Constitution itself, should we not?"
"Alright. Want my opinion?"
"Link-" Zelda began, sensing the increasing belligerence in his voice.
"In my opinion, the key words in this whole excerpt are 'deemed by the Hylian Matriarchy to be inhumane or unjust.' Three people, who are just as human as anyone else, have the executive power to override other constitutions on the grounds that they fit outside these two extremely ambiguous words."
"Words that are understood by the entire populace."
"Words that mean nothing without a veto system."
Zelda was silent. "I must say, you beat me. You have a sharp mind, despite your tactlessness."
"Why, thank you."
"Tactlessness is not something to be proud of."
"I was thanking you for your comment about my sharp mind."
They both laughed, though mid-chuckle they remembered there was a third party who had been mute the entire time. Zelda turned to Nabooru. "What do you think?"
Nabooru gave them a tiny, sly grin. "I think Ms. Maxwell will like your answers."
"What do you..." Zelda looked down at the screen, which read "Assignment Successfully Submitted."
She looked up at Nabooru in surprise. "You sent it? What did you write?"
"I wrote what you said."
Zelda's eyes widened. "Word for word?"
She nodded. "As close as I could get it. Ms. Maxwell seems to be a thoughtful person. She'll like an honest answer."
Zelda blushed.
"What is it?" Link asked. "Scared about having your uncensored words recorded?"
"No, it's just...I'm kind of a perfectionist sometimes, and...you know, I would have liked to-"
"Ah, I see. So you are scared of having your uncensored words recorded."
Zelda huffed. "Sure. If that's how you want to put it."
Out of the blue, the bell blared, bringing glorious news of a fifteen minute break with it. Students dispersed, their chatter growing more lively with the heralding of a freer age; save Link and Zelda, that is, seeing as their chatter was already as lively as was called for in the scenario.
"Wait!" Ms. Maxwell hustled to the front of the room. "Don't leave without submitting your assignments! Don't worry whether it's incomplete or not, it'll be fine."
Link and Zelda bade goodbye to Nabooru, Zelda conscientiously thanking her for being the group's scribe, before heading to the door. However, before either could place a foot outside the classroom, the teacher's voice beckoned them.
"Link, Zelda, Nabooru, could you see me?"