A/N: Here we are, folks. The last chapter before we skip ahead to the teen years. I hope this still holds up.
And... ACTION!
~Chapter Thirteen~
Sir Dalhart kept his promise and two years after the tragedy in Forever Forest, Pompadoria, the cyborg resigned from office, giving all of Cyberspace to Abaddon. As General Biff said, the entire Cyber-government changed. However, it was not for the better, like Abaddon's followers had expected. Taxes were raised, poverty increased, and all retired government employees from before Abaddon's reign were no longer receiving their pay. Dr. Adams' worst fears had been realized. Abaddon had brought Cyberspace to the depths of despair in just the first year of his ruler-ship. It was after this one year that a young cyborg dared to use his cyber-constitutional rights to elect Abaddon out of office and elect himself in. His name was Gerald Syntax Williams. The official debate was broadcast on cyber-wide television with millions glued to their television screen.
In a quaint two-story house, two bluenette females sat in the living room watching the debate. They were Alexa Lan and her eleven year old niece, Melissa. Marbles, now nine years old, was next door, still working on the damaged laptop with help from Ada. All three children were in eighth grade, despite Ada and Marbles being fourth grade age and Melissa being sixth grade age.
"I do hope that Mr. Williams will win the election," Melissa said.
"We all do, sweetheart," Alexa said.
Alexa had not been saved from the brunt of Abaddon's reign. Melissa had gotten a part time job babysitting to help her aunt pay the bills (work that was easy to find now that so many households had both parents working full time) and yet Alexa still had to work day and night to keep food on the table. The neighbors were faring no better with Margaret no longer able to pay her daughter's nanny/housekeeper and even having to consider selling her home for something smaller.
Melissa gasped as the two candidates took their places for the debate, "Its about to begin..."
On the television screen, they saw Abaddon and Gerald shake hands, Abaddon glaring at his opponent, and then they went to stand behind their podiums.
After the rules were explained to the two candidates, audience members began asking their questions.
"This question is for Gerald Williams," a woman stated.
"Yes ma'am," the candidate replied.
"If elected, what will you do about the current poverty situation?"
"Well ma'am," Gerald began, "One of the first things I plan on doing is lowering the taxes back down to where they had been during Sir Dalhart's reign as Cyberspace's leader. I also plan on increasing the minimum wage and setting up a new charity organization for the homeless. In addition, I intend on bringing back the retirement wages for retired government employees. I personally find it extremely disgraceful and disrespectful that our current leader is refusing to pay citizens who have dedicated themselves to Cyberspace's well-being."
Gerald shifted his gaze to Abaddon at the last sentence, seeing a glare of death in the older cyborg's blood-red eyes. The debate continued for another two hours, each question leading to an answer that caused more and more cyber-citizens to support Gerald Williams. At the end of the debate, the two candidates were allowed a final chance to explain why they should be elected and their opponent shouldn't.
"My fellow Cyber-citizens," Gerald Williams spoke to the billions watching him both live and on television, "I may be younger than my opponent, but nevertheless, I have reason to believe that the cyborg I am sharing this stage with must be removed from office. In the one year that he has been in charge of Cyberspace, our poverty level has increased by an astonishing thirty percent. In addition, our taxes have been raised by forty-seven percent. Abaddon has claimed on numerous occasions that he's done so for good reason, that the cyber-government needed more money to pay for better defenses, more experienced Cyber-Congress members, e.t.c. However, according to my research, our defense department has in no way improved and only three members, including myself, have been added to the Cyber-Congress. In addition, we have all seen several photos taken by the cyberazzi of Abaddon doing recreational activities. Understandably we all need a break now and again. But, if the money from our taxes is not being spent for necessary things, then where is it going? All the recreational activities Abaddon has been caught participating in have been ones of great expense. Weekly outings to five-star restaurants, several vacations to Solaria at their most well-known and most expensive hotel, a complete remodeling of Control Central's rec room and several costume parties at Castleblanca wearing costumes designed by the top fashion designers in all of Gollywood. To top it all off, Mr. Abaddon here recently purchased a five story summer home in Tikiville, the estimated price of the house being three million snelfus. This may sound like I am assuming things. In fact I myself did my best to overlook these occurrences. That is, until an agent he hired to handle his expenses quit his job, frustrated by all the money our leader was spending. He gave me permission to tell all of you that eighty five percent of the taxes we've been paying have been used to cover the recreational activities I have relayed before you. And I even have with me the documents of his spending history for the past year."
A projection then showed the evidence of Abaddon's spending history. The audience gasped at what they saw.
"I say," Abaddon shouted, "You had no business snooping through my financial history!"
"Silence," the debate holder said to Abaddon, "You may speak when Mr. Williams has finished his say."
"Thank you," Gerald Williams replied. "And as to your statement Abaddon, I was indeed given permission by your former agent to relay this information. No spying was involved, nor was any truly required to bring this to light. And, if I may add, your protest against my relaying these documents leads me to believe that you are acknowledging that this is, indeed, your real documents and not some fake copy made to make you look bad."
Abaddon was going to say something to defend himself, but realized there was nothing he could say. Gerald Williams was right.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to remind everybody," Williams continued, "That we did not elect this cyborg into office. Rather he FORCED his way in by having his rebellion army ruthlessly slaughter several of Sir Dalhart's government officials until the former cyber-ruler surrendered! So not only did Abaddon make death threats. He followed through with them! It was by these uncivilized actions that he made himself our ruler. Is this the type of cyborg we should allow to continue ruling over our world? That choice is up to you my friends. That is all I have to say. Thank you."
The candidate received a loud applause from the audience. After it had died down, Abaddon was asked if he had any final words before the voting began. But the cyborg had been left speechless. Everything his opponent had said was true. There was nothing Abaddon could say to defend himself.
"No," he answered bitterly, "I have nothing to say. Let the voting begin."
Back at the Lan household, Alexa took out her cell phone and texted her vote for Williams.
"Do you think Mr. Williams will win?" Melissa asked.
"After that speech, I have no doubt he will," Alexa said before noticing the time displayed at the bottom of the television screen, "Oh Melissa don't you have to baby-sit the Quantum's toddlers at 7:30?"
"Oh yes. Thank you for reminding me," the eleven-year old said as she got up from the sofa, "I'm going to get some of my fairytale books for them. Would you mind packing the cookies I baked for them? They should be cooled by now."
"Yes, Melissa I will see to it."
Melissa smiled and went upstairs to her bedroom as Alexa made her way to the kitchen.
"She really is great with kids," Alexa mused as took a medium sized plastic tub from the cabinets, "She'll make a great mother herself some day."
The next day, when Melissa, Marbles, and Ada came home from school, they expected the normal routine. They would do their homework, then the two younger children would take care of the housework while their respective caretakers worked tirelessly to catch up with the increase in taxes and Melissa would babysit between 5:00 and 10:00 P.M. But to their surprise, the three children found Margaret, Nanny, and Alexa all on the front porch of the Lovelace house, casually sipping tea.
"Mother? Nanny? Mrs. Lan?" Ada asked in confusion, "What are you all doing?"
Margaret turned to the three, a huge smile across her face.
"We're taking the day off," she said.
"But I thought you couldn't afford to take a day off?" Marbles questioned.
"They can now," Nanny said, "Williams has won the election!"
At this, all three children screamed with joy. Ada ran up to her mother and hugged her, whilst Melissa and Marbles danced around in a circle.
"As soon as Mr. Williams is sworn into office," Nanny continued as the three celebrated, "The taxes will be brought back down to where they were before and all retired government employees will be receiving the wages they've been deprived of for the past year."
"And I don't have to work double shifts anymore," Alexa added, "And Melissa you don't have to babysit tonight. The neighbors are also taking today off."
Melissa suddenly stopped dancing with her brother. She was happy that Gerald Williams had won. However would this mean that she could no longer babysit the various toddlers she had grown so attached to?
"Of course you may continue with your babysitting job if you choose," Alexa said as if reading the eleven-year-old's thoughts, "But, your work will be less now that parents can stay home more often."
Alexa paused, then added "And you may now keep the income for yourself."
Melissa smiled. She knew exactly what she wanted to do with the money.
"In that case," Melissa said, "May I go visit the bookstore once I've finished my homework?"
"Yes dear," Alexa nodded, "I'll leave your wages from last week on the coffee table for you."
"Thank you."
The three children then went to their respective homes to do their homework, trying to contain their excitement and relief over the fact that they no longer risked being homeless. The three adults went into Margaret's living room to watch their favorite sitcom together.
"I'll say, ladies," Margaret said with a contented sigh, ""Its so wonderful to be able to relax again!"
"Yes Miss Margaret,'' Nanny agreed, "And its nice to know that I can start being paid again soon!"
Margaret shot Nanny a glare and then all three women burst into laughter.
The next week, Gerald Williams was officially sworn into office. It was a day that almost the entire Cyberworld celebrated. Abaddon's reign as leader of Cyberspace would go down in history as the shortest reign ever. It was so short in fact, that most history books would not even put him in the list of Cyberspace's rulers.
But, Abaddon was not ready to back down yet. He already had plans of seeking revenge and getting himself back in office.
"Its not over yet," he thought to himself as he and his gang of cyber-rebels packed their things and left Control Central, "I'll get you for this Williams! Somehow, you will pay dearly!