Chapter 68:
[Alliance Meeting 2092]
Karampreet Singh said, "I have been teaching since my early days on Babel service to others and prosperity for all, among many other topics. This is what I will focus on now. The promise of the Canon economy of the Next Generation era would be much helped with magic.
I would like for there to be an Alliance agreement for a pool of magic as a form of required service, taxation if you will of those who have magical abilities.
We presently require credits from each economy, often a planet, sometimes a governing unit much smaller than a planet. While magic and credits can be exchanged for each other, this would become an expectation. Yes substitutions would be allowed.
The pool of magic would be combined with the pool of credits to not only fund Starfleet and the payments for research and development of all sorts, but to provide the beginnings of a supported standard of living for all."
A Klingon leader said, "A top warrior should devote all of his efforts and magic to improving his abilities. Providing a percentage of magical ability to casting charms, and needing to learn to cast those charms would detract from those efforts."
A Vulcan answered, "The same would apply to Vulcan monks. Perhaps in every field, the truly excellent would be exempt from obligations and labor requirements and would be supported."
A Denobulan added, "Would a direct mandate be acceptable to members of the Alliance? This becomes more like the Federation than the Alliance. I think a formula, transparently enacted and run, should be used to determine obligations and also disbursements. Everyone should be able to see all of those details, although spending on some areas of research and Starfleet would need to be kept confidential in its details, but not its total amounts."
Nicholas Malfoy said, "Section 31 will help popularize this initiative. Arguments would be that since Alliance members can move around, their basic interactions with government would remain similar.
We will heavily show the Canon economy. It will also be made clear that Canon also included those who collected things of great value, and those who were part of the latinum earning economy.
This also is an auspicious moment for such an initiative. We can tie it into the recent Gorn War and the need for rebuilding affected areas and supporting the veterans. That we could afford to fight and now we can afford to support a base level of living standards for all.
This step will also help lead to the expansion of thought that will in the long term lead to the evolutions that Q is asking for. Assuming success in starting this initiative we will need to monitor the long term effects and make changes with that in mind.
The additional work requirement or tax on magicals will also reduce the resentments by the non-magicals to the increasing numbers of magicals."
[Alliance 2092]
The reactions to the plan to require a quota of spell casting from magicals were mixed. Non-magicals were the majority of adults in most of the Federation worlds, but magicals were the majority of the newborns. There was much negotiation demanded from different cultures.
Eventually it was agreed that non-magicals with unique skills should also contribute. The duties were defined to be in credits.
On Babel there were some older former Alliance Youth who now called themselves refusers". They refused to apply their skills, magical or otherwise, for taxation purposes. Some of them had protested the war against the Gorn, saying its start was due to a misunderstanding and a peaceful agreement could have been worked out.
The Alliance, especially with it strongly felt anti-slavery beliefs, made an exception for the "voluntary indigent". Those who earn an income or have assets could have credits taken for taxation. Those without would be left alone and given public support. There was a lot of debate about this point. Many said it would continue only to the extent it was rarely used, but that the economy could not handle a large percentage becoming "refusers".
Those with top level skills in non-income earning areas were given subsidies and not expected to pay taxes. This was a program with a limited budget and including committees to determine who would get those subsidies.
Top researchers did not need an exception, since they were paid by the Alliance for their achievements, and could in turn pay their taxes. A magical researcher wouldn't need to cast charms on manufactured items.
A general consensus was emerging that refined and accepted this new level of Alliance governance.
Exceptions still happened. The planet Aamaarazan contained humanoids who breathed a different type of atmosphere than most. In Canon their breathing masks hid the view of their faces. Their leader addressed the Alliance council, "Aamaarazan joined the Alliance due to the ever present threat of the Kzinti. We have our own society and do not mix easily with other species. We never agreed to be ruled by the Alliance.
We still want an alliance, but not to be in the Alliance. While not having the size or power of the Romulan Empire, we want a similar arrangement with the Alliance."
There were three other star systems in the Alliance that presented the same demands."
The Alliance council met to discuss it.
Nicholas Malfoy said, "Section 31 emphasizes the importance of not becoming an empire."
A Klingon answered, "This consensus based decision making had reached its limits. As the Alliance grows larger it is more difficult to get everyone to agree."
An Andorian answered, "A supreme leader? That could lead to more systems leaving."
A Tellarite said, "Isn't that what we already have? The Singh and Malfoy families ruling the Alliance? Explain why that should continue!"
A Vulcan answered, "Their ties to Q would seem to provide a logical reason. In addition their track record of leading by consensus.
Their handling of different types of minds, different types of ideals, has been supremely competent. I can forsee even the Romulans joining in this Alliance at some point in the future. I do not see any faction or voting system being acceptable to both Klingons and Vulcans."
Karampreet Singh said, "We accept some systems leaving with grace. They all state that they want a continued alliance, which we will grant. Future entrants to the Alliance will be reassured that the association is voluntary."
A Denobulan said, "If we were previously limiting Alliance rules to those that almost all would accept, maybe we should go further. We can also have a formalized system of being an ally to the Alliance, without cultural integration, without governmental merging, without freedom of movement within the Alliance, without technology sharing. There would instead be an agreement to fight against common enemies."
Karampreet Singh answered, "An excellent idea. Let us finalize the specifics. It might work with the Kzinti. It would need to include an agreement against controlling other species, piracy, etc."
A Reptilian-Xindi said, "What other Alliance functions should be added, now that there would be a way to leave the Alliance for hopefully those very few that would not accept new functions?"
A Betazed said, "While we understand keeping the name Alliance, instead of Federation, let us review what we know of the Federation functions in Canon.
They claimed principles of liberty, equality, peace, justice, progress, universal rights of sentient life. In addition they exchanged technology, resources, and cooperated on defense and exploration.
Most of these we can agree with in general. The specific programs we can add would be to ensure a higher baseline of individual rights among cultures that do not value that."
Karampreet Singh answered, "Let us make that another area of Alliance discussion, but after the first items have been accepted and implemented. In other words let us wait a few years before going beyond some already very difficult changes."
The Ions said, "We were the first species to join with Earth and are still perhaps the most different from the mostly hominid shape and size species. When thinking about individuals, it needs to be understood that the concept doesn't even apply to us and to some others."
[Alliance 2093]
The changes discussed were agreed to and implemented. One unexpected result was a fairly common reaction against the Aamaarazan and other star systems that left the Alliance. They were often treated coldly, even in a hostile way, when encountered.
With the new resources available to the Alliance, more automated manufacturing was being built, and the beginning of universal support for living environments, food, communications, medical care, and transportation became available. The later item, transportation, wasn't initially considered part of universal support, but it was argued that freedom of movement within the Alliance somehow required free of cost transport of some form. It also side-stepped the Betazed proposal to secure individual rights. Anyone not liking the way they were being treated on their planet, could simply go somewhere else.
[Alliance meeting with the Romulans 2093]
The fleet upgrading was underway. All of the lessons from the Gorn war were incorporated into the upgraded ship design, which still resembled the Enterprise-A. There was also an upgrading to fight what was called a peer level war.
The Romulan ambassador, Ramdha, said to the Alliance Council, "The extra openness towards information gathering between our civilizations is helpful in securing our alliance. However the information gathered can be alarming.
You ship upgrades include more abilities for what you official call a peer level war. The specifications are very specifically calibrated against the Romulan Empire as a future enemy. This seems contrary to our agreement to not consider each other as adversaries."
Karampreet Singh answered, "I greet you as a friend Ramdha. Your name and appearance are the same as one in the Canon series Picard. That Ramdha was a member of the Tal Shiar and Zhat Vash and an expert in Romulan myths. We have learned that similarities to those in Canon is usually not a coincidence.
As to our ship upgrades, yes the only information we have that is not from Canon, of a peer level space force is the Romulans. Improving our capability of fighting such a force is not indicative of a desire to do so, nor an intention to do so. Unlike the Federation of Canon, we will not hold back our technology to avoid presenting a perceived threat to the Romulan Empire."
Ramdha answered, "We find your answer acceptable. It is within the bounds of our agreements.
I am interested in what significance you find in my Canon equivalent?"
Karampreet Singh answered, "You are presumably aware of Romulan information about a threat to all organic life that can be called on by synthetic life that considers itself threatened. You would presumably be looking for signs that synthetic life is being developed in the Alliance."
Ramdha answered, "You would be correct. This would be a threat to all of us.
However, I have been researching the possibility that the Admonition, as we call the warning on Aia, can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The policy of the Zhat Vash would call upon me to destroy synthetic life. As the Ambassador to the Alliance, I would try to persuade you to do so and not conduct covert operations. Obviously the normal secrecy of these Romulan organizations are rendered moot due to Canon.
It is possible that a less than complete destruction of synthetic life could itself be the threat that they perceive, calling upon them to call upon the Destroyers.
As Ambassador I have also been trying to learn more about the Human legends of Ragnarok and Judgement Day, to compare them to Romulan myths of the Day of Annihilation. I am not speciest enough to think that relevant prophecy was only given to Romulans. I also am trying to learn about Vulcan knowledge of the same myth. It is considered possible that the myth known to Romulans predates the division of us from the Vulcans."
Karampreet Singh said, "Given the extreme danger of this prophecy, the Alliance will put together a large research group which will work with you and other Romulan experts. Meanwhile we will continue to be cautious about the creation of synthetic life."