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-# Yared Zerezghi --- 2124
-
-> **Amendment to referendum 10b30188**
->
-> The entity known as the System, with regards to its inhabitants, shall hereby secede and become its own self-governing entity.
->
-> 1. Those who have uploaded to live on the System shall no longer hold their citizenship (sometimes known as "dual citizenship") to their country of origin.
-> 2. The creations of those who have uploaded to live on the System shall henceforth be considered as originating in and governed by the System as a political entity.
-> 3. The System as a self-governing entity shall enter into trade agreements with other governmental entities for goods and services required to maintain the System as a physical entity.
-> 4. The exchange of goods and services between the System and the governmental entity named in the trade agreement shall be binding for those two parties only.
-> 5. The act of uploading to the System shall be considered one of emigration, and regulations around immigration shall be set only by the System.
-> 6. No governmental entity may set undue barriers to uploading to the System beyond existing expatriation agreements, nor may they intimidate, dissuade, or otherwise hinder citizens from choosing to emigrate.
-> 7. As a separate governmental entity, the System shall be a valid destination for asylum-seekers and refugees regardless of their reasons for seeking such, with regulations for acceptance being set by the System as a self-governing entity.
-> 8. Due to the nature of the System, the following limitations shall be put in place on this governmental entity:
->     1. It shall not provide favor to any one governmental entity over another except through the agreements set above.
->     2. It shall not enact any trade embargo, tariff, or other restriction on trade against any other governmental entity.
->     3. It shall not be able to declare war on any other governmental entity.
->     4. No other governmental entity shall declare war on or attempt to destroy the physical elements of the System.
->     5. No other governmental entity shall aid or abet another governmental entity to conspire against the System.
-> 9. The physical elements of the System including but not limited to the System hardware, resource infrastructure, and the "Ansible system" required for uploading shall be considered property of the System as a governmental entity, with the offices containing the "Ansible system" being considered an international zone.
-> 10. The System as a governmental entity shall enact any and all regulations relating to its own governance, which no other governmental entity may hinder.
->
-> *Sponsors:*
->
-> Direct Democracy Representative signatory
-> :   Yared Zerezghi (NEAC) via Direct Democracy Representative, author.
->
-> Supervisory government signatory
-> :   Yosef Demma (NEAC), Councilor.
->
-> System-side signatories
-> :   The Only Time I Know My True Name Is When I Dream of the Ode clade by way of Michelle Hadje (Council of Eight), Council-member.  
->     Jonas Prime of the Jonas clade by way of Jonas Anderson (Council of Eight), Council-member.
->
-> November 28, 2124
-
-The response to the proposal was immediate and dramatic.
-
-Yared had not known what exactly it was that he was expecting, but it certainly was not an immediate division within the DDR, with one half being suddenly and intensely for the referendum and its amendments, each for their own reasons, and the other half being suddenly and intensely against the referendum for completely separate reasons he could not fathom.
-
-It was not that he hadn't expected some division, but the strength of the divisiveness of the amendment itself was alarming. Where once there had been general consensus on the issue of individual rights and the L<sub>5</sub> launch amendment, there was suddenly no guarantee that the referendum itself would actually pass. It had been a foregone conclusion, and now, in the matter of minutes, the entire thing seemed to be crumbling around him, and, with his name attached as author and DDR signatory, he was responsible.
-
-His instinct was to leave. To run. To hide. Some adrenal reaction drove him to back out of the 'net, throw on his cap and nearly sprint from his apartment.
-
-He made it the several blocks up to the useless, wooded patch of ground before he calmed down enough to realize that, not only had he left behind any chance of responding to the flurry of comments on the referendum and its amendment (unless he wanted to use the clunky interface for doing so on his phone), but also any chance of syncing up with True Name and Jonas on the events.
-
-Now here he was, huddling at the base of a scraggly tree like some hunted thing, an animal seeking only to never be seen by unknown predators. Now here he was, completely alone.
-
-And yet he couldn't force himself to rise. Couldn't force himself to get up from his crouching position, couldn't force himself to walk back to his apartment or, really, anywhere else, couldn't even force himself to pull his phone from his pocket and get in touch with...well, who would he even contact? The only one he interacted with in the subject --- really, the only one he interacted with offline in any sincere capacity, these last few months --- was Councilor Demma.
-
-Given this reaction, that seemed ill-advised.
-
-So he sat for an hour, back pressed against the trunk of the tree, searching for anything he could think of to ground himself.
-
-With a thrill up his spine along the exocortex and a gentle ping from his implants, his phone began to ring. Fears surged within him once again, and a glance at the screen confirmed his fears.
-
-Demma.
-
-"Shit, shit." He stood, paced around the tree in a circle. "Shit. Shit, goddamn."
-
-He stared at his phone for a few long seconds, torn on whether or not to let it simply go to voicemail.
-
-Eventually, that part of his mind lost out to the desire to hopefully find some reassurance, so he tapped at the phone to answer the call.
-
-"Mr. Zerezghi," the councilor said. "Wonderful to hear from you. I was wondering if you had a few moments to talk? We stopped by the coffee shop and knocked at your door, but there was no answer."
-
-"My apologies, councilor. I went for a walk to clear my head. I'm..." He squinted around at the trees, then walked back to the street he'd come up. "I'm at the wooded park area, a ways north of my place. Does your driver know where that is?"
-
-There was a moment's muffled conversation, then, "Of course. We'll meet you on the road, yes? The residential side?"
-
-"Yes. I'll be waiting."
-
-After the click of Demma hanging up, Yared trudged back the way he'd come.
-
-It was a short walk of perhaps only a minute or two, but even so, the car was waiting for him, the driver already standing beside it, waiting to open the door to let him in to talk.
-
-"Yared, wonderful to see you, as always!" Demma said cheerfully. "Please, sit! We have much to talk about. I'm sorry that I was not able to provide our usual coffee, but there's water behind the seat if you'd like."
-
-Settling into the cushy and cold spot that he'd found himself in so many times before, Yared shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm sorry I wasn't at home, I wasn't expecting you."
-
-Demma waved the comment away. "It's alright, quite alright. We probably should have planned better on when to introduce the amendment in order to meet up afterwards, but, well, we knew it was going to be today, so we figured that you'd be ready to meet either way."
-
-"I just...I just needed a walk."
-
-"Burning off some steam? Enjoying some fresh air?"
-
-He fiddled with the hem of his shirt for a moment, then shrugged. "I was a little surprised by the response to the amendment. It was making me anxious, and I stepped away to calm down."
-
-"Of course, of course." Demma leaned forward to pat Yared on the knee before reclining again, looking relaxed, pleased. "I've not been monitoring the DDR myself, but my assistants have been keeping me up to date. It sounds like there's a little bit of an uproar, there. You've certainly touched a nerve."
-
-Yared nodded, numb. He could tell he was dissociating, feeling remote from his own body, yet couldn't do anything to bring himself back to the moment.
-
-"I have some thoughts on the response, both on the DDR and among the various representatives I've talked to, but I'd like to hear your anxieties first, to see if I can soothe them."
-
-"I just wasn't expecting it to blow up in my face like that. There was so much general agreement on the ideas you've suggested. You and Jonas, I mean. I thought that it was all vague and positive enough to seem like the natural conclusion to the ongoing conversation, and it's not like it's the first amendment I've written--"
-
-"Indeed not," Demma said, laughing. "That's part of why we chose you."
-
-"Right. So I'm just not sure why it just all immediately went wrong. There was nothing in there that hadn't already been discussed in the forums, and even on the 'net from governmental types."
-
-The councilor tugged at his chin absentmindedly. "I think that there are a few reasons for that, Mr. Zerezghi. The first is that there were no other co-authors on the bill, so it looked rather sudden. Even if you've been leading the effort quite effectively, and others look up to you, I can imagine that some see it as a power-grab once you'd reached that consensus.
-
-"Another reason is that you used the word 'secede', which is something of a naughty word in many jurisdictions. North America in particular has some quite strong feelings on the matter, given the troubles of the last century. Don't misunderstand me, you had to use it for legislative reasons, but it still spun several people into a panic, particularly in what remains of the United States. Does that make sense?"
-
-"Yes, I suppose, but others were already using it. Respected voices, even. It's not the first time it's come up."
-
-"Of course, but it is the first time it's been put in front of everyone as something they must consider."
-
-Yared frowned. "If that's the case, then perhaps we should have waited for a separate referendum."
-
-"No, I don't think so." Demma smiled, looking very much the kind, grandfatherly type. "Or rather, our analysts didn't think so. They ran several situations through their various models and came to the conclusion that an amendment was the best path forward."
-
-"Why, though? I don't see how introducing something so divisive would lead to anything other than either the entire referendum getting thrown out or, at best, delaying the process for months."
-
-"There may indeed be a small delay as debate kicks up again." Demma nodded toward Yared. "Which we will help you participate in, much as we have up to this point. Still, broaching the idea as an amendment is a good way to get this idea in the forefront of people's minds. They can have the debate with lower pressure on acceptance. They can always vote on the original referendum without passing the amendment, correct?"
-
-Yared nodded.
-
-"So, if that happens, at that point, we can spin it off into its own referendum, and by then, much of the debate will have already taken place, and we can continue to work through the whole process calmly, as we have been." He spread his hands, still smiling. "It is all a matter of risk management, Mr. Zerezghi. You understand."
-
-"I suppose."
-
-"Have you had a chance to speak with Jonas and his strangely named friend yet?"
-
-He shook his head. "Not yet. Like I said, I started to panic and went for my walk."
-
-Demma nodded. "I suggest you do as soon as you get back. I'm curious to hear their opinion on the result of this amendment. I suspect they are equally curious to hear your opinion. Please report back to me what they say, as you have been."
-
-"Alright."
-
-"Now, here are my thoughts on the matter," the councilor said. "I think the amendment will be successful, and I have three reasons why. First of all, the DDR is far easier to send into a fit than you might be giving it credit for. We've watched it for decades now. It has a very short attention span, and dramatic reactions are part of that. Voters will work themselves up into a froth on whatever the current issue is, but there will always be another issue.
-
-"Second, there *will* be another referendum introduced in December. It is already being drafted up in Cairo, and will involve some issue of mid-level consequence, but one that will be of interest to many of the regular DDR voices. You'll have to pardon me for not giving you more information until the referendum is made public, but I can tell you that it will involve both the subcommittees on environment and land management."
-
-Yared blinked. Demma was right, of course, anything to deal with land rights, especially here in the Northeast African Coalition, was bound to draw many of the loudest DDR junkies, himself included.
-
-"Should I take part in that conversation, too?" he asked.
-
-"You can if you'd like, so long as you don't drop your focus on the current referendum completely. I don't imagine you will, given that your name is on an amendment."
-
-He nodded.
-
-"The third reason, however, is that there is more going on behind the scenes on the governmental level than you are privy to. It's often fashionable to ascribe ill intentions to politicians, but that is because they have often borne out when scandals come to light.
-
-"There is nothing scandal-worthy here, but there are still strings to be pulled. The correct hands shaken, the correct babies kissed, the correct promises of support on the correct issues. Some of those strings are the ones that everyone can see: the campaign contributions, the baby-kissing, the promises. Some of them are not, though. Thinly veiled threats, intimidation. Who knows, perhaps even some market meddling."
-
-Yared's baseline frown deepened, to which Demma laughed.
-
-"Politics is politics, my dear Yared. It is a game, as I'm sure you've guessed from your interactions with Jonas, just one with high stakes. When there are high stakes, one must use all the tools at one's disposal, savory or otherwise."
-
-"I understand," he said, still feeling that tension in his shoulders.
-
-Still smiling, Demma soothed, "You have made your own harsh comments, I know. You have questioned your opponent's competency. You have suggested that perhaps others band up against them and nudge them out of the debate. You have the very same toolkit, if only on a smaller scale."
-
-He finally let his shoulders sag.
-
-"So," the councilor said, ticking off on his fingers. "The DDR is easily distracted, an additional distraction will be provided, and politics will be done where required. I promise that you'll quickly see a swing in favor of the amendment. I've promised such in the past, and surely delivered." His voice held a tone of conclusion, as though the conversation was nearing a decisive end.
-
-Yared nodded. "Alright, councilor. I understand. I'm still having a hard time internalizing it, but I'll work on that. Should I expect further instructions?"
-
-"You'll get them, yes, but for now, please enjoy a few days off from the issue. You've done your work for now, let it simmer, and then you can come back to it. I know it'll be hard to do, but I trust you'll find a way. Enjoy good food. Drink good coffee. Talk with good friends." That avuncular smile returned. "You deserve it, Mr. Zerezghi. And, as always, thank you for all of your hard work."
-
-And with that, the driver pulled the door open, and it was back out into the heat of the day for him. The heat of the day, the real world, and hopefully a bit of space from the stress. Hopefully. Hopefully he'd be able to let it go for a few days.
-
-He didn't believe it for a second.
+# Douglas Hadje --- 2325
+
+Douglas found it strange that, over the next several days, the conversations that he had with May Then My Name and Ioan had amounted to little more than chitchat.
+
+It wasn't that it was unpleasant. May Then My Name had a delightfully weird sense of humor and, though he originally found it difficult to understand, given the text-only nature of the medium, an undeniable sense of empathy that made him immediately feel comfortable around her.
+
+Ioan, too, had proven to be fascinating to talk to. Ey was, as May Then My Name had suggested, the type who spent much of eir time in introspection, the result of which were statements that were as insightful as they were easy to understand. He liked the writer immediately. The two together could be hilarious, informative, somber, and comforting all in one conversation.
+
+They were also very clearly in love with each other, which Douglas found endearing, yet odd for some reason, given how often they referred to each other simply as coworkers. Ioan, especially, seemed either completely unwilling to acknowledge or completely unaware of the dynamic.
+
+Ah well. It was an interesting fact, at least. Interesting in that when Douglas had interacted with couples before, he had often felt like...well, not a third wheel, particularly, so much as someone who simply did not understand the social dynamic at hand. Not so with them.
+
+As enjoyable as all of the conversations were, however, and as much as he was beginning to understand sys-side life, he seemed to gain little in the way of actual knowledge.
+
+At this point, however, his duties had diminished to almost nil, and he had little else to do. Within the year, he suspected that he'd be off looking for another job, hopefully still station-side.
+
+So here he was, sitting on his bed, reading until either May Then My Name or Ioan pinged him.
+
+Tonight, it was Ioan.
+
+> **Ioan Bălan:** Good evening, Douglas. Let me know when you're around.
+> 
+> **Douglas Hadje:** I'm around. How are you, Ioan?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I'm doing well. And yourself?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** And by the way, it's just me, tonight. May has fallen asleep.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** All of her, actually. It's like the planets aligning sometimes. A bit of blessed quiet.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** I'm alright. Was actually just waiting up to hear from you. Things are pretty boring with no further launch stuff to do.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Is May Then My Name loud in person?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Oh, not really. She's just very
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Hmm.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Intense, is maybe the right word? She doesn't chatter all of the time or run around or anything. Usually, she's just working and she does all of her work mentally rather than on paper. She'll have good conversations with me or with you, putter around, clean or cook, which I realize makes her sound very domestic, which isn't really the case. Those are just things she enjoys.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** But the whole time that she's doing those things, she's intense. Her expression, her personality, her words, her smile, her laugh, her eyes.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** That's one of those things that always strikes me as funny. You know, the whole thing about how eyes are just spheres, not actually emotive.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** But hers are intense.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** The intensity comes through even in text, so I believe you. So it's nice having a break from that intensity?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Yeah, basically. It's nice when we sleep. The time before we head to bed is much calmer. Just a lot of talking and such. She's a very physically affectionate person, which I was not used to at all when she moved in.
+
+Douglas laughed, considered his options, shrugged, and typed his response.
+
+> **Douglas:** That also comes through in text, in a way. You two sound like a cute couple.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Huh.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** You know, I'd never really considered that.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** 'That' meaning being a couple.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I don't know that we are, actually.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** "Don't know"?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** It's alright. I also don't know that we aren't. Sometimes the question will come up in my mind and I'll wonder about it a little, but it always slips away and then I'm back to organizing my pen collection or whatever May accuses me of.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** But you've never talked with her about it?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** No. Same problem as mentioned above. Every time I think of asking she's already asleep or too busy or I'm out on an interview as #Tracker and then it just slips my mind.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** You can't be a couple without agreeing that you are, right? So maybe that means we aren't? I have no idea, it's all far above my pay grade.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Do you want to be?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I definitely don't know that! I'm not really comfortable continuing to talk about this, though.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** No problem.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Needless to say, she's intense. The whole damn clade is.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** The Ode clade, was it?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Yes. Or the Odists if you want something shorter.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Can you tell me more about them? They sound fascinating, and I've always wondered.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I can tell you a little bit. It's more on her to answer the details. They can be tight-lipped about the weirdest things.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Of course. I'm eager to know, but don't want to pry.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** So, the Ode clade is very old. They've been around for ages. There are quite a few of them. I did a bunch of work with one of them named Dear, Also, The Tree That Was Felled about twenty years back, and that's how I got to know them. We've had an on-again-off-again working relationship.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Though, now that I think about it, one of my forks --- my only real cocladist --- has found emself in a romantic relationship with Dear.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** You have to understand, though, every single Odist I've met (except maybe one, who isn't around anymore) has been completely and utterly charming, so maybe it's just a them thing.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Anyway, They're all incredibly strange, is what I'm saying.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Another thing about them is that they are, to a one, magnets for strange goings on. I guess that's part of being strange overall, but even so, every one of them has this incredible story about these events that have happened around them. I don't think it's a conscious thing, necessarily. Just by virtue of their intensity, they live through intense happenings, or have intense friends, or elicit intense reactions from those around them.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** For example --- and this is public information here, now, I don't know if it ever made it phys-side --- it was one of them who discovered (or at least was the first who was public about) the fact that those who live sys-side can't ever actually forget things. Instead of simply publishing some sort of report or studying the reality of it, he adopted the persona of a biblical teacher and organized an entire scavenger hunt to try and get the rest of the clade interested.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** That sounds dramatic.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Agreed!
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I was going to say that they're not really dramatic, just intense, but it's definitely both.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Can you tell me about their names? They all seem similar to the snippets of poetry that May Then My Name kept sending me.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** They're all poetic, I can certainly say that, but that's also a very, very touchy subject for them, enough that Qoheleth, the aforementioned Odist who did the scavenger hunt, the one I mentioned isn't here anymore, was assassinated for trying to divulge information about their names.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Assassinated?!
+> 
+> **Douglas:** That's a thing that can happen, sys-side?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Unfortunately, yes. It's rare, thankfully. There are viruses of a sort that interrupt the sys-side mind enough to cause it to lose coherency and just sort of disappear.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** You told us you still have implants and rigs out there, right? It's like when your avatar crashes, except it's your personality instead.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** That's absolutely horrifying. I'll go ahead and add that to the bucket of fears right alongside nuclear and biological warfare.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Again, they're not at all common, and they by convention have to be tied to a physical object, usually a syringe, so they are visible.  They also need to be tailored to the target, which is why we say 'assassination' rather than murder. It's very premeditated and there's no way to prosecute. Any time that someone has considered designing ones that aren't or which are more widespread, there's an incredible backlash. Happens once every twenty years or so.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** That's not super encouraging, but I'll try not to let it get to me.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Well, let's change the subject, then, just to keep it from being anxiety-inducing. I know that May will ask this, so, when do you think you'll upload?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Hah, well, I guess she would. I was thinking within a year.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** My duties are all wrapping up all at once, it feels like, so, maybe when they tell me to get planet-side.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I have a suggestion, if you're interested.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Oh?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Upload on the one-year anniversary of the launch.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Why?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** The Odists are total suckers for symbolism. If you do it on Secession and Launch Day, May will lose her damn mind.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** In a good way, I mean. You'll get to see it, I'm sure. It's quite the spectacle.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** It's not a bad idea, actually. I'll pester the commission to ensure that I'm up here for that.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Really? You're seriously considering it?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** If you had left the planning up to me, I'm not sure I'd ever do it. I'd just keep on cycling and worrying and never actually do anything, but give me a little push, and I'll make it happen. 
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I believe it. Keep me in the loop!
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Should I tell May Then My Name or keep it a surprise?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Can you keep it a secret for the next six months or so?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Sure, I guess.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Great. Please do. I want to see her go nuts.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Strange question: you say that you don't start projects without a little push, but you also said that you applied for the launch director position on a whim.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Are you sure there was no push for you to apply?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Huh.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** I...will have to think on that and get back to you.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Why do you ask?
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Well.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I'm not sure I can tell you without compromising some agreements on my end.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** With May and the other Odists, I mean.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** I'll make sure May tells you at some point, though, alright?
+> 
+> **Douglas:** Sure.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** I mean, it sounds complicated, but like you say, they're a complicated group.
+> 
+> **Douglas:** I'll think about it, though, see if I can remember anything.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Thanks!
+> 
+> **Ioan:** May's all sacked out in bed, so I think I'll go join her.
+> 
+> **Ioan:** Goodnight, Douglas. Sleep well, and keep in touch!
+
+Douglas made his goodbyes and then stretched out on his own bed, still grinning at the idea of Ioan sharing a bed with May and still not knowing whether or not they were in a relationship. 
+
+He turned the lights off and rolled enough to pull his covers over him. It'd be early to fall asleep, but it's not like he had much else to do, so he might as well do the same.