The Pilgrimage Ch. 04

"Because once we land you'll have another job. I'm promoting you to Minister of Justice. It's now your responsibility to provide security services to all those cities Mark's creating. You have full authority to enforce my laws, investigate crimes, and prosecute offenders. You'll also have to set up an academy to train more officers. I know you're gonna tell me you don't have anywhere near enough personnel for all that right now. But you're gonna have to make do with what you've got, at least until you've got more people trained. I don't really see crime as a major problem with this generation because what happened to Earth is still seared into their memories. So you should have plenty of time to get a proper police force up and running. For now, use standard American federal law as a guide for enforcement purposes unless it contradicts a law that I put in place. Eventually I intend to write my own set of laws and code of regulations to fit the new society that we're creating. I just don't have the time for that right now. So this seems to be the best temporary solution. If you run into a law that you know runs counter to my beliefs, or what we're trying to achieve, don't enforce it. Come to me, and we'll work out what needs to be done about it."

Pete shook his head with a soft chuckle. "It seems your Aunt Sally knows you better than I do. She told me last night that this was exactly what you were gonna do. I told her she was crazy. You were giving this job to Kelli. Anyway, you're right, I will be shorthanded. But I can, and will make do with what personnel I have."

Morrigan giggled then said, "I knew I could count on you, thanks Uncle Pete." She looked over at Aunt Sally with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Sally held her hands up palms out and said, "Oh no. Don't even think about it Morrigan. I haven't practiced law since the twins were born."

Morrigan grinned then said, "Well I guess you'd better get caught up on your reading then Aunt Sally because you're now the Crown's Attorney. Your job's gonna be twofold. First set up and administer a court system consisting of civil, criminal, and appellate courts. Second, help me to draw up a set of laws and regulations more tailored to our new society than that mess the Feds called laws. Let me be perfectly clear about this. I don't want a court system that consists of the most justice money can buy. All costs and salaries will come out of the Crown Treasury. That includes judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. You can seek some reimbursement by assessing whatever percentage you deem appropriate as court costs as well as charging whatever fees you think necessary.

I don't want the general public hiring lawyers. Instead, I want you to set up offices in every city staffed with people you trust to act as your assistants. That way your office won't be swamped with requests for attorneys. Anytime someone wants a lawyer for any civil or criminal matter, they file a request with your local assistant who then assigns them an attorney that meets their needs. If the police arrest a person, they are to notify your local office that the person under arrest needs a lawyer and then wait for the lawyer to arrive before any questioning. I don't want this interpreted in a way that ties the hands of law enforcement. The rights of the individual ends where the safety of the public begins.

I don't want that misunderstood either. The right of an individual to an attorney MUST be respected UNLESS law enforcement has probable cause to believe that an emergency situation still exists AND that lives or the safety of the general public are still at risk. Law enforcement will have to convince a judge that their actions were in fact justified given the information that they had at the time in a closed hearing after the emergency situation has been resolved. Again, this isn't meant to tie the hands of law enforcement. They will be given wide discretion in these situations. But at the same time I don't want them abusing this latitude either."

"I can understand and agree with almost everything you've said Morrigan," Aunt Sally replied. "But I need to clarify one thing. You said to give law enforcement 'wide discretion'. That's a pretty vague term. You're not advocating torture are you?"

"Absolutely not! I can accept extended interrogations, and maybe even some forms of 'enhanced interrogations'. But anything that would be considered torture is strictly forbidden."

"The word torture means different things to different people, Morrigan. I think a list of 'do's and don'ts' would help give law enforcement officers some guidance. I'll work with Pete and put something together for you to look over."

"I won't need to look it over Aunt Sally. I trust you and Uncle Pete completely. Just put your list together and place it in the training manuals and the penal code."

Morrigan turned to Ashling. "Okay Ashling, you're up next. I'm putting you in charge of emergency services. I want you to recruit and train a core group of people to handle any emergency or disaster that may come along. If you can think of it, it can and will happen sooner or later, so train your group to handle anything, and everything, including multiple disasters occurring simultaneously."

"WOW! Okay, you got it Morrigan. But that's a pretty tall order. I'm gonna need a good size team. At least four or five hundred people to start with anyway. I'm also gonna need access to helicopters, strategically placed warehouses, and we'll also have to have some joint training sessions with Pete and Aileen's people."

"That's fine with me," Morrigan replied. "Just let Mark know where you want the warehouses and put together a plan for my approval as soon as you can. Don't forget that as Minister of Emergency Services, you're also responsible for the organizing and setting up of fire departments and search and rescue teams."

"Yeah, I can see how those two things would fall under my area of responsibility," Ashling smiled then continued, "I guess that means I'll be responsible for administering and training them as well." Ashling turned to Mark and said, "Mark, for now, put a warehouse near each of the level one trauma units. Then place two fire stations with an engine company and an EMS unit in each one. Make sure to spread the fire stations out as much as possible in each city. A search and rescue team will also be headquartered in each fire station so make sure there's easy access to a helipad."

She looked back at Morrigan and said, "Considering the size of the cities, that placement should cover things for the time being. It'll take me a couple of days to put together a preliminary plan for the rest of the emergency services ministry."

"You've already got the short term immediate needs covered. Waiting a couple of days for a plan to meet the long term needs isn't a problem, Ashling." Morrigan turned to Kelli. "Okay girlfriend, it's time for your assignment. I want you to contact every god and goddess with favored aboard the Arc. Have each of them pick two of their female favored for you to train as a new group of Kellies. You and your group of Kellies will be my right arm. You'll answer to, report to, and receive your assignments directly from me and only me. Your duties will never be easy and will almost always be extremely dangerous. Make sure that every god and goddess knows this and that they equip their chosen favored with the best skills and gear at their disposal.

In addition to any assignments I may hand out, you and your team will be responsible for investigating allegations of government corruption, and will form the basis of a planetary defense force should the need ever arise. You and your Kellies are also the only group that I'm specifically authorizing to use invasive telepathy to scan minds for the information you need in the event of an emergency situation. You may authorize your Kellies to work with law enforcement at your discretion. Just make sure they only divulge information that saves lives. Past crimes where lives were taken or put at risk do fall into this category. Because if they've done it once, they will do it again. However, everything else is to be considered confidential."

"I can see the need for almost everything you've said, Morrigan. But I'm having a hard time grasping your concept of a planetary defense force. I have no idea of what you have in mind. Are you expecting an invasion of little green men with ray guns or something?"

"I'm not expecting anything like that, Kelli. I'm simply being prudent. We're not the only sentient species in the galaxy. You know that as well as I do. It's quite possible that some of them haven't wasted thousands of years on hatred, racism, bigotry, and xenophobia. Not to mention the untold number of wasted lives and resources spent on foolish wars. Some of them may have actually spent that time and those resources on advancing their society. A few of them might even be capable of interstellar flight. I don't know one way or the other whether or not any of them have that capability. But I do know that our new star system is in an ideal location to be used as a base for any race seeking to enter or leave our galaxy. It's also possible that none of them have developed an interstellar capacity, but I'm not willing to take that chance. One of the few things Kylie drilled into my head over and over as I was growing up is that the best defense consists of always having one hell of an offense. You might even want to talk to Kylie and see if she has any ideas that might help you get started. I can't think of anyone more qualified to help you than her."

"Okay Morrigan, I get the point. A planetary defense force will eventually be a necessity. The sooner we begin building one, the less of a problem it will be when it's needed. I'll start recruiting and training my Kellies. Before I do that though, I think I'll talk to Kylie. Maybe I can even convince her to join my merry little band as my exec."

"Actually, I think that's a great idea. The two of you would make a fantastic team." Morrigan looked over at a petite ginger haired beauty with a busty but curvaceous figure. Morrigan had noticed her watching and listening intently while taking occasional notes on a steno pad. Morrigan smiled at her and said, "You must be Meg's cousin Caroline. I really appreciate the way you stepped up and offered to help me out. I'm sure by now you've guessed that education is extremely high on my list of priorities and that my standards and expectations are just as high. I want every single person in our new society to be able to achieve their own personal goals and objectives. That's gonna mean helping them to reach their maximum potential by creating an educational system that challenges them to be the best they can be. I already know your qualifications so I'm gonna offer you the biggest challenge you've ever faced. I'd like you to join my leadership team as my Minister of Education. What do ya say? You up for it?"

Caroline chuckled softly then said, "I wasn't expecting you to go quite that far, Morrigan. But yeah, I'm definitely up for it. I'd have to be a total idiot to turn down an honor like that. It's gonna be a pleasure working for someone who not only recognizes the true value of a well-educated society, but is also willing to provide the necessary resources to make it a reality. I haven't had a chance to go over the data sheets yet, so I don't know how many people we have with teaching credentials. I also have no idea how long it's gonna take to get the physical campuses built and staffed. As an interim measure we could create online classes and make participation mandatory. We have about three weeks left before our arrival on Erie. It might be a good idea to use that time to make some trial runs and perfect the system so that everything goes smoothly. I'd also suggest making an adult educational system available for those who may want or need it."

Morrigan looked over at Megan and winked. "I owe you big time for this one Meg." Megan's blush extended from her firm round C cup cleavage to the top of her forehead as Morrigan winked again and said, "Who knows, maybe I'll even let you collect that debt later on tonight." She turned back to a grinning Caroline and continued, "All right Caroline, go over the data sheets and see what you have available for teaching staff. Then work with Joe Thompson and get your virtual classrooms set up. I realize that some of the courses will need labs, but that part's gonna have to wait until we land on Erie. For now, just have your instructors work out of their quarters, and I'll see to it that everyone who needs a laptop has one by tomorrow morning. I hadn't really thought about adult education, but I think it's a great idea. At least for this generation. Go ahead and work it into your plan and I'll make sure you have the necessary resources to make it happen."

Morrigan looked over at Jake. She sighed deeply then smiled softly. "Okay Jake, I saved you for last on purpose. You know where Vanessa and I stand right now when it comes to relationships, socializing, and our rights as women. You also know why we feel the way we do. Before I decide whether or not to accept you as part of this team, I need to know if you can handle it. So tell me your thoughts and feelings about what happened earlier with Mike."

Jake chuckled softly. "Wow! Talk about being put in the hot seat. Okay, first of all I think you're right, we all need to change our way of thinking if we're ever gonna survive as a race. It's not a man's world anymore and that's something we're all gonna have to get used to. Both you and Princess Vanessa raised some valid points. Especially the one about this being our only chance. I also realize that you're constrained somewhat, and that you have to work within the rules that we all agreed to when this all began. So I don't think that you, or Princess Vanessa, said or did anything out of line under the circumstances.

As far as Mike goes, I have no clue what he was thinking, or why he reacted the way he did. It's not as if he hasn't seen anything like it before. Hell, Kelli, my sister Seana, my Mom, even my Gram have all been known to go commando on occasion. In fact it's not unusual for them to walk around our quarters wearing nighties that show as much, if not more, than Princess Vanessa's showing right now. Modesty has never been much of a Crowley family trait. So I don't know why he was being such an asshole about how Princess Vanessa was dressed." He looked over at Kelli and smiled. "I definitely wouldn't wanna be him right about now though. By the time Gram gets done tearing him a new one, he'll have an asshole big enough to shit a house out of."

"Believe me, Jake, Gram's the LEAST of Mike's worries right at this moment. He's gonna be lucky if I don't rip his head off and shit down his neck when I get my hands on him. Mom and Dad didn't spend the last twenty years teaching that little prick how to be a man just to have him spit in their faces by insulting our Crown Princess the way he did. I'm so pissed off at him right now, I don't know where to put myself." Kelli turned to Vanessa and said, "Vanessa, on behalf of the entire Crowley family, I apologize to you. I give you my word of honor that NOTHING like this will EVER happen again!"

"Easy there Pet. I'm a big girl Kelli. I can take a few insults without breaking. You're not the one who screwed up, Mike is. So there's no need for you to apologize. I know I told you that you were responsible for keeping your brothers in line, but you haven't had a chance to talk to them yet. I'm not upset with you at all, okay?"

"All right, time to get back on track people," Morrigan said with a smile. "Jake, I'm gonna assign you to Vanessa temporally. She has a people project that she's working on. I'm sure she could use a little advice here and there. Your task is to help her figure out the best way to address each situation. Vanessa, your recommendation is what's gonna decide if Jake joins our team. After linking minds with me yesterday, you know me better than anyone. You should have a pretty good idea of what I need. So test his people skills as much as you can and we'll go from there."

Morrigan looked around the table then stood and said, "All right everyone, we're done for today. We'll meet back here at the same time tomorrow. It's almost lunchtime, so grab yourselves something to eat before you get started on your assigned tasks. Meg, you're with me."

TO BE CONTINUED...