My First Political Convention - 2580

Written by: Clement Jochem
I’ve been fighting my whole life. Growing up on Fort Kurzon, I fought hard so my parents would accept I did not want to take over the shop and to let me go to college. At college in Athens, I fought every day against prejudice from the other upper class Sol-born dynastic business aspirants. They had nothing but contempt for me, especially after I joined the local Unions branch. Regardless, I fought. I was in the street protesting with the Unions in Dhaka. I was in the same room as Herrick Knottman during his “listening tour” leading up to the 2560 Election. I was punched in the face for handing out SDP leaflets in an upper class neighborhood in Dhaka. I gave as good as I got.

When the Zzendi came, I was drafted, and I fought some more. I was only wounded on Al Ahily, which was luckier than most of my friends.


Jamie was very glad to have me back. I’d missed him a lot during the tour. Him and the air of Albion. He’d avoided the draft because of his work as a nurse, so he took care of me while I spent the first week back sleeping.


Eventually, I knew I had to come back to my job. The return back to the office of Representative Larkan of the SDPwas not easy. Luckily, Larkan himself is a kind man, under the austere exterior. He would check on me multiple times a day and often let me leave early, in spite of my insistence that I did not need it. Jamie was delighted.

Eventually, the news came that the last of the Zzenddi fleets were destroyed and elections were formally announced. I expected to find Larkan celebrating with his favorite gin, but when I made it into his office that evening, he was slumped in his chair, looking into the night. I asked him if he wanted to celebrate and all he had to say was: “What’s the point, it’s Safin’s game now.”

Governor Nurih Safin was well known on Earth of course, but I was surprised by Larkan’s certainty. He’d been regarded as such a peculiar outsider in the party, had I missed something? The following day, I reached out to the other staffers I knew and the feeling was pretty much universal. Nurih Safin was going to win. He’d either bought their bosses’ support or was bullying them into it. There was nothing to do. There was no reasonable opponent after Klaessen’s massive crash and burn in the GA. For a time, Representative Swayne was the other choice, but their name suddenly disappeared from conversations without warning. Larkan told me that it happens a lot, top candidates bribe their competitors with VP positions.

In the weeks that followed, Larkan would arrive later and later at the office. Gradually, he stopped taking meetings or giving me work to do. One day, as he hadn’t shown up by lunch, I went to his flat to find out he’d not set an alarm that day. From then, it was a miracle if he would turn up at all. Jamie said I should quit. If I didn’t believe in it, weren’t there so many other left wing parties to go with?

I don’t know why, but I stuck around. I think I just didn’t want to abandon old Larkan. The convention eventually came. I decided to go, at least it would be educational, right? My first ever convention. I had never been to Whitworth either.

When we finally arrived at the Convention Hall, we parked up by a long, impressive black car with tinted windows. Several similarly impressive men in dark suits and glasses, each of which could be mistaken for a marble statue, were guarding the car. Old Larkan did not seem to notice and we made our way to the hall. Coming our way was a small group, including several more of the statuesque figures. Among them, in an expensive white suit, a young man was talking into a datapad. He looked familiar. “His father was a good man, may he rest in peace.” Larkan muttered.

I glanced over to look at the young man again as he got into the jet black car. As the large golems formed up into their own transports, I noticed heraldry sewn onto their suits. Black Eagles on a white background. What was House Solarin doing here, so far from Earth?

Larkan had not stopped to wait for me. I caught up with him and we made our way inside. There, I finally met in person Lee Klaren, chief of staff to Representative Julia Klear, of Mars. He and I had talked a lot in the recent months leading to the convention and had become fast friends. I was also really pleased to see John Lanson, secretary to local Senate candidate Rear Admiral Malouf, I had not seen him since Athens.


When John shook my hand, he made a joke about me being yet another unexpected surprise tonight. Anyone who’s ever known John would have had to endure this kind of behavior, but this was said in an unusual tone, not the one I was used to from him. I did not question it further, I was just happy to feel the warmth of a friend. Especially here.

I had never been anywhere near a gathering of this size. So many people in one room, loud voices and personalities talking over each other for hours. I was content to listen. Larkan introduced me to Representative Green, the supposed progressive opponent to Safin. Everyone else spoke of him as just a token opponent and I could see why. He was a small, unremarkable man with a quiet voice. Still, there had to be an opponent I suppose, it would not be a good look for the party to have Safin run unopposed.

Soon enough we were all funneled into the hall. The old man let out a tired sigh as he sat down in his seat, and I took mine beside him. The roar of conversation was slowing down as everyone found their place. When Senator Kaufman stepped onto the stage and began to introduce the convention, Larkan stood up and left, saying he needed to go to the bathroom. I should have paid more attention, but I let him go.

As he disappeared, Governor Safin stepped onto the stage. I had seen him on TV before, but even from afar, the man would take your breath away. He was not particularly remarkable physically, but he always looked so confident, walking around like he owned the place. I remembered Jamie saying “he’s not that attractive” and wondered what he would think of meeting him live.

Representative Green stepped onto the stage, a little smile on his face and shook Safin’s hand. Right there, I noticed something peculiar. Safin’s smile disappeared when he shook his opponent’s hand. I’d seen it with my father. He was a very good salesman, but only when it did not matter. When it did, his smile would wobble, his knees would shake, even just briefly. But there was no threat to Safin, why should he be worried?

Senator Kaufman announced that it was time for the first vote. Interrupting her, Gene Sawyer, of the Jovian Belt, stood up and nominated Governor Alana Largo. Almost instantly, like it was rehearsed, representative Tarian of Mars stood up and said his delegation seconded the nomination. Senator Kaufman looked shaken for a second, but she went back to her confident persona and allowed it.

Alana Largo stood up from her seat and – please do not ever tell Jamie – I think I had a moment there. She walked down the rows, an effortless breeze, onto the stage. Applause rose all around me, but I felt like I was experiencing a bad practical joke. She got on the stage and nodded at Safin, he nodded back, but the delay there was a definite tell. This was not the plan. He looked to Kaufman and it was clear she had no idea what was going on. All around me, excitement was palpable. I caught Klaren’s eye as he leant back into his seat and he winked at me.

As Senator Kaufman approached the microphone to continue the proceedings, Representative Green stepped in front of her and announced that he was dropping out of the race. He urged all of his supporters to stand behind Governor Largo, “a true progressive member of the SDP”. Safin’s gaze followed him off the stage all the way until he took a seat.


The first ballot was called. Larkan had still not returned to his seat. I watched as Senator Kaufman declared a majority for Governor Safin. Her voice shook as she admitted there weren’t enough votes to declare a clear winner, they would have to vote again.

Suddenly, John ran past me. I tried to see where he was going and spotted him talking to Representative Imago of Whitworth. Imago seemed to nod at him and John went on, running to another of the Whitworth representatives. I looked back at Rear Admiral Malouf and caught a subtle nod between him and John. Something was definitely going on.

The second ballot saw Safin’s share of the vote diminishing. I felt like I was going insane. It was like being the only one not included in a joke. A tie. It was a tie. Somehow, this did not look so hopeless.

As Senator Kaufman announced a third vote, I shot up from my seat and ran for the exit. I hurried through every corridor and bathroom looking for Larkan, he was nowhere to be found. In my haste, I collided with someone. The sound of his glasses falling to the floor stopped me in my tracks. I watched him elegantly pick them up, readjust his well tailored suit and he smiled an earnest, charming smile at me.

“How’s it going in there?”

“It’s a tie… Safin might lose!”

“Huh, how about that.”

He looked familiar, but I could not place him. I described Larkan to him, asking if he’d seen him. He pointed to the balcony and wished me luck. I thanked him and resumed my race against time.


I found him exactly there, looking over New Denver with anair of melancholy in his eyes. When he turned to look at me, his face changed. I don’t know exactly what he read in my gaze, but he straightened up and, without a word, proceeded back to the room.

The fourth ballot results were being read. Where the room was in complete silence when I left, people were now loudly commenting and talking to each other. There was a fever taking hold, and it was only a matter of time before it took Larkan. I turned to him and suddenly this old man looked tall.


The fourth ballot results refused to confirm either candidate. Now, Safin was sweating. The confident playboy billionaire was gone. It was like I was watching a school child being told off. People were spinning in their chairs, barking loudly at their neighbors and laughing excitedly.

Across the crowd, I spotted the charming man I’d tackled in the corridor talking calmly with Senator Coady of Eden. The conversation looked like a small island of calm in this storm. A Representative stood up and shouted something at the stage, obscuring my view. When he sat back down, the man was gone.

Before Senator Kaufman went for the microphone again to announce the fifth ballot, Senator Coady stood up and announced his support for Governor Largo. Yara Kurtz, representative of the Teacher’s Union, stood up and announced the Union was also supporting Largo. People were standing up left right and center now, laughing and openly talking about the candidates without any refrain.

Senator Kaufman found her voice again and called for order. Her voice could still shake mountains, but a room full of excited politicians was harder to tame. It took several more calls for order before everyone regained their seat. I looked for the man in the suit and could not find him anywhere.


When the time came for Larkan to vote, a small smile escaped his lips. Seconds seemed to stretch forever while everyone in the wide hall cast their vote. Senator Kaufman read the results. She stood aghast for a minute before going up to the microphone and reading the results. There was no doubt now, the tide had shifted, Alana Largo would be the SDP’s nominee.


The fever returned and fury swept through the room. It all blended together into a hurricane of raised voices. Safin did not flinch. Beside me, I saw Larkan slump in his seat, a little tear escaping his eye for a moment before he swept it away, solemn. Chaos still raged when Larkan stood up and began to clap. I followed. Soon enough, the whole room was on their feet.

Safin shook Governor Largo’s hand. While I don’t remember the exact words of his concession speech, I remember thinking it was gracious of him. By the time Largo was done with her down speech, he was gone.

On the way out of the convention, John asked if I fancied a drink. I said I didn’t want to leave Larkan alone, but John reassured me and said the old man was already on his way with Baxter Green and their group uptown to celebrate. At the bar, John, Lee and the dozens of other junior staffers took up old Union chants that I’d not heard in over a decade. All the words were coming back at once and, like a contagion, drew the rest of the bar into more euphoric chants.


On the screen above the bar, the news was breaking about the convention and Alana Largo’s winning smile shone bright. Everyone erupted into cheers but I could not look away, Alana Largo’s bright eyes were drawing me in. As the news continued, they were showing images of the previous SDP presidents in a retrospective presentation. At least, I assume that’s what it was, it was a little tricky to hear anything at all in the bar. Lee was standing on a table throwing back his drink between increasingly loud cheers from his audience. John was whispering in the ear of a young and pretty staffer who clearly had never met him before.


I considered going over to save the poor wide eyed girl when I was stopped in my tracks. On the screen, there was an old photograph of Herrick Knottman, at some lavish party or other. In the background, among the crowd, there was a much younger, handsome man, with the same glasses and the same warm smile as the man from the convention. I smiled back at the screen. Maybe Jamie was wrong. After a night like this, sleeping is always preferable to being awake, so I slept through the journey back. When we made it back to Earth, I had a short night where Jamie played me a drunk voice recording that I’d left him the night before. Several times.


In the morning, I stumbled into the office and sat down at my desk, fully intending to pass out on the desk for a good hour before checking in on Larkan. My peace was immediately interrupted by the old man knocking on my door. Without waiting for me to say anything, he slammed a pile of documents on the table and listed seven engagements for me to schedule. I made him repeat himself a couple of times while I gathered my strength. When I finished noting everything down, the old man put his hard hand on my shoulder and looked deep in my eyes.


“Thank you”

He strode over to my door, while I held on to my desk for dear life. At the threshold, he turned to me one more time and stood there, looking for the right words.


“Steady on young lady, there’s a lot of work to be done.”


He smiled at me and disappeared, humming an old chant down the corridor.