It was a hundred and twenty years before the Sentray attack on Sapey. Sapey had continued to grow and prosper but was about to encounter a new challenge. It was about to enter a period that was later referred to as the great divide. The political environment was incredibly polarised. The residents of most regions either heavily supported the ideology of the House of Divine Knowledge or that of the Business Sector.
To make things more complicated, the split was roughly even. This resulted in an even six-six split of governors who were affiliated with the House of Divine Knowledge and the Business Sector. The number of representatives was also very close. Forty-eight representatives were affiliated to the House of Divine Knowledge, forty-seven representatives were affiliated to the Business Sector, and seven were affiliated to neither.
If the government (i.e., the twelve governors) could not agree on something, the vote went to the representatives. Most of the time the representatives voted along lines of affiliation. This would give the power to the seven unaffiliated representatives. This was something that neither the House of Divine Knowledge nor the Business Sector wanted.
It was only three weeks into the new term, and the annual budget was almost due to be announced. However, a budget needed majority support from the governors. That meant the support of at least seven governors. Two draft budgets had been worked on by either side. Two governors, one from each side, had gone to the Economic Institute to explain their budgets and request support from the head of the Economic Institute.
August had resumed his role as the head of the Economic Institute. He had taken on the identity of Randall, a former senior executive for the Rezif Company. Randall had been nominated to lead the Economic Institute around twenty years prior. To discuss the proposed budgets, he met with Governors Rerac, who was affiliated with the House of Divine Knowledge, and Citamgarp, who was affiliated with the Business Sector.
Randall’s assistant ushered the two governors into Randall’s office for the meeting. Randall was sitting in a large, high-backed office chair behind a large, ornate desk, which faced his office door.
‘Nothing fills me with more joy than a visit from my two favourite governors,’ said Randall as he stood up to shake hands with the governors. ‘Make yourselves comfortable. We have much to discuss.’
The two governors shook hands with Randall and then sat down on the chairs placed on the opposite side of Randall’s desk. Randall sat back down into his chair.
‘I want to thank both of you for sending me the drafts to your budgets,’ said Randall as he subtly shook his head. ‘I’ll be straight with both of you. I’m quite disappointed with what I’ve read so far.’
‘I sent you a three hundred-page document plus another four hundred pages of appendices,’ said Rerac, sounding surprised. ‘I doubt we could be any more thorough.’
‘It’s basically last year’s budget with date changes and a small handful of new line items,’ replied Randall, shaking his head a little more obviously.
Citamgarp slapped his knee and laughed annoyingly.
‘Your budget consisted of just three pages,’ said Randall as he quickly turned to look at Citamgarp.
‘It’s actually just two,’ chuckled Citamgarp. ‘The first page is a summary of the other two pages. I believe in quality, not quantity.’
‘I think you might have achieved neither,’ replied Randall as he stared at Citamgarp. ‘I honestly can’t believe the Business Sector would support this lazy effort.’
Citamgarp gasped in disbelief, and Rerac grinned smugly at him.
Randall looked at Rerac. ‘Last year, I was able to help you fund half of this,’ said Randall as he went back to shaking his head. ‘This year, I doubt even a quarter of it.’
‘This is absurd!’ replied Rerac in a curt, angry tone. ‘Our economy is thriving, and we have zero inflation. It’s in the report you published last month.’
‘The wording I used was “staying afloat”,’ sighed Randall.
‘Last year’s budget was a stinker, and you know it,’ said Citamgarp as he pointed his index finger at Rerac, who shifted his chair slightly away from Citamgarp.
‘Last year’s budget was only part of the problem,’ said Randall. ‘We have an employment problem. We don’t have enough jobs in the Business Sector friendly regions, and we don’t have enough Sapiens willing to work in the House of Divine Knowledge friendly regions.’
‘I’m sure both of you are very much aware of this problem,’ said Randall as his eyes darted to and fro between the two governors. ‘And of course, it is very obvious what the solution is. I expect this solution is stated in one of your appendices or footnotes.’
Both governors had awkward, perplexed looks on their faces.
‘So tell me?’ asked Randall, grinning slightly. ‘When will the relocation of residents begin?’
Both governors briefly looked shocked, and then they smiled. ‘We’re putting it to a vote next week,’ they said in unison.
‘That’s great, we have consensus,’ said Randall energetically. ‘I’m now filled with optimism.’
‘Great!’ said Rerac as he swung his arm enthusiastically. ‘Does that mean my budget can now be funded?’
‘It still needs a little tweaking,’ replied Randall. ‘How about I do both of you a favour? I will tweak and combine both your budgets. I’ll come back with two variations, and you can then vote on them.’
‘That’s really kind of you,’ replied Citamgarp as he winked at Randall.
‘You’re a true professional,’ added Rerac as he winked at Randall.
‘I know this can be difficult sometimes, and it is very easy to be caught in the heat of things, but we need to work together as a team,’ said Randall as he stood up and reached across his desk to touch both Rerac’s and Citamgarp’s hands.
‘You’re absolutely right,’ said Citamgarp as he turned to look at Rerac. ‘I have said many unpleasant things about and occasionally to you. I want you to know I have nothing personal against you. I’m merely trying to manipulate the morons who vote for us.’
‘I’m so happy you said that,’ replied Rerac. ‘I may not love your rhetoric, but I’ve always admired your determination.’
Citamgarp smiled and nodded.
‘I know today is your birthday,’ continued Rerac. ‘I bought you a little gift. I didn’t know if there would be an appropriate time, but I guess now is that time.’
Rerac pulled a small snow globe out of his jacket and handed it to Citamgarp. Randall stared at the two of them in almost disbelief.
‘I can’t believe you remembered,’ gasped Citamgarp. ‘It’s beautiful, thank you.’
‘How do we move on from here?’ asked Rerac as he turned to Randall, who was now looking a little annoyed.
‘Simple!’ sighed Randall as he sat back down. ‘You informally take turns in pursuing your agendas. Make sure the vote never falls to the representatives and do not allow the unaffiliated to block anything.’
‘Won’t supporting these guys antagonise our supporters?’ asked Citamgarp as he gestured towards Rerac.
‘You raise doubts during the debate,’ replied Randall. He then turned to Rerac. ‘You and your governors will then water down your proposal,’ added Randall as he then turned to Citamgarp. ‘You will treat this as a victory, and your governors will vote in favour of it. You will obtain the necessary majority. Next time around, you flip roles. Everyone is happy.’
‘Does that make sense?’ Citamgarp asked Rerac.
‘I think so,’ replied Rerac.
‘Wonderful!’ said Randall as he stood back up again and started to gesture to the governors to leave. ‘It’s been a very productive meeting. We’ll meet next week to follow up.’
Both Rerac and Citamgarp stood up, and Randall hurried them out of his office.
‘Fake birthdays!’ mumbled Randall as he walked back to his desk. ‘Stealing snow globes! Really!’
Rerac and Citamgarp were now in the lobby.
‘Looks like the press is outside and ready to ambush us,’ commented Citamgarp as he turned to face Rerac.
‘We’re going to have to break the news about the relocation program,’ replied Rerac.
‘Seems like an easy sell for me,’ chuckled Citamgarp.
‘Yes, I suppose,’ replied Rerac. ‘Not so for me. I need it to make sense without calling my great voters lazy.’
‘I’ll go first,’ said Citamgarp as he slapped Rerac on the back as he raised his eyebrows up and down joyously. ‘It’ll give you a couple of minutes to think up something.’
Citamgarp strutted towards the main entrance of the Economic Institute as Retrac stood back and watched him.
Once Citamgarp had exited the building, Olivia, a journalist from Wolf News, shoved a microphone in his face.
‘How did it go?’ asked Olivia aggressively ‘Can your budget be funded?‘
‘We have some big items in there that’ll bring a lot of joy to most Sapiens,’ said Citamgarp. ‘And funding them will be a cinch.’
‘Really, do tell,’ probed Olivia.
‘It’s no secret, the regions run by House of Divine Knowledge are dipping in productivity,’ said Citamgarp. ‘Being the kind governor that I am, I’m going to help them out. We’re going to allow businesses to hire from well-run Business Sector friendly regions to their branches in the poorly run House of Divine Knowledge friendly regions.’
‘You honestly believe that you’ll get support from the House of Divine Knowledge affiliated governors?’ asked Olivia as she shooed away other journalists with her other hand. ‘How will the House of Divine Knowledge be able to house these new residents?’
‘A governor is about to exit the Economic Institute right now. You should ask him,’ chuckled Citamgarp as Olivia turned her attention to the front door of the Economic Institute.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and Rerac proudly walked out.
‘Are you aware of Governor Citamgarp’s plan to bring in new residents into your regions?’ said Olivia aggressively as she ran towards him.
‘This is something we have discussed over several weeks leading up to this meeting,’ replied Rerac. ‘The Business Sector regions have lost their way. We plan to relocate some of our most pious residents to these regions. They will help them see the light. In doing so, we will free up space in our regions for their residents to stay. Where, of course, we will kindly share our values with them.’
The other governors were in the parliament canteen watching the interview. They appeared quite confused by the announcements.
‘How did the head of the Economic Institute respond to this plan?’ asked Olivia as she continued to push away other journalists.
‘Naturally, he was confused at first,’ said Rerac, shrugging his shoulders. ‘Once I articulated the economics, he jumped for joy and immediately supported the idea and, of course, our budget.’
Rerac made his way down the steps where several other eager journalists ambushed him. Olivia watched him and smiled to herself.
Meanwhile, Randall was enjoying a working lunch with his friend, Octavius Spiro, who had arrived in his Spirocopter. He had landed it on the roof to avoid the media outside the building. He was meeting Randall about his proposed inner region transport system, which he proudly called the RollerSphere. He had set up a model of it on Randall’s desk.
‘This is very impressive,’ said Randall as he watched the mini glass sphere roll round the circular track. ‘Have you invented a transportation system that uses perpetual motion?’
‘Hahaha!’ chuckled Octavius as he wiggled to get comfortable on the giant beanbag he was sitting on. ‘Not quite, but it barely uses any energy. The magnets keep it constantly moving. The full-size version will use strong electromagnets that will be powered by a very small Alset generator.’
‘Meaning operation costs will be close to zero,’ said Randall, looking even more delighted.
Octavius nodded enthusiastically.
‘How about construction costs?’ asked Randall, raising one eyebrow.
‘Minimal,’ replied Octavius. ‘I’m using mostly leftover materials from my newly opened hotel water park.’
‘Oh, this is perfect!’ said Randall. ‘This meets the Business Sector’s criteria for inner region transportation and adds another ‘right’ the House of Divine Knowledge can boast about.’
‘The glass casing of the spheres allows for panoramic views of the region,’ said Octavius, smiling. ‘It’ll be a treat for all.’
Olivia abruptly entered Randall’s office. ‘Looks like you’ve been very busy this morning,’ she said as she approached his desk.
‘Keeping our economy running as always,’ replied Randall. ‘If you don’t mind, I’m in the middle of a very important meeting.’
‘Looks more like you’re playing with toys and eating some sort of treats,’ replied Olivia, shaking her head.
‘These are jumbo cannoli,’ said Octavius proudly. ‘It’s a new item in my newly opened hotel restaurant. Would you like to try one, Maskameera?’
‘I don’t go by that name anymore,’ replied Olivia as she angrily turned to look at Octavius. ‘And yes, I’ll try your dessert.’
She grabbed the huge cannoli and took a bite out of it. ‘This is absolutely delicious,’ sighed Olivia. ‘No wonder you’re so fat.’
Octavius quickly got to his feet. ‘I’m glad you liked it,’ he said in an annoyed tone as he looked down at Olivia, whose head came barely above his waistline.
Olivia nervously tilted her head back and looked up at him and said, ‘You’ll have to ask your chef to send me the recipe.’
‘I have a gift for Sapiod X,’ said Octavius as he turned to look at Randall. ‘Is he in the basement?’
‘Oh yes,’ said Randall, nodding slightly.
Octavius walked across the office and exited through the secret bookcase door. Each of his footsteps caused the room to shake slightly.
‘I found this in the bin in the lobby,’ said Olivia, frowning as she placed a snow globe down on Randall’s desk.
‘The governor’s up to their tricks and skulduggery,’ remarked Randall as his face lit up when he looked at the snow globe.
‘Well, they’re about to cause a bloodbath,’ chuckled Olivia as she dragged the giant beanbag aside.
‘Sounds like you’re starting to believe your own sensationalism,’ replied Randall as he watched Olivia carry a chair over to his desk.
‘The hatred is real,’ said Olivia as she sat down opposite Randall. ‘Surely, you saw that video.’
‘The one where the train passengers blew raspberries when they passed the West High Temple,’ chuckled Randall.
‘Well, it’s much worse than that,’ said Olivia, sounding a little more serious. ‘Trains carrying passengers from Business Sector friendly regions are no longer stopping at House of Divine Knowledge friendly regions and vice versa. It’s considered a necessary precaution to stop fights from breaking out. Now, it seems you want them living in the same regions.’
‘Nothing will happen,’ replied Randall as he scratched his chin. ‘The enforcers still have the emergency powers that were never repealed from thirty years ago.’
‘I just wanted you to know that I’ll be on the ground stirring the pot,’ said Olivia, smiling as she leaned forward on his desk.
‘I don’t want us stuck in a political stalemate,’ replied Randall firmly. ‘I want power to shift to and fro between the House of Divine Knowledge and the Business Sector. I want them to have something at stake so they will play into our hands. Nobody should have a safe seat.’
‘I just thought you wanted everyone back at work,’ said Olivia as she sat back in her seat.
‘Yeah, that too,’ replied Randall in a more relaxed tone.
‘Okay, I’ll go easy,’ said Olivia as she got up. ‘I’ll try very hard not to stir any riots or other forms of violence.’
‘I appreciate that,’ said Randall as he smiled a little. ‘Oh, and thanks for getting my snow globe back. It means a lot to me.’
‘I know,’ said Olivia as she walked out the door.
‘What a day!’ said Randall to himself as he leaned back in his chair.
Ten minutes later, his assistant popped her head around his door and said, ‘Your lecture to the newly elected representatives starts in five minutes. They’ve all made their way to the lecture theatre on the second floor.’
‘Oh yeah,’ sighed Randall. ‘I’ll make my way up in a moment.’
Randall opened the drawer in his desk and grabbed the thumb drive that contained his presentation, and then he grabbed the mango smoothie Octavius had given him and headed up to the lecture theatre.
Randall walked into the lecture theatre. There were sixteen new representatives seated. They were facing towards the small lectern he was walking towards. They each had a large cup of juice and a medium tub of popcorn.
‘I see you have found the refreshments,’ remarked Randall as he pushed the thumb drive into the USB port in the lectern.
‘These “rights” are awesome, sir,’ called out a representative.
‘Not “rights”, just a courtesy to make you feel more comfortable,’ commented Randall as his presentation appeared on a huge screen behind him.
‘You have all been recently elected as representatives for your region,’ said Randall as he looked across at the young representatives who were happily shovelling popcorn into their mouths. ‘To be effective representatives and maybe one day governors, you need to understand our economy.’
‘Yeah, high growth and low inflation, pal,’ called out an excited representative.
‘Such a textbook response,’ said Randall as he began to pace. ‘It means very little when you don’t have a clue how to achieve these goals. The best thing to do is to go back to basics. The basics are demand and supply.’
The representatives confidently nodded in response.
‘Tell me, what do we control?’ called out Randall. ‘Demand or supply.’
A representative excitedly raised his hand.
‘The toilets are down the corridor, third on the left,’ said Randall in a flat tone.
‘I know the answer to your question,’ replied the representative. ‘The Business Sector controls supply, and Sape spirits control demand.’
‘I see you have been reading Bartholomew,’ remarked Randall. ‘This was pre-virtual token ideology, which was bad then and completely irrelevant now.’
Bartholomew was August’s identity three hundred years ago. He was the head of the Economic Institute at that time as well.
‘In some cases, the Government controls demand, and in others it guides the hand of the Business Sector. Supply merely responds to demand. However, the Government plays a crucial role in enabling a strong positive response.’
‘So you’re saying we’re important,’ replied an enthusiastic representative.
‘By making that remark, you’re proving to me you’re not important,’ replied Randall, shrugging his shoulders.
The representative sighed as he shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
‘Every Sapien has needs and wants,’ continued Randall as he pressed a button on his lectern. The slide on the screen displayed a simple chart showing needs and wants and ‘rights’ and ‘privileges’. ‘Most needs can be met through products and services. These products and services are typically categorised as “rights”. The House of Divine Knowledge policies typically involve pushing more products and services into this “rights” category.’
Most representatives started booing, and one folded his arms and frowned angrily.
‘Calm down, this is usually a good thing,’ said Randall firmly. ‘A greater variety of needs is an indication of a thriving society.’
The representatives stared at Randall with perplexed looks on their faces.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ chuckled Randall. ‘You’re thinking of shortages and unmet needs. I’m talking about wants that have become needs because they have become an integral part of our lives. Televisions were once wants, and they are now needs.’
The representatives began to shovel more popcorn into their mouths.
‘When the House of Divine Knowledge takes control of the Government it is usually after years of Business Sector control,’ continued Randall. ‘During that time the Business Sector would have introduced many new products and greatly increased output all round. However, many of the less ambitious Sapiens fall behind. This leads to a growing desire for change. The House of Divine Knowledge capitalises on that by promising more “rights”. These new “rights” can be easily funded. The Government can access accumulated reserves of tokens from the previous Government or request more tokens from the Economic Institute. Of course, this does not last forever. Innovation drops, output falls, and funding begins to dry up. The Business Sector uses this to win their way back into Government, and the cycle continues.’
‘It’s the lazy ones holding us back,’ interrupted an angry representative, shaking his fists.
‘Quite to the contrary, my friend,’ said Randall as he smiled at the angry representative. ‘First of all, it’s not just the lazy that rely on “rights”. It is also the elderly and the disabled. Even the hard-working need to be assured they will be taken care of when they’re old or if misfortune falls upon them. Second, “rights” give us direct control over demand. We know exactly how much of each “rights” good needs to be produced. The fixed capacity of regions even allows us to control demand for services such as education and water distribution. Even demand for healthcare is in reasonable bounds of control. Only a pandemic could really throw us off.’
Most of the representatives were frowning; just one was smiling and looking quite joyous.
‘Looks like I have a Business Sector crowd today,’ said Randall as he raised his eyebrows up and down.
‘We want to hear about “privileges” and tokens,’ called out one of the representatives.
‘Of course you do, but I need to make a very important point first,’ replied Randall enthusiastically. ‘Sapiens need to be employed to earn tokens, which they exchange to acquire goods and access services that we call “privileges”. However, we must consider employment opportunities as the most essential “right”. Employment does not only enable Sapiens to access “privileges” but it also helps them to address certain less tangible needs, such as achieving success or obtaining recognition. The combination of the desire to access “privileges” as well as addressing these intangible needs strongly motivates Sapiens to gain employment. It is essential we facilitate this motivation, as all other “rights” are only possible because of the output that their employment contributes to.’
The representatives nodded enthusiastically in agreement, and some even applauded.
‘Now... let’s discuss tokens,’ continued Randall. ‘Each token is like a currency in itself. Issue too many of a particular token or have too short expiry dates, and we’ll have inflation. Demand for the goods and services purchased with that token will exceed supply. For demand and supply to naturally remain in equilibrium, the price must increase.’
‘Price ceiling,’ called out a representative. ‘First come, first served.’
‘They might fight, and some will just miss out,’ replied Randall, shaking his head. ‘Nobody wants to be left with expired tokens. Worse still, we disincentivise work. Inflation causes the same problem. Someone thinks she is getting four train rides with her hard-earned tokens but only ends up with three.’
‘How do we prevent this from happening?’ asked a representative in the middle row.
‘You don’t issue too many of a particular token,’ chuckled Randall. ‘However, that is easier said than done. What you do is consult with the Economic Institute. We have the exact data on the number of every token issued. We have exact data on stockpiles of every good and the capacity of every service. You use this information to determine the quotas for each token. The Economic Institute will provide advice regarding the expiry dates of these tokens.’
‘What role do businesses play in this?’ asked a representative.
‘They have quite a big role,’ replied Randall. ‘Where do you think we get our data from? You really don’t need to deal with them. That’s why we’re here. If they’re unhappy about the quotas you set, they will let us know.’
‘How about the House of Divine Knowledge?’ asked a representative. ‘Do they follow our quotas?’
‘They are one of the rare exceptions, but their spending patterns are predictable and easy to account for,’ replied Randall as he scanned the run for more questions. ‘Token programming is a key part of economic success. It helps us to guide demand to industries that need it. To areas we believe need expansion. Likewise, expiry dates push demand at the right time. Another key advantage of expiry dates is that they encourage Sapiens to remain in the workforce. Sapiens can’t hold onto them to acquire future “privileges”. If they want to continue to access “privileges”, they have to continue working. This is the case even for those with high salaries.’
‘Surely Sapiens have control over their own demand for goods and services,’ blurted out a representative.
‘That’s why understanding needs and wants is so important,’ replied Randall. ‘Demand for needs cannot be so easily manipulated. Therefore, controlling them as “rights” makes sense. Demand for wants is a different story. With good marketing and with the help of our great friends in the media, we can make anything into a highly desirable want. Likewise, we can make anything far less desirable.’
The representatives stared at Randall in amazement.
‘We’ll take five minutes,’ said Randall. ‘After the break, we’ll move on to our influence on the supply side of the equation.
The lecture continued for another two hours.
‘Looks like I have covered the most important stuff,’ said Randall. ‘Any final questions?’
‘Yeah, I have one,’ said a representative three rows back. ‘The House of Divine Knowledge preaches the value of hard work, yet why do so many Sapiens in their regions refuse to work?’
‘At a glance it might appear to be a failure in their teachings, but it is in fact quite the opposite,’ replied Randall. ‘They have been successful in persuading their followers that the Business Sector is bad, even evil. And of course, the Business Sector employs the vast majority of Sapiens. Their refusal to work is an act of protest and not laziness. Our esteemed governors are currently working on a solution to this problem. Hence, what I meant earlier by saying that you have a role in enabling supply to meet demand so that we are not met with shortages.’
‘I have a question about the nature of our system,’ said another representative as he raised his hand.
‘Go ahead,’ replied Randall.
‘Are we more capitalist or socialist?’ asked the representative. ‘The extent of “rights” sounds socialist, but the vast private sector ownership sounds capitalist.’
‘Over hundreds of years we have developed a very unique economic system,’ replied Randall. ‘No textbox will give you a straight answer. They’ll just explain hypothetical models. We’ve achieved something far beyond any of these models. I know that because it works.’
‘I believe the terminology you are looking for is plutocratic socialism,’ said a representative in the third row.
‘That’ll be all for today,’ said Randall with a slight grin as he looked at the representative who had just made that statement. ‘You’ll be back here for a speech, debate, and acting session next week. On your way out, don’t forget to take your welcome packs. They contain tickets to the opening night of “Sapes on Ice” as well as many other great gifts and deals.’
The representatives cheered and pumped their fists.
The representatives made their way out of the lecture theatre. One representative remained behind.
‘Seriously, you’re just unbelievable,’ said Randall as he shook his head.
The representative shapeshifted into Olivia. ‘I’ve always been curious about the lies you fill these aspiring leaders heads with.’
‘I fill their heads with the information that will assist them to make decisions that benefit us,’ replied Randall as he placed his thumb drive into his pocket.
‘Of course,’ said Olivia, shrugging her shoulders.
‘What did you do with the representative you replaced today?’ asked Randall as they both approached the door.
‘I bagged him and threw him in a skip,’ chuckled Olivia.
‘Well, you need to get him back,’ said Randall in an annoyed tone. ‘We’re taking him out to dinner tonight. He needs to feel appreciated.’
‘Next you’ll ask me to give him my welcome pack,’ said Olivia as they walked into the corridor.
‘Well, it’s actually his welcome pack, so yes,’ replied Randall as he pressed the lift button.
‘What’s the point of being the most powerful Linap in Sapey if I can’t get a ticket to attend “Sapes on Ice”?’ asked Olivia as they got in the lift together.
Randall sighed and shook his head.
Olivia managed to locate the representative she had dumped. He was very shaken up by the experience. He felt much better after they took him out for a burger at a restaurant called ‘No Sapes’. Olivia was full of rage when she found out her meaty patty was actually made from peas and beetroot.
The vote to relocate Sapiens was passed unanimously by the governors. Olivia broke her word to Randall and went to as much effort as possible to incite violence between the new and existing residents in the regions. Violence broke out, but the enforcers responded with great force and quickly quelled the violence.
The governors insisted the program went ahead, but residents from both the House of Divine Knowledge and Business Sector friendly regions were unhappy. To avoid being sent to a Business Sector friendly region, out-of-work residents in the House of Divine Knowledge friendly regions gained employment. The workforce shortage was quickly resolved. However, the failed integration meant the divide remained. This divide remained for another twelve years. The deadlock was finally broken when Maskameera took the identity of a charismatic young governor named Maximus. He was the representative she had previously tossed in a skip. Sadly for him, he was not found the second time around.
Images were created with the help of Bing Image Creator
Sapien Loop Short Stories
Sapien Loop short stories explore the adventures of some of the characters from the Sapien Loop series. These stories are intended to reveal more about individual characters and the events that have helped shape them.
Currently, two books from the series have been published on Amazon; see links below:
All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.
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