Relative Timeline: Ta6Lo61100
Area: Sector C
Location: An administrative building on Center
Control: Universal Administration [UA]
Affiliation: Universal Administration [UA]
Entry 001: Final job interview
The office was a typical office of an administrative official. Light colors for the walls and computer equipment, a sober environment containing however a few wall screens to display some information. One of them was reserved for personal images and presented a scroll of family pictures presenting the owner, his wife, no children apparently but a pet dwarf velociraptor: a very fashionable animal at the moment. Considering the marine nature of the official and his house, one could pity the poor beast: even if it came from genetic engineering, it needed non-emerged space to frolic, like any land animal with a high movement speed.
The applicant turned his attention back to the master of the place, sitting on a gel chair that floated slightly on the other side of the table. A personal modification of the workspace, but authorized by the rules. For his part, a standard seat, but still comfortable, allowed him to remain seated and thus hide a good part of his nervousness: it was the last step before his hiring and therefore the most stressful. He was not going to fail so close to the goal…
The man who was going to question him was of a species he didn’t know, a kind of aquatic creature with gills and strange barbels, but probably amphibious because it had no visible respiratory assistance device. He could also have undergone genetic or surgical modifications. The lack of access to the Network in this room prohibited any search for information about him.
“Well,” the man began, “this is your last interview before your acceptance, or not, into the Plenipotentiary Administrative Agents, which everyone simply calls administrative agents, including within our services. We will go over your career from the beginning and study its compatibility with the high office you are seeking.”
The candidate frowned. After having passed so many tests, oral and written, after having filled out very complete forms, even though the Intelligence Department had had to carry out a detailed investigation into his life, they asked him for more of what they already knew.
“From the beginning again? ...”
“Yes, from the beginning again. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Uh… no.”
“Good. An administrative agent has no problem with the demands of his superiors, unless they are against the regulations.”
The recruiter took a physical tablet out of a drawer and displayed data on it so that only he could consult it. An outdated technology, while there were devices capable of projecting screens directly into the retina of their users and obeying mental commands. The man tapped on the device for a few moments, then began:
“So, your name is Libre, your last name is Lhom… And you are of the Hom species, of course. I sometimes have the impression that you all have the same name.”
“Well, it is a very common surname with several possible spellings.”
“I don't care. And it’s completely stupid as a name.”
Libre did not answer and nothing in his attitude betrayed any offense. The civil servant face was adorned with a satisfied smile.
“Good, very good: an administrative agent doesn’t react to insults. We hold very great powers but we must not use them for our personal ends, even if it means having to accept to restrict our susceptibility. Many citizens in your case would have already threatened to be sued for racism or something. An administrative agent is not prohibited from using such vile methods, but such misuse of justice would lower its rating. How would you react if, instead of you, it was the status of administrative agent that I insulted?”
The Hom took a second to think before answering:
“If someone insults me like that, it could mean that they are crazy, or that a situation is getting out of hand. I could therefore use the threat of the law to gain leverage in the negotiation. Of course, I would only apply the sentence if there is no satisfactory compromise.”
“Yes, perfect academic answer. Afterwards, each situation will be unique... Let's start again... So, place of birth, Glory, a small moon of a planet belonging to Progress, the main capital of the Hom Nations. Normal school career, making you recognized as a Beta+ level at the end of your studies. You then joined the armed rebellion organized by the ‘Liberty’ group... Don't you think that this disqualifies you from public service?”
The candidate smiled, knowing perfectly well the legal answer. However, a slight stress caused him to tap nervously against his thighs, a detail that the recruiter immediately noted in order to increase the pressure.
“This rebel group is a group legally registered within the Administration. According to the Homs laws, participation in a legal rebellion cannot result in any prosecution after the definitive abandonment of these activities.”
“Laws that will soon be made obsolete by the new laws for legislative uniformity. Given the law on the retroactivity of laws, are you not at risk of being arrested?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“The law on the retroactivity of laws contains an amendment concerning traditional local laws and this protects me. If the amendment were removed and the law were reapplied, the Administration would have already descended into a civil war against the Homs Nations. I do not believe that such a scenario could ever take place.”
The recruiter nodded, but he did not seem entirely convinced. Libre felt compelled to continue his argument:
“It should also be noted that this rebellion has representatives in the Assembly of the Administration, which makes it a legal figure and guarantees an exception concerning the retroactivity of laws. A large part of the young Homs enters the service of a legal or rebel army around the end of their studies, it’s a kind of local tradition. This experience also makes me more capable of working as an administrative agent because it has given me knowledge in the fields of combat, terrorism and the twists and turns of the criminal world. These skills will allow me to be more efficient in my work.”
The amphibious creature carelessly played with his barbels, deliberately prolonging his silence in order to worry his interlocutor. Nevertheless, having said what he had to say, Libre felt freed from his apprehensions: he knew that his answer was correct and that there were many precedents. Countless precedents even, given how present his species was within the Administration.
“Well, let's continue. After leaving the rebellion, you continued your studies on Homeria, at the Homtest academy…”
“Please excuse me, but I had not yet left ‘Liberty’ at the time. It was only later, having more information thanks to these studies, that I understood that the organization had deviated from its original ideals.”
“Good. So, you are a Homtest. Many say that they are a****** who have been rotting the Administration since the beginning. What do you think?”
The candidate tried to decipher the impassive expression of his interlocutor, in vain. The Homtests were an intellectual and philosophical class, more or less ruling, which had existed since the origins of his people. They had quite naturally participated in the formation of the Administration and the organization of its corruption, according to Homtest principles such as ‘Divided, we are powerful’. Their organization was deliberately disunited but, if it was responsible for a lot of corruption, it was also one of the keys to the solidity of the Administration itself. Whatever one might say, some of their principles permeated the foundations of the latter.
“Many are, indeed. Just as many citizens are. The Homtests are, after all, only individuals who stand out by an advanced education, some vague philosophical principles and the recognition of their status by their peers. There is no unanimity among us and I have never been part of the most extremist groups, like the mad Homtests. In fact, this experience allowed me to officially raise my intellectual accreditation level to alpha+…”
“However, it’s marked here that your level within the Homtests is Gamma.”
“Their value scale is less… extensive than the administrative one. The correspondences between these levels and the administrative ones are subject to special examinations for their validation.”
“Fine. Immediately after your studies, you apply to become an administrative agent. Why? There are many careers for a Homtest, especially at Gamma level. You could… well, make a career within the Homerie, or become a renowned scholar in a field of predilection, or enter politics or even become the tyrant of some backward planet of your people… Well, you see what I mean: a certain number of your kind voluntarily go to planets practically cut off from the Network in order to play leading roles there.”
“It's becoming increasingly rare with the expansion of the Network. However, I'm not interested in leading. My ambition, to become an administrative agent, is to be able to live above the law without betraying it...”
The recruiter opened his big bulging eyes completely, then resumed an impassive expression.
“Ah, I see: you're one of those Homtests who consider that honesty can be a weapon, aren't you?”
“Not particularly, but I've already given the standard answers expected during the previous exams. I suppose that this one is more personal and that the truth is preferable. The status of administrative agent gives many privileges that I covet, but it also brings a vast amount of responsibility that I feel able to follow. Our society is increasingly threatened and I think that we need more special agents capable of filling the gaps before they explode and serve as a breeding ground for our enemies. I believe I have the skills necessary for such a task and I would be more useful to the universe in this role than by joining the army.”
A mysterious grimace and a serious air penetrated the interrogator's features as he asked a new question, as if this one were decisive:
“In the event that a new power, potentially liberticidal, were to control the Administration, what would be your duty as an administrative agent?”
The question might seem sensitive, but its answer was already taught in the preparatory courses for the entrance exam.
“Continue my work and apply the new directives. The direction of the Administration has changed several times in the past, notably during the Empire of Vector, then the dictatorship of Admiral Rêvétoile. The Administration must survive whatever the circumstances: it is the only factor of stability and harmony throughout the universe. If it were to collapse, anarchy would reign, which would be worse for everyone, as during the fourth Tanaé.”
While giving the expected answer, Libre wondered if these guidelines would really be applied in the case of a massive Zcarbb invasion: the theory was that the Administration could survive under oppression in order to maintain universal unity when better times came, but wouldn’t such an attitude favor the tyrants’ continued power? There was no point in worrying about such a hypothetical situation because it would never happen… probably never…
The recruiter stood up and placed his tablet on the desk.
“Well, I think we’re done with this interview.”
The Hom froze, unsure of what would happen next. The man motioned for him to stand up as he headed toward the door.
“I… so… what’s the result?”
The official burst out laughing, giving him a violent, friendly slap on the back. Satisfied that he had managed to instill fear in his face, he revealed his conclusions:
“You are accepted, of course. Your alpha+ accreditation as an administrative agent is also accepted. Here, this is the access chip to your official ship. You will find your uniforms and access codes there. By the time you get to the hangar, you might even already have a mission waiting for you. Take the teleporter and select the highest floor. Welcome, Mr. Lhom, to the elite of the administration. Remember that from now on you embody for the citizens the alliance of the implacability of the law and the flexibility of justice.”
With these words, the man handed his young colleague a memory crystal, which the latter inserted into his wrist computer. As the door was already closing behind him, Lhom consulted the data of his new ship while advancing feverishly towards the teleporter. A great joy flooded him at the prospect of the wonderful adventures that awaited him.
With the door closed, the recruiter quickly returned to his gel chair, savoring the soft sensation of it that slightly diminished his nostalgia for the aquatic environment. Checking the door lock, he took an encrypted communicator out of a secret drawer and activated it.
“Everything is going as planned. The candidate has the ideal profile for the operation... Yes, the file I transferred to you. I'll let you take care of transmitting the details of the mission to him...”
He cut the communication and stood for a moment observing the closed door. He sighed with a sad smile:
“Poor guy: the wrong profile at the wrong time...”