This section is from Ivan's Perspective
The morning sun cast long shadows across the worn floorboards as Malcolm and I hunched over what has become our main dinner table, poring over scraps of paper covered in scribbled notes.
"Alright," Malcom said, tapping his pen on the table. "We've got two main scenarios to deal with if power comes back within a month or so, or if it takes more than four or into winter."
I nodded. We whittled down all the ideas and scenarios to these two. The town was on life support. And we needed to make the patient better if we didn't want to devolved into what I just escaped from in the Big City.
"Whatever we do," I said, my voice thick with dread, "we need to act fast. Or at least start the process fast."
"Agreed." Malcolm's brow furrowed, lines etching deep into his forehead. Despite that, he looked happy, relaxed and comfortable. "Now, I'm willing to offer cash from my company to keep everything afloat when the power comes back – to help pay off any debts this plan might incur."
"Appreciate it," I mumbled. How was he so comfortable? And how was he comfortable tossing potential millions around?
Outside, the rhythmic thud of Derrick's hammer echoed through the air. He'd been working tirelessly on the new bathhouse this morning again. It didn't quite get working last night, but he was promising it would be usable by tonight after the meeting.
"Do we need to go through what you need to explain to the council?" Malcom asked. "We have to make sure every detail is perfect."
"Right, but still, it would be much better if you just talked, and I voted." I sighed, steeling myself for the battle ahead.
Malcom laughed. "You were elected, not me. I don't hold any trust in this town as someone who's lived here less than a week."
I nodded, noticing that outside everything was quiet. "I think I have it down enough. At the worst, I will fumble and mumble, and you will save me."
Malcom rubbed his neck, looking worried for the first time since we started working on the plan. "Yeah, but that might make it less likely that we will succeed. I prefer to fight from a position where it's mine to lose or win with a blowout rather than gamble on a hail mary."
From just out the door, Derrick said "Done! It works with cold water. The manual pump gets the water up to heater. Its a bit leaky, but I think that is the best I can do with what I got. At least for now."
Malcolm smiled, looking out the door. "Good job, man. That's awesome. Looking forward to trying it out tonight."
When I figured it was about an hour before noon, we decided to call it good enough. I went to grab some of the homemade jerky Tsu and friends had made earlier in the week. The salty, chewy meat helped clear my foggy mind. As we prepared to head out.
As the three of us walked together, the feeling of dread and determination were fighting over control of my mind. This plan would make or break our community. And was also a threat to the safety of our lives.
Before a winner was determined in my mind, we arrived.
"Good day, Ivan," Pam greeted us as we walked through the door. Her teacup steamed gently next to her, the scent of Earl Grey filling the air. "I'm pretty sure you're early." She eyed Malcom and Derrick. "Public hearing isn't till Friday."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I know, but they're here to help out. Malcolm came up with the plan. Derrick...is Derrick."
Pam took a sip from her cup and sighed. "When we start, you'll need to get a vote of confidence to allow them to stay.."
"Right," I agreed, thankful that Pam was willing to play ball on our side. "Thank you, Pam."
"I'm not promising they will win the vote. I'm just willing to ask for one." Pam said, sipping the steaming tea.
"Sure," I nodded, trying to hide my anxiety. "But at least they can fill in things that I miss. How many people are here?"
Pam glanced around the room, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she quickly counted heads. "I'm here, Sheriff Hank was here, but he was called away to deal with a dispute; Mark, Mary, Joey, Alex, and Ben said they would come, but they're not here yet. Paul isn't in town still, so our vote will be based on eight members today."
"Alright then," I muttered, hoping that the missing council member would show up soon.
Derrick, Malcolm, and I made our way into the meeting room, and I found my usual seat in the front.
Derrick brought two chairs from the audience and placed them behind me.
"Let's just hope they see things our way," I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Malcom replied, his eyes fixed on the door as we waited for the others to arrive. "Remember, Ivan, you're doing this for the good of the community. Don't let them make you second-guess yourself."
Easier said than done, I thought, clenching my fists beneath the table. But he was right – I couldn't afford to doubt myself now. Too much was at stake.
The room gradually filled with the council members, each one taking their seat as if settling into a well-worn groove. Sheriff Hank and Pam were the last to arrive, the former still looking flustered from whatever dispute he'd been called to resolve. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes that had become deeper since yesterday.
"Alright, folks," Pam began, her voice clear and assertive. "Thank you for coming to our monthly meeting. Paul isn't in town, so our vote will be based on eight members today. Let's get down to business."
She glanced at me before continuing. "Ivan requested the first order of business to allow two people – Malcolm and Derrick – to participate in the conversation but not vote. All in favor?" She raised her hand, as did I and four others. "Majority wins," she announced, and I exhaled in relief.
"Next on the agenda is the water situation," Pam said, her gaze sweeping over the council members. There was a murmur of agreement.
"Two thousand people are using three wells. This just isn't sustainable," Pam stated, her tone grave. "We need to come up with a solution, and fast. Any ideas?"
"Perhaps we could ration the water supply," Mary suggested, wringing her hands anxiously. "We could set up a schedule for people to collect water, ensuring that everyone gets their fair share."
"Rationing would only go so far," Mark chimed in. "What we need is a way to increase our water supply. Maybe we can dig more wells or find a way to collect and purify rainwater."
Pam raised a hand, "I'll write those suggestions down; let's explore these ideas and attempt to implement ones that look promising. Next is the food situation, which I will ask you to think about solutions and then discuss a bit later. Hank, you mentioned to me earlier there was a problem with crime?"
"Forty crime reports in two weeks," Sheriff Hank muttered, shaking his head. "We can't do this much longer."
"Agreed," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My hands trembled beneath the table, but I clenched them into fists, willing myself to stay strong.
I glanced around the room, noticing the tension building. The council members were focusing on problems, and no one seemed to have any real solutions to our mounting problems. Malcolm sat behind me, his pen flying across the pages of his notebook as he documented every word spoken. His plan had potential, but would anyone be willing to listen?
"Look," Sheriff Hank said, his voice firm yet weary, "we can't just sit here, bitch and do nothing. We need help from the state. Let's send someone to the capitol."
I nodded in agreement, knowing that was part of Malcom's recommendation.
"Alright," Pam agreed, looking around the table. "We'll send someone to the capitol. Hank, please organize that since you have deputies. But in the meantime, we need to figure out what we can do for ourselves."
I took a deep breath and raised my hand. That was my cue. It was time to bring up Malcolm's plan. I hated public speaking, but someone had to do it. As Pam called on me, I forced my voice not to waver.
"From everything we've been discussing, there seem to be two scenarios we need to prepare for," I began, trying to sound confident. "Either the government steps in and fixes the power outage within a month or so, or it takes over four months and into the winter for things to start normalizing. In either case, we have some specific suggestions to make life easier for the people living here – to help them survive and thrive."
The room fell silent, all eyes focused on me. I felt my heart thud loudly in my chest. I was sure everyone heard it, but I continued. "Malcolm has come up with a comprehensive plan that addresses our most pressing issues: food, water, sanitation, and community cohesion. He's been working tirelessly to find solutions that could work for us."
I heard grumbling from somewhere around the table. That made me stumble over my words and lose my place.
"Let's hear it then," Mark urged his voice a mix of curiosity and impatience.
"Alright," I said, stealing a glance at Malcolm for reassurance. He gave me a slight nod, encouraging me to go on. "First, we need to focus on foodstuff. We need to grow food and distribute it. We will run a local ledger, which Malcom is willing to back financially." I paused, looking at my notes.
"Second, we need to address sanitation issues," I continued, my voice growing stronger as I found my rhythm. "Our toilets aren't working, and will soon become a health hazard, we need to come up with a solution. We should start by getting people with septic systems to use their bathrooms with bucket water, and we plan to pump everything as soon as we can. We also need to come up with a way for people to shower and do laundry." I put the notes down, confident in finishing the speech.
"Finally, we must maintain our sense of community. This town has always been a place where people support and respect one another, but stress can cause that to break down. Together, we can keep our town-"
Ben and Joesy's faces were red with anger as they shot up from their seats, pointing at me accusingly. I could feel the heat of their words like a physical blow. "You're just trying to grab more power and money!" Ben yelled.
"Exactly!" Joesy chimed in. "You've leveraged your position to corruptly push through your own projects before! Now you are doing the same thing!"
Sheriff Hank grumbled, his voice low but firm. "True, but they all did help out the town." His words didn't seem to have much effect on them.
"That doesn't matter!" Ben shouted back. "Corruption is wrong and should be opposed!"
"Please behave," Pam warned, her voice stern. The room fell silent, everyone looking at her expectantly. She turned to me and gestured for me to continue. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My mind had gone completely blank.
"Um… yeah… so… um…" I stuttered, desperation creeping into my voice. I glanced over at Malcom, silently pleading for help.
Malcom seemed to understand my predicament and quickly stood up next to me. "Malcolm Allen, Motion for me to speak in Ivan's stead?" he asked, his voice steady, bold, and confident. I barely registered what was happening as the vote was taken, only snapping back to attention when Pam announced that the motion had passed without me raising my hand.
"Motion for Malcom Allen to speak on behalf of Ivan passed 5 to 3," she said, nodding towards Malcom. "Please continue."
I exhaled slowly, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension as Malcolm took over. He spoke with an air of authority that I envied, and yet there was something humble about him, too.
"Thank you, members of the Town Council," Malcom began smoothly. The way he held his shoulders and the slight tilt of his head made even Ben and Josey shut up. "I'm a newcomer here, so I want all of your feedback to make sure my vision fits your town's needs." I glanced over at Ben and Josey, who started grumbling to each other and not paying attention, their arms crossed defensively. At least they were not interrupting him, as Malcom continued undeterred, "As Ivan mentioned, we see two possibilities for what might happen in the near future. Thankfully, the solution is almost identical between the two: we need to get food, water, and sanitation up and running locally, get a macro-level economy in a microcosm, and also make sure the group as a group doesn't fall apart."
He paused, maybe waiting for a response. To my surprise, even Ben and Josey shut up, their eyes finally focusing on Malcom. My heart thudded in my chest as I hoped they'd actually listen.
"We will need to produce food locally as quickly as possible, so we need to do three things," Malcom explained. "Encourage anyone who can make gardens, create a seed-sharing program, and have everyone possible to work on the local farms as much as possible. To encourage this, we will need to guarantee food and services with a local ledger."
My palms began to sweat under the table as I watched everyone's reactions. Would they accept Malcom's ideas? Would they see that he was genuinely trying to help? Or would they cling to their suspicions and resentment?
"Local ledger?" Sheriff Hank raised an eyebrow, his gravelly voice cutting through the tense silence. "You mean some kind of...currency or bartering system?"
"Exactly," Malcom nodded. "A way for people to exchange goods and services within our community, keeping everyone fed, clothed, and sheltered until the situation improves. Think of it as a community credit system."
"Sounds like central planning socialism to me," Josey snorted, and I could feel my anger rising. But Malcom just smiled patiently.
"Call it what you will," he said, "but it's a temporary measure to ensure our community can survive and eventually thrive once more."
"Would this ledger be controlled by the council?" Mary asked, her usually gentle voice tinged with concern. I could see the thoughts churning behind her eyes as she weighed the pros and cons of Malcom's proposal.
"Absolutely," Malcom replied. "The Town Council would oversee the distribution of resources and ensure everyone has access to what they need. Everyone who works needs to eat."
The tension in the room was palpable as Ben and Josey leaped to their feet again, faces flushed with anger. "So you want to put people into servitude to work for free for you?" they spat in unison, their voices dripping with contempt.
The word "Servitude" hung in the air like a noose, and my stomach dropped. "Allow me to clarify," Malcom replied replied evenly, holding up one hand. "I have more than enough cash to cover any cash flows. As soon as the power comes back on, I am capable of covering a few million quickly and maybe as high as fifty million within a quarter. May I continue?"
Ben and Josey's jaws dropped as they exchanged glances, their anger momentarily replaced by shock. They reluctantly took their seats, muttering under their breaths as Malcom pressed on. "We also have distribution. And there are a few people who have animals we can butcher if we have anyone who knows how to, and a few other options. Basically, we need a work program for the farmers." He handed out a stack of papers he'd copied by hand, detailing his ideas and plans.
"Next is about sanitation," Malcom continued, his voice steady despite the heavy subject matter. "Toilets aren't working and will start backing up with feces. We, as a community, need to come up with solutions. If we make public lanterns, it will not be pleasant, but at least it will be sanitary. Also, showers and laundry. That's a problem I don't know how to solve; I just know we need to. Derrick here has made a shower for the people living by Ivan, but I'm not sure how applicable that solution will be for everyone living in town."
"Agreed," Pam chimed in, her brow furrowed with concern. "There are people complaining about it already, so it's important to fix."
"True," Malcom nodded, "but the food is a longer-term issue which takes longer to fix, which is why I put sanitation as a second priority."
I glanced over at Ben and Josey, their eyes scanning the proposal with narrowed gazes. They didn't make a single sound, but I could see the tension in their shoulders, their jaws clenched tightly. Malcom, seemingly unfazed by their disapproval, continued speaking.
"Finally is the community," he said, his voice steady and confident. "This town seems to have a great culture and mutual support and respect. But that can break down from people being stressed and hungry. I will freely admit I'm not a social organizer, and I'm an outsider. So I put this on your shoulders to come up with solutions." He tapped the bottom of the proposal. "A few specific suggestions are listed here, including kids programs, festivals, bars, church...but I'm open to suggestions as well. My expertise is business, not social work."
There was a moment of silence, during which I could feel the council members weighing Malcom's words, considering the implications of his proposal. Pam, her fingers drumming lightly on the table, broke the quiet. "Anything else? This proposal seems comprehensive. Do you want to just vote on it as it stands and see what happens?"
I nodded, along with most of the others on the council. Pam then added, "Before we vote, I'd like to add a caveat that any organization or business created will not be a for-profit solution but a community-level organization. That way, Ivan and Malcom don't profit from this tragedy."
I looked over at Malcom, who was nodding in agreement. It was reassuring to see that our goals aligned – we wanted what was best for our community, not personal gain.
"All in favor?" Pam asked, raising her hand. I counted five hands raised in agreement while Ben, Josey, and Hank kept their hands firmly planted on the table. "Motion passed," Pam declared. "We need to draft a concrete plan."
Malcolm shuffled through the papers he'd written, pulling one out and laying it on the table. "Here's my proposal for the work program," he said, his voice full of determination.
I felt a surge of admiration for Malcolm as I studied the document he wrote. He had thought through every detail, anticipating potential issues and offering solutions. It was clear that he was the brightest bulb in the room.
"Alright," Pam said, her tone resolute. "Let's get to work."