The Puppet who Grew a Human Heart - Part I

15th March

Artemis Spaceport, Freehold territory

Me and Alexander go our separate ways without saying goodbye. I suppose I shouldn't find it that surprising, we aren't friends or anything. It just struck me because I don't think Frank has ever not said goodbye or something of the kind to me when we part. Even though we still both have to take the monorail into Artemis, it was decided that it made sense for us to arrive separately. People around here know that I work for Frank, so having him with me would draw unwanted attention to Alexander. What happened to Frank yesterday proves that he still has enemies on the moon. As such, me and Alexander take carriages at opposite ends of the train to each other. Good luck, kid.

Yesterday, I was updated on the details of the aftermath of Frank's declaration, as well as given some instructions on what I am to do now that I'm on the moon. There have been at least forty deaths on the moon that are directly related to Frank's declaration. Ten died in Yttrium Valley the day of the announcement, eleven in Jinshan and fifteen in Old Settlement yesterday, and four in Chinatown earlier today. Among the dead are Charles Fort, Huang Jianmin, and Yohn Cicekler. Also, during the attack on him in the Old Settlement yesterday by a group of assassins, Frank Scuderi was injured.

During the three days since the declaration of lunar independence, Frank has been able to communicate and strike deals, informal deals only however, with most of the Earth's superstates. Frank also announced the basis for the government he plans to form in this country of his, the Freehold. Himself, as well as Hue-Song Jun, will rule jointly as Consuls. The rest of the government will eventually be made up of a Senate, and a lunar State Parliament, but for now a provisional government will be set up to take their place. The provisional government, and later the Senate, will be led by an Archon. By Frank's orders on his sickbed, I am to be the first Archon of the Freehold.

In the past, I would've accepted the position immediately without any hesitation, but during my time with Alexander, I've come to understand something. Perhaps, Frank Scuderi isn't quite the person I thought he was. I've been blindly following him for so many years without stopping to think whether I was doing the right thing. Whether what I was doing, was something that I believed in. It's as if... yes, as if I'm a moth. In the dark, I was drawn to the light that is Frank. As long as I've known him, he's always been able to draw all manner of interesting people to him. Jazz Connolly, Seine Montague, all of the first twenty, all of them are moths that were drawn to Frank. But for me, it's not like another light has suddenly appeared. Still not as blindingly bright as Frank, yet bright enough to make me tear my eyes away from Frank, even if just for a moment. And that's Alexander. He's made me doubt my resolve and loyalty to Frank. Do I keep following Frank and see this through? Or do I leave him? I'm sure that I'm not irreplaceable to him. I've always known that. If I'm no longer needed, if I wasn't willing to do anything and everything for Frank, I would be abandoned. So maybe, I should walk away.

But for now, I need to simply follow my instructions. Until I decide that I shouldn't. As I said, myself and Alexander got on the monorail separately. At Artemis City Station, Jazz Connolly will be picking up Alexander, and looking after him until Frank is available. From the station, I'm to make my way to the Old Settlement at least an hour before the provisional government meets for the first time at two. I'm still unsure whether I'm right or not to follow Frank, but I don't know what else I would do. So I suppose for now, until I work out what I want to do, I'll keep working for Frank.

It's just past eleven when I step off the train at Artemis. I look down the line, but of course I can't see Alexander through the wave of people coming off the train. As I'm walking toward the entrance, I see Jazz holding a placate for a company that no doubt doesn't actually exist. When he notices me, he winks at me. I ignore him, and keep walking out the entranceway. Jazz owns a number of establishments, many of which I hope he doesn't take Alexander to. The kid's only sixteen after all.

After walking out of the station, I look down. Artemis City Station sits half underground and at the high end of a wide pathway, that slowly spirals down to the floor of the cavern. You can either walk down an exhausting staircase, or take the tram down. Usually I wouldn't bother taking the tram, because it doesn't come by often enough, and is too slow. Today, however, the tram is already less than fifty metres away, so I might as well take it to avoid walking down those stairs.

The provisional government's meeting is at two, which means I have almost two hours before I'm wanted at the Old Settlement (an hour before that). Until then, what should I do? If I was back on Earth, at times like this I might go sit in a park and read a book, but there's nowhere like that on the moon. The only place that's as peaceful as a park, is the surface. But suits to go outside are costly, and the ones for hire are old - just as likely to kill you as save you.

I suppose I'll just head to the Old Settlement early. There's nothing else that I want to do. On the way there, however, I'm distracted with thoughts of what Alexander said to me. What he said about Frank. 'Are you sure that you even know him that well?' Alexander said. And I can't refute that. What do I actually know about Frank? It feels like everything I thought I knew about him doesn't stand up to scrutiny, when I look at everything that he's done in the past years. He seemed near perfect to me, I idolized him. But, is he really so ideal? His actions suggest he has no morals, and no goal other than satisfying his own ambitions. For all his talk of his dream that he shared with Aria, he's never explained to me what that dream is, and how his actions will make that dream a reality. I just accepted it, and followed him blindly. Frank knows what he's doing, I just need to follow him, and do as I'm told, is what I thought to myself.