Entry 49. Like hell

Two years later, Jim Simmons’ terse response to the inspector became a planetary battle cry.

Earth sent troops to forcefully quell what until then had been a peaceful transition to independence. Lt. Joshua True announced that Earth was back in charge of Sirius 4.

“Like hell,” the people muttered, echoing the stiff-necked farmer from small-town Fillmore.

True closed the Imaginary Structures plant at Ganges Pass and reversed President Sinclair’s declaration that ImagCorp licenses need not be paid. Companies that use imaginary technology must reimburse the corporation that had created the technology two centuries earlier, plus the concomitant taxes that applied, True announced.

“Like hell,” the people said out loud.

The president of Sirius 4 was the president of the Earthian government, and Badiah Sinclair may perhaps be the leader of the Sirian Senate, but he was a senator, not a president, True declared.

“Like hell!” the people shouted.

I continued my call for passive-aggressive resistance. I said the employees of Imaginary Structures should simply show up for work as if True’s pronouncement had never been made. If troops ordered them to cease and desist from their daily tasks, they should carry on as if they didn’t hear the order. If the troops moved to arrest or remove them, they should keep working until literally dragged from their stations.

“With absolute noncooperation, their power is nil,” I argued. “What are they going to do, arrest all of us?”

In their anger, people had the same answer for me that they had for Lt. Rodney True.

Counter the attempt to halt Sirius 4’s march to independence by force with nonviolent civil disobedience?

“Like hell!” the people screamed.

One morning about a dozen troopers were driving along a quiet street in Ganges Pass, not far from the Imaginary Structures plant, when their vehicle drove over a homemade bomb. Three people were killed instantly; those who survived were dismembered by laser fire when they climbed out of the wreckage.

As the vehicle burned and the troopers died in the street, someone took the time to paint a brief message on the wall of a nearby building.

“LIKE HELL”

Entry 50