Filibuster II

The holovisual image of INN's logo rotates against a dark blue backdrop, and an announcer's voice says, "Good evening and welcome to Filibuster, with your host Daniel Kincannon." The image switches to the INN studio set, where a well-dressed human male with perfectly coiffed brown hair. "Hello," the host says, "I'm Daniel Kincannon. Welcome to Filibuster. Our topic tonight: What's a Martian? As many of you know, the Martian Republic recently sent refugees from Deserata - originally from pre-Moebius Effect Mars - to colonize a Mars now largely inhabited by tribal clans after the Moebius Effect. This raises the question: Can Deserata refugees claim to be Martians as much as the clans who dwell on that planet?"

"With us to discuss this issue are Peter Nils-Finch, a hydroponics expert and politician from pre-Moebius Mars and former Sanctuary counsel Julius Latimer," Kincannon says. "Later, we'll go to the comms to take calls from our viewers, but first, we'll open the topic for debate here." He turns to Latimer. "Julius, first, let me just say it is wonderful to see you alive and well after your terrible experience on Sanctuary. Now, tell us: Which Martian is the legitimate Martian?"

Latimer smiles, the stump of his left hand remaining in his lap as he answers, "Thank you, Daniel. I'm glad to be here." He looks into the camera and then answers, "From a legal point of view, the only legitimate Martian has to be the clansman. This is a very factual question, but as the members of the Martian Republic, as it were, have no control over the land, and no government per se on Mars at this point, they can not claim control of the planet. They aren't Martian, based on the current circumstances in the Sol System."

"How does that sit with you, Mr. Nils-Finch?" Kincannon asks, turning to the other guest.

Nils-Finch lifts his eyebrows. "If a man is born on Sivad and leaves Sivad, he's still a Sivadian. If he comes back and the planet is inhabited by dancing bears, he's still a Sivadian. The same holds true for Martians. Darian Ellesmere was born on Martian soil. He's just as Martian as some dirt-soaked fanatic in the hills."

"Peter has a point, Julius," Kincannon notes to the other guest. "What about the birthright?"

Latimer retorts, "I hope for your sake, Peter, that they don't have holoviewers on Mars." He nods to the question, "While I would agree that is sufficient in some circumstances, Mister Nils-Finch has overlooked the Moebius Effect. The Mars on which First Consul Ellesmere was born no longer exists in this Universe. This is a new Mars, and the same as any newly discovered planet, is the property of those who natively inhabit it. In this case, the Martians, or Outbackers, he so casually dismisses."

"Yes, Mr. Latimer, I *know* about the Moebius Effect," Nils-Finch says, shaking his head. "But the Moebius Effect is the entire point here - it's why *both*, in my opinion, are welcome to the title of Martian. I don't deny that the clans are Martian. They were on the pre-Moebius Mars, and they are on post-Moebius Mars. I merely contend that the refugees on Deserata, if they were born on pre-Moebius Mars, are as Martian as a clansman."

Kincannon interjects: "Coming to us live via holovid from Demaria is Professor Bentear Wisdomseeker, specializing in xenobiology and xenosociology. Professor, lend us your opinion, if you would. Martians: Just the clans, or can pre-Moebius Martians still claim that identifier?"

Wisdomseeker clears his throat with a guttural purr, ears twitching loftily. "Thank you, Mr Kincannon," he says amiably. "I believe we have to clearly seperate the issue -- what constitutes a Martian -- into two distinct subsets. There is, one the one paw, the point of view that Mr Nils-Finch is so fervently defending: that the Deserata refugees are Martians as well. I believe, however, that that is only true in the political sense. The biological and sociological situation is quite different."

"How so?" Kincannon asks.

"Well," the Demarian continues with an expansive gesture, "We are, for all we know, looking at a people that has lived -- indeed, toiled away -- in isolation from the rest of the universe for almost a millenium. That timespan is considerably longer -- and the isolation more complete -- than that which has led to the distinction between Humans and Sivadians, or Ungstiri. I believe that biologically, we are indeed looking at two distinct races on the surface of Mars right now -- the indegenous natives, and the settlers. The former can claim to be biologically considered Martians, the latter are Martians by political standpoints."

"That's false logic," Nils-Finch counters. "Many Deserata refugees were *born* on Mars. I don't see the difference as a political issue."

"Julius?" Kincannon inquires of Latimer.

"Two races, perhaps, but only the clansmen are really martians as the planet exists now." Latimer remarks, "The others are citizens of the Martian Republic, certainly, but they aren't any more born on this Mars than I was."

Wisdomseeker bobs his snout in agreement. "Mr Latimer is correct, but allow me to elaborate." "Go ahead, Professor," Kincannon says.

Wisdomseeker nods again. "Thank you. Mr Nils-Finch is certainly correct when he points that the refugees were to a large extent born on Mars -- that is already discounting the Terrans that took shelter on Mars after the First Devastation of Earth, but I will concede that they are of no consequence for the argument. However, as Mr Latimer correctly countered, the were born on a planet that for all means and purposes was a completely different one -- it only happened to occupy the same space in the same solar system. I understand the political benefit of oversimplifying the issue by calling them Martians even now, but for clarity's sake it has to be pointed out that the biological difference between the Deserata-Martians and the Native Martians is no less distinct as that between the Deserata-Martians and, say, the Sivadians -- and no one has yet made a claim that the refugees should rightly be able to claim to be Sivadian."

"That's not even part of this equation," Nils-Finch replies. "First of all, why would a Deserata-Martian *claim* be a Sivadian if he's not a Sivadian? Second of all, the fact that you use Martian as a delimiter for both types of individuals clearly supports my argument. What we need is specificity. Native Martians and Nova Martians, perhaps."

"Yes, fortunately, they can't claim to be Sivadian. But if I understand the professor's point, with which I concur, the present Mars bears the same resemblence to the old Mars as Sivad does." Latimer offers, gesturing with the stump of his left hand.

Kincannon interjects: "We're taking your calls, viewers. First up, Mr. Latimer, it's a blast from your past, Amanda Ramlan. Didn't she used to be somebody? She's calling from La Terre."

Amanda Ramlan asks: "How were you treated by the Nall while on Sanctuary?"

Kincannon smiles winningly. "Not precisely on point, but something I am sure the galaxy wants to know."

Wisdomseeker draws his lips back and purrs slowly and throatily, seeming thoughtful. "I would not be completely averse to such a distinction, Mr Nils-Finch," he assents, "were it to be made with scientifical exactness." He falls silent as the question is asked.

"Well, I'm still alive. I lost my hand to a certain bastard Vollistan, and spent the rest of the time in a jail cell, where I was more or less left alone with the thoughts of being fed to cannabalistic Mystics." Latimer says bitingly, before his face softens, "However, I also fail to see what that has to do with the question at hand, Daniel."

Kincannon smiles and nods. "Thank you for calling, Amanda. Next time, do try to stay on topic. Thanks! Now then," he looks toward the holovid image of Wisdomseeker. "Can these Native Martians a new Martians live together in peace? The cultures are markedly different, aren't they?"

"That is, I believe, the really important question at hand," Wisdomseeker says with a bobbing of his snout. "I do not believe it is impossible. However, it will require careful treading on part of the settlers, and even more so the military personnel sent with them. It is important to bear in mind that this is not per se a re-colonization of Mars -- it is, long-term, the merger of two distinct cultures into one. That cannot come to pass without strife, but the Republic has already shown commendable flexibility. Though, admittedly, that is less surprising if one remembers the fact that the natives outnumber both the forces of the Republic as well as their total population. We thus see a significantly smaller but more advanced culture meeting a larger and less scientific, but much more mystic-religious people." With a purred laugh the professor adds, "The results of this process will keep sociologists busy for centuries to come."

"Indeed, they will," Kincannon concurs with the Demarian professor. "Professor, you'll have the last word. That's all the time we have tonight. Thank you all for your thoughts, and thank you, the viewers, for watching. Filibuster returns next week when we'll discuss the multiverse nexus: Open it or leave that damned thing closed? Good night."