Phoenix Rising (Book Two of The Icarus Trilogy) by Kevin Kauffmann

Jasper Montgomery had always been a man of taste.
    Garrison could feel the pit stains forming underneath his arms.  Eris was always much colder, especially when Earth came between it and the Sun; the heat was not suiting him well.  It didn’t help that he was worrying about what the elderly CEO would confide in him.  If it was a small problem he would have just called or sent a message, but the old man had asked for Garrison’s personal appearance.  It was just past a day’s travel on the fusion-powered transport, but it was quite inconvenient.
    As he sat in the decadent armchair and occasionally glanced at the young secretary by the large double doors, Garrison tried to figure out what could possibly have caught the elder bureaucrat’s attention.  Garrison had done just fine as the director of his quadrant of Eris.  Profits had been down, but that was just because of advertising and cost of living adjustments.  It wasn’t his fault if the television program and the toys weren’t selling well.  He just made sure the real people had something to eat and something to live on.  As far as the soldiers were concerned Garrison had done everything he could to cut costs.  He had signed off on a few agreements which allowed their food to consist of ever-increasing amounts of cardboard and artificial flavoring.
    They were going to die anyway; no reason to give them anything luxurious.
    Garrison tried to think of the programs that had started in the last few months; even the last few years.  He had signed off on new weapons to be introduced into the games, but those had done well in market research; people liked it when the Commission mixed it up.  New weapons meant new tactics had to be developed.  Garrison had personally been responsible for the advent of the chainsaw gauntlets.  He wasn’t proud of the violence, but he was proud of the increase in viewership.  That all happened because he signed off on a few papers.  There was certainly power in the pen.
    He turned his head to look out the window.  From this high vantage point in Babylon he could see the towering skyscrapers and the wide expanse of buildings for miles.  It was somewhat jarring to think that the city had only recently entered the history books.  After the Moonfall, too many of the United States’ population centers had been devastated.  Chicago had been obliterated; New York a shadow of its former self.  That’s what happens when thousands of high speed projectiles enter the atmosphere and cause the world to burn.
    People were looking for a fresh start and the Trade Union gave it to them.  Babylon was built from the ground up in what used to be Nebraska.  State lines blurred as time went on and eventually the whole area had been abandoned except for those foolish enough to tend to the crops.  Then the Trade Union decided it needed its own capital and bought up most of the land from the government.  They built a sprawling expanse of magnificent buildings and tourist attractions and the people came in droves.  Now Babylon was bigger than any city on the planet and held virtually all of the wealth.  War World Entertainment was situated in the center of the city in Babylon Tower; a symbol of the company’s status in the Trade Union.  When Garrison thought about Montgomery he wasn’t just the CEO for War World Entertainment.
    Jasper Montgomery was the head of the Trade Union.
    Montgomery had the most clout and the most share in the system-wide organization.  He had the most friends and all the best connections.  He had all the dirt on weak politicians and all the say in the world.  He broke giants and raised kings.  He was the puppet master for Earth and her eight daughters.
    And he had called Maxwell Garrison to a personal meeting in his office.
    Garrison looked away from the window and tried to regain his perspective.  On all accounts he was a serviceable employee, so Montgomery couldn’t be completely dissatisfied.  Maybe the