The Council's Coin

The Council chamber fell silent as the Coin spun through the air, catching the light as it left Councilman Jarek’s fingers. All eyes—representatives, advisors, and press—followed its arc. The moment had arrived. The toss would decide whether to open Valoria’s northern territories for settlement or preserve them as protected land.

This impending decision had already splintered public opinion, with many criticizing the proposal as a cash grab that ignored the infrastructure, population, and lifestyle implications. The Coin struck the marble with a sharp clink, teetered on its edge, and froze.

Gasps rippled through the room as the impossible became reality. The Council's Coin, a relic and arbiter of countless decisions for generations, had never failed. It was meant to land heads or tails— its objective, unbiased compass settling disputes that debate could not. Generally known for choosing wisely, it sat unnaturally still, balanced on its edge as if mocking gravity.

Standing near the dias as the junior clerk, Vera felt her stomach plummet. This was not just a deviation from the norm but an unfathomable break from tradition, leaving the room in disbelief.

As the chatter calmed, no one knew quite what to do. The Head Councilman, Alexander, spoke after a pause. “Vera, please return the Coin to its resting place while we discuss the next steps.”

Despite the dire situation, Vera felt a spark of excitement; the toss always ended a meeting, and the Head Councilman usually handled the Coin. Excited to see it up close, she kept her head down as she approached and plucked it from its strange sideways position on the small marble pedestal.

She nodded at Alexander and made for the exit as Jarek addressed the room, voice low and concerned. Smiling freely now, Vera looked down at the Coin and admired its glimmer, intricate detailing, and weight in her hand. Her stomach fluttered as she imagined the countless decisions this ancient, mystical Coin had shaped for the nation.

She opposed the new settlement proposal, but like most others, she trusted the Coin to make the right decision. Perhaps it had the wisdom to foresee the settlement benefiting their community. However, she knew word would get out about this strange incident, and more people would no doubt begin to question the Coin.

Vera turned the corner and entered the Sacred Coin Room, glancing over her shoulder before closing the door. With complete privacy, she studied the beautiful Coin. Turning it over under her intent gaze, she suddenly noticed something interesting.

Though she’d carefully held it in her open hand, its temperature had grown significantly since she picked it up from the table. Not only that, but it felt much heavier than when she’d first placed it in her palm.

As she turned it again to study the slim, grooved edge, she noticed a thin, barely-there line through the middle. “Fascinating,” Vera mumbled out loud as she ran her finger over the grooves. A seam would suggest there is more to the Coin than meets the eye.

**

Still pondering her experience with the Coin later that night, she opened her old university textbooks. Flipping to Chapter Three, “The Coin’s Early Days,” she skimmed down to the section about the Coin’s first use.

Upon its induction into Parliament, Valoria’s founder made a legendary speech. He referenced the Coin as a “mirror of intent.” No one thought much of it; the speech was superfluous and fluffy, with many fancy, poetic words that didn’t mean much.

Having observed many council meetings and decisions at this point in her career, Vera recalled how each Council Member must touch the Coin before each toss. Believed to be a ceremonial element that called to attention the equality of all, the first Council had it written into law. But what if the gesture meant more than that?

“Mirror of intent,” she said aloud as she tapped her chin with her index finger, brow furrowed.

**

Vera had lain awake into the wee hours of the morning, unable to shake the unease brought on by the day’s events. She woke to the whole nation speaking of the Coin. Headline after headline cropped up across news sites and influencer blogs from all sides of the political spectrum:

“The Coin Was a Farce After All”

“Does The Coin Know Something We Don’t?”

“Where The Conspiracy Theorists Right All Along?”

“The Founders Sure Screwed Us”

And so on.

As she rode into work, she noticed gatherings in the streets. People held signs calling for more transparency, change, and a greater voice. A protest had begun outside the Parliament building, with spray-painted images of balanced coins adorning the sidewalk. The people chanted, “Edge of Change!” repeatedly.

Vera sat at her desk, trying to focus on the day’s task: transferring old files into the digitized computer system. Some were over 150 years old, with menial records of highly unimportant people. It was the most boring part of her job, and they rarely asked her to do it —unless, of course, something life-altering had happened the day before, and Alexander had to focus on that.

“Hey Vera, how are you holding up today?” Came the familiar voice of Ollie, the Council’s young technician and record keeper. She looked up to see him sitting on the edge of her desk with a broad smile, leaning in slightly.

She instinctively leaned away a little. “Hi, Ollie. Today is weird, I guess. Everything feels different. And those people kinda scared me.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Ollie started, casting his eyes downward and fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. “Well, if you ever wanna talk about it, you know where I work.”

Her research from last night still bugging her, Vera had a sudden idea. “Actually,” she started, leaning back in and meeting Ollie’s eyes, “there is something you can help me with.” She said as she rested her chin in her hand and smiled.

“What’s that?” Ollie responded, adjusting his collar.

“Can we go to your office? I’m hoping to look into something?” She asked quietly.

In Ollie’s office, Vera closed the door tightly.

“Can you show me the Coin’s decision records?” Vera asked pointedly.

Ollie hesitated. “I’m not supposed to… but you’re at the meetings anyway." He shrugged and pulled out a thick ledger without protest. “Here’s everything. How far back do you want to go?”

“Um, I don’t know. Can we start with last month?”

Ollie flipped through a few pages before laying the book on his desk. Vera leaned in and scanned the lines.

“Well, isn’t that interesting?” Vera murmured to herself as she flipped a page forward every minute or so.

“What’s interesting?” Ollie asked, a frantic edge entering his voice.

Vera traced a finger down one of the pages, stopping at a decision made two weeks ago. “This,” she said, tapping a line that read: 'Proposal to reallocate infrastructure funds for the northern territories. Outcome: Approved.'

"Okay, and?” Ollie asked, peering over her shoulder.

“This proposal… it was Jarek’s, right?” Vera looked up at Ollie.

“Yeah, I think so. Why?”

“He’s been oddly insistent about tossing the Coin himself lately. I had it chalked up to his ego and probable narcissism.” Vera turned another page, her brow furrowed. “Since the funds were approved, many expected the Coin to accept the motion to open the territories for development. The Coin can’t contradict itself.”

“Right,” Ollie said, nodding his head slowly. “It’s why some of the more fringe political groups have been rallying for reform and reassessment of the Coin… they feel so strongly about protecting the land.”

“But,” Vera reasoned, “The Coin has never steered Valoria wrong. Some think it knows the future, so it may sometimes go against public opinion.”

“Hold on,” Olle started, returning to his cabinet to retrieve another log. “Mmhm, that’s what I thought.” He said, looking up from the book. “Jarek scheduled a maintenance appointment with Kally a little while ago. I thought it was about the clock tower in Central Square since it’s been chiming weird lately, right? But look,” He pointed at a line about midway down the page.

"Routine Coin Maintenance – Requested by Jarek."

“Why would the Coin need maintenance?” Vera asked, eyebrows raised.

“It doesn’t,” Ollie replied, closing the file with an unnecessarily hard thud. He pulled up Kally’s service log. “Here it is—two weeks ago. She logged it as a recalibration request. That’s not even a thing.”

Vera’s eyes widened. “He tampered with it. That’s why it didn’t land—his interference disrupted it.”

Ollie nodded, typing furiously. “The Coin has internal mechanisms—magnetic sensors, maybe even ancient tech we don’t fully understand. If it’s a mirror of intent, it must somehow detect corruption or dishonesty.”

Vera remembered the founder’s words: “A mirror of intent.” Her voice steadied. “If Jarek manipulated the Coin, maybe it sensed his motives. That’s why it balanced—it couldn’t give a fair decision.”

“But why now?” Ollie asked.

“Because a new settlement would mean more taxes, more business, more tax-paying citizens… more money coming in than ever before. I bet he planned to skim off the top, too. He underestimated how our founders made the Coin, but if he could sway its decisions from now on…” She trailed off, shuddering.

“Isn’t the Council meeting right now to discuss this?” Ollie asked, typing a few more things on his keyboard.

“Yeah,” Vera sighed, “It’s why Alexander had me doing those boring files all day.”

“Well, let’s go!” He said as he got up and reached for the door.

“Go where?” Vera asked, voice going up an octave.

“We have to tell them about Jarek.”

“Right now?”

“Yes! You saw the people out there - something needs to change now.”

The two burst into the Council Room, much to the surprise of each member.

"Vera!” Alexander exclaimed before they could say anything, “This is highly inappropriate!”

Breath catching slightly, Vera spoke, “I know, sir, but it couldn’t wait. Ollie and I think Jarek tampered with the Coin.” She said quickly, the words tumbling out before she became too scared to speak.

“Ridiculous!” Jarek shot to his feet, his face flushed. “Are we truly entertaining this nonsense?"

Alexander raised his hand to silence Jarek. “That is a grave accusation, Vera, and not even confirmed to be possible.”

“Then why did he have the new technician perform “routine maintenance” two weeks ago?” Ollie jumped in, sensing Vera’s hesitation.

Alexander’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Jarek and raised his eyebrows in question.

Jarek sputtered, his face reddening. “I acted only in the nation’s best interests! The Coin—”

“The Coin,” Alexander interrupted, “has been a symbol of trust and fairness for generations. And yet, you would manipulate it for personal gain? You’ve undermined its sanctity and, worse, our people’s faith in their leadership. You are removed from Council immediately, and I will be contacting the authorities.”

He rose to his full height, looking down at the room. “Perhaps this incident is a blessing in disguise. For too long, we’ve placed the burden of leadership on an ancient tradition. Though our founders meant well, hoping to guide decision-making in the right direction, the Coin has become a crutch. We’ve become vulnerable to poor intentions and malicious acts.”

He turned to Vera and Ollie. “I knew I hired the right people. Your observance and vigilance have done this nation a great service.”

He then addressed the entire chamber, “Perhaps the coin should not dictate every choice. Perhaps we should embrace difficult debates, consultation, and the will of the people - does anyone object?”

The chamber remained silent as the other members nodded their agreement. “Well then, here’s to a new chapter for Valoria. May the Coin serve as a constant reminder of our duty to enact justice, and may it keep us accountable to only good intentions.”

The chamber erupted in applause, the protesters’ chant, “Edge of Change!” echoing through the marble halls.