“We go back, what—forty years? Our bond has always been rooted by a mutual love for exploration, a primal human need that, as you said in your speech, many no longer understand, let alone embrace.”
“And most of them work on the other side of the aisle. With the new space program barely on its feet, a lot of the W.C. still sides with Mrs. Good, angling for the short-term gains. That said, there’s a rumor you’re going to meet with Angelika. Is it true? After she left you to the wolves?”
“She had her reasons, and there are bigger fish to fry. Back to your speech, though, with ecosystems continuing to collapse, we need to be thinking less about global stabilization, and look toward the next technological revolution, one that will allow us to evolve. Don’t you agree, Councillor?”
The set-up, the ritual, the friendly pretense of formality, all conspired to make Godric feel as if he were playing chess and trying to look three moves ahead.
“Bernard, much as I love a full meal, it’s been a long day. Can we get to dessert? Now that it’s nearly possible, I’m guessing you want me to go explore the stars with you. I’d like nothing more, but I have to stay here to make sure we do it right, creating interplanetary law, ensuring we don’t annihilate ourselves, or anyone we run into. Angelika thinks she can get us to the edge of the solar system in fifteen years. That’s a monumental achievement, but there’s no way I can commit to a thirty-year round trip.”
Godric’s passion was precisely why Bernard knew there was no one else for the job. Understanding his needs, he moved his final piece into position.
“What if you could do both? What if we could make the trip in five years?”
Eyes glazing over, Godric said one word. “How?”
Checkmate, Bernard thought.
By sunrise Godric was enthralled, yet unable to shake the feeling that the chess master was leaving something out. Bernard kept urging him to fight for the Interview section of the SEB. It read like a glorified interrogation, but Bernard insisted it would filter out reckless profiteers. Bold of him to fight for it, but odd considering what might lay ahead if they were ever interviewed themselves.
Space adventures aside, Day Two of the conference had arrived. There were major bills, including the SEB, that needed politicking.
Arriving at the great hall, he took in the words stretching across the plaster ceiling’s gleaming mural:
“Those who follow lead not, while those who lead must follow.”
Quite clever. Not long ago, a few brave nations chose to lead by creating the World Council, making themselves followers as well. Following the wishes of the people, they had created this omni-ruling government to exist within. As Godric contemplated this, a jovial man of tall stature and robust spirit trod toward him.
“Godric! My dear, come here this instant!”
Breaking his gaze, Godric smiled broadly. “Marcus, my dear friend, how are you?”
His warm embrace, matching Marcus’ zeal, turned a few heads.
“Wonderful, my old friend. Splendid. You know the lunar mining bill? We should have a chat on it.”
“Oh? When were you thinking?”
“Today. Lunch.”
Unsure what to make of the request, Godric obliged. Marcus Medneon was a childhood friend and as CEO of Space Oasis, perfectly suited to balance the coming race.
Entering the private sector after the war, he ascended like a rocket literally buying one to helm a lunar salvage crew and bring mining back to the moon. He and Angelika were peas in a pod but different in style and strategy. Mining was his end goal, while Angelika saw it as a means to further expansion.
“Excellent! Frequency6 at 1:00pm. I’ll have the table in back just for us.”
The amiable encounter left Godric conveniently cheery for the coming hours of handshakes and small talk. There were hundreds of people at the Summit, all with a cause or an idea for a solution to the overarching problem the world was facing: resource depletion.
He called to redheaded Councillor passing by. “Janine, do I have your support on SEB?”
“Dunno, Ric. Do I have your support on the Border Reduction Bill7?”
The easy answer produced an easy smile. “Of course. It’s long overdue.
“I don’t know how Ann Marie puts up with that boyish charm of yours,” she joked. “Coffee Thursday?”
“Yep—you, me, Anne and Robert.”
He continued the waltz—negotiating, trading, teaching, learning. His enthusiasm... contagious. Some likened him to JFK, the charismatic U.S. president, who mandated the first manned moon mission. Like Kennedy, he’d lost an older brother to war. It was the day Fred died in the nuclear fire that devoured Pyongyang that Godric abandoned engineering and devoted himself to preserving the ideals his brother died to protect.
After dozens of chats, he lost track of time. Paige, fortunately, was always a step ahead.
“12:30, Godric. Should I call the car?”
“Yes, Paige, thank you. Can we schedule some time next week with Richard Rockwell? I want to see him before the Regional Council convenes.”
“The usual breakfast meeting?”
“Perfect.”
In the pickup zone, Godric entered his day car, a rare Aston Martin DB9. Multiple modifications were needed to make it street legal. For one, the use of fossil fuels as barbaric as spears, it was now fully electric.
Turning at Washington and Fairfax, he sped to reach Frequency in time for lunch with Marcus. Upon his arrival, Neil Brooks, the owner and designer, stepped out from a tumultuous black hole simulation to greet him. Frequency was always a treat.
“Our champion! How are you? Marcus is waiting in the Pleiades.”
“You’re too kind.” Godric pointed at the ceiling, actually a Nanoboard8 that projected a crisp real-time image of the cosmos. “I love those stars… business good?”
“Fantastic, especially since Space Oasis approved our new satellite feed. Now the place is everything I ever wanted.”
“Excellent. Love to hear more, but Marcus awaits.”
Godric remembered enough celestial navigation from his Kepler days to follow the galaxy-covered halls to a quiet back room. There, the Pleiades’ seven sisters shimmered above a silver table set for two, scotch poured and waiting.
Marcus, in an impeccably tailored suit, faced the entrance, as usual so to survey his surroundings. Grinning, he gestured for Godric to join him.
He did. “You know I don’t need much convincing to lunch at Freq., but what’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until after the summit when we both have more time?”
“There are projects at the lunar station requiring personal oversight. I launch in two days and may not be back for months. I wanted us to talk before I left.”
Godric returned the smile. “About?”
The powerfully built man shrugged. “The Lunar Allocation Bill. It will expand mining operations three sectors northwest of the South Pole-Aitken Basin Crater. I think it should be put on hold.”
That was a surprise. The ask made no sense. It would cost Space Oasis millions. He was throwing back a clear win. Godric leaned for the obvious question. “Why?”
“Because we can’t utilize the new sectors as quickly as Angelika claims OL can.” Marcus said with an indifferent tone, and continued. “If I thought they could actually do what they’re promising, frankly, I wouldn’t mind, but the estimates aren’t believable. They might have the largest presence in space, but they can’t build six new mines, five refineries, and sixteen orbital platforms in four years. If I’m right and they botch it, it’ll cost billions to undo the damage, not to mention a loss of political capital we can ill afford. Her greed could derail the space program for decades.” He wasn’t angry, but his intense dislike for OL’s questionable plan was painfully clear.
“Angelika plays close to the chest. You believe she’s actually lying?”
He gestured uncertainty. “She’s certainly exaggerating… and wildly. Strategically, it makes sense. She’s
worried Space Oasis is building too fast, that we’ll catch up. Boosting OL operations now would limit our ability to compete. I love Angelika. I love everything Outer Limits does, but for everyone’s sake, for the sake of common sense, the expansion should be slowed.”
Godric could see Angelika’s thinking in it, but what Marcus asked was no small task. It would also be a step backwards for Godric’s vision. Was there anything else to it?
“Marcus, do you support SEB?”
The question left little room for an ambiguous answer, an anathema in politics and business, but Marcus replied casually. “Absolutely. It’s brilliantly written. To use 19th century terms, it will open the frontier, remove the burden of exploration from a centralized bureaucracy, and hand it to the people. Anyone would be able to go to space. Well, not everyone. There’s an elitism baked in by the cost of the technology, not to mention that clever interview to prove intent. Without it, though, the expansion will be perilously reckless. My only concern is the bill’s origin. Any light to shed on that?”
Rather than mention his theory about Angelika, he said, “No, and I’d really like to know.” No further information forthcoming, he raised his glass. “Well, Marcus, I do trust you when it comes to risk assessment, so cheers.”
It would be another hour before Godric insisted he had to get back to the summit. But it was only after enjoying a glorious chocolate-covered banana almond fudge bar, that Marcus finally relented.
“Enjoy the summit; give Angelika my best. She won’t be happy with me, but I’m sure it won’t be a surprise. She has to know it can’t work—not yet, at least.”
“Be safe up there.”
They parted ways, far from a childhood of staring longingly at a few winking stars, yet much closer than they realized.
1 Councillor
A high ranking elected official of the World Council. Each Councillor leads a different geographical region of the world. Councillors are the primary legislative power. They are responsible for writing and voting on laws, matters of money, treaties, managing branches of the government, and being a voice for the people. There are 50 Councillors in the World Council each serving a 5 Years, with a maximum of 4 Terms. Candidates have a fortnight to campaign.
2 Spear
An elegant glass enclosed hotel adhered to a minimalist aesthetic but was no less magnificent. Built in 2081 and located in Manhattan’s upper west side, it’s preferred for it’s discretion to high-end clientele.
3 Space Exploration Act
Allows much wider latitude for companies and private interests to freely explore space. However, all persons travelling to space must pass rigorous Government testing and standards for competency, purpose, psychological fitness, and diplomacy.
4 LRAB - Lunar Resource Allocation Bill
Function is to permit a much broader scope of companies and private interests to freely mine the moon utilizing the W.C. as an arbiter.
5 IRAD - Internal Research and Development
A common engineering acronym that refers to a company’s self funding for the purpose of mission or program risk-reduction, advanced concept development, and long-range, high-impact activities.
6 Frequency
A restaurant with nanoboard walls that depicts the current night sky. Owned and operated by Neil Brooks.
7 Border Reduction Bill
A piece of legislation designed to eliminate border control of remaining 27 former sovereign nations that were slow to recognize the new NA zone designations.
8 Nanoboard O2L
A visual and tactile display medium, it is a screen comprised of tiny shifting magnetic LED cubes that can stack to generate augmented reality images and with textures. The Nanoboard was created by Lily Parsons of Outer Limits. It began an early prototype for the Nanofloor.
Five
Counterparts
One week after the Summit,
Thursday, 1700 Local Time, Iceland.
The cascading Icelandic waterfalls silenced by the mansion’s giant windows were hypnotic. The pass of a raven security drone did nothing to distract from their beauty.
Bernard stared at the undulating ribbons of mist as he spoke. “…I need a fusion drive ship capable of extended duration without resupply... and the ten best people in these fields.”
He took a folded slip from his pocket and put it on the table. After a moment’s trepidation, he slid it across the smooth bristlecone pine to the woman across from him. Angelika read it, raised her eyebrow briefly, then tossed it into a magnificent obsidian and quartz fireplace where it crackled into nothing.
“Quite the list, Bernard William Hubert. And very interesting choices for a space-crew. And where, exactly, will your mighty band of Avengers travel to again?”
All they’d been through and she still poked fun. Still, he appreciated her ability to reference the comics he loved in these intense moments of pressure and purpose.
As he debated how to deliver it, what cadence to use, and what the revelation would mean, his response bounced between tongue and teeth. Angelika was seated, but seemed somehow taller. Was it her posture? Her pale blonde hair, cut with razor precision around her head, as perfect as a planet’s orbit?
Finally, he peered over his spectacles and met the piercing green eyes. “Beyond the Kuiper Belt, to the last known position of Voyager 2.”
“Jesus, Bernard! Wasn’t being blackballed by the world science community enough for you the first time?”
Poked the wrong way, he roared, “I was a scapegoat! If our project had been revealed, support for any scientific research would have vanished.”
Angelika tsked. “Scapegoat or not, you barely survived that trial.”
“But I did, no thanks to you, because I was innocent. Not a shred of evidence against me, but someone was guilty. The CERN antimatter stockpile was never intended to be more than a microgram, but there was enough to create a blast explosion magnitudes larger than our worst projections.”
She took on a calmer tone. “Let the dead rest. There are plenty who’d still love to see you hang, literally.”
“My life’s work was destroyed. And Darren, we lost Darren that day. How could you think for a moment I was a part of that?”
Her face twitched, as if she were actually holding back tears. “I didn’t!”
“No? Then why on Earth didn’t you cover for me? Give Searcher what she needed to exonerate me instead of supplying gasoline for the pyre. Do you even know the truth, or were you too busy protecting your reputation to bother looking for it?”
Collecting herself, she peered about as if someone might be watching, even in her private estate. “I know Darren was supposed to return to OL, but you took his place. Why did you do that, Bernard? Are the rumors true? Was there some other experiment that could have destroyed the antimatter containment?”
Knowing this moment would come didn’t prepare him as well as he’d hoped. There was a lot he’d have to face, not only here with Angelika, but with Lily and others.
“Darren was working on a mini-black hole, but it couldn’t have caused the incident. His prototype had been stable over 2 weeks. It’s why he was so excited. He came to me, upset he’d have to abandon it, so I told him to stay, that I’d deal with your wrath. The explosion happened as I was leaving the facility.”
The revelation was the only thing Bernard had ever seen throw Angelika’s game. She didn’t know her next move, what to think, or feel. She couldn’t even adjust her expression properly.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Why?” Bernard scoffed. “Because when Jones cornered me in the hospital, you chose to protect yourself by telling her you’d no idea why I was leaving. On the basis of that alone, I was fired, removed from my advisory positions, tried as a traitor and terrorist. You can’t imagine the pain that caused. Lisa had to move her work to another city. Isaac changed schools because of the bullying. And you fueled Lily’s cause to despise me.
“And where we
re you when I was made out a madman for claiming an unknown intelligence was involved? The issue was never my sanity, just people’s ability to see only a square when presented with a cube. The same sort who thought a fusion drive was a fantasy, but you know we were this close six years ago. Why didn’t I tell you sooner? Because I haven’t been inclined to share. But, here, right now, I’m giving you a chance to make up for some of that, to help ensure all that work wasn’t for nothing.”
Having regained most of her composure, Angelika shook her head. “If you’re trying to appeal to some sense of ethical obligation, forget it. Last time you convinced me to risk everything to further your research, it literally blew up in our faces.”
“I’m not some penny ante scientist peddling nonsense for grant money; I am, supposedly, your lifelong friend! You owe me!”
“My confidence in your work is irrelevant. You know there are powers that-be, then and now, that won’t allow your papers, let alone proof, to go public. Let it lie. You have Isaac to worry about. He’s sixteen; he needs you.”
Bernard used the expected parental lecture to clean his glasses. He knew Angelika would never accept his proposal carte blanche. Her shrewdness was one of the qualities that once captivated him completely. What happened to them was eons ago... long before he married Lisa... even before Angelika took Outer Limits from being an unknown bankruptcy in the making to a preeminent scientific conglomerate.
Still, Angelika’s curiosity seemed piqued, if only as a thought experiment. “The operation would be far too large to keep quiet. We’d need to hide in plain sight. Which means the board, the World Council and the scientific community will need a damn good reason to return you to the fold. AND before we even got to those barriers, I’d need a lot more than cosmic coincidence to convince me an intelligence was involved.”
Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance Page 7
