by Murison, J W
Chapter 47
The two silver ships slid slowly into their bays on either side of the structure. Steven shook his head in wonder. Both ships were over three hundred meters long but the massive building dwarfed them. They slipped into recesses on either side of the top of the building and Steven fancied it somewhat resembled the bridge of an old freighter he had seen in a picture once.
It stretched out behind them for over a mile. He decided thousands of people could live and work here and probably would. A slight tremor went through the ship as they came to rest and he detected a slight sense of satisfaction from Babe. From now on she would always refer to this place as home.
Steven wasn’t sure if he or Komoru was the first to set foot in it, but it was a close thing. In an instant the crew seemed to vanish as they went on a tour of exploration.
Buzz rocked back on his heels and looked down at his friend, ‘well Bud where to first?’
Steven shrugged, ‘well I have a good idea where my quarters are and what they look like, I’m curious to see the command centre.’
‘No shit?’
Steven frowned, ‘is there something wrong with that?’
Buzz raised his eye brows, ‘Stevie, there's a bar.’
Steven looked around him looking a little perplexed, ‘yeah, but it ain’t stocked Buzz.’
‘Hey I hear it’s got a great line in space water.’
Steven patted his friend on the arm in a gentle understanding manner, ‘why don’t you just go knock yourself out Buddy.’
Buzz grabbed him by the collar and began to march him towards the bar, ‘oh no you don’t. You’ve been working your butt off for days and you need a break. The first thing we’re going to do is visit the new bar and have a drink. Then we’re going to do a little exploring.’
‘Buzz this place is over a mile square,’ Steven sounded exasperated.
‘Yeah well we both need the exercise.’
The so called bar was in the central complex. They weren’t the first to reach it and the sound of laughter carried easily to them. Steven and Buzz passed a puzzled look, but all was soon revealed.
They found Cookie and Lewis jumping off one of the balconies laughing as they leapt. They rushed to the rails but as they reached them something strange happened. They seemed to slow down and a large step bounced them over the rails.
Buzz just managed to catch a foot in the rail and grab Steven as he fell, but he wasn’t falling in a normal fashion. With his heart hammering in his chest he managed to grab a rail and hold on. The sound of laughter reached up to them and they looked down to find Cookie and Lewis still in free fall.
They burst out laughing to as they realised there was no artificial gravity in the central plaza. Buzz suddenly reversed his grip on Steven and pushed. The look of surprise on his face made Buzz roar with laughter, ‘now we really know we’re on the Moon, eh Stevie?’
‘I’ll get you for that you shit,’ Steven shouted back up.
‘Yeah, you’re making me sweat,’ Buzz shouted back as he leapt over the rail and joined in the fun.
The bar was as big as everything else. Still feeling the effects of euphoria, Steven and Buzz poured themselves a glass of water from a strange looking dispenser. Buzz winched as he sat down at a table, ‘we’re going to have to get some decent furnishings. This Moon rocks pretty but its hell to sit on.’
Steven laughed, ‘you know we could probably swap one table and chair from here for a couple of dozen back on Earth.’
‘Yeah the new in thing, we could sell them for a couple of thousand bucks a pop.’
Steven shook his head grinning, ‘and what would we spend it on or rather where would we spend it?’
Buzz’s smile turned grim, ‘the President has really turned the screws on huh?’
Steven sighed, ‘yep, he sure has.’
‘Can’t we just waste him?’
‘It’s always an option.’
The two men slumped into silence to contemplate ways around the latest presidential manoeuvre. He had threatened any nation that gave aid to the two ships, with military action. That both ships would be attacked on sight by his nations armed forces and any base giving aid.
Japan and Scotland had both rejected the Presidents warning but within twenty four hours, Navel Task Forces had set out from their bases to prowl close to Japan and Scotland’s national waters.
Buzz shook his head, ‘there must be a way round it. What about giving shield technology to the bases that re-supply us?’
‘I've thought about that, but what's to stop him hitting the rest of the country as punishment. It doesn’t take much to disrupt a modern country Buzz; just a few well aimed bombs.’
‘Yeah I know. Any help from our allies in congress?’
‘No they seemed to have removed their support since my mother set up base in Scotland and Komoru took possession of the second ship.’
‘So it all comes down to profit in the end. They’re not making so they don’t give a damn.’
‘Oh come on Buzz, that’s the way it’s always worked. It’s how we were brought up wasn’t it?’
‘Not me Dude and not you either, it went on all around us yeah but we never caught the bug.’
‘I might have done if I never had the accident.’
A look of scorn lit up Buzz’s eyes, ‘yeah right.’
It forced Steven to smile, ‘well thanks for the vote of confidence.’
Buzz smiled back, ‘hey no probs, but it still brings us back to the same problem. We’re up to our ears in cash and jewellery but have nowhere to spend it.’
‘Yep and sitting here drinking water isn’t going to solve the problem.’
Buzz took a deep draught, ‘why the hell not. I’ll bet half the words problems have been solved in a bar.’
‘Yeah and half its wars started as well.’
‘We could declare war on the States, we would win easy.’
‘Oh yeah we could reduce the richest nation on Earth to a pile of smouldering rubble, but then civilisation as we know it would probably crumble back into the dark ages.’
‘He’s really got us by the balls hasn’t he?’
‘Yep.’
Buzz sat forward, ‘we really don’t need to land, I mean that’s what he said wasn’t it. We can just beam everything aboard.’
‘Agreed, but how long until he finds out and bombs those supplies before we can reach them?’
‘Then there's the retaliation he will take.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Did you try Switzerland, they’ve always been neutral and they like Gold?’
The corner of Steven’s mouth pulled up, ‘I tried but the man just looked at me as though I was mad and switched off, didn’t even bother to talk to me.’
‘The shit! What about stealing the supplies?’
Steven frowned, ‘don’t even go there.’
‘Hey we could leave Gold as payment.’
‘Haven’t you heard?’
‘What?’
‘He’s trying to ban our Gold from the market.’
‘Can he do that?’
‘Looks like it, and he’s getting a lot of support from the Gold producing countries.’
Buzz smiled grimly, ‘I knew it wouldn’t take them long to throw a wobbly.’
Steven laughed, ‘yeah but the Scottish Prime minister has already found a way around that.’
‘Has he what’s he doing?’
‘He’s minting them into collector’s coins and selling them for ten times their market value.’
Buzz’s head came up, ‘Christ of course he can’t stop individuals buying souvenirs.’
‘That’s right and the interest is what's going to keep us in supplies.’
Buzz let out a great sigh, ‘yeah but then we can’t go and collect them, which brings us right back to the beginning again. What the hell are we going to do, we’ll starve.’
A strange twinkle appeared in Steven’s eyes, ‘no we won’t.’
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sp; Buzz was instantly alert, ‘why what are we going to do?’
A smile slowly spread across his face, ‘we’re going to use a good old fashioned capitalist hammer to smash that fucker into the ground.’
Steven slammed his fist onto the table forgetting it was stone and cried out with pain.
Buzz doubled up in laughter, ‘why what are you going to do?’
Steven rubbed the side of his hand, ‘what does this place remind you of Buzz.’
Buzz thought it over, ‘a great big bloody mall.’
‘Exactly! We’re not allowed to go to Earth to pick up supplies but what if they come to us. We can lease out space to any company that will take it.’
Buzz shrugged, ‘yeah that’s a great idea but how do we get them up here in the first place? We can’t go and get them.’
‘No we can’t but what if we build a couple of transport haulers and lease them out to someone else. That and maybe a passenger liner of some kind to bring people up.’
‘You mean tourists?’
‘Of course.’
Buzz leaned back, ‘that’s brilliant Stevie. There's no way he could stop people coming. That would infringe on their civil rights.’
‘That’s right and all the big bucks would want a piece of the pie, and that’s the people that pay for his campaign.’
‘I think we might just be able to bring it off.’
‘Yep but we’re going to need the consensus of everyone else.’
Buzz stood, ‘let's go try and round them up.’
Steven grinned and pulled him back down, ‘I can get Babe to get them all, but first I want to bounce a few more ideas off you.’
Chapter 48
After their evening meal everyone gathered in the bar and Steven presented his proposals to break the deadlock. For a few seconds afterwards there was a stunned silence then Komoru stood up and began to clap. The applause was unanimous.
Steven laughed and he and Buzz shook hands. The plan called for a number of haulers and passenger liners and a string of hotels dotted around the moon’s surface including one on the dark side. Proposals were put forward to supply bases purely for scientific research to be loaned out to interested governments.
Everyone came to a quick agreement and tasks were allotted to all personnel. The operations room became a hot bed of activity as plans were swung into action. Babe and Ico were as keen and together they set up factories within the asteroid belt to begin building ships and extracting the necessary building materials. They had a month until all their supplies were gone so; they set to with a will.
One of the first things to be constructed were tagged Moon skippers by the crews. With them individuals could quickly cross the Moon’s surface to deploy small Army’s of construction bots. Just in case someone came along at a later date and claimed the land they were using, a small team dedicated themselves to searching the companies who were already selling plots of land on the Moon to potential future prospectors, and at home Mary and Brian under the strictest secrecy bought off any plots of land they could.
If anyone was unhappy about the whole thing it was the soldiers. Their main concern was security. They were worried that teams of soldiers could take over a passenger liner and use it to gain access to the Moon base.
So sever security measures were brought into play on every vessel built. Everyone had sensors capable of detecting any form of Earth weapon, including disassembled weapon parts, to stop a slow infiltration. There was also another built in the docking area for good measure.
None of the ships built were anywhere as near as fast as the two mother ships. The liners would take two hours to reach the Moon and the freighters three. That allowed for a thorough search from the bases own sensors.
Slowly the day approached when Steven was to make the announcement. He chose the day when the American President was to make his address on the State of the Union. Everyone was gathered in the bar for the announcement except for Steven, Komoru, Buzz and Colonel Howe.
They stood on the bridge of Stevens ship. The President finished his address with a reference to the ships; everyone of them listened intently.
The President turned over a sheaf of papers and took a drink of water, ‘as you all know, I have taken strict measures against the Pirates that stole the two alien ships from American soil and American possession. Latest intelligence reports suggests that these bandits will soon run out of food and have to surrender those ships back to their rightful owners.’
The round of applause he expected didn’t come and he went a little red in the neck. It was enough for Steven to pounce. He nodded to Howe who pressed a button.
‘Good afternoon Mr. President.’ Steven smiled as the President jumped in surprise. The President’s eyes fixed on to a large TV screen that he had been admiring himself on.’
His face went bright red, ‘who the hell are you?’
‘I’m one of those bandits you’ve been talking about, as a matter of fact I’m the head pirate or so you’ve been saying anyway.’
‘Cut that fool off.’
‘Oh yes Mr. President, you can switch off your TV if you want, that’s the prerogative of every free man. But what you can’t stop me doing is broadcasting to every nation on the face of the Earth. So if you do cut me off, you and the whole of the American congress will be the only ones left in the dark about our intentions.’
The President waved a negative signal to one of his aids and turned his attention back to Steven.
Steven smiled and walked towards the screen, ‘you must be a very good chess player Mr. President.’
‘I’m a damn fine chess player actually.’
‘I believe that, but do you actually believe you can starve us out up here?’
‘I do and I will until you return those ships to us.’
‘I can guarantee you will never see these ships again Mr. President and that’s a promise. However many others might.’
The President ruffled, ‘if you land those ships anywhere on the face of this Earth I will destroy them and anyone helping you.’
‘That’s check I believe.’
‘Damn right it is Buddy.’
‘Oh I’m not your buddy Mr. President as a matter of fact I’m going to make you a promise right here and now. The next time you fire so much as a potato gun at us I’m going to do this.’ Steven nodded and Howe pressed another button.
The President stood back in shock as something materialised out of thin air right in front of his face. It fell at his feet with a thump. He scrambled back in fear falling over and into a heap.
Stevens smile was grim, ‘don’t worry Mr. President it isn’t a bomb only an ashtray. However the next time you fire a nuke or a missile of any description at us I am going to beam it straight into the oval office in Washington.’
The President struggled to his feet amidst some nervous chuckles, ‘you wouldn’t dare?’
‘Oh doubt me not, and not only will I put them into the oval office but I will drop them in to your living room at home or anywhere else I may think you are at the time. Since the end of the Second World War you’re the only man who has ever ordered the firing of a nuclear weapon in anger, and it just so happens those weapons were fired at me, my friends and members of my own family.
To me that makes you one of the most evil men in history and I will not hesitate to kill you if provoked again, do you understand?’
‘Your dare threaten the United States of America?’
‘Oh no, not the United States, just you. As far as I’m concerned this is personal. You ever try to hurt anyone I care for again and I will beam you out into deepest space and leave you to rot, deep freeze style.’
A hint of fear appeared in his eyes for the first time, ‘don’t you dare threaten me.’
Steven was satisfied, knowing he had hit home, ‘oh it isn’t a threat Mr. President it’s a promise. However I am willing to go for a compromise.’
‘Never,’ the word was coated with hatred.
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nbsp; ‘Now, now, you won’t be considered a good politician if you don’t even listen to me. You have ordered that we should be fired upon if we ever enter Earth’s atmosphere again, correct?’
The President was shaking with rage, ‘yes.’
‘Ok, then in the interest of World Peace I will accept your decision on this matter and never take our ships back into Earth’s atmosphere while that law still stands or you are still President.’
A gasp went round the assembled members and a look of triumph crossed the Presidents face, ‘good, I hope you all starve.’
‘Oh we won’t starve Mr. President, you have outlawed us from visiting Earth but you never said anything about people from Earth visiting us. You see in the last month we have been very busy. Now I know the satellite we have orbiting the Moon has been blanking out all of your surveillance equipment, so I’ll tell you what we’ve been doing and show you at the same time.’
He sent a silent message to Babe and the picture on the big screen changed; Steven was reduced to one small corner.
‘What you’re seeing now is a picture of the new base we have constructed on the Moon. It is over a mile square and capable of housing thousands of people. Of course you must be asking yourself how on Earth would people get here?’
The picture changed, ‘these are the transport craft we have constructed. As you can see there are three freighters and three passenger liners. We will lease these out to anyone who wishes to have them. The terms of that lease will be very strict. For example, any attempt at investigating the technology used to build them will result in an immediate loss of contract. The ships have a built in safety mechanism which will detect tampering. That will result in the craft taking off and heading straight for the sun with whoever is on board, so be warned.’
Steven paced a little to let his words sink in, ‘ten years from now we are going to release technical details of these ships which will enable those countries with the resources to build their own, so until then I suggest you behave yourselves.
The space station has its own automated defence system, as do all the ships. They can detect weapons or even weapons parts so don’t try that either, the results will be fatal.
