by Peter Grant
“That’s less than I’d hoped to get, but I see your point. I’d like to ask for some money to be paid up front – perhaps one-quarter of the assayed value on delivery to the refinery. The output could then be valued, and the balance of my half of the funds paid into my account when the asteroids have been refined. To earn your trust, I’m prepared to leave the first few asteroids with you without advance payment, so you can assess them for yourself. Does that sound fair?”
Hsu glanced at Huang. Clearly, this was the older man’s decision.
Huang stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That may be possible, Captain. We might need to assay a few of each shipment of asteroids you bring, to compare our initial findings to your own reports. How many do you think will be in each shipment?”
“I think twenty to thirty asteroids at a time, all high-yield like the first five, and almost all larger in size.”
“And how many shipments do you anticipate?”
“At least five, perhaps eight or nine by the time we’re through.”
Both men looked at him in astonishment. “But that means tens of billions of francs!” Hsu exclaimed. “Where are they from?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, Mr. Hsu. Just please accept that I have access to them, and I have the means to cherry-pick the richest asteroids out of a very large field. I expect to be able to obtain at least a hundred to a hundred and fifty of them.”
There was a long silence as the two men absorbed the magnitude of the numbers involved. Eventually Huang observed, “This promises to be extremely lucrative for both of us, Captain. I propose that we assay one out of every five asteroids you deliver, selected at random by us. We can do that in about forty-eight hours, if you will allow our team access to the freighter that brings them. Once we compare their assay reports to yours, we can be confident that we both know what we’re dealing with. At that point, yes, I’m willing to pay you twenty-five percent of the likely yield of the asteroids. We can deposit it into an off-planet bank account of your choice; or we can give you an interplanetary bearer bank draft; or we can deal in hard assets such as gold and platinum-group metals, paid at the prevailing market price in this system. Once refined, we shall take our fifty percent share, and pay the balance of your share to you or your representative.”
“That would work,” Cochrane confirmed gravely. “When I’m here, I’ll ask for my funds in cash and hard assets. In my absence, such as with the balance of my share after each batch of asteroids has been refined, I’ll ask you to deposit the funds into an account with the Handelsbank of Neue Helvetica as soon as they’re available.” He’d already set up a special account to handle such transactions, separate from Eufala’s main corporate account.
“We can do that,” Huang agreed. “To show good faith on our part as well, I suggest we start with the five asteroids you have brought with you. We’ll assay them all – it will be good practice for our team. In forty-eight hours from now, if their reports agree with yours, I shall pay you twenty-five percent of their assessed value. When can we expect the next shipment?”
“I think I can get one to you every two to three months.”
Hsu smiled. “That will give us time to arrange a few extra security measures. We don’t want Barjah’s government learning of this windfall. If they did, they would want to share it, even though it’s from outside this system.”
“Then let’s keep them out of the loop,” Cochrane agreed. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask for, Mr. Huang. I’m aware that the Tong operates several freight lines, so it knows about merchant freighters. There are also rumors concerning a certain planet that’s said to be its home world, and is reportedly very well defended. That being the case, I presume the Tong knows a good deal about the market for warships and auxiliary vessels as well, plus their weapons, systems, sensors and other equipment.”
“That… might be so,” Huang acknowledged cautiously.
“I’m in the process of establishing a private company that will concentrate on space, rather than planetary security. I need ships to do that; if possible, warships, enough of them to deter casual attack, and even give a larger opponent pause for thought. I’m looking for shipbuilders and weapons dealers who meet five criteria. First, they must be discreet and trustworthy – so much so that the Tong itself would buy from them, if necessary. Second, they must offer high-quality goods with up-to-date technology. Third, they must charge fair and reasonable prices. Fourth, they must be reliable suppliers over the long term, who won’t cut me off without spares or reloads at the wrong moment. Fifth, they must be willing to be… let’s say, flexible concerning United Planets regulations governing arms supplies to private companies.
“I have the names of certain potential suppliers that I learned during my military career. However, they must be only a small fraction of those out there. Can the Tong recommend individuals and companies who fit those requirements?”
Hsu and Huang glanced at each other. “That is outside my purview,” the latter said slowly, “but I can send your questions to those who will be able to provide answers. By the time you come back with more asteroids, I should have some information.”
“Thank you. If there’s any fee for the Tong’s services in that regard, of course I’ll pay it.”
“We are making enough profit out of our asteroid venture together that I shall recommend no fee should be charged. However, the final decision is not mine to make.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Is that why you’re bringing us these asteroids?” Hsu asked with interest. “Will their proceeds be used to buy warships?”
“Yes, and other necessities. There are many expenses in setting up an operation like this.”
Huang smiled. “The Tong has many expenses as well.” He raised his glass in a toast. “Let us by all means help each other to pay them!”
Three days later, they met again at the Royal Golden Dragon restaurant, this time for lunch. Huang took the opportunity to order Korean dishes, declaring it high time Cochrane received exposure to the best recipes from all over the Far East on Earth. He was forced to admit that, while spicier than he normally preferred, the food was extremely tasty.
Over dessert, Hsu handed him an envelope. It contained three documents. The first was an interplanetary bearer bank draft, drawn on the Handelsbank of Neue Helvetica, for twenty-five million francs. The second was a receipt from the local branch of the Handelsbank for the disbursement of the same sum in cash, in a mixture of francs, Bismarck Cluster marks, and Lancastrian Commonwealth credits. The last was another receipt, this one for the issuing of one-kilogram gold bars by the Barjah Mint to the value of seventy-five million francs.
“The cash and gold are waiting for you aboard your ship, Captain,” Hsu informed him. “We sent them up earlier this morning. If you wish to verify the amounts, please feel free to do so.”
“That won’t be necessary. I know you’re trustworthy. I’ll look forward to receiving the balance of my share in a few weeks’ time, once you’ve refined the asteroids. Please deposit it to my account with the Handelsbank.”
“We shall,” Huang promised. “Where are you bound now?”
“I’ve got to be in ten places at once, according to my calendar,” he replied with a wry grin. The other two laughed. “I need to find out what’s been happening in my absence. I have competent, trustworthy subordinates, but they’re spread thin at present. There needs to be central coordination and control, and in my absence, that’s lacking.”
“Of course. A safe and successful voyage to you, Captain. We shall look forward to seeing you, or your representative, in three months’ time.”
7
Hopscotch
CONSTANTA
“I’m glad you’re back, sir,” Commander Cousins said with a weary smile as he shook hands. “How did it go?”
In answer Cochrane took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over. Cousins opened it, took out the bearer bank draft, and beamed wit
h satisfaction. “Oh, yeah! I’d say that’s successful all right! This isn’t all of it, is it?”
“No, there’ll be a lot more. We’ve agreed on a fifty-fifty split of the proceeds.”
Cousins’ face fell. “Only half? I’d hoped we could get more.”
“Be realistic, David. You can’t push the Dragon Tong too far without risking them pushing back – and they could roll right over us, anytime they wanted to. I’d far rather establish good relationships with them from the start. Look at this.” He reached into his pocket and took out a white disk. “They call this stone ‘mutton-fat’ jade.” He handed it over.
Cousins examined it curiously. It bore a silver dragon’s claw insignia on one side, with a number beneath it. Both were inlaid in silver. On the reverse side, an ornate Chinese character was inscribed, also inlaid in silver. “What is it?” he asked, handing it back.
“It’s a token awarded by the Dragon Tong to those whose business they value. Black jade is the lowest level; white is the second. Basically, it says that I’m an honored friend of the Tong. If I need to approach them anywhere in the galaxy about anything at all, this guarantees that they’ll listen, and help if they can – although I’ll probably still have to pay for their assistance.”
The Commander whistled. “That’s really something. Why, I bet you could even ask them to kill somebody.”
“I could ask, but I don’t know if they’d agree. Fortunately, I don’t intend to use their services to do that.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So, when do we send them the rest of the asteroids?”
Cochrane explained the deal he’d made at Barjah. “I want to string out the deliveries. That way, they won’t get tempted to stiff us out of our share of any one shipment, because they know there’ll be more coming if they treat us right. Also, when we send the last shipment of asteroids, we won’t tell them that right away. We’ll wait until they’ve paid our final share into our bank account, then explain that our access to more asteroids has unfortunately been cut off. By the way, I know we’ve discussed this before, but don’t talk about the Dragon Tong at all, not even to our colleagues. Too many people are afraid of them – with good reason, let’s face it. The only reason I’ve told you is that you’re my second-in-command. If anything happens to me, you need to know how to pick up the pieces. I’ll add the details to my confidential file for you.”
“Thanks, sir. I won’t mention the Tong. Are you going to try to get any more asteroids?”
“It’s a tempting thought, but it might be risky. We were fortunate to spot those three fields of prospector robots, and clean up everything they’d already identified for recovery. I’m sure whoever put them there will be furious when they find out. I expect them to try to learn who did it, and go after them. Fortunately, they can’t be sure it was us – but if we go back, they might figure it out.”
Cousins sniggered. “No. By sending me in that newly leased ship, which has no traceable connection to us, and using one of Jock Murray’s frequency modulators on the gravitic drive, they wouldn’t have been able to identify it for sure, much less figure out that we were using it. With luck, the people behind those bot fields will blame each other instead.”
“I hope so. If we can get them chasing each other’s tails, so much the better! Problem is, we’ve no idea who that third group is, or whether they pose a threat. Don’t forget, I promised NOE we’d be ready for operations six months after they signed the contract. That deadline’s only seven weeks away now.”
“And we’re still not quite ready. All right, sir, what do you want me to do next?”
“Let me read through the signals and reports waiting for me. I’ll work out a timetable for the next few weeks, then we’ll go over it together. We’re going to be playing the next best thing to an interplanetary game of hopscotch as things come to a head.”
Cousins shook his head ruefully. “I never could figure out that game, sir.”
“Well, there’s no time like the present to start learning!”
It took Cochrane a full day to wade through all the material that had piled up in his absence. He read, thought, ate, slept, read some more, and began to rough out a timeline. It was the following afternoon before he summoned Cousins.
“Let’s start with what others are doing, because that’s going to govern our actions,” he began. “You recall that Colomb, that repair ship from Callanish, was undergoing refurbishment?”
“Yes, sir.”
“She’s scheduled to be back in commission by the first of next month. What’s interesting is that her crew was not dispersed to other vessels while she was in the shipyard. They were kept intact. They’re under orders to be ready for departure by not later than the tenth of next month. They’ve been warned they’ll be gone for seven to eight weeks. What does that suggest to you?”
“That they’re going to make another run at Mycenae, sir. Last time, near as we can figure, they hyper-jumped to a point three or four light-days outside the system, then accelerated to cruising speed before shutting off their drive. They coasted in making no emissions at all. That let them get right up to Mycenae Primus Four without being detected. If they’re going to be gone that long, it sounds like they’re planning another lengthy approach, just like last time.”
Cochrane nodded. “We’re thinking alike. Their ship’s more than big enough, with enough hold capacity, to load all the stores they’ll need for so long a period in space. What’s more, NOE’s new satellites are scheduled to go live next month. That’ll be about the same time Colomb arrives, assuming we’ve understood her intentions correctly. I reckon she’ll wait until the ship deploying the satellites has left the system, then move in, just like before, to steal the new birds.”
Cousins sat bolt upright, face suddenly eager. “Are we going to stop her, sir?”
“Let me explain what I want you to do.”
He spoke for half an hour, referring occasionally to a three-dimensional display of the Mycenae system, highlighting features and laying out a timeline. Cousins took notes and asked questions, and sometimes contributed suggestions of his own that were incorporated into the plan.
“Got it?” Cochrane asked at last.
“Yes, sir. We deal with the situation around Mycenae Primus Four, then head for the robotic prospectors to take care of business there, then come back here to Constanta, leaving two patrol craft to look after things in Mycenae.”
“That’s it. I’m going to be busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest while you’re gone. When you get back, we’ll put our heads together and figure out what’s next. Remember, keep all this under your hat!”
“Yes, sir. Compartmentalization. I get it.” They grinned at each other. “I’ll get the order in right away for that inflatable habitat. If we order standard modules and link them, we should be able to buy them from existing stocks, rather than wait to have them manufactured to special order.”
“Do that. We can’t afford to wait.”
The Captain’s next meeting was with Sue McBride. “How are the missiles and warheads coming along?” he demanded without preamble, voice rasping with fatigue.
She shook her head. “More important, sir, how are you coming along? You look worn to a frazzle!”
“That’s probably a pretty fair description right now, but you don’t look much better. We’re all going to be that way for a while longer. About the missiles?”
“Och, it’s basically as I said before, sir. We’ve discarded more than half as worthless. There are simply too many things wrong with them. It’s not that they’re worn out – they weren’t fired, after all. It’s just that they weren’t maintained properly, if at all. Good machinery and electronics can only take so much neglect. On the other hand, we’ve salvaged every single piece of them that we could get working, and started running the parts through an extended test cycle. Those that survive it go into our spares bin. We’re building up a useful stash.”
“Will you have two pods r
eady for the first two patrol craft?”
“Yes, sir, and one for the Commander’s ship. We’ve also overhauled the laser cannon that’ll be fitted to each ship. They’re in good working order.”
Cochrane heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s really good news! Well done – and please tell your techs I said so. I think I’ll have to give you all a bonus.”
“That’d be appreciated, sir. In fact, if you could leave it here with me, I’d like to give it to the team as soon as Commander Cousins gets underway. We’ve had no liberty to speak of since we got here. I’d like to give everyone a few days on Constanta, with plenty of good food, beer, and some solid ground under their feet.”
“Good idea.”
At last he was able to make time to visit the owner of the shipyard. He thanked Grigorescu profusely for the hard work his employees had put in to get the first two patrol craft ready so fast.
“It’s been a pleasure,” the businessman assured him. “No, really, it has. These are the first ships of their type that we’ve worked on. By refurbishing and reinstalling or replacing every system, we’ve learned a lot, particularly from the spacers and technicians you sent to work alongside us. I’ll be able to bid on similar projects in future with a much better knowledge of what’s needed.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Some of those projects may be ours. Things are beginning to come together, and our cash flow is improving, too. I’ll be able to pay you to refurbish the fifth patrol craft, over and above the bank loan. I can even pay you in gold, if you prefer.”
“Gold?” Grigorescu’ eyes gleamed. “You must have been doing some profitable business.”
“It’s been good so far. Are you absolutely sure you can’t get a sixth patrol craft operational?”
The other man shrugged. “I could, if absolutely necessary, but frankly I don’t think it’ll be cost-effective. Most of her systems will have to be replaced, including her reactor and gravitic drive. It would cost as much to refurbish her as to buy a new ship.”
