April 4: A Different Perspective

by Mackey Chandler

  "Thank you, Administrator. I'll keep one sealed up just inside the lock in case somebody approaches, but we can rotate that position in shifts too."

  "Lieutenant, is there anything in your orders that would preclude us staying here a week or so, if we had access to the various accommodations and services in Armstrong? I'm considering sending the Pagosa Springs away, back to Earth orbit and then they'd return for us."

  "No sir, we are fully at your disposal. I'm sure they have air for us and we even have our own rations for that long. If you don't mind me asking sir, what would the Pagosa Springs be going to fetch back to us?"

  "She would be removing our trouble makers rather than returning anything."

  "I didn't see that one coming," Carlson admitted. "If I might suggest sir. It is terribly expensive and wasteful to deadhead an empty vessel across space. If you send her back to Earth orbit, then it would make sense to restore the original load we removed before returning to the Moon. It would add a day or two to our stay, but save millions of dollars."

  "Thank you Lieutenant, I'll inform you when we have something definite agreed upon."

  * * *

  When the Penningtons went back in the corridor it was near the start of first shift and there were a lot of people going every which way purposefully. It had been late in the off shift when they arrived off the elevator and they'd only passed one person going to the Holiday Inn. Linda grabbed her husband's sleeve and held him back. "Let's go back in the hotel," she urged, "something is going on, look at these people. About half of them have some sort of gun. We better call the police and report this."

  "Linda, if half the people are walking around with guns don't you think the police are well aware of it? Do you think they are locked in a closet somewhere and haven't been out today? I'd point out they are just going about their business. Nobody is waving them around and wildly firing. What exactly would you report? Nobody is threatening you."

  "I'm scared just to see them. It's enough to make me scared somebody could hurt me. How can I feel safe?"

  "How can you feel safe in Vancouver? About half the people around you every day are bigger and stronger than you. They could hurt you if they wanted to and they certainly wouldn't need a gun to do it. You are afraid of everything and I'm tired of it. Go back to your daughter you've taught to be afraid if you want. You can both cower in the rooms and maybe wait until the middle of the night and slink out when nobody is about."

  "Will you bring us something back?"

  "No, you didn't have to come up here. I could have worked the assignment alone and come back every six months on leave. You are the one who insisted we stay together. If you can't deal with it, we'll get you and the kids a ticket home."

  "People who are apart that long end up divorced. I've seen it too many times."

  "You mean you saw it with your father. I'm not your father," he reminded her forcefully. She might have said something, but not in front of Eric. "Let go of my elbow, it looks ridiculous and either come along or go back to the rooms."

  "I'll come, but this is a terrible place," she muttered.

  The cafeteria was pretty busy. There was a line of seven people moving along. A few helped themselves to a very simple buffet and self-serve coffee. There were little knots of people talking and they tended to the side close to the coffee. There were two ladies, one at the counter and one at the moment tending the coffee urns.

  Linda was shocked to see she was pouring coffee beans in a hopper. They fresh-ground and brewed real coffee. That was an expensive luxury back home. Mitsubishi had earlier served liquid concentrate, but people had started bringing their own coffee, or buying it down the corridor and ignoring the house coffee, so they'd been shamed into upgrading recently.

  The menu board wasn't what she was used to. In North America if you didn't order a balanced diet from three separate color coded lists you were charged a twenty percent surtax. If you just ordered from one and it was more than four-hundred calories, it was another five percent added on.

  "We're new here," Mo informed the lady behind the counter. "I'm going to be working here, not just visiting. Is there some sort of a membership or residents discount?"

  "Are you Mo Pennington? " Ruby asked. She got a confirming nod. "I've been expecting you. I have cafeteria cards for you and your family from your employer, just a moment." She disappeared in the back and returned quickly with the cards.

  "Mo, Linda, Lindsy and Eric," she read off and handed them to him. "You have access any time. The cafeteria is always open. If you want something special not on the main board, we try to accommodate you, but there may be a special charge. Otherwise it's a short buffet with an quick order counter. There is another place at the other end of the station. They serve mostly workers and have a little different rules, but your card is good there too. What would you folks like this morning?"

  "There aren't any limits or required items?" Linda asked. "How do we make sure our kids eat sensible and not just eat junk?" she asked. "Back home they had to eat what their school serves and we got a report if they'd thrown too much away."

  Ruby snorted through her nose. "Not my business to raise your kids. If you want we can restrict their cards to only serve them when they are with you. There isn't much served here I'd call junk. I suppose you might have some kid try to live on pancakes or cheeseburgers if they have never been free to pick their own stuff before, but I've never seen any that didn't get tired of one thing eventually and branch out to new stuff."

  "I'm not sure I like your attitude," Linda informed Ruby tight lipped.

  "I'm not sure I like your altitude," Ruby snapped right back. When that just got a confused look she just said, "Think on it. It will come to you eventually," she promised.

  "We'll figure out something," Mo told his wife, eager to move on because he didn't need any time to think on it and he handed her both her card and the children's. "I'd like the pecan pancakes and sausage with a fruit cup and a glass of orange juice, please."

  "Hot or mild sausage?" Ruby asked.

  "I don't believe I've ever had spicy," he said. "I'll try that please."

  "That's the only way the southerners and Mexicans will eat it," Ruby explained. "What would you like ma'am?"

  Lindsy was kind of overwhelmed with the choices. Not needing to follow government guidelines and no need to count the cost it added up to was new too. "Give me the same," she said picking the easy way out.

  "And you kiddo?" Ruby asked Eric.

  "He'll have the same too," Linda quickly said.

  "Give me a plate. I'll get my own off that little buffet," Eric said, angry at being bullied. He knew damn well her Highness the Princess would have gotten anything she wanted.

  "You want the kids' cards restricted then?" Ruby asked poker faced.

  "No," Mo said. "There is no reason not to let the boy pick his own breakfast but control freak pettiness," he asserted. "It's my job paying for the cards. Is there any reason I can't restrict all three of the cards if I want?" he asked.

  Linda was staring at him mouth hanging open. "You wouldn't dare!" she insisted.

  "No reason I know of," Ruby agreed, blandly. "The master account is in your name."

  "None of them are restricted," he told Ruby. "But keep that in mind," he warned Linda. "If you want to be unkind you might get back some of your own medicine."

  Eric, wisely kept quiet. He'd have been happy with the same breakfast, but decided saying anything more right now was dangerous. He picked a safe balanced breakfast off the buffet, getting a fruit cup and bowl of oatmeal, but he did get walnuts and raisins for it.

  My, what a happy little family, Ruby thought, once they were all seated well away from anyone else by the far wall and carefully ignoring each other.

  * * *

  "That seems workable," Wiggen agreed. " I will have the French ambassador approached with the plan. Let me see what I can do with him before we speak with anyone else. They are very likely the only ones with their own
sovereign orbital properties who would take them. and he's right, there is a little matter of difficulties over some cheese. It is the sort of public thing I can trade to them for a small favor that has sentimental value, but little real economic impact at all." She actually smiled thinking about it.

  "The French have their own small lunar colony too, don't they?" Hartug asked her.

  "Indeed they do. It is a joint endeavor with the Italians, Portuguese and they occasionally host a few Swiss or Poles or whoever they are in a mood to entertain. How hard could a couple extra Americans be to fit in?" she asked.

  * * *

  The Penningtons walked back to the hotel in less than companionable silence. Linda glaring at every armed man that passed and double for the women who she considered traitorous to their sex. It left a lot of people wondering what exactly was that strange woman's problem.

  When they entered the lobby the desk attendant quickly called to them. "Excuse me, your room is unusable. Your daughter is here in the manager's office. Would you come and see what you can do for her?"

  They went around the desk and followed him into a surprisingly large room. Lindsy was sitting in a desk chair wrapped in an aluminized emergency blanket. Her hair was wet and there was a bit of foam still clinging to one ear. Their luggage was sitting in a puddle, dripping wet.

  "What happened?" Linda asked alarmed.

  "Your daughter decided to smoke a cigarette in your rooms," the manager explained. "The chemical signature is very distinct and was noted by the sensors to Fire and Rescue when the fire suppression system activated. It is a breach of contract. If you read your terms of use, we treat our internal spaces the same as public cubic. Fortunately it is just a private matter with us. If she had deliberately created an open flame out in public spaces, they'd likely be putting you on the next shuttle down. The Assembly has a very low tolerance on safety issues. We will be adding a cleaning and refurbishing surcharge of six-thousand dollars USNA to the room fees. Would you like me to call for a transport cart for your luggage?"

  "Can you move us to a dry room?" Linda asked. "Or will ours be cleaned up and dried by bedtime?" she wondered.

  "I was not sufficiently blunt," the clerk said, frowning. "You are no longer welcome here. If you wish to go down to the Radisson we will say nothing to them about this episode. I'm not saying they won't find out about it from others. However we don't welcome back guests who are a safety hazard. There is not sufficient allowance made in our hotel air system for removing cigarette smoke, or other dense smoke for that matter and smoking leads directly to such events as bed fires that are a serious danger to a significant volume, not just your rooms. We are in a closed volume and all very, very fond of breathing. You may have noticed, if we have a serious fire we can't just throw open the doors and run outside."

  "Are you going to report this to the police for minor in possession of tobacco?" Linda asked horrified at the possibility.

  "There are no laws on Home about the possession of tobacco, marijuana or any number of drugs outlawed on Earth. We do have very strict regulations about open flames and polluting the common air. May I suggest that when you travel to another country it would serve you well to actually investigate what they have as laws and customs? Since you are not my customer and will never be my customer again, I will tell you something frankly madam. You are a damned fool. Would you please remove yourself and your vile offspring as quickly as feasible? I won't even bother to tell you the language the young woman used on us. I'm sure you've heard it."

  "Yes, we'll take that luggage carrier if you'd call it," Mo told him. "Close your mouth dear, it looks silly hanging open. We'll get Lindsy changed when we have some new rooms. But not changed enough I fear," he said glaring at her. She was indifferent to his anger.

  * * *

  "The French have offered to accept the four directors on their space station and the three underlings at their moon base," Hartug told Silverson. "It's working out better than we thought. They have no visa and residency restriction on station like down on Earth. A transient can stay as long as he wishes. The fellow I talked to laughed and said you can afford it or you can't. That is how you qualify. Do you think that is acceptable?"

  "That might actually be better," Silverson said surprised. "There is some animosity between the technicians and their bosses. In fact one such pair was a romance and the difficulties and legal problems killed that relationship. The three feel they were just following orders and their bosses got them in this mess."

  "However, I wonder if it is so expensive if we may have a hard time finding work and fitting into the culture? I speak French. I was raised in a diplomatic household, attended a private French school and used French as much as English until I was about sixteen, but the others are going to need to quickly study the language."

  "President Wiggen has already invested some political capital by letting a trade matter slide with the French. We discussed this aspect of it and decided we will quietly provide some support through one of the agency witness protection programs. It's worth it frankly, to be rid of you. But if you reveal that to the media, or try to milk us for an unreasonable run when you could be self sufficient, well, in that case we'd hang you out to dry," Hartug warned him bluntly.

  "That seems a fair warning," Silverson allowed, but he was rattled a little. It was the first threatening thing Hartug had ever said. "How do we work this? Physically that is?"

  "Our troopers will suit up and march over to the far edge of the landing field. If you want to send somebody to confirm none are left aboard you may. Once they are safely away you may board with whatever hostages you like, or if you prefer, you are welcome to myself to guarantee your safe delivery. All of you will go to the French station and your three techies will take a regular supply ship to the French moon base. After you are aboard and satisfied there is no ambush, our soldiers will march back to your administrative building."

  "They understandably would like to confirm the air plant is not sabotaged or anything before the Pagosa Springs lifts. The flight deck on the vessel is very secure. Neither of us have any chance of forcing access to it without rendering the ship unflyable. The crew are commandeered just like the ship and frankly don't give a damn about you or me and just want to get this over and go back to their commercial endeavors. If you want to check their understanding of what is agreed upon between us you can talk to them."

  "No, I know pilots. They wouldn't agree to some double cross that would put their ship at risk if you put a gun to their head. That sounds workable to me. I tell you what. We are going to bring four hostages, unless, do you by any chance play poker?" he asked Hartug lightheartedly.

  "Yes, but not with you."

  * * *

  The Radisson wasn't as nice, but the man didn't ask why their luggage was dripping and he ignored the fact their daughter was still damp, though Mo made Linda hold her well back from the desk hoping it wouldn't be obvious.

  If most USNA laws were no longer in effect on Home, what were their views on corporal punishment? Mo wondered darkly and where could he buy a length of rubber hose or a high voltage cattle prod?

  They trudged down the hall silently and got in the rooms before anyone spoke. The rooms were even smaller and plainer than the Holiday Inn. Eric went straight to the room com and called up the video news. He wanted to look like he was ignoring the argument he knew was coming, but he listened carefully while watching the news. There was some sort of big argument in Italy about gene therapy. Apparently some big conference of Cardinals was infected with a virus that made them healthier. That was bad? It must be, they were calling it terrorism. and some Spanish guy was being kicked out for exposing them all to it. The price of corn was way down. Apparently people thought there was a lot of it, but the corn harvest was a state secret in the USNA, so nobody knew for sure. The people who bought corn were buying a whole lot more, which for some reason made the farmers unhappy. Wasn't that why they grew it? To sell it? Would the news make more sense whe
n he was older? The Canadians were complaining there were too many moose, now that hunting was illegal and cars on auto-control braked for them until there was a line of cars a mile long sitting stopped with a moose standing there in the middle of the road looking at them. A fellow in Quebec put his car on manual and tried to crowd the moose off the road, but it took exception to this and kicked his car pretty much to junk. He got a ticket too.

  "Where did you get cigarettes young lady?" her mother started in on her loudly. "We're not even here a day and already this is the effect this horrid place has on our family. Tobacco not illegal indeed! I suppose you could walk in one of those stores and just buy them like a pair of socks or a sandwich?" Eric sat still watching the screen, but his attention was on them now.

  "Oh please, you are so clueless, I got those back home in school. You can buy anything in school. If a student can't get it you ask around and one of the teachers will have it. Mr. Baumgartner in citizenship class swapped me for them."

  "Swapped? For what?" she asked, dreading the answer.

  "For a bag of old stuff from the back of the pantry you would have thrown out pretty soon. You check the dates and toss it like it turns into rat poison on the magic date. I've seen you. Lots of people can't be so picky. Teachers don't make enough to eat hardly."

  "And why would you want that filthy stuff? Haven't you heard anything about how terrible it is for you? My God, do they sell hard drugs at Cambridge High too? and to think we moved there mostly for the good schools!"

  "Oh, yeah, I know that all the stuff adults spend most of their time trying to get, is bad for you," Lindsy agreed. "You or dad never tried a cigarette, or had a drink when you were kids. You probably didn't have sex until your first anniversary and you've never skipped brushing your teeth before going to bed. I concede you are officially Righteous Beyond All Human Standards," she allowed, rolling her eyes in disdain. Eric was very still. Now was not the time to be noticed.