Chapter 13
Frank called Man's Hope before Dolf's scheduled broadcast. The crew had been hearing news broadcasts from all over the world. They had a pretty good idea what was going on, and they were angry. Frank asked Dolf for a couple of minutes of his broadcast time to make an important announcement. Dolf agreed, of course, and the next day, he introduced Frank.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Frank Weatherly, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Man's Hope International and chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Space International. I have a very important announcement, and I ask for your attention.
"The Boards of Directors of Man's Hope International and Space International are well aware of the resolution recently submitted to the United Nations General Assembly. It is the unanimous opinion of the members of both boards that this resolution directly opposes the achievement of man's destiny in space. We feel that Free Market Capitalism is the mechanism that best supports a healthy growth in space industry. Therefore, in joint session the Boards of Directors of both organizations have adopted the following policy:
"The Eros space station will exist for the benefit of all mankind, and will be available to assist in the goal of the development of man's destiny in space. Since any nation whose representative votes for this resolution will have shown itself an enemy of space development, ships from those nations will be the only ones not welcome to take advantage of Eros. They will not be afforded guidance assistance or computational help, will not be permitted to dock, and will not be able to purchase any supplies or services aboard Eros, unless loss of life appears imminent.
"Should this resolution be adopted, we will resist with all our resources any attempt to enforce UN rule.
"We deeply regret the necessity for this action. However, we feel that the very future of mankind is at stake. We recommend that Earth's governments consult their economic advisors before giving their UN Ambassadors their instructions.
"Thank you for your attention."
***
"Mr. Secretary-General, before we talk, I must tell you that this call is being recorded, and will be rebroadcast, unedited, from Eros. Do you still wish to talk with me?"
"Yes, Mr. Weatherly," the UN Secretary General replied. "It is obvious that you misunderstand the purpose of the resolution you oppose. The UN does not want to take Eros from you. We merely want the right to make certain it is being operated in the best interests of the people of the Earth."
"First, sir, what gives an organization claiming to represent the nations of Earth the right to claim authority over an asteroid far out of Earth's orbit?"
"Sir," The Secretary-General replied, "The resolution establishes all the bodies of this solar system to be the property of the people of Earth."
"So, you have the right because you say you do. And therein lies the greatest problem, sir," Frank replied. "Man's Hope International exists for the purpose of supporting and promoting man's expansion into space. This resolution says 'don't bother spending the billions to go explore Phobos. The UN already owns it.' This resolution directly opposes the goals of Man's Hope International by discouraging man from exploring and exploiting space. We must oppose it every way we can.
"Secondly, I assume you would claim the right to 'inspect' Eros to make certain it is being run in accordance with your views."
"Well, of course we must inspect. We must be sure that standards are being observed."
"What standards, sir?" Frank asked. "How many standards and regulations have you written, and who are the 'experts' who have written them, considering that this is the first asteroid ever exploited?"
"Well," the Secretary General replied, "Due to the unprecedented nature of this accomplishment, it would be our responsibility to establish standards and regulations, of course."
"Of course, sir. And if either Man's Hope International or Space International objected to standards and regulations drafted on Earth by bureaucrats with no space experience, I assume you would find it necessary to send blue helmets, or blue space suits to enforce them, and an Administrator to run the place 'properly'.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we feel we are setting precedents here. Precedents of freedom. We will oppose this takeover and enforce freedom in any way open to us. We do not believe that an organization purporting to represent the nations of the Earth has any claim to jurisdiction over extra planetary space. If anything, L-1 is in a lunar orbit."
"But Mr. Weatherly," the Secretary-General replied, "Your threat amounts to nothing but blackmail. 'Vote our way, or lose access to vital needs for space exploration.'"
"And this resolution amounts to theft. If the UN wants an asteroid, they can go get one. They know where they are, and there are thousands of them. Your resolution would be the death knell of space research. As for the 'vital' nature of our space station, I refer you to the Apollo program, which made several trips to the moon without benefit of a space station. Any nation that votes for this resolution is doing nothing but posturing, and putting their present interests above those of the future of mankind. The spacegoing nations all have made plans for the exploitation of space. I will be rather surprised if this resolution is not vetoed in the Security Council."
"I believe you are sincere, Mr. Weatherly, if misguided. Suppose you were the Administrator appointed to oversee Eros?"
Frank laughed. "I have already been appointed to that position, sir, by the Boards of both Man's Hope International and Space International. But I find it interesting that you are already considering such a position even before the vote, given your earlier statements."
"Yes, well," the Secretary General replied, "It is possible that we will review the charter issued to that organization. It is obviously a puppet of Space International."
"That would be unfortunate, sir, but not unexpected. I'm certain that you will do what is right, and support the people of the world who wish to see man expand his frontiers."
The Secretary-General sighed. "I see I cannot convince you that the welfare of the all the people of the Earth should have precedence over your own narrow interests. I sincerely hope that your efforts at blackmail do not succeed, sir."
"And I sincerely hope that your attempts at grand theft do not succeed, sir. Good day.
***
"This is Commander David Tarrant, Captain of the Spaceship Eros, speaking to the people of Earth. For over a year now, I have listened to the stupid and the misinformed criticize Frank Weatherly, and I have remained silent. Well, in about six weeks, we're due to assume orbit in the L-1 position of the Earth-moon system, and I can no longer remain silent. It is obvious that this totally ridiculous UN resolution is intended to take advantage of someone's need to 'get back' at Frank Weatherly for something, though nobody seems to quite know what.
"Well, I know what, though it makes me ashamed to be a man.
"When I first met Frank Weatherly, he was one of the dozen wealthiest private citizens in the world, with a net worth well over four billion dollars U.S. I wanted to get back into space, and I had an idea how it might be done.
"Mr. Weatherly liked my idea, and he ran with it. He had been searching for a cause, something important to which he could devote his life and his fortune. He did just that.
"Why did Man's Hope International suddenly start seeking donations, when it had been refusing them for over two years? Because Frank Weatherly no longer had the money to pay for a supply launch. He no longer had the money! He had spent over ninety-five percent of his four-billion-dollar fortune to mount this expedition.
"I won't recount all his accomplishments. If you don't already know them, you've been in a coma. I will merely say that without Frank Weatherly, mankind would not now be on the verge of an explosion into space. Frank singlehandedly put man back on the road to the stars, and all he has gotten in return is contempt, vilification, and abuse, first from his own government, and now from the world.
"All of this contempt and vilification began when Frank began trying to rebuild hi
s fortune by putting together a for-profit company, Space International. I heard one commentator claim that Frank 'claimed to be working for the benefit of mankind, but was really only working for the benefit of Frank Weatherly.' Well, sir, you're full of crap. And so are the rest of you that have been spouting that kind of nonsense. And none of you have the right to criticize Frank.
"I will concede your right to criticize Frank when you contribute 95% of your net worth to any cause. You're worth $100,000? All right. All you have to do to equal Frank Weatherly is donate $95,000. That will leave you a comfortable five thousand dollars. But don't try to rebuild your net worth afterward, or you'll be some kind of villain. Anyone who can believe this is a fool. And that means you, sir.
"Somehow, people felt betrayed by the formation of Space International. Why? I suspect because they considered Frank a hero, somehow above the need for money. Once he formed a for-profit company, they assumed that Frank was somehow using it to loot Man's Hope International and they felt cheated. Their hero had feet of clay. Or at least flesh.
"You should know that the only money Frank has taken from Man's Hope International is one U.S. dollar per year to be Chairman of the Board, since that is required to be a salaried position. Well, I suppose you could say he 'cheated' you out of one U.S. dollar per year.
"Ask the government of Brazil if they feel cheated by Space International. Ask anyone who has dealt with Space International if they feel cheated. They'll laugh at you.
"But you have been calling Frank a crook, a criminal, a gangster, despite numerous audits that have shown him to be the honest, hard-working businessman he is.
"Now comes this absurd UN Resolution, claiming 'rights' over everything in space, from planets to comets. Why didn't that charlatan introduce that resolution three years ago? Because no one was doing anything notable in space, and he had nothing to gain. Besides, he'd have been laughed out of the General Assembly.
"Now, though, there will be UN jobs to demand bribes for, and money that can be extorted from Man's Hope International and Space International, and anybody else with the courage to pursue man's destiny. And he knows that you people are stupid enough to fall for the lies, and hints, and innuendoes and actually favor giving control of space and man's destiny to a bunch of unelected third-world bureaucrats, instead of standing up for freedom.
"You have heard that any nation whose Ambassador votes for the resolution will be denied the resources of Eros. Well, we, the crew of Man's Hope have also voted. We have agreed unanimously that if this resolution is actually adopted, if the people of Earth actually permit the UN to throw away their future in space, we will throw away their asteroid.
We have already computed an orbit that will terminate in the Sun. Should this resolution pass, we will alter Eros' orbit, and it will no longer approach the Earth, but will be burned up by the Sun. We will remain aboard long enough to make certain that the orbit can no longer be changed back, and then we will board Man's Hope to return to Earth. I'm sure we will be demonized, as Frank is being demonized. But if man does not want to progress into space, a space station is useless, and we are unwilling to contribute to the corruption of the UN. And should man ever change his mind, there are thousands of asteroids in the belt. But you'll need someone with the vision and dedication of a Frank Weatherly to go get one.
"Again, this has been Commander David Tarrant of the Man's Hope. Please join us in praying that our UN representatives make the right decision."
"Are you insane?" Frank demanded. "Threatening to throw Eros into the Sun!"
"To hell with 'em, Frank," David replied. "I've listened to their crap for over a year. It's time somebody told 'em straight out."
"But, damn it," Frank persisted, "You threatened to throw away a whole goddam asteroid, one you've just spent almost three years bringing back."
"Relax, Frank," David said, "it won't happen. I never really thought it would. But after you got your ass in so much trouble with your threat, I figured we'd take some of the heat off you.
"Think about it," he continued. "What are the chances that Russia and China won't veto the damned thing? Both of them have big plans in space; they're not going to cave in to the UN."
"So now you've fixed it so that if they do veto it, it'll look like they caved in to your blackmail. You've given them a reason to vote yes now, and then just ignore it later."
David laughed. "My blackmail? What about your blackmail? Face it, Frank, all I've done is remind the people of your contributions and up the ante a bit. I'm really counting on the people who couldn't wait to contribute when we needed them. All they needed was someone to remind them that all this crap they've been hearing about you was lies, and that man's future really is at stake.
"Now I suspect they'll be putting pressure on their governments like you wouldn't believe."
***
David was right. There were demonstrations, both pro- and anti- Weatherly, worldwide. Some were carefully organized, and some turned into virtual riots.
Frank's public relations firm had publicized the internet address of the UN audit reports on Man's Hope International in newspapers and paid media advertisements worldwide, and within a week, they had received over twenty million hits.
A few commentators and editorialists were actually honest enough to admit that they, too had been unable to find any evidence of wrongdoing, and had become supporters of Frank and David.
Others, however, resented David's comments, and insisted that a criminal who is successful in hiding his crimes is still a criminal. Susan was no longer content with letters to the editor, and was now buying full-page ads replying that in that case she was accusing the commentators of being successful rapists and murderers, and defied them to prove they weren't. Fred's team was also busy going after the ones careless enough to make actionable claims.
Sheik Ibn Masood protested David's characterizations and charges, but David replied that he would apologize when Masood apologized to Frank and withdrew his resolution.
Slowly, though, the pendulum of public opinion was swinging back, and pressure was mounting on governments. At the UN, fewer and fewer nations' representatives were willing to make public speeches in support of the resolution, and politicians who appeared in public to denounce David's threat were often encountering heckling and demonstrations.
One month prior to Eros' scheduled arrival; Man's Hope International launched Man's Dream on a course to meet the asteroid upon its arrival at L-1. It was launched on a more conventional orbit than Man's Hope, and had sent the big Energia booster into an orbit that it was hoped would facilitate its safe return to Earth and later retrieval.
Man's Dream carried a crew of only two, and six passengers, who would begin the task of Eros' transformation into a space station. Her cargo hold was stuffed with equipment and tools they would need. For instance, there were domes to erect over the hole presently holding Man's Hope and the entrance to the ice mine, and solar-powered tools to facilitate digging into the harder rock. There was, however, no nuclear reactor. Not this time. But it wasn't really needed, this close to the Sun. Huge solar panels would be able to generate thousands of watts in the intense solar radiation of space, and several ion engines would add their output to those already mounted on Eros. Power would not be a problem.
Man's Dream was followed by the launches of three Proton M's carrying additional supplies. The world was watching, and Man's Hope International wanted to make certain they put on a good show. It was working. Donations were up considerably.
Frank's third Buran wasn't quite ready for launch, yet, but that did not disturb him. Man's Dream was generating enough coverage, and they were not ready for the numbers of people that would eventually be required. Besides, he wasn't ready to start another firestorm of controversy by launching a Buran belonging to Space International. He expected enough of a problem when the media discovered that Man's Dream was actually leased to SpaceInt and had been chartered by Man's Hope International for this mission.
Aboard Man's Hope, the excitement was building as preparations began for their arrival at L-1. The ion engines and the backup rockets were inspected carefully; a rock over twenty miles long and massing millions of tons was far from easily maneuverable. They had been decelerating for over three months, and were barely creeping as they passed the moon's orbit. Dolf's reports were long and enthusiastic. All of the crew were frankly surprised that there had been so few problems. David attributed it to careful planning. Yuri credited luck and Ron's tinkering ability.
One week before Eros' arrival at L-1, the United Nations General Assembly met in special session to debate Masood's resolution.
Debate was amazingly one-sided. Masood, of course, spoke in support of the resolution, but the only others to speak in support were Burkina-Faso and the Democratic Peoples' Republic of North Korea.
But nation after nation spoke against the resolution. It was nearly a parade of spacegoing nations and those who hoped for a presence in space. Public opinion was insuring that any nation that even dreamed of someday sending a ship into space opposed the resolution. In the end, only four nations voted for the resolution. Masood stormed out of the meeting in fury.
***
The one big regret in the life of Mark Jenson was that he was not selected for Man's Hope's crew. He comforted himself with the knowledge that he was given command of Man's Dream, and would have a steady job ferrying people and equipment to Eros.
So he damned well didn't want to blow it on his first mission. He had three cargo canisters to gather and them and the six deadheads downstairs to deliver. As Man's Dream approached the L-1 position, he was continuously scanning his instruments, keeping track of the canisters. All of them were on course, but that didn't divert his eyes from their constant scanning.
Mark was a retired U.S. Navy Commander, a former Naval aviator, former Blue Angels pilot, and former shuttle astronaut. Mark hated being a "former" everything, and had jumped at the chance to join Frank Weatherly's team. He was skilled and detail-oriented. He was also gruff, abrasive, and did not suffer fools easily. Frank liked him.
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