April 2: Down to Earth

by Mackey Chandler

  "I stretched the envelope of the truth there," April admitted. "If I had lost all contact, that would have happened. If say they killed us suddenly. I knew you a lot less then than I feel I do now, just a few days later, so I wasn't telling you as much as I will now. I have my com pad plugged into the power pack of my pistol when I'm wearing both. It has a lot of power available. And if I get cut off from the regular information pathway through public wireless, it will activate a direct satellite connection with my pad. It's on a frequency that's not usually used that way and it would take an awful lot of sophisticated jamming to cut me off, even if they quickly discover the connection."

  "You might also be surprised how persuasive your old man could be if you were disappeared," Papa-san growled. "If you disappeared I still know who really runs things and two can play that snatch game. I could put the fear in some of those executive types, they're not used to feeling." April didn't doubt him at all.

  "What can you pull down with those spex?" Papa asked.

  "We've been pumping out a lot of small simple stealth sats. Nothing all that exotic. None of the special weapon we used in the war. We won't deploy those in an unmanned sat. But lots of small kinetic weapons that can be terminal guided to within about a meter and hit about like a ton of explosives. And a fair number of vehicles, that will deliver a small warhead up to about ten kiloton. The guy who invented most of our advanced tech, said he could use the explosive devices we have to compress fusibles, to make an H-bomb without needing a fission trigger. But really big weapons are inefficient and hard to justify. We decided not to make them for the militia, unless we need to go straight to having a continent buster."

  "A decision I applaud," Papa-san said seriously.

  "One of the reasons I can afford to do this trip, is Eddie Persico who is one of my business partners funded me to come down. He is in the position where if we go to war again, he will lose an obscene amount of money, because a huge chunk of his wealth is tied up in Earth securities. So I'm also helping a business partner, besides the other obvious benefits of avoiding war. If we fight again, he will be in the crazy position of fighting in the Home militia, bombarding the assets that underwrite his own fortune. So he considers it an investment to forestall a full war again."

  "We had breakfast just before I came down and chatted. He just can't move the most part of his money anywhere fast enough, it wouldn't be huge disaster. But he warned me I may be hassled down here for associating with him. He indicated that he would be a ‘tainting' association, if anyone made the connection."

  "Why would anyone care about that April?" Papa-san asked. "Why would he be viewed any worse than all the rest of you who rebelled?"

  "To make a big long story short, he told me his family is all Mafia."

  Papa-san rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Just when I think you can't get any stranger or outrageous, you throw a new card on the table."

  "But another thing I came down for is a rescue." She sighed. "I seem to be stuck in the rescue business. We rescued the Doctors Singh from ISSII and Don Adams from NLV when he couldn't get through to Home. Now there are two fellows who want to come to Home and doubt they can get on a shuttle. They committed acts they feel are so unforgivable they need an escort, so I'll try to do that for them."

  "What did they do that's so unforgivable?" Lin asked.

  "When we destroyed the Deepwell bunker complex it West Virginia President Hadley was there. He was extracted from the bunker before it collapsed and taken to safety by two naval lieutenants. Then after they saved him he appeared to be off his nut pretty much and ordered them summarily executed for laying hands on him to save him. They say that was how he was operating the last few weeks. He had sent all sorts of officials and officers to prison or firing squad by simple decree."

  "That would explain a lot of strange things," Papa-san admitted. "So these two know too much about what happened and have to get out?"

  "Well, yeah. They know way too much - let me make it clearer - they are the two lieutenants. When they tried to disarm them and put them before a firing squad to execute them, they turned the tables and engaged the Presidential detail in a gun battle. They shot them down, including the President himself."

  "Wow. This hasn't happened since Kennedy. The government knows about these two?"

  "They seemed to assume they do. They didn't tell us the circumstances why."

  "I want an interview with these guys when you spring them," Adzusa demanded.

  "Well you'll have to wait ‘til I get them to Home, or come to Maine with me," April offered. "We have rendezvous set at certain sites and times, but it would sure be a big help to have an Earth savvy guide. My first possible contact for them isn't for over three weeks still, so I have plenty of time to make mischief here."

  "Just in case something happens to you, I would be willing to help your young men. You don't even have to tell me now when and where to contact them. Just set it up so I get told, if you can't be there yourself," Papa offered.

  That's very kind," she thanked Papa.. "I'll think about how to do that."

  "So, I have been neglecting you," She admitted to Adzusa. "How about if we do an interview in my new house? I'd like to call Kyrah and do another piece with CNN and I won't feel so bad if I give you a nicer story with more human interest. Wait ‘til the design center has all the new stuff in and it looks nice."

  The piece when they finished it was a success. It showed April sitting in the enormous great room of her new home. She had furnished it simply and tastefully with, the ultimate effect that it deliberately looked almost empty. After the crowded look even the biggest cubic on Home took on, it was a nice change. The camera view over her shoulder was of a few palms on each side of the pool, framing a panoramic view of forest preserve slopping away to the sea. Even the day cooperated, with a steady supply of gorgeous cumulus clouds scurrying across a blue sky. Adzusa feed her a steady line of questions, designed to allow her to describe life on Home. She made much of how she loved to share a cafeteria breakfast with friends and how many new emigrants and entrepreneurs were coming to Home. She was a one woman chamber of commerce, without a lot of threatening facts about the war or current relations in this interview. But Adzusa insisted it wasn't a fluff piece.

  * * *

  A new phenomena appeared that was strange and embarrassed April. She already had to deal with a few individuals who saw her on the news last year becoming obsessed with her. Now a handful of trend setting teenagers in California started copying the black and white outfits April wore, complete with a holstered toy laser pistol, which had the bright muzzle that marked it as a toy. At first it was a few bellwether girls, but within days a number of boys were sporting the look, which was quickly described as androgynous.

  That shifted April's response from embarrassed to irritated, because she didn't feel she looked androgynous. Just because she wasn't full figured and didn't wear makeup, was no reason to insult her. She was fifteen for crying out loud, well almost and spacers didn't favor heavy makeup or stinkum. The whole trend had taken hold and was unstoppable, before April even saw a news program detailing it.

  Then several fashion houses, that specialized in riding quick fads and doing knock-offs, started producing the outfits commercially. The pistol was sometimes a water pistol and one inspired manufacturer made their version into a cologne dispenser. Soon there were a thousand clones of April lounging the benches at the better malls and irritating their parents and security officers. Some cities started changing their laws within days of the trend being publicized, to prohibit display of toy weapons, that had been legal for a long time with the addition of the bright identifying color on the muzzle. It was presented as a safety issue, but it was obviously a political statement that was being banned. Nothing favorable to Home could be tolerated now and any mimicry appeared favorable.

  A few manufacturers quickly got around the prohibition by silk screening the image of a laser pistol directly on the outfit. Some were cute
, looking like they were tucked in the waist band. Since court rulings favored public images as a form of political speech, it was hard to ban. But wearing them was risky since it could cause security personnel to find some other problem to hassle you. Of course that made it even more attractive to many teens. At least it was just the sporty stuff she had made and wore already they copied. The dressy stuff that was almost done she thought was still confidential, until she wore it in public.

  Chapter 33

  Kyrah from CNN was eager to set up another interview. This time she suggested a more formal interview, in a local studio. April would have to go all the way into Honolulu for that. She asked if April would be interested in speaking for the audience, with someone actively seeking the presidential nomination, to replace President Wiggen. That sounded as confrontational as it could be and that's what April was here for, confrontation, so she accepted.

  "So, who are they going to have on with you?" Papa-san asked later.

  "Preston Harrison, Kyrah said he is an early declared candidate for the presidency. I assume he is opposed to peace with Home, since I don't think anyone but Wiggen is for it."

  "Yes," he admitted looking strangely at her, "he is opposed. He's the Patriot party candidate. You can't get more opposed than that. You haven't studied up on the possible candidates seeking nomination and their positions have you?"

  "No, it seemed like they all are pretty much the same, except some advocate quick action and others are willing to go slower, but they all want to discard the terms of surrender."

  "I'll have Adzusa get together a few of his news shorts. Kyrah will probably be happy to help her, not only as a colleague, but it will make for a better interview if you are prepared."

  * * *

  April went shopping for household things like towels and kitchen equipment. The superficial things like a fresh coat of paint were done at her new place and the really serious work of improvement would be going on long after she had gone home. Especially the heavier things, like tunneling a new sub-basement. Neither Lin nor Adzusa was free to go shopping and Papa worried about her, so she took along his man Li.

  She had seen Lin coming in a few times from a morning run. When she had asked about running at their property Papa-san had begged her not to, because they had little control or security on the perimeter, where Li and others of the staff ran. She asked why then, wasn't he worried about Li being in danger? He very reasonably pointed out Li was not a celebrity or a target. It was infuriatingly logical.

  After they went shopping they drove out of town along the coast, stopping at a little town that had a simple lunch place. Li had a very light lunch, but April had her usual. They were sitting on the shaded deck. The dinner was on the inland side of the road, but you could see the beach behind the buildings across the street and see it curving away into the distance, with a few tiny figures moving along it. April remembered how she had run on a virtual beach in the gym at home and craved experiencing the real thing.

  "You run every morning don't you Li? How far do you go?"

  "I go five to six kilometers every morning and then every three or four days I go further." He didn't mention he did Triathlons, or the diving and free weight work.

  "If we go down on the beach there can we run along for a good long way? Would anyone say anything, if we leave the truck in the parking lot for awhile?"

  "No, but you haven't ran in some time, you just ate a lunch that would have put me on the sofa to sleep it off for a couple hours and the heat is peaking out for the day. Are you sure it won't be too much?"

  "I run a bit on the treadmill every evening and I take some medication that enhances the training effect of the workout. That's just a normal lunch for me. Are you game?" she prodded.

  Li looked at the stretch and thought a moment, before he nodded yes.

  The real beach was much different than the virtual beach. For one thing it sloped. In the virtual beach the gym on Home produced it had been flat and she had never given it any thought how false that was. In reality even the very slight cross slope was quickly a strain to run across. The stride on the uphill side was shorter. The sand had a narrow band suitable for running. Too far away from the water and it was too dry and yielded too easily under your foot. Too far into the water and the grains were somewhat suspended by the water and yielded to the impact of the foot. That was even worse than the dry, because it seemed to want to grab the foot and keep it.

  The correct path took them through a hard narrow corridor, that was wet but drained, near the water's edge. Occasional waves would slide up the sand into the band, almost exhausted but for a foamy finger's depth. The shore birds would start to run from them, then lift away with a vocal protest, when they saw running was not going to take them far enough away.

  The wind off the surf was strong and steady and the salt mist seemed able to roll under her spex even and irritate her eyes, but it smelled wonderful. She got in a steady rhythm and felt that exhilaration that comes when the body channels its resources to the task and the flood of dopamine in the brain releases a cocktail of peptides. It was a runner's high. She was aware of the need to restrain herself because of the modifications Jerry had done on her. So she was monitoring herself carefully under the umbrella of euphoria, looking for problems with pain or coordination.

  It was the calm core of a race driver, glancing at his gauges as the track blurred by. It didn't spoil the thrill of the ride. Li was still behind her. She could hear his feet in cadence with hers. His stride was almost identical. But she was surprised when he gasped out a single word. "Road!" he called out and she looked up at the highway, now unobstructed by buildings. A car was running parallel with them. A big convertible with the top down and a fellow following them with an expensive professional video rig from the back seat. The driver never looked over keeping his attention on the road, but a man in the passenger seat waved at them friendly with a hat and April waved back. They didn't seem any danger. They kept running until the road curved away and Li gasped out another word finally, "Stop."

  April smoothly brought it down from a full run to a walk and pulled back beside Li. He was gasping desperately and staggering. April slipped an arm under his, concerned now and got him to put some weight on her shoulders.

  "Just lean on me and walk a bit. If you just stop you'll cramp all up. You should have said something earlier. I'd have eased off whenever you needed."

  "I wanted to get where the road turned away," he gasped. He breathed a little before he could continue. "I didn't want to stop where the newsies could come down and bother you."

  "Wouldn't have bothered me. I could have just turned around and run back, so they couldn't interview me if I kept moving."

  He had a panicked look. "You - could - run - back?" he breathed. "All - the - way - to the truck?" he wheezed.

  She nodded a yes. "I can run back now and get the truck, if you'd rather not walk back," she offered, not breathing hard at all.

  "Please, no. Papa-san would kill me. I'm supposed to guard you."

  Yeah, right, April thought, but said nothing as he walked along leaning on her and slowly regaining a steady gait as the shimmy in his legs eased off.

  The local station showed an unusually long clip of her running that night. The whole point of showing it would be lost if it didn't run long enough to make the viewers start to wander when she was going to falter from the pace. So since they needed commentary they filled the time with a very nice verbal review of her other public appearances. Opening an occasional smaller window to show some earlier video clip. Even someone not a runner could see the power with which she maintained a pace, that would have quickly exhausted someone else. The loose easy stride, with the trailing foot almost hitting her butt, as her hips turned to throw the leading foot stretched way out front, with a floating gait like a hurdler. It was as graceful as a thoroughbred running and ate up ground. Her arms were swinging loose with the hand not bunched in pumping fists, but cupped lightly so they looked mor
e like they were helping her swim through the air.

  It also made hatred well up in the hearts of some that correctly guessed the pace was a sign of gene mod advantage. When she passed a few other runners on the beach the contrast made it look like a cantering horse passing a trotter. Every once in awhile the camera would pan back enough to show Li running with power, but nowhere near April's grace just behind. When a few runners going the other direction passed the combined velocity made them a blur, as the camera stayed panned on her.

  Li sat in bed propped up, sucking on ice and watched himself on TV following. When they had gone down to the beach he had secretly planned to run her into the ground to teach her just a little humility, since he had downplayed his training level. Reviewing the whole thing now he was frightened to realize he had foolishly come close to harming himself, pushing to keep up at the end. He doubted if he would ever set a pace again, equal to what he had done today. He was happy that at least on camera, he looked like he could match April. It didn't show his faltering at the end, so his friends wouldn't be razzing him.

  * * *

  After dinner Papa-san invited April into his study for the first time, to see the news clips he had assembled for her on Preston Harrison. He also had samples of the man's fund raising ads and e-mails sent to potential supporters. He didn't seek any information from his old security contacts. He didn't see what use that depth of information would be to her. He showed it all to April, but refrained from commenting until she had seen them all.

  "I just have a hard time believing anyone takes this man seriously. He asserts all sorts of things, but never presents anything to support what he believes. Basically he says we are not the sort of people he likes. We are not religious enough and don't support what he sees as the common good. We buy medical care for ourselves that others can't afford, or is illegal. Yet it's the government’s regulations and decisions, that prohibit or refuse to pay for the care he is talking about. He never is clear if he thinks life extension is wrong, or if it's just wrong for us to buy it if everyone can't have it. I'm not sure he's even clear on that in his own mind. Well, if we don't care to be robbed of our wealth, to have it distributed to everyone else, I suppose that means we don't support the common good."