CHILDERS_Absurd Proposals
Page 26
"I have one last question for you all. When we emerge from hiding, do we take back the original name of the planet, and our cities, or do we keep them as they are. Yes or no, two questions. Planet? And cities?"
Petros waved a hand to MacDougal.
"Yes. Yes," MacDougal said.
"Yes. Yes," Simonov said.
"Yes. Yes," Jimenez said.
"Yes, No," Saunders said.
"Minister Saunders?" Petros asked.
"Many of our local businesses have the city's name in their title, Ma'am, or some reference to it. The Acropolis Restaurant in Athens as just one small example. I guess it could still be Greek themed and appropriately named, for all that. I'll change to a 'yes, yes,' Ma'am."
"All right. Thank you all."
Five Or Ten?
Durand had called Jan to set up an unscheduled meeting. Jan walked over to the Intelligence Division building, and they met in their normal secure conference room. Bill was also there.
"We've heard back from them," Durand said.
Even here, there was no elucidation of who he meant by 'them.'
"And the verdict is?" Jan asked.
"They've decided to host the hub operations of Galactic Mail."
"But have they also decided to come out of hiding?"
"Yes," Durand said.
"That's amazing, Jake."
"They have one condition. They want the head of the organization to serve five- or ten-year terms, and they want the initial shareholders to confirm you in your first term before other shares are issued. They want to make sure you aren't replaced after the first board meeting."
"But I won't always be the head of Galactic Mail," Jan said.
"They understand that, but they figure once you have a chance to set it up and put your mark on it, it will be more stable, more likely to follow its charter. And also that you will be confirmed for multiple terms once you have a track record."
"Have you simulated it? What does it do to your analysis?"
"Yes, we have. It actually comes out a bit better," Durand said.
"What about a CEO who is out of control?"
"We built in two mechanisms for removal before the end of term. Either a two-thirds vote of the board or a majority vote of the planets by mail. That makes it work."
"So, five or ten years?" Jan asked.
"It actually doesn't matter to the analysis, once we put the removal mechanisms in. The odds of success are marginally better with ten, but only because you have the first ten years for sure. If we assume you win re-appointment after the first five years, we get the same answer. What about you, Jan? Does it matter to you?"
"Not really. I assume I can step down at any time and force a replacement."
"Then I suggest ten," Durand said.
"Can you write up a report on your analysis, with an executive summary, for Desai and Turner? I can send it on."
"Sure."
Jan and Bill were sitting out on the porch of the big house on the Hill, looking out over Sigurdsen to the towers of Jezgra beyond.
"So what do you think?" Jan asked.
"About you heading up Galactic Mail?" Bill asked.
"Yes."
"Why wouldn't you do it? It's what we've been working up to ever since that trip back from Calumet over twenty years ago."
"I know. But it's time now. We have to decide," Jan said.
"You have to decide."
"Well, it affects you, too."
"I know, but it's your decision. Sure, maybe I have a veto, but I won't use it. It's too important," Bill said.
"Let me try a different tack. Two questions. One, do you think I should do it?"
"Yes. No question in my mind."
"Two, will the effect on you be for the better or worse?" Jan asked.
"For the better, I think. I've had my twenty-four in for a while. And as the CSF winds down, it's going to get boring around here. You're going where the action is. Or rather, you are where the action is, wherever you go. So I'm good with it."
Jan just looked at him, saying nothing.
"Truly," Bill said, "I'm good with it. I think it will be good to shake things up a bit. And if I can help, all the better."
"What about the kids?"
"The big thing there is the environment around them. We'll have a lot of former CSF around. I'm not sure it will be that big a disruption. Some new friends. There are people coming and going all the time in their school as it is. When people take deployments to other planets, they take their kids along."
"All right," Jan said. "We've been a team a long time. I didn't want to get out on a limb without tagging up with you. But if you're OK with it..."
"Go for it, Jan. Seriously. Go for it, make it work. I'll be there."
Jan sent a mail the next afternoon with Durand's analysis attached.
FROM: CHILDERS
TO: TURNER, DESAI
SUBJECT: BY-LAWS QUESTION
We have a perfect planet for GMD hub/HQ. Condition is Childers confirmed to five or ten year term prior to other shares being distributed. See attached. Q: Is this possible to put in the by-laws? Q: Is this desirable?
It was the next morning before she received a reply.
FROM: TURNER
TO: DESAI, CHILDERS
SUBJECT: BY-LAWS QUESTION
Goldberg says no problem re: by-laws. I approve.
It was followed minutes later by Desai's response.
FROM: DESAI
TO: TURNER, CHILDERS
SUBJECT: BY-LAWS QUESTION
Sounds like a good idea to me. Approved.
Jan sent a mail on to Durand.
FROM: CHILDERS
TO: DURAND
SUBJECT: BY-LAWS QUESTION
Goldberg says no problem. Turner, Desai approved. Let them know. Proceed on that basis.
Durand responded the next day.
FROM: DURAND
TO: CHILDERS
SUBJECT: BY-LAWS QUESTION
They want another meeting. Discuss announcement. Have four sites for inspection. Any time you want.
And so Jan found herself heading to The Yards once more.
Back To The Yards
The shuttle dropped down to the pad at The Yards planetary government center in Phoenix. Trade Minister Saunders and two aides met the shuttle and boarded. One was carrying a pretty large box.
"Welcome back, Admiral Childers," Saunders said. "Admiral Durand. Admiral Campbell."
Saunders shook hands with each in turn.
"And this is Admiral Pablo Johnson," Jan said. "He's the facilities and construction manager at Sigurdsen Fleet Base on Jablonka. I brought him along to help with site selection."
"Admiral Johnson," Saunders said, shaking his hand. "And these are my aides, Maria Fedorov, and Mikhail Greene. Maria has been researching the sites. Mikhail's my personal assistant, and he brought a picnic lunch for us all."
"Wonderful," Jan said. "Shall we get started? Lieutenant Durham here can pass the coordinates on to the pilots."
"Maria, give those coordinates to the lieutenant. Are they in the order we wish to visit them?"
"Yes, Minister."
Fedorov gave a sheet of paper to the lieutenant. Jan sat down and buckled in, and everyone followed suit.
"Whenever he's ready, Lieutenant," Jan said.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"All of the sites are close to one of our three largest cities. They are the only ones that could conceivably grow enough quickly enough to accommodate your needs. I thought we would start with the more remote sites, and then come back here for the two sites close to the capital," Saunders said.
"That will be fine, Minister Saunders."
"Below is the Athens site, Admiral."
"Lieutenant, ask them to circle the perimeter of the site with starboard toward the center," Jan said.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Johnson was looking out the starboard windows with interest as they surveyed the site. Once they had circled the site, he spoke up.
"Lieutenant," Johnson said, "Ask the pilot to put us down on the side of the site toward the city."
"Yes, Sir."
They set down, and they all debarked the shuttle. Johnson walked around, looking out at the site. He scuffed his work boots at the ground here and there as he walked.
This site was open prairie, with a bit of rolling hills. The fetched up against foothills on the horizon, with high peaks beyond. The city of Athens behind them was a couple of miles distant.
Jan looked at Johnson as he walked back up to the group. She raised an eyebrow when he looked at her.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. We could work with this," Johnson said.
They all got back into the shuttle and headed to the next site.
"Below is the Carthage site, Admiral."
They circled the site as before. This site was heavily wooded, and the hills were sharper, more defined, and maybe a hundred or a hundred and twenty feet tall. The site was also a little smaller than the Athens site.
The landed in a clearing on a hilltop at the edge of the site. Johnson walked around as before. The clearing had a pretty good view of the site and the nearby city.
"This one is a bit smaller, Ma'am. Your planned facilities would be more crowded. And these hills would be a lot of work. They're sandstone underneath, but it's still going to take a lot of work, a lot more than the Athens site."
They had a picnic lunch in the shade of nearby trees, then headed to the next site.
"There's actually two sites here at Phoenix, Admiral. One is closer in to the city, the other a little further out."
They checked the closer site first, about five miles north of Phoenix. It was smaller than the Athens site, but not so small as the Carthage site. It had some trees, and some rolling hills, but it was workable.
They checked the further site next, about thirty miles east of Phoenix. It was open grassland, miles and miles of it, and almost flat. Johnson kicked at the ground, then squatted on his heels and smelled at a handful of ground. He looked out at the site with his hands on his hips, nodding his head. He walked back to where Jan stood waiting.
"I like this one, Ma'am. I like it a lot. Lots of room, pretty flat, nice base without the rock being too close to the surface. This would be easy."
"Thank you, Admiral," Jan said. She turned to Saunders. "You saved the best for last, Minister. If the data on this site works out, tectonics and weather and the like, this looks like a winner."
When they got back to the government center, Johnson went off with Fedorov to look at the weather, tectonic, and other data on the sites, while Durand, Jan, and Bill accompanied Saunders to the conference room they had been in on the previous visit.
"Prime Minister Petros would like to meet with you privately, Admiral Childers, if that's all right," Saunders said.
"Of course," Jan said.
An aide arrived and showed Jan down the hallway to an office. He opened the door and let Jan in, then closed it behind her. It was a working executive's private office, not the decorative office that would be in all the pictures. Petros got up from the desk and came to shake her hand.
"Admiral Childers. Thank you so much for coming. Please, have a seat."
Petros waved to a seating arrangement to one side of her desk, and she and Petros both sat down.
"How do the sites look?" Petros asked.
"Actually, any of them would work. Minister Saunders did a nice job in selecting sites to propose. My construction manager likes the site east of Phoenix the best, assuming all the data about it are OK. You know, the rock and weather and that sort of thing."
"Excellent."
Petros consulted some notes on the table before she went on.
"Admiral, my cabinet has come to a decision to proceed on the Galactic Mail basing matter, assuming you would be its chief executive. You gave me reason to believe you had not yet made that decision the last time you were here. Have you made that decision now?"
This was it, Jan realized. It had all been tentative until now.
"Yes, Prime Minister. If Doma is prepared to host Galactic Mail, then I will be its executive."
The mention of the planet's historical name caused Petros to start a bit. She looked at Jan with serious eyes.
"How long have you known the truth, Admiral? Not just that we were hidden, but what planet it was?"
"Since I first came here, for the briefing on the new multiple-hyperspace ships three years ago, Prime Minister. I knew it as soon as I stepped out of the shuttle."
The Prime Minister raised her eyebrows.
"I was born on Earth," Jan said. "Doma is more like Earth than any other planet ever found, and it grabbed at me. At the same time, I studied history on Earth, not in the Commonwealth, where you had willing collaborators. I knew the history of Doma."
"I see. Our decision was dependent on your involvement. We have decided, as you required in turn, to come out of the shadows, but we have also decided to revert to the planet's historical name."
"The cities, too?"
"Yes, the cities will take back their historical names as well," Petros said.
"Nadezhda, Vera, Istina."
Once again, Petros was surprised.
"Yes. Hope, Faith, and Truth, in the Russian. Phoenix, Athens, and Carthage now. You are a good student of history, Admiral."
"I found the story tragic, Prime Minister. I mourned your cities in my youth. I am positively delighted the histories are wrong."
"I see. But please, maintain our secrets a while longer, Admiral. Now that you have committed, and the Earth and the Commonwealth have agreed to naming you to a ten-year term before the distribution of other shares, we need to take this to the legislature. My majority is strong there, and particularly with you heading Galactic Mail I foresee no problem, but I must follow the proper protocols."
"I understand, Prime Minister," Jan said.
"How would we handle the announcement?"
"That is something I would have to ask Chairman Desai and President Turner, Ma'am, but I believe they would be open to whatever you would prefer. You need to manage your emergence from the shadows of history more than we need to manage the siting announcement. The announcement of the formation of Galactic Mail will necessarily precede the siting announcement, but I think your announcement and the Galactic Mail announcement are independent. You can handle your announcement however you would like."
"Excellent."
Petros looked out the window across the government center in the middle of Nadezhda and sighed.
"I have long dreamed of a time when we need no longer hide, and you have given us both the opportunity and the motivation to come out of the shadows, Admiral Childers. You are already well respected here. This will only increase your reputation among our citizens."
Petros turned from the window back to Jan.
"Thank you for everything, Admiral Childers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
Astonishment
Two weeks later Jan got an encrypted mail by an indirect route.
FROM: PETROS
TO: CHILDERS
SUBJECT: EMERGENCE
The legislature has approved. Overwhelming vote. You may share all with Turner and Desai, but only them at this time.
Jan sent a mail to both Turner and Desai.
FROM: CHILDERS
TO: TURNER, DESAI
SUBJECT: MEETING REQUEST re: GMD HQ LOCATION
Request meeting soonest to disclose proposed GMD HQ location. Turner, Desai only at this time. Reason will become apparent at meeting.
Five hours later, Jan received the following mail:
FROM: TURNER
TO: DESAI, CHILDERS
SUBJECT: MEETING REQUEST re: GMD HQ LOCATION
My turn to come there. How about Friday?
Minutes later, Jan received the following mail:
FROM: DESAI
TO: TURNER, CHILDERS
SUBJECT: MEETING REQUEST re: GMD HQ LOCATION
F
riday is fine. See you then.
Desai and Jan were waiting in the Class 1 secure conference room adjacent to Jessen's area in one of the basements of the NOC when Turner was shown into the room by Admiral Jessen himself. No one else on Sigurdsen knew Turner was there. Jessen let Turner into the room and then left, securing the door behind him.
"Hi, Miriam. Hi, Jan," Turner said, hugging them both in turn.
He looked around the otherwise empty room.
"Nobody here but us chickens, huh?" Turner asked.
"Yes. Admiral Childers has been most secretive about it."
Turner sat down so he was on the other side of the conference table from Desai. Both of them were at the end of the table, with Jan at its head between them.
"I am going to tell you something I am not sure anyone else on this planet, or on Earth, knows. It will be made public soon, but I have been asked to tell only you two, and to ask you two to keep it to yourselves until the public announcement is made. The goal of this meeting is that you not be blindsided.
"I'm sorry, but I am going to have to ask each of you to commit to keep this confidential, from everyone, to fulfill my obligations."
"Of course, Jan," Turner said.
"Yes, of course, Admiral," Desai said.
Jan nodded, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Everyone knows the Commonwealth must have a secret shipyard somewhere," Jan said. "New construction comes into Jablonka 'from the yards' and the crews drop off the ship and leave with its escort to go back 'to the yards.' Three years ago I learned the yards are on a secret planet, called, in fact, 'The Yards.' Admiral Durand took me there, to the capital city of Phoenix, to see the multiple-hyperspace ships under construction, so I might plan strategy, doctrine, and maneuvers for the war with the Outer Colonies we were sure was coming.