A12 Who Can Own the Stars?

by Mackey Chandler

  Reg looked around the Council and was shocked to see the heads of Germany, Italy, and Portugal were staring at him with stern disapproval. He wasn’t even sure which one Joel was speaking about when he intimated that he had another vote in his pocket. Worse, a number of the smaller states had nodded agreement at the end of Joel’s comments, and he saw the signs several were in private discussions about it. The atmosphere was so obviously unfavorable he didn’t want to ask Joel for proof of his claims.

  “I thought the idea would be unanimously approved. Given the unexpected opposition to the matter, I withdraw it from discussion,” Reg said.

  * * *

  “In about a month we are going to go pick up our bicycles at Mr. O’Neil’s store,” Vic told Alice. When we return, we’ll be able to go faster. I’m going to take a little longer return route over by the state highway and collect some solar panels as you suggested.”

  “The ones that run highway signs?” Alice asked.

  “Yes, I know where there’s a line of flashers on a long downhill with a curve. I want the panels and batteries. I may take some of the LEDs, and Arlo told me he wants the aluminum poles they are on if we can reasonably bring them back too.”

  “If they are still there,” Alice said, dubiously.

  Vic shrugged. “First chance we’ve had to get to them,” he pointed out. “But going over on the state highway may still be a little risky. Do you want to take that risk with us?”

  “When I’m getting a bike out of the deal? That would be pretty ungrateful of me not to,” Alice declared. Why don’t we go to your curve from the closest place we can access the highway and get back off as soon as we can? Even back-track a bit if we need to rather than press on down the state Highway too far?”

  “That’s good thinking,” Vic agreed. “We’ll make every effort to stay safe.”

  Chapter 14

  “He doesn’t want to see it?” Jeff asked.

  “I know, it surprised me too. If I were paying this kind of money for something, I think I’d want to look at everything, especially the important parts like the environmental systems.

  “He could send somebody to inspect it. People do that with a house.”

  “Whose side are you on?” Milly asked pointedly.

  “I do take your meaning,” Jeff agreed. “I would not actively discourage him from buying. I admit I might question a Home businessman who didn’t seem to be guarding his interests. We have a different expectation of community in our dealings and I’d be concerned he might be dissatisfied later.”

  “I’m obligated to present any offer,” Milly said. “You are not obligated to take it. I don’t believe in Central or Home there is even any obligation to take a full price offer. You could decide I priced it too low and withdraw it. In any case, this is a counter. Liem Handoko is bidding for a consortium of partners from several nations. They offer eight-hundred million Australian dollars and four tons of gold with you responsible for lifting it to orbit and on to wherever you wish it to end up.”

  “Who are his partners?” Jeff wondered.

  “Does it really matter? Do you want me to demand a list?” Milly asked.

  “No, no. I’d be put off if somebody asked that of me for a cash deal. Their creditworthiness isn’t any concern of mine if I’m not financing it. That is a generous offer in my estimation, but I have concerns about where I can safely load and lift that much gold,” Jeff said. “Most Earth nations are not friendly to the private ownership of gold. I can picture myself having assumed custody by local law and find it seized before I can leave with it.”

  “I thought you were on rather good terms with Australia,” Milly said.

  “We are, by Earth standards. I’m reminded of what happened with Irwin Hall. He thought he was on good terms with one side of the North American government, only to find another agency was willing to brand him a criminal and jail him for their agency over the other.”

  “Then the amount offered satisfies you?” Milly asked.

  “Yes, I was near ready to walk away from it. Getting anything is wonderful. You might have been shocked how low I’d go if we hadn’t received any interest at all. But I’d like to be able to collect it safely. They tend to get rough with you down there. Ask Irwin.”

  “Then specify where you are willing to accept it. It’s a counter to add conditions but I can see where you need to do that. If they refuse… then maybe it wasn’t a good faith offer anyway,” Milly concluded.

  “We have an ocean-going ship that stays in a remote area of the South Pacific and acts as a landing pad for shuttles. That’s a possibility. The other choice might be Hawaii. Give me a couple of hours to talk to April. She was talking to me about Hawaiian money and policy recently. It left me thinking they will be more favorable to commodity-backed currencies. We have the ear of someone who knows the situation on the ground there. I’ll ask her to inquire and see if it is safe to do a transfer there. We already land shuttles there occasionally, but with more mundane cargoes.”

  “I’ll write it up both ways and be ready to send it when you can get back to me,” Milly promised, and ended the call.

  * * *

  April was surprised to see Joel on her screen. “Monsieur Durand,” she said nodding.

  “Dear lovely sweet girl… stick to English. Your accent is abominable.”

  If he expected her to take offense, he was disappointed. She laughed.

  “I’ve been studying Japanese for years and am nowhere near mastering it. I don’t think I have a knack for languages. Now is hardly the time to take up French seriously. You have an accent to my ear, but it’s nowhere near abominable to me.”

  “Thank you, I suspect we are more… sensitive about it,” Joel admitted.

  “We don’t even have legal definitions,” April pointed out. “I can barely understand some Brits or Australians who are native speakers. How bad could you sound? I understand you.”

  “Good, because I would rather discuss sensitive matters directly without a translator. Since you have shared confidential things with me, I feel compelled to return the favor. Perhaps we can continue to build on the relationship, even if we are competitors in some areas.”

  “I expected you to share what I told you with Mylène, and perhaps Pierre.”

  “Perhaps not Pierre,” Joel insisted. “Pierre is… obvious.”

  “Readable,” April suggested in agreement, “like a book.”

  “Without guile, no rusé,” Joel said. “Which is not without merit, in a saint.”

  “That’s why you sent him to us ill-informed,” April reminded him.

  “Of course. If I told him I might as well inform the press. But he has the advantage he’s so scrupulously honest he won’t invent authority to come back with a deal we didn’t want. But I have something new to share if you’d like to keep trading secrets,” Joel said and gave her a wink that made her laugh again.

  “Please, though I have no idea when I’ll have a secret to trade again.”

  Joel waved that away like a fly. “Pierre offered you a trade secret. A process to manufacture fuel instead of simply collecting it.”

  April nodded she remembered.

  “Without giving it away freely, be aware someone else seems to be buying up materials necessary to the process. We have no idea who, yet. But I thought you’d value knowing.”

  “Oh, yes. I think Jeffery in particular will be very interested. I do owe you one,” April said.

  “My dear, you may owe me two or three if it proves its value.”

  “We’ll see,” April said, and disconnected.

  Now, if Chen and company could find an unusual pattern of materials purchases, Jeff might be able to deduce the process inside that particular black box. April smiled.

  * * *

  “The Business Minister of the Hawaiian Republic assures us that it is in his purview to allow free trade and transport in precious metals,” Jeff told Milly. “Indeed the freedom to do that and some other things that
other nation-states are forbidding is part of their plan to attract business and the emigration of wealthy individuals to the islands. So you may go ahead and offer Mr. Handoko’s group the price and terms they want but with delivery to The Isle of Hawaiki, loitering in international waters in the South Pacific, or to the Big Island in Hawaii.”

  “You folks do know the oddest people,” Milly said.

  Jeff looked at her quizzically. “Does that include yourself?”

  He didn’t understand why she guffawed and terminated the call shaking her head.

  * * *

  “Miss Anderson,” Dr. Holbrook said appearing on her screen. “We have the third sub-laboratory prepared to receive an artifact and I am curious if you have any timetable for when we will retrieve it?”

  “That’s kind of up in the air at the moment,” Heather admitted. “If you have somebody sitting twiddling their thumbs waiting for it, you might as well assign them somewhere else. The situation has changed radically on Mars. There was a coup, the old administration is gone, and we don’t know anything about the new one. It may be too dangerous to land to take on more passengers or the last artifact. We have no idea if they will honor the deal of the previous government, and they have such serious problems they may be driven to desperate measures. I’ve never trusted them, and they could try something stupid, like a hijacking.”

  Holbrook paused, looking thoughtful, probably parsing the conversation in his mind.

  “If their revolution was successful, why are they so desperate?” he puzzled.

  “It was successful on Mars, they didn’t attend to the detail of making sure it was successful on Earth. They didn’t have the patience or foresight to see the need for that. It was bad planning. Revolutionaries tend to be emotional and spontaneous. They often are good at overthrowing without being able to attend to the details of governance afterward.

  “I’m guessing the wealthy supporters on Earth were left uncertain if they still had a special relationship with the colony so they withdrew support. The Martian consul, who was given frightening orders and no reassurance he had any place in the new regime, absconded with the entire fund of the previous administration. That leaves them without any way to fund or force the launch of the next supply mission by the Sandman.”

  Holbrook looked horrified. “Is anyone tracking this thief down?”

  “Got me, ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys,’ as the saying goes. I suggested he run before they rewarded him the same as the rest of the previous government. If he’s too stupid to disappear with a few hundred million euromarks to fund it, I’m not going to hold his hand to tell him how. I already gave him a few hints about extradition and such.

  “I wouldn’t get too invested in condemning him. He had clear authority to manage the funds and disperse them. You could make a good case that he is the entire legitimate Mars government in exile now. Why would he want to fund the people who just killed off his people? There aren’t any good guys in this story to root for, believe me.”

  “You suggested it? But, it’s just him versus, what? A couple hundred on Mars?” he asked.

  “Oh, Jimmy, if you really believed the meme that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, you’d have gone back to Earth when Armstrong wanted to ship all of you back. Didn’t their billions need you more than serving your own selfish goals up here? I bet that at your core you know the Earthies’ needs are bottomless. They would swallow up your life like nothing. Show no improvement for your sacrifice, and spit you out with no reward.”

  Holbrook nodded before he disconnected, which was just perfunctory acknowledgment that he’d heard, not agreement, Heather was sure. He still seemed horrified beyond even making a reply to her. She might have gotten through his shell and scared him. If he thought she was safe because he was so much smarter, he needed to learn differently, before he found himself standing before her judgment someday.

  Heather considered that she might regret taking Holbrook’s oath. She had known him for a much shorter time than others before accepting his oath. That might be a lesson to remember. If he wanted to be released from it, he’d be the first and she’d grant it. She wasn’t going to strip him of it without a request. He was welcome at Marseille too, and could probably get citizenship there easily enough.

  For that matter, Armstrong was no longer under North American control. They would probably take him back now if he wanted. She wouldn’t beg him to stay. He was an asset to Central and her partnership, but dealing with his peculiarities was difficult. Coming to a clear understanding about anything with him was much harder than dealing with Jeff, without the advantage of him being anywhere near as likable.

  * * *

  “Good morning April.” Jeff was looking positively elated, which looked weird. He hardly ever smiled anything but a wry smile of amusement. It looked unnatural on his face.

  “Why is it so good?” April asked cautiously.

  “I just unloaded my white elephant. Camelot had to be a trap of historically epic proportions,” Jeff said, demonstrating big with his hands, “the Chinese authorities who engineered abandoning it must be watching in dismay as I sell it for a profit.”

  “Milly fixed you up?” April asked hopefully since she’d recommended her.

  “She did a marvelous job. I was prepared for it to takes years not weeks. She gets five percent and I had advanced funds for marketing against that, but she exceeded my expectations so well I’m just going to eat that. It was less than fifty thousand Australian for listing services and professional translation services for her web presence.”

  “Are you going to give Annette a little something like we discussed?”

  “I thought to pay her the same as Milly. Does that seem reasonable to you? She worked longer and harder, but she was paid for that all along. This is all a windfall bonus.”

  “I don’t know,” April said. “How much did you get for it?”

  “Eight hundred million dollars Australian and four tons of gold,” Jeff said.

  His eyebrows came together and he appeared to think hard suddenly.

  “I should just pay them in gold, shouldn’t I? We can dispose of the Earth money doing business far easier than them. What are they going to do with dollars? Order all sorts of things lifted to convert it? Buy equities like Eddie? Even Irwin would have trouble exchanging it.”

  He nodded to himself and calculated.

  “Given the fiction that the payments are roughly equal, I’ll give each of them sixteen thousand solars. At least on account. I have no idea what form I’m getting. We’ll have to coin it, I’m sure.”

  “That’s four kilograms. That’s generous, not making them take junk dollars like you are. If they aren’t happy with that, they’re greedy. It wasn’t that long ago we struggled to raise any cash,” April remembered.

  “Australian dollars aren’t so bad,” Jeff objected. “Not like NA dollars or euromarks.”

  “But you are going to spend them first, aren’t you?” April insisted.

  “You better believe it. How about if I take you to dinner in Honolulu to celebrate?”

  “Are you nuts? Haven’t I cured you of visiting the Mud Ball?” April asked. “I knew there was going to be a dark side to this when I saw that grin.”

  “Well, the gold has to be picked up. Diana has been pestering you to visit your house, and it seems rather safe in Hawaii right now.”

  “You’re going to pick up all four-tons at once?” April asked. “The Chariot will handle like a pig and be vulnerable. Is it even within your DeltaV to get it safely back to Home?”

  “We jumped out just fine below orbit before. I figured I’d just lift a few kilometers and jump clear of Earth. Otherwise, we would get back pretty dry,” he admitted.

  “As a regular thing, not just for emergencies? In front of everyone?”

  Jeff just shrugged, a little sheepish. “It works or it doesn’t. I’d much rather have you sitting the second seat and weapons board than anyone else.”r />
  What could you say to such a compliment?

  * * *

  “The number of North American flights to ISSII and most of their military satellites have dropped off considerably,” Chen said. “They have increased lifts to the military satellite they keep parked looking right down at the center of their continent. It’s also one of the few manned sats at the geosynchronous level.”

  “How very interesting. Do you have any idea what they are up to?” April asked.

  “All I can tell you is they used a couple of heavy lifters. If it wasn’t massive it would be much cheaper to do multiple small launches or use shuttles. It’s inconvenient to watch them. I’d need to place three satellites in either a slightly higher or lower orbit to have one looking at them continuously. They’d likely figure out that was their purpose quickly.”

  “Could you find a gap and put our satellite at that level looking across at it?” April asked, illustrating what she meant with hand motions.

  “If you want me to start another war,” Chen said. “It’s crowded at that level. Since the UN was effectively destroyed, all the parking spots that they officially granted have been jealously guarded. Arabia even made a huge voluntary payment to Afghanistan to acquire a spot they owned. It could reignite the controversy that happened when we planted ourselves here.”

  “We often rent time on surveillance satellites,” April mused. “Could we buy time and have them turn the camera to look across at the American satellite instead of down?”

  “I’ll have to ask. I’m not sure if the optics can focus at different distances or if they are built narrowly to look at Earth. Also, we don’t usually buy the entire feed from a sat. We buy a window cut out of their larger image. They sell the entire thing or other blocks to multiple customers. We pay for running the software to separate our image, and the bandwidth to send it. If we make them drop other feeds, they will charge a lot more. Realigning the satellite and back when we are done will cost too. Expect it to be pretty expensive.”

  “That’s OK, this is one of those cases where my gut feeling is that we need to know what’s going on far more than economizing. Don’t even tell me how much it is so I can’t chicken out. Have you told Heather and Jeff?” April asked him.