by Bob Mauldin
“I see that you folks have set yourselves up on a military basis. I’m not objecting to that, don’t get me wrong,” Brian said sincerely, “but I want to know how you keep all these people in line. I mean, it’s not like you have the authority to punish people. What happens if somebody says, ‘I don’t feel like swabbing the deck today’?”
Kimura was silent as the elevator descended to the transporter level. “Two things keep people in line,” she said as she led him down an identical corridor. “One is the ship itself. I mean, look around you. What would you give to live and work here?”
“I really don’t know,” he retorted. “All I’ve seen are an elevator and a couple of metal-walled corridors. I’ll admit the beam-up effect is a good one, but give me a break, okay? Disney World can do just as good.”
“Point taken,” Kimura conceded. “I’ll make you a promise. When you return, I’ll personally give you a tour of the ship. Another part of the answer is ‘location,’ if this isn’t a ‘special effect,’ of course. Look around you. We’ve spent an enormous effort in the asteroid belt, for Christ’s sake, to build three space docks, and we’re going out to build a fourth as soon as we get this new mess straightened out. It’s not the weightlessness of the International Space Station, but the futuristic artificial gravity of the movies. It’s not a baby step out into the cold, hard universe, but seven-league boots with which we can stride from star to star. The final part of your answer is that anyone who, for whatever reason, doesn’t want to be here can go home. And if they didn’t follow the rules that come down from on high, they’d be banished forever to that tiny, crowded, overheated mud ball down there. Each and every person who signs on knows that up front. Some just don’t sign on, and others find out that we mean business. But those cases are rare. It takes a very adventurous spirit to even contemplate the existence of a group like this one, much less take a chance on coming up here, until recently, that is. Would you take a chance on being kicked out with no chance of returning? I don’t think so, and neither do several thousand others.”
“Do you have the concept of ‘illegal orders’?” Brian said as they approached the door marked Transport Control.
“Of course. I can’t give you an order to kill someone, for example,” Kimura explained. “If I did, the trouble would land on my shoulders. I have a responsibility to you as a ‘superior officer,’ just as you have one to me as a crewman. Here we are. Dr. Jeffers. It’s been a pleasure to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand. “I hope to see you again soon. And I do hope your information about Simon pans out. For Captain Kitty’s sake. For all of us.”
Lucy was only marginally aware of Brian and Kimura leaving the room as she let her mind move onto another level. “We need someone who knows Aurora. Fortunately, a lot of our volunteers come from the Denver area, so we shouldn’t have too much trouble in that department. Get our sensors trained on the police station as soon as we have it positively identified and see if we can locate Simon and Daniels. They would probably be in one of the more secure areas of the building, and for the most part, alone. I expect that sooner or later, FBI agents will arrive to interrogate Daniels if Dr. Jeffers’ story is true, or pin a medal on him if it isn’t. In either event, they’re probably in one of the most secure areas, and I want to be able to snatch Simon and Daniels as soon as possible.
“Marsha, your job is to locate anyone who’s familiar with the Aurora police station. Gayle, downside reconnaissance will be your job since you have the least exposure. Our one exposure in Switzerland shouldn’t get you recognized in street clothes. Stephen, you’re on the technical aspect of things. See what our sensors can make of the interiors of the buildings and the movements of people inside them. Draft whoever you need. Just get results! As soon as Rukia gets back from getting Jeffers home, she, and Lloyd, and I will be returning to Zurich to find out what the Security Council has to say. I also want to know what the Swiss have to say about setting up an embassy. I think we’ll pass on having all three countries in agreement before setting up the first one.
“I’m really looking forward to Simon’s return, assuming he’s alive, of course. I’ll take great pleasure in turning this mess back over to him. In the meantime, remember that the next mission for the Galileo is the building of Taurus Base. That means, ladies and gentlemen, that once we leave orbit, and we will leave soon, we’ll be dependent on our shuttles for space-to-ground support. I’ll probably be transferring my—or more appropriately, Simon’s—flag to Niven. Sorry, Robert. Your ship will be staying in orbit to give weight to our presence here for a while. Once other ships roll off the line, your shuttles will be required to act as ferries to bring the new crews aboard. Once the Galileo finishes her job building Taurus Base, I plan to have her spend most of her time here freeing the Niven up for other duties.
“Specifically, I want the Niven to be one of the first ships to leave Earth space and actually begin to explore the surrounding stars I remember Simon and Kitty talking about in three-ship groups—two cruisers and a carrier. That will be the first thing to come out of Taurus Base if I can convince Simon to do it. Two ships with ten Mambas each and a carrier with forty more would make a pretty formidable taskforce. I think a supply ship would be a good idea as well, so four ships in all for our first foray into interstellar space. Is that a good enough carrot to dangle in front of you to keep you in good spirits, Robert?”
“I’ll say! What kind of timeframe do you have in mind…”
Brian beamed back down into the same room he’d left and saw the same young woman sitting in a chair, reading a book.
“Maybe I’m just not on the right wavelength,” she said, “but this Ambrose Bierce thing is a bit overrated for my taste. What do you think?”
“I’d never heard of him before, so I have no opinion the subject,” Brian responded distractedly. “How do I get back in touch with my brother?”
“In such a hurry! Let me make a phone call.” The young woman punched a number into a cell phone beside her and waited for a few seconds. Without speaking a word, she shut the unit down and said, “Go out front and wait. A blue car will be along to pick you up and deliver you to your brother. I’ll really be glad when all this cloak-and-dagger stuff isn’t necessary anymore, even if it is kind of fun. Stop in sometime when you aren’t looking for anything in particular, Mr. Jeffers.”
“Okay, Brian, give,” Timothy said as Brian slipped into the seat vacated by his impostor. “By the way, we had dinner while you were gone. I didn’t think it would look good if ‘we’ had dinner again, so I brought you this. He handed over a Styrofoam container.
“Well, long story short,” Brian replied, “I got beamed aboard a spaceship. I think it was their Galileo. Neat thing, that. It felt like one long mild electric shock. Anyway, I was led down a long metal-walled corridor, up an elevator, along another corridor, and got interrogated. Then I got returned the same way I arrived. It’s the details that make the story interesting though.”
After relating his part of the adventure, Timothy took a turn. “Mine isn’t nearly so involved. Actually, I did have dinner with a relatively good replica of you. I found out that there are about a thousand people who, for one reason or another, can’t go on active-duty positions at this time. They’ve formed what they call the ‘Terran Alliance Underground,’ and do thing like what happened tonight. Your double says they’ve about mined the Denver area out of recruit material, so they’re looking at other cities to recruit from if the embassy idea doesn’t fly.”
Dressed in a conservatively cut three-piece suit, Baron von Schlenker appeared to be the consummate businessman that he, in fact, was. “I only play dress-up for some of our galas, not all of them,” he responded to Lucy’s compliments on his appearance. “My dear wife says that I’ll never grow up. But you did see that she out-dressed any of our guests that night, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Freddie, I did. But don’t you dare tell her I said so. I’d just have to call you a lia
r to your face. I make it a rule not to upset the woman of the castle,” Lucy quipped a she followed the Baron on a tour of the now-furnished building he’d donated to the Alliance. “How did you get this done so fast? Everything was dust, cobwebs, and bare floors four days ago!”
“It helps to live in a country that still believes in royalty and having the word ‘baron’ in front of your name. It also helps to have money and contacts.” The baron waved his hand dismissively. “This was nothing.”
“It still costs money, Freddie, and I don’t know how we’ll repay you, or when,” Lucy said. “As much as we do have, money isn’t one of the things we’re rolling in.”
“I won’t lie to you, Lady Lucile. This did cost a bit but not more than I can afford. Even Margit agreed that the money was well spent.” A glint appeared in the old Baron’s eye. “There is a way you can repay us though. Both of us would like to visit your marvelous ship, the Galileo, is it? Then, of course there’s the first year’s rent on the property. I think we agreed on one dollar, yes? That would be in cash, of course, for which you would get a receipt. The estate will foot the bills for the utilities. And don’t think we’ll be getting nothing out of this. The publicity alone will be worth all the expense. At this early stage of the game, who can say where the financial trails may lead? And that doesn’t even begin to include the prestige, and yes, the notoriety, which will accrue just by being associated with you.”
“Notoriety can be a two-edged sword, Freddie. Someone predicted that the flow would reverse after a time. When the governments of the world finally figure out that they can’t bully us into giving out technology we don’t want to part with, they’ll turn mean. Things like illegal arrests and secret interrogations will begin to happen. Star chambers, if you will, and possibly worse. Everybody wants a new weapon to wave in the face of everybody else. Some of the stuff we’ll release can be converted to weapons, but that’s true of a lot of things. A clever person took two sticks and some string and made a weapon that killed at a distance. What do you think clever people can do with matter-conversion technology? Or antigravity? Or some of the more advanced solar technology? Energy storage devices?
“It’s going to be bad enough when people start going out of business because of the new technologies. We want to minimize that by releasing things slowly, but some won’t be able to cope with even that, and it will add to the ranks of unemployed. Children will grow up with the newer technologies, and they’ll be more comfortable than the older generations. Look at what happened when kids got hold of computers. We figure it will take a full generation before everything’s integrated—say twenty-five years, maybe more. But we hope that, before then, we can become an integrated part of Earth society. That way, the whole planet will get the benefit of technology that will take us to the stars as a race rather than individuals.”
The Baron led Lucy through a door on the second floor of the building. “This I envision as your secretary’s office,” he said striding across the room. Without pausing, he opened another door. “And here’s what I had in mind for you, my dear Lucy.” With a grand flourish and a bow, he waved her into the spacious office.
“This is...is...” Lucy’s voice trailed off as she took in the scene—huge oak desk, upholstered chair, and an entire wall of glass that gave a view of the Alps that was “to die for.” Several chairs, somewhat less grand, faced the desk, while across the room a grouping of chairs and a couch gave a more informal place to relax, all fitting beautifully around the fireplace found in almost any space this large.
“I thought to put a few pictures on the walls just to liven them up but decided to let you do that for yourself,” the Baron said expansively. “I have several paintings that would go nicely in here. Several of the old masters come to mind, but you’d probably like something more in keeping with the, shall we say, futuristic aspect of your Alliance. Allow me to work with an idea that just came to mind. If you don’t like it, you can change it.”
“Agreed,” Lucy answered. “And thank you for what you’ve done so far, which brings up another point I’ve had rolling around in my head. I think we need a lawyer—attorney, barrister, whatever they’re called. Maybe more than one. Someone we can trust to look after Alliance interests on Earth and keep things from getting all balled up. We don’t need to see any revenue from licensing rights or outright sales of technology getting held up in the courts, and someone’s bound to try at some point. It would be better to be prepared for attacks of those kind just as much as overt physical assaults, don’t you think?”
“You are wise beyond your years, Lady Lucille. It would be wise indeed, and I have just the group for you. Incidentally, three of the partners in this group have already approached me for invitations to the next gala in hopes of meeting you. And the fourth! He has threatened to sue me for not inviting him to the last one! Each has children who would do well to get some discipline from some branch of military training, and your Alliance would serve admirably, I think. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to entertain the idea, my dear.”
“I think that’s a remarkable idea, Freddie. There are complications I can’t discuss just yet, but I’d certainly be willing to meet with these gentlemen. And that brings me to another thought. I’ve come to the conclusion that we need somebody to represent us before the Security Council and possibly the world. It’s obvious to me that no one I know of is well enough versed in international matters to handle things without ruffling a lot of feathers. I want you to take on the job for us, and I have no idea how to go about asking except straight out. Will you do it? And speaking of leverage, has your government accepted us using this building as our official embassy?”
“Not yet,” the Baron admitted, “but it will surely happen. There’s too much to gain not to. It’s my opinion that my government will wait to see what the Council does. Everything is contingent on that. And I’m honored that you would think of my poor, humble self to represent you. I accept.”
“You see, Freddie,” Lucy said, sinking into the overstuffed chair, “that’s why you’d be perfect for the job. I’ve only known you for a short while, but I would call you neither poor nor humble. You almost made me believe you, though,” she said with a laugh. “Now, how about that visit to the Galileo you asked for? Let me give you the full tour. If you’re going to speak for us, you should know what you’re talking about.”
An hour after sending the Baroness back to the castle, Lucy summoned her staff to a Captain’s Call. “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Baron Manfred von Schlenker,” she said as soon as the last person was seated. “He has agreed to be our representative to the United Nations and to assist in acquiring a very prestigious law firm to take any cases that might arise wherein we need a defense. He’s our newest volunteer, so to speak. As such, I believe he needs to know something about how we operate. He no doubt believes that everything we do is exciting...”
Laughter rolled around the table, stopping her for a few seconds.
“But,” she went on, throwing enough emphasis into that one word to silence the room, “I have some serious news. As you know, we’re in communication with two men in the Denver area who help us get our volunteers. They’ve informed me that several of our recruits have been identified and have had their families picked up for ‘questioning.’ Since I made my name and face public, I checked on my folks. They’ve been picked up, too, as have Marsha’s and Jerry’s. My first reaction was disbelief, then anger, and I’m sure everyone affected feels the same. After talking with the baron, I feel that we have several ways to go with our responses. If I have to use world opinion, I surely will. The Baron was quick to point out that America wouldn’t like the ‘what goes around, comes around’ approach, as they’ve so often yelled about human rights violations in other countries. Laying it right on their own doorstep would be a bit much to take. Immediately after this meeting, I’ll be getting in touch with Brandon Galway. I imagine an earful to him will get to the president in a hurry. I
ask each of you to remain calm and let us try to get the problem resolved. And we won’t be leaving orbit until it is resolved.”
Standing at the head of the table, Lucy unconsciously leaned all of her weight onto her arms, hands splayed out before her. Looking around, she said, “Now to smaller things. First, a job for Rukia. As soon as we are finished here,” she said, turning to her, “get in touch with Victor McCord on Libra. Tell him we need another name for commander of Taurus Base ASAP. Someone willing to go out with us on this trip. I plan to have the Galileo break orbit as soon as we get our little problems solved, and I’d like to have someone he trusts to take charge of the construction phase. Second,” she continued, turning to Robert. “I need to get my offices moved from here to the Niven. Commander Kimura and Lieutenant Ross will assist you in getting that done. I’ll be beaming down to talk to our dear friend Galway about Simon and Daniels. I’ve already started the process to put a bug in the Security Council’s ear about it.”
She went on to explain Baron von Schlenker’s new role in Alliance affairs in more detail. “Next is Galway, and after that, if I have to, I’ll go to our pet reporter and give her the dirt so she can tell the world how our own country is jailing our family members again in an attempt to coerce us.”
“Since you’re going to talk to Galway, Lucy,” Marsha said, “give him a message from me personally, will you? Tell him that pissed off isn’t even close to how I feel right now, and the more I think about it the madder I get! Make sure he understands that!”