April 3: The Middle of Nowhere

by Mackey Chandler

  "Does that mean you'd rather not ride if we need a fourth for our polo team?" April asked.

  Gunny blinked at her. "Heh, you had me for a second there," Gunny admitted grinning.

  "Do what you want tonight. You should have a couple days off really to acclimate and learn how everything works, like the bed. If you want to meet Heather and Jeff you are welcome to come along."

  "Well, I have to eat anyway. Better with company than sitting in the cafeteria alone. I'll get to see if this guy is really eight foot high with laser beams shooting out of his eyes."

  "You probably couldn't sit long in the cafeteria before somebody was curious about you and asked to join you. But come on. We're going to the beam dogs' cafeteria at the other end. It's quite a bit different. It caters to the short term workers, the young folks who work in vacuum.

  "Does my new card work there too?"

  "Yeah, but you asked about customs. Custom is we don't crowd the place when it is busy with actual workers near shift change. They need to eat and get to work or maybe eat and get to bed. But if you go a little off–time then everybody is welcome. I never thought of it when you asked because we don't have a lot of rules. One other I thought of – it is considered very poor form to wear strong scent of any kind. Sealed up in limited cubic it's rude to impose on others."

  "Oh yeah. I've been stuck in an elevator with some old lady that just bathes in that crap. You like to faint away before your floor comes up and you can escape. That's a good one."

  "Gunny, people raised up here, who have never had their sense of smell dulled by pollution have really sensitive noses. All my friends carry sanitary wipes and don't just wipe with paper after using the toilet, they wash with a wet wipe. You might think on adapting it because they will smell you if you don't. A lot of people shower mid-day too. I always shower if I go to the gym and work out or have a run."

  "Is there any limit on water use? Or is it metered and the charges will add up?"

  "No, we can use as much water as we want. But you can't retain any significant amount without permission. They use a low pressure still so it's cheap to recycle it. And they use a column separator to remove the other volatiles, so it is cleaner than most water you'd get down in the USNA."

  In that case I better take a quick shower before we go," Gunny decided. "You need to tell me where to take my laundry too."

  " And we'll set the house lock to your hand on the way out too," April promised.

  * * *

  When Gunny stepped out of the elevator it was his first visit to a partial G level. April had warned him so he was cautious. He walked a little normally, then tried breaking into a run, which was hard to do and making quick turns. There was a real lack of traction when you were lighter.

  The corridor wasn't as fancy as at the full G level, although it wasn't as bare as an industrial corridor. They could smell the food as soon as they stepped out of the elevator and the music was a low beat. Gunny surprised her by dancing a skipping step ahead to the music. He moved lightly for a big guy. He spun around, totally adjusted to the lower G already and had a grin like she hadn't seen on him.

  "That some good music," he declared. "Is that the Arrogant Aardvarks?"

  "I don't know. I don't really follow popular music. I tend to stuff that's, uh, quieter."

  "There's a time for quieter, but this makes you move."

  Heather and Jeff were at a table near the buffet. There was a room to one end with a big screen and a little dance floor. The bar was in there and the music. The other side had another room with smaller screens, lounge furniture and tables that was perfect for gaming and cards. In between was a self serve counter where you could make your own burgers or omelets.

  Heather got up and hugged April. Gunny went ahead and introduced himself to Jeff and sat down opposite. April did manage to introduce Heather formally and just patted Jeff on the arm.

  "What are they serving today?" April asked.

  "This week is Mexican/South American," Jeff answered. "The chiles rellenos, the empanadas and the feijoada are really good. The cheese and vegetable enchiladas have nopales and diced tomatoes in them. The cook will make fresh gorditas for you if you ask."

  "Do you folks know those people?" Gunny asked with a slight nod. All three looked over at the loud bar and a dozen people waved and one fellow stuck his fingers in his mouth and let off a whistle that would shatter glass. They all waved back so Gunny joined in not wanting to look stuck up or unfriendly.

  "I don't know any by name, but everybody knows April," Heather said matter of fact. April blushed but she'd learned talking to Jelly that protesting was usually counterproductive.

  A big fellow in subtle tangerine shorts and a yellow silk t-shirt came over to their table with a tray. It had a large pitcher of dark beer and four glasses.

  "Thanks for your service," he directed to April. "This is Apogee Amber. We had a brewing house open in Home last week. I highly recommend it."

  He'd have left without pushing his company on them, but April asked his name.

  "I'm Steve. I service pressure suits and hard shells too. I like to hang out with the folks who use them." He had a playful cartoon dragon tattoo around one wrist and a colorful and very Japanese cluster of chrysanthemums around the other. "Join us later if you have a mind to," he invited, gesturing at the party room.

  "Maybe, thanks for the offer and the beer," April told him.

  "The natives hold you in high esteem," Gunny observed, pouring for them. He surprised April by not objecting to the beer as a security risk.

  "Beats the last time we were here," April noted. "We had a couple creeps steal our dinner, insult Heather and assault Jeff. I like this better."

  "Oh my, that is good stuff," Heather agreed after a long sip.

  "What, uh, was the ultimate outcome to that previous visit?" Gunny wondered.

  "Oh, the cook came and read the riot act to the vacuum rats. One flipped out and acted like he was going to lay hands on the cook and Jeff stepped between them and they did a little dance that involved broken bones. Before it could get really ugly Jon the Security Chief came in the door and Air Tasered the guy in the head. After medical got him treated and trussed him up they tagged him for expulsion to the slumball."

  Gunny looked at Jeff in a new light. He'd have to find out what sort of 'dance' that was.

  They filled up plates off the steam table and Jeff put an order in for four gorditas. There was minimal talk until they were somewhat sated. The bartender delivered them another pitcher and informed them their money was no good here when they offered a card.

  "So, what has happened while I was away?" April asked before hitting the buffet again.

  "We almost had our first duel," Heather informed her.

  "Wow, over what? A bad business deal? A woman? I know the assembly allowed for it but I never expected to see one happen very easily."

  "Do you know the goofy looking guy in Supply named Albert?" Heather asked. "Albert Nielson? He is real lanky and looks like he cuts his own hair?"

  "Sure, I've dealt with him to send you guys stuff in your regular deliveries. He makes weird jokes that don't make any sense, but he seemed harmless, certainly not violent."

  "Well, when it finally dawned on him that all the old USNA laws were gone and we have created very few new laws of our own. He suddenly realized there was no law against public nudity. Seems he was a fan of going to nude beaches when he was an Earthie and he decided he could do the same here, but wherever he wanted. He showed up for lunch one day au naturel."

  "I wasn't there, thankfully, but Wanda told me Mr. Gidley who has two young daughters tried to quietly talk to him about it and Nielson got all preachy about how healthy and natural it is and got kind of loud so everybody in the cafeteria got an earful to go with the eyeful. Gidley dropped trying to reason with him nicely and just informed him he found it a matter of his honor to preserve the custom of clothing and he didn't intend to have to sit staring at his hairy butt while
he tried to eat, so he could show up with weapons at the north terminal corridor in the morning and they would settle it, or he could retract his stand on it and he'd let the matter pass."

  "What if he refused to meet him and still refused to cover up?" Gunny asked, interested.

  "In the fourth assembly of Home, they talked about avoiding all the nuisance laws Earth has, spitting on the sidewalk, what you can do in your own cubic like bake cookies or run a business. Stuff like showing ID and sleeping on the grass in a park, licensing dogs They all seem like a good idea, examined one at a time." Heather explained, "but the cops can use them to make anybody they want to arrest a criminal instead of the original purpose. Especially the ones that are subjective like creating a public disturbance. Cops seem to be capable of seeing a disturbance easily if they have some reason not to like you. Collectively it gets to where it is impossible to live without breaking some law."

  "Yes," Jeff agreed. "The same with consumer protection laws. Who can be a private investigator or run a restaurant or give haircuts. As if thousands were being felled by the scourge of dirty hair clippers. Pretty soon they are just a way to keep the current businesses from any competition. They have laws that forbid companies from advertising that their products are superior even though they are and can prove it. Laws about how many bugs are permitted in your breakfast cereal!" he said, disgusted.

  "So, they decided not to get into those sort of laws and the whole mess of libel and slander laws that have never worked. If somebody offends you then you have the right to call them out on it. You can demand satisfaction and if somebody will neither satisfy you or meet you then the Assembly of Home will expel them."

  "You said almost," Gunny remembered. "How was it averted?"

  "Well, at first Albert told him not to be ridiculous, that he wasn't about to fight him. When he was told to read the assembly record he scoffed at it. Gidley just repeated that he needed to meet him in the morning. He pointed out it was his choice of weapons, or if he brought nothing they'd go at it bare handed."

  "When he went and read the assembly record he realized he would be expelled if he didn't back down or fight him. When push came to shove, he called up Gidley before the morning and tried to apologize. Gidley said he wasn't looking for an apology. He just wanted him to put some pants on in public and acknowledge his acceptance, since it had become a public matter, mostly due to Albert's big mouth. Albert made up a very short text message saying in the matter between them about public nudity he was following the custom Gidley demanded rather than meet him to duel. He posted it to the com sent to 'all'. We don't get many 'all' postings."

  "I've got mixed feelings about that," Gunny admitted. "Sooner or later some nut job is going to kill the reasonable fellow we all feel is in the right."

  "Oh, absolutely," Jeff agreed. "It's just a question of whether this method ruins less lives than the myriad laws North America has. Certainly all those laws have hurt many people and even resulted in unjust deaths. Don't you agree?"

  Gunny thought on it before answering. "True and if it doesn't work you can change it later. I suppose it's too much to expect that once you start making laws you'd be moderate."

  "There doesn't appear to be any historical instance where it didn't eventually run amuck, I'm sorry to say. Better not to start. You should read the debate yourself," Jeff suggested.

  "Oh, I will. I haven't finished the second assembly video yet. I'll get to them all."

  "You're here to stay then?" Heather asked.

  "I feel I got used badly down below. I'm wanted for arrest because I got caught between political factions I don't care about. I may go down for business if it's safe for me, but I'm done with the USNA to live there."

  The look on Jeff and Heather's faces changed. There was some reserve that disappeared.

  "Why don't we take some dessert over and join the folks who brought us beer?" Gunny suggested. "I think they'd very much appreciate it if their heroine visited a bit."

  April snorted like it was a joke, but Heather and Jeff agreed it would be polite.

  Gunny it seemed, loved to dance. April wasn't against the idea but had little experience. Jeff kindly showed her some steps and danced with Heather and a slim vacuum rat who looked like she wanted to eat him alive. He escaped however.

  They ended up the three of them, April, Heather and Jeff, at a table watching Gunny dance. Their novelty had worn off and everybody who wanted to meet April had. They had drinks in front of them with no idea who had bought them. April was aware that would be dangerous on Earth. She felt safe here. Jeff tasted his and wasn't sure what it was but slightly fruity and very strong. They nursed them slowly after all the beer.

  "You remember you strongly suggested we start a bank before you went to Earth?" Jeff asked.

  "Yes, have you had time to look into it? Does it seem practical?"

  "You assigned me your Rock rights. They have been allowing folks to take their payout in kind on much better terms than cash. The fab shops have been taking nickel and iron to make steel. There isn't much gold, but I got in early and grabbed us the rights to the platinum stream. They are only getting a hundred grams every three days or so now, but that will ramp up." He reached in his pocket and got a disk and passed it to her.

  It was smaller than the coin Papa-san Sato gave her on Earth. She'd been carrying that ever since but hadn't shown it to anyone. She fished the silver dollar out and traded it silently to Jeff, who laughed in surprise she'd have such a thing in her pocket.

  The coin was heavier for its size. It had a deep relief but a heavy raised edge to protect it. The one side had an image of Home with the Rock trailing, closer than in reality, the arch of the Earth behind them and the Moon showing above it all.

  She flipped it and there were no graphics on the other side. It said, System Trade Bank of Home and protected by the raised rim, 25 grams Pt – 99.9999 Pure - One Solar - 0000000006.

  "It's money," April exclaimed delighted. "But, Solar? Not EuroMarks or Dollars? Won't its value go up and down with the price of platinum? And a serial number?"

  "It depends on your viewpoint," Jeff said. "I intend to deal honestly with people. If we are a known to be of good reputation and if Earth governments keep treating people as disposable, well, it is possible people would regard the value of a dollar or EuroMark as going up or down against a Solar. The serial number lets you document payment."

  April looked uncertain.

  "Do you take Argentine money if you have a choice?" Jeff asked her.

  "No way and I'm not that thrilled to take Brazilian or Macedonian either."

  "See? Money does have a reputation. You trade your own stocks don't you?"

  "I do, in a very limited way," April admitted. "Bob got into all kinds of shorts and puts and calls and straddles. I mostly buy something promising and hold it long."

  "You already have formed opinions about the markets then. May I suggest you take some economics courses? I'm not saying the things you learn will be right or wrong, but it matters what other people think makes the economy work. It helps you predict their actions."

  "After you have some ideas about economic theory then we can talk about how the bank will work. They haven't separated enough platinum yet to matter, so this is just one of a few prototypes, but the bank exists, not just on paper, but in reality enough it would be hard for people to try to stop us from having it now. We're grandfathered in as they say."

  "So I'm part owner of a sort of a ghost bank that doesn't have much yet in assets, but it will as they keep mining the Rock?"

  "Exactly. And I'm already doing various small transactions so there is a record of the bank existing and forming contracts from several days ago. If I let out contracts to fabbers I use it. And we will take deposits from Earthies. I'm soliciting them by word of mouth only and have several account holders already."

  "Nice. Can I get a loan to buy some cubic?"

  "The bank can loan you one Solar," Jeff offered gravely. "Can you o
ffer any collateral?"

  "How about an antique silver dollar?"

  "A done deal. I'll have your loan papers tomorrow. Perhaps you'd like to put some funds on account with us?" he asked very formally.

  "Maybe. Let me talk to Eddie first and we'll see," April said remembering another worry. "I'm tired and I drank too much, " she announced. "I need to go home and it's a long way back."

  "You stayed at our place before," Heather reminded her. "I'm ready to go home too. Drop a message at your family com and come stay with me. It's pretty close."

  "Okay, I'm going to tell Gunny." She waved him over.

  "I'm not going home tonight. Can you find your way back yourself?"

  "Sure, I know the way. But I might not make it back until tomorrow myself," He went back to his dance before she could register her surprise.

  "Nice to see your man fitting in so well," Heather said with a smirk.

  Chapter 4

  Sleeping in low G was a treat. You barely dented the mattress. It was almost like floating on your back in water. She still had her clothes on from last night. Either she or Heather had managed to get her shoes off. She had no memory of it. She was in the back against the wall and Heather was curled up arms crossed in front of her and head pinning April's arm. In this low G it didn't even cut off the circulation and make it tingly.

  April could see the glow of the clock on the com board, but it wasn't pointed this way. Not that she had any appointments. It was just habit to know. Her bladder was telling her it was on a timeline though. She hated to wake Heather up.

  Heather saved her the trouble by waking and stretching like a cat. Then she seemed to realize she wasn't alone, the extra arm gave it away and tried to get up real slowly and not disturb April.

  "I'm awake. No need to be sneaky, but hurry back so I can have a turn at the bathroom."

  "Okay," she went off barefoot and left the door open a crack. When she came back she had a glass of water and a bottle of pills.