April 3: The Middle of Nowhere

by Mackey Chandler

  "Oh, regicide threatened already," he marveled. "How quickly these things turn ugly."

  * * *

  "I can do a quick and nasty repair in two days," Dave promised. "We can let out everything to fabbers and if you don't mind visible seams where the repairs are done we can have you fixed and loaded and back on the moon in five days. Or you can have us do everything fifteen or twenty percent cheaper and add a day or a day and a half."

  "Do it the fast way," Jeff instructed him. "If Eddie minds the expense," he stopped and reconsidered. "I'm liable for the whole thing. I busted his ship while leasing it. Even if he has insurance he shouldn't have to pay," he realized.

  "Fix it fast, I'll cover the cost and if he wants the seams covered up or any other cosmetic stuff later I'll pay for that too, but we need the Happy back on the moon. None of my people are safe if the USNA gets spacecraft in lunar orbit and we have no ship of our own."

  "Don't you think it's time you have a purpose-built lander instead of using a orbit to orbit scooter that you have to tilt on its belly after you land?" Dave asked.

  "Soon," Jeff agreed. "Soon, but I want it to be capable of being carried along grappled on a deep space vehicle and able to land on Mars, Titan and maybe even Earth."

  "You triple the cost doing that. Why not have a dedicated moon shuttle? You are going to have enough freight just to Central to keep it busy soon enough. I don't know your circumstances, but that's wasting one hell of a lot of money to make a general purpose shuttle for landing on any planetary surface."

  "You're right," Jeff decided. "I'll talk to my people and see if we can release a contract to you for a specialized LEO/moon freight shuttle. I'll still proceed with designing an all-planet shuttle with Happy, but it can wait until we have a large deep space design for the outer system or starship to carry it," he concluded.

  He signed off, on a mission to get such a design moving. He missed the look on Dave's face and seeing his lips form, "Starship?"

  * * *

  "Yes dear," Huian agreed submissively, she even managed to look down modestly. "I shall pack up and be ready to go in the morning." She looked around at the hotel room. It's not like they had accumulated any pile of possessions to cart along. "May one speak candidly, husband?"

  "Certainly, is there any reason to not travel at this time?" Chen asked mildly worried.

  "Not at all. I thank you that you'd consider my input if I had some reservations. I'd like to point out I displayed considerable initiative transporting myself and the children to Vietnam. I found allies, avoided arrest, bribed transport very economically and even took the lead in helping others in a similar situation flee."

  "Yes, you displayed good sense and did very well. The children did marvelously also, I have no criticism of your actions at all if you got that mis-impression."

  "The children it would be well to offer them a quiet word of praise. No need to spoil them with an extravagant rush of words, but your daughter acted beyond her years and your son killed a man for you. A word about the necessity of that might be good to help him deal with any undisplayed stress."

  "You are right," he decided nodding. "It is no small thing and if he is troubled it could affect his sleep and effectiveness. I'll speak with him about it."

  "And since our circumstances are changed, you are not bound now by the rules of your agency about need to know and avoiding disclosures. I've always respected that and not pried into details that might put agents at risk. But could you not tap into the ability I showed getting us out and consult with me to some degree? Not as an equal, but as a very junior partner?" she asked. He looked surprised, but didn't speak immediately.

  "For example I am very willing to pack and go on your word. But is there any reason now you can't tell me where we are headed? We're probably leaving this country I imagine. If it wouldn't put us at risk I'd like to know where. In fact if something happened to you, might I not try to complete the journey for myself and the children? If I had to start from scratch and decide where to take us I doubt I would choose as well as you."

  "You have a point. I have some habits very deeply ingrained and hard to discard. I get a very disquieting feeling when I realize I effectively quit when I said 'blue jacket' to you on the phone. Almost all agents have secreted away various assets to protect themselves, as much from their friends as any enemies. We are going to visit Myanmar to collect some of these assets. I doubt if they would be released to you even if I gave you the information," he apologized. "They are a matter of a personal trust with an Arabic banker in a takaful arrangement."

  "Those resources should then be available to you after I gather them up. I hope to eventually end up in Tonga. Once we are there we can settle for a time. From there we have the ability to lift to Home and beyond if things become untenable for us on Earth. That is over a long period of time. We may live in Tonga until both the children are grown, or we may leave in a week if bad things happen. It depends entirely on circumstances. I expect the number of possible destinations to expand greatly in the next decade. That is the general outline of what I have planned. Your help in implementing it is welcome. Does that satisfy you," he asked.

  "Very much so dear. Thank you."

  * * *

  James and Helena sent a text to Jed Allison and he confirmed he was expecting their message. He told them there was a fast courier going to New Las Vegas in eighteen hours and he had room for two passengers so they confirmed the reservation.

  They considered using the inoculation Ames gave them in their NLV hotel room, but they could still spread the virus he's provided for them on room service dishes or the surfaces of the room after they left. It was really hard waiting to use it until they could travel to their country home.

  She pulled the spray bottle out of her purse and looked at it again. It was a common brand of eyeglass cleaner many people used to clean their spex. It contained seven specific infections that would confer most of the important protections of Life Extension Therapy. They were young enough the full spectrum was not necessary yet, but they had an appointment for five years to visit him again and be evaluated and further work done.

  He promised by then he'd have a comfortable facility where they could undergo their incubation period and infection with no risk to others. The mix of so many agents in one dose was going to make them feel worse than the usual treatment they'd been warned. In fact they were going to have to report they were sick and take more leave than they had planned to use for this trip. They were assured they would look and sound sick and likely show a significant fever if they were forced to have a physician attend them. They hoped to avoid doing that since he would be a potential vector.

  The reaction enhancing modification was too much to add to this treatment. He also told them there might be a modification soon that would enhanced strength as well. Helena wouldn't be surprised if they were back before five years.

  The cost of a New Las Vegas vacation was steep even without a secret side trip to Home. The bill for the little spray bottle was a hundred and sixty thousand EuroMarks and they could not charge any of it to their medical insurance or represent it in any way to reduce their taxes.

  She realized in the long run if attitudes didn't change their failing to age would be a problem. The things they were doing now would not be that visible. But thirty or fifty years from now there would be no hiding it. Spanish society and more importantly the Church, did not change rapidly and on their time scale a few decades was 'rapidly'.

  She was determined they would deal with that when the time came. No matter if they were banished, young and healthy and kicked out beat old and feeble and having a bunch of old men happy with their choices. She'd make sure they saved up the resources to pay for whatever became necessary for their survival then.

  The fast courier was decidedly crude compared to usual orbital shuttle. But she did appreciate the savings. Besides, as a bonus this time it happened to get them back home two days ahead of scheduled flights. She was very
anxious to get home and spray the fluid up their noses.

  She had a momentary worry. What if they used it and nothing happened? They could hardly sue Dr. Ames. Then she remembered what April said, that he was okay. Surprisingly, that was enough to her feel better. She didn't think the man would risk his reputation in that tight little society by running a scam. She leaned back in the coach and relaxed.

  * * *

  A low fast power launch met The Sly Spy late at night near Grand Bahama. The crew of two stayed aboard. Seas were calm so it rested against a couple bumpers snug to the bigger ship, which didn't stop moving. They left the engines idling to lessen the strain on the tow rope. The passenger came into Grand Salon and set up a working area. He produced passports for everyone that showed a variety of travel, but all of them had entry to the Bahamas three months previous and exiting the islands yesterday.

  He also handed over a portfolio of receipts and credit card statements showing the boat was docked first at one and then at another marina during that period. They were given a few odds and ends of things like advertising pens and tourist souvenirs, some galley supplies of local brands, a well-used road map with the card of a car rental firm stapled to it and a couple local newspaper printouts from the previous week.

  Papa-san gave him a small sack of various items dated wrongly or peculiar to Hawaii or Tonga that would make no sense for them to have given their new story and they could not be guaranteed to sink and stay sunk.

  The fast boat separated and vanished quietly into the moonless night without running lights. It had a very low radar profile and would not dock back in the Bahamas tonight.

  "It looks like we had a wonderful time," Mama Lin told her husband. "Maybe some time we can visit and see if the broiled lobster was really worth two-hundred and sixty dollars at the Golden Treasure Chest," she remarked holding the bill.

  "Oh it was," he assured her. "But I think you drank too much and you can hardly remember the place. If you don't believe me look here," he said pointing lower on the tab. "Wow! It says you bought three Bahama Mamas after dinner. I imagine I had to carry you to the car."

  "In that case I need to get to bed and don't disturb me," she ordered. "I'm sleeping off a terrible headache from all that rum," she said holding her head theatrically.

  "We'll be at a marina on Marathon Key when you wake up," he told her. "We'll spend a day and have dinner and spread around that we are heading north up the east coast to Maine."

  * * *

  "Lunar com is back up!" Marion informed Jeff. He was still half asleep and not sure what response the man expected to that.

  "Uh, well good, hang on a moment. Lights up half," he told his room. He checked the com clock, he's only been asleep three hours. Just long enough to get into really good deep sleep, which he'd badly needed.

  "Don't you want to call central?" Marion asked.

  "They are on Zulu time too. I don't want to wake anybody up," he said, wishing he'd not been wakened either. "If it's up I imagine it will stay up. I doubt they'll keep turning it on and off. Now that they don't really have any way to project force why would they? I will however drop them a text message. Thanks for letting me know Marion." That was a really hard thing to say pleasantly, but if he crabbed at the man he might want to be awakened next time and the fellow would remember getting chewed out and let him sleep.

  "Heather - Happy Lewis will be repaired and I will return with a full load in five days," he wrote. "Not sure if you are standing watches or what. I was informed com is up. I am going back to bed and will speak with you tomorrow if no emergencies. - Jeff."

  Bed was very easy to return to. Sleep, not so much. He made it warmer and then cooler and set the bed softer. Eventually he drifted off again. When he finally woke the com call seemed like a dream, but the message light was blinking in his console. Thankfully it hadn't the priority to wake him again.

  "Jeff, please send the Happy back with hired crew and if you can research these items stay. First, data on drilling and tunneling in lunar rock. Second, geometries or methods of tunneling that reduce the propagation of shockwaves down tunnels and bunker entries. Third, tunnel boring machines and any light enough to be transported or custom made for working in vacuum. I'm sure you can see where this is going. Pretty much everybody here would be really happy to dig in deep. In fact we'd like to know at what depth the lunar environment would be suitable for habitation without heating or cooling. Would you see if any of the lunar bases have done a bore drill and released data? Thanks, go sleep extra if you need it. You don't function well on short sleep. – Heather."

  That was an excellent suggestion. He set no alarm and went back to bed satisfied things were under control. He went to sleep right away this time and dreamed. He'd never driven a car, but he was in a vehicle that looked suspiciously like the grandfather's 2042 Toyota his father had once showed him in old family pictures. It blasted a tunnel through the lunar rock at breakneck speed. Where the shattered rock went his wildly free associating brain didn't worry about. However it worked it didn't keep him from enjoying the radio playing in the old fashioned dashboard nor riding with his elbow hanging out the open window.

  * * *

  "Mr. Crawford? James Crawford? " the fit young man asked him as he exited the connector tunnel from the lunar bulk carrier. Crawford had stayed on board the ship when it made its first stop at a USNA military supply satellite. If he'd gotten off there it would have only been an inconvenience since it was a very secure North American jurisdiction. ISSII, though, was a different matter. He had all sorts of sovereign areas he could go to and cause them difficulties.

  "Oh very good. I didn't know someone was meeting me. That freighter was just horrid," he breathed, like he'd expected it to be a luxury cruise ship. "I couldn't sleep a wink in the cramped little hole they called a stateroom and the food was all that sticky zero G stuff!" he protested. "Please make sure they get my luggage off before they leave. I don't have any confidence in them getting things right without somebody keeping at them. Do you have a hotel reservation for me?" he asked.

  "That won't be necessary sir, they are holding the Earth shuttle for us." He reached smoothly, without looking down to warn him and clamped a handcuff on Crawford's wrist. Crawford stared down at it unbelieving. It wasn't the classic TV crime show handcuff, it was bulky and white composite instead of metal. He jerked back, wild eyed, trying to deny his other wrist to the man, who instead of grappling with him stepped back. The cuffs worked better when both were attached, but even one was effective.

  The officer withdrew the remote from his pocket, pressed the recessed stud with his thumb and was rewarded when Crawford jerked back into the bulkhead with a spasm from the electro-cuffs. He slid down to a sitting position, conscious, but stunned. The creep pissed himself too. He was going to have to sit next to that for hours. There was no time to clean him up.

  He pulled his other arm over and clamped the cuff around his wrist. "You are under arrest sir. I am Federal Marshal Curtis," he said displaying his badge, "and I have an arrest warrant for you that you can examine on the shuttle if you wish."

  "Do you realize who I am?" Crawford bellowed loudly. "I am acting director of Armstrong!" he informed the agent angrily. "How dare you put cuffs on me in public?"

  "This isn't Armstrong. If you don't pipe down and come along meekly you are going to be the dude I shocked senseless and loaded aboard like a piece of baggage," he informed him. "It's all the same to me."

  He marched the man down the dock to the shuttle port. Everyone else was aboard and had been for a half hour. "We dropped count," the second officer informed him. "We could only hold over about five minutes before needing to wait a full orbit to go again. So we have almost a half hour to wait after we get you two strapped in and resume a new count."

  "I'm sorry to inconvenience everyone," He said very courteously. "I have orders directly from the President to return this fellow as expeditiously as possible," he explained.

  Just then C
rawford decided the narrow hatch was the perfect place to make another stand, spreading his legs wide and raising his shackled wrists high to make himself too large to push through the connector. Agent Curtis didn't waste another warning on him, he just shocked him senseless and grabbed the limp man by the back of his trousers.

  "You can't fix stupid," he observed of the stubborn bureaucrat . "Do you have a towel or something we can stuff between his legs so we don't get any floating droplets?"

  "We have some large dressings in the first aid kit," the officer offered. "Or I'd be happy to stuff him in a rescue ball," he said, sniffing distastefully.

  "Don't tempt me," Curtis told him.

  * * *

  "That's supper from the village deli," Helena said when the door bell rang. She was sitting on the couch watching video in her warmest robe, with a wastebasket beside her and a fresh box of tissues. "Would you be a dear and bring it in?" she asked. "Be sure not to touch him. Make him set it on the porch and just wave your com past his pay-port."

  James threw the door open, phone in hand, to pay and froze. Standing there was his sovereign in a shooting coat, looking fit and happy and two of his close security detail, one looking past his shoulder already and the other looking back scanning the driveway and yard.

  "Your Majesty!" He croaked stricken.

  "You look like you saw a horse in church boy. I know I never drop in, but I was shooting pheasants at your cousin Edward's place down the road. Don't let that get to the press, you hear? There's a couple more of these boys out back too. Don't be upset if you see them out the windows. You know they'll assume you house assassins in your garden shed." He walked in right past James and stopped to really look at him.

  "You look like hell James. I was thinking maybe you were off doing a stealth job interview and were going to abandon charity work to go for the bigger private money, but I can see you really are sick," he said, concerned.

  "Yes, this is a truly nasty bug we both picked up. I really would feel terrible to give it to you," he said with a depth of sincerity.