April

by Mackey Chandler

  April didn't believe it. She figured they'd be bent over the plans far into the new day, but she was willing to drop it if they let her get away. She and Heather decided to leave the boxes here and went back to collect their two wheeler.

  "You're so tired you can't keep your eyes focused April. Why don't you stay at our place when we get back and leave a message with your folks so they don't worry?"

  It sounded great, so she called as she rode back standing behind Heather, holding her waist on the two wheeler. By the time they got back, she was leaning her face on Heather's taller shoulders from behind, with her eyes shut.

  Sylvia seemed unsurprised she was staying and took a moment away from a guest of her own to make sure she was provided for. Heather brought her a pair of soft shorts and a T-shirt, which were too big but OK to sleep in. She took her borrowed clothing and changed at the shower, tossing her dirty outfit in the dry cleaner, for a quick ultrasonic blast and vacuum fluff so she'd have it in the morning.

  She wondered briefly where Barak had gone and then remembered he probably had to go to a high G level to sleep at his age. It felt funny getting in bed with Heather, despite the fact she rode back all the way hugging her from behind. She had not slept with anyone since she was really little, but Heather was already sleeping, snoring softly when she crawled in.

  Chapter 15

  April slept in later than usual. She rolled over and looked around Heather's sleeping space. It was smaller than hers at home, but not as cluttered as the parts of the apartment the whole family used. The wall screen said Sunday October 10, 2083 – 8:12 and she was embarrassed she must be the last one to get up. Her mom always made snippy little comments about people who spent half the day in bed.

  Heather was just going to the shower. Her getting up was what probably awakened her. She had to admit sleeping in a half G was pretty comfortable. The rest of the family was up already, so they took their time showering and chatting because nobody was waiting to use it. Heather was not body shy at all. April was, but it was easy to ignore, because Heather didn't have a mean streak like some girls, to comment on how skinny she was. She was too busy talking about equipment and technical ideas.

  Nobody seemed in any hurry to chase her off and Heather assumed she would stay for breakfast so she went along with it. She also suspected her parents wouldn't mind a lazy Sunday morning right now, without her underfoot. Sunday was usually not a work day for her dad. Maybe Bob would even have the brains to make himself scarce. Apparently it was no big deal for the Andersons to have guests at their meals. She had to admit it was fun. She had taken the initiative when they went to the kitchen and asked Sylvia what she could do to help, but they had been almost done.

  One thing she was certain about the woman, was she had no trouble letting it show when she was pleased. April wondered if she should get prepared mentally for when Sylvia had a complaint, because she suspected she would not hold back then either. She'd have to ask Heather about it. At least this morning she wouldn't be a target of humor and watched so closely, since they had a new guest. He was seated already by Sylvia and the two of them were earnestly speaking about some business matter.

  She was about to sit herself and realized with a start there was no other extra bed for him either, so he must have slept with Sylvia. She felt herself blushing at the sudden realization and hoped nobody would figure out why. She took a trip to the bathroom to contain her reaction before somebody figured it out.

  The Earthie news acted like all the station dwellers were political radicals and wanton morally, but from her own experience she thought them much more conservative than Grounders. She had asked her grandpa about it once, because she didn't feel comfortable asking her mom. His answer had been, that the kind of people they brought up to the station, were mostly smart enough to not do whatever they wanted today, knowing it would be a disaster tomorrow. When she had persisted in asking why they thought station people were like that, he had assured her that part of it was orchestrated propaganda.

  She hadn't thought about that conversation in a long time, but it was making more sense now that she was more aware of politics. She went back to the table after she thought she had control of her expression.

  The breakfast was simpler than the dinner last night, except for the coffee. April usually had cream and sugar in her coffee, but not seeing any on the table she tried it black rather than interrupt the conversation. The flavor was like none she had ever had. It was complex. It even smelled completely different, with a rich nutty flavor and no real bitterness. She'd have to ask about it when she had Sylvia alone. And she would have to find some gift to send for all the hospitality she was being shown.

  The pancakes were good. So different from the cafeteria's no comparison was reasonable. They were thin but rolled around filling instead of stacked. The fellow talking with Sylvia had been briefly introduced when she sat down and he wasn't really speaking to her. He seemed to be a sort of art agent and they were concerned about shipping the panels Sylvia was working on now. He seemed quite worried that might be difficult if real trouble with the Rock materialized. April got the impression he would have loved to try to hurry Sylvia along to get them done sooner, but wouldn't come right out and say so. It was odd, he seemed as relaxed as any house guest can be, yet he had dressed in a suit for breakfast with a beautiful tie and his jacket on. Perhaps he dressed so formally every day.

  April wasn't sure her dad even owned a suit. She knew for a fact Bob didn't. Bob thought formal meant long pants and socks. From the hint of a soft accent he seemed to be French and April finally had heard enough she had to ask a couple questions, but she wanted a conversation opener, which didn't have her jumping right in with a controversial question. She decided a light personal question would be best first.

  "Mr. Broutin those are lovely cufflinks. We see so little stylish Earth clothing here. Those look like they would work just fine in zero G though. Would you show me how they work?"

  He seemed amused such a common item was of interest. "Yes it holds just fine. I know because I have worn them a number of times on the shuttle. Once they are under tension it takes considerable manipulation to extract them." He unbuttoned the cuff of his suit jacket and folded it back. April knew enough about men's clothing to realize that fancy detail meant she was probably looking at a ten thousand EuroMark suit of clothes. The cufflink came out with a quick practiced motion of his fingers and he favored April with a chance to examine it. It was simple rectangular shapes of high karat gold with a raised edge to protect the faces, elaborately engine engraved and then fired over the pattern with a translucent enamel.

  "This sort has a solid post between the plates, like a set of Tuxedo studs, but a lot of them have a link of chain or swiveled bar. I like this sort where the small inside piece has decoration on it also, just like the larger plate, rather than just bare."

  "Is it ever an item of a feminine attire?" April wondered.

  He looked thoughtful. "I have only rarely seen a woman's blouse with French cuffs. But jewelry is so suitable to the ladies. I see no reason why you should not wear them. If you like them, why don't you take up the custom and see if others follow?" He gave her a surprisingly penetrating gaze. "After all, even in fashion someone must have the courage to grasp the lead and show the rest where to go. Why shouldn't it be you?" he asked in a rather challenging way.

  "I believe I shall," she said firmly, determined not to back down to his forceful manner and proceeded to her real question. "Mr. Broutin, I would value an opinion from your different viewpoint. You are neither a station dweller, nor one of the parties involved in the Rock. Like you, I'm also worried about the problems developing around the Rock, but could you tell me specifically, why you think it will interrupt normal shipping, because we are very dependent on importing food and other supplies. It's a problem I hadn't considered."

  "Miss Lewis, anytime there has been a conflict on Earth, blockade has been something the governments have always used very qui
ckly. I'm sure you have seen examples in your history lessons of air and naval blockade."

  "It played a huge role in your own War Between the States and then next century penetrating the German blockades of the Atlantic in the European War. The First Atomic War was protracted by the fact the Pacific was too vast for them to blockade with the sensor suites they possessed then and no satellite coverage although they had those tools only two decades later."

  "Even in the Slow War, between the Democratic powers and the Soviet Empire, they stopped the Soviet gambit to use Cuba to penetrate the Western Hemisphere by blockade. A blockade of M3 might be better compared to the Berlin blockade right after the European War, as it was just a city not a huge area. Just because it is a new territory beyond the atmosphere means nothing. The same tested tools are what the powers that be will turn to quickly. It is only new in the sense it hasn't happened up here yet. I absolutely expect it to happen, if not in this current crisis then another time soon."

  "Could you send Sylvia's panels to another station not under USNA law and send them down from there? Or even to lunar orbit and then transfer back to a station? My brother and I are in the process of refurbishing a small craft we plan to use for such work and intend to be doing business quite soon as Lewis Couriers."

  He looked at her with a very hesitant expression. "Perhaps I am mistaking your age. You really have ownership interest in a spacecraft? Who will be piloting it and how will you be insuring it?" he asked pointedly. Privately he was remembering his hostess had told him last night the children were off working on a spaceship, not partying.

  He'd thought she was joking. These 'children' made him uneasy because they just weren't very - childish.

  He thought of his cousin's three children in comparison. They assumed everything should be fun and spent their parents money heedlessly, assuming it would always be bountiful. They were near the same ages, but they would never ask him about matters of state and policy. They were lost in a world of fashion and role playing games and rolled their eyes in contempt at adult affairs.

  "I know people from Earth have a hard time imagining we start so young here learning to conduct business. My folks would say the best way to learn something is to do it, so they give us pretty free reign to do what we want with our own money. They expect us to ask their help when we commit to a big investment, but I have yet to see them tell Bob he can't try something."

  "I'm just shy of fourteen and my brother Bob is only three years older than I am and he probably has six businesses going at any one time. And he trades his own stock account, as I do. I'm really not very interested in business for its own sake, but he just thrives on it. He almost always makes some money from his idea, but he's only had outright failures a few times," she said, remembering the mushrooms.

  "I'm usually willing to help him, given his success rate. As to how he's going to insure the vessel, I have no idea. I'm pretty busy right now with other things and one condition of my helping him with this new enterprise, was he would take care of the business plan and all I had to contribute was money and to get a pilots certificate for the scooter."

  "I'm cramming right now and planning on taking my examination and being certified to pilot it both local and orbit to orbit in a few weeks. He'll also be qualified and there are many people from the construction crew we could hire. I'm sure my grandfather is experienced at driving a scooter."

  Switching subjects she appealed to him. "I feel funny however being called Miss Lewis. Would you just call me April please?"

  His eyebrows had climbed up his forehead quite a bit listening to her explanation. To her request he said, "Such informality is really not my custom, so it would make me feel funny too."

  "Oh I don't mind calling you Mr. Broutin or Monsieur Broutin if you like. I don't expect it to work both ways. I just get distracted when I'm called by my family name. It would be a kindness for you to use April."

  "Well, I don't want to be unkind at all - April. I have to point out several difficulties, you may wish to discuss with your brother. Insurers often will not continue coverage for vessels in a war zone. On Earth it has often been a problem for sea going vessels. It means you may find the bank carrying your loan for the craft will withdraw their approval and demand the repossession of it, if they feel it would be risked uninsured.

  Since there may be no practical way to move such a vessel safely, if it is blocked in at a proscribed port, you may lose title to it simply sitting at dock, waiting for the right to travel again."

  "I can't imagine those circumstances happening though, because I know how my brother conducts business. He would never consider having his primary equipment hostage to someone else's control. I'm sure he plans to own it free and clear, from the moment he takes possession."

  He showed no reaction past a few extra blinks. The idea they would have sufficient capital for an outright purchase was probably shocking. So April made the point explicitly.

  "From the amount of our funds he suggested he'd need, when he ran the business plan past our parents, I'm very sure we'll own it. So if the insurers won't cover it he has the option to go naked and risk the whole thing against having it sit idle. From what I remember of those history lessons you are speaking of - the people willing to run a blockade could charge dearly for it, couldn't they?"

  "Yes," he agreed. Perhaps disbelieving what he was hearing but went ahead. "But what would you do if your ship is intercepted by an armed space plane and directed to their dockage, or simply destroyed?"

  "It's not easy intercepting a craft while it is changing orbits and expensive to wait near where it may be going. You can't just hover watching this station for example, unless you are behind or ahead in the same orbit. It limits your response options. It's expensive to keep a multibillion dollar spaceship stationed, with a crew using consumables, just waiting for someone to try something. They aren't set up to just loiter anyway. Almost all of them are made to go somewhere and dock. They don't have room for consumables for months and they are not comfortable for a long orbit." The toilet will be full in a week she thought, but didn't want to say it over breakfast.

  "If they do see someone leaving or coming they must act quickly, within a certain narrow window to intercept. Also they are risking their valuable spaceship, if someone takes exception to their action and decides to shoot back. Most of the time you don't see another spacecraft - they are just a radar return and maybe a transponder echo which could be true or false. A USNA military space plane might be very reluctant to shoot at a radar return they are not absolutely sure, is not a Chinese or European Union craft."

  She took her coffee cup in her hands and looked at it instead of him for a few moments, considering what she wanted to say. "There are technologies available on the station which are cutting edge and the Earthies just might find out we are not as easily contained as they think. Our craft is going to have "legs" as the pilots say. Lots of delta-v. Do you know what the term means?"

  He nodded his head affirmatively and then surprised her with a question. "But Sylvia mentioned you were all working on things for your spaceship last night, when you came in. Do Heather and her friend have an interest in the vessel, with your brother and you as Lewis Couriers, or are they just helping out of friendship?"

  "It's complicated," she admitted. Just starting to sort out in her own mind how complicated it could be, because of him asking. "We have several overlapping interests." She wasn't going to make their conspiracy plain to him. She thought about it a bit and Broutin didn't seem to want to press her, but still was just patiently waiting for more. It was a very effective way to make her talk. She found she didn't want to tell him it was none of his business, even though it was true. If only he had been less friendly it would have been easier to do just that.

  "We three, myself, Heather and Jeff have done business for several years and are friends now. But sometimes we do favors for each other and never think to ask for payment." She suddenly realized herself what she was explaining was
an aspect of pledging their fortunes. She couldn't go there.

  "When we need something, we just do what is needed. I provided zero G cubic last night for Jeff to run some of his processes and he is providing help for refitting our scooter. Heather provided work space here and considerable design talent to make equipment we needed. I had thirty thousand dollars USNA, of electronics components couriered up from Australia Saturday and didn't ask to be paid for them." He raised his eyebrows again. That was a good month's wages for an adult below.

  "If you consider how much the intellectual property is worth, which is the basis of our business association, it would be petty to worry about these little side issues. It would be like people who argue about dividing the check up to the last penny at a restaurant. Mature people just take turns paying the check and don't worry about whether their friend usually gets dessert and they don't."

  There, April felt satisfied. It seemed safe enough to define their relationship as being based on business. No need to mention politics. Speaking of running a blockade had already gotten too political.

  She smiled at him. "If the time comes soon you need to move something, come talk to us and we'll see what we can do."

  "I'll keep it in mind April." He was not dismissive at the end, which was as much as April could hope for given his initial skepticism.

  For his part, Broutin was thinking he had at first had doubted someone so young could be half owner of a space craft. Now she was implying a space ship was a minor item among the things the three of them were doing. A side business with her brother. He was very, very good at telling when people were lying to him, even without any equipment and her manner had the ring of truth to it. She was milking him for information, but not concerned about convincing him of anything. Everything they were discussing hinged on politics and she had avoided defining anything they were doing in political terms. He didn't believe for a second these three were not aware their 'business' would have powerful political implications, if they didn't obey a blockade, but she obviously avoided speaking of that. It bothered him a little she had not given any actual name to their business association. He liked clear labels for things. So he asked.