A Hop, Skip and a Jump (Family Law Book 4)

by Mackey Chandler

  "Oh, can the bullshit, Golden. You have no basis to elevate yourself or your glorious office above politics unless you want to start a religion and claim divine guidance. I think that requires you wear a funny hat and robes, and you'd look stupid. You're actually starting to piss me off.

  "Your Department of Immigration is totally a political construct. It serves the policy of the Fargone government, not some superior natural law. As such it behooves you to respond and adjust to necessary changes in that policy, and not place yourself either separate or above your masters. Our rules are not engraved in stone. Exceptional cases require accommodation. The political questions raised by these particular immigration applications are far from petty. They will affect our nation for generations to come for better or for worse.

  "We could just have a computer run your department if our rules need no thought in their application. Indeed that is your only real function, to address it when adjustments are needed. If you don't understand that I'll petition to speak at the next Congress and start the ball rolling to remove you, and say why, in just those blunt terms."

  "I don't understand. Why would you risk your career and put your reputation on the line for one foreign teenager and her rather strange father? What do you get out of it?" Golden asked.

  "First of all," Hawking said, raising a thumb in the air. "If you are implying I get some bribe, some improper personal consideration for promoting their application, you and I will need to have a meeting before breakfast soon. You can start thinking on what your choice of weapons will be."

  "No such thing implied at all," Golden said, retreating rapidly. He knew why Hawking had the second highest military award Fargone gave sitting on his desk. He had no desire at all to see if the old boy still had his touch for mayhem. "I just mean . . . I don't see how it serves the navy, not you personally. I don't see the connection to your proper interests."

  "You think too small," Hawking said, and paused to let him absorb what an insult that was. "There are several significant benefits to granting both Gordon of Red Tree and his daughter citizenship, much more to the nation at large than just my department. Indeed, if your department was oriented toward actively seeking the best possible immigrants instead of stuck in the rut of excluding the less desirable you would be out recruiting people like these to come to Fargone."

  "I don't see one as excluding the other," Golden said. "You make it sound very desirable, but Congress hasn't given my Department a mandate to engage in that sort of activism."

  "Nobody is muzzling you from asking Congress for the authority to do so. What Head of Department doesn't want more authority, a greater scope of operations and more funding? And yet here is this vital job, nobody is doing, and clearly related to your present work, lying on the table neglected." Hawking gestured at his own desk like he could see it lying there.

  Golden's eyes got big hearing what prize he'd been ignoring.

  "Aren't you concerned someone in Congress may see the need and introduce a bill to create a separate department to recruit the very brightest and successful for our planet?" Hawking continued, "I'm sure it could be successfully run as a separate department if you have no interest. Which do you think would get more press and catch the public's attention?" Hawking asked. "Your department excluding a few marginal scum, who wouldn't contribute much to Fargone, or a Recruitment Department gaining a brilliant scientist for us, or a genius in business who is a self made Trillionaire? Perhaps I should run the idea past my representative. I bet she'd see the value."

  Golden looked stricken beyond words. He wasn't a bold thinker but this was a straight forward and easy concept to grasp. Hawking silently waited for him to process the overload of new ideas rather than interfere with his thinking. He watched the change on the man's face go from consternation at the threat, to near panic, and then to cunning resolve.

  "I totally agree and endorse this idea," Golden finally said. He was speaking slower than normal, so Hawking knew he was racing ahead mentally to formulate his response to such a radical departure from his previous thinking. Hawking just nodded, giving him time. He withdrew his thumb because the idea it represented was moot, and too far back in their conversation for a dullard like Golden to remember what he'd said.

  "As you say, this seems a natural extension of my department's duty," Golden said, agreeing wholeheartedly now. "Just as I didn't see the Navy's interest, Congress may be more amenable to such a proposal coming from Immigration. I suggest you let me propose it with proper credit that you inspired the idea, though I'd welcome further suggestions about how to implement it in detail."

  Hawking smiled. His role was already reduced to mere inspiration. He was sure Golden had no clue where to start, to create an internal agency to do just the opposite of everything he'd been doing for years. He'd be happy to help him.

  "I have some ideas, and I have some experts in Naval Recruitment, who can share how they woo exceptional talent," Hawking promised. "However, in the interests of seeing this succeed, you don't have to credit me. The Navy, and myself personally, have more skeptics and adversaries in Congress than Immigration. I sometimes present proposals less tactfully than others expect, and unfortunately they remember. Take the gift of the idea with my blessings, please. I'm sure you'll expand on it and make it your own anyway.

  "Now, as to why I'd make a start of this new process with this particular pair . . . Lee is a billionaire just with her claims from the Earth Commission before her latest expedition. Since we had a vessel accompany her Little Fleet I can assure you their findings in the Far Beyond are much larger than her previous discoveries. Indeed, although the distances involved limit the immediate impact of that wealth, the actual amounts exceed all the previous discoveries of the entire history of human exploration. She will eventually join the very exclusive club of trillionaires. I don't expect such a huge mass of wealth to be brought to us. Instead, what I expect is the nexus of human civilization will over several generations and centuries shift to where that wealth is."

  Golden gaped at him. Such a big concept and change was obviously hard to grasp.

  "Are you afraid Fargone will be in danger of becoming a backwater planet if such a massive shift of wealth happens?" Golden asked.

  "Not if we play our cards right," Hawking insisted. "The crews of the voyage of the Little Fleet were predominantly Fargoers. We have a foot in the door already because much of their shares will come home or be filtered through Fargone banks if we stay friendly to their interests. Derfhome is also along the route from this new area to the present center of Human civilization, Earth. We need to be allies, not adversaries, with the Derf to keep our share of the flow.

  "The alliance of nations on Earth forming the Claims Commission broke down over support of the smaller nations. They strained to support the pledged vessels and don't want them to be deployed at such a distance for long periods of time. It's a stupid short-sighted mistake. I think they will regret and perhaps try to rectify it. They will remain wealthy for years and years, but it will be too late. This teenager as you style her is setting up a Derf alternate to the Claims Commission for the Far Beyond that will surpass Earth in time, and we need to work with that to give our Fargone claim holders legitimacy.

  "I think it's obvious that the architect of both this surge of exploration, and the shift of control of claims, would be better for us to have as a citizen of Fargone. Since she already has Derf citizenship, and ties to Red Tree, offering dual citizenship is as much as we can achieve. With larger command shares and ownership of several of the ships she has significant control of a huge chunk of wealth, of which we can get a share."

  "Yes, yes, I can see she would bring more benefit to us than the cost," Golden had to agree. "And Gordon of Red Tree, he has a lesser share in these ventures, but still larger than the other partners, doesn't he? As well as his obvious influence with her."

  "About half of Miss Anderson's worth," Hawking said, but with a dismissive gesture that surprised Golden. "Howeve
r, Gordon has a special value all his own you can't measure in grams Ag. He's simply too dangerous to not have as a close ally. This is where their induction into Fargone citizenship does impinge on naval matters.

  "When our recent times are sorted out and established written history, I expect Gordon to be seen as one of the pivotal military tacticians of the era. While the Champion of Red Tree is young and in training, Gordon is effectively their Admiral of Space Forces. Nobody is using the word, but the truth is he defeated the USNA navy. Worse, he and his Mothers were willing to destroy the USNA, willing to devastate the entire continent, if the only victory possible was a Pyrrhic one. The Mothers knew doing that would bring all the worlds of man down on their heads, but believe me, they had the will to do so.

  "After the reaffirmation of the Treaty of Man, with new penalties in place, Miss Anderson and her father Gordon were outfitting their expedition. A great deal of the crew was recruited here, and we supplied things Derfhome couldn't, so they were accumulating a significant force of ships in Fargone orbit. It never became public knowledge, but my ship commanders were so terrified to have Gordon commanding such a force, so close to Fargone, that they petitioned me to remove them. I had to make a personal request of them to remove to Derfhome and outfit their vessels in shifts or remotely. Gordon is a really reasonable fellow, and worked with me. But I think you can see how much better it would be to have a commander with that sort of reputation as a Fargone citizen, tied to our interests."

  "I had no idea," Golden Yberra admitted. "It's well within my authority to expedite their application," he suddenly decided. "I'll do so now, even before I, we, pursue an expanded recruitment section to my department. Indeed I can cite their induction as an example of why we need an expansion of mission to grasp such opportunities."

  "When you are citing these various reasons and necessities to Congress, if you can refrain from mentioning the story about my ship commanders, even though true, I'd appreciate it. It's a bit embarrassing," Hawking said.

  "Certainly, the economic considerations are sufficient on their own. Congress can grow weary and hostile to someone over-selling their case I've noticed. I'll try to avoid my plea being wordy," Golden vowed.

  "Good-day to you then," Hawking said, "and thank you for your help." Completely ignoring the fact the man started the call yelling at him, and had changed direction completely.

  "You're welcome," Golden said, pleased with himself. "I'll enjoy working with you on this."

  Hawking firmly thumbed the disconnect and sighed. "What a flaming ass," he muttered aloud to himself.

  * * *

  "The fix is in," wasn't any message Gordon expected to see on his pad. He looked again to see the sender was Admiral Hawking. If he asked for confirmation of its meaning it would paint him an idiot, he decided. There was really only one possible meaning to the message.

  "Thanks, we're close to going on the Bode Benjamin show again," Gordon reminded Hawking. "It's rather late to beg off, but is there anything we should be careful to avoid discussing? Could we still kill the deal?"

  "I'm leaking this to Bode right after you," Hawking said. "Could you feign surprise if he informs you and the audience that he's certain your application will be approved?"

  "I can't lie worth a damn," Gordon admitted. "The best I can do is to not tell Lee we are a go. Gods only know what she'll say, but how could it be negative?"

  "OK, but I predict she will be put out with you, if she finds out you held the good news back just to get a rise from her on air," Hawking predicted.

  "I'm not going to tell her after," Gordon said. She's put out with me over something almost daily anyway. I think it's part of being a teenager."

  "Go for it," Hawking agreed. "I'll never tell on you."

  Chapter 6

  The set manager, Blondie, was pleased Gordon wore an ax, and a sort of sash in a bold print, with a pocket in it for his pad and a few other things. It kept her from improvising props to convince the audience he was people. Lee dressed in brighter colors in an attempt to fit in better. They had a bit of a misconception about how Fargoers dressed from their experience with space hands and the military. Walking around Landing they had discovered Bode actually dressed very conservatively, for a Fargoer.

  There was a limit how many pictures of Badger cubs they could show, so after a few impressive images of discoveries not shown in their previous show, they had some serious discussion about the economic side of their discoveries. Trying to explain the scale of the resources found in terms of centuries of supply at current usage levels. Bode speculated how that could easily change and gave historic examples. Lee started to see there was more to Bode than bombast. He seemed to grasp complexity well.

  Even Gordon learned some new things when Bode explained how before the Industrial Revolution in Europe it was unusual for an individual to own more steel than needed for his personal weapons. Even kings and nobles had limited resources. Then iron and steel became necessary for public works such as bridges and large objects like steam locomotives. Steel masts replaced wood on sailing ships even as steam was making them obsolete. Then the use of concrete instead of cut stone made the demand for steel reinforcing rod soar, and by the twentieth century common working people owned automobiles with thousands of kilograms of steel in each one.

  "As an example," Bode asked, "might having such massive amounts of platinum group metals change usage? Could they be used in large amounts for things they never were before? Even such mundane things as cookware and plumbing and larger items like rocket nozzles. No reason to limit it to jewelry and catalysts," Bode predicted, quite believably.

  While Lee freely said they visited the Moon, and the Kingdom of Central on the Moon, she hesitated to be bring up other details. Life extension was available to Fargoer citizens, but she'd seen no public discussion of it anywhere. Would they not appreciate it if she brought it up in a public forum? She wished she'd asked Admiral Hawking, he'd have told her without dancing around an answer. Did Bode's show even make it to Earth, past their censors? So she tip-toed around the issue, and said Gordon and she wanted the benefits of Fargoer citizenship, but rather than detail what those benefits were, she moved ahead and made a case for how much of an asset they'd be to Fargone.

  Bode agreed with her, but made the wider case that Fargone needed to be closer to Derfhome in general, not just have a few dual citizens like them.

  "The Earth Commission foolishly cut themselves off from the Deep Beyond, along this line. It's my belief, and that of some well-informed friends of mine, that they will realize this. If they can't bring their lesser nations back into line to support the Commission we believe when they see their economy contracting they will rouse the major players either to carry the entire burden of security themselves, or change the political arrangement on Earth to force the smaller nations to comply.

  "The easiest, cheapest way around a Derfhome Claims Commission would be to find another pathway to these new resources. Fargone is the only well-developed nation along the same route. I'd predict, if Derfhome can't be intimidated into dropping the control of Claims in the Far Beyond, the Earthies will try to suborn us to conspire with them and be their agent to bypass Derfhome. We already declared them unwelcome here. I think they will be surprised how determined we are not to become their vassal, getting the crumbs of trade passing through from your new discoveries to Earth."

  "We don't intimidate worth a damn," Gordon said, low and menacing. "I'd have thought they might have gotten that message, but I can instruct them further." The way his hand unconsciously crept up, and grasped the ax, gave his expression weight.

  "Neither do we," Bode said with a smile that was almost as scary as Gordon's. "I have lots of contacts inside government, and people who should know, assure me your petition for citizenship will be granted as a start on just such closer relations. It's just a matter of it propagating through the system now. That's a first step away from closer ties to Earth."

  "Hot damn!" Lee s
aid, and did a little fist pump.

  "We haven't heard anything official," was as much as Gordon trusted himself to object.

  "And I'm sure you won't, until every relevant official signs off on it, and they hang all the seals and ribbons on it," Bode said. "But privately, I am assured the fix is in," he said.

  "Is that what they call a leak?" Lee asked.

  Bode laughed out loud. "Indeed it is, Dear. But it's a pleasure to leak that they are doing something sensible, necessary even, for a change."

  "I have to object to something," Lee said, frowning with a look of concentration.

  "We're all ears," Bode said. With his intensity, you believed she really did have his full attention. He had no idea what she could be objecting to right after such good news. But his gaze on her and leaning slightly forward made the audience hang on her every word too.

  "We went off along one narrow corridor," Lee said, gesturing with a long sweeping wave. "I wanted to do this because the boundary, the surface of the sphere of human exploration has been slowing down. It wasn't just a voyage to claim resources or find a living world. It was about making our civilization safer and richer as a whole. I wanted us to grasp what is unclaimed before somebody else took it from the other direction. The fact we ran into the Badgers and their allies showed me this was the right thing to do. We know there are other civilizations beyond them if not the details.

  "Earth doesn't need the things we found. They could go deep just as we did off in the other direction. Indeed, if they don't, it has been my intention to do that on our next voyage of exploration. If they show any initiative and do so on their own I'll pick a different direction to expand the sphere of human exploration. There's no shortage of unexplored space."

  "So you did this as a matter of principle, not just for personal enrichment?" Bode asked.

  "Sure, I was already rich enough to live in luxury before we ever took the Little Fleet out. I could never spend all the interest on that wealth, much less the principal. But Human society, and all the other races in our sphere of influence, the Derf, the Hinth, the aboriginal races if they ever decide to come out of their shells, we all deserve to have a broad base of resources and not be fenced in by tight borders."