by Rob Guy
Harry and Berkeley muttered an apology, and once more settled back into their chairs. Berkeley put the pens back and looked mournfully at the clay cat.
“Does he really have the means to do what he says?” asked Soames.
Harry, still smarting from his confrontation with Berkeley, sighed as he tentatively placed the bag of ice over his eye. “Well, if I know Headlock half as well as I think I do, I can pretty much guarantee that devious prick will have already assembled his own private army.”
“How?” asked Soames.
“The Global War Fund.” Harry grunted a laugh.
“Global War Fund? What the hell is that?”
“Well that’s what I call it. They call it a Global Community Fund, that’s how deluded these bastards are. But it’s really for their benefit, no-one else’s. All the major corporations of Earth contribute a percentage of their profits to this fund. Publicly it’s there for disaster relief and the like, you know, so they can show their humanitarian side; to show the world that they’re really just a bunch of philanthropists, when in actually fact they’re nothing more than a bunch of self-serving, delusional, misanthropes!”
“Now who’s getting political?” Entwistle reminded him with a cynical grin.
“Stick to the point will you?” Calvin said.
Harry made a noise in his throat and continued. “Privately it’s a goddamn war chest. Its true value is never made public. These companies have long since paid off the best lawyers and top politicians, so that they can make up their own laws to suit their own needs. They spend billions each year on lobbyists. Therefore, legitimately, any company can invoke any number of clauses and get their hands on some of it to fund litigation or a hostile takeover of a company that’s not part of their group. Or in our case, reneging on an agreement. The corporations are stuck with it, because while ever it exists and they contribute, there is always enough capital in it to prevent any one company from taking over another, as the fund is bigger than any one company. And guess who’s this years chairman?”
“The bastard!” Soames, Berkeley, Entwistle, Calvin and Stevens all said together.
If the situation were not so dire such an outburst would have invited levity.
“Indeed,” said Harry calmly. “You people have had plenty of time to form your own consortium, or co-operative, whatever you like. Christ, you’ve got a whole bloody planet! You could be so strong, a match for any number of these corporations, let alone one of ‘em. Instead, you fight amongst yourselves, choosing to be small groups, always at loggerheads with one another instead of choosing to unite, be as one!”
“Very stirring,” said Berkeley, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.
Harry grunted. “I rest my case.” He sat back in his chair with a sigh.
For around thirty seconds there was silence, the only noise coming from the soft whirring of the air intake, as the whole group battled with their thoughts.
“He’s right,” said Calvin, eventually breaking the gloom. She studied the floor, a hand under her chin.
“What does it matter now?” said Harry, not really caring anymore. “Here we all are, what do you want to do?”
“How can it be legal?” Entwistle said. “How can one man, or one company even, be allowed to declare war on a sovereign state?”
“You’re worrying about that?” said Berkeley. “We’re set to get our asses chewed off, and you want to know if it’s legal? Boy!” He spun round in his chair in a show of disgust.
“It’s like I said,” Harry told him, pulling a face at the chief councillor’s back, before he completed his little joy ride. “They make their own laws to suit their own needs. That’s how it’s always worked. In the old days you might get sued for billions. Now they can still do that, as well as bomb the crap out of you.” He made a good impression of Headlock’s voice. “Trust me when I say we won’t be getting any help from Earth. We are on our own. So I ask again, what do you want to do?”
Berkeley suddenly shot up from behind his desk again, making them all jump. “I say we face him head on and castrate the sonofabitch!”
“Aaron, please,” said Calvin. “We’ve had enough of your histrionics for one day. We need calm heads. Maurice?”
Colonel Stevens was vibrating in his seat, making a humming sound, his fists and lips clenched. “Hang the bugger from the highest flying buttress in Central!”
“I see,” Calvin said in a quiet, steady voice. Gareth?”
“I’m afraid I am at a loss right now, Marjorie. This is not my field at all. I think even Warwick would have struggled with this.”
“That stoolie?” Berkeley exclaimed, and vented his anger regarding his ex defence minister by kicking away his chair. It shot across the room, and banged into a pedestal, atop of which was a bust of the first mayor. It toppled over onto the floor, causing the head to snap off. It rolled away, six pairs of eyes watching it, to land face up at Harry’s feet, its sightless eyes staring up at him.
The cat? Now the mayor? No-one said what everyone was thinking.
Calvin shook her head. “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs….”
“And blaming it on you,” Harry finished for her.
The mayor looked at him. “So, Sheriff, you know your Kipling. What do you propose we do?”
Berkeley looked astonished. “Him? Him? He knows nothing of our business.”
“This coming from the man who made him sheriff,” Calvin stated with a wave of her hand.
Berkeley stuttered to say something, but it sounded like he was trying to swallow a house brick.
“First, we must alert the public,” Harry said. “We need to get our version of things across before panic ensues throughout the city.”
“Could be too late for that,” Berkeley said. “Those bastard councillors will be rallying and calling for my head.”
“Not everyone hates you, Aaron,” said Calvin.
Harry ignored them and carried on. “We are going to need ships in the air to stop Headlock. We need to know precisely how many civilian ships there are as opposed to military ones.” Harry noted the sudden drop in everyone’s body language. “That is, if you have any military ships?”
“Just one,” Calvin told him. “And that is really an old freighter from the first landings, retro-fitted to carry about a dozen personnel and disaster equipment.”
“Any armament?” Harry said, forever the optimist.
“A retractable floor from which we can throw rocks!” Stevens squeaked. He turned on Berkeley. “Didn’t I warn you something like this would happen? Didn’t I? How many times have I been before one of your bloody committees, begging for funding? You fool!” He turned to explain to Harry. “You know I even appealed to Earth, once. I told them that we were the front line for an alien invasion. Did they listen? Did they arse!”
Harry recoiled slightly, but thought it best to say nothing. Plainly, Colonel Maurice Stevens was a military man without any kind of military whatsoever at his command. He was also plainly not the man to be leading the military if this was how he reacted under stress.
“Maurice, you really must try and calm yourself,” Calvin said in her soothing, velvet tone.
On the other side of the scale was the mayor. Harry was impressed with her composed attitude to the crisis. Apart from Soames, who remained stoic, but really wasn’t offering any advice, hers was the most controlled and reasoning head. However, as for the other two, well… Berkeley it seemed, wasn’t listening. He was now staring out of the window, hands by his side, seemingly oblivious to the plans to save his government, and the planet from a war-mongering capitalist.
“I should explain, Harry,” Calvin said, “though you were painfully accurate with your words earlier. Mars is still a growing colony. We have very little to trade at the moment, other than the water. Our methods of mineral excavation are rudimentary at best. Slowly, we are getting our act together, but we are still heavily reliant on Earth for all our manufacturing
machinery. Apart from food and water, we couldn’t survive without help from Earth and some of the other colonies. But we’re getting there.”
“I see,” said Harry. “This is something I am gradually coming to terms with. Sorry if I was a bit harsh before. Colonising a planet is no easy thing, I’m sure.”
“Glad to have you back on our side,” said Calvin, smiling for him.
Harry returned it, naturally. The mayor was, after all, an extremely attractive woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I have been through here before, a few years ago. I have some contacts who might be able to help us, but for a price.”
“Not sure I want to know your friends,” Calvin said light heartedly. “But I think in the coming days we are going to need all the help we can get. Dare I ask how you know these people?”
“It’s a few years ago, like I said. You weren’t mayor, but your predecessor would remember both me and the Judge.”
“How?”
Harry took a deep breath. “I’m the one who was caught running guns out of the Boondocks.”
Berkeley turned from his reverie, and snapped his fingers. “That’s it! By God, that’s it. Now I remember you. I thought your name was familiar. I’d assumed they’d banged you up.”
“Actually, it was the Judge who kept me out of prison, after bribing Sheriff Pratt, and letting him beat him at pseudo-golf, would you believe.”
“Ha!” Berkeley threw back his head. “Well, there is some justice after all.”
Calvin straightened in her chair, and cleared her throat. “Harry, I am hereby issuing you with full authority to deal with this crisis.”
Harry’s head went back. “Me? Why?”
“Yes, why?” asked Berkeley. “And more to the point, don’t I get a say in this?”
Calvin put up a hand. “He’s more qualified than any of us here. He knows this Headlock fellow. That has to be an advantage. Harry, do you accept?”
Harry, still a little shocked at the idea of being the head defence honcho, said, “Do I have a choice?”
Calvin looked surprised. “Do you want one?”
Harry looked quickly about the room, his eyes finally landing on Stevens. “I guess not. I accept.”
“Good. So how long do you think we have before Headlock gets here?”
“It won’t be him personally, you understand,” Harry explained. “He never gets his hands dirty. But we do have an advantage.”
“And what is that?” Stevens asked incredulously.
“I’ll check with my associate, but I’m pretty sure there are only three StrateLine Drive ships operating.”
“So?” said Stevens.
“Oh, I follow you,” said Calvin.
“Me, too,” said Soames, edging forward on his seat.
“Well, I don’t!” said Stevens.
“Me, neither,” Entwistle added, if only to remind everyone he was still present.
Berkeley turned from his study of the window. “Explain,” he said simply.
“The Flying Dart left three days ago bound for the Boondocks,” Harry told them. “And The Whispering Spear is by now halfway to Titan. So we won’t concern ourselves with them. The Infinity Wing however has only just departed, yesterday I believe, returning to Earth.”
“So?” said Stevens again, becoming exasperated.
“If you have familiarized yourselves with the StrateLine Drive, you’ll know that it is only effective travelling away from the sun,” Harry explained with an air of authority. “As daft as it sounds, The Dart will reach the Boondocks weeks before The Wing reaches Earth.”
“So!”
“The Wing is the quickest way Headlock can get here,” Harry said, ignoring the colonel’s increasing hysteria. “As soon as she returns to Earth, he’ll commandeer her, and get her back here tout de suite. I have friends onboard The Wing, two in fact. No, actually, three. I have three friends onboard.”
“S……”
“Oh be quiet, Maurice!” Calvin snapped. “Can’t you see what Harry is getting out? Get a grip on yourself. Go on, Harry.”
“If we can contact any of them, then we can get them to keep us appraised of Headlock’s actions. In fact….” Harry’s face lit up. “If I can get a hold of Billy, then I’m sure I could get him to sabotage the drive, and slow it down even more!”
“Would he do that?” asked Soames. “That could get him into a lot of trouble.”
“Only if he gets caught,” Calvin said. “I like your thinking, Harry. If we can contact your friends, and delay The Infinity Wing’s return, then we can have weeks to prepare.”
“Prepare with what?” Stevens blustered.
“If you don’t calm down and start acting rationally,” Berkeley told him, “I will have you relieved of duty.”
“Looks like I already am!” Stevens pointed a long, pale finger at Harry.
Berkeley bit his bottom lip, keeping’s temper in check. “You can advise our new sheriff of our current defensive capabilities.”
“We don’t have any! That’s….”
“Okay. Now you listen carefully, Maurice. You are supposed to be my top military advisor. So far, I’ve heard diddly-squat from you. Now stop your damn whinging, and start advising. Otherwise, I’ll have you banged up!”
That little speech from his superior seemed to sober Stevens up. He corrected his posture, and put on an impassive face. Berkeley seemed satisfied that his top military advisor had returned to the table.
“Now then,” he said, returning his attention to Harry. “I can see we made a good choice here. Mr Watt, Sheriff, please forgive my earlier outbursts. This has not been a good day. Please, carry on.”
“Thank you, Chief Councillor. I accept your apology, and please accept mine, too.” Berkeley approached, and they shook hands. He intimated for Harry to proceed, before wandering back to the window.
“Something else is bothering me,” he began.
“Hmm!” mumbled Stevens.
Berkeley threw him an evil stare.
“This Acquisitions Act. Do you have a legal team here that could look at it? If not, I…”
“Let me guess,” Stevens interrupted. “You have a friend who can help.’
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Ha! Why am I not surprised?”
“That tears it,” Berkeley said returning to stand before his desk. “Front!” A second later, the doors flew open, and Gerard and Alfred came trotting in. “Ah, gentlemen. Kindly escort Colonel Stevens to the brig. As head of the Council, I am invoking Article 2 of the Martian Constitution.”
“What! I’m not guilty of sedition!” Stevens screamed.
“I think you mean Article 22, Aaron,” Calvin suggested gently.
Berkeley thought for a moment. “Ah yes. Article 22.”
“I’m not insane!”
“Now, now. Don’t piss me off any more, Maurice. You’ll be locked up for a little while till you calm down. If you want to be detained under Article 2, then that’s also fine by me. Force me to do that, and I can, by law, throw away the key. Either that or have you executed.”
“This is outrageous!”
“Take him away.” Berkeley shook his head as Gerard and Alfred took an arm each, and frog marched the unfortunate Stevens away.
“You’ll regret this!” he hollowed over his shoulder.
“I’m beginning to regret it already.”
The doors slammed shut and the room was still for a moment.
“Boy,” said Harry. “I had no idea. What’s his story?”
“Story? What do you mean?” asked Berkeley.
“Where has he served?”
“Err..”
“He hasn’t,” Soames said, looking with a frown at his leader. “His rank is honorary.”
“I don’t get it,” said Harry.
“Family friend,” Berkeley explained. “I mean, come on. Aliens? We were humoring him, for Christ’s sake. And we never thought for a minute anything like this would happen.”
“Well, yes, I can see your point,” agreed Harry. “Still, we could use someone with military experience.”
“Isn’t that you?” said Berkeley.
“I know basics, but no real field experience. But I do know someone.”
Calvin burst out laughing, followed quickly by Soames, and surprisingly Berkeley. Entwistle simply looked bewildered.
“My associate, Manny O’Hanlon,” Harry explained. “He’s seen action all over the world, that is Earth, as well as some deep system work, first as a peace keeper, then as a freelance.”
“You mean mercenary,” Berkeley said.
“That’s one word you could use, I suppose,” Harry said. “He can help us, as indeed, can his associates, if they are willing.”
“Willing? They’d better be,” said Berkeley in a huff. “This is a matter of global security. All hands on deck, so to speak.” He twisted his neck, and pulled at his collar, suddenly resolute, the indomitable leader once more. “Very well.” He pressed the intercom, and seemed surprised to hear his secretary’s voice.
“Yes, sir?”
“Thomas, I need you to get a Mr….” He stopped to look at Harry.
“Manny O’Hanlon.”
“A Mr Manny O’Hanlon over here on the double. He’s over at the hospital. Don’t take no for an answer. It’s a matter of planetary importance. Got it?”
“Got it, sir.”
Berkeley smirked as he took his finger off the button. “Things may be looking up. That hasn’t worked properly in months.”
“With your permission, I would like to make Manny my deputy,” Harry said. “Plus a few others I need to help me.”
“By all means,” Berkeley replied. “Assemble your team. Ha! Always wanted to say that. I’m not so dim as to see that you and your associates are going to be a vital cog in our war machine. How soon can you make contact with The Infinity Wing?”
“Straight away,” Soames answered. “We’ll just need to come up with a plausible reason for calling them.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” said Berkeley.
“Well, I can’t see what else can be done for the moment,” said Calvin. “I think we should re-convene in the morning, all fresh and raring to go.”