by Jack L Knapp
“They’re putting that stuff in orbit? What does the UN say?”
“No sir. They’re sending it off to the sun, so the UN isn’t involved.”
“Tell me about this accident. Shutting down their whole operation...that seems extreme. One accident? Those things happen all the time. I’m surprised I didn’t hear about it.”
“You were campaigning for governor at the time. Anyway, the man was flying one of their machines when he was killed, which is why Transportation and Aviation took action. Because NFI shut down so fast, the existing records are spotty. NFI was there, the next day they were gone. A month later even their security people locked the gate and left. The building is empty. The regulators wanted information, you can probably guess why, but the only people they could talk to were low-level security guards. No one at DOT or the FAA is willing to talk about what happened, so there may be more to the story.”
“Put someone on that. This doesn’t sound right, there’s got to be more. What else did they do? Was he the only casualty? Find out. There’s got to be more information somewhere; look at tax records, see what their neighbors have to say. This is skimpy, too skimpy. There will be records somewhere, put enough people on it to find them. Put the FBI on it.”
The president refilled his cup, then took a swallow.
“I’m not blaming you, Mark, but you don’t build a spaceship overnight. Someone, a lot of someones, knows something. Find them. I really wish they hadn’t shut down. We could have worked through the regulatory issues. There are waivers, we do it all the time. Imagine how much business we’d be doing, what it would mean to our balance of payments, how much tax money that would bring in! And that’s just the tip of it, we’re being shut out of space. One lousy private company! We’ve spent more than a trillion dollars putting people in space, sent men to the moon, and now we’re no better off than Costa Rica! Worse! Neither of us has a space presence, but at least they didn’t spend a lot of money trying! What about the Russians?”
“They’re no better off than we are. Not that they didn’t try; there was an incident, the FBI investigated it. They outed a couple of Russian agents who were in the country illegally, and eventually we swapped them for four of ours that the Russians were holding. NFI has reason not to love the Russians. They tried to steal the device. Devices, now.”
The president studied the items on the laptop. “NASA is pissed too. We were launching satellites for a number of countries, but NFI has undercut NASA’s costs. A half-ton satellite at ten thousand dollars a pound adds up. NFI charges half what we do, half of what the Russians or the French can do. Goddammit, we’re becoming a second-rate country! Do you know what that will mean next election? The opposition will crucify me, they’ll call me the president that sat on his ass and watched while the USA was left in the dust. One superpower, a bunch of other powerful nations, and one--lousy--company sits up there and thumbs its nose at us. I won’t have it! You do whatever it takes, find me an angle. Set up a meeting with the directors of the CIA and the FBI, I’ll light a fire under their butts! Tell them I’m concerned about NFI, so they’ll know what to bring. Better bring in the chairman of the joint chiefs and the director of the NSA too.
“There’s something else. I’ve got a bunch of scientific people pulling my chain. They want to set up another Manhattan Project. They’re calling it Project Los Angeles, probably a good idea, but I have no idea whether Congress will fund it. I’ve had a bunch of people from the Congress talk to me, but only two of them seemed to be for the idea. Their reaction was strange...maybe they’ve got something personal against the company. I’ll take care of the Congress, you get me the rest of what I need.”
“Mister President, there’s a low-level group that meets from time to time, they’re also interested in NFI. Are you interested in talking to them?”
“Not now. How much more time do we have?”
“You’ve got a meeting in two minutes, Mister President. It’s a trade delegation from...”
#
“John, do you have legs that can handle Earth gravity? We usually run the ships at one gee to protect the crew, so you’ll need another set if you intend to leave Luna.”
“It won’t be a problem. The sockets on my other legs can be changed out; I’ve got a set that fits over the shipsuit and one that fits the stumps, as well as one I’m using that fits over the outer layer. The springs are easily changed, I’ve got a couple of sets of those. For that matter, I could reuse the ones I took off my VA legs. I’d only need one of the lower leg extensions, to replace the one I cut up.”
“That’s good. I always wondered how good the legs were, the ones the VA supplied. I met guys who were unhappy with theirs while I was in and out of the hospital.”
“Yeah. I don’t know, Chuck; did they treat me different because I lost both legs, or because I was an officer? I don’t know, but some of my troops were really bitter. Maybe I got better treatment because I was at Walter Reed. It’s in Washington, close enough that a lot of politicians cruise through looking for a photo op so they can claim they care about the troops.”
“You sound bitter too, John.”
“You could say that. Given a choice, I’d reinstate the draft. Too many poor kids carrying rifles, vanishingly few rich kids or politicians’ kids. I don’t want to talk about it, okay? There’s nothing either of us can do.”
“Okay. You know why we run the ships at one gee, right?”
“Bone loss, heart and circulatory system damage, loss of lung function if I remember correctly,” replied John.
“That’s close enough. Plus we need the impellers to generate the plasma field, so we might as well run at a full gee. It solves a lot of problems, not to mention it gets us there fast!” Chuck said.
“Come on, I’ll show you what we’ve done since the last time you were here.” John led the way to the edge of the crater, now stabilized. More icecrete? wondered Chuck. Or maybe that’s the infused product, the one that uses metals.
John jumped over the edge, landing softly in front of the habitats ten feet below. “Come on down, you can do it. It’s not that much of a jump.”
“If you say so. What if you fall?”
“I have, several times. The helmets can take it, so can your legs.”
Sighing, Chuck stepped off the edge and fell slowly. John reached out a hand and steadied him as he landed, knees slightly bent. “That’s the way. Nothing to it, once you get used to the gravity. We can’t enter the habitats; only the residents have permission. It’s their space, I try not to violate it.”
“Good policy. I’ve seen what the insides look like, before they were collapsed and packed to ship up here. You’re putting six people in each one?”
“Six men; it’s cramped, but better than the shipping containers. One habitat has two women. As we get others we’ll put them in there too, then I suppose we’ll need another habitat.”
“Makes sense. They’re plain, but they look okay. Did they fix the toilet problem?”
“Yes, there’s now a sealed dehydration chamber. It’s separated from the toilet by an airlock, and there’s a mechanical lockout that keeps both doors from being open at the same time. Flushing uses a liter of water, but that’s captured and recycled. Everything works fine, so far.”
“Good to know. Okay, I just wanted to check in. I need to head back, I’ve got a meeting with a Chinese delegation before I can go home.”
“How are the kids doing?”
“Growing like weeds. Bobby’s not keeping up with Robbie, not that it bothers him. He just works a little harder. They’re pulling themselves up on a railing Frenchy installed around their play area. He swears they’ll be walking any day now. They’re both saying things like Mama and Papa, but Papa is Frenchy, not me. I suppose I’ll have to work on that, if I ever get a few days free. But the crises don’t come around once a week, not even once a day. It’s more like once an hour,” Chuck sighed.
“Well, you knew the job was dangerous whe
n you took it. My guys used to tell me that one when I bitched about something.”
“Yeah, that’s one. The other one was ‘if you can’t take a joke...’”
“I heard that one too.”
#
The Chinese were waiting when Chuck arrived, lined up around a large circular table. Chuck nodded, thought of bowing and decided that was too Japanese, so he took his place in the remaining chair.
“Gentlemen.” Chuck waited for the translator to catch up. “As you know, my company is interested in purchasing certain commodities that China produces in abundance. I hope we can come to an agreement.”
One of the Chinese replied, and this time Chuck’s translator took longer to catch up. “We believe you can also be of help to our ventures. We wish to land a scientific party to evaluate a region of the moon, and we wondered if your ships might assist. It may be that we will place a party there for a somewhat longer period of time. Are you interested in a deal, Mister Sneyd?”
The haggling started. “How many people, where, and for how long? You are Mister Zhang Wei, I believe?”
“I am. Let us discuss the cost of each trip, the turnaround time for your craft, and the amount of cargo you can transport in a single shipment.”
“I can provide that information, not today but certainly in less than a week. Are you intending to pay in renminbi or dollars? I can make you a better deal if you’re willing to bypass the currency and go directly to trading rare earth elements for flight time. As you know, currency can be exchanged, but it is best used in the nation that issued it. Exchange rates can vary, China has recently devalued her currency, and I would regret accepting payment in RMB only to find it had been devalued again. You understand, I’m sure.”
He glanced around the table. Two of the Chinese were smiling, the other faces were expressionless. Not surprising; many Chinese love playing poker.
“Does your device use rare earth elements? We would pay well for one.”
“I cannot discuss our propulsion system. As you know, I’m a businessman, not a scientist. I doubt I have the information you want. But,” Chuck shrugged and spread his hands, “at some time we may choose to sell ships. Friends would, of course, be considered favorably when such comes to pass.”
“But not now?”
“No. I can discuss your transportation needs, I’m willing to accept the rare earth elements we need for batteries and magnets, but if that’s not on the table...” Chuck looked around the table.
“No, no, we are willing to barter. But I do hope you will remember us when the device goes on the market.”
“Count on it. We do not forget friends.” Unspoken was the corollary; NFI did not forget enemies either.
“Can you transport a party of scientists to a location on the far side of the moon? Say, ten persons with supplies for one month?”
“A month? That’s quite a long time. Shipping isn’t a problem, but you are aware of the radiation hazard, are you not? We can also provide your party with a protective dome our company has developed. It protects from radiation, and also shields anyone working beneath it from observation. If, of course, that has anything to do with your decision to put your party on the other side of the moon.”
“I...see. Yes, we would be interested in such a shield. Assuming we can come to an agreement, of course. And follow up trips, to bring supplies and perhaps replace some of our scientists? For a longer period even, perhaps six months or a year? Could you do that, and are you willing to do so?”
“Of course. It’s not a problem. Most of our ships are contracted for, they’re transporting certain materials to space, but we have others. Giant, for example, can carry ten people easily, complete with enough supplies for an extended stay. If you provide us with a location, I’ll have the radiation shield in place before your people arrive. I may also be able to help with supplies, advice if nothing else. I would not want your people to be endangered. We do have experience in space, you know. What did you intend to supply your people with? We repurpose shipping containers to house our people, you could do the same. Of course, we would expect compensation. The shipping containers require modification, and we can sell you the kits to make them livable.”
Half an hour later, meeting ended, Chuck headed back to Lina. Behind him, the Chinese group split into smaller groups. One of the Chinese left with a man who’d attended the meeting but who had not spoken at all.
“What did you think, Comrade Kim?”
“I think you should know that elements of the government do not want to do business with this NFI company. The costs are likely to be high. Are you certain of your support?”
“I believe so. The Chairman’s wife’s sister has extensive interests in mining. She will be happy to provide the materials this Chuck person desires. She also intends that her family be represented among the group on the moon. Family is very important in China, you know.”
“I know, in my country also.”
Chapter Nineteen
Mark spoke to the secretary, then knocked and entered the Oval Office.
“Good morning, Mister President.”
“Morning, Mark. What have you got for me?”
“I have your itinerary for the day. You’re scheduled to meet with the security council later; will you want me there?”
“I don’t think so, Mark. I glanced at this morning’s briefing paper, so things appear to be in control. Have you found more information about that other matter we discussed, the NFI company?”
“I think so. Some of my conclusions were wrong, as it turns out. Sneyd didn’t take over the company, it was an amicable transfer of power. There are health issues involved.”
“But the facts are essentially the same?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Skip it for now. When am I meeting with the security council?”
“The meeting is to start at 3:20 and last an hour. If necessary, the time can be extended for another hour. I can shift a meeting with your political strategists to tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Did you hear back from the FBI?”
“Yes, sir. They picked up a rumor...I’d rather wait until I’m sure. It’s not confirmed, so I don’t want to raise false hopes, but we may have an opening.”
“Sounds interesting.” The president was distracted. “What about the rest of the week?”
“The Nigerian President is visiting Friday. You’ll give a speech in the Rose Garden, there’ll be photos, the usual drill.”
“What are we meeting about?”
“Nigeria wants more trade, you accepted because you need to bolster your civil rights credentials among black voters. I’ll have a detailed briefing for you before he arrives. The Secretary of State’s meeting him at the airport.”
“That’s right, I do. Too many minority voters went for the opposition, we’ll need to do better. Am I scheduled to visit this Project Los Angeles? We don’t want to call attention to it, do we?”
“No, sir. I can set up a briefing, possibly a quiet visit. No publicity, I mean.”
“Go with the briefing, I’ll let you know if I want a visit. Who’s on the agenda next?”
“There’s a delegation from Taiwan...”
#
Chuck, in Lina, followed Giant to a landing between the photovoltaic plant and the dozen domes the Chinese had bought from NFI.
Seen from space, the Chinese base appeared several times larger than NFI’s own installation. Chuck thought about it, then realized that Moonbase’s power plant was hidden, as were the habitats. Even the dome that had covered the original blast crater was gone, sold to the Chinese. The crater, roofed over, was pressurized, as were the access tunnels; the only visible sign that humans had ever been there was the two-meter armored glass dome over the emergency exit.
Two of the huge protective domes remained, one covering an outdoor workshop, the other shielding the emergency housing village. Wolfgang wanted to sell the modified shipping containers to the Chinese, but Chuck had resiste
d. Having a place to put people, should something happen to the underground base, was cheap insurance. It meant that Farside was now free to make regular supply runs.
Small, unobtrusive, blisters on Giant’s dorsal held that ship’s own insurance policy. Each contained a heavy machine gun, old but serviceable. Chuck locked Lina’s hatch, then looked at the two blisters. A small red light between the two positions blinked in acknowledgment. No one would approach either hatch. The Chinese had assembled two-person vehicles, electrically powered and similar in appearance to the original Lunar Rover. The machine guns ensured that the vehicles kept their distance.
There had been considerable debate, first about arming the big ships, then regarding what to use and where to position it. Should the guns cover the impellers, or only the hatch? Finally someone pointed out that even if someone managed to steal an impeller, he would have no place to take it. The Chinese base depended on NFI ships to maintain their lifeline. So the blisters covered the hatch, and when Chuck brought his ship to a landing near Giant, Lina was also protected.
Chuck joined the crew, helping unload supplies. If the Chinese knew who he was, no one let on. He took a break half an hour later and looked around.
An astonishing number of Chinese had appeared from beneath the domes, picked up containers, and were now carrying them under the protective shield. Was this where they broke down the cargoes? Their transport system was simplicity itself; metal poles were inserted through rings at each corner of the containers. Twelve workers, three at each corner, laid hands on the extended bars, picked up a container, and walked away with it.
Where had all the people come from? Chuck suddenly understood; some of the containers they’d just unloaded might carry people. He shook his head ruefully.
The Chinese government was testing long-range rockets now, but could they keep the base supplied? All those people, they’d need food, water, oxygen, equipment. Perhaps the Chinese could keep it going, now that most of the work was done. Clever...the Chinese had used NFI to bootstrap their way onto the moon!