The two members of the board strolled up. Tye made eye contact and shook his head slightly. The men hesitated.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to catch up with us, but we all know that work comes before play. I’m happy that you were able to join us now, at least. Time for a drink, Minister?”
Westy looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, but no.” He picked up his clubs before quickly shaking the hands of the other men and walking off. Tye looked down the fairway and saw a foursome standing there, waiting impatiently. He held up his hands, waved, and hurried off the green.
“If I may be so bold, Chairman, what kind of deal did you work?” one board member asked.
“Tomorrow, my good man. I need to think through the details, make a few calls, and then finalize the arrangements. I will let you know tomorrow.”
***
“What?” Shaunte looked at the screen. Her father smiled back at her. “You want what?”
“I need about ten thousand square kilometers out of sight of anyone and everyone for live-fire training done by a secret military unit. TerroCom will be the future of our military. Darklanding can be on the ground floor. And I think it will help with financial matters, as the rent will be nice hedge against other issues. Or it can buttress an increasingly successful operation,” Tye explained patiently.
“You want me to turn a blind eye to a military unit blowing up the planet so I can get paid under the table?” Shaunte stood up and clenched her fists. Just when she thought her father was starting to understand her, he demonstrated that he didn’t. It was always his way.
Not this time.
“Absolutely not!” Shaunte pounded her fist on the desk and leaned close to the screen.
“I prefer not to look down your cleavage, my dear.” Tiberius pointed at the screen.
The Company Man flopped down in her chair, sat up straight, and glared at the screen.
“No.” Shaunte crossed her arms and continued to glare at the screen.
“I’ll give you more time to think about it. I have to go coordinate some things on this end for the alternate location, just in case it doesn’t work for you.” Tiberius Plastes waved good-bye as he signed off.
And here I am, staring at a blank screen once again as Daddy is going to do what he wants to do, Shaunte thought. What he thinks is best for me, but only as he sees it through his lens.
She sighed heavily and leaned back. Production reports, cost statements, requisitions, profitability estimates, and more were piled into her inbox. She thought about opening them and burying herself in her work, but dismissed that idea. She stood, put on her coat, and strolled from her office, the weight of the world carried on her narrow shoulders.
The fate of Ungwilook depended on her ability to talk the chairman of SagCon’s board out of a course of action he had already decided on.
As she walked through the Mother Lode, she looked at the faces of the miners, the workers, the ranchers, and the natives. The look of the naïve, hard-working people who called Darklanding home, even if only temporarily.
I owe it to you not to let SagCon spoil your home.
***
Tye stroked his chin in thought. “You’ll thank me later, my daughter.”
He scrolled through a number of screens on his computer, reviewing various reports and the latest growth projections. SagCon was enjoying the post-war bump. Tye thought the numbers should have been higher, but accepted that they were better than his predecessor, the luck of timing, if nothing else.
“Rebuilding the military machine will bump our profits into the stratosphere. Two years of that, I sell my shares and retire on my own planet.” The chairman stood and started pacing.
He dismissed Shaunte’s concerns as he thought about the rest of the Sagittarian Conglomerate’s main businesses. Import and export. Transshipment. Construction. Management.
But his attention kept returning to the branch where his daughter was making her name: resource exploration.
The intercom buzzed as Tye’s executive assistant rang through. “Yes?”
“Mister Chairman, Mister Board Member Philbert Slog requests to see you.”
“Send him in, please.” Tye returned to his desk and sat down.
The door opened and Phil walked in, head held high. He turned toward the couch and chairs, but Tye pointed to the chairs in front of the desk. Phil hesitated for a moment before joining the chairman at his desk.
“How are you doing this morning, Tye?” the man asked.
Tiberius Plastes smiled in the way that all politicians could--warm and welcoming without giving away his personal mood.
“It is so nice to see you, Phil. What brings you here? Slumming again?”
The board member shook his head. “I wanted to update you on inner system construction. We’ve run into a bit of red tape on two projects right here on Melborn. I ask for your guidance in helping me through that so we can keep construction moving forward.”
What you want is a favor, Tye thought.
And the dance began. For the next forty-five minutes, Tye and Phil went back and forth in the horse-trading of one favor for others.
In the end, Tye agreed to make a call to a certain official with regulatory approval. The cost for the official’s new hovercar would be paid out of Phil’s official expense account. Construction would move forward and in the end, Phil would have far more credits than what it cost. A short-term investment with a long-term gain.
Tye would get what he wanted, which was someone to take the fall should things go south. Some people would call the person a patsy, but Tye wouldn’t denigrate Phil with such a title. He preferred the term loyal insider. The chairman would test it by giving Phil the next bit of misinformation to insert into the minutes.
Tiberius Plastes’s plan moved forward along its original path. Everything worked out in the end. If it wasn’t working out, then it wasn’t the end.
Tye shook hands warmly with Philbert Slog, a two-handed shake to maximize physical contact, holding it for longer than usual.
“You will have what you desire, unless it’s the chairmanship, and then you may even get that, but not for a little while. I have some things left to do.” Tye chuckled at his inside joke.
“In due time, Mister Chairman. All in due time. You have taught me the value of patience, planning, and being ready to execute those plans when the conditions are most favorable.” Phil nodded and turned to leave.
“Take care, my friend.” Tye watched the man go, leaving the office with his shoulders back and his chest thrust out, pride surrounding him like a glowing aura.
CHAPTER EIGHT
General Quincy returned Bob’s salute after pinning on the lieutenant colonel’s new rank. Sergeant Craken watched the proceedings along with Bob’s wife and other guests. It was the most informal of formal ceremonies, but Bob didn’t care.
Neither did the general, who considered it a means to an end.
It was another piece in the puzzle that was TerroCom—an agile ground force, small, well-armed, designed to replace legions of soldiers.
After the handshakes, the general excused himself, waving for Craken to follow. The lieutenant colonel barely noticed the departure as a group of sycophants lined up for their face time with the new boss.
“Have we nailed down the training base, General?” the sergeant asked as the pair walked briskly toward the waiting car.
“I think so. Most aren’t going to like it, so we won’t tell them. We’re going to Centauri Prime, and you need to keep that under your hat, Sergeant.”
“The Alpha Centauri System?” Craken cocked his head in wonder, falling back from the general.
Quincy slowed, impatiently waving for the sergeant to catch up.
“Where else? We already have everything in place, barracks, training facilities, actual combat sites. The only prohibition is against live munitions. We don’t need anything other than laser training aids for Centauri Prime. We have a separate planet for live-fire ex
ercises, a place called Darklanding.”
“Never heard of Darklanding, but as long as we can shoot and scoot over a variety of landscapes, our troops will learn what they need. Wait, I didn’t know we had barracks or permanent facilities on Centauri Prime.”
“They aren’t ours, but we acquired them as part of the surrender. We left a small garrison behind, ostensibly for peacekeeping, but they are almost useless except to show the flag. TerroCom will have everything they need, enough logistics support and facilities for five thousand.” The general beamed.
“Not to butter your muffin, General, but you think so far outside the box, why didn’t TerroCom exist before now?” Sergeant Craken walked quickly to keep pace with the general.
“Son, almost every reaction needs a catalyst. I needed mine, and now we are embarked on a journey to reshape the military forces of the inner system in a way that old Earth would be proud of, something that they were never able to accomplish.”
Craken rushed forward to open the vehicle’s door for the general. Quincy stopped. “Head to your barracks and pack. Check the heavy lift schedule, and you’ll find that HMT-416 has been assigned to the Ground Forces for a routine relocation. That’s our ride. Get our people ready, because we leave in the morning.”
***
“It’s genius, really,” Phil told Tye as they dined in yet another in a series of choke-and-puke restaurants, places that neither of them would ever casually enter. This was the game they played, ever since their uncomfortable meeting at Greasy Gorgon’s Gollburgers. “A place where no one will look, off the beaten path, but on the primary space lanes. Genius.”
“It had more pros than cons,” Tye suggested. He knew it was genius because there were no cons. It had come to him as he was falling asleep. Energized, he’d jumped out of bed, startling his wife, and started making calls. In an hour, he had everything lined up.
Out of the news. Out of sight. Out of mind.
No one wanted to hear another word about Centauri Prime. It was time to turn resources inward, rebuild the economy of the inner system. Frontier world budgets were reduced while the demand for their resources increased three-fold. Chairman Stoddard had blocked the increase in Darklanding’s budget. Tye couldn’t add funds for another cycle, unless the additional funding bypassed normal processes.
Straight from the ministry of defense’s coffers to Darklanding. All Shaunte had to do was let TerroCom blow up patches of dead earth on the other side of the planet from the inhabited region.
Why is she being so stubborn? Tye wondered. It was the closest anyone would get to free money. All she had to do was cordon off a patch of land that no one was using.
How could it get any easier?
“Chairman?” Phil asked. Tye shook his head and let his eyes focus on the man across the table. “I lost you for a minute. Credit for your thoughts?”
“Still working out some details in my mind. When everything is solid, I’ll share. I don’t like talking about half-baked ideas.”
“Maybe bouncing them off someone will help bring them to fruition?” Phil ventured.
“Thank you for the very kind offer, but that’s not how I work. I’ll let you know when the time is right.” The server brought two platters and set them on the table. “I admit that I enjoy these excursions. Although my stomach doesn’t thank me for what I eat in these places, my taste buds are always titillated.”
“Titillated? I didn’t know anyone used that word anymore.” Phil adjusted in his seat, accepting that he wasn’t the chairman’s confidant, but maybe that day would come. Patience, he cautioned.
“Tantalized or maybe scandalized?” Tye smiled at his rhyme while studying the meal before him—a burrito with extra cheese and a nearly a full plate of nachos, with hot peppers and swimming in cheese. “Yes, I think scandalized is the proper term.”
***
Sheriff Fry looked at the balcony above where Shaunte Plastes was crooking a finger at him. He turned back and forth before pointing to himself. The look on her face suggested she wasn’t in the mood for games.
You have such a way with women, Fry-man, he thought. Maybe you ought to invest in one of those robots. Tempting, but I’m going to have to say no. They are a bit spendy and way too obvious in a place like Darklanding. Damn! I can’t believe I’m even thinking about this. Why doesn’t Dixie have sexbots? Maybe she does. Have you asked? Damn! Get yourself under control, Fry-man!
Thaddeus strolled to the steps with no sense of urgency, looking down as his mind wrestled with itself. He climbed the steps, woodenly, finally reaching the level where the Company Man was standing with her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping one foot.
“Hello,” Thad said in a low voice, before shaking his head. “I expect there’s some legal matter that requires my immediate attention?”
“There’s a matter all right, but it’s your military background that will help me with insight into resolving the issue.” She turned and strode briskly into her office.
Thad followed closely, never minding walking behind her. He stopped and shook his head once again. Damn! Get yourself under control! He hurried into the office and stood in front of her desk, noting that she still hadn’t gotten a chair where visitors could sit. He stood with his weight on one leg and tried to look casual.
She looked him up and down, but with an odd expression. “Why are you standing like that?”
“Because if I sat on the floor, it would be even less comfortable.” He tilted his head and cocked on eyebrow at her.
“As you wish. Close the door, please.” She looked at her monitor, mashed a few buttons, and waited for the system to power down before she started talking. Thad reached behind and flipped the door shut. “Nothing we say can leave this room. My father is going to use the other side of the planet for a live-fire range.”
The sheriff instantly became hyper-aware. His senses tingled at the thought of a major military installation on Ungwilook. “Tell him no,” was the best he could come up with.
“I’ve already told him no, but if you knew my father, you would know that he doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“I can’t guarantee that there aren’t natives living over there. They live underground, so we aren’t sure where any of their population centers are. Can I call Mast and get him involved?”
Shaunte clenched her teeth and grimaced.
Thad’s face fell and he sighed heavily.
“We can’t let anyone know that we know, just in case it goes south.”
“It is going to go south. Air Traffic Control is going to see the ships, whether the military only performs landings and conducts live fire with ground weapons, or worse, they use air and space vehicles to shoot at targets on the ground. No matter what, we’re going to see it from over here and if any natives get killed, we’ll hear about it in short order. The Ungloks will not take this lightly.”
“Those were my thoughts exactly,” Shaunte conceded before blowing out a breath. She sat with shoulders hunched before looking up with sad eyes. “What can we do, without looking like we’re doing anything?”
“We need to find out if there any Ungloks living anywhere near there. Give me some coordinates and I’ll take Mast Jotham for a ride. He should be able to figure out quickly whether his people have caves or settlements in the area. I’ll have to think about what to tell him as to why we’re doing it.”
“Expanded mining operation for a possible second site, but only if it is uninhabited?” Shaunte asked.
Thad scratched his face. She’d been thinking about it for much longer than his three seconds and seemed to predict that he’d recruit his deputy for the survey.
“Sounds like you already had the answer,” he said coldly. He didn’t like feeling played.
Shaunte saw his reaction and waved a hand as if erasing something in the air. “May I call you Thad?” He nodded congenially, although unsure of her motives in getting friendly. “I don’t have anyone I can confide in, no one for a girls ni
ght out where I can complain about that brute of a sheriff.”
He chuckled. She was wearing her dress as if ready to go to a cocktail party and not spend the day in her office on a frontier planet where the uniform of the day was the company jumpsuit. He looked down. His uniform suit was clean as usual, the markings on the sleeve showing that he was management, the color of the suit for the support services, and his badge prominently displayed. His blaster was at his side. He was in a position of trust, but could he be trusted?
“I’m not your girl’s night out kind of friend, but you can trust me to keep our secrets because they aren’t just yours. We share the responsibilities, Shaunte. We share the burden when things go bad, but if I can get in front of potential issues? That is the best case. I hope that I’ve never done anything that would make you think that you can’t trust me.”
Shaunte shook her head. “The opposite, actually. You’ve shown me that you can be trusted, so here we are.” She rolled her chair back and patted the corner of her desk. The sheriff looked at it for a moment before moving around her desk, trying not to be clumsy as he hiked a cheek onto the corner. He clasped his hands over his raised leg and raised his eyebrows, focusing on the woman before him.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m trying to look trustworthy,” he replied before shaking out his shoulders.
“You look like an idiot.” She pursed her lips before speaking again.
Her full. Red. Lips.
Damn it, Fry-man! Thad clenched his jaw. One lip quivered upward in a partial snarl. She acted like she didn’t notice.
“I don’t have a timeframe for when this will happen, but usually, my father has the train so far down the tracks that there’s nothing that can be done to stop it. So, the sooner you can do the survey, the better off we’ll be. I hope that no one is out there. That is the only way this could end well.”
“Even then, I’m not so sure. Every range has an on-ground contingent to manage the targets and boundaries. Otherwise it would be even more of a free-for-all. No, they’ll have to land someone first. We’ll need to meet those people at that time. They’ll be hard-asses, but I’ve dealt with their sort before. The good part about getting this position to fulfill my remaining time in service commitment is that I didn’t resign my commission. I’m still a captain. That used to carry some weight.”
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