-The History of the Earth Commonwealth
“Do we have any intel on the Commonwealth’s next move?” Governor Al Chipman asked the assembly before him.
“Our sleeper units inside the Earth Ring have not penetrated into the secure military sections yet. They cite increased security beyond what is normal for the past month. We only have images of the shipyards they have newly built at the end of the Naval Shipyard’s docking platforms,” said Head Assistant Charlie.
“Captain, report on the readiness of your troops,” Al asked.
“Sir, losses were very light in the previous operation,” Captain Husan said. “My troops are ready to go for the next op, sir.”
“Alright, you got the go ahead for the next phase.”
“Yes sir.”
“That reminds me. Charlie, how has the bureaucratic transfer been?” Al asked.
“We have almost fully transferred the staff from the Ring offices to our offices here on Callisto. We are waiting for the end of the next phase for your speech.”
“Thank you Charlie,” Al said and thought for a little bit. He looked around the table at the people before him. They were not like the Senate on Earth with their visual representation technology yet. They were small enough where that was not economically feasible yet. Besides that, Al just liked talking to the person face to face when he had to ask the important questions like the ones now. “Let’s bring the Advanced Restricted Intelligence into the meeting.”
In the middle of the wood table was a small flattened pyramid that housed the holographic equipment. ARI Jillian appeared above the machinery as a simple sphere only ten centimeters wide. Every word the ARI spoke made the sphere pulse and release a dissipating halo of holographic gas that seemed to come out of the surface of the sphere. “Hello Governor, or is it Chancellor yet?”
Al resisted the temptation to talk down the ARI. It was loosely restricted to give the ARI the creativity it would need in the future. Yet, it was this loose restriction that Al hated the most since it almost gave the ARI a sort of an eccentric personality. “Can you update us on your progress?” Al asked.
“Oh why, yes. We are currently at a ninety percent completion and are operating at a rate of about five percent per day. We have a time frame window of less than two days until completion. This is assuming the process is not held up again by a lack of materials shipped to myself.”
“That will not happen again Jillian. Did you let Trev’s RI into those systems I asked you to keep open?”
“Why yes. He recorded the previous meeting and he seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. We also traced the information package he sent to an individual that seems to currently be on Ring One. We lost the tracking immediately after it reached its individual destination. Curious.”
“Alright, send me the data package to my personal Biocomp on your tracings. You are dismissed from this meeting, Jillian.”
“Call if you need me again,” Jillian said as her holographic image disappeared.
“Has anyone been able to figure out who this mystery character is?” Al asked everyone around the table. Silence followed. “I’ll take that as a no. We need to figure out how this guy knew about our plans.”
“We have deployed assets to Ring One to investigate further,” Charlie said.
“Good, I want priority updates on that topic sent to myself directly,” Al said. He turned his head to look directly at Captain Husan. “Captain, begin the next phase immediately. And I want you on the ground as well next to your troops. I want you leading them personally on the ground this time, not from our command center on Callisto.”
“Yes sir. I will begin the op as soon as possible. I will send you a news feed directly as soon as I get into position,” Captain Husan said.
“Charlie, any news from the prisoners?”
“No sir, nothing yet. They are keeping their silence,” Charlie said.
“Keep up with the interrogation. Charlie, I want you on site there after the op to handle it. We must know what he knows and why he was there. I don’t like the timing of his presence.”
“I’ll be on my way as soon as the meeting is over.”
Al leaned forward a bit, bringing his elbows onto the table and folding his hands together underneath his chin. His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the events mentally. Everything was going according to the plan he agreed on with his allies and supporters. There were a few snags, but that was to be expected for an event such as this one. He looked at every face that was in front of him, thinking if any of them could be traitors to the plans they have set forth with. Was there a backstabber in the midst?
“This meeting is over. Commence the next phase so we may then move the rest of the government to our facilities here.” A chorus of agreements followed. Yet Al still could not shake the feeling that something was not right. He felt like someone was watching over his shoulder, looking at every move he made and countered it several moves in advanced. He began to wonder who had the motive to inhibit him at a time like this. In the end, as everyone began to leave the meeting room that was located deep under the surface of Callisto, Al could not pinpoint who was obstructing the plans. All he could do was make a note about it and set his own personal RI to monitor the situation.
***
Senator Williams made a rare trek out of his personal small Arcology to the Sydney Arcology, one of the five Arcologies he owned and it was the largest out of the five. He named his land the Australian Constellation because three Arcologies were on the east coast of the Australian continent, one was on New Zealand, and the last was on New Guinea. There were four more Arcologies on Australia, with two other Senators owning two each.
Williams ran a capitalistic approach with the businesses renting out the space in his Arcologies. The Sydney Arcology was home to several corporation headquarters and to a population of ninety million, making it in the top ten percent population wise. It was supplied by the Earth Ring from the Australian Stalk, anchored into Indo-Australian tectonic plate, and the Pacific Stalk, anchored into the Philippine tectonic plate. Williams exported tremendous amounts of iron ore from the underground mines surrounding his Sydney Arcology, but imported most of the food and fusion fuels they needed.
Today was a special occasion. Once every two months a party is hosted in the top most level of the Sydney Arcology, which he had modeled to be like an old style Victorian era party hall. Overall, three thousand people of the business and aristocrat world came to the party hall and was known to be when many large deals between businesses were placed. Everyone from corporation executives to business owners of the famous Main Level Streets attended the party. Williams, despite his unwillingness to socialize, still came to the events because they were necessary to maintain his image and authority over the competitive executives, retailers, and manufactures.
The party itself was a popular venue that many sponsored to get their business’s name out. Advertising among the business elite had its advantages when it came to who was supplying the investment capital. Most was aimed at trying to gather Williams’ attention, one of the main reasons why he was partially a recluse. Yet Williams was more interested in the modern stock market for his trading than he was for retailers. There was just simply more money to be made in the stock market
There were even twenty seven other Senators here and a plethora of Army and Navy officers. Yet only one of them was of importance to Williams. It was one that he himself sponsored into the Senate nearly a century ago. Senator Kino, owner for four Arcologies in the Indo-Asian Islands, was here as well specifically to see Williams, his old sponsor. Kino had yet to arrive, making Williams seek out Charles Bodd out of the midst of the populace.
No one yet realizes just how important this man will be, Williams thought. “Mr. Bodd, I am glad you were able to attend. I thought you were at the Earth Ring with Admiral Jevins?”
“Yes, I had to take the express shuttle down the Stalk to get here. Expensive, but I am meeting with my board soon thr
ee levels down. I figured I would mingle a bit but that always gets old fast for myself,” Mr. Bodd said, who thought the noise level of so many people talking to each other was too loud even though there was no music or band playing at the moment.
“Why don’t we join each other in one of the terrace rooms over there?” Williams asked, pointing over to a vacant room. Although it had no door, it did have a view of the outside.
“That would be much appreciated,” Charles said. Walking to one of the private terrace rooms, people seemed to make room for Charles and Williams to walk past. It was as if almost everyone had both of them in the corner of their eyes and one ear pointing in their direction. It was as if one tidbit of information dropped between these two giants could lead massive gains from investments over what they said. Vultures, Williams thought to himself.
They stepped into the terrace room and took in the view of the surrounding desert. The room itself was still enclosed within the Arcology’s main dome to protect it from the elements. Yet the glass paneled view showed the ruined landscape that surrounded the Arcology. The terrace rooms were one of the many places in the Arcology above the surface where you could look outside at the surrounding landscape. It was also the closest thing to a balcony that was available. However, the terrace rooms were also one of the few private places available. Almost everywhere else the huge dome covering the Arcology, protecting it from the elements, was opaque.
“How is the Arcology business?” Charles asked.
“Not bad,” Williams said while looking out to the stretching desert. “Bit of an issue with the ventilation system here. Just a simple upgrade to handle the population increase. I’m increasing the construction of a few new domes about a quarter mile below ground where we were mining a bit previously for the rock there. Probably will expand outwards from there. Other than that, not much new. How’s the R and D business?”
“Booming. Going to be a travel agency more than an R and D company,” Charles said almost casually.
“So I’ve heard.”
“So you’ve heard? I told you personally after all.”
“Well, I am the majority investor after all.”
The two men stood in silence looking outside and just enjoying standing away from the constant questions from the inside where there was people who just had to talk to them. The walls of the room blocked most of the sound coming from the party hall while also offering some privacy from eavesdroppers. But in every corner Williams had Internal Security install a variety of sensors that allowed him to review every conversation taking place in the hall and the rooms so that he partially knew what the future held. Just about everyone expects that on Earth, Williams thought. He also knew that Fleet Intelligence had RIs and their fair share of operatives patrolling around the Hall and throughout the Arcology. It was one of the reasons why crime in the Sydney Arcology was so low.
“Where’s the Hub going to be located?” Williams asked Charles. Both men still stared out toward the empty desert as they spoke to each other.
“A few miles north west of here. Very close. Thank you for your investment.”
“Isn’t that a railroad junction?”
“Yes, we are going to use the existing railroad network to our advantage. Why not? It’s prebuilt and extensive. It’s also the only way we move around now. Well for now it is. That will change.”
“I suppose you will need my power plants for your energy supply?”
“Yes. They are power hungry, at least the method we are using now. We think there might be an easier way, but this way will pave a path for the future of us.”
“How many planets you got lined up for the first trials?”
“We think we have twenty. But we need to send expeditions to really see what the worlds are like. Orbits and spectrums can only say a few things. We got the containment spheres designed and being built. Plus we will have our own domes covering the Hubs.”
“At least we got somewhere to put our surplus population.”
“Perhaps. We still need to develop the planets after all. That will take time. Decades and decades. We plan on starting them off as agriculture based, almost ancient colonial in origin. They will later be self-sufficient, just like the Arcologies. However, things and plans can change in the future.”
“Arcologies are not self-sufficient. Close, but not entirely. The Earth Ring supplies us with our food and the medicine we need. Plus they got all of those Molders up there. They are too expensive for me down here.” Williams sighed a bit as he looked down at his feet. “Hell, we still use the assembly line. I like to keep things basic, but soon I will need to switch over to them.” The Molders were the latest design of nanofactories, twice as efficient as previous models yet ten times as expensive for them to be built in a gravity environment.
“You planning on buying land on a new planet?” Charles asked.
“It would be stupid not to. Hence my investment,” Williams said. He looked at Charles. “Land ownership always describes who has the money. And who has the power.” Williams was planning on buying an entire planet if possible. That was if his future plans worked out. But how could they not? Williams thought.
“For a recluse like you, I wouldn’t be surprised for you to save up money to purchase a continent for yourself in the near future.”
“I may prefer to be alone, Charles, but I am not stupid enough to isolate myself from the world even at the age of a hundred and seventy years. Besides, I am planning on spending money on something else.”
“And that is?” Charles asked, genuinely interested in something his commercial spies did not pick up. He knew that Williams was married twice and had ten children and a little over forty grandchildren and scores of great-grandchildren. He headed the clan and employed much of his immediate family into high level executive positions among his company which controlled and owned the lands within the Arcologies. But he had no heir apparent to take over when he passed away. That was something that interested Charles.
“Sometimes Mr. Bodd,” Williams said with a serious tone. “Sometimes things are better left off unsaid.”
“Gentlemen, I hope I am not disturbing anything,” a familiar voice to Senator Williams said behind the two men. Charles and Williams turned around to look at Senator Kino as he entered the terrace room.
“Not at all Senator,” Charles said, while Williams just stood there not greeting his fellow Senator. Seeing this, Charles knew two forces were about to collide. Knowing this, he did not want to be in the middle of it. “Well Senator Williams, I know we will be in contact in the future more. I expect your nanofactories and manufactories downstairs will be able to handle the construction efforts I require.”
“Yes. Contact my assistants and they will handle the logistics for you.”
“And that I will do. Senator Williams, have a good day,” Charles said as he walked towards the main party hall. Passing by Senator Kino, still at the entrance, he said “Senator Kino, have a good day.”
“Senator Kino,” Williams said, nodding towards Kino. “Please join me for a little bit out here.”
Kino walked over to Williams. “Looks like a nice view.”
“The world is changing little by little. I always said we should fix the oceans first before we fix the land.”
“That would be your project for that Great Barrier Reef.”
“Yes, the same one you spoke out against.”
Both men stared out at the desert that expanded out to the horizon. Each had a different view of their lands and what the ecological reconstruction projects should entail. To Kino, his islands still contain some vegetation that was grown from his own restoration project. To Williams, the lands surrounding his Arcologies were still unchanged since the global climate change killed off most of the bacteria and almost all of the plant life. Kino focused on the land. Williams focused on the seas. Kino saw no beauty in the desert landscape he looked out at, seeing it as a bleak and desolate area that was nearly devoid of life. Kino’s island
s were not hit by the high winds year round like Williams Arcologies. Any effort Williams would put into the land, he knew, would be useless currently and thus he focused on the seas where the water protected the life from the winds above.
Rebels of Jupiter Page 10