CHILDERS_Absurd Proposals

by Richard F. Weyand

  First Section

  CSS Shiva

  CSS Devi

  Second Section

  CSS Hera

  CSS Athena

  Second Division

  First Section

  CSS Odin

  CSS Thor

  Second Section

  CSS Osiris

  CSS Isis

  As ships worked up, they took a shakedown cruise. These were always done in pairs in case of trouble with one of the new-build ships. The first of the shakedown cruises was a run from Sigurdsen to Calumet and back by the Shiva and the Odin. The command officers whose ships had not yet shown up went along for the ride. As more ships worked up, they would be making runs with their division and section mates.

  Buy-In

  Jan met with Admiral Durand, and his chief of staff, her husband Bill, for the monthly briefing.

  "I can't believe I'm saying this, but your absurd proposal looks like it would work," Durand said.

  "Would work how? That we could establish the colonies, or that it would diminish the abilities and motivation of the Outer Colonies to be a problem for us going forward."

  "Both. Eventually it would actually work to help the Outer Colonies by creating more markets for their existing manufacturing bases. But that would also ease their trade complaints with us and give them something else to do. In the near term, it would siphon off a bunch of people they would need to be a serious problem militarily, or to replicate our technology.

  "The question that was more up in the air in my mind was the transport issues. We've gone back through the histories of planet colonizations that worked, and some tragic cases where they didn't. There's a lot of lessons there.

  "Basically, you need twenty thousand people to have a viable colony. Fewer than that and you don't have the genetic diversity you need for a sustainable population. As it is, with only twenty thousand, we're going to have to make sure we take primarily breeding age people, and we mix genotypes, get people from different planets as well as some from Earth."

  "Twenty thousand people. That's a pretty big ship. And fifteen hundred colonies will need thirty million people total," Jan said.

  "Thirty million total isn't the problem, twenty thousand per trip is. With twenty thousand people, and all the initial supplies they will need to be up and running quickly, one huge ship is probably not the way to go. In particular, you would like the ships to have a service life after the colonization period. And you will need smaller ships to travel among the colonies carrying on trade and bringing additional people. You can't just take people out there and dump them.

  "We were thinking six ships per colony trip, three passenger ships and three freighters. Something bigger than a current passenger ship would be needed, even if you outfitted all the cylinders for economy class cabins. That's about seven thousand people per ship. So six ships to establish a colony. Call it a squadron. If you have three dozen squadrons, that's a total of two hundred and sixteen ships.

  "The good part is that, after the colonization period is over, you have two hundred and sixteen ships left over to provide freight and passenger service to the new colonies. Most of this round of colonies will be in this part of the galaxy, so you have maybe a one-month out-and-back. That means you can make about two trips a year to every colony, bringing in supplies and more people."

  "All this sounds good to me."

  "It's a huge undertaking. We need Earth to get involved to pull it off. You were right there, too. Some kind of deal with Earth will be needed to make it work. If they built all the ships, their robotic manufacturing facilities would help a lot churning out subassemblies. The big thing is to keep them from getting diverted into building warships," Durand said.

  "I had some thoughts on that. What if we negotiated a deal where we trade them warships for freighters and passenger ships? Warships are more expensive by a lot, so maybe one warship for two passenger ships and two freighters."

  "Actually, it ought to be more like three of each. The passenger liners and freighters don't need more than one g of acceleration. There's no way to put seven thousand people in flotation beds for weeks at a time, and if the passenger liners only go one g, there's no reason for the freighters to go faster than that. So the warship has much more expensive engines, as well as six hundred-plus flotation beds, beam weapons, shield generators, drone weapons. We should probably trade one cruiser destroyer per colony squadron.

  "The nice thing about that is we can participate in the colonization effort, and also have freighters and passenger ships left over for our own merchant service afterwards. As long as you can put up with the diversion of warships, that is."

  "After the first two squadrons, I'm good. We can alternate squadrons after that," Jan said.

  "Really."

  "According to Jessen's current war plan, yes. We planned on fighting this war with as little as one squadron. Two is better. Three doesn't add much."

  "That helps a lot," Durand said. "We also need a thousand or so survey drones to go out and find planets to survey, and maybe a hundred survey ships to do an on-site check on each candidate before we send twenty thousand people out there. Maybe we'll just use the extra cruiser destroyers as they come on line."

  "This all sounds good. When can we present it to Desai?"

  "How did I know you were going to say that?"

  Durand looked at Bill. Bill nodded.

  "Can you let me have the rest of this week? We're almost there."

  "Sure," Jan said. "I'll ask Wong to set something up for next week. Probably at the Residence, I think."

  "That will be fine."

  "I assume this is about that little proposal you briefed me on a week or so ago, Admiral," said Richard Wong, Minister of Defense.

  "Yes, Sir. Intelligence Division has completed its analysis. They're prepared to make a recommendation," Jan said.

  "And their recommendation is?"

  "They're going to recommend we proceed."

  "Really," Wong said. "I seem to recall you said they were very negative when it was first brought up to them."

  "Yes, Sir. The results of their analysis surprised them."

  "Interesting. All right, Admiral. I'll see if I can get a meeting set up for sometime next week. I am aware of the timeliness issue, and I will emphasize that in my communications."

  "Thank you, Sir."

  Attending the meeting at the Chairman's Residence were the Chairman of the Commonwealth Council, Miriam Desai, the Foreign Minister, Sally Howell, the Justice Minister, Frederick Harrigan, the Defense Minister, Richard Wong, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jan Childers, her strategic planning head, Vice Admiral Tien Jessen, the Chief of Naval Research, Admiral Kurt Wisniewski, the head of the Intelligence Division, Admiral Jake Durand, and his chief of staff, Vice Admiral William Campbell.

  Bill presented the key features of the plan, after which Durand presented the results of their analysis. They then opened the floor to questions, for anyone, but really for the Chairman, who had been making notations in small precise handwriting on a pad she brought to the meeting.

  "Am I to understand the original proposal was yours, Admiral Childers?" Desai asked.

  "Yes, Ma'am."

  "Was the analysis in the Intelligence Division performed by you, Admiral Campbell?"

  "No, Ma'am. I considered myself too close to the proposal to be objective. I assigned it to the Analysis Section."

  "And I oversaw it, Ma'am, for the same reason," Durand said.

  "My understanding is you were skeptical of this proposal at the beginning. Is that correct, Admiral Durand?"

  "Yes, Ma'am. Highly skeptical. I believe the word I used was 'preposterous.'"

  "I see. And the first step in your proposal is to negotiate an agreement with Earth on the salient points, is that correct?"

  "Yes, Ma'am," Durand said.

  "How would we arrange that negotiation?"

  Durand turned to Jan.

  "I plan to space to Eart
h on one of the new-build cruiser destroyers, pick up the Earth president, foreign minister, and defense minister, and bring them here, Ma'am," Jan said.

  "As simple as that?"

  "Yes, Ma'am. President Turner and I have maintained a friendly correspondence since the War That Didn't Happen. He owes us, because of the way we fought that war, because of the low casualty numbers, and because, once we had conquered Earth, rather than destroy its infrastructure or some other typical denouement, we gave it back intact to a government deriving its legitimacy from open elections. His government, as it came about.

  "In short, he trusts us. In particular, he trusts me. He will come, and bring his ministers, because it is me asking."

  "As Vice Chairman during that trip, I worked a bit with then-Admirals Turner and Hernandez on their new charter. I believe you're correct, Admiral. They will come because you ask. They hold you in high esteem," Desai said.

  Jan simply nodded.

  "I note you also wear the Earth Medal next to the Commonwealth Charter Medallion."

  "I am informed that is correct per protocol, Ma'am."

  "Oh, it is, Admiral, it is. But it also provides us with an opportunity. If we decide to proceed, I will ask you to chair the meeting, as the only person who can legitimately claim high honors from both governments."

  "I understand, Ma'am."

  Desai turned to her Minister of Justice.

  "What do you think, Minister Harrigan? Can I do this on my own, or is this a Council matter?"

  "If it's a commercial and military agreement with a polity with which we already have a treaty, such as Earth, you can do it on your own, Madam Chairman. If it were to abnegate previous treaty provisions, or add new ones, then it rises to the status of a treaty, and it must be approved by the Council, but that can be done after the fact. It needs a majority to be rejected," Harrigan said.

  "And my majority is solid, so I could go either way."

  Desai folded up her pad and looked up and down the table.

  "Thank you all very much. Admiral Childers, Admiral Durand, I will inform you of my decision within two days."

  And with that, Desai got up and walked from the room.

  Saturday morning, the second day after the meeting, Jan received a short encrypted message:

  FROM: DESAI

  TO: CHILDERS, DURAND

  SUBJECT: EARTH

  PROCEED. TUESDAY.

  Another Quick Trip

  "The ships are amazing, Jan," Admiral Harmony Zhang said.

  "Yes. It's one thing to be told, but it's completely another thing to space to another star system in hours after doing it the long way for so long," Admiral Boris O'Connor said.

  "So everything is working out?" Jan asked.

  "So far, so good," Zhang said.

  "Good, because I have a favor to ask. I need a lift somewhere, and I want to borrow Boris and the Odin for a couple of days if you can spare him, Harmony," Jan said.

  "Sure. He's worked up, and the rest of the ships are still staffing up, so now would be a good time," Zhang said.

  "How about this afternoon? Can you space at 18:00, Boris?"

  "Yes, absolutely. We're fully stocked and all aboard right now."

  "Excellent. Have the shuttle pick me up here at 17:00 if you would."

  "Campbell."

  "Childers here. I'm going to make that trip tonight. I should be back with guests in the morning. Have your briefing materials ready for first thing tomorrow. One of the secure rooms I would think."

  "Oh, we'll be ready," Bill said.

  "Have meals brought in. Figure the whole day, then we'll run people back home tomorrow evening."

  "You got it."

  "Let my Dearies have something special for dessert tonight, since Mommie's gone. Tell them I'll see them tomorrow night."

  "Sure. Have a good trip. Love you."

  "Love you, too. Childers out."

  "CNO's residence."

  "Hi, George, Jan."

  "Yes, Admiral. How may I help you?"

  "Can you pack me for an overnight, and then have Tom run it over here by 16:30?" Jan asked.

  "Certainly, Ma'am."

  "Thanks, George. Childers out."

  Jan was waiting on the roof of the NOC at 17:00 when the shuttle came down from the Odin. One thing she had added to the plans for the buildings along the Navy Mall was a shuttle pad on the roof of each. No more unsightly shuttle pads on the ground.

  It also made bugging out on a shuttle a lot more anonymous. You could come and go away from prying eyes, which would certainly come in handy tomorrow.

  When Jan went to her cabin on the Odin, she opened her bag to find the ever-thorough George had packed pajamas for her. While she eschewed them at home, they would come in handy now. Having put in a full day already, and with a big day tomorrow, she wanted to sleep during the trip to Earth. She could get three ninety-minute sleep cycles in during the trip, and three more on the way back.

  She stripped out of her uniform and hung it carefully in the closet, changed into the pajamas, and got into the flotation bed. She made the plumbing connection, logged into the VR, and set the VR to wake her when they approached orbit. She dialed up a sim she had had made of their bedroom back on the Hill, including Bill snoring softly next to her. She was asleep in minutes.

  Jan had maintained a correspondence with Fleet Admiral Jacob Turner, Earth Space Navy, now President Turner, over the four years since the War That Didn't Happen. That correspondence was, of course, encrypted, and electronic, carried on the courier vessels that had shuttled between Earth and the Commonwealth for years. She thus had the private electronic address of the President of Earth.

  The Odin made a normal entry into the Earth system, and was assigned an orbit, per their normal agreements. She was, potentially, just another Commonwealth vessel here to make staff rotations at the Commonwealth's embassy and consulates on Earth.

  Once in orbit and back to normal gravity, Jan sent the following message, encrypted, directly to Turner's private message address:

  FROM: CHILDERS

  TO: TURNER

  SUBJECT: MEETING

  AM IN EARTH ORBIT ABOARD CSS ODIN.

  REQUEST MEETING. IMPORTANT & URGENT.

  HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU.

  Since her ship was faster than the current courier ships, there had been no way to send him notice she was coming. Since he did not know her ship hadn't taken a month to get there, he would think it must be important indeed for her to show up in person on Earth. It was late afternoon in New York City, Earth's capital, so she wasn't surprised his reply was quick. It was characteristically witty:

  FROM: TURNER

  TO: CHILDERS

  SUBJECT: MEETING

  MY PLACE OR YOURS?

  Jan laughed, and kept the double entendre going with the following reply:

  FROM: CHILDERS

  TO: TURNER

  SUBJECT: MEETING

  I'M EASY. EITHER.

  When she received his reply, she gasped. She wasn't sure how the chief executive of a planet could just drop everything and run off to an impromptu meeting, but then again it was Jake Turner, after all.

  FROM: TURNER

  TO: CHILDERS

  SUBJECT: MEETING

  ON MY WAY.

  "Admiral, we are going to be receiving a shuttle from Earth. One passenger and maybe an aide. Can I borrow your ready room on the flag bridge?" Jan asked.

  "Of course, Admiral. We'll have them brought up as soon as they arrive," Boris O'Connor said.

  "Excellent. I'll await them there."

  "Jan!"

  "Hi, Jake."

  Jan found herself enfolded in a bear hug by the big and voluble Turner. They hadn't seen each other in four years, since the War That Didn't Happen had ended with Jan giving the conquered Earth back to its people in the form of a new government, and to its first elected president.

  "This here's Fred. I don't remember his last name," Turner said by way of introducing h
is aide.

  His aide smiled the smile of a man in on the joke.

  "Fred Murphy, Admiral Childers. Pleased to meet you."

  "Mr. Murphy. Welcome aboard."

  "Thank you, Ma'am."

  Jan turned back to Turner,

  "I can't believe you just dropped everything and came right up here," Jan said.

  "Well, you said it was important and urgent. I did leave a couple dozen staff people in a fit down there, but that's OK. They weren't getting enough cardio anyway."

  Jan laughed. Turner looked around the ready room.

  "Nice ship you got here. I like the twirling business. Saves that whole swinging cylinders in and out nonsense. New build?" Turner asked.

  "Yes."

  "This what you wanted to show me?"

  "In part, yes," Jan said. "For the rest, we need to take a little trip."

  "Where to?"

  "Jablonka."

  "Jan, I don't have two months to spare," Turner said.

  "Jake, the Odin left Jablonka about six hours ago."

  "No shit."

  "No shit," Jan said. "What we would like to do is take you, your defense minister, and your foreign minister to Jablonka, have some meetings, show you some things, and bring you back. In twenty-four hours."

  "Twenty-four hours."

  "Or less. Yes."

  "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Can I use your comm?" Turner asked

  "Sure, but just tell them to come up for a day. Nothing about us going to another system. Like we're going to show them hyperspace maneuvers or something. Nothing off the ship until the meetings."

  "Got it. Damn, this is gonna be fun."

  "How will you cover on the planet?" Jan asked.

  "Oh, it's this pesky bug going around. We all got it. Knocks you down for twenty-four hours. Terrible. And the next day you're fine. Happens all the time. We must have all caught it from the same guy, to get it at the same time like this."