I closed the connection. It was now 06:30. Wang was waiting, but my next call was to the largest news agency in civilian Orientale Tereshkova. I included Wang as a silent partner in the call.
[Me/ID=31/hidden=Wang] Hello, I would like to speak to the program director.
[NEWS-156244] May I ask who is calling, please?
[Me] No, but you will find attached the relevant part of my security authorization. I have a suggestion for a news story with considerable human interest, which might also serve the wider interests of the Lunar community.
I have heard that during the Fire and Ice Festival two of the pirates who attacked the LUVN facility were mingling with the crowd in disguise. They were so overwhelmed by the performance of the Angel of Hope that they publicly confessed their offence and surrendered to the Public Office in Armstrong Square. May I suggest that you contact those people to get their story? I am sure it would be of intense interest to everyone on the Moon and would command a wide audience on the Earth as well. In fact, it might attract attention from much farther afield. It is not often that we get such a juicy piece delivered to our doors.
I have also heard that there were at least two infiltrators intending to attack the festival goers who also surrendered in other locations. Because of their intended criminal activity with its associated political sensitivities, it might be harder to arrange interviews with them but they might be of interest for follow-up stories.
[NEWS-156244] We are going to lead with the missile attack, but I can see that this would be a contrasting item with some local significance. Mmmm, now you mention it, I recall an incident in the Festival where a distraught couple were passed in a line dance of hugs to the Public Office, but it was just another bit of lunacy so I paid it no mind. Is that what happened?
A feel-good story that speaks to the very heart of what it means to be a Lunatic. Mercy, we have had so much gloom and misery that I thought we would lose all our followers. Mmm, mmm, mmmm, you are so right, it would make a perfect complement to the missile attack. I will get some people on it immediately. Thank you for the tip!
Can I ask where you heard about this?
[Me] I was talking with someone who was there. I believe ze wants zer anonymity preserved, but the story is just too good to keep quiet. I easily found the incident right after the Angel of Hope, but no one else seems to have followed up. I really want this story to come out. It speaks so eloquently about how we should live our lives, not just here but everywhere.
[NEWS-156244] The Moon was made for lovers! But wait… That security code... This is not just a tip, is it? Do you want propaganda or the truth?
[Me] The truth is the only propaganda we need. I don’t care if the story I heard is true or false. We know something happened that sent two people to the Public Office in a proper Lunatic whirl. Even if the whole thing turns out to be a hoax, the joke alone would be worth it.
[NEWS-156244] That is such a relief. We don’t really do propaganda well. Tried once or twice, but everyone could see through it. Our following dropped away like last week’s teenage fashions.
Would it be acceptable if we did a quick announcement right after the piece about the missile attack, then follow up with a proper story after we have time for a real interview? Mmmm, I had better emphasize the urgency of the initial interview and do an in-depth piece later. I will see what we can find about the two infiltrators. Every news hound in the city will be following us after we go public with the incident in Armstrong. Oooh, and the singers... Let me get on it.
2357-03-28 06:45
The Lonely Watch
We hung up. By now I had two calls, from Wang and a text connection from the emigrants to Hope University. I asked the emigrants to hold because the missile attack had made things a bit turbulent, assuring them that the right people were gathering for the discussion we needed. They had not heard about the missile attack and nearly panicked, but I calmed them and told them to call Lunar Recovery Asset Disposal, identifying themselves as officers for the newly incorporated Hope University. They would find the former Quetzalcoatl was at their disposal pending the transfer of ownership. Also, the Spacers Benevolent Society would soon transfer ownership of a portfolio of investments to help them start operations. That left them stunned into silence, so I asked them again to hold while I spoke with Admiral Wang.
Wang/private, “Why did you think I needed to know about music and dance at the Fire and Ice Festival? I can’t even fathom what you are trying to do.”
Me/converse, “Psychological warfare, Sir. In a very short time, we will have to leave the Moon and my next visit is likely to be final. I’m trying to set every piece into motion while I still can. We need more than ever to remind ourselves of who we are.”
Wang/converse, “I need to remind you of how critical everything is right now. I’ve just received some surprisingly detailed cost and time estimates from Haliru about refits for the old Hammerhead and Mao. I like the suggested refit for the Hammerhead, which I had anticipated from our last discussion. However, he is talking about a whole new Boomerang class of ships and wants a major development program, along with a TDF sister organization for an armed courier service. The suggested refit for the Mao is just bizarre.
“This madness has your prints all over it. Whatever are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to seduce Haliru into one of your weird schemes? Be warned that he will take over anything you give him and requires active management. The TDF can ill afford to lose his exper...
“I have to go. Something about the ultimatum... We may be minutes away from combat.”
He cut off and I felt the world sway into churning darkness, but then remembered the instructions I had given to the Ministry of Health and regained a measure of composure.
I looked around and remembered MacFinn. “Picking up, when you do incorporate, be sure to contact the Spacers Benevolent Society. A significant charitable donation to support the service is available, but you need to incorporate in the next year to receive it. Both you and Surgeon Kaahurangi will need to be present to sign the required documents. I’m sending the ID of the account officer you need to talk to. You will, of course, want to let the markets recover before cashing any of the investments, but you ought to be able to swing a short-term loan to hire staff using the investments as collateral. Commander Sa’id can help with some of the details.”
MacFinn stood there looking blank, then blushed and tried to stammer thanks.
He was interrupted as Haliru appeared in a small window and a roomful of Banshees in armour appeared across the monitor. As requested, Raul and Begum were accompanied by their counsellors.
Leilani asked, with desperation in her voice, “Why did Admiral Wang leave in such a hurry? Has the war started? Should we try to hide?”
I replied, “No, but I’m hoping they are passing from throwing ultimatums at each other into actual negotiations. It may give us a month to escape from the Moon. Chief Eng Cyrus Haliru has joined us for the initial discussion. Eng Haliru, would you like to outline the proposed modifications to the former Mao that you have costed out? Cap Thieu is here and might be interested in the details.”
Haliru snorted, “This arrogant buffoon woke me from a sound sleep with the most ridiculous proposals I’ve ever heard, to convert the former Hammerhead into a sawed-off, heavily armed delivery wagon for meds from LUVN, and to convert the former Mao into a heavily armed university able to defend itself in the middle of the Belt. Bizarre, but I suspect practical. We will need two weeks to restore both ships and load supplies. The changes will be completed at L1 for the Hammerhead, newly rechristened as the Mjölnir. More fun by far, they will be completed en route for the former Mao by a team of Engs and Techs yet to be hired. I’ve sent the details to Dapeng already and am attaching them to this message for anyone ready for some adventure. I’ve not had this much excitement since we arrived here on the Moon. Damn tedious place, the Moon.”
Something like, “What is he talking about?” came from
half the Banshees, most of them choosing a much ruder phrasing.
I told them I wanted Minister Singh at least to be part of the conversation, preferably with a representative selection of the ministers who needed to emigrate. While they called Singh, I brought the Hope University people back into the conversation. I introduced them as Raja Burakgazi and Fatima Cornflower, my two contacts with Hope University, newly incorporated in the Belt.
[Raja] Sir, how did you know...
[Fatima] Hush, Raj. It doesn’t matter. He gave us a ship! We are among friends. For the first time in years, we are among friends. You cannot know what that feels like. Thank you, Sir, from the bottom of our hearts.
I smiled warmly, “Actually, I think I do know. I felt it the first time I returned to the Moon after Mars and especially when I first met these people. It is like dawn after a cold night, it is like first love.
“But now, we must arrange for your safe transport. Admiral Wang is a friend, but not a supporter. I would like to introduce you to Doctors Virginia Marin, Nguyen Tran, and Brent Valentino. I hope they will agree to be your colleagues in the teaching hospital at Hope University.”
Marin replied, “Hope University? I’ve heard about your plans. It is hard to keep anything quiet on the Moon when it involves so many people. I was not surprised when everyone stopped talking, but I did wonder where you had gone.
“Welcome to our peculiar madhouse. I recognize your names; both of you were at the Conference on Space Pharmaceuticals. I watched the proceedings remotely and remember your paper, Raja. It was fascinating work, but I thought you looked distracted the whole time you were speaking. Now I know why.
“Regardless, we are trapped in this together. I believe we are now all wanted by the Earth, you for your work and we three just for knowing these twerps. It doesn’t matter; we are all likely to be executed if caught.
“Brian, are you really suggesting we rebuild the Mao and fly it to the Belt as a home for Hope University?”
[Fatima] No, he persuaded Lunar Recovery to donate the Quetzalcoatl to us. And we have just received a very confused message from our one, lonely secretary saying we are being gifted with investments sufficient to pay a full staff for two hundred years. He needs our approval to accept the funds. I cannot believe this is happening.
I answered, “Yes and no. The conference attendees will take the Quetzalcoatl, the ministers will take the Mao. You three get to choose, but I would recommend the Mao where they will need your medical services and are familiar with you personally. You should be able to shuttle back and forth between ships, since they will fly in convoy, with the Mao providing an armed escort for the Quetzalcoatl. We will need Admiral Wang’s permission, which he will be reluctant to give. There are crewing issues for both ships...”
Haliru interrupted, “Leave that to me. I know who I want, starting with Captain Begum Thieu for the Mao and former Captain Steven Takemura for the Quetzalcoatl. I have expressions of interest from six other officers already and a dozen volunteers from the tech pool who I suspect will be forbidden to leave.
“Begum, I can see your face. Don’t be a fool. I cannot command; you know that. I’m too much of an obnoxious asshole. But I can organize the refit and can help you hire competent crew. With you in command, this will work. Without you, I don’t think it can be done at all. The other captains who were half as good were all demented by the bug and emoji attacks. You are the only one I trust to hold people together in the maelstrom we are about to enter.
“Dapeng will demand that you stay, but I have my own sources who say you have painted a great big target on your back. If you stay, you die and everyone loses. Dapeng knows he will lose you either way. Brian is mad – absolutely hair-pulling, shrieking mad – but he is also right.
“This morning, I resented being woken from the second-to-last sleep I would ever have. Now, I have a challenge as great as any I have ever felt. I’m alive again and ready to spit fate in the face.
“I even think I know how to stealth both ships en route. It will be better than what the pirates did. They used silver which becomes opaque in the far ultraviolet so that UV cameras can still see their ships. We will use aluminum, which remains reflective to much shorter wavelengths. It is almost as reflective and will make us nearly invisible in transit.
“Begum, you were the best student that I, the TDF Officer School, and the ACC ever had. Don’t waste it on vainglory around the cesspool of the Earth. Real glory awaits where we can do some good.”
Begum to Raul, Me/private, “I can’t leave now! We just got back together. Brian, you cannot mean this. Don’t send me to the Belt. We will never see each other again.”
Raul/converse, “I will never leave you, my love. We will hide, we will run... Oh God, we would be lost in the Nightmares. What can we do?”
Me/converse, “You will give each other solemn vows of your love and commitment. Then, discuss it with your counsellors. And get some spine, both of you. You are military officers in a time of war. You are not the first and will not be the last to face separation. Fight well to ensure it is not permanent.
“Begum, you have demonstrated courage and tactical genius to the point of recklessness; now you must refine your skills with caution and strategic thinking. Ask Raul about our five criteria for success. Add your own survival to the list. Your duty is not just to win but to preserve all the people entrusted to your care.”
I returned to speaking out loud. “Talk to Surgeons MacFinn and Kaahurangi about working amongst the people of the Belt. It will be dangerous, but you will never be alone. You have no idea how many friends you will find out there, wonderful people who will recognize your worth and support your cause.”
“Raul, I know you are working as Chief of Staff for Minister Morris, but that position is temporary. Once it becomes routine, the Lunar Government will assign their own staff who will have even better local contacts and won’t have to hide their existence. You will then be able to move around and I expect you will want to join Begum in the Belt.
“Until then, talk to each other and discuss the troubling issues with your counsellors. Find some way to convince each other of the depth, not of your passion since it is obvious, but of your faith and commitment. You are going to be frightfully busy, but take the time to understand what you are most afraid of. Work to reassure each other on those points.”
Leilani looked frightened but was clearly back in control. “Evgenia and Katerina must remain here on the Moon in hiding to assist the transition. That may take years but I trust the Lunar Council to protect them while it happens, regardless of Wolong’s kill list. That leaves you, me, Sergei and Luciana. We cannot stay here and would be useless in the Belt. We need to return to the Earth, to keep the Terrestrial Council informed, secure and independent.”
Leilani/private, “Luciana is going to cry again. She says that she will never understand the depths of your compassion, but you are not the Brian I knew. Ghost, if that is who you are, don’t hurt her again. You have no idea the damage you have done and I don’t trust your compassion to be a tenth of what it was before.”
Me/converse, “Yes, I am the Ghost, most of the time at least. You are right to worry. Protect and guide Luciana, Sergei and even Vishnuram when we get back to the Earth.
“And don’t let Sergei write any more music about us. The Angel of Hope is brilliant, but will haunt us wherever we go now.”
I watched my Banshee’s faces flicker from suppressed fear to surprise and on to what might have been mirth.
Toyami, with tears dotting the corners of her eyes, said for all to hear, “Brian, Sergei did not write the Angel of Hope. I did. The first draft anyways. After I finished my rounds that day your words were still luminous in my mind, but I could feel them fading. I couldn’t lose them, so I clipped myself into bed and wrote everything I could remember as it happened. When I read it through the next morning, it was so much like poetry that for personal therapy I rewrote it as a series of short poems. The last on
e, the part that became the Challenge, was so simple in structure that I started singing it to myself, using the tune of an old lullaby my parents used to sing to me when I was frightened by the shadows at night. Leilani overheard me so I showed her what I had written. She insisted I recast them as Banshee poetry to give us some anonymity. I did not want the title to be Angel of Hope, but Leilani said that if she had to be the Angel of Deliverance, it was only fair that I become an Angel as well.
“When Sergei saw what we were doing, he composed the music for the other parts. We never did finish the Cannibal Terror. Poor Sergei, I gave him such a weak role in the song. He was a real hero on the pirate ship, and his melodies are what gives the song its soul.
“Leilani and I decided to release it as a Banshee ballad after watching too much depressing news. We wanted to give the people something to help them work past their fear. I should not have been surprised, but it turned out to be astonishingly easy to release this kind of music anonymously. Raul, Sergei and I recorded the song with all three parts using some voice distortion. Leilani left copies of the lyrics, music and our recording on a wall monitor in one of the lunch cafés just down the hall. Next day, we heard the marines who guard us singing it.
“Brian, close your mouth. A fly might buzz up from the Earth just for the honour of being the first to enter that cavern! And why did you think Sergei wrote it? He is far too considerate to do that without asking us.”
I closed my astonished jaw with a snap. “I heard that you two were arguing with him, just before the debate about the song that I witnessed in the Merry Merchant.”
Sergei laughed, “I was scolding them for having released it at all. I had expected it to be private, Luciana’s personal therapy. At the very least, we should have finalized the Cannibal Terror.”
Lord Banshee Lunatic (Nightmare Wars Book 3) Page 22