April 5: A Depth of Understanding (16 page)

Call for an Assembly of the people:

 
"A challenge to the resolution of the people made in Assembly has been published. In the matter of the L1 exclusion zone for armed Earth ships. An agency of the UN has ordered Home's physical removal and indicates a deadline of June 29, 2087 at 1300 hours Zulu time. After which time they will petition their parent body to impose damaging economic sanctions and assemble a force for military intervention. The Assembly shall discuss responses. A reminder - new immigrants must file an agreement to assume the burden of taxation before they may vote in Assembly." Eduardo Muños, Registrar of Voters. Attached: Record of vote on Armed Exclusion Zone. ITU Notice.

Call for an Assembly 1200 hours 3/31/2087  - Notice from Home Security:

 
"A threat of force after 6/29/2087 shall likely require a declaration of emergency and deployment of pressure and rescue assets on that date or prior. Damage to home as in previous hostile action is possible and spin may be reduced again to lower stress. The probability of this happening and responses from other departments and organizations will be discussed and should be known by emergency responders. Please listen to the Assembly debate although the potential action is well in the future." J. Davis/Security Office.

Well wasn't that just wonderful. April reflected that moving out past the moon had not curbed Earth's appetite to control them. Indeed, they declared effective ownership of the entire solar system and challenged them to defy it.

"Jeff," she sent back. "Would you please look at our funds and consider my private account with the total and see if we can afford to have another ten or twelve reentry sleds assembled for your larger fusion weapons? That's assuming your Mother's increased production of quantum fluid will allow their fabrication. I'd also like to see a large purchase of emergency ration bars and ship's meals sent to Central and put in deep safe storage. Would you show this to Heather and suggest she buy an additional full magazine load or two of 57mm ammunition for her Bofors on a rush basis. Even if she doesn't have the explosive loads assembled to tip them. I'd concentrate on the maneuverable rounds for orbital interception if possible." Love, April.

Now she regretted spending money on luxuries. If it was to be war again, art on the walls could wait. Not that she had spent a big percentage of her funds, but until this was settled she was imposing a new frugality on herself. She wasn't afraid so much as irritated and hungry, she was ready for lunch and so was Gunny when she asked.

* * *

Sylvia considered the news on her pad. She and Barak were having a late brunch. Both had slept in until the pushed through general broadcast had jarred them awake. Barak wasn't saying anything about it.

Sometimes Sylvia wondered how thick he was with his sister's triad. It was obvious to anyone with eyes they were a threesome, yet they'd taken him to Earth with them and Jeff was plainly as taken with Barak as the girls, so it wasn't just that he was cute, which she knew he was, even if she was prejudiced about that as his mother. She wasn't about to ask him plainly about his love life. If he had one. He might take it as license to inquire about her's. That wasn't about to happen.

"When does this snowball expedition leave?" Sylvia asked again.

"Middle of May is as close as they are calling it right now. Jeff is still fabricating gravitational devices and they've ordered an extra four plasma engines because they got enough partners who bought in. That will cut the transit time. Did you read the public material I gave you? And the contract?"

"I admit there are no fools backing this adventure. They're all solid people. The contract is fair. There is risk. Nobody has done this before and not all they learned doing the Rock recovery applies to a snowball. I have to agree with the point you made, that it is not as risky as a young boy taking a post on ship in the age of sail. Wealthy families have always risked their sons to maintain their position and advance their standing." She didn't say she'd invested a fair amount of money in the venture herself.

"If you still want to go, I am disposed to sign the contract for you. And if you can manage your duties and come back with a good report and success, I'll stand to your adulthood vote in the next Assembly after your return," she added.

"Thank you Mother," he said very formally. He looked pleased, but didn't gush or jump up and hoot like he would have a year ago. Maybe she
was
timing it right.

The new fact, that he'd be away when there might be a new war, this time with the entire UN, not just the United States of North America, was politely unvoiced.

* * *

"I'd like the pecan pancakes and please give me the butter in a pitcher like Matt has you do now," April asked Ruby.

"These are the same little pitchers I use for syrup and sometimes when there is a bunch at a table for coffee I put one out for cream. I'll have to get a couple dozen extra now that he started people asking for melted butter."

"Anything you need, you better ask for it soon and expedited shipment, before the UN can apply any sanctions and cut us off from supply," April suggested.

"I put in a special order a half hour after that general notice this morning. I do hope you like pancakes, because I ordered fifteen hundred kilos of buttermilk pancake mix, quite a bit of oil and freeze dried eggs and stuff like salt and sugar. Not to mention a lot of coffee concentrate. I know you guys like the fresh beans, but I can't afford to order them or store them in huge amounts and everybody drank the liquid concentrate just fine for years. If we get cut off I predict people will be glad to have it and not quibble. I shot my entire discretionary budget for the whole year. And I'll tell you confidentially, your Daddy took all of ten minutes to approve it unchanged and sent the release back to me."

"That doesn't surprise me. I asked Jeff to order a bunch of stuff, including rations to be sent to the moon and put in deep storage."

"I hope he has a ton of rods, the kinetic weapons, because I suspect somebody is going to need a butt whooping again before they learn to leave us alone."

April looked around to see nobody was close. "Yes, but rods just clear a path for bigger stuff," she said softly. "I asked him to double up on those if we can afford to and can get the components. I hate to be like that. I thought when we moved out here it would calm things down for awhile. I feel like money on weapons is a waste we are forced into and resent it. But if we get pushed I won't hesitate to use them, every-last-one if I have to," she vowed.

"Don't forget Easy is the best pilot on home, if you need a hot one," she reminded April.

"I won't, I saw he was on the voluntary training list for
Dionysus' Chariot
simulator.
Tell him I appreciate that. If  I have to make the call we'll use him.

"I'll tell him,
casually
," Ruby promised. "So as not to stroke his enormous ego."

* * *

After lunch she looked at her invoices for remodeling the new cubic. The remodel of the bathrooms and the special in-between shower she and Gunny had agreed on was done. She'd contracted for that to be done before the Santos even moved out.

Gunny had to have walls for privacy and the panels were not that expensive. She'd still have the tracks installed for those and bring the panels in. She could apply tracks to the overhead if she wanted walls someplace else later. Apparently the Santos and their guests were perfectly happy with a pair of folding screens, which she'd keep, as they looked high end. Once she had new furniture they might look nice somewhere. But the carpet and new furniture could wait. If the Santos could live with it and joke about it so could she.

The kitchen was functional, sort of. It's not like she expected to entertain weekly. It was a lot of money to do it right and she already had a cafeteria card. She
liked
going to the cafeteria and people watching. Folks did stop by and talk. The two burner, microwave and a compact refrigerator was enough if one of them was too tired to go out or sick for a few days. It could wait. A fancy kitchen was really a hobby kind of thing, not a necessity.

It was kind of crazy that she had really high end art to put on the walls and old mismatched used furniture. It wasn't broken down or dirty though. She'd had it exposed to vacuum before bringing it in for the Santos so it had no vermin. The carpet was OK, since she'd it cleaned for the Santos as well. She even liked it a little bit, because it did go well with the wall coverings, another major project. Let people think she was simply eccentric if they found it a tad eclectic.

She sent a text to Gunny, reading with his back to her. "Move in new place in three or four days OK with you?" He just gave her a thumbs up, knowing she'd be looking across at him.

* * *

When they went to supper Amos the visiting musician was hanging around with the knot of authors and odd balls who colonized the table next down from the coffee pots. He only had one guard sitting off against the wall, bright spots on his eyes showing he was watching a video or the news. He looked bored.

April smiled, imagining how un-bored he would be if he was told the full story of when a Chinese agent sat where his boss was sitting and tried to assassinate April. The mild mannered author typing away and chatting, had back hand thrown a mug of hot coffee in the man's face when he started his draw.

Ben had followed that by getting up, his face saying he intended to do a lot more serious harm, but before he could take more than a step toward the man, the fellow had been Tased, shot and stabbed in the back. April had always wondered what his intended follow through was going to be. She'd seen enough to list him among her dangerous acquaintances.

Amos excused himself, motioned to the body guard to stay and came to join April in line. "If you have no dinner companion, might I join you and ask a few questions?"

"Just Gunny and we have more than enough time to talk every day. Try the stuffed peppers if you like. Ruby seasons them a little differently and they are really good."

"They don't just buy trays of frozen ones from a food service?"

"Nope, these are just like grandma used to make," April joked.

"Maybe
your
grandma, not mine I assure you. I'll try them," he agreed. He got mashed potatoes, green beans and hot fresh yeast rolls with butter and apple butter. When they sat Gunny took a seat a table away, back to the wall. Just like Amos' man had done.

Despite his intent to talk he dug in and didn't resurface until all he had left was one roll and an untouched stuffed pepper.

"These are huge. I'm full but I hate to waste it when it's so good."

"Slide it over here," April instructed. "I have room for three."

"You aren't afraid to eat after me?" Amos asked, surprised, maybe even shocked.

"I don't think they have picker robots for peppers that won't bruise them. Some migrant worker grabbed them bare-handed. Who knows what his personal hygiene is like? That was out in an open field with birds, bugs and other creatures. They were then shipped with multiple stops in an unsealed foam box from field to orbit. Who knows what blew or dripped on them? Once they got here I'm pretty sure they were handled safely. Ruby or Wanda washed and stuffed them by hand, before they got cooked thoroughly. I have far more confidence in them than the previous handlers."

"As far as
you
, if you had some vile disease they'd have never let you in-spin and yes, their sensors are that good. But if I was
that
afraid of germs I wouldn't even eat in a cafeteria. I touch the table and chair to pull it out and to scoot in. I get silverware from baskets where anybody could have touched them. I pull the coffee pot handle that everybody has touched and dug in the pile of butter pats and sugar packets that have had God only knows who's hands in the bins getting their own out. You can wear gloves and even a mask or nosey, but if you live with people you are going to share their germs."

"I'm conflicted whether to be reassured we've survived, or if I should just feel doomed."

"My mom is germ phobic. I really understand. You need one of these apps for your phone or pad," April told him. She brought the screen up and scanned the pad across his plate. There wasn't any visible light, but the pad beeped and a green square lit up. "See? It says it's free of all nasty bacteria, viruses, prions, poisons and harmful chemicals," she showed him, tilting the screen to his view.

"I'll get that app. As you implied, you can't know where it's been, but you can check it before shoving it in your mouth. I like that. Here, enjoy," he said, pushing the pepper on her plate. "You know, back in North America they don't allow the kids to swap stuff in their school lunches. If they catch you they'll punish you. And disease is one of the reasons they give."

"I know, Matt's kids sat and told me how their schools are like a prison."

Amos looked around like he might be overheard. "
North America
is like one big prison."

"Whoa! Amos is getting radicalized! The stuffed peppers on Home are safe as can be, but I'm afraid you are picking up some dangerous, infectious
ideas
!

"I had them long before coming up," he said with a frown and a dismissive wave. "It's just not safe to
say
down below and would destroy my career, for nothing, I'd add. Thousands of people every year have the satisfaction of speaking out, but it doesn't change anything."

"Like getting LET, but you could tour Europe, right?"

"
I
could. Not everybody in the Ancient Astronauts would go along, or even understand why I wanted to. A couple of the younger players are pure products of the system. They'd jump at the chance to denounce me publicly for not supporting our government. The funny part is it would kill their careers too and they don't know it. The kids who buy our music
hate
snitches. The sales would just die and they'd never have a clue why. They were raised the children of privilege and the private schools they went to pounded conformity and Chauvinism into them worse than any public school. It would kill the band, which is doing very well thank you, making me a comfortable living."