April 8: It's Always Something (26 page)

"You're a damn AI. And you can tell your mistress I don't have any use for self important people who can't answer their own com, and think it's cute to see how long they can string people along with an Artificial Stupid. You think you are so damn smart and feel superior to fool a few pathetic people. Well I called as a friendly ally and I'm leaving disgusted with you. It's a fool who makes enemies when there is no need!" April stabbed the disconnect so hard she hurt her finger. In the old videos they
slammed
the telephone receiver down when they hung up mad. That seemed pretty therapeutic to her right now.

The terrible part was she couldn't vent about this. She didn't want Jeff to know she was actively doing PR for him, and Gunny had already heard her lecture about how insulting it was to have people try to pass off an AI on them. He didn't see what the big deal was, and had said so, referring to it as a 'pet peeve'. It was a deep principle to her. Banks, stores and schools might use an AI, but you knew that right when you logged on. That was the difference. They weren't tricksters.

Chapter 18

"We're going to finish, and test one landing pad, before we start on the others. It's not like you have a line of shuttles in orbit waiting to land," Li said.

"No indeed," Jeff agreed. "In fact we'll have to have
Dionysus' Chariot
test it
.
She's quite a bit lighter than the dedicated shuttles will be when finished. The first test flight we won't commit any heavy freight either. Just a couple submersibles and the new power plant. But the landing pads will have the same geometry, just not quite the full spread."

Li looked hard at Jeff but didn't say what was on his mind. "The gross loading isn't likely to be a problem. This is Earth and steel is cheap. We are not under the weight constraints of aeronautical engineering. We'll make the cover strong enough to handle multiples of the anticipated load. I'm just glad you got a gearless carrier. We don't have cranes to take down. There wouldn't be much we could use the scrap for either."

"Any problems with the crew understanding what we're trying to do?" Jeff asked. "It isn't like sailing from port to port. I'm sure you had to get new software routines to loiter around a set location out in the middle of the ocean. Have any issues come up about doing that?"

"Ships sometimes have to hold station waiting for a pilot or for docks to come open without anchoring. They can circle or do a racetrack or figure eight. A ship this big will take a long time to turn, moving just enough to have steerage. Once we have the entire drive conversion in place we'll have better thrusters to actually hold the ship oriented without steerage. I'm sure we'll develop certain routines to make landing easier and safer. We may travel with the wind for landing, which is just opposite of what aircraft carriers do."

"Will it be much faster with fusion power?" Jeff asked.

"Not unless you want to spend a fortune on new shafts and props," Li explained. "You'd be better off to add an auxiliary propulsion system. Even there, nothing is going to push this hull very fast. The power requirements go up exponentially, and the start point depends on the width to length ratio. The only way you can get fast boats is to get them up out of the water in plane. Ships like this don't do that. It's not strong enough no matter how much power you had. It would just break."

"Maybe some day...we can design a single landing pad vessel we can move somewhere quickly," Jeff speculated. "If we should need to drop near a particular area."

"Why am I hearing target instead of area?" Li asked.

"I have no idea," Jeff said, trying unsuccessfully to look innocent.

Li gave him a look that said his innocence was suspect, but moved on.

"The other thing that will need adjusted is leave for the crew. Normally a ship like this spends a week or two between ports. A bulk carrier takes five days to a week to load. The ships officers can get some leave, except the ones dealing with supervising the loading. Usually the ordinary seamen don't get off. They are hired from third world countries with lower wages and can't afford a lot of wealthier ports. The security issues have gotten worse all the time and they aren't welcome ashore most countries. There are too many concerns about terrorism and them disappearing into the population. The ship, too, is concerned that once ashore they will never show up again, and you'll have to rehire to replace them in a hurry. It's not uncommon for crew to stay aboard for a full year's contract now. In fact the purser will keep their passports locked in the ship's safe. We aren't interested in hiring crew like that."

"I had no idea their life was so restricted," Jeff said looking alarmed. "I want better quality people, even if it costs more. One horrible incident of theft or sabotage would completely negate any slight savings their lower wages might have afforded. We have political issues too. There are parties who might insert agents or pay crew to spy or cause serious damage."

"Yeah, you'll have to pay more," Li agreed. "We have the same problem on the
Tobiuo
. In most ports we have people constantly approaching us to hire on. It isn't just third world crew that we avoid. Since the economy went south we have all sorts of fellows who can't document their experience and will lie through their teeth to get aboard at our home port in Italy. You have unemployed young men from all over Europe there who find it easier to exist in the warmer climate. We worry that we could be three days out, have our throats slit in the middle of the night, and the
Tobiuo
would have new owners."

Jeff felt with one hand under his chin, protectively. "You have some ideas on how to minimize the danger of that happening to us?"

"First of all you are drawing from a different talent pool on large commercial vessels. We tend to be approached by people who have served on private yachts and racers. We're depending on the previous master for a start. We're basically hiring all officers," Li explained. "Some of our positions will have to be named...creatively. We're going to be asking them to do work below their skill level. But given the lack of work to be had and the fact we can pay at or above their previous rates we should be able to fill the positions. The master was Australian and we are limiting our hires to them. Australia came out of the flu better than most and their economy has proved more resilient. We have a bigger pool of good talent that isn't
desperate
."

"Good, because I'd hate to have to deal with paying them in USNA dollars or EuroMarks. Those banking systems are increasingly hostile to us," Jeff said.

Li was amused. "Oh believe me, these fellows would gladly take their pay in Solars or in kind of Home goods. They'd worry about the conversion themselves and be glad of it. But Australian dollars are sound, we can write contracts in them and be sure it won't shift horribly in a few weeks. But we are going to need a few extra hands so we can give shore leave and have people to cover. The platform will stay out indefinitely so we need a regular schedule for leave. I'm thinking a week every quarter and more for long service."

"Perhaps you should look into how oil drilling platforms work things," Jeff suggested. "That seems closer to the model of what we're going to do."

"The middle administration, yeah, but the legal situation is completely different. A platform attached to the sea bed is under law of the nearest country even if outside the legal limit. We'll be a ship under way all the time. That has to have a different command structure," Li insisted. "You might also consider how you want the vessel renamed. I assume you do not wish to retain a Chinese name. You'll find some are still superstitious about that, but I doubt our Australians will care."

All this is exactly why we need your help," Jeff admitted. "Carry on and let me know when we can drop a test flight. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Thank you. I'll keep sending you updates," Li promised, disconnected, and immediately made a different call over a new concern.

"Chen? Li here. I just got through speaking with Singh. He wasn't totally explicit, but he gave me the impression he wishes to drop on the first landing with new untested equipment. Actually ride it. This is just totally irresponsible for him to risk himself. No way do I want to confront him on it, but if that's what he really meant we have to find some way to dissuade him."

"I'm not sure how to do that," Chen admitted. "
I
work for
him
, as do you." he reminded Li.

"He's not the only investor on this venture is he? I know it was his idea, but others have an interest to protect. Leak the possibility to the other investors and they'll have a fit that their golden goose is going to play test pilot," Li suggested.

"Maybe, if I can do it and not get caught, or act like I didn't think it would be any big deal to reveal...Yeah that's the way to do it. He'd believe it was an innocent act easier, because that's how
he
thinks. He'll put all the blame on the other investors for not being reasonable, by his measure."

"I knew you'd figure out how to handle it," Li said. "Thanks."

* * *

"It's odd you'd be asking me that," April's grandpa said. His face showed real puzzlement too.

"I've no clue why from this end," April said. She hoped he wasn't going to make her
guess
. There were times when she was much younger that he had delighted playing that silly game with her.

"Your grandma and I were watching the telly just yesterday and they mentioned trade with you guys, with Home, and the moon. Normally I expect them to always have something nasty to say, but they mentioned we buy goods for which there isn't any other source and left it at that. They didn't slip a barb in at the end. It was so different your Gran and I just looked at each other and raised our eyebrows. We're more sensitive to that than others, since we have folks up there, and have had snippy remarks over it from church friends and local business people. But it was different enough that it surprised us."

She found it interesting how he lumped Home and the moon together. "Any softening on Life Extension Therapies?" April asked, hopefully. "That would be a
real
shocker.

"They'd have to get the preachers to come on board for that. They're still saying it thwarts God's will and the bible says man's lot is three score and ten," Grandpa said.

"Jeff is trying to get landing rights in Australia, but we aren't putting all our eggs in one basket. We still have Tonga and can land in the ocean, but now we're getting a ship altered so we can land on it. So we wondered what public sentiment is like now."

"Bah, don't worry about public sentiment," her gramps said. "It will be whatever the talking heads tell the sheep to believe for a week."

That shocked April. She'd never heard her grandpa be so cynical before.

"And I shall tell your grandma that
you
are concerned about public opinion, and getting landing rights for your business, but I shan't say a word about your young man. She gets all tight lipped and unhappy if he's mentioned," Gramps admitted.

"Is there anything I can do to soften her on that?" April asked. "Does she realize he's really well off? I mean, it's like most rich people, he has all kinds of assets but they aren't necessarily
liquid
. It's all tied up doing something and as soon as something gets a cash flow we're off to put it to work on something else. Besides, we agreed to pool resources, with a three way split when we declared the revolution and I'm as rich as he is. I don't
need
his money. With what Bob left me and what I was paid to go down to Earth after the war I probably have more actual cash than Jeff."

"When you declared the revolution?" Gramps asked with a peculiar look.

"Between the three of us. We never said anything publicly, we just gave others a little...nudge," April said. From the look on his face even that was too much to absorb. April felt a pang at his attitude, because she'd never admitted their alliance so frankly to anyone. It was certainly past doing any harm, and obvious to everyone who knew them now, but it hurt to finally say something and have it doubted.

"Your mom and dad have never mentioned that. Come to think of it, they've never said if
they
had any part in leaving the USNA." He said the last like a question.

"Dad represents Mitsubishi, so he has kept a very low profile to not compromise his ability to speak and act for them. Mom just never seemed very interested in politics, before or after the revolution. He did mention to me recently that Mitsubishi has terminated their North American corporation, so it's a Japanese subsidiary running it again. Apparently they are still happy having a non-Japanese manager. Since he has to deal with mostly ex-North Americans and Europeans that makes sense. He makes a good buffer knowing the different culture.

"Mom...I don't think she approves of
any
change. She's stayed out of politics, and she voted against my own majority. I'm not sure she wouldn't do the same today," April admitted. That got no reaction at all from her grandpa, so maybe he agreed with her mom. April just hoped he wouldn't back track and ask too specifically what
she
did in the revolution.

"Yes, but your dad intimated he doesn't want to keep doing it
forever
," her Grandpa said, ignoring any discussion of her mom or her.

That surprised April. He hadn't been so forthcoming with her. "It's been years," April admitted. "I guess I'd get tired of doing the same thing after awhile. They treat him really well though. The housing allowance alone is generous. But we have a huge labor shortage. He'd have no trouble having a pick of lots of things to do. The more so for his experience."

"He mentioned the moon, but I suppose it's all the same there too?" Gramps asked.

"Oh yeah, they have more work than people too. But the moon is still very much frontier. It isn't very comfortable there. There's hardly any retail business or entertainment. I own land at Central on the moon, but I haven't had the time or money to develop it. I have a long sloping tunnel down and a storage room. You couldn't live there yet," April said.

"Central is where your other friend is now?" Gramps asked.

"Heather, yes. She's the sovereign there," April agreed.