13 Degrees of Separation (31 page)

Taylor sighed and nodded. Clio did as well. Rasha shrugged.

“Right thought so,” Savo said, turning to the others. “But
I'm betting what John said is holding true, they can't. So we're it. And Zark
is finally catching on to that.”

“Just losing them as an enemy would be nice,” Sari
murmured.

“I'd settle for that, but if we can bring them all the way
over into our corner and have them as a steady customer so much the better.”

“True.”

“We've had another inquiry to sell off our solar panel
maker,” Clio said, looking around the room.

Taylor snorted. “Who this time?” he asked.

Clio smiled. “Zap Electric, Water, and Gas. A utility
company on the main continent. They apparently are interested in going green.”

Shari looked thoughtful. “Actually, I heard a news story
last week that said they were having trouble building power plants and
transmission lines. Something about all the coal plants were running into
opposition, and hydro-electric was out because it took too long to build and
was damaging to the environment... and it blocked critical fish habitats.
People have been making a stink about it all.”

“Not here syndrome?” Taylor asked.

“Probably. They also need a functional energy grid to
balance demand. Right now they are incredibly inefficient and they've had a lot
of brown outs when people turn their stuff on the moment the sun goes down.”

“Solar panels won't work in the dark,” Howie chuckled,
shaking his head.

“No, but if say you put power lines in a sunny spot, then
have transmission lines, you can power the area around them and the surplus can
go into the grid to power areas that need energy. Load balancing,” Taylor
explained.

“Oh.”

“And they don't need to take land away from farming if they
do it right. They could put solar panels on buildings or over parking areas if
they planned them right,” Rasha interjected, looking thoughtful.

“They actually wanted to use fields in deserts near the
equator,” Clio said almost apologetically.

Rasha frowned. “Well, I suppose they could go that route,
but it's limiting. It also means they need direct access to a nearby Major
transmission line and a means to control the flow.”

“Part of the problem with electrical energy on the ground
right now is they can't store it. It's in the grid and if it's not used it
heats the equipment up or is lost in other ways.”

“Use it or lose it,” Savo muttered.

“Exactly.”

“So what? They need batteries too?”

“Yeah, or some other system to store power. Or systems that
are possible to maintain around the clock. There are, what a dozen fusion
reactors around the planet?” Taylor asked, and then looked up to check the
databases.

“Roughly that,” Rasha said, putting a restraining hand on
him. “All tied into the defensive network I'm betting. There are a few Major
transmission lines that run from them to nearby cities and towns.”

“But... hm... Yes. I see. Eternia is requesting solar as
well. There is a bill going through the Antiguan congress right now. They
Tribecca, and Zap are lobbying hard to get it. Eternia is the only city with a
fusion reactor not tied to a defensive battery. Which means it's energy load is
transferred directly to the grid. That explains why they want energy
transmission lines from Eternia to other locations...”

“Couldn't they beam the power? A microwave or something?
Use a satellite network?” Rasha demanded, looking at her husband and then to
Clio.

Clio spread her hands apart. “They'd have to think of
something like that first and no one apparently has.”

“So, they could do that, build a solar field on the ground
and bounce the energy... or they could build it in
space
and bounce it
from there to the ground...”

Savo looked up and grinned, no longer bored with the topic
of conversation. “And in space they'd have sun all the time!”

“Right. The question is, do they know this? Have they
thought of it?”

“No... but we can ask,” Alice said thoughtfully.

“Or... or we can keep it to ourselves and create a sub
branch later,” Petunia suggested. The others looked at her. She shrugged.
“Scaffolding structure, solar panels, microwave beamers. We've got all of it,
and it's not all that hard to keep it running. We'd have some micrometeorite
problems but if we can figure something out there I bet.”

“But to do it ourselves... that's a massive front end
cost.”

“So...” Taylor rubbed his virtual jaw. “So we could go in
with Zap. We build and maintain the space platforms, they buy the ground
receivers and handle the transmission lines on the ground. They provide the
clients, we provide the power. We'd have to structure the agreement carefully
though...” he said thoughtfully.

Clio nodded. “I can subcontract a couple people to do that.
I think we need to bring an attorney in on retainer though.”

The others grumbled. Savo muttered something about lawyers
and how they took the fun out of everything. Petunia nudged him, smiling
slightly. He grunted. Finally they took a hand vote. The motion passed.

“We'll contact Zap,” Alice said, nodding to Clio.

“As soon as we have a formal counter proposal for them,”
Clio responded. Alice nodded in return.

Savo yawned, showing his canines. “Well, I'm off to bed. I
want to get some shut eye before we all watch that flight in the morning.
Something tells me our nappy time will soon be coming to an end,” he said,
smiling to his wife as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Probably snuggle boo,” she said, nuzzling him. He chuffed,
but then glared at Ralph who had barked a laugh. Ralph shook his head
chuckling.

“Snuggle boo,” he teased, laughing again. Savo stuck his
tongue out at him as Petunia guided him for the exit door.

Chapter
5

Mairi launched the newly restored Bitch early the next
morning when traffic was light. She completed a test flight and then turned her
attention to the nearest Atens asteroid. She had a plan and so far no one had
twigged on it. “What do you think you're doing?” Alice asked over the radio.

“My job,” Mairi replied, tapping in the coordinates and
then checking her fuel. She had just enough to make it there and back. She
couldn't push the whole rock back but she could get a ton if she managed it
right.

“Mairi! This was supposed to be a test flight!”

“It is. But we need the rock,” Mairi said, typing in a
command. She smiled and pressed enter. “Back for supper.
Late
supper,”
she said as the thruster kicked. Any reply was lost to static as her position
changed.

“What is she doing?” Savo asked as Alice called him.

“She's going after a rock!”

“So? Isn't that what we wanted? What we hired her for?”
Savo asked patiently.

“Yes but...” Alice shrugged helplessly.

“She'll be fine. That kid is a survivor, trust me. She'll
get it done.”

“What about a reserve? She used some of the fuel in the
test flight?”

“But she didn't go far did she? A what couple seconds of
burn, shut down to check and then?”

“And then she went for the joy ride!” Alice said throwing
her hands up in the air.

“Wanna bet she planned the test burn to be on course for
the rock?” Savo asked, smiling slightly.

Alice stared at him for a long moment and then turned,
typing at the computer. After a moment she pulled up a map and then checked the
log. She swore softly as she realized Savo was right. “Okay...”

“Something is better than nothing. If she can get us a ton
or two of supplies it's worth the fuel. I think she wants to make a down
payment on all the parts we had to make for the bitch.”

“What a name,” Alice said.

“She didn't name it, but she'll live up to it if she has
to. Tough kid, you've got to admire that. When she delivers the goods it'll be
our turn.”

“Maybe,” Alice said quietly.

“We'll see. Have you been working on your speech?”

Alice grimaced. She was a bar maid, she knew that.
Pretending to be a sales rep was a bit out of her league, though she did like
dressing up in the power suit. The first time she'd worn it Ralphi's eyes had
almost popped out of his head. She smiled slightly. “I... it's different.”

“Think of it as showing a patron a menu and explaining the
options,” Savo replied. She cocked her head at that idea and then shrugged.

“I'll give it a shot. I don't know if I'm cut out for
this,” she murmured.

“None of us have done it before. That's what makes it
exciting,” Savo replied, brown eyes turning to view the blinking icon of the
Tin Plated Bitch as she moved off to the rock. “Do we even know if that rock is
claimed?”

Alice's eyes went wide. She turned hastily and typed an
inquiry to Clio. After a moment the AI responded, her avatar coming online in a
2D image on the wall screen. “To answer your question, no it isn't. Or at least
not yet. Mairi asked me that very question this morning. She also asked for a
beacon as well as a heads up to file the appropriate papers when it's planted,”
she replied.

“Damn that girl's on the ball!” Savo muttered in
appreciation.

“Seems that way. Give her enough time and room and she'll
have us up and running,” Clio agreed. “She's definitely a go getter.”

“Good. Just what we need. Let's give her all the support we
can,” Alice said with a smile.

“Any word from Zap?” Savo asked.

Alice sighed. “They put us off. They want to see what we
can do and if we'll survive this quarter,” she said.

“That figures,” Savo replied with a note of disgust in his
voice.

“They were interested in the ideas though,” Clio said.

“Yeah! I'll bet!” Savo growled. “Are we going to be there
to greet our wayward lady?” he asked. “I mean, we should throw her a party or
something,” he said.

“Let's see if she can get her ass back in one piece. But
I'll toss a day of free food and drink to her. Put it on her tab I mean,” Ralph
said.

Savo chuffed a laugh at that and shook his head. “You're
all heart Ralph,” he said, slapping the man's arm.

...*...*...*...*...

Kenny Kennet was put out by the beacon marking the nearby
Aten asteroid as the property of the Yard dogs. Yan Fu mildly asked how that
had happened. Embarrassed Kennet vowed to put a stop to it. He tried to block
the filing but to his chagrin Clio had already filed the appropriate documents
and they had been preliminarily approved. He fumed and then turned his
attention to other ways of putting the brakes on the company before they got
out of his control.

...*...*...*...*...

Mairi returned with the rock. The crew of the Yard dogs
greeted her silently at first as she climbed out of the tug. When she slapped
the 2 ton rock and turned to them. “What? You want me to take it back?” she
demanded.

Savo started to clap. After a moment the others did too.
The chimp came forward grinning and slapped the girl on the shoulder. She
winced and flushed, now embarrassed. She oofed in surprise as Alice hugged her
and then shook her, saying something she couldn't hear over the clapping and
cheering. Mairi nodded dutifully and then Alice passed her on to Harif.

“We'll get this to the furnaces,” Shari said, grinning. She
already had a torch out. “We need that grizzly box and grinder though,” she
said, looking at Freeze.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving off her look. “I know. It'll
take some time to build them.”

“Time we may not have. But I getcha,” Shari replied with a
nod as she slapped her faceplate down. “You folks may want to step back, we've
got a job to do,” she said, waving to the others. Hastily all but Howie stepped
back. Howie had a hover pallet, he was ready for the first load.

“Very cool kid,” Savo told the girl, patting her shoulder
again and then clutching it. “But at least let us know when you put your ass on
the line okay?”

Mairi looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. “You of all
people were worried?” she demanded sounding a bit hurt. Didn't he trust her?

Savo snorted and pointed to Alice. “Me? Nah, I know you
better. Alice though...” Alice sighed and held up her hands in surrender. She
mouthed a sorry. Mairi nodded.

“Come on kid, time to get some food into you.”

“I can go back out,” Mairi offered. Then her stomach
growled. It had been a long 12 hour flight.

Savo looked at her and snorted as Alice scowled and pointed
to the hatch. “You're tug isn't the only thing that needs fuel. Listen to the
lady, she's a mother. Come on, food, and rest. Tomorrow you get to go out and
do it again.”

“Right,” Mairi said and shrugged, looking over her shoulder
to the group tearing the rock apart. It was going fast. She grimaced. It had
taken her almost an hour to scoop up that much. At the rate they were going
it'd be gone in under an hour.