April (56 page)

The President looked at the man with an unmistakable contempt. "Well it's hard to argue with General Horton's sentiment, since I seem to be among those who were not to be trusted with this information. While you're were withholding the information we need to operate from the President of your nation and the man charged with defending it against this specific sort of threat, you seem to not understand what the actions of the ship in question tell you. Please stop for a moment and think this through if you are able. What does it tell you if they shut down their power, to stand off in ambush?"

Looking flustered and sweating visibly he answered like a school boy being quizzed. "I'd have to assume
now
the people piloting the ship are aware we can track them by the power plant, if they thought to shut it down like that."

"Very good. And also, they
can
move without using the fusion power. I thought you could reason it out, if you were led to it by the hand. So in the future, don't you think our people trying to intercept this ship might just possibly value the information they have shut down their power plant, as an indication they are trying to hide their location?" "And since the people on the ship already know you can track the power plant if it is operating, doesn't it seem a silly exercise to keep the same information from our own people, who need it? You
are
still able  to distinguish who is on their side and who is on our side, aren't you? If you have gotten paranoid to the point you see
anyone
wanting any of your precious intelligence as the enemy, do tell us and we can arrange other duties for you," he said with a straight face.

"Yes sir. In hindsight it does seem futile. We didn't know at the time why he disappeared off our detectors and by the time any analysis was made of it, he had already engaged the
Jade
and
Kelly
. I suppose if the commander of the
Kelly
had been advised there was a sudden change in the signature of his target, he might have been extra alert to a possible danger."

"I suppose also. I suppose we might not be short a six billion dollar space plane and ten men. But who really knows?" he said to soften the rebuke. "He might have gone blustering in anyway. In any case we need to move to secure the station, as we were already making provisions to do. Not only because we still intended to make our acquisition of the asteroid secure, but also to find out what the nature of this new technology is, before the Chinese have it snatched away from us and to remove it as a base from which this ship can operate. Are we in a position to send a new intercept, to either capture or destroy the
Happy Lewis,
before we launch the
Cincinnati
to the station?"

"No Sir. We don't have a vehicle available, but we will have a mini-space plane escort for the
Cincinnati
when it launches and when we secure the station we will have the Lewis' base of operations secured, so it neutralizes their threat. We can't launch a high orbit intercept for a few days, but they can't hurt us from out there either. We have a few high orbit antisats for geostationary orbit, but they are for use against undefended targets. They'd never survive approaching a manned ship. If they come back down to LEO they will either be captured at M3 or destroyed by anti-sat systems. I think everything is under control now. I don't see how they can harm us further," he predicted, confidently.

"Good. I think the time has come to not be so coy about occupying Mitsubishi 3 and taking control of the asteroid when it comes into orbit. There is much unresolved with the Chinese and we can't afford the risk of having a conflict with them over a misunderstanding and I'm still not sure there isn't some Japanese involvement with this whole mess. Better when things are tense, to say what we are doing clearly, least they think our launches and maneuvering may be directed at them."

"No matter how badly it makes us look, we may even have to surrender the lady scientist without seeking any advantage for it, if it would mean an armed confrontation with the Chinese. We've already had one battle over this woman, which hurt both of us more than it was worth."

"But the station and the asteroid are not negotiable items. Let's put a force on this station and remove any doubt others might have that we still consider it ours. We'll still speak about waiting on the court, but troops on the scene will send a clear message what our interests are.

  He gave the man a piercing look. "I expect to be informed immediately of any difficulties, or new developments. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes Sir, perfectly clear."

Chapter 27

The crew of the Happy kept listening with waning patience, for some reaction to the release and video they had sent Bob, wondering if he was successful.  In the last hour the news suddenly acknowledged their battle and had a different tone. Easy listened to it with growing anger. The loss of the
James Kelly
was acknowledged, but they ignored the fact the USNA space plane was fighting with the
Pretty as Jade
before they arrived and instead blamed them for the entire engagement, calling them pirates. The tone they were trying to set was both super powers were wronged and had no real quarrel with each other. The USNA also announced they were dispatching troops to occupy Mitsubishi 3 as soon as possible, to prevent any unrest or resistance to the world court's coming decision on the asteroid mining question. They all agreed with what Eddie had told them, that there was no possibility the court would rule for them and the troops be withdrawn. It was simply a grab to take the Rock.

Dr. Ajay was beyond angry and denouncing thieving politicians who would rob him of their interest in the Rock and throw his new bride on the altar of diplomacy. He was kind of scary, because the angrier he got the softer his voice became. They all had no doubt he would be happy to run April's sword through as many USNA politicians as anyone could line up and whisper their fate in each one's ear. He demanded to make a statement next time they called in.

"OK everybody. I want to know what is agreeable. We still don't know how the people on M3 are going to react to being locked down. We may be blamed for precipitating it and as hated at home as much as down below before we are done. I figure we're in as deep as you can go anyhow. I don't see we have anything to lose. I'd like to make a statement and follow April's program of sweeping around the geostationary satellites and blowing away every one which has anything to do with China or the USNA. Any suggestions folks?

"Yeah," said Eddie, "call back through traffic control and
tell
them what we are going to do and
why
. Don't be shy to be ugly. It is a traffic issue after all. I'd ask them to have anybody other than the Chinese or USNA inform us if they have a black sat in a Clarke orbit and we'll leave it alone. They may not, but at least we offered in the clear, where the others can hear us. We have the orbital elements of most of the sats in the computer, but you know if they are not listed, or are stealthy, they could be anyone's, even if they are hanging over North America or China."

"I have a copy of the Earth orbit version of PREDICT 12.7 in the navigation computer. I'd leave the weather sats and any we really know are scientific. They have some sats for watching crops and such. But I'm a pirate, so what the hell do I really care?" he pointed out. "But data and commercial communications and military I'd hit hard. Maybe we'll even go for some of the spy sats in lower orbits if we can later."

"Let Ajay make the statement he wants besides what we announce about the sats," April suggested. "I bet he will be eloquent. Send them all at the same time."

"OK Ajay," Easy offered. "You want to make yourself an outline before we call? You might take a little time to think what to say, as you'll probably end up on the news services."

"I'd like to wash my face and do it before we eat." Ajay asked.

"Fine, we have time before M3 comes around the west horizon again anyway," Easy said. "You know what? I'll transmit also on the dispatch frequency, so they can tune in and hear you talk to traffic. No need to call them separately. They'll figure out to switch over when it cuts off, once they hear who's talking."

"Send it in the clear for sure, or my brother will try to sell it too." April warned.

* * *

Ajay was calm again. He was almost serene. He faced the camera and said he was ready. They had agreed to record him and then review it, so if he wanted to correct it or make revisions he would do so after getting their advice. He agreed to have his wife beside him. April gave him an index finger, swept down for a cue.

"My friends on Earth, especially the people of North America and China, hello to you. I am a relatively unimportant man, a man of science and a researcher. He changed from a serious look to a smile. This is my bride of three days Dr. Nam-Kah, now Dr. Singh Nam-Kah. We are newly met and our marriage could have been one of legal convenience. But there is a tradition of arranged marriage in both our cultures and a tradition of working to find love, through kindness and honor as a marriage grows. So while many in lands where the romantic ideal dictates love leading to marriage as the norm, may not understand, she is precious to me already, the more so because I have been alone for a long time. My first beloved wife was lost to the worst sort of political corruption and intrigue. Her unjust death was an insignificant bump, in the Governor of Hawaii's grasp for personal material gain."

"Now I find the United States of North America, where I have lived as a law abiding alien for many years, conspiring with the Chinese government from whom my dear wife is desperately fleeing, to return her to her masters, who virtually enslave their subjects, instead of the asylum justice demands. They have each sent a space craft to seize us, or kill us. You have seen the video record of their failure and I have no apologies."

"Now we are also informed they will steal the hard earned prize I and so many others have worked to bring into orbit and develop. The asteroid popularly called the Rock. They do so in a rush. Confident they have a license to steal coming from the World Court. After all, will the Court show themselves a sham by ruling against them and have them flaunt the decision? No. As they say - the fix is in," Ajay said, laying his finger alongside his nose in the mocking British gesture.

"Well enough. I will not submit to robbery and rape quietly. Neither government fears a single man. Yet if not one person aids my cause, or sees it as just, I-will-not-submit. Perhaps others will act if they feel badly used also. If not such is their choice. I agree with General Stark, who the people of New Hampshire saw fit to quote in their motto: "Live Free Or Die; Death Is Not The Worst Of Evils." These two great nations have by their actions declared war on me. They make no legal complaint against any of us; they simply offer violence from their military forces, without civil warrants or attempts at arrest."

"This decision was undoubtedly a trivial matter for them, as they have gotten into the habit of thinking they can do anything they please to an individual. Well Sirs, as your vessels and men found out, technology is a great equalizer. We shall see who sues for peace first."

"Now this little dog is off - to gnaw upon the Giant's ankles. One may hope even if they stomp me to death, the bite will grow infected and give much pain." He smiled again, but it was not a pretty one.

April cut the recording.

"I can't talk so pretty," Easy admitted. "I'll just make a factual announcement about the sats – but that was poetic Ajay."

"Sounds good to me," April affirmed. "Do you really think there is any chance at all the USNA would surrender to anyone?" she asked Ajay skeptically. She started getting things out for a meal.

"Perhaps not," Ajay admitted. "Perhaps they will choose destruction instead. If I can't do it, I'll leave it to my son."

They all silently thought it seemed a bit crazy to say so casually. Except... except, there were those four fusion generators behind the rear bulkhead and the flask of strange matter strapped in the rear, to give doubt if it was absurd.

But April knew Jeff well enough now, she just got a cold chill to think of casually making him or his dad an enemy. He had thought so easily of slapping Virginia and Maryland with a cosmic hand, to punish Washington for stealing from his father. For a moment she had a sickening vision of a sky turned to white fire and continents hammered out of shape to avenge his father, with the hidden agenda of his mother behind it all. She didn't share the vision with them.

Ajay looked a question at Nam-Kah as he handed her a meal.

"If I had anything to say I'd have spoken when the camera was running, Husband."

After they had eaten Nam-Kah spoke again. "April, Easy, I have been talking with my husband." Dr. Singh Nam-Kah informed them. "Events are moving so quickly I am afraid when we do get to M3 we shall not have time to fabricate the device we need to hold the fluid I am transporting. Perhaps I should have said something before, but my thinking has changed."

"If we can transmit the designs to Heather and Jeff safely let's do it. They can build the machine and have it waiting when we arrive with the fluid. Eddie tells me he has some one time pads which are secure to contact Jon, but they are sized for smaller text messages and unsuited to a large file of data like these plans. Do you two have any way of judging the risk of such a move?"

"I don't have the ability to make the judgment." April admitted. "But what I would do would be contact Heather and Jeff with the file ready to transmit and ask their opinion about sending it. I'd very much trust their judgment with the matter."

"Fine," Easy concluded, "we will send our statement about the sats, Ajay's message and the plans if we can, all at once. Better to get it all away, because each time we call the odds get higher the USNA will find a way to cut us off."

  "Yes, but Heather has our frequencies and trajectory to talk direct to us and hasn't used it yet. She should be able to contact us as long as the station isn't occupied. We should still retain her as a link, even if they shut down the dispatcher's office. I'm confident they could rig their own antenna. Is there any other message we need to pass while we're talking, to make it worth the risk?" Nam-Kah asked.