April 5: A Depth of Understanding (22 page)

"I heard about them, but I'm not a Home citizen, so I didn't listen to the last Assembly. I'm not very political and I don't read the news much, because you can't believe it anyhow."

"Since Central is outside L1, our sovereign regards the UN proclamation as a threat here too. Thus the shelter. There are no large central rooms because they'd be weaker, but we can get the total cubic we need by adding more small tunnels. There is also a grid of even smaller tunnels in a sort of in ground canopy, arranged to break up the shock waves regardless of their orientation. They are backfilled with course rubble as that doesn't lessen their reflective acoustical properties, but keeps them from collapsing so much the overburden subsides. Also it was that much less rubble we had to take to the surface. I know you've never ran a boring machine like this, because ours are unique. I think I have time to show you the main controls before we break for lunch..."

* * *

"Well, we have those things you requested," Jeff said. "I had a dozen other things I'd rather spent the money on, but we have them if worse comes to worst. They'll be spread out in Earth orbit in four days, except I'm holding two back."

"They aren't on an powered vehicle are they? So how would you use them?"

"No and they're too heavy for the sort of small missiles Dave makes. They have a small rocket to nudge them out of orbit and then make a very short burn unit to make them accelerate through the last few kilometers of reentry when they are in most danger of being intercepted. That's plenty of delta V to do a lunar intercept however. I was thinking we have no idea what's going to happen on and around the moon and park two there."

"Ah, well, we have a few days before the Security Council meets. If somebody shows some sudden good sense and things quiet down, maybe we won't need them. You can always sell off a few, to recover some of the funds," April suggested, poker faced.

He knew it was only a bad joke, but Jeff still looked horrified at the idea.

* * *

The Security Council meeting was always televised. But it rarely had such an audience on Home. The big screen in the cafeteria showed it and it people met to watch where it could be discussed with friends over a snack, although it was late. Most lived in quarters too cramped for sharing with more than two or three friends. There was a similar viewing at the beam dog's cafeteria, in their game room. They favored stronger drink there, if they weren't too close to their next shift.

Wanda stayed late and was serving in the cafeteria and made extra cookies and muffins to put out on the buffet. There were the normal sandwiches and bag lunches for off shift too. She was overlapping shifts because she had a trainee, Brenda with her. The UN meeting happened to fall on their shift. They were going to three shifts and staying open all night instead of closing for six hours in the middle of what they called the off shift. The increased population and traffic warranted it. Brenda would do that late shift being new, because it was the slowest shift. Wanda second or fore shift and Ruby main shift, business hours.

Wanda set out popcorn too, something you usually had to order as a special. It might have been a bit of a sarcastic comment, on the circus atmosphere.

April elected to stay in her new cubic, inviting Jeff and Barak, Barak's mom Sylvia and the artist Lindsey. She sat refreshments out too, but no popcorn. Sylvia brought brownies unasked. This was the first time April had real guests, people she liked, but who weren't close as family.

Since Brussels time fell in the off shift for Home and Gunny and April had both tried to nap, wanting to be conscious for it. Gunny hadn't been able to sleep, mind racing and had decided to drink coffee rather than use a sleep aid.

It was really nice having Sylvia. April felt she was returning a long line of hospitality extended. And having older friends made her feel more mature in her own mind.

Lindsey seemed shy and much younger than April, although they were really very close in age. But she was just up from Earth and Earth society had reasons to keep their children infantile. There wasn't enough work for everyone and children cost less to carry the longer you could keep them under their parent's roof and off of the job market. Lindsey's mom had called to confirm she was invited, which her own mom would never have done.

When April introduced her to Lindsey she'd gone on in some detail describing Sylvia's sculpture and art work. Sylvia was wondering why, until April indicated the large drawing on the wall had been done by Lindsey. So she was a fellow artist and a very good one even as young as she was.

Sylvia sat and studied the drawing a long time. It was powerful and used techniques she hadn't seen before. She knew art, so she suspected that meant Lindsey had invented them for herself. She'd blushed when April attributed the drawing to her, so flustered Sylvia didn't try to discuss it with her. She simply didn't have the maturity or confidence in herself yet, to be able to engage a strange adult in a discussion about her methods. In the near future perhaps. She was at that awkward age where some girls are overwhelmed with self consciousness, but it usually passed in a year or so if someone didn't hammer her daily and reinforce it.

The Chairman of the Security Council was from Russia this year. He brought the meeting to order and introduced the request from the ITU as urgent business. The temporary members of the council didn't look happy. Perhaps they'd all read Homes declaration that they'd be held responsible for their vote. A couple of them had no space capacity and were physically small enough in territory that one large nuclear device would leave them a literal parking lot.

The member from Argentina was recognized. He spoke slowly, like he was speaking extemporaneously and wanted to be sure of his words.

"This is irregular. We have an anonymous letter, which if it tells us anything, speaks to a lack of good security within the ITU. Can I simply leave an unsigned letter before the Chairman's seat when we are in recess and expect it to be taken up as business? If it is such a wonderful idea why didn't these things occur to the ITU without prompting? Are they so unaware of their mission and authority they need their elbow jiggled to do their duty? I for one want to know
who
is behind this action. It is most serious to speak of enforcing such a thing when we can't examine the motives of the party behind it and how it serves them. Is there any point to kicking these people out of their chosen location? Is there some other entity waiting to utilize the space? Or is this just a bully's demonstration of empty authority for its own sake? Argentina will need a lot more information before we vote yea." He sat down.

"The Chair recognizes the ambassador from Iceland."

"For much the same reasons as Argentina, Iceland finds this entire affair smells like a week old Cod. We don't need to hear any more really. We'll be voting no." He didn't need notes.

"The Chair recognizes the member from China."

China rehashed the old controversy of Jeff landing the
Dionysus' Chariot
in Antarctica
when testing it, the same old accusations of piracy back to the beginning of Home's war for independence. And finished up with their first public revelation that they had been bombarded and their spaceport destroyed. They finished with the assertion that this dog must be brought to heel. A comparison that didn't endear them to anyone on Home.

"The Chair would hear the member from North America," the Russian said.

"The United States of North America is in agreement with many of the sentiments expressed by the representative from China. I would not characterize or relationship with home as friendly. However, we find ourselves in a treaty agreement with the nation of Home. One's word must mean something, even given to a rogue. Therefore my government has given me firm instructions to abstain from entering a vote on this matter." He sat down to shocked silence.

The ambassador from China was furious. He made no effort to hide it either. He turned and gave instructions to his deputy.

The Chairman called upon the representative of The United Kingdom. While that speaker droned on at mind numbing length about the importance of everything being done in proper order and respect for authority, the Chinese deputy got up and walked around the arch of seats to the temporary member from Pakistan. The camera operator followed him, aware the important action was not with the speaker.

The deputy leaned close, in his face really, holding his thumb on the mute button of the man's microphone. He loosed an unfriendly tirade upon the Pakistani ambassador. When the Chinese fellow walked away the older man looked stunned. He soon had a phone to his ear consulting someone, his own deputy leaning close and looking worried. Nobody else seemed to want to debate the question further.

"The Americans just screwed up the vote count and the Chinese just laid down the law to Pakistan about what it will cost them to vote against it, or even abstain," Jeff said.

"What
would
it cost them?" Barak asked, innocently.

"Probably a new border, much further west than the present one," Jeff guessed. "I think at least Kashmir and Jammu and probably all the Northern Territories, although why anyone in their right mind would want them is a good question. The Indians are going to be very unhappy, because no way are the Chinese taking that area without rolling over territory disputed with India. Which would give India a lot more border with China than they want. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if China goes south too and half way to encircling India. Pakistan would be about two thirds of what it is now, much poorer and need a new capital. China would control their water resources, which is really ugly," he concluded.

"I thought when there was a coup and China got a new government we'd settled this hostility with them for awhile, at least a few years," April objected.

"In a coup there are usually one or at most a handful of people driving it. Sometimes the actions a nation is taking, is one bullet, or even an old man's stroke, away from reversing course. We never did know who specifically brought down the old regime," Jeff explained.

"Here comes the vote," Sylvia called their attention back.

Yes, yes, yes, no, abstain, no, yes, yes...The vote came to Pakistan. The older ambassador stood, looking stricken. "I find myself ill, with a sudden nasty attack of conscience. I resign and appoint my deputy to my post temporarily," he turned and walked away without a further word to the younger man, who spoke from his seat and voted yes.

Yes, yes, abstain, abstain, yes. That made nine, enough to pass it. But the vote came to France. April held her breath, because France had a veto and she considered them friendly to Home. All they had to say was no and this went away. Then if China wanted to pursue it they had to do so openly and on their own, not under cover of the UN's authority.

The gentleman from France stood, indifferent to the glare from the Chinese delegate. "My government spoke with me at length about this. We share most of the views expressed so well by the ambassador from Argentina. However, my minister told me if we vote no, using our veto, the matter really remains unresolved. The limits of authority will not be clearly defined, even if some member state takes action on their own," he said, looking at China. "France discovered some years ago that we are not destined to rule the world. It was a long and difficult lesson. Some states still think that their destiny, indeed see no limits to their ambitions, wanting to claim everything around our sun. One speculates their appetite would not be quelled even then, seeking to send their authority to the stars when that day comes. Sometimes when you see a friend in error it is folly to keep pulling him back from the brink. At times you have to let them try the fire and see that they aren't immune from having their fingers burnt. It's a kindness to let them find that out while the price is low, rather than protect them until the cost is their existence. France abstains and France will not provide blood or treasure to this adventure. If you think to ad us to a list for punishment, we remind you we have much more than a veto in these councils. France still retains a nuclear arsenal and other weapons of significance. If you wish to see how modern and formidable our military is then you will have more than Home to deal with. I suspect you are going to find them alone, more than you bargained for," he concluded and sat.

"Damn, I thought France would kill it," April complained.

"He may be right," Sylvia decided. Although her brow was scrunched up and she was far from happy with it. "Time to settle it before the cost runs into billions of lives and winning might do so much damage it leaves us and the other habs with nobody able to lift us supplies."

On the screen, they were assigning responsibility to plan the implementation to a committee who would meet in a more private venue. They ignored it at April's gathering. There were only two UN members capable of trans lunar work, China and the USNA. It appeared any support the Americans would give would be grudging and symbolic, given their abstention and statements about treaty obligations. That pretty much left the ball in China's court.

Chapter 16

"I plan to wait until we see UN flagged ships actually come past L1. Then I intend to drop three  five hundred ton weapons on as many buildings in the Geneva UN campus, including the one housing the ITU. It won't be as thorough as I'd like, but it will minimize damage to the surrounding town. We have nine other sites we wish to target and we'll hit
them
in the middle of that night to further limit damage. But the ITU and the Geneva campus get hit first, about ten hundred local time. I hope every Chinese butt kissing bureaucrat is sitting at his desk contemplating what he'll have for lunch."

"You aren't going to issue any more warning?" Muños asked Jon.

"We told them there wouldn't be any more talk, that a state of war would exist. They better learn to listen up and understand we don't keep yapping like them."

* * *

"I'm leaving tomorrow, main shift and just wanted to say goodbye. You can drop text to my normal address and it will still get routed to me OK," Barak assured April.