Inadvertent Adventures (35 page)

T
HE
REVENGE
WAS GOING TO BELOOFTE
to load up on supplies, especially non-perishable foodstuffs. Being so far from the rest of the Confederacy, the entire crew had agreed that someone needed to have a reserve stockpile on hand. And, as the system government, that duty fell to them.

Their emergence in the Nuwe Vaderland System caused quite a stir among the local news services once they were identified. It seemed that every local news fax and holo-station wanted an interview, and the requests began pouring in right behind their vector instructions.

Ann sighed and cursed under her breath as Sterling sorted out the requests. "I think two news conferences will do," he said as he looked over the messages. "They are all asking the same things."

"I don't want to do any," Ann muttered.

"You're the System President, Ann," Sterling pointed out. "We elected you a week ago."

"Do you really enjoy sleeping on the sofa?" she asked as her eyes narrowed.

"It was fair!" he protested. "It was a choice between you and me, and you won."

"By a vote of nine to one, and I
didn't
vote for myself."

"Still fair."

Mandy was in the Navigator's position and couldn't control herself anymore. Her giggles were punctuated by snorts as she pointed first at one, then the other of them. "You two have got to be the happiest married couple I've ever known."

Ann asked, "Oh, really?"

"Yep!" she squeaked. "Sometimes I think you argue just so you can kiss and make out. I mean make up."

Ann shook her head. "It's a conspiracy. You're all in this together. Sterling, inform all of them that we will be holding two press conferences, but not until our third day in port."

"I thought we were only staying two days?" Mandy said as she looked over her shoulder.

"Yep."

"That's mean, Captain. Really, really mean."

Sterling chuckled and sent the messages.

They once again docked at the Jan Smuts Station, but this time they were greeted by a squad of armed guards. A woman in an impeccably tailored suit stepped forward as soon as the hatches opened.

"Captain Stevenson, I am Rothea Henning, Secretary of State for Beloofte. President de Villers invites you and your cabinet to Government Huis for a conference."

Ann paused, then nodded once. "Very well, Madam Secretary. My husband and I will be happy to accompany you."

Madam Henning smiled at the ease with which Ann dealt with the situation and motioned for them to join her. "I have a government shuttle just down the way."

The Beloofte shuttle was a bit more spartan than the CSS shuttle had been, but not significantly so. When they launched, Sterling pointed out the window and asked, "Who are they?"

"Security interceptors. They are a standard precaution for visiting heads of planetary governments."

Ann and Sterling shared a glance, then Ann put her head back and closed her eyes. Sterling was the only one who knew her well enough to read the curses on her lips that she silently muttered.

Johannesburg, the capital city of Beloofte, was a wonder to behold. While most cities had followed the Earth example of building up, Johannesburg had built out. There were few buildings that stood over five stories tall, but the city covered more than three hundred square kilometers. Much of that space was devoted to parks and botanical gardens. Very few buildings had another building adjacent to them. Most were separated by a full city block from their nearest neighbors. Some had several blocks surrounding them.

Adriaan Van der Stel Government Huis was a neo-classical building, along the lines of the Parthenon in Greece. Here, as with the rest of the city, there was an abundance of open space between the buildings. The manicured lawns and hedges were of native Beloofte species, but it seemed that every one of them had been chosen for their brilliant flowers. Ann and Sterling walked up the front steps of the capitol building through a gauntlet of reporters to find President Inid de Villers waiting.

"On behalf of my people and planet, I welcome you to Beloofte." She smiled as Sterling stopped to let Ann advance one step closer.

"Madam President, on behalf of my crew and system, I thank you for your welcome," Ann replied. "Given that Beloofte is the closest planet to Frisland, we hope to form a close association for both our benefits."

President de Villers smiled. "We also hope for a close association, Captain Stevenson."

Ann bowed her head then let the president lead her into the building. Once they were clear of the press, Ann spoke softly and said, "Madam President, during our voyage my crew elected me President of the Farflung System."

"Indeed?" President de Villers asked. "Good. We can negotiate president to president."

"Yes. We are opening Frisland to limited colonization and exploration. We have also signed several agreements with mining concerns other than Maritz. I would expect traffic to the Farflung System to increase over the next month or so."

"And they'll all need fuel and supplies," President de Villers murmured. "Beloofte benefits immediately."

"Supplies are one of the things that I had hoped to discuss. Most of the ships going out there can only carry six to nine months of supplies for their crews. That means that they will have limited time in the system unless supplies can be shipped in from somewhere else. And, as we noted, Beloofte is the closest system."

"It is," President de Villers agreed. She was guiding Ann to a conference room that was already full of people. Only she, Ann, Sterling, and Rothea entered. Everyone else, especially the reporters, was stopped at the door.

Once the door closed, President de Villers led Ann to a seat, and then sat next to her. Sterling took Ann's other side. "President Stevenson, on the issue of supplies for your system, what are you asking of the Beloofte government?" If anyone in the room was surprised by hearing Ann addressed as President Stevenson, none of them showed it.

"We ask the Beloofte government's aid in negotiating with system suppliers. Given the distances and time lag, ship's stores are going to be the ideal form of supplies for Farflung. Supplies for the mining crews are being shipped by their companies, but there are bound to be ships that don't come as well prepared. And there are always accidents."

President de Villers looked down the table. "Trade, Agriculture, what are your thoughts?"

A tall young man stood and bowed slightly. "President Stevenson, I am Durk Krige, Secretary of Trade. What benefits can we use to encourage our supply companies to ship to Farflung?"

Ann thought for a moment before answering. "I can't guarantee that they'll sell everything they bring. However, we are going to have a spaceport in Frisland orbit in about two years. We are willing to offer any company who ships to Farflung a contract to establish a supply station there once the port is complete, free of charge for two years. They will just have to pay for their own consumables, and then start paying rent after that."

An older woman stood and curtsied. "President Stevenson, I am Doelien Luttrell, Secretary of Agriculture. What you are proposing will require an increase in our food production and processing. Is the Farflung Government going to be supplying any
native
foodstuffs to the system?"

Ann shook her head slowly. "That we can't say for certain yet. No one has ever
tasted
any of the vegetation or protein sources from Frisland. While the samples showed nutritional values comparable to several Earth plants, and the test animals ate them, we don't know if they will appeal to a human palate."

"So it may be that you will need to import all of your food," another man said.

"Yes," Sterling answered. "We hope not, and we're going to see if the nova wheat we have on board will grow there, but it's a question we can't even begin to investigate without securing supplies for the system first."

"That is another matter," Ann continued. "Frisland is a nearly complete unknown. We would appreciate the Beloofte government's aid in negotiating with your universities about establishing research stations on Frisland."

"Education?" President de Villers asked.

A woman all the way at the other end of the table stood. "I'm surprised to be involved with this discussion, but pleased. President Stevenson, I am Karlea Neumetzger, Secretary of Education. There are twenty-seven state-run universities on Beloofte. Several are specialty schools, such as Peter Blum Literary College, or Pelsenburg Agricultural. What kind of research facilities are you looking for?"

Ann glanced at Sterling, so he answered. "Agricultural will be one of the major fields of research, both to investigate the potential of farming native plants and of importing species from other planets. In all honesty, we are probably going to need someone from just about every discipline, from Agriculture to Zoology."

Secretary Neumetzger smiled as she replied, "Well put."

* * *

Carrie-Marie had her orders ready when she left the ship several hours after Ann and Sterling. She found fifty Beloofte System Security guards at the dock. When she stopped, a major stepped forward.

"Ma'am, I am Major Randlehoff. May we escort you somewhere?"

CM was caught off guard by being called "Ma'am" by a man her father's age. "Why sir?"

"President de Villers ordered that any of you who leave the ship are to have a security detail with you, Ma'am. You are, and are to be treated as, visiting dignitaries."

CM thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm just going to a ship supply office up the way." She waved her right hand in the direction of the station.

The major snapped his fingers and ten women came to his side. He looked the leader in the eye and ordered, "Escort the ambassador wherever she wishes to go."

All ten women snapped, "Yes, sir!"

CM shook her head, but didn't even consider arguing. She'd spent too long in uniform to think it'd do any good. "Very well, ladies. Our destination is Epsilon Ring, 1358. Wolvaardt Supplies Unlimited."

"Yes, Ma'am," all ten of them replied. Four of the guards led off, then CM followed with a guard on either side of her, and the other four followed. The crowd melted aside as the guards advanced, watching wide-eyed and wondering who CM was.

Two guardswomen entered the office first, then came back out and let CM go in. "Miss Chanticlair?" old Martin asked from behind his desk.

"Hello, Martin. I've come for a large load-out of supplies."

"What was that all about?" Martin asked as he looked out the window of his office at the guardswomen.

CM shrugged one shoulder. "Your President de Villers ordered honor guards for any of us who leave the ship."

Martin looked at her, then back out the window. "Not just for honor, young Miss Chanticlair. A woman of your wealth would be a tempting kidnapping target. Are we trading again?"

CM smiled and shook her head. "No. Straight purchase."

Martin smiled and asked, "How much are you going to need?"

CM laid the list on his desk. "Eight thousand tons of biltong, five thousand tons of shall-grass, and-
Martin!
Martin, are you all right?" She kicked the door open and shouted,
"Corpsman!"

"No, no, I'm all right," Martin said in a hoarse, strained voice.

"Is there a problem, Ma'am?" one of the guards asked.

"I think he's having a heart attack."

The woman snapped, "Medic!" and one of the other women crowded forward. She pulled a kit from her side and placed pads on Martin's chest after ripping his shirt open.

"Not a heart attack, but he is in distress." The medic looked at CM. "What did you do?"

"She ordered more in one shot than I usually sell in a month," Martin wheezed.

CM smiled sheepishly. "We're buying backup supplies for the miners in Farflung. It's going to max out our cargo capacity. The total will be eighteen thousand two hundred tons."

"Lords of Space," the medic whispered. "No wonder he almost collapsed." She slapped a patch on Martin's arm and his breathing eased almost immediately.

"Thank you. Miss Chanticlair, Wolvaardt will be happy to supply you." He picked up the list and read it through. "It'll take everything we have in orbit and a few loads from the ground as well, but we'll be happy to do it."

CM smiled. "Thank you. And I am sorry I shocked you so badly."

Martin chuckled. "I can live with shocks like that. I may not live through them, but I can live with them."

CM and the security women chuckled as well. "The bill goes to the Farflung System Government account." She pulled out a brilliant blue credit chip. "One of our investors set it up in New Frankfurt."

Martin took the chip and placed it in his reader. "A very wealthy investor," he murmured.

"Captain, or I should say
President
Stevenson's mother. She's also funding the spaceport."

"A
very
wealthy investor."

"Yes, she is."

Martin smiled as he looked up. "I'll give you a ten percent discount for buying so much. You're not quite cleaning us out of everything we stock, but you're not missing by much. When do you wish to take delivery?"

"We're staying two or three days, depending on how the negotiations between our governments go, so we can take delivery whenever it's convenient for you. We have three qualified Load Masters, and at least one of them is always going to be onboard. Oh, and I have permission to load one hundred kegs of beer." She grinned at his surprise. "Farflung is very isolated, and we're not going to be working all the time."

Martin chuckled. "Any particular brewery?" he asked.

"Whatever we had at the Beskuit Huis. That was good beer."

Martin smiled at that memory. "Yes, it was indeed very good beer."

L
OADING SUPPLIES TOOK THREE DAYS, DURING
which Ann and Sterling negotiated agreements with six ship supply companies to begin sending regular shipments of food and other supplies to Farflung. Four Beloofte universities had also agreed to send research teams to begin investigating Frisland with research grants from the Beloofte Government, and one of the deans had almost managed not to look desperate to be included. Another university was going to begin studying Haeckel and Jarnsaxa for further exploitation. While Haeckel hadn't shown a large enough concentration of the elements for starship fuel to be economically viable, it had shown some interesting features. Maritz was going to pick up the tab for that one.