The Hundred Gram Mission (20 page)

Rao’s eyes flashed.

"But that's the size of - the
bastard
. He wouldn’t dare!"

"Wouldn’t he? This man has convicts digging up Uranium. Why wouldn’t he dare to get his hands on an E-series orbital?"

"But this isn’t his pattern. He’s spending his
own
money on Pathfinder. He doesn’t care for outside involvement."

"People like him only spend money when they can’t get someone else to. Why risk money and years learning to build super-heavy habitats? The Big Five have been doing it for almost a decade. An E-series refugee habitat is a permanent space colony. Lowell city is a permanent space colony. Why not take one we’re already building, and shove it off to Mars?"

"You can’t just send refugees to Mars."

"Lowell City won’t send refugees at all. They’re asking for volunteers with certain skills. Preferences are for scientists, physicians, and engineers. Can you see two thousand, young, STEM graduates saying no to a free home around Mars?"

"That’s ridiculous. The
whole idea
is ridiculous. The UN Orbital Program is in place for a reason. It has consequences for global security. The Russians even pay for it out of their defense budget! It took years to negotiate, and the Big Five have committed huge resources towards it. They’re not going to chuck it because Spektorov had a new dumb idea."

"You shouldn’t underestimate someone like him."

"What," she brandished the picture, "has he done besides talk?"

"Several things. Firstly, he’s making grass roots allies. Lowell City is an initiative of the Mars Pioneers Society. They’re a well respected American group calling for Martian settlement."

"I’ve never heard of them."

"They have their circles. Spektorov recently joined their board of advisors. Among their plans for the year are to go from four thousand, to forty thousand members."

"That’s ambitious."

"They want to go
Mars
, Lakshmi. They’re not short on ambition. Or, anymore, on funds. I went through their newsletter back issues – guess who recently donated ten million dollars?"

"Alright, so he wants people to picket the White House and do bake sales for Mars."

"He’s done more than that. This is what I just finished when you came in," she handed Rao a set of papers.

"What are these?" she scanned them. "Are these are US mid-term results?"

"Almost two thirds of 2052’s winning candidates received money from the Spektorov Foundation. Each got ten million dollars – same as the Mars Pioneers. Look at the last page."

"The last three here are Democrats."

"Yes. Arroyo, Saunders, and Fastello. All three are openly pro-space. Saunders and Fastello ran against incumbents, John Kuzmicki and Sandra Wong. Both had received donations from Sun Star Mining in the past. This year, Sun Star kept its purse shut. Wong and Kuzmicki both had voting records favorable to Sun Star."

"Why would Spektorov betray them?"

"They’re big on defense. They co-sponsored a bi-partisan bill for increasing US shipyard output, for the UN Orbital Program."

Rao went silent.

"Even if he can get political support behind this Martian city of his, the US is not going to break ranks," she said.

"Why not? The US prides itself in its independence from foreign treaties."

"The orbitals were their idea!"

"So? That didn’t stop Bush Junior from pulling out of the ABM Treaty, with Russia."

"Let’s just assume, for argument’s sake, that he manages this. That he somehow gets the US to break a major international agreement. Using an E-series for a Mars colony is not even technically feasible. Without the Earth’s magnetosphere, cosmic and solar radiation will kill everyone.  And you can nudge the E-series. But, you can’t strap interplanetary engines on them. They’ll break."

"He owns the biggest, private, space engineering company in the world. Those are technical challenges, and he’s the world leader in solving technical challenges in space. You want to bet against him? The Mars Pioneers are sending a delegation to the UN in two weeks. They’re going to try to talk to the Russian, Chinese, and Indian ambassadors."

"Do you like New York?"

"I hate New York."

"That’s too bad. You’re going to New York."

Pennylane Coffee, outside the United Nations Headquarters, New York

"Thank you so much for coming, Ms. Shetty," the tall, attractive man stood up as she walked in, and shook her hand. "May I take your bag for you?"

The café’s walls were black and grey. Anjana handed him her bag and sat at his severe-looking table. The air was heavy with rich, roasted, coffee. She lay her crutch against the wall.

"Thank you. I’m glad you asked to meet away from the UN, Mr. Snyder. I don’t get to look around much whenever I visit."

"Do you like New York?"

"Even more than I like Calcutta.
[xliv]
"

"Then remember this place. The coffee is fantastic."

The barista took her order, walked to the door, and changed the sign to ‘CLOSED’.

"Oh, should we – "

"No, it’s alright. Once he makes your drink he’s stepping out to have a smoke or two. I wanted our discussion to be confidential."

A steaming espresso turned up in front of her. She held it with her winter-chilled fingers. The barista left, and she heard the back door shut behind him.

"Alright," she cleared her throat. "Let’s get down to business. Would you like to go first?"

"No that’s fine, this is your meeting," Sam smiled.

"Thank you. Mr Snyder, I understand you are here representing the Mars Pioneers Society. But that you also work for Sun Star Mining. You also are close to Mr. Daryl Spektorov, and are in charge of public relations for the Pathfinder Project."

"Guilty on all counts. And you are the special assistant to the High Commissioner on Refugees. And, if I may say so, a heroine."

She smiled, but shook it off. "Mr. Snyder, over in Chennai we can’t help but take note of the specs of Lowell City."

"Good. We were hoping you would bring that up."

"Sorry?" she frowned.

"I’m not going to hide it, nor was I instructed to do so. We wanted to talk to you about E8."

E8.
"Well – why didn’t you just ask?"

"Because you wouldn't have taken us seriously. Ms. Shetty, The Pathfinder Program is in need of crew. However, we won’t be sending any. It’s just too impractical. Instead, we want to send their skills, their experience, their personalities."

"What?"

"It’s complicated, and let’s not go there right now. Suffice to say, we need the right people. However, we can’t just ask for candidates who are willing to leave Earth. We need people who would actually see that through. Anyone else would have the wrong make up, the wrong attitude."

"You want them to have the ‘Right Stuff.’"

"Exactly. There’s only one way to separate the men from the boys if you’ll excuse the gendered terms. That way is to
actually
send a colony mission. And so, we picked Mars."

"Wait - are you saying this whole thing with Mars – is a
seriousness
test?"

"Mars is the most hospitable place in the solar system, after Earth. It’s been in our imaginations since before we named it. One way or the other, it
will
be the next world humans live on. Yes, Mr. Spektorov’s primary interest is colonizing Mars, as an exercise. He’s not ashamed of that, nor should he be. Mars is an important stepping stone to all new worlds. As a species, we need the experience if we’re going to expand."

"As a species, we need E8 if we’re going to
survive
.  I’m sorry but this is a bit
dramatic
don’t you think? Why can’t you just send over a hundred people with some pressure domes? Why send them to Mars at all? You could just train in the desert, or Antarctica. Since you expect to find life, why not use a jungle island?

"There’s no need for the largest space structure to ever be built. Just think of the risk involved. If something goes wrong, do you want E8 twenty light minutes from Earth? At that distance, all we could do is send undertakers and wreaths. Lowell City collapses under its own logic, Mr. Snyder. Before you send it, you need to send an expedition. Once you send the expedition, you don’t need to send Lowell City."

"And that’s fine with us."

She stared at him. "What?"

"It doesn’t matter if we ever use E8. It doesn’t matter if we even go to Mars. We just need people to believe that we will. We’ll select and train a pilot group of volunteers. After a couple of years, we’ll have all that we need. Then, the program gets cancelled."

"You want to – you –
you want to lie about a Mars program?
"

"Listen very carefully, I’m about to make you an offer. There are more than 10 billion people
[xlv]
in the world now, Ms. Shetty. Most of them are in Asia and Africa. Asia isn’t doing too well, and Africa is a hell hole. Climate change has gut-punched the planet, things aren’t improving any time soon. The superpowers are trying to resettle the most desperate in space. That’s where you come in. You’re averaging 8,000 people a year. Next year, that goes up to about 10,000 a year. You with me so far? Any disagreement?"

"No. Where are you going with this? You need to answer my question."

"The world population is growing by about 200,000
a day
.
[xlvi]
  You need ten E8s a day, just to maintain current desperation. At current trends, things don’t end well this century. The challenges many nations face, are existential. Many are not going to make it."

"It’s my job to know these things. What’s your point?"

"There’s a way out. Von Neumann technology."

"Von Neumann machines are illegal."

"We want to develop them."

"Von Neumann machines are illegal!"

"You want to soak the carbon dioxide out of the air and water? Put reflectors up to cool the planet? Melt trash heaps and plastic islands into food and fuel? You’re not getting that done any other way. Nanotechnology, 3d printing, and artificial intelligence. They’re all here, right when Humanity needs them the most. With them we can save both the world, and our
lifestyles
."

"Our lifestyles? That’s what’s important?"

"We’ve already given up beef, for chicken. You want to move on down to insects?  Cause they’ll be fine dining in another fifty years. The world uses 27 terawatts of energy, a year. The sun pours down 89 terawatts on Earth,
a day
. If we build self-reproducing machines, we can tap that energy. Deserts covered in solar fields. Sea water distilled into fresh water. Carbon locked into graphite corals. You want to do this, it’s best you do it right."

"You’re just not listening to me."

"I am listening, Ms. Shetty. You said it’s illegal, and I’m pointing out that’s the least of our concerns. The world needs Von Neumann machines, and so does the Pathfinder Program. Without them, the mission will never succeed. So here’s my offer. If you let us have E8, we’ll develop and give you Von Neumann technology. It’ll still be illegal. But, you’ll have working, reliable, technology, and all our designs. Right now, people rightly fear of out of control machines destroying the planet. However, we already have those, we call them human beings. As things get more desperate, people will change their minds. Before they’re used on Earth, they’ll be trialed in space. That’s where you’re getting your ten E8s a day. Or hundred E8s. It’s up to you.

"All we ask, is that you publically endorse Lowell City. Ask the Mars Pioneers to join as consultants. Keep it your program, keep control of E8. Just let us maintain the appearance of a Mars mission. When we’re done, cancel Lowell, and carry on. We’ll need you to do this for about two years, maximum three."

"You’re developing Von Neumann technology?"

"Not yet. We’re going to find a way to do it legally. At the very least, I’ll find a grey area. Because of the legal risk, we’re putting it off. There are many other key technologies that we need. Without any single one of them, the mission becomes impossible. We’ve done well in these areas. If the UNHCR gives us what’s needed, we’ll move on the VN question next."

"I’m sorry Mr. Snyder, but the Office of the High Commissioner is not getting involved in some overly elaborate scam in exchange for the dubious promise of illegal technology," she stood up and grabbed her crutch.

"If you turn me down, we’ll
actually
take E8 from you."

"Excuse me?"

"In the long run, it’s actually the better business decision. We would have to spend a great deal to secure it, and then even more to set up a
real
program on Mars. But we would make it all back a hundredfold on Martian land and resources."

"Just who do you think you are?"