Troy Rising 1 - Live Free or Die by John Ringo Page B

stuff to orbit. Again, nothing weapon-like in
     nature.”
    “What, exactly, do you need?” Hetuncha asked.
    “A device that can attach to a satellite that will give a very low delta-v but can
     maintain a charge or power system for a very long time. Basically, something that can move
     a satellite around the system but it doesn't have to be fast. Slow, cheap and durable is
     the key. Also, obviously, with a long-range transmitter.”
    “I should, as you say, screw you,” Hetuncha said. “But you're talking about a standard
     satpak. They're half a credit. That's if you're buying more than a thousand at a time. And
     don't try to negotiate, they are very fixed cost. They weight about a half a pound and
     have a duration of seventy-three years. We have very good capacitor technology. But even
     if you put a lot of them together you can't get out of your gravity well.”
    “Not interested in that,” Tyler said. “Lifting out of the grav well? By one of your ships?”
    “Depends on when a ship is here,” Hetuncha said. “And how big your satellite is and mass.
     If the ship can just kick it out the door on the way to the gate? Five credits is standard
     up to three tons and the size of one of your cars. If they have space available. A few
     thousand of them and the ship isn't doing anything else and the same. There's a fuel cost
     to getting out of the gravity well, but if they're going that way anyway the extra mass
     isn't that much of an issue. The ship we brought has shuttles to pick up cargo. Normally
     there would be shuttles on the world but we, unfortunately, had to bring our own. Do you
     have satellites to boost now? I don't see you anywhere as involved in the satellite
     business.”
    “Not yet,” Tyler said. “I'm thinking long term.
    
    
     Very
    
    
     long term. I need a thousand satpaks the next time a ship comes through. That's a
     registered contract.”
    “Well, you certainly have the credit.”
    “Last question,” Tyler said.
    “At this point I ought to be charging you,” Hetuncha replied, sneezing.
    “Feel free,” Tyler said. “Because the answer is going to be long. And time is money.”
    “What's the question?” Hetuncha asked, curiously.
    “Tell me everything you can about the Horvath,” Tyler said. “Carnivore, omnivore or
     herbivore? Reproductive methods? Culture. Monolithic or tribal. How long have they been in
     contact? What was their tech level before contact? United before contact? Everything...”
    ***
    “That's two hundred and fifty six thousand gallons off-planet,” Lyle said, smugly. “Which
     translates to twelve point eight
    
    
     million
    
    
     credits.”
    “Given exchange rate as posted to their hypernet that translates as the planetary economy
     of earth,” Castilla said, shaking her head.
    “Because all we have is maple syrup,” Tyler said, distantly. “Mr. Haselbauer, I've sent a
     quiet message through the hypernet to Wathaet that maple sugar independent distributors
     now have Glatun credit to burn.”
    “Why thank you, Mr. Vernon,” Mr. Haselbauer said.
    “Also that some might want to buy atacirc for resale but that you have other interests,”
     Tyler said. “I need to go. I have some people down south to see.”
    “Going back to your rebel roots?” Mr. Haselbauer asked.
    “MIT for design,” Tyler said. “
    
    
     Huntsville
    
    
     for production.”
    ***
    “In a remarkable development, Glatun traders are now swarming to earth in search of...
    
    
     maple syrup
    
    
     ? The tasty treat that kiddies love on pancakes seems to be
    
    
     ambrosia
    
    
     to our closest extra-terrestrial trading partner and the price of maple syrup has gone,
     well, sky high! This is Courtney Courtney with Headline News...”

CHAPTER FIVE
    “You want
    
    
     how many
    
    
     mirrors?”
    AMTAC was a small company in Huntsville that had managed to survive in a nearly
     extinguished market. Space mirrors had been well on