“A month ago, the PRC government regained
control of China. They’re in the process of rooting out the imperialist
sympathizers, and they’ve initiated a ceasefire. Everyone is in a holding
pattern at the moment.”
“That’s good news,” Michael said. “We can turn our attention
back to Chow Yin and the Kulsat.”
Calbert clicked his tongue. “That might take a bit of time,
and might be more problematic than realistic. There were a lot of shots fired
by both sides. It’ll take years to smooth out ruffled feathers. Worldwide
resources are already taxed. We need those space-based production stations
controlled by Chow Yin. There’s been talk that it would be easier to negotiate
a deal rather than commit resources to another fight, especially when the Solan
Empire has the high ground.”
“I can’t believe my ears.” Michael’s eyes were wide. “They’re
going to give in?”
Lifting his shoulders in a sign of helplessness, Calbert
said, “The economy was tenuous when you left; now, it’s reaching a critical
point. The war exhausted everyone’s reserves. People are tired of fighting.”
“Well,” Michael said, his voice upset, “people better get
un-tired. The Kulsat are going to find us, and when they do, we’ll be wiped
out.”
With a half-smile, Calbert said, “It would be easier to
convince the government to swallow the Moon, than to swallow that story.”
“And you?” He looked at Calbert through the corner of his
eye. “What do you believe?”
Taking a long time to answer, he finally said, “I believe
that if your story is true, then we’re all in very serious trouble.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking.” Michael held his breath.
Finally, Calbert nodded, “We are all in very serious
trouble.”
Though Michael felt a surge of relief when he heard that—at
least someone in the entire world didn’t think he was either a complete moron
or a traitor—he knew his situation was far from optimistic.
“To break it down,” he said, pulling at his lip, “we’ve got
two problems: Emperor Chow Yin, and the Kulsat Consortium. I hate to say it,
but Yin is the lesser of the two evils. He wants to rule Sol System; the Kulsat
want to decimate it.”
“What do you suggest?”
Michael scratched an eyebrow. “Do we have the technology to
weaponize Kinemet?”
“Before Quantum Resources was shut down, we bandied a few
theories about. The first problem is, we don’t have any Kinemet stockpile to
test the theories. Second, even if we did, those theories can’t be tested
planet-side. Unfortunately, Chow Yin has all the marbles, and he’s not
sharing.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to convince me that making a
deal with Chow Yin is the sensible option.” He gave Calbert a sharp look.
“The devil you know…”
Shaking his head, Michael sighed. “I can’t believe that
option is on the table.”
Then he noticed Calbert looking at him oddly.
“What?”
A smile crept into Calbert’s lips. “You realize that, not
once in this conversation did you ask about what’s going to happen to you?”
Tilting his head, Michael let out a hollow laugh. “I thought
it was a foregone conclusion. I figure I’m the administration’s worst
nightmare. If they reveal I’m back, the newsvids will investigate. The moment
they find out about an alien invasion, there’d be mass panic. If they prosecute
me, they’ll have to disclose certain facts to the public, and hide others.
Anything they hide will come back to bite them later; a cover-up is a
sensational scandal.”
With a bittersweet smile, he said, “If I were them, I’d keep
pushing the paperwork from office to office indefinitely, or just bury it. Put
me in a hole somewhere and forget where they hid the key.”
Calbert gave him a hard look. “You’re not wrong about that.
It’s taken a lot of fast-talking to keep knowledge of your return limited to
the oversight committee. At this point, there are only about twenty people
control of China. They’re in the process of rooting out the imperialist
sympathizers, and they’ve initiated a ceasefire. Everyone is in a holding
pattern at the moment.”
“That’s good news,” Michael said. “We can turn our attention
back to Chow Yin and the Kulsat.”
Calbert clicked his tongue. “That might take a bit of time,
and might be more problematic than realistic. There were a lot of shots fired
by both sides. It’ll take years to smooth out ruffled feathers. Worldwide
resources are already taxed. We need those space-based production stations
controlled by Chow Yin. There’s been talk that it would be easier to negotiate
a deal rather than commit resources to another fight, especially when the Solan
Empire has the high ground.”
“I can’t believe my ears.” Michael’s eyes were wide. “They’re
going to give in?”
Lifting his shoulders in a sign of helplessness, Calbert
said, “The economy was tenuous when you left; now, it’s reaching a critical
point. The war exhausted everyone’s reserves. People are tired of fighting.”
“Well,” Michael said, his voice upset, “people better get
un-tired. The Kulsat are going to find us, and when they do, we’ll be wiped
out.”
With a half-smile, Calbert said, “It would be easier to
convince the government to swallow the Moon, than to swallow that story.”
“And you?” He looked at Calbert through the corner of his
eye. “What do you believe?”
Taking a long time to answer, he finally said, “I believe
that if your story is true, then we’re all in very serious trouble.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking.” Michael held his breath.
Finally, Calbert nodded, “We are all in very serious
trouble.”
Though Michael felt a surge of relief when he heard that—at
least someone in the entire world didn’t think he was either a complete moron
or a traitor—he knew his situation was far from optimistic.
“To break it down,” he said, pulling at his lip, “we’ve got
two problems: Emperor Chow Yin, and the Kulsat Consortium. I hate to say it,
but Yin is the lesser of the two evils. He wants to rule Sol System; the Kulsat
want to decimate it.”
“What do you suggest?”
Michael scratched an eyebrow. “Do we have the technology to
weaponize Kinemet?”
“Before Quantum Resources was shut down, we bandied a few
theories about. The first problem is, we don’t have any Kinemet stockpile to
test the theories. Second, even if we did, those theories can’t be tested
planet-side. Unfortunately, Chow Yin has all the marbles, and he’s not
sharing.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to convince me that making a
deal with Chow Yin is the sensible option.” He gave Calbert a sharp look.
“The devil you know…”
Shaking his head, Michael sighed. “I can’t believe that
option is on the table.”
Then he noticed Calbert looking at him oddly.
“What?”
A smile crept into Calbert’s lips. “You realize that, not
once in this conversation did you ask about what’s going to happen to you?”
Tilting his head, Michael let out a hollow laugh. “I thought
it was a foregone conclusion. I figure I’m the administration’s worst
nightmare. If they reveal I’m back, the newsvids will investigate. The moment
they find out about an alien invasion, there’d be mass panic. If they prosecute
me, they’ll have to disclose certain facts to the public, and hide others.
Anything they hide will come back to bite them later; a cover-up is a
sensational scandal.”
With a bittersweet smile, he said, “If I were them, I’d keep
pushing the paperwork from office to office indefinitely, or just bury it. Put
me in a hole somewhere and forget where they hid the key.”
Calbert gave him a hard look. “You’re not wrong about that.
It’s taken a lot of fast-talking to keep knowledge of your return limited to
the oversight committee. At this point, there are only about twenty people
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