IronStar (31 page)

These
were the four
civilians arrayed down the other side of the table to her right, the
Mercantiles. Captain DaCosta rose to make introductions, just as though she
hadn’t had every one of them checked, scanned and cross-checked down to the DNA
level and back to conception, before admitting them to the task force.

“Admiral Dunning, this is Madame
Marissa Taggart of United Dominion Farms,” he gestured, and the
vigorous-looking matronly woman at her immediate right inclined her head
slightly. “Madame Taggart, Rear Admiral Lucinda Dunning.”

“At your service, Madame.” A slight
nod in reply, carefully calibrated. A surprisingly warm smile lit the other
woman’s face, and she said:

“Admiral, I’m sure you’d rather be
going about Navy business without civilians along. UniDom is fortunate I was
on-planet at the right time, and deeply appreciates this opportunity.” Luce’s
smile warmed in return.

“And this,” Captain DaCosta
continued, “is Elizabeth Einarson of RegNet News, who is representing the press
on this voyage. Admiral Dunning.” The familiar-looking, strikingly handsome
pale blonde woman three places down the table stood and offered her hand.

“Pleased,” Luce responded, taking
the firm handshake. “I’ve enjoyed seeing your work.”

“Thank you, Admiral. Perhaps we could
arrange an interview sometime, if your schedule allows?” The reporter flashed a
brilliant smile and dimpled winningly.
Right, I’d love to be under your
microscope,
thought Luce.

“I’ll have my steward contact you,
I’m sure something can be arranged.”

“Admiral Dunning, this is Mister
Irving Baldwin, Vice President, Trailways Division, Planetation Corp. Mister
Baldwin, Admiral Dunning.” The slightly beefy, mild-looking man seated beside
the Captain rose and bowed briefly from the waist, then seated himself.

“Charmed, Admiral.”

“My pleasure, Mister Baldwin.”
Vice
president, no less! These people are taking this for a serious opportunity.
Which it may well be
, Luce thought.

“And finally, may I introduce Dr.
Garth Pennington, Director of Research for Atikokan Mining and Metals. Admiral
Dunning.” The dark, slender, balding man second to her right rose and bowed.

“Doctor Pennington, a pleasure. How
did you happen to be in our small corner, if I may enquire? Are you not
normally posted on Northland?”

“Pleased to meet you, Admiral. Your
information is correct, I do indeed work mostly at our central corporate
facility. By chance I was working on a problem reported with a prototype
hullmetal alloy, a new iridium-osmium-thulium matrix for which we have high
hopes. Since the reports originated on Trailway, I took the opportunity for a
little fieldwork, and happened to be the ranking Atikokan representative in the
system when we received the Navy’s invitation. Of course an old lab rat like me
would jump at the chance to visit a virgin system, a rare find indeed. The scan
data you already made public has only whetted all our appetites, although I’m
sure my interest in the asteroid data is not as exciting as these other
persons’ fascination for the bioferous planet.” His eyes positively shone at
the mention of the asteroid data, Luce noticed. As other eyes glazed over.

“Indeed we appear to have found a
life-bearing planet, Doctor. I see we are keeping the stewards from their
duties… Captain?” With that the stewards began serving a bouillabaisse
appetizer in formal china bearing the
Belleville’s
name and seal. As a
small fruit dish followed, Elizabeth Einarson asked:

“Tell me, Captain DaCosta, is it
true this is your first assignment as captain?” Several splutters and quickly
averted glares came from the left side of the table, the
Navy
side, as
Luce had thought of it. The Captain’s thin eyebrows rose.

“Miss Einarson, it would be very
unlike the Navy to give command of a four point six megatonne fighting vessel
to a
new
captain. I served for eleven years on heavy cruisers, the last
four as captain of the
Berkshire
.” The atmosphere seemed a little…
cooler, Luce noticed. “What
is
correct,” he continued, “is that this is
my first command of a
Battlewagon
. It is believed by some that these new
Yoruba
-class Battlewagons’ more extensive automation make them closer in
operation to the heavy cruiser than to the older
Sioux
-class ‘Wagons. I
and a few other lucky captains are the Admiralty’s prototypes for testing this
theory. So far, we’ve managed not to break any of the china.”

Nicely done
, Luce judged.
Put
her in her place, without being overtly unfriendly. More than she deserved, by
the looks of Captain Krepescue over there
… indeed the bushy-browed and
swarthy master of the
Utterson
had looked like he thought a torpedo tube
would make a good bunk for the under-informed journalist.

“Madame Taggart,” Luce asked, “What
would be the best possible thing to find at our new planet, from your point of
view? That is, UniDom’s?” At least Miss Einarson had the good grace to look
relieved when attention moved away from her.

“Frankly, Admiral, I suppose the
very best possibility would be a planet already inhabited by a race of highly
skilled farmers who have valuable crops and will work for peanuts.
Realistically we are always looking for new specialty crops. The Regnum’s
supply of novelty never seems to keep up with demand. Failing that, we might
hope to find useful native biochemicals. Nature is wonderfully inventive that
way, if one happens to look in the right places. We are all hoping there is
nothing but boring plants and animals with useful biochemistries, and
absolutely nothing of interest to the Navy. In a professional sense, that is.”

“I think you’ll find most Naval
officers share your preference for boring missions, Madame Taggart. I wish you
luck in your search. I understand you brought a small research team along?”

“Oh, it's just
Marissa
,
please. Yes, Admiral. Captain DaCosta’s Ship Steward was kind enough to find
room for us and our equipment, although most of it is on board the
Meredith
.
And once there, we shall have to depend on the Navy for transportation. I know
this is just a preliminary survey, but people who spend most of their time in
space just have no idea how
big
even a small planet is, when you’re
researching a biosphere one blade of grass at a time.”

“I’m sure UniDom will follow up
with a very thorough expedition at the earliest possible opportunity, Marissa.
Isn’t this wine excellent? Is it one of the Eclipse vintages?” Heads nodded
agreeably all around the table. The steward beamed and said:

“The Admiral is quite discerning.
That is Eclipse Reserve ’51, from the Mondavi vineyards on New Rochelle.”

“A perfect example of the novelty
factor,” Madame Taggart said. “That unique flavor and the pale magenta color,
are both the result of some very ingenious work on the part of an early
biosurvey crew on that planet. That entire geneline is now very popular.”

 
A brief lull in the conversation while the
main course was served. A delicious aroma filled the room.
I will not
,
thought Luce as the dinnerplates were uncovered,
let Captain DaCosta’s
shameless pandering to my well-known tastes affect my evaluation of him. Much
.

“Captain, my compliments to your
chef. And to whomever managed to find roast bisolope, in the midst of all your
departure preparations.” She tipped a glass toward her dapper-looking captain
at the other end of the table, who nodded in polite acceptance of the praise.
“Mister Baldwin, what would Planetation like to find on our new hablet?” The
man seemed to pause and consider, as though surprised by her question.

“Well, living space of course, and
a safe biome. Unlike my good friend from UniDom, our interest is colonization.
So we prefer to find, not hordes of native farmers, but a world ready for a few
well-sited cities, and lots of resources to make it all economically feasible.

“I know it’s not popular to speak
of economics where a new world is concerned,” he said, raising his hand to a
couple of rolled eyes across the table, “but it can make a decisive difference
to the colonists. Something as simple as the lack of a few trace elements, I
think it was selenium and chromium, was at the root of all the hardships
suffered by the colony on Greenworld. Nothing imported would grow, and nothing
native was digestible by man nor beast. By the time they imported customized
fertilizer and chromium for machine alloys, they were always just a bit behind
the curve economically. Planetation took a big loss, and a great many
colonists’ lives were disrupted. We have certainly learned not to repeat that
episode, but the difference between prosperity and hardship can be nano thin.”

How very interesting,
Luce
observed to herself as the dinner progressed.
Everyone's so
polite
.
Yet we know these same corporations are capable of gutting planets, or
competitors, or the occasional Navy career if it comes to it, in pursuit of
those ‘economics’.

“There is just one other thing I've
been wondering about,” asked Ms. Einarson as the stewards removed the remnants
of the main course. “Is it usual to send so many Navy ships just to look at a
new planet?” Glances were exchanged along the Navy side of the table, including
several 'glad-I'm-not-the-Admiral' looks. “The last time this happened, that
was when Elysium opened up sixteen months back, there were six or seven
Mercantile ships and just one Navy ship on the official opening visit.”

“Yes. Well, from the Navy's
viewpoint, Ms. Einarson, there are a few differences,” Luce replied. “For one
thing, Elysium was discovered on a survey well within Regnum space. This new
system is three months' travel outside our previous borders. Second, Elysium
was rather thoroughly vetted by the Survey Service before being turned over to
Mercantile interests. Our destination has barely been scanned by a single
probe.”
Careful, Luce, this is not something we want hitting the rumor mill
quite yet…

“Well, why is that, Admiral
Dunning? Why not just wait for the… who was it, the
Arvida-Yee
, to
report back? What's the rush?”

“Why do I get the impression I can
see 'corders running behind your eyes, Ms. Einarson?” Luce smiled as she held
up a hand in mock surrender. “Nothing nefarious, I'm sure, it's precisely
because
S22041 is so far off our usual territory - we don't even have a name for it,
just a catalogue number - that the Navy decided to be …conservative. I'm sure
these good skippers,” she waved a hand to her left, “were getting bored just
sitting on their hands in Trailway orbit, and we all feel safer having them
along. This far into uncharted space, one never knows what to expect. You did
review the personal-injury waiver that RegNet signed for you, didn't you?” Luce
arched one eyebrow in a mildly quizzical expression.

“Well yes, and I suppose that
explains the
size
of the party, but not its
haste
, Admiral.
According to the Navy's PubInf node, the
Arvida-Yee
is due back in seven
weeks, by that time we'll only be halfway there. Why not just wait the extra
time?”
Nothing if not tenacious
, Luce sighed inwardly.
Just like a
reporter is supposed to be.

“I can't say what was on Admiral
McBain's mind, but I should imagine something as valuable to the Regnum as a
new hablet would be worth staking our claim on, promptly. We have forces on
standby at Trailway for exactly this kind of scenario. It just makes excellent
sense to use them.”

“Thank you Admiral, may I quote you
on that?”

“You may. And look, if I'm not
mistaken, that's dessert coming through the hatchway…”

Some time later, with the civs
safely gone and the atmosphere more relaxed, the Navy sat around the table with
a last glass of liqueur.

“That was getting uncomfortably
close, Admiral,” said Vincent Steuben. “I wonder how much the newsies actually
know.”

“Hopefully the lid is still on
about the Kruss presence, Captain. We considered making this a pure Navy
operation, I'll tell you frankly I argued for it. But Admiral McBain thought
running off in the night would provoke more rumors than it was worth, so we
played it by the book - public announcement of the find and a 'routine,
official' Navy followup.”

“Aren't we betting pretty heavily
on the assumption that there are no more Kruss in the system, ma'am?” asked
Captain Wallace. “Or for that matter, that they don't already have a dozen
warships halfway there?”

“We are, Sandra. For that matter,
so is the
Arvida-Yee
. I wish we'd had the luxury of a few more days'
wait for their next mailtube.” Hanging in the air between them was the unspoken
'If there was one'
.

“Admiral Dunning, I acknowledge and
appreciate your confidence in selecting us as your escort, but I wonder if it
wouldn't be good to send one or two of the destroyers ahead? We could cut
forty-five days off the trip.”

“Thank you, Angelo, I appreciate
your initiative. We haven't worked together much, but it's part of why I asked
for you specifically. All of you, actually. And again, if I had my way, that's
exactly what we'd be doing. However when I suggested it, Admiral McBain rained
all over it. As he saw it, if we need strength, there's no point getting there
without it, and if we
don't
need strength, there's no rush. I don't see
it quite that way, but entirely aside from the fact that he's our commanding
officer, his instincts have been right far too often for me to want to buck
them.

“He and I both think the most
likely prospect is that our Scout was just extraordinarily unlucky to run into
what it did. You've all had a chance to see the data they sent. After a good
look at it, the NavInt analysts are now quite sure it was a
Kappa
-class
light cruiser, which puts it about midway between our destroyer and light
cruiser classes. Captain Leitch was both incredibly good
and
very lucky
to nix it the way he did, and we can only hope his luck held.”