Osdal (Harmony War Series Book 3) (19 page)

“Recruiting numbers for the chosen?” Housapel asked.

“Doing better than expected. We have made a holding group, people that do physical training before they are admitted into the units. As we are making this up as we go along, the first graduates are the best and brightest, and we are having them go through the military history we have, and even science fiction novels, to try and pick up tactics and ideas of how to engage the enemy. I do not believe that they will be as effective as the Earth-born Troopers, but their numbers are impressive and they should have better gear Trooper,” Fernix said.

“Masoul and Osdal have and will teach us valuable lessons in defeating the EMF,” Luke agreed.

“Quite, we will go from having more personnel and less tech to better tech and more personnel. The numbers and projections look good for our victory,” Housapel looked to Fernix.

“My own analysis agrees with that,” Fernix nodded.

“Now onto my own production numbers,” Housapel touched something in front of him. The same reports appeared in front of Luke, just different numbers and graphs.

“Recruitment is working well; the public relations people have outdone themselves. We are seeing a join up rate of 30%. Conditional on their completion of training, some will be full time military, with the others training and working to keep Harmony going, changing over to full time as the EMF gets closer.”

Luke looked over the chart, it was indeed impressive.

“We are producing E-12 variants, as we have more precise machine shops. Though, I believe it’s in our best interests to look at the performance of the weapon systems on Osdal and see what we can do to improve our own. Thanks to Fernix’s assistance, we are getting our first hulls that we will outfit with electronics and our best targeting systems, as well as the necessary items for a finer detailed factory production,” Housapel said.

Luke nodded. Fernix made massive machines, freighters, carriers, and build-a-station kits, while Housapel made household electronics, ranging from surfaces to the electronic circuit boards in an E-12.

Fernix supplied Housapel with massive hulls and the larger pieces, Housapel outfitted them with the control systems and packaged up a factory or two and sent it to Fernix. The first small part factory was complete and operational. A second would be complete by the time the parts for another factory arrived.

This would make each system with some of the others abilities. Housapel would get ships, Fernix would get the ability to add in the finer details to ships, weapons, powered armor and such.

A large majority of the ships would still need to go to Housapel as Fernix, even with its new factories, wouldn’t be able to produce all of the tech needed to get the carriers operational.

“Our own powered armor needs should be met soon though, as we all know, Nivad will probably try to cut us off from one another, so I am also sending the majority to Fernix, as detailed in last week’s memo.” Housapel paused and a new report came in, this one showing Housapel.

“We are working on weapons systems that are being placed over our most vital areas. Our sensor grid is located around the Oort cloud, moving in it is spotty, but it is better to know when the EMF is coming, instead of telling us when they’re right on top of us,” Housapel said. This was the opposite what Luke had done.

Luke had way more traffic moving through his system, so he would need a lot more sensor operators to go through all the possible targets. He wanted to see how the defenses worked with good sensor reads of the enemy ships. So, with his limited sensor drones, he’d set them around Osdal Actual with defenses linked into them.

“I know that doesn’t work for you two, as you want to hammer the EMF if they get close to our assets, and to also see the functionality of our weapon systems with good sensor linkage,” Housapel conceded. “With time, I hope to replicate that
and
have the forewarning system up. Now on to dissident numbers, I hope everyone is under the notable five percent of the population?”

“We are holding at around three percent, we’ve gone along with proceeding to let them talk, and the public relations are undermining them easily. It shows us as benevolent for giving them time to talk, but they’re asking why we don’t just throw them into jail. We’re holding off actions, allowing the workers to turn on those that want to go back to companies. I am looking at recruiting a number of them if they survive this. We will need people to replace those that believe in Harmony,” Fernix said.

When they gained control of Earth and Her Colonies, they didn’t want people uprising and throwing their numbers all over the place, it would be the exact kind of chaos they had made. Using Harmony as a front for their hostile takeover allowed them to use the people for a
righteous
cause to overthrow the companies. Then, when they had control, they would use a new EMF to kill all of those that had supported them. Incite the rebellious faction to fight, then clear them out so they wouldn’t threaten their position at the top.

It was an ingenious plan and a reason why they kept such clear records of those that were mindless drones working for whoever, and those that actually believed in Harmony, or the companies. It would make the clean-up easier.

“Osdal?” Housapel asked.

“My dissident numbers are at two percent and will decrease with the latest round of forced workers; fear of being thrown into the camps prevents people from raising concerns and keeps them focused on their work,” Luke said with some pride.

“I am holding at four percent. I believe it is because people see that we are making weapons for war when they are used to making desks, surfaces and lamps,” Housapel said dryly.

“We are working on the numbers and doing as Fernix is, it is working well. The problem we have is that we have to turn many of those that support the companies away from jobs which deal with armament. This leads to them becoming a jobless, rowdy faction. My Human Resources Department believes that there will be riots in a few years, but by then the military should be functional. The PR department will use the military putting the riots down in a peaceful manner to increase recruiting numbers, and hopefully reduce the number of dissenters,” Housapel said, his shadow turning to the others.

“I believe that is all for this conference, we will stay in contact by memo if anything arises,” Housapel waited, and, sensing no questions he disappeared, as did Fernix.

The lights returned to the room and Luke started going over the varying reports. People were just ones and zeroes waiting to be applied in the correct manner to improve his production and decrease his costs.

Chapter 23

Mining City Seventeen

Osdal Actual, Osdal System

6/3267

Mining City Seventeen wasn’t much to look at. It featured identical swirling towers that got taller closer to the center, the difference to other colony cities was that kilometers away there were strip mines with rail roads running to the city. There they’d be processed and sent to collecting cities. They’d pool refined materials together before firing them into orbit.

It was just a short shuttle ride from there to holding stations in orbit.

Mark hiked up his gear bag, feeling the weight of the machine gun in it.

People from Osdal looked at them with open disgust.

Moretti led them through the central tower to an office that was now owned by the Bandit Two Corporation, and Mark could hear the people talking.

“Asteroid miners, they’re no better than Earthers. Just pull in rocks and drink till they pass out, while us honest workers have to go and cut it out of the planet.” A couple of women were whispering and, by the way they looked Mark, he doubted that they had ever stepped in a strip mine. They were probably office workers, or plant runners.

Mark cared little that people tried to make a point of getting in their way.

Moretti, who’d been an adept student with close combat, was working on his surface when one pompous asshole walked in front of him, choosing to cut him off. Moretti didn’t even look up; he slapped the man in the face with the surface so hard the man stumbled back cradling his nose.

“Watch where you’re going,” Moretti said, still looking at his surface.

Chosen moved to intercept them, and unconsciously Holm and Mark moved to Moretti as their section spread out to give covering arcs.

“Hello, For the sake of Harmony!” Moretti said, giving them a salute and a smile.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, an Earther?” The lead Chosen woman snarled, looking at them all with disgust. Obviously she was from Osdal Actual, and her prejudice towards other people had only been exaggerated by Harmony.

“I am the numbers guy for the Bandit Two Corporation,” Moretti said with a smile.

“Look at this, Pel, this guy says he’s from a Corporation. He thinks that the CEOs still own this place, huh?”

Pel was a pudgy man, he spat on the ground. “Fucking look like Earthers to me,” Pel said.

“You’re under investigation, come with us,” the woman said, her people fanning out around them, toting their weapons and making it clear they were looking for a reason to open fire.

“Excuse me miss, but I have a very important meeting,” Moretti said, his smile slipping.

“So report me; get moving Earthers,” She used her gun to poke Moretti.

“Let’s go and see what this is all about,” Moretti said to the Troopers.

They let Moretti lead on, and Mark readied himself to release the controls on his augments.

They were hustled into an office that had been turned into a detainment area, where people were crying and scared. The Chosen looked on them with disgust, they looked like they could have been walking around the corridors of the tower. They were unremarkable, just people that the Chosen had picked.

Their gear was taken and tossed into a corner without a care.

Well, I don’t have a good feeling about this,
Mark thought as they were locked into their own containment area.

The woman left, leaving just three Chosen behind.

“That one looks fresh, unlike those camp girls,” Pel said pointing to Niemi. “Let’s have some fun while Zia is off getting Emilie. We all know where they’re going. Better than waiting and getting her while she’s all dried up.”

“You lot, get up against the other wall, we got you covered, Pel,” one girl said. “You’re next pretty boy.” She pointed at Holm.

“Wouldn’t mind me a piece of that,” the third guard agreed.

Mark felt a smile come over his face as he walked back to the end of the cell, his triceps twitching.

Pel left his gun behind and advanced into the cell, licking his lips as he advanced on Niemi.

The other guards held their guns up, but they weren’t aiming, just watching as Pel advanced.

The door to the area they were in opened, and Zia came in, with a new woman who looked better fed and in command. The guard’s weapons lowered as they looked over.

“The hell ar...” The woman in charge, started to say. Mark walked forward, and his hands came up, blades shooting out and catching the two guards in their necks.

Mark jumped for Pel, as the man back pedaling. Mark grabbed his head, digging his hands into his jaw.

“Shit, shit!” Zia shouted. Pel screamed as Mark pulled his jaw out and stabbed Pel’s chest with his own jaw.

Mark stood, covered in blood and gore, dropping the dead Pel.

“You want to fuck with my sister, you fuck with me,” Mark said. Emilie had a metal storm pistol pointed at him and he waited for the rounds to hit, knowing he was a dead man.

Zia looked like she wanted to take Mark’s head off. Emilie’s gun went from pointing at Mark, to pointing at Zia’s head, and then it went off. Her head caved in with three rounds in a blink of an eye.

“Juarez, Greg, get the fuck in here!” Two people ran into the room.

“The fuck?”

“I am sorry about all of this, Zia told me that she had brought in some asteroid miners claiming to be Bandit Two, so I came over here as fast as possible,” Emilie said.

“And your man intended to rape a to-be ship captain,” Moretti said stepping forward, getting Pel’s blood on his shoes.

“I am sorry,” Emilie said.

“I guess I should tell you who the surprise meeting I was having today was going to be with,” Moretti said, looking to everyone. “It was going to be Leader of the Chosen, none other than Luke Choi himself.”

Emilie was grinding her teeth.

“So what
exactly
am I going to tell Mister Choi about this Emilie Castillo?” Moretti spat.

Mark’s eyes passed over her with renewed interest. She was one of four lieutenants Luke used to exercise his power, and Emilie controlled getting people into the camps, while her brother Dean ran the camps on Osdal Actual. Goles ran the camps on Osdal Three and Patricia ran the asteroid mining and refining centers.

“I am sorry for any inconvenience. I will release you immediately, though I’m going to have to hold him,” she said pointing to Mark. “No matter what, he killed Chosen.”

“That is unaccept...”