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Chapter Thirty-One: Low orbit
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Guernsey Island – Private Estate of the Duchess of Aquitania
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17th July 1827
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- Why are we doing this, again?
Fitzwilliam, Geoffrey and Napoleon all looked up to glance at her.
As usual it was Fitzwilliam who answered since he was the one both Geoffrey and Napoleon trusted to be impartial and able to expose their common position.
- Because God's hammer is scaring everybody shitless, answered he. And we need to calm down all those idiots before we have a major uproar with another looming war.
Jane shook her head and frowned at her husband who, she was sure of it, had been the one orchestrating the whole press conundrum.
- We could have avoided this whole international tantrum if we had stayed silent on the possibilities. I really see no real reason why this whole affair got leaked to the press.
- And here I agree absolutely with her Grace, said Napoleon who loved it when he could side with Jane. Because siding with Jane was his wife's favorite pastime and he loved it when he and Josephine could fight together. It didn't happen very often and this time he would make sure that Josephine knew about it.
- We have no power over those Swedish journalists, said Geoffrey with what Jane knew was a contrived apologetic face. The article was out and translated too fast to let us close that box again.
- You are probably right, Geoffrey! But I wasn't alluding at the press articles, I was pointing at the fact that launching those tests could have been easily avoided! I don't see why you needed to be sure that Lionel's calculations where on the point. From experience we all know that he doesn't come up with plans that haven't been already fool proofed by his… Backups. It wasn't as if we had any need to know if said calculations were right and the procedure easy to reproduce.
She wasn't looking in Napoleon's direction, but had she done it she would have witnessed his small frown at the naming of Lionel's responsibility in the whole mess.
- I gave my approbation, said Fitzwilliam. Whatever you think, dear Jane, these tests were a necessity. I do admire, most of time, at least, my nephew's brilliance but when he comes up, just in passing, with a new sort of very accurate lethal ranged weapon, I can't just forget about it. Not with him having demonstrated dozens of times that his ideas were not only groundbreaking but also pragmatic and very easy to hand over to the manufacturing chain.
He pointed at the sky.
- And nobody will be able to deny that not only did he come up with the basic physics of the weapon, but his blueprints of the rod, the needed launcher and its aiming device had been very easy to build and install on Charles' Astarté. Which, let's not forget it, is not even a military Spaceship. Which proves that anybody able to come up in orbit has now the means to become a major nuisance.
Napoleon who hadn't been informed over the details of the whole test series made great efforts to frown at Geoffrey while feverishly thinking about ways to convince young Lionel to be France's future Main Scientist. This boy had already proven umpteen times that he was not only a brilliant thinker but also that he was a very gifted tinkerer who was able to see how to use his inventions in every way possible.
And the main lab where he spent most of his time was in France.
Which should have been a great advantage in order to know what was happening in the caves of the Estate.
But wasn't at all.
Napoleon had already sent spies to worm themselves into the Household, but they had all been discovered and sent back to Fouché with a note from Lionel warning that he wasn't amused and that he would never take spying on him or his household as something normal.
That, of course, hadn't stopped Fouché's efforts. Fouché loved challenges and nothing or no one was able to stop a frustrated Fouché who wanted to know what was happening somewhere.
As usual, Fouché had found solutions. Now Napoleon had spies who didn't know that they were spies. And who, because of that, had the additional advantage to not cost a franc to the French Consular Cassette! And not being spies they couldn't betray them or be returned to become double agents.
Fouché, who was a genius when it came to find the right people to do the right job, had used Lionel's desire to recruit locals to staff his estate. He had found people who covered exactly everything Lionel and his Staff wanted in an employee. With the little advantage that they all loved to write diaries. They being very good at their job he had had no problems to get those people to be hired by Anne Darcy's staff in Saumur.
The literally gifted servants wrote diaries, and those diaries were thoroughly flashed at least once a week by a bunch of Fouché's agents who knew that they were spying for the Consulate. And, thanks to those copies, Fouché had a perfect idea of everything that was happening in the Household and even about a few of the things happening in the Labs.
Because things were happening down there and since Jane d'Arcy was the only member of the family who would go down there, she was the only one who had an idea of what was really happening. The Biorna muscle that had been added recently had been considered as incorruptible as usual and hasn't been approached.
But even Josephine hadn't been able to make Jane talk about what she knew. At least not about the scientific part of the events.
She had been Jane d'Arcy's confident about the problem she was facing with what the kids called the *Link*…
Not because Josephine was repeating anything to Napoleon, who would have been unable to find the patience to listen to his wife's friend's problems. But because her very personal parlor had been bugged by Fouché as soon as the new mini bugs had become available on the British Black Market.
Napoleon hoped Josephine would never ever learn about said bugs but, should it happen, he had already a bunch of very believable reasons to justify the listening devices' presence.
And it had been worth it…
Napoleon had, thanks to his little mechanical helpers, learned about the existence of *Link*! And since then, he had thought a lot about what it really meant. Having a group of *Link*ed youngsters working for him and the State would be a fantastic opportunity and would give France the means to catch up with the Brits also in matters that the public didn't even know existed. But what had come out of the reports had also shown that, whatever *Link* was, it wouldn't be easy at all to control.
*Link* clearly had a will of his own and had tried, more than once to escape to Jane's monitoring. For now, he would look at the solutions Jane was finding and testing and wait until she had explored and mastered the whole problem. He knew how it could be done and he knew what it could provide him. When the times would be ripe he would have to find twelve upgraded kids to lure into becoming a *Link*.
- But now, the whole world is scared and everybody who's not linked with us by blood or matrimony is running around calling bloody murder! Does it really make sense to bring up such a weapon when we've just reached, in my opinion, a rather interesting stage of peace all around the world? Even Yonglin Emperor has taken out in quite a peaceful -for Chinese circumstances- manner his last opponents and here you come up with a weapon that gives everybody the creeps…
She looked at Napoleon.
- Josephine signaled me that her husband is worried too. Why is it always necessary to add another proof that this world's scientists are eager to add at this century's dangers?
- This is the world we live in, love, said d'Arcy. And hiding our head in the sand won't change anything at the dangers we have to face. Better to look them straight in the eyes while looking for solutions to defuse the risk.
Jane who had already spoken with her husband in private frowned at him.
- And is there such a solution?
- Nobody, not even Lionel, has found anything that could, in our present stage of technological advancement, intercept a falling rod. But we are not done yet and a few of our best rocket specialists are still looking into the problem.
Here Napoleon felt compelled to ask a question.
- How long for a rod to arrive on the ground from orbit?
- Twelve to fifteen minutes, answered Fitzwilliam. Lionel has spoken about another idea –not yet prototyped- with an inboard rocket engine. The time to impact for this weapon could be reduced to five minutes. But five minutes is the absolute smallest amount of time a rod would need to impact the Earth. It seems that if we try to get it towards the ground faster the rod will disintegrate in the atmosphere. There is clearly a max speed for the materials we are able to manufacture. Lionel thinks that there could be other metals that would resist better. He said he would look into it when he had leisure time. As of yet, we are not yet able to master the production and crafting process of said metals.
He sighed.
- And even a quarter of an hour is too fast to have a chance to see it, aim at it and launch a counter missile against it.
- The reaction time could be reduced, said d'Arcy, if resources and manpower to actively survey the launchers in orbit was spent lavishly. If we wait to see the rod arriving towards us, it will be too late… The only thing known to us that has the acceleration to intercept a rod that's tumbling from orbit has proven to be totally impossible to aim… It would have to be placed just under the point where the rod will impact. And that's just impossible since the rod's trajectory will be a curve using the orbiting launchers' velocity to be as fast as humanly possible.
Jane shook her head.
- Which means that once launched nothing will be able to stop it…
- At our present technology, that's right, said Fitzwilliam. At least, if said launchers are in low orbits around the planet. Should they be in medium or high orbits, we, here in GGB, we believe that we have the means to destroy them before impact.
- Which just means that we need to ensure that the low orbits stay clean of any military launchers, said Napoleon who had huge suspicions about the reasons d'Arcy and his brother-in-law had launched the tests and sprinkled the impacts all over the world.
He had huger suspicions that they wanted Earth orbit to become a non-militarized zone and they had done what was necessary to force everybody -himself included- to howler for it.
They knew that, when in a couple of years, France's Lower Space Station would have been installed he would have stopped that insanity and insisted that those who weren't advanced enough to have Space Stations shut up and let the grown-up play grown-up games.
But, as of now, France was, like everybody else, not present in orbit with anything but a few noticeably light spaceships Napoleon had ordered built just to show the flag up there.
Today, only the GGB had real Spaceships like the Astarté -who was in reality and in ownership a Company Spaceship- and the first five modules of the Ouranos Space Station had already been brought in low orbit and would have been brought together had not that crisis arisen.
He had received numerous reports from all over the world and what has come out of them was the outcry at wanting a NMZ in Earth's orbit. The incompetent and weak rulers around the world had spent the last few weeks making silly demands all turning around the foolish idea that Space should become the common good of Mankind.
- The lower orbits are the easiest to colonize, protested d'Arcy. To get into the medium or high orbit it is a lot more difficult and expensive…
Which was true, thought Napoleon, except for those who had learned to master the GURLs' antigravity specifications, a.k.a. the British…
Napoleon was anything but a fool. He wasn't sure but he suspected that this whole pseudo crisis had been organized by Fitzwilliam Darcy to force the world's rulers to decide, in appearance against him and the GGB, the demilitarize Earth's low orbit.
And since, contrary to Napoleon who had a huge secret staff working on that, he never had any intention to militarize said orbits, the world rulers' decision would destroy France's plan and not the GGB's.
The only thing Napoleon wasn't yet sure of, was d'Arcy's implication in Darcy's plan to shatter France's plans of world domination. He never had spoken with d'Arcy about his prospects in orbit. Not because he was mistrustful… However, there was, maybe, deep down in Napoleon's sub consciousness, a little bit of distrust when it came to d'Arcy…
He shot a glance in d'Arcy's direction who was, in appearance, arguing with his wife.
Napoleon wasn't sure of d'Arcy's latest opinions in matters army and world supremacy. For all he could see d'Arcy was still an exceptionally fine judge of military affairs. His advice, when asked, was sane and always well documented. But he was clearly a lot less interested in playing an active role in the world than even a few years earlier.
With William, William's wife and Lexi playing their role in three of the five world Powers he seemed to be satisfied and no longer interested in increasing his power. If, like Napoleon did, you considered that the Chinese Emperor, whatever image he tried to project to the outside world, had succumbed to a crisis of hero worship when considering d'Arcy, it left only Spain as a world Power where d'Arcy had no sway.
Which could be explained rationally with a great number of different reasons but none of those reasons had been able to convince Napoleon who knew that once a schemer, always a schemer! He was one of them after all, and he knew that he would go on till his casket was closed over him!
- Staying in a stable lower orbit asks for more energy, protested Fitzwilliam. You have to continuously speed up your low orbit satellites to adjust the pull of gravity.
- Why does that worry you? We have the GURLs and they provide endless streams of energy. We will never have problems to maintain our satellites in stable low orbits.
- Only the Company builds them and the Company is, throughout the world, considered to be a scion of Great Britain…
- Which is a good thing, considering Great Britain's and William's image in the world. GBB is the world power most people…
He winked at Napoleon.
- …Even French citizens, consider as the most trustworthy political power in the world. They trust you and William to work towards an everlasting peace.
Napoleon couldn't help and let a small smile appear on his lips while d'Arcy looked in his direction. They both knew that if he said 'they trust you' what he meant was 'they trust us'… The man was French and had proven more than once that he had France's success in his sights. But, and the First Consul had been very attentive to never risk it, giving d'Arcy a task where he would have had to chose between his son's Great Britain and France would have forced the man to make a choice nobody wanted him to make.
He had asked Josephine to question, discreetly as women were able to do, Jane about her opinion concerning d'Arcy's choice, should it come to that, and her answer had been a real surprise. Not only was she sure that he would chose France, but she had declared that she would support her husband without any hesitation.
And her explanation was a sane one and should have been evident even without asking her. Should d'Arcy have to choose, he would side with France to give his son the legitimacy he needed to stabilize his power.
As long as he could juggle himself from one side of the channel to the other, he would go on, but should something happen that could pull both Empires into opposing each other, d'Arcy would officially and factually side with the country where he had his Estates, his Titles and his official missions.
There he would be able to play a role that still could help his son –by, for instance, doing what was necessary to lessen the tensions- while letting his son free of any suspicion to be d'Arcy's puppet.
In Pemberley d'Arcy was a welcomed guest because he was the King's father. Father who could -and would- give his opinion but who had always refused to have any official role around the Crown. His words had no other weight outside of being those of a well-known experienced military and political leader. The fact that his son was known to listen to good advice could be looked at as another good reason to have d'Arcy speak out.
In Paris, he was an Advisor, a Military Leader, a Regional Satrap and the most Titled man of the Empire. His advice was official and whatever he said was noted and printed in the Consular Post, the official Consular Archives.
Even Jane d'Arcy's sole Nobiliary Title was a French one! Should anything happen that would cut the privileged link between the two Empires, everything official would pull d'Arcy towards France and Napoleon had no doubt that it had been d'Arcy's and Jane's explicit wish to have it just like that.
And the weirdest thing in Napoleon's mind was his total certainty that d'Arcy would be trustworthy and ready to do his duty.
- We cannot let scared people force us to follow silly rules, protested Darcy! I can understand them, and I will admit that the existence of a suborbital rod launcher can be worrisome but we, and with we I include Charles' scientists, have built the world as it is now. Without us this world would still be full of stagecoaches and sailing ships.
- Some would say that it was a safer world, said Jane.
Fitzwilliam couldn't help but shake his head.
- We have proven times and times again that we are responsible and attentive rulers who listen to others' needs. Who do not force our will on weaker countries! Why have we even lost so much time trying to prove our good faith if each time we create a new dangerous weapon they all forget about it?
- Exactly, said Napoleon with a smirk. Whatever we do, even if we show them that we are truthful, peaceful and trustworthy, they still go on distrusting us. They know that they are outgunned, outmanned and outmatched! They know that they have been for years now and that those rods change nothing at all. We already have the means to invade them and enslave them. The rods just add a new level of efficiency, that's all!
- Without the rods, they believe there is still a chance to fight back, said Jane. With them and thanks to those journalists, they know that we have now the means to destroy their armies -and them- without even risking one of our soldiers. It changes everything, don't you think?
- We still have spaceships that can be steered in low orbit to shoot rods. It changes nothing…
- But the fact, said Jane, that they will see your spaceship moving towards a low orbit that passes over them… They will look out for threatening trajectories.
- Our spaceships are land based, said Napoleon. They will need to enter low orbits to come back to their bases.
- Those bases could be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With their landing patterns carefully avoiding overflying cautious and mistrusting countries…
She looked at Fitzwilliam and Napoleon.
- We all have islands there who could be christened Spaceports. And the climate is more than pleasant. The crews will probably like it there a lot more than in Scapa Flow and Canada.
Napoleon shook his head.
- The Canadian plans have been cancelled, he said. We thought about building the Spaceport in Kenya. It is on the Equator. Some say it is easier to send spaceships in orbit while using Earth's rotation.
- You are right, said d'Arcy, but the GURLS have so much overflow that it is not really of importance.
- It depends on the Spaceship's size, said Napoleon. Huge Spaceship will need whatever energy we can afford…
- Huge spaceships should be built in orbit, protested Fitzwilliam. Building them on Earth and sending them in orbit is a huge waste of energy, manpower and resources like raw materials. It would be at least twice as expensive to build them on the ground. And there I don't even include the risk you'll take while bringing them into orbit. And you cannot come up with your favorite secrecy argument as usual. You know that from orbit every significant construction project is very visible. And we soon will have satellites everywhere to spy on each other from orbit.
- It's easier from low orbit, said d'Arcy.
- For a few more months, countered Fitzwilliam. With the new magnetic data storage possibilities Lionel came up with, the company is, as we speak, looking into ways to enhance the precision of the cameras they have installed in their Spaceships.
Napoleon didn't let it show but the new magnetic data storage possibilities Lionel came up with didn't seem to refer to anything he had been informed of.
Another secret my spies haven't been able to unearth. And something that had come out of those Saumur caves.
- Soon, went on Fitzwilliam, we will be able to see the color of the beverage within a cup taken in a café in Paris. The only people who are about to lose opportunities will be those whose technology isn't advanced enough to go to higher orbits. Those fools are sawing the only branch they are able to reach.
- They are worried about their survival, said Jane. The picture of that Chinese city totally destroyed by a rod impacting at thirty miles from it had the intended effect…
- There was no intended effect, protested d'Arcy. That footage was strictly restricted to Yonglin Emperor's benefit. He needed it to convince the last ambitious warlords that rebelling is a bad idea. It should never have leaked towards Japan.
- Everything leaks, said Fitzwilliam. Especially when the footage looks important and/or dangerous. And that footage was important because it implied that we, those who could master the technology, we were ready to help friends and allies to get rid of enemies.
He shot d'Arcy a dark frowned glance.
- By all means, said d'Arcy, we needed to see what such a rod could do to an inhabited settlement. And since Yonglin was about to send his armies to explain to his last unhappy and rebellious Uncle that he was not agreeing with his latest prospects, I proposed him to avoid a siege/destroy/rape scenario to privilege another, more natural one…
- More natural?
- Well a cosmic accident scenario would have been more easily explained. With the rod's use, we've maintained the death rate to less than a thousand while convincing rather easily said Uncle to recognize Yonglin's authority and to change his plans. With the siege scenario half the population would have been killed. And the other half would have been…
He looked at his wife.
- Let's say… Misused.
He shrugged.
- It will take a few more decades to convince Yonglin that the Chinese traditional ways to wage war are now frowned upon. But he quite liked the cosmic accident way to explain his point of view. Not because he would have looked at the levelling of a city with anything but satisfaction but because his troops would have needed weeks to arrive and meanwhile his Uncle was looking for allies. It was the time not wasted that convinced him not the lives saved.
He shook his head.
- My Chinese brethren tend to look at Human lives losses in a lot more relaxed way than we do here. I'll do what is in my power to change that but it won't be easy and it will need time. Lots of time.
- Nevertheless, said Fitzwilliam, the footage is out now and everybody knows what a well-placed rod can do to an even distant city. And…
He looked at Jane and shot her an apologetic smile.
- … Sorry for the French, but they are literally shitting themselves in fear. They already knew that they had nothing to stop our armies before, now they know that, should we want them dead, they won't even get the time to pray before dying. I do understand that they are nervous and worried.
- You are forgiven, said Jane. As are they to be afraid. And we should really do something to assuage them.
- They are what they are, grumbled Napoleon. Today it is the rods, yesterday is was the Belenos sky-islands. Tomorrow it will be something else. Being afraid is their normal condition. We can't let those cowards' fear dictate us our policy.
Jane shot him a dark look.
- Thanks to be your normal empathic self, your Grace! When I'm confronted with it I always wonder why your wife does appreciate you like she does…
- I'm quite sure that you didn't marry your husband out of awe for the empathy he shows to strangers! It's probably because of your empathy that he found grace in your eyes…
That comment forced Jane to look at said husband who didn't hide neither his pleasure to see her looking at him nor his feelings for her.
- You are probably right, said she finally. You need us as much as we need you. Not for the same reasons but, all in all, the world has become a better one because we are together.
Fitzwilliam had no problem to hid his smile since he had been training his stone-faced skill for decades. But in this very case his eyes did betray him.
- Let's remember that tomorrow we will have, here in Guernsey, almost every independent ruler that still exists on Earth. And they will want answer…
- No is a perfectly acceptable answer, said Napoleon. Let them live with their fear, they have spent the last two decades being scared, I don't see why it would change just because we give in to their demands.
- It would help to show them that we care about our fellow neighbors.
She could see that Napoleon was about to answer that he didn't when Fitzwilliam took the floor.
- The fact is that, considering their means to protect themselves, giving in to their demands won't change anything to the rods' lethality! Even if we accept to free the lower orbit and to move our launchers to medium or high orbit, they still do not have the means to stop one of our rods.
- That could change rapidly, protested napoleon. Look at what we reached in less than thirty years!
- Well, said d'Arcy, that's also true for the offensive! We haven't tested them yet but I'm quite sure that we already have, with Lionel's reaction rods', at our disposal, the next step in orbital firepower. And those rods will have no problems to discreetly glide from a higher orbit to the limit of the atmosphere at just the right place to fall on the aimed at countries...
- I really hope, said Jane, that at least that part of the arsenal won't be exposed in the limelight.
- As I said, we've not even built a prototype, said d'Arcy. And considering how many people are currently looking skywards I believe those tests should be postponed.
He looked at Fitzwilliam and Napoleon.
- Scared people do foolish things and make foolish decisions. I propose to officially agree to their demands. The lower orbits are Earth immediate neighborhood and they should be reserved for scientific and technological research with no military presence at all.
- I beg to differ, said Napoleon. Such decisions are easy to make but once made there is no chance to ever see them removed. And I believe that France needs to have a presence everywhere in orbit…
- Nobody will hinder France to be everywhere in orbit, said Jane. What's in question here is the presence of France's military equipment in Earth's lower orbit.
- Since said military equipment isn't even yet created, said Fitzwilliam, it really shouldn't be too difficult to forsake its deployment.
- It is a question of principle, grumbled Napoleon. And I'm quite sure that my engineers will be able to have a working prototype within days…
- A few very brilliant minds are already looking at the next generation, Boss, said d'Arcy. Don't waste any more money on what is clearly an obsolete weapon system our wives don't want to see ever again used in conjunction with our planet...
- I really hope so, said Jane while frowning at her husband. And I'm not sure that I will forgive you for your Chinese test! People died…
- A very few people died, protested he. Those people would have died even without my show. Yonglin's army would have done a lot more damage and not only to the city we aimed. It was a necessary display and even if I have played no role in the footage's diffusion, I swear, I can only say that it did have a huge impact –pun half intended- on everybody's minds. Lots of people have grasped what it really means to militarize the space around Earth. Now they know that having weapons up there is dangerous!
- That's probably why they howler to get you out of that orbit, said Napoleon. My problem is that I will be ousted because of you while being innocent of anything.
Jane frowned at the French Consul.
- Anything? Really?
He did look a little fazed...
- Anything in conjunction with Space, protested he. France has probably only a few rifles up there. When compared with the Astarté's current weaponry I'm quite sure we are the Pacifists.
- Which is a good thing, said Jane, and should you be able to play the role a little bit more convincingly, it should warrant you with a better image with your fellow rulers.
- But for the Prussians, said d'Arcy, who will never forgive us to have squashed their dreams of becoming a world power. Those will hate our guts till the end of time.
- And what about the Austrians? They seem to be always in the Prussians' wake.
- Franz Joseph Karl is not like Friedrich Wilhelm, said d'Arcy. I'm quite sure we could get him to accept the new world situation. But the fact that Hungary's and the other Slavic Austrian possessions have been ripped out of the Empire to become parts of France and Russia are not playing in our favor.
- They lost almost every battle against us, said Napoleon. I don't see why they are surprised that I annexed countries that had been riddled, because of their ethnic policy, with dissent and rebellions for the last two centuries. My new Slavic Citizens are a lot happier with me than they were while under the Habsburg's Yoke.
Jane nodded.
It was a fact that France had made huge efforts to give to the newly incorporated people rights that were exactly the same as those the French Citizens were enjoying and that they never had before. But there still was an underlying ripple of dissent all over central and southern Europe.
She sighed while looking at Fitzwilliam.
- You probably know that I have been approached by a Serbian delegation, said she finally. I was not even done with emptying my trunks that they were standing at my door.
She shook her head.
- I have no idea how they learned that I was about to come. It's the first time in five years that we decided to use that Estate to host our little impromptu gathering.
All three men couldn't hide their exasperation.
The Serbians had been, for decades now, the main nest of political dissent in central Europe and the country has produced an astounding number of would-be anarchists who were looking at every possible way to kill themselves while doing their uttermost to explode within a crowd!
Those had been the easy ones to spot. Because they needed to be "sponsored" by an already organized group. Fouché and d'Arcy had a good idea who and where those sponsors were. So, their recruits could easily be filed and followed.
The really bothersome ones were those who decided to become martyrs of the cause all by themselves and who bought –or stole in their mothers' kitchen- a knife to stab some random stranger somewhere out of Serbia.
- Elizabeth is ready to throw the towel, said Jane. I've spoken with her and it really isn't worth the pain. The Serbs will clearly never accept an outsider at their head and the Russian methods to deal with them has done nothing to calm down the powder keg Serbia has become these last years.
Napoleon was immediately frowning.
- You mean granting them their independence?
- That's exactly what I mean…
- It would give the world a very bad example, protested Napoleon. I know of at least a dozen other so-called ethnicities who will immediately take over the Serbians' ugly methods.
He looked at Fitzwilliam.
- It would even revive the American Front; you can count on it… If Russia gives in to the Serbs, it will be an open door to every unreasonable political demand all over our possessions.
Jane was clearly of a divided mood.
- You and Russia have tried out the most extreme methods to get rid of the unrest. Thousands have died and ten times that number are rotting in Siberia as we speak. Aside from killing them to the last, I don't see what other way could bring peace to our countries.
Napoleon took a long breath and tried to find an inner calmness he had been unable to muster during the short period of time when Serbia was French.
- Killing them to the last is perhaps the only solution to get them to understand that! Whatever they think, all people are not predestined to be a free and independent people.
He looked at Fitzwilliam and d'Arcy.
- If we open the Pandora box of the Rights of Ethnic groups to rule themselves we will have one rebellion after the other. And we will have to pay the bill first with our soldiers' blood and when they become desperate with the lives of our citizens!
- Following that reasoning Britain would still be a French dominion, said Jane. There is no more destiny for people than there is for Human Beings. We did succeed in eradicating most of the ugly ghost of slavery, it is perhaps time to consider that ethnic groups, even when under the rule of a multi ethnic Nation, should have a few very specific Rights…
- Not to rule themselves, intervened Napoleon…
Jane frowned at him.
- Why not? There's ruling and then there's ruling. Not every decision needs to be made in Paris, my dear. Some decisions would be easier to make at the places where said decisions will have consequences.
- Some powers must remain in the Capital, insisted Napoleon.
- I will easily admit that there are some rights no ethnic group shouldn't recover. The right to declare war to your neighbors, for instance, seems a good example of something everybody shouldn't have. But what about the right to decide where to build roads or how many taxes the local Satrap is allowed to lift to build said roads? And what about the rights to choose the language your children will be allowed to speak in School and which religion you will be allowed to profess in your own Home seem to me quite evident.
She looked at Napoleon.
- You've done just that in Syria and Africa. We could perhaps use the incoming gathering to bring up those questions too? We have shown these last twenty years that we have ways to remain in power that are not based on force or violence.
She smiled at Fitzwilliam.
- Some have been able to find more peaceful solutions while others have tried more radically efficient ones. I think that what is about to happen these coming days shouldn't be limited to create a demilitarized zone in orbit, but perhaps used as a opportunity to offer to all the people gathered a new perspective about how local minorities should be treated.
Napoleon looked at d'Arcy and Fitzwilliam.
- Why, by every Atheists' Belief, would we do that?
- Because, answered Jane, it would be the ethical thing to do and because scarred people tend to be more open to ethical solutions if said ethical solutions happen to be linked to an increase of their all-round safety… Having a demilitarized zone up there has my total support but I'm very sure that we shouldn't just accept to listen to all those people's demands without having some demands of our own.
Napoleon was clearly stricken by Jane's demands. He was about to react, probably vehemently, when Fitzwilliam spoke up.
- You want us to blackmail them?
- What an ugly choice of terms, answered Jane with a little ironic smile. Nothing of the sort, that's not at all my modus operandi.
She looked at Napoleon.
- Forcing my way on others does not look like my way to enter negotiations, wouldn't you agree?
- With the small difference, said Geoffrey, that you would just be the hostess. You wouldn't negotiate at all. You'd just be there to offer the necessary opportunities.
- Exactly, agreed Jane. But, there are others who would not hesitate to use the people's foolish fears to convince them that some reforms would be a good idea!
Fitzwilliam and Napoleon exchanged a surprised look.
- Don't do that, gentlemen. You already know that when I've decided that some things are worth my attention and important enough to make me act I can be as ruthless as you. Now that I know that we have an opportunity to 'convince' all those would-be despots to be more lenient with their minorities, why not use it?
- As I said, whispered Fitzwilliam, blackmail!
- Smart use of circumstances, countered Jane. Those rods really rattled them and they are afraid!
She looked at her brother-in-law.
- You know like I know that this demilitarized zone will be created. They are perhaps less numerous and less powerful than the Nations represented in this room, but they will leave no stone unturned to be sure that you won't put those launchers over their heads. And, in the end, we will give in because it is something even our people will defend. So, if we cannot avoid it, the smart thing to do is to trade it for something we believe ethically important. Like the rights of ethnical or cultural minorities…
- They didn't come for that, said Napoleon.
- No, admitted Jane, they came to ensure that the launchers never get up there! But France, Grand Great Britain and Russia could have come for that!
- Why would we? It would bind us like the others…
- Exactly! But if you get them to sign it, it will bind the others at the same time as you!
She looked at her husband who, while Napoleon was present, wouldn't play any official role.
- If France, Great Britain and Russia accept to sign the treaty, the other, smaller Nations will follow with less reluctance. You would pull them at the same level as you. Most rulers are aloof and having the feeling to be in the same league as you would facilitate the decision making.
For once it was Geoffrey who spoke up.
- Really, I don't see why you believe that the DMZ is unavoidable.
- Because the world knows about the rods and that, for now, only Great Britain has the technology to do it. It's now or never for them. They all know that once France has rods in orbit, they will be unable to force her to abandon her dominating position.
She looked at Fitzwilliam who had been designated as the British Delegation Leader by William.
- We all know that Great Britain has, at multiple times, shown that the country isn't a warmonger and that, while facing the rest of the world's opposition, Fitzwilliam will try to avoid ruffling too many feathers and will try to find a compromise. We all know that if we want to avoid an escalation of the general mistrust, Great Britain will have to be conciliant.
- They know that we won't use our technological superiority. The rods are just another level of that.
- Great Britain is, the small French Spaceships not included in my count, the only real spacefaring power at this very moment.
She pointed at the guest house where the foreign delegations were hosted.
- And they all know that! They also know that, if they make the necessary investments, they will join Great Britain and France as Space faring countries. But that will take time. Probably several years and meanwhile those with the current technological advance will have had the opportunity to build a real threatening force in orbit.
- We will have that same advance for quite a few more years, said Fitzwilliam.
- Indeed, and they all know it. But what really scares them is the fact that the Force you'll have built in orbit will never again disappear. They will be stuck with it and that means that they will be in inferiority forever! That's why they have insisted about this conference being held as soon as possible. While GGB is the only one with the technology and not yet in possession of numerous Spaceforts with rod-launchers!
- We don't intend…
- I know it Fitzwilliam but even if they believe you, do you really think that it will calm them to know that you have renounced to the best places to let others, not as liked as GB, take them? They all know that Russia and France, which have the finances to do what has to be done to be up there with you, will within the next months have what it takes to be a Space Power.
- Should I be miffed, asked Napoleon, that you present me and France as the world's bully-boy?
Jane shot him a sarcastic smile.
- Will it push you into changing your policies and stop jumping at anything that does not seem able to defend itself?
- That's not at all our policy!
- What about Florida and Texas? You jumped and annexed them as soon as they were no longer under Spain's protection.
- I did that because France couldn't accept such nests of Anarchists at the border of Provinces that are not yet totally secured. Those nests needed to be cleaned out.
Napoleon answered to Jane's sarcastic smile with one of its own.
- And it helped my friend Carlos to maintain its rule over South America, since all his would-be rebels now know that their only alternative is staying Spanish subjects or becoming French Political Prisoners…
- Exactly the reason why our dear delegates are currently scared shitless.
- They have shown multiple times that courage is not a virtue they esteem.
Jane nodded and looked at Fitzwilliam.
- They know that you are the reasonable one, here… If you make interesting –and safe- propositions, they will believe you and they will sign if they can be convinced that you are granting them safety.
Napoleon took a long breath and looked at Jane and Fitzwilliam.
- What if I don't sign your treaty? What if you respect the DMZ but I decide to refuse the idea and militarize the still free lower orbits? Will Great Britain go to war with France to reassure those cowards?
- That's why we are discussing it in advance, said Jane. To look at all the available solutions.
Napoleon's frown deepened.
- Apart from the DMZ is there a solution?
- I think so, answered Jane. If we exclude the DMZ, and I think that for Earth's future we should support it, there's the solution to build British forts up there and to offer to those who think they need to be protected an easy entry within the Commonwealth. Great Britain has shown more than once that people joining us have always been on the winners' side. It is a little less interesting for the rulers since they will lose a part of their sovereignty, but the people are, for what we know, all genuinely satisfied to have joined us…
- So, what you propose is either the DMZ or an integration into Grand Great Britain?
- It's an offer we should put on the table, said Jane. Some, perhaps even most of them, will refuse but it must be done, I think. We owe it to the people to propose them a choice.
- I won't accept either of the two, said Napoleon.
- I see why you would push into that direction but let's not forget that we are aiming at an International Treaty that tries to calm down the fears of more than a half of Earth's inhabitants.
- Or not, insisted Napoleon. Let them be scared, it changes nothing at the reality of their situation. It should be time for them to recognize that they are small fishes in a pond with sharks… Sharks tend to look at the smaller fish either with indifference or hunger!
- But it changes the hierarchy between the sharks, said d'Arcy. If we don't support the DMZ, GGB will militarize the lower orbits. They would be fools not to do it while they are the only ones that can do it. And since nobody can stop them it would give William an unprecedented advantage that would shatter the fragile rules of interaction we have created. It is in France's interest to get the lower orbit rod-free.
- Only at short term… In a year…
- …Great Britain will have built what's necessary to secure its advantage. They would be fools to let us catch up! William will probably be able to live with a DMZ in Earth's lower orbit and the Parliament will follow him. If there's no DMZ, he will have no other choice but to create the conditions of Great Britain's future dominance. Making a gesture to warrant peace can be explained. Not using every advantage at his disposal in a situation when somebody else has chosen the warpath won't!
He looked Napoleon in the eyes.
- Where the sides reversed, what would you do if the lower orbit is open to militarization?
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Next chapter soon to come… A Chapter about Orbits, DMZ, WMD and arrogance...
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