But one of them had another idea. Since shipping costs were going down, he intended to start a transportation service. Colonies could soon become within the means for ordinary citizens to travel to, instead of requiring government sponsored programs in order to even be feasible. If he could start up a few colonies, while signing an exclusive trade agreement with them, the profits would be far higher in the long run. Even better, if he could have a similar communications center built upon those planets, with a receiver in his ship, he could take orders that the planet needed, and drop off items as he passed by.
Most importantly though, a bank account was being set up for the Imperial forces. With that electronic access to funds, Imperial personnel would get paid (very important), and they could spend their money locally, increasing the cash available to local merchants as well. If communications could be established through the tunnel for continuous contact, the banks located back home and here could be electronically linked, allowing investment by the various corporations back home.
One thing that Governor Brogin and the Imperial forces had insisted upon to the merchants though, was secrecy. If Earth found out about their new freighters before the time was right, then they would probably lose their ships, and be put in custody of the Clark government. Custody in this case would mean they would be locked in a cell and the key would be thrown away. The merchants realized the need for secrecy as well for a different reason, for if anyone else found out about the engines, their monopoly would be lost.
As for Mr. Groden, he realized that if he used his hyperdrive freighter, but went along different routes, then nobody would be able to spot him, and by trading between the colonies that he would set up, he could get from one to the next far faster than normal. In fact, he could even place the colonies on the best possible worlds, instead of settling for various little rock balls and frozen wastelands as current Earth colonization required. Visions of profit gleamed in his eyes, but reality brought him back. He would need to get people who wanted to colonize other planets, but how would he go about doing that without Earthforce security catching him? The only possible option would be to use legitimate sources, but flat-out lying about travel times, and buying the necessary survey information from IPX.
In the meantime, the first freighter left with the food to be sold at the neighboring colony. It was a few months early, and the cargo bays were full, so its arrival would generate a few inquiries, but cover stories had been planned for them as well. The other part of the crops was sent to the Imperial base at Fetoro 3, where most of it would be prepared by the cooks there for consumption, while the rest of it would be geneered into fast growing crops, in order to get sufficient food production going at the colony.
***
Sarah sighed as they completed the last transfer of food to Babylon 5. She had enjoyed the quiet trips recently, as there were no disgusting serenades echoing through the ship. She was still a little unsure about the two Imperials with her, but had been getting more and more accustomed to their presence. They were professional and courteous around her and Scott, and definitely pulled their share of the work on board the ship. Of course, there had been a few messages that came in for their eyes only, but the two of them had been quick to share the information.
When she began to make her first selections from the items to be sold at Mandelin 4, they had advised her to not bother with farm equipment, as the colony had found another source. She looked at him, puzzled, and then did a faint gasp as she realized exactly what he meant. Looking back over her choices to buy, she deleted all the farm equipment, and looked over everything else. High-tech equipment would be out as well, if the Imperials were providing the equipment. Settling on a group of textiles and plant variants, she ordered the items, and watched as they were delivered. The Imperials though, could order a few items of their own, and began selecting a variety of historical books, and local stellar and political maps.
They proceeded back to Mandelin 4, and Sarah looked on with surprise as she saw what had been done recently. The farmland had been more than doubled in size, and the communications center was talking to her in real-time, instead of the usual send and receive required from before. There were even a couple satellites in orbit, providing navigation assistance for her. The shuttles that came up were of a new design, as it seemed as though they were not boosting into an orbital path, but were actually angling to meet her. Enjoying the spectacle of the ships, she nearly missed the other vessel working on the moon.
A World Devastator had been moved to the Mandelin system, and was currently working on the moon's surface, sucking up material. Sarah saw the unusual flare of light coming from part of the moon, and zoomed in there. Seeing a World Devastator at work for the first time can be a frightening experience, and Sarah reacted as anyone would upon seeing one and realizing just how big it was.
"Wha- what is that thing?"
"We call them World Devastators. Originally designed to consume a planet and turn the materials gathered into new war machines, they have been loaded with plans for millions of different types of equipment. Ever since the war with the Yuzhaan Vong though, we have been using them to consume destroyed cities and ships, and rebuild them into new cities for people to live in. They are very effective in that role."
As they watched, a hatch opened in the rear of the Devastator, and a packet began floating out. One of the shuttles angling towards the Barenica changed course to meet the packet, and they watched as the load of materials was tucked in below the shuttle, for transport back to the surface.
Suddenly, the World Devastator shut off its massive beam, and both it and the shuttle began angling towards the moon's surface, apparently in an attempt to hide.
"What's going on?"
The Imperial officer made no reply, but instead beamed a tight message to one of the orbiting satellites. Getting a reply within a few seconds, he relaxed a little. "There is another shuttle that just arrived through the jump gate, and the World Devastator is shutting down to prevent detection. Standard procedure for us."
Arriving at the planet, Sarah was shocked at the amount of food available to sell, as before she would normally have to wait a few days for it all to arrive. Looking over at the Imperial beside her, he just smiled. Turning back to the window, she watched as the pods full of food were attached to her freighter, and the prices that had been gotten for the textiles and plant varieties she had bought. She had guessed correctly, that the Imperial forces would not need high-tech and rugged equipment, and had instead bought items that were designed for consumers in mind, along with varieties of plants so the colony would have a more varied output. Next time she came back, she figured there would be cotton cloth in a variety of colors, with all of them natural and no dyes needed to give them color. She had also brought a few silkworms and the plants they needed to eat in order to grow.
The shuttle that arrived after them was officially here to pick up food, and unofficially to get the data crystals for the Rangers. If the Governor Velholm had known what the impact of that shuttle's cargo had been, they would have ordered a pair of fighters to destroy it in hyperspace, so nobody would ever find it. As it was, the data crystals were sent out, and when they arrived at their destinations in a couple weeks, they would ignite a firestorm.
***
But there was no time to worry about that now. Governor Brogin had sent a couple of her people to Earth, to try to speak to Senator Varenska. She had sent the message via the stellarcom link up, and permission had been granted for a hour long lunch meeting, as the Mandelin system was in Senator Varenska's district. The governor had requested a meeting in a couple days, and explained the short warning as her people were already on the way, hoping that Senator Luchenko would have agreed. Since the Senator had agreed, Governor Brogin would tell her people the news via Stellarcom.
At least, that was the official story. In reality, a Star Destroyer would be transporting the selected freighter to a jump gate near Earth, and then it would proceed normally through red hyperspace. All the food on board was kept in containers with dates and seals adjusted for the travel time, to further the act. Governor Velholm and Teleso went with them, as they were the two highest-ranking Imperial personnel, and were completely qualified to perform contacts like this. Teleso had a secondary mission as well, as there was the possibility of telepathic monitoring, either accidental or on purpose, and her mission was to prevent it. They would travel in what appeared to be a standard freighter, but the Agatrix would be standing by in case anything went wrong.
There was a communication center put on board, allowing Velholm and Teleso instant access to the Agatrix, and through her, the rest of the Imperial forces. Even as the Agatrix carried the modified freighter in its belly, Velholm was reviewing the status of the repairs to the Eclipse. Far from being a potential write-off, the mighty ship was being repaired by droids and people round the clock, and it was estimated that within three more months, it would be back up to full capability.
Governor Brogin's personnel, Chad Austen and Howard Vetson, were doing okay. They had been brought up to the bridge in order to see hyperspace, and several people had chuckled about it taking longer to bring them to the bridge than for the Agatrix to travel the twenty light year distance from Mandelin to near Sol space.
All four people were enjoying the spectacle though. The two women that were part of the freighter's normal crew were staring in shock at the sheer mass of the Star Destroyer, while the representatives simply assumed that it was a large warship. The two spacehounds knew that this was no ordinary warship. First, the sensation of gravity was a surprise to them, as they were accustomed to zero-G except when accelerating. Second, was the appearance of the ship. A normal EarthForce ship had a forward control pod, a central weapons or gravity section, and an aft engine section. This ship seemed designed around a single hull, like a Minbari or Centauri ship, and the armor on it was obviously designed to absorb heavy firepower and ignore it.
The trip through hyperspace was another spectacle to all four of them. They knew about the travel times needed to reach various places, and the time spent in hyperspace was a matter of minutes, while the travel between their jumpgate and Earth's jumpgate would require two weeks. Slowly coming to terms with the speed that allowed, they began imagining how far Earth could expand with that capability. Trade routes wouldn't pass through systems because they needed to, instead the routes would go between the buying system and the selling systems. It could even be within the realm for private citizens to own a small starship, or even to commute across the galaxy, instead of requiring massive investments in colonization ships for anything over a fifty light-year distance.
When they reached the drop-off point, the Agatrix released the freighter into hyperspace. Communications checks were performed, and the smaller freighter accelerated towards the jump gate, and towards Earth. It would take them over a day to arrive, and so the six person crew settled down to wait. The two representatives from Governor Brogin knew a little about space, so they were being trained by the remaining members of the freighter's normal crew, while Velholm and Teleso had taken the opportunity to study the procedures for the freighter before they left, so after an hour of watching them at work, the two women who were part of the freighter's normal crew settled down to sleep. With six people aboard instead of the usual four, sleeping accommodations were a little crowded, but everyone knew that it would only be temporary.
***
Arriving at Earth the next day, the freighter arranged the sale of the food to Mars Central, and bought a few things there as well. Instead of buying the standard items, the crew went over the massive list that had been assembled by the colonists and began ordering from it. There was a slight change from the usual orders, as people were buying mostly consumer goods, instead of the 90% farm equipment loadout that was normal.
The four people who went to meet with Senator Luchenko were dressed to not arouse any suspicion. The met with her at a small restaurant, and chose a circular table set to one side. Teleso and Velholm took the seats closest to the wall, as they were uncomfortable with having their back to the room. Senator Varenska and her aide took two seats facing the wall, and the remaining two members of the party sat between the two groups.
Senator Varenska was no novice in the arts of politics, and the seating arrangements told her volumes of information already. First, the two people who were supposed to be the ones to talk to were merely the interface between her and the two people across from her. Second, whatever was going on was bigger than a mere lobbying effort, as the talk had not gone to any of the recent tax bills that were being proposed, but instead of the importance of open communications, and the need to keep Earth strong.
Breaking through the small talk, Senator Varenska finally addressed Velholm and Teleso directly. "What do you want?"
"We want to negotiate an agreement with the Earth government, for the purposes of technology exchange and military alliance, eventually leading to amalgamation between us."
"I find it hard to believe that a small group of humans could have sufficient technology to make it possible to defend Earth against any threat. President Clark is trying his best, but it will require more sacrifice in order to be properly safe."
"This should provide a clue." With that, Velholm took out a piece of metal from his pocket, and passed it to Varenska. Although it appeared to be a dull gray piece of metal, that two inch square and half inch thick piece of metal was a sample of full-strength Imperial ship armor. The metal slip looked harmless enough, but the potential it would suggest after it had been examined would be staggering. "One request though, is that you use a private company to examine it, not the government, and not IPX either. The results might be a bit unnerving for them. If you receive the results first, you can decide if you wish more information."
"You expect this piece of metal to convince me?"
"Yes."
"All right then, assuming this metal does convince me, what would you be offering initially?"
"Initially, we would attempt to bid on government contracts, attempting to get a reputation as a shuttle building company. The shuttles we build would be a little higher in technology than the current models used, and would be far easier to repair and maintain. We could produce them for the same or even slightly less than current prices, and could guarantee completion within a week of the order arriving." Thinking to himself, Velholm decided not to inform the Senator that the shuttles would actually be built within a day, as that would seem too amazing to be acceptable.
"After a period of time, we could offer construction of military vessels, such as fighters, and possibly ship armaments as well. We would also attempt to contract out with civilian shipping companies, offering lower-cost freighters that can equal or outperform.
"However, the government would have to be a little more stable before we would start building the military components."
Varenska suddenly tensed at that comment. Nobody knew who could be listening in for Clark and his inner circle, and the way he just said that was very dangerous. "Do you know what you are saying?"
"I know. I also know Teleso is making sure nobody is listening in to us, electronically, or otherwise. My comment still stands, but if, say, the current President was unfit for duty, who would step in?" Velholm edged closer to Varenska slightly at that comment, and the body language spoke clearly. He wanted her to start building a power base, with one of her people to emerge as an alternative to Clark, and they would support her, both with technology, and with industrial capability.
"Let me see what this metal is like before I do anything else. If it interests me sufficiently, I will contact the governor."
"We understand. Is there anything we can transport for you on the way back to Mandelin system?"
"Not this time, but perhaps, if the metal is interesting, I might be interested. But I'll communicate about that later." Both sides understood the hidden communication there, as the time it would take to build and transport whatever Varenska wanted would provide another piece of information that would contribute to her decision. "One question though, where are you from?"
"Now that would be telling a little too much. After all, if the metal isn't worth your time, it doesn't matter where we are from, while if the metal does amaze you, who we are is irrelevant."
"So you expect me to trust a completely unknown group of humans, who have been around somewhere, with a hidden agenda based only on this one piece of metal? I think you are seriously overestimating yourselves."
Velholm and Teleso merely smiled in response to her comment. They knew what the metal was capable of, and all the information they had about Earth technology indicated the metal was several thousand years in advance of anything they had.
Thanking them for the meal, Senator Varenska returned to her office, and looked up a chemical firm that was lobbying for votes for a new treatment process. They had been enjoying good relations with her, but were not doing so well under the Clark government. She called them up and asked if they would mind looking at some salvage one of her constituents had found. They agreed, and Varenska gave the metal to her assistant to take to them. It would take a couple days, but the metal arrived at the chemical corporation, and the people there began to analyze it.
After the first few days, all the delicate means to test the metal without harming it were completed. The tests were inconclusive, and all they knew of the metal was its approximate density. Next up were the destructive tests. They would have to take sections of the metal, so each piece could be subjected to various tests. They were nervous, as each piece used would have to be tested exactly right the first time. As the diamond tipped saw began moving towards the piece of metal, each person waited behind a shield, in case the saw snagged the metal and sent it flying.
When the saw contacted the metal, a horrible shrieking sound was heard, getting louder for a fraction of a second, then a loud bang, and finally silence from the saw. From the rest of the room though, shrapnel ricocheted inside for a few moments, then it quieted down as well. The operator running the saw shut it down, and slowly everybody got up from where they had ducked. Looking around the room, they saw several scrapes along the walls, and a few star patterns on the thick safety glass shield. The metal sample though, was still in its holding mount.
When they went in the room, they noticed the metal didn't even show any sign of deformation from the saw teeth, but the saw blade was another matter. All of the teeth on it were missing. The source of the sounds heard was obviously the teeth being dented by the metal, and then all of them being ripped off and ricocheting around the room. Looking from the saw to the metal and back, the personnel responsible for destructive testing realized they might not have to be so careful after all.
After a week of testing, the metal was sent back to Senator Varenska with a report of what was found. The report was not very thick, and merely listed the tests done, and the results. Beginning with the saw, the results were very unusual; laser melting test performed, mounts melted, metal unaffected. Electron Discharge Machine, nonstandard emissions detected in the glow created, but no measurable deformation in the sample. Kevex 3 testing machine, inconclusive results. Acid test, no reaction. Base test, no reaction. Sonic test, no reaction. Radiation exposure, no significant reaction, some common elements identified. Cryogenic suspension test, no reaction. Drill press, bit broke. Stamping press, sample unaffected, press broken. Gamma ray exposure, no penetration. X-ray reflection, no translatable results, will send results to physics laboratory with your permission. There was even a test that was written in, as it was obviously not part of the standard package. Fusion exposure, no reaction. Reactor used was set to 40 GW for purposes of the test. After 2 minutes of exposure sample was removed and glowed at 125W, but there was no measurable melting or change in dimensions of sample. A handwritten note was attached to the findings, and Senator Varenska smiled when she read it, 'Where did you get this?'
That was one decision solved at least. Any humans who could create a metal with the extreme properties that were evident even to her were humans that she definitely wanted on her side. She began to think more on the metal. 'If this metal were used as armor, it would nearly impossible to crack with current weaponry. But why would anyone develop armor like this unless-. Unless they had weaponry that required this level of armor to protect the ship!' Her thoughts started to circle then, as she considered what could be possible with ships protected by that armor, and the weaponry needed to penetrate it.
It was a simple choice on the matter. Watch President Clark turn the Earth into his personal concentration camp in all but fact, or ally herself with humans who possessed technology beyond imagining. But she still had to be careful, as Clark was a person that she knew, while the goals of these new humans were totally unknown to her. She would have to meet with them either way, and get more information. One of the key pieces would be who were they, and where did they come from?
Most importantly though, a bank account was being set up for the Imperial forces. With that electronic access to funds, Imperial personnel would get paid (very important), and they could spend their money locally, increasing the cash available to local merchants as well. If communications could be established through the tunnel for continuous contact, the banks located back home and here could be electronically linked, allowing investment by the various corporations back home.
One thing that Governor Brogin and the Imperial forces had insisted upon to the merchants though, was secrecy. If Earth found out about their new freighters before the time was right, then they would probably lose their ships, and be put in custody of the Clark government. Custody in this case would mean they would be locked in a cell and the key would be thrown away. The merchants realized the need for secrecy as well for a different reason, for if anyone else found out about the engines, their monopoly would be lost.
As for Mr. Groden, he realized that if he used his hyperdrive freighter, but went along different routes, then nobody would be able to spot him, and by trading between the colonies that he would set up, he could get from one to the next far faster than normal. In fact, he could even place the colonies on the best possible worlds, instead of settling for various little rock balls and frozen wastelands as current Earth colonization required. Visions of profit gleamed in his eyes, but reality brought him back. He would need to get people who wanted to colonize other planets, but how would he go about doing that without Earthforce security catching him? The only possible option would be to use legitimate sources, but flat-out lying about travel times, and buying the necessary survey information from IPX.
In the meantime, the first freighter left with the food to be sold at the neighboring colony. It was a few months early, and the cargo bays were full, so its arrival would generate a few inquiries, but cover stories had been planned for them as well. The other part of the crops was sent to the Imperial base at Fetoro 3, where most of it would be prepared by the cooks there for consumption, while the rest of it would be geneered into fast growing crops, in order to get sufficient food production going at the colony.
***
Sarah sighed as they completed the last transfer of food to Babylon 5. She had enjoyed the quiet trips recently, as there were no disgusting serenades echoing through the ship. She was still a little unsure about the two Imperials with her, but had been getting more and more accustomed to their presence. They were professional and courteous around her and Scott, and definitely pulled their share of the work on board the ship. Of course, there had been a few messages that came in for their eyes only, but the two of them had been quick to share the information.
When she began to make her first selections from the items to be sold at Mandelin 4, they had advised her to not bother with farm equipment, as the colony had found another source. She looked at him, puzzled, and then did a faint gasp as she realized exactly what he meant. Looking back over her choices to buy, she deleted all the farm equipment, and looked over everything else. High-tech equipment would be out as well, if the Imperials were providing the equipment. Settling on a group of textiles and plant variants, she ordered the items, and watched as they were delivered. The Imperials though, could order a few items of their own, and began selecting a variety of historical books, and local stellar and political maps.
They proceeded back to Mandelin 4, and Sarah looked on with surprise as she saw what had been done recently. The farmland had been more than doubled in size, and the communications center was talking to her in real-time, instead of the usual send and receive required from before. There were even a couple satellites in orbit, providing navigation assistance for her. The shuttles that came up were of a new design, as it seemed as though they were not boosting into an orbital path, but were actually angling to meet her. Enjoying the spectacle of the ships, she nearly missed the other vessel working on the moon.
A World Devastator had been moved to the Mandelin system, and was currently working on the moon's surface, sucking up material. Sarah saw the unusual flare of light coming from part of the moon, and zoomed in there. Seeing a World Devastator at work for the first time can be a frightening experience, and Sarah reacted as anyone would upon seeing one and realizing just how big it was.
"Wha- what is that thing?"
"We call them World Devastators. Originally designed to consume a planet and turn the materials gathered into new war machines, they have been loaded with plans for millions of different types of equipment. Ever since the war with the Yuzhaan Vong though, we have been using them to consume destroyed cities and ships, and rebuild them into new cities for people to live in. They are very effective in that role."
As they watched, a hatch opened in the rear of the Devastator, and a packet began floating out. One of the shuttles angling towards the Barenica changed course to meet the packet, and they watched as the load of materials was tucked in below the shuttle, for transport back to the surface.
Suddenly, the World Devastator shut off its massive beam, and both it and the shuttle began angling towards the moon's surface, apparently in an attempt to hide.
"What's going on?"
The Imperial officer made no reply, but instead beamed a tight message to one of the orbiting satellites. Getting a reply within a few seconds, he relaxed a little. "There is another shuttle that just arrived through the jump gate, and the World Devastator is shutting down to prevent detection. Standard procedure for us."
Arriving at the planet, Sarah was shocked at the amount of food available to sell, as before she would normally have to wait a few days for it all to arrive. Looking over at the Imperial beside her, he just smiled. Turning back to the window, she watched as the pods full of food were attached to her freighter, and the prices that had been gotten for the textiles and plant varieties she had bought. She had guessed correctly, that the Imperial forces would not need high-tech and rugged equipment, and had instead bought items that were designed for consumers in mind, along with varieties of plants so the colony would have a more varied output. Next time she came back, she figured there would be cotton cloth in a variety of colors, with all of them natural and no dyes needed to give them color. She had also brought a few silkworms and the plants they needed to eat in order to grow.
The shuttle that arrived after them was officially here to pick up food, and unofficially to get the data crystals for the Rangers. If the Governor Velholm had known what the impact of that shuttle's cargo had been, they would have ordered a pair of fighters to destroy it in hyperspace, so nobody would ever find it. As it was, the data crystals were sent out, and when they arrived at their destinations in a couple weeks, they would ignite a firestorm.
***
But there was no time to worry about that now. Governor Brogin had sent a couple of her people to Earth, to try to speak to Senator Varenska. She had sent the message via the stellarcom link up, and permission had been granted for a hour long lunch meeting, as the Mandelin system was in Senator Varenska's district. The governor had requested a meeting in a couple days, and explained the short warning as her people were already on the way, hoping that Senator Luchenko would have agreed. Since the Senator had agreed, Governor Brogin would tell her people the news via Stellarcom.
At least, that was the official story. In reality, a Star Destroyer would be transporting the selected freighter to a jump gate near Earth, and then it would proceed normally through red hyperspace. All the food on board was kept in containers with dates and seals adjusted for the travel time, to further the act. Governor Velholm and Teleso went with them, as they were the two highest-ranking Imperial personnel, and were completely qualified to perform contacts like this. Teleso had a secondary mission as well, as there was the possibility of telepathic monitoring, either accidental or on purpose, and her mission was to prevent it. They would travel in what appeared to be a standard freighter, but the Agatrix would be standing by in case anything went wrong.
There was a communication center put on board, allowing Velholm and Teleso instant access to the Agatrix, and through her, the rest of the Imperial forces. Even as the Agatrix carried the modified freighter in its belly, Velholm was reviewing the status of the repairs to the Eclipse. Far from being a potential write-off, the mighty ship was being repaired by droids and people round the clock, and it was estimated that within three more months, it would be back up to full capability.
Governor Brogin's personnel, Chad Austen and Howard Vetson, were doing okay. They had been brought up to the bridge in order to see hyperspace, and several people had chuckled about it taking longer to bring them to the bridge than for the Agatrix to travel the twenty light year distance from Mandelin to near Sol space.
All four people were enjoying the spectacle though. The two women that were part of the freighter's normal crew were staring in shock at the sheer mass of the Star Destroyer, while the representatives simply assumed that it was a large warship. The two spacehounds knew that this was no ordinary warship. First, the sensation of gravity was a surprise to them, as they were accustomed to zero-G except when accelerating. Second, was the appearance of the ship. A normal EarthForce ship had a forward control pod, a central weapons or gravity section, and an aft engine section. This ship seemed designed around a single hull, like a Minbari or Centauri ship, and the armor on it was obviously designed to absorb heavy firepower and ignore it.
The trip through hyperspace was another spectacle to all four of them. They knew about the travel times needed to reach various places, and the time spent in hyperspace was a matter of minutes, while the travel between their jumpgate and Earth's jumpgate would require two weeks. Slowly coming to terms with the speed that allowed, they began imagining how far Earth could expand with that capability. Trade routes wouldn't pass through systems because they needed to, instead the routes would go between the buying system and the selling systems. It could even be within the realm for private citizens to own a small starship, or even to commute across the galaxy, instead of requiring massive investments in colonization ships for anything over a fifty light-year distance.
When they reached the drop-off point, the Agatrix released the freighter into hyperspace. Communications checks were performed, and the smaller freighter accelerated towards the jump gate, and towards Earth. It would take them over a day to arrive, and so the six person crew settled down to wait. The two representatives from Governor Brogin knew a little about space, so they were being trained by the remaining members of the freighter's normal crew, while Velholm and Teleso had taken the opportunity to study the procedures for the freighter before they left, so after an hour of watching them at work, the two women who were part of the freighter's normal crew settled down to sleep. With six people aboard instead of the usual four, sleeping accommodations were a little crowded, but everyone knew that it would only be temporary.
***
Arriving at Earth the next day, the freighter arranged the sale of the food to Mars Central, and bought a few things there as well. Instead of buying the standard items, the crew went over the massive list that had been assembled by the colonists and began ordering from it. There was a slight change from the usual orders, as people were buying mostly consumer goods, instead of the 90% farm equipment loadout that was normal.
The four people who went to meet with Senator Luchenko were dressed to not arouse any suspicion. The met with her at a small restaurant, and chose a circular table set to one side. Teleso and Velholm took the seats closest to the wall, as they were uncomfortable with having their back to the room. Senator Varenska and her aide took two seats facing the wall, and the remaining two members of the party sat between the two groups.
Senator Varenska was no novice in the arts of politics, and the seating arrangements told her volumes of information already. First, the two people who were supposed to be the ones to talk to were merely the interface between her and the two people across from her. Second, whatever was going on was bigger than a mere lobbying effort, as the talk had not gone to any of the recent tax bills that were being proposed, but instead of the importance of open communications, and the need to keep Earth strong.
Breaking through the small talk, Senator Varenska finally addressed Velholm and Teleso directly. "What do you want?"
"We want to negotiate an agreement with the Earth government, for the purposes of technology exchange and military alliance, eventually leading to amalgamation between us."
"I find it hard to believe that a small group of humans could have sufficient technology to make it possible to defend Earth against any threat. President Clark is trying his best, but it will require more sacrifice in order to be properly safe."
"This should provide a clue." With that, Velholm took out a piece of metal from his pocket, and passed it to Varenska. Although it appeared to be a dull gray piece of metal, that two inch square and half inch thick piece of metal was a sample of full-strength Imperial ship armor. The metal slip looked harmless enough, but the potential it would suggest after it had been examined would be staggering. "One request though, is that you use a private company to examine it, not the government, and not IPX either. The results might be a bit unnerving for them. If you receive the results first, you can decide if you wish more information."
"You expect this piece of metal to convince me?"
"Yes."
"All right then, assuming this metal does convince me, what would you be offering initially?"
"Initially, we would attempt to bid on government contracts, attempting to get a reputation as a shuttle building company. The shuttles we build would be a little higher in technology than the current models used, and would be far easier to repair and maintain. We could produce them for the same or even slightly less than current prices, and could guarantee completion within a week of the order arriving." Thinking to himself, Velholm decided not to inform the Senator that the shuttles would actually be built within a day, as that would seem too amazing to be acceptable.
"After a period of time, we could offer construction of military vessels, such as fighters, and possibly ship armaments as well. We would also attempt to contract out with civilian shipping companies, offering lower-cost freighters that can equal or outperform.
"However, the government would have to be a little more stable before we would start building the military components."
Varenska suddenly tensed at that comment. Nobody knew who could be listening in for Clark and his inner circle, and the way he just said that was very dangerous. "Do you know what you are saying?"
"I know. I also know Teleso is making sure nobody is listening in to us, electronically, or otherwise. My comment still stands, but if, say, the current President was unfit for duty, who would step in?" Velholm edged closer to Varenska slightly at that comment, and the body language spoke clearly. He wanted her to start building a power base, with one of her people to emerge as an alternative to Clark, and they would support her, both with technology, and with industrial capability.
"Let me see what this metal is like before I do anything else. If it interests me sufficiently, I will contact the governor."
"We understand. Is there anything we can transport for you on the way back to Mandelin system?"
"Not this time, but perhaps, if the metal is interesting, I might be interested. But I'll communicate about that later." Both sides understood the hidden communication there, as the time it would take to build and transport whatever Varenska wanted would provide another piece of information that would contribute to her decision. "One question though, where are you from?"
"Now that would be telling a little too much. After all, if the metal isn't worth your time, it doesn't matter where we are from, while if the metal does amaze you, who we are is irrelevant."
"So you expect me to trust a completely unknown group of humans, who have been around somewhere, with a hidden agenda based only on this one piece of metal? I think you are seriously overestimating yourselves."
Velholm and Teleso merely smiled in response to her comment. They knew what the metal was capable of, and all the information they had about Earth technology indicated the metal was several thousand years in advance of anything they had.
Thanking them for the meal, Senator Varenska returned to her office, and looked up a chemical firm that was lobbying for votes for a new treatment process. They had been enjoying good relations with her, but were not doing so well under the Clark government. She called them up and asked if they would mind looking at some salvage one of her constituents had found. They agreed, and Varenska gave the metal to her assistant to take to them. It would take a couple days, but the metal arrived at the chemical corporation, and the people there began to analyze it.
After the first few days, all the delicate means to test the metal without harming it were completed. The tests were inconclusive, and all they knew of the metal was its approximate density. Next up were the destructive tests. They would have to take sections of the metal, so each piece could be subjected to various tests. They were nervous, as each piece used would have to be tested exactly right the first time. As the diamond tipped saw began moving towards the piece of metal, each person waited behind a shield, in case the saw snagged the metal and sent it flying.
When the saw contacted the metal, a horrible shrieking sound was heard, getting louder for a fraction of a second, then a loud bang, and finally silence from the saw. From the rest of the room though, shrapnel ricocheted inside for a few moments, then it quieted down as well. The operator running the saw shut it down, and slowly everybody got up from where they had ducked. Looking around the room, they saw several scrapes along the walls, and a few star patterns on the thick safety glass shield. The metal sample though, was still in its holding mount.
When they went in the room, they noticed the metal didn't even show any sign of deformation from the saw teeth, but the saw blade was another matter. All of the teeth on it were missing. The source of the sounds heard was obviously the teeth being dented by the metal, and then all of them being ripped off and ricocheting around the room. Looking from the saw to the metal and back, the personnel responsible for destructive testing realized they might not have to be so careful after all.
After a week of testing, the metal was sent back to Senator Varenska with a report of what was found. The report was not very thick, and merely listed the tests done, and the results. Beginning with the saw, the results were very unusual; laser melting test performed, mounts melted, metal unaffected. Electron Discharge Machine, nonstandard emissions detected in the glow created, but no measurable deformation in the sample. Kevex 3 testing machine, inconclusive results. Acid test, no reaction. Base test, no reaction. Sonic test, no reaction. Radiation exposure, no significant reaction, some common elements identified. Cryogenic suspension test, no reaction. Drill press, bit broke. Stamping press, sample unaffected, press broken. Gamma ray exposure, no penetration. X-ray reflection, no translatable results, will send results to physics laboratory with your permission. There was even a test that was written in, as it was obviously not part of the standard package. Fusion exposure, no reaction. Reactor used was set to 40 GW for purposes of the test. After 2 minutes of exposure sample was removed and glowed at 125W, but there was no measurable melting or change in dimensions of sample. A handwritten note was attached to the findings, and Senator Varenska smiled when she read it, 'Where did you get this?'
That was one decision solved at least. Any humans who could create a metal with the extreme properties that were evident even to her were humans that she definitely wanted on her side. She began to think more on the metal. 'If this metal were used as armor, it would nearly impossible to crack with current weaponry. But why would anyone develop armor like this unless-. Unless they had weaponry that required this level of armor to protect the ship!' Her thoughts started to circle then, as she considered what could be possible with ships protected by that armor, and the weaponry needed to penetrate it.
It was a simple choice on the matter. Watch President Clark turn the Earth into his personal concentration camp in all but fact, or ally herself with humans who possessed technology beyond imagining. But she still had to be careful, as Clark was a person that she knew, while the goals of these new humans were totally unknown to her. She would have to meet with them either way, and get more information. One of the key pieces would be who were they, and where did they come from?