Sunday the 4th of Dec. is my 53rd birthday and so I want 53 reviews as my gift.

I am not going to insist on this though; if you wish, you may instead donate $53.00 to Save the Children (a much more worthwhile cause than Review the Story).

Chapter 5

Whom Can You Trust?

For the person with no cookie, half a cookie is better than no cookie at all. But for the guy who had the cookie to start with, half a cookie ends up being better than a whole cookie?

Or in other words, "Let's compromise and do what I want."

"SOMETIMES I WISH I COULD JUST THROW THAT MAN OUT OF AN AIRLOCK!"

April also wished she could slam the door to her home, but the mechanism just wouldn't allow it.

"Calm down dearest, nobody was taking Commander Sage's objections seriously" Luis spoke softly.

"And as for you, why didn't you jump in and defend me?"

"I wasn't there when it happened" Luis stated.

"That's no excuse; oh don't look at me like that" April never could stay angry at Luis when he gave her the sad eyes.

"I am on your side in this matter April, but Commander Sage is still my superior officer."

"I know Luis" she conceded "and as a civilian I have certain freedoms that you don't have. Like the freedom to tell Sage to TAKE HIS PATRONISING ATTITUDE AND..."

"Mom?"

April was suddenly very glad she had not finished that thought, as her youngest daughter appeared at the living room hatchway.

"Mommy has had a hard day Saffy" Luis informed the young girl as he picked her up "Why don't we let her have a little rest while you and I go to your room? You can tell me what you've been up to with your friends today."

"Nice try Dad" Saffron Dias kissed her father's cheek "but I think Mom has a few more things to say before she lets you leave."

"I know dear, that's why I think we should go now."

"Put the child down and step away from the door" April ordered.

"She's doing the police voice again Dad."

"Go Saffy... save yourself."

The nine year old scampered back to the room she shared with her older sister, to make the most of the time she had until Abigails return from flight training.

"Some of the other department heads agree with you too" Luis noted as he sat on the couch and put his arm around Aprils shoulder.

"I know it's a massive risk, but we can't stay in one place forever" April sighed.

She leant into her husband and placed her head on his chest. The warmth of his body and beat of his heart had the most amazingly calming effect on her.

"We will expand... all over Mars and eventually, off world too."

"Yes I know Luis, but I'm afraid we've been putting it off for far too long. The Mars base started construction when I was still in diapers and thirty five years later, all we've got is this and an orbiting station."

"Fabrication facilities are progressing well, so we will be able to increase surface construction and power transfer. That will make surface travel easier and then there will be nothing to stop us expanding to other sites."

"What you are talking about could take another ten years Luis" April sighed.

"And that would be too long to wait; you are right, I know."

"How's Abigail doing in flight training?" April changed the subject much to Luis' delight.

"Wonderful dearest; in fact far beyond everyones expectations."

"So your little incentive did the trick then?"

Before Luis could say any more, a soft chime sounded to indicate an incoming call."

"I'll get it" Luis offered "you... breathe deeply and... think about puppies or... something like that."

April did close her eyes and take a deep breath, but it was not the thought of puppies or kittens that brought relaxation. She could not explain why and would never admit it to anyone, but she like to imagine fire breathing dragons frolicking in an evergreen forest; she even imagined one of the dragons eating the Yellow Warbler of Disappointment."

"Aaaaaahhh" she smiled to herself.

"Good evening Major" the face of Premier Olive Roux smiled back from the computer screen.

"Hello Ms. Roux; you err... wish to speak with April?"

"Yes but how are you doing? I hope todays meeting hasn't ruined your rare family visit."

"All will be well Premier, April is being very understanding."

"She can hear you, can't she?"

"Yes I can Olive" April rose up from the couch.

"I've got some news dear" the Premier offered "Something for you to sleep on and discuss with your colleagues."

"I'm not going to like it, am I?" April asked suspiciously.

"I just hope you don't hate it" Roux held up her crossed fingers.

Luis got up from the desk and stood behind April as she sat.

"Alright Olive, I'm listening."

"Your concerns are completely justified and I share your belief about the risk we are taking by having only one colony site on Mars, but I also believe there is just too much risk associated with the commencement of a second colony at this time. You both know how close we came to failure during the early days of this base, it's a big part of our history and we only pulled through thanks to timely supplies from Earth. So before work commences on a second site, we need to be sure this base is completely and absolutely self-sufficient so it can provide all support needed to a second site without any help from the ol' home planet. Every supply shipment from Earth is still needed here at Base One and we cannot risk the loss of experienced people and vital equipment should anything go awry during the initial phase of Base Two construction."

"So that's it? Not much for us to discuss Olive."

"Wait April, a new idea has been put forward by one of the councillors. Up till now, we have concentrated all our efforts into expanding the underground portion this base in all directions like an expanding balloon. But in light of the concerns you and many others have put to me, I've decided to give serious thought to a new plan; a new direction."

"Go on" April wondered what was coming.

"If you can get me the backing of most department heads, I could give the order to reposition two of the tunnel boring machines on the western side of the base, two hundred and fifty meters apart and at depth of five hundred meters below the surface. All future expansion would be from these two parallel tunnels both going in a single direction. Cross access tunnels would be installed every thousand meters and surface access tunnels would be built every ten kilometers with all future fabrication, storage and agriculture facilities to be built along their length. After the construction has progressed far enough, ten meter double airlock doors would be fitted to each tunnel so they could be sealed off if there were a catastrophic incident inside the main base. Single airlocks would be installed every twenty kilometers to reduce risk even more."

"It's not a perfect solution" April noted

"True, but it does increase the possibility of disaster survivability."

"Not straight away, it wouldn't."

"But we are talking months instead of years" Olive Roux insisted.

"There would be a lot more to talk about in planning."

"I can set aside as much time as you need to go over the details. By concentrating almost all future expansion in this way April, we would still be a single base but with the opportunity to use distance as a protection measure."

"I'll sleep on it Olive and get back to you in the morning."

"Make it lunch time; talk to the other department heads in the morning. I'll send you details so you can make an informed decision together."

"Thanks Olive... goodnight."

"Goodnight April, love to the kids."

Premier Roux smiling face turned into one of extreme anger as she turned from the blank screen to face Commander Sage.

"Well I've fixed another one of your blunders; one of your MANY blunders."

"I don't know why you think you have to placate these idiots all the time" Sage huffed.

"These people are not the kind to take orders blindly Commander; they are used to recognising problems and looking for solutions, so you can't just order them to look the other way and forget about the risks they see staring them in the face."

"But..."

"NO BUTS; if anyone living and working here felt like they weren't being heard and taken seriously, then they are the kind of people who would look into the perceived problem on their own. Now if anyone were to look closely into our situation, it is always possible they would discover something you and I don't want them to know. I honestly thought the Earth would be dead by now, so we have to make sure no one has an opportunity to make any unauthorised contact. A base on the other part of the planet would make it almost impossible to control outside communication."

Roux could see by the look on his face, Commander Sage would follow her advice under protest only. Not exactly the best position to be in, but better than the inevitable verbal war.

"Don't worry Sage; we still need Dias and her friends for now, but the Earth can't keep dodging those meteors forever and when the end finally comes, we can let them all go as far away as they want."

"And good riddance to them too" Commander Sage crossed his arms and sneered while being mimicked by the Toucan of Defiance on his head.

I think I may get myself a birthday gift by having my laptop fixed. Then I can write more HTTYD stories on my travels. I've got a few more short story ideas but after the trouble I had getting the last one off the laptop and onto the FanFic site, I don't feel confident enough to write them yet just in case they end up getting lost in the incomprehensible cyber world.

I am such a Luddite.