Delphi Embassy (Delphi in Space Book 11), page 24
“I don’t know why it didn’t occur to anyone to ask before, but did you get all your people off the planet?”
“Yes, this is all of us.”
“Oh, good.”
“You’re surprised that there aren’t more of us?” the empress asked.
“A little.” Catie’s informal census had shown that there were approximately three million Fazullans on the various ships arrayed around the wormhole. She thought that was a small number for an entire planet.
“We have only been on Fazulla Proxima for one hundred fifty years. We only had one hundred thousand people in our original colony mission.”
“I see.” Catie started doing the math in her head. One generation every twenty years . . . so.
“I see you’re doing the math in your head. You might be surprised, but few Fazullan women have more than two children. And if they have a son first, they usually only have one.”
“Oh, that is a surprise, especially for a colony.”
“Once the emperor rescinded the requirement that all women have five children, our population has stabilized. When you’re treated poorly by your husband, you’re not inclined to give him more children.”
“Of course.”
“And you know that our most powerful men took several wives.”
“I knew that.”
“Birth control has been a well-known art for Fazullan women. And men who force the issue are surprisingly accident-prone. Many of them have been known to succumb to alcohol poisoning.”
“Ah, I see,” Catie said. Clearly, the Fazullan women would only tolerate being mistreated so much. Men who became overly abusive were dealt with by the women. And in a society where it was common for the man to get roaring drunk, it would be easy to tip him over to alcohol poisoning. There had to be lots of easy ways to add alcohol to his system once he was blacked out.
“I’m glad you do. I think we will have fewer clumsy men in our new society.”
“I’m sure you will. Now back to moving your ships. We will place a jump gate where your ships can see it. It will be four ships flying in a square pattern. Your ships need to fly through the center of the square.”
“We understand. My captains are all listening, and have already reviewed the instructions your Captain Clements sent us.”
“Good. Now once they go through the wormhole, they will need to go through a second jump gate. It will be of the same configuration. After that, they will be in your new colony system and will need to proceed in-system to the planet. I’m sure they’ll be able to handle things after that; we will have a frigate there to assist if there are any big problems.”
The jump points had been configured with Earth as the nexus of all the colonies. That meant that the ships had to jump to Earth before jumping to their colony. Marc had been adamant that Earth would be the hub of the trade among the colonies, at least in the beginning.
“We understand. Princess, I want to thank you and your people for their understanding and help.”
“You’re welcome. We still hope that you will join the Delphi League. But we understand that you need time to establish your new regime first. The Romulus will remain stationed in your system, so you’ll be able to contact us through her.”
“I understand. We do look forward to doing some trading. But first, we must create something that you want to trade for.”
“Good luck, Empress.”
The empress gave Catie a salute as she signed off. Catie realized that that was the first time the empress had saluted her. “She must be getting soft.”
Chapter 17
Home James
The DSS Ulysses arrived at Onisiwo to replace the Merlin. It was time for the Merlin and her crew to go back to Earth. The crew could use some shore leave to visit friends and family. Then they all needed some time to hone their training before they were sent out on their next mission. It was also time for Catie to go home. She would just make it in time for Yvette’s graduation.
The Ulysses also brought the new Delphi League Ambassador to Onisiwo, Margaret Hannaford.
“Sam, if Margaret was going to replace me, why didn’t you send her out earlier?”
“She’s replacing the ambassador; nobody could ever replace Princess Catherine.”
“Yeah, right!”
“Besides, I thought you had some cleaning up to do.”
“Yes, but I could have done that from anyplace.”
“No you couldn’t. The Aperanjens had a right to have Princess Catherine send them off on their voyage to their new colony world.”
“I guess I wouldn’t have wanted to miss that.”
“And the empress.”
“I probably would have been happy to miss that. But I guess it was good to do it so everyone is happy.”
“See, it worked out for the best. Besides, what would you have done at home?”
“I could have found something exciting to do. This has been getting boring; ADI and Cristina really had all the fun.”
“Catie, don’t you know better by now? Every time one of you says boring, the powers that be decide to add excitement to the story. And that never turns out well.”
“Oh, you can’t really believe that superstition stuff.”
“Hey, I’m only going by the data.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Cer Catie, I have found Constantine,” ADI said.
“Where is he?”
“He is hiding on an island in the Central Coalition. A small villa that is owned by one of his companies.”
“And he doesn’t think Lord Wilmarx will find him there?”
“His ownership of the company is well hidden. And the villa is very remote.”
“Oh, hmm, ADI can you send him a postcard?”
“I could, what would be the purpose of doing that?”
“Just send him one from the capital city. Tell him that all his friends wish him good luck and hope he’s having a wonderful vacation.”
“How should I address it?”
“To him, at his villa.”
“You really are an evil person,” ADI said.
“Just to my special friends.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Zoey, you’re ready to leave us?” Catie asked.
“Yes, we’ve bought an island, well most of an island. It’s down close to the tropics so it has nice weather all the time. There’s a small fishing village on it. We’re going to develop a resort on the south side, and keep the north side just for us. That will help grow the economy and encourage a few more people to move there. Hopefully, that means there will be enough children for ours to play with and socialize.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“And it’s all because of you.”
“No, not me. It’s all because the six of you persevered. Constantine was so impressed with you that he had to share his wealth.”
Zoey laughed. “I like the way you think. And that news report will probably make a difference. There’s already a big movement to make the changes you and Neloln suggested. Some of the new politicians who haven’t been corrupted yet are getting on the bandwagon.”
“One can only hope. I’m sure I’ll be back to see you.”
“You’d better. Now come on Clara, say goodbye to Princess Catie.”
The three-year-old waved at Catie as her mother led her to the Lynx.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Lord Jaraxa, we believe it will be safe for you and your family to return home,” Catie said.
“Yes, and I understand you need your cabin back. They tell me that you are also returning home.”
“I am. I hope your stay hasn’t been too inconvenient.”
The two children came up and gave Catie a hug. They’d had a grand time on the Merlin. They had even gotten one of the pilots to take them out on the shuttle so that they could experience microgravity. It was something they would be able to lord over their friends back at school.
“We have been well taken care of. I’ll just be happy to get home and back to work. My son was shocked when I was finally able to contact him. He was delighted that we were alive, although he had given up hope.”
“We apologize for having to deceive him, but we couldn’t allow him to give away the fact that you were alive.”
“He understands. And the announcement that they have changed the zoning for our property has assuaged any pains and anger he may have felt. I’m going to have him run the development.”
“Oh, I’m surprised at that.”
“The weeks I’ve spent up here with my family without any work to interrupt us has shown me how much I’ve neglected them in the past. My wife and I have agreed that I should spend much more time with them going forward.”
“Being killed has never been better for anyone than Jaraxa,” his wife said.
Catie laughed with her. “It does make you appreciate what it means to be alive.”
“It does. We want to thank you for your help. We hope you will return to Onisiwo and visit us.”
“I will definitely be returning to Onisiwo on one of our trading vessels. I’ll make a point of stopping by to visit you. You live in a lovely area.”
“Thank you, we’ll look forward to it. Now we should get out of your way. We need to get these children home and you need to finish your preparations.”
Board Meeting – June 5th
“This meeting will come to order. Catie, I understand that you are on the Merlin, preparing to leave.”
“We are. We just left the planet and are heading out. I’ll be knocking on Uncle Blake’s door in two weeks.”
“You will? And do you think I’ll be home?”
“ADI will let me know.”
“Alright you two, back to the meeting. Fred?”
“You can read the reports. Nothing has changed.”
“Okay. Admiral Michaels, where are we with the discussion on a unified Earth, and a league delegate?”
“That depends on where you are with respect to a Chinese colony.”
“I’m convinced that an exclusively Chinese colony is a bad idea. I’m willing to allow them to be a significant percentage of the colonists. But I’m not willing to allow one country to control a colony.”
“Except Delphi.”
“That is a unique situation at this time. All colonies will be initially managed by a representative of MacKenzie Discoveries. Once they are established, they will elect their own governor.”
“Even if it turns out to be someone other than a MacKenzie representative?”
“The elections will be democratic. Once the colony is established, we would prefer to move our resources to a new colony.”
“What if those resources don’t want to move?” Samantha asked.
Marc smiled. “We can’t lose, if they stay, that’s good for us. But I’m sure many of them will be looking forward to starting a new colony. I suspect that over time they will decide to either return to Earth or become official colonists. We’ll have to see.”
“So, what should we do with the Chinese delegation? Can we persuade them to send colonists to Artemis?”
“I’ll work with them to see if I can get some motion on that. I’m not exactly sure what they are hoping for,” Admiral Michaels said.
“I think they want to have a guaranteed outlet for Chinese manufacturing,” Samantha said. “A Chinese colony would help to stimulate their economy. They’re suffering from all the onshoring that has been happening over the last two years.”
“That’s what I suspected. Is there something we can do to assuage their concern?”
“Right now, all we would do is raise it. We’re intentionally focusing on Africa and Southeast Asia for our sourcing.”
“Okay, then I’ll string them along.” Admiral Michaels grimaced at the thought.
“That will change when we start more colonies,” Catie said. “And especially when we start trading with the established worlds out here. If you focus on what they think they can produce that would be attractive to those worlds instead of the colonies, it would better align with their needs.”
“Catie’s probably right,” Samantha said.
“Probably?!” Catie messaged Samantha.
“You should use the list of goods that the Paraxeans shipped to Onisiwo as an example.”
“I’ll do that. And thanks for all the extra paperwork,” Admiral Michaels said. Catie had just sent him the list of goods traded, requests, and complaints from the Onisiwo trade delegation.
“I’m glad to know you’ll be busy,” Marc said. “Now Blake, where are you with staffing?”
“Getting the Victory back is going to help. We’ve sent the Romulus to New Fazulla so that’s the last frigate we’ll staff for a bit. Sam, have you and the Paraxeans reached an agreement?”
“They’re suggesting a mixed crew on a Delphi frigate.”
“Ajda will love that. It makes my life a bit easier, but she’s still going to have to make a few more frigates.”’
“Hey, Jackie told Sandra that you’ve delegated all the staffing,” Kal said.
“Tell Sandra how much I appreciate her sharing family secrets she wheedles out of Jackie.”
“You know that will just encourage her and Jackie.”
“I’m sure it will,” Blake groaned. “Anyway, shipbuilding is Ajda’s business. Is she getting a percentage?”
Fred slapped his forehead. “No, we haven’t been including her in the distributions. We should separate shipbuilding into a separate company and give Ajda partial ownership.”
“Do it. I think we’ll be building a lot of ships. Catie, how many planets do you have on your list?”
“We’ve got six planets with normal gravity to explore and three more heavy G planets.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Catie finally got a break and decided to check in with her friends in Delphi City.
“Hi, Miranda. I’m checking to see if you’re still going to make it for Yvette’s graduation.”
“I’ll be there. What about you?”
“We just left Onisiwo, so I’m two weeks out. So that puts me there a week ahead.”
“Good, then you can help plan the party.”
“Are we still going to do a James Bond theme?”
“Yes, martinis shaken not stirred, a baccarat table, and a few blond bimbos, both male and female to round out the theme.”
“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Cer Catie, your postcard worked. And I have confirmed that Constantine was behind the kidnap attempt.”
“How, and how?”
“He told Manji. He was so spooked when he got the postcard that he called Manji. He demanded that he help him get off the island.”
“Why did he need Manji’s help?”
“He didn’t have access to a big yacht. He’s decided that his only hope is to move onto a superyacht and stay at sea until he solves his problems.”
“So how do you know he was behind the kidnapping?”
“Manji refused to help him. Constantine told him that if he hadn’t screwed up the kidnapping he wouldn’t be in this mess. He threatened to tell Wilmarx everything he had on Manji if Manji didn’t come up with a yacht and help him.”
“Great.”
“And here’s the best part.”
“What?”
“Manji called an old contact to get the yacht. Unbeknownst to him, that contact has a distant familial connection to Wilmarx.”
“Oh, perfect!” Catie squealed.
“I think it is safe to assume that Wilmarx will be having a brief discussion with the two of them before they disappear forever.”
“Couldn’t happen to two nicer guys. And the timing was perfect, we’re close to the fringe. It’s nice to have that all wrapped up before we leave. Now I feel like I completed the mission.”
“I thought you would like the news.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Prepare for jump!” Merlin, the ship’s AI, announced over the ship’s speakers.
Catie was looking forward to getting home. They would make Earth orbit a week before Yvette’s graduation. Miranda and Joanie would be there. It would be just like old times. And Liz and Dr. Metra had worked up a disguise for Catie so she would be able to get out and do things without the press hounding her. It was going to be just great.
“Jumping in five seconds!”
Catie felt the slight sensation of weightlessness as they were consumed by the wormhole. She was at her desk reviewing the designs for the new cruise starship she was planning to launch next year. Jumps were old hat, nothing special, they only took a few seconds.
“Jumping!”
“All-hands prepare for collision! Prepare for collision! . . . All-hands . . .”
Catie grabbed her space helmet and put it on, then grasped the edges of her desk while her mind grappled with what could be happening. Then she ran to her bed so she could lie down and get her head and heart at the same level. “ADI give me the feed from the bridge.”
“What the hell happened?” Captain McAvoy demanded as everyone was thrown back in their chairs by the 20G emergency deceleration profile. The bridge stations had automatically rotated so that the crew’s heads were at the same level as their hearts.
“I don’t know, ma’am. The wormhole collapsed and the collision alarm went off!”
“Where are we?”
“I don’t know, but we are heading directly for that gas giant.”
“Is there a solution to get by it?”
“We are at max deceleration to change our vector. We’ll just miss it.”
“Ma’am!” the sensor operator shouted.
“What?”
“There are asteroids in our path!”
“Blast them with the plasma cannon!”
“They’re too big!”
“Can we maneuver around them?”
“We’re trying.”
“Missiles,” Catie called out.
“Thank you. Launch missiles at the asteroids. We’ll goose them out of our way,” Captain McAvoy ordered. She sat back in her command chair; she was a bit more relaxed now that she had all the variables up on her display.
◆ ◆ ◆
“It worked! We can now clear the path with plasma cannons. We’ll just slip by the gas giant.”
