Part 2 (1/2)
”The colonies have shown little interest in getting involved with the military buildup that President Moore has called for, especially since, on the surface at least, they appear to be purely Sol System defense oriented according to the governor of Ross 128,” she continued.
”I agree, Alice,” Britt said. ”That does seem to be the present view of the colonists as well as the Dems in both houses of Congress. The colonists' argument is that they are of no threat and therefore no interest to the Separatists and therefore are being taxed, without representation, unduly. An amba.s.sador from Ross 128 is coming here today to speak to the president and to Congress about waiving the tariff on them, as it is pus.h.i.+ng them into a recession.”
”In fact, Britt, the president is talking out of both sides of his mouth on this issue. Though he will not waive the tariff on the colonies, he is asking Congress to approve an economic-stimulus package for them. I'm not certain I can see the logic in that,” Walt interjected with a raised eyebrow.
Britt laughed. ”That sounds like an oxymoron at first glance.”
”Well, it isn't, though,” Alice replied. ”The president's economic advisors all seem to agree that the downturn in the colonial economies is a temporary effect of the increased tariffs that should be well overcompensated for in the future once they pick up the manufacturing pace and fill the void left by the Exodus and the secession of Tau Ceti. The stimulus should enable them to play catch-up.”
”Ha, ha. Alice, sounds good on paper. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on Congress to approve his package. All of the scuttleb.u.t.t on the Hill is that President Moore's stimulus package is dead on arrival, and there are not enough loyal Republican seats in the House to sway that.” Mortimer nodded his head approvingly as he responded.
”Well, be that as it may,” Britt interjected with an attempt to maintain an even tone, ”the main issue for today is that the Separatists took away a major manufacturing source for the country. The citizens in the remaining colonies do seem to have little desire to support this administration or its policies. In fact, the governors of all three of the remaining original colonies have issued statements that their executive branch and judicial branch lawyers believe that President Alberts' and then President Moore's tariff packages to the Congress were and are in violation of the Inter-System Free Trade Agreement and that they have been seeking appeals of the policies through the Supreme Court.”
”Well, I think that is the right course of action, or perhaps the only real course of action, that could be taken from a colonial standpoint,” Walt Mortimer said.
”And one would hope that the remaining colonists don't take a play from the Separatists' playbook here,” Alice added. ”After all, they are just territories without representation in the House or Senate.”
”Oh, come now, Alice. You really think in worst-case scenarios, don't you?” Mortimer said.
”I'm just saying that I hope the colonists don't feel the same way the original Thirteen Colonies felt when King George upped the tariffs on them to protect them from France. You know what happened then....”
Chapter 2.
July 1, 2394 AD Mars...o...b..t, Sol System Friday, 7:40 AM, Earth Eastern Standard Time ”Admiral on the bridge!” Navigation Officer Commander Penny Swain snapped to as USMC Brigadier General Larry ”EndRun” Chekov saluted without slowing his full Marine marching pace by the nav to the executive officer's (XO) station of the USS Sienna Madira Sienna Madira, the flags.h.i.+p of the U.S. Naval Fleet. The rear admiral of the Outer Fleet followed behind his XO.
”At ease, folks.” USN Rear Admiral Upper Half (RADM) Wallace Jefferson paced a little more slowly to the captain's chair to give Captain Wiggington time to get up and go to her usual seat at the air-boss station. Wallace nodded to her and had a seat. ”Thanks, XO. Get me a status on the ground troops.” The two-star admiral wiggled into his seat and made himself comfortable while giving his bridge crew an approving nod. They were good sailors, all of them-even the groundpounders. Wallace took a brief instant to look out the viewscreen as well as the battle-scenario DTMs going on in his head.
By now our tankheads and fighters ought to be wearing down the John Tyler, he thought to Captain Timmy Uniform November Kilo Lima Three Seven Seven, a.k.a. Uncle Timmy, who was both the commander of the AICs and s.h.i.+p's captain's AIC. Wallace and Uncle Timmy had been together for over four decades and made such a good AIC-human team that they could predict each other's responses and thoughts in most situations. John Tyler, he thought to Captain Timmy Uniform November Kilo Lima Three Seven Seven, a.k.a. Uncle Timmy, who was both the commander of the AICs and s.h.i.+p's captain's AIC. Wallace and Uncle Timmy had been together for over four decades and made such a good AIC-human team that they could predict each other's responses and thoughts in most situations.
Roger that, Admiral. The clock is at four hours and seventeen minutes. The Warlords, the Utopian Saviors, and Ramy's Robots have pushed through the Martian National Guard units and the support from the John Tyler John Tyler and the and the Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln. And the G.o.ds of War have pretty much cleared the upper ball of enemy fighters, Uncle Timmy replied DTM. Uncle Timmy replied DTM.
DeathRay is giving them h.e.l.l, huh?
Aye, sir. He and Fish already have a confirmed seven kills apiece. The G.o.ds of War far outmatched both fighter groups from the Tyler Tyler and and Lincoln Lincoln.
d.a.m.n.
”Air Boss!” Chekov shouted.
”Aye, XO?” Captain Mich.e.l.le Wiggington responded as she settled into her seat at the commander of the Air Wing station.
”Status of the support wings?”
”Utopian Saviors and Demon Dawgs are on the bounce dirtside, and the G.o.ds of War have cleared the ball and are crawling the hull, sir!”
”Good. Ground Boss, status!” The XO turned to the station adjacent to Captain Wiggington.
”Yes, sir!” U.S. Army Brigadier General James Brantley replied. ”Warboys' Warlords are on the move and have surrounded the target. Colonel Roberts reports his Robots are with them.”
”Good, Roberts and his marines will get the job done. ETA to target, Larry?” the RADM asked his longtime XO and friend.
”Hold on, Admiral.” Wallace could see his XO stare blankly into s.p.a.ce for a brief moment. Clearly, he was getting a datafeed DTM from somewhere or was having a discussion with Uncle Timmy. Wallace often had a similar stare, and it was so commonplace the crew never paid it any attention. h.e.l.l, most of them were doing the same. ”Aye, sir. Robots look like they will be in the end zone in seventy-three seconds.”
”Roger that, Larry.” Well, there was nothing really to do but sit back and enjoy the rest of the show in his DTM. His crew had done their jobs, and the rapid-deployment exercise was going well. It had taken just a bit more than four hours for the blue team to deploy and attack. In less than two minutes the end result of those four hours would be that the Madira Madira would have full control over a useless patch of Martian desert that had been designated as a target coordinate. But what Wallace and his XO (and of course their AICs) knew that the rest of his crew did not was that the USS would have full control over a useless patch of Martian desert that had been designated as a target coordinate. But what Wallace and his XO (and of course their AICs) knew that the rest of his crew did not was that the USS Anthony Blair Anthony Blair was about to drop out of hypers.p.a.ce on top of them and QMT teleport an entire contingent of AEMs, hovertanks, and fighters right into the mix of his tiring soldiers. Those fighters would be a fresh attacking red force. And they would be ready for some payback, since the was about to drop out of hypers.p.a.ce on top of them and QMT teleport an entire contingent of AEMs, hovertanks, and fighters right into the mix of his tiring soldiers. Those fighters would be a fresh attacking red force. And they would be ready for some payback, since the Madira Madira had beaten them hands down in a previous war-gaming engagement. had beaten them hands down in a previous war-gaming engagement.
”COB, how's my boat?” Wallace asked his Chief of the Boat (COB) Command Master Chief Charlie Green. Charlie had been Wallace's COB for more than a decade, and the rear admiral was certain that even bad Navy coffee wouldn't get the man to retire, ever. Wallace looked around the bridge and realized that he had the most senior bridge crew in history and wondered if any any of them would ever retire. At least the COB was looking spry and youthful since his recent body rejuv procedure. of them would ever retire. At least the COB was looking spry and youthful since his recent body rejuv procedure.
”Well, Admiral, she's in top form. Top form.”
”Roger that, COB.” Wallace took the coffee cup from Charlie and halfheartedly toasted him. The COB nodded and raised his cup and then took a long draw from it. The COB was famous for his Navy stories and his blacker-than-black, stronger-than-strong Navy coffee, and Wallace could tell from the bite of his cup that CMC Green was still making the meanest cup'a joe in the fleet. He tried not to grimace at the taste or at the fact that the COB was about to start up one of his stories.
”Sorta reminds me of that time-”
”CDC, CO!” The Combat Direction Center a couple decks below pinged the bridge and interrupted what Wallace was sure would be a riveting and humorous story.
”Belay that, COB.” Wallace held up a palm to Charlie. ”CO, go, CDC,” the RADM replied.
”We've got a hypers.p.a.ce-conduit signature opening up thirty thousand kilometers port and ten thousand down, sir!” The voice on the other end trailed off a moment. ”It is squawking as the Blair Blair, sir.”
”Roger that.” Wallace hesitated a few seconds to give his crew the time to respond. He didn't want to give the exercise too much advantage with his prior knowledge. But at the same time he didn't want to look like he was intentionally stalling.
”Sir.” Captain Monte Freeman, the s.h.i.+p's science and technology officer (STO), looked up from his console.
”What is it, STO?”
”I'm getting a red-force icon for the Blair Blair, and it looks like she's simulating a power-up of her DEGs. And there is something else-” the STO's explanation was cut off as alarms blared throughout the s.h.i.+p, indicating that they had been targeted by radar and hit by directed energy guns (DEGs).
Sir, the simulated attack is under way as planned, Uncle Timmy stated into Wallace's mind matter-of-factly. Uncle Timmy stated into Wallace's mind matter-of-factly.
Roger that, Timmy, the RADM thought to his AIC. the RADM thought to his AIC.
”CO, CDC!”.
”Go, CDC.”
”We just had a ma.s.sive increase in the number of troop signatures detected on the ground, and they are all squawking simulation red, sir!”