Part 21 (1/2)
As Coetzer spread his hands to indicate permission, he pointedly did not look at either the woman or Peter.
Peter, with as much nonchalance as he could muster, took a sip of his herbal tea and glanced down the table while the exchange was made. Commander Chatham's rigid attention stance relaxed as her comunit chimed.
”Contact, Admiral Coetzer, ” she said in her cool alto voice.
The monitor that had been positioned to face the crescent of viewers now flickered as the contact was established. Three men stood, two at attention, in front of a table in the conference room at First Base.
”Admiral Coetzer,” said the swarthy-complexioned man in the middle with a bow of his head that Peter decided might have accompanied an unseen click of his heels. ”Hiroga Watari here.”
Lance Baden grinned and said an Australian ”g'day,” nodding to all.
”Sirs,” and the third man did salute, ”ladies.” He was as tall as the lanky Baden, but broader in the shoulders, He had curly blond hair and eyes that were vividly blue in a wide face. ”Major Cyberal at your command.”
”Thank you, gentlemen. Please be seated,” said the admiral, and when they were, he banged his fist on the table. ”This meeting is called to order. Yeoman, prepare to record.”
”Aye, sir,” said Nicola's voice from Peter's left.
”Get it off your chest, Secretary,” the admiral advised.
”My office is adamant that we achieve a flow of materiel to First Base with no further delays,” Abubakar said with no preamble, rising to the challenge.
”Without, of course, increasing costs,” said Johnny Greene.
”General, you're out of order,” Alicia Taddesse said, giving him a stem look.
”Well, that's the size of it, isn't it?” Johnny said blandly, and took a sip of his coffee.
”The budget will not allow it,” Mai Leitao said, shaking her head as she pa.s.sed her lightpen over the pad and brought up figures. ”There is no room for additional expenditure.”
”Our operation is daily dropping behind schedule due to lack of essential supplies,” Colonel Watari said, scowling, an expression that intensified his j.a.panese features. ”We have immediate needs that have not been met despite frequent urgent requests.”
”The price of fuel is rising,” Leitao said.
Peter winced. Her voice had a whining edge to it, like a mosquito.
”We must reduce, not increase, the number of flights, Colonel,” she added.
”Then how, might I inquire,” and the colonel's scowl deepened, ”are we to keep our schedule?”
”Cut back on the development, of course,” Alicia Taddesse said sharply.
Instantly the Secretary raised his hand in denial of that remark.
”Use the Discretionary Fund to meet fuel costs,” Johnny suggested, looking up from the doodles he was making on the hard copy. Mai Leitao stared at him, her mouth dropping. Georg Fraga had a funny expression on his face. ”Or, better still, use the kitty from Weapons Research and Development, which is obsolete anyway, except for appearing on the International Budget.”
”Now, now, General,” the Secretary said soothingly, his eyes on Johnny.
”Well, if you're using that for something else, Secretary, why not the . . .”
Abubakar cut into his sentence with a set smile. ”And you think we haven't culled those sources already, General?”
Alicia Taddesse glared at Greene.
”I was trying to be helpful. How's that 'alternative fuel source' research going? Haven't heard a peep from that bunch in months. They sounded as if they were onto something with the recombinant.”
Admiral Coetzer cleared his throat.
”Oh, yeah. I'm not supposed to know about that, am I?” Johnny asked rhetorically.
”I would ask how you do, General,” Georg Fraga remarked mildly, his hands clasped idly on the table in front of him, ”except I know your security clearance permits you to keep abreast of all new developments.”
”A recombinant?” Colonel Watari asked, his eyes widening with interest.
”Need to know, Colonel,” Johnny said with a wave of his hand and a slight emphasis on the rank.
”Yes, sir.” Watari's scowl returned.
”Whereas,” and now the Secretary turned back to Johnny Greene, ”you are supposed to be sitting on the answer to our prayers?” He looked pointedly at Peter.
”The kid?” Watari said dismissively, glaring at him. ”I don't understand, Admiral, why a civilian,” and the sneer was thinly veiled, ”is in on a high-level, high-security conference.”
”Are you referring to Mr. Reidinger?” the admiral asked in a very gentle voice. ”General Greene's colleague?”
”My instructor,” Lance put in, his tone unusually harsh. ”Same sort of 'civilian' I am, Colonel.”
The colonel leaned back in his chair, looking away from the screen, attempting to modify his thoughts appropriately to the clues given by his superior officers.
”Tell me, Mr. Secretary, is the s.p.a.ce Authority in any way obligated to the fuel suppliers?” Johnny asked.
”What do you mean by that?” asked Georg Fraga, was.h.i.+ng his hands in what looked like an idle gesture.
Peter wondered, and discovered that Georg Fraga had a tight mental s.h.i.+eld. Alicia Taddesse did not and her tension was visible to him despite her controlled expression of polite surprise. Her public mind was swirling with frank replies and how she was to phrase them more discreetly. Mai Leitao's eyes were getting wider and she was broadcasting a tight swirl of anxiety.
”No, we are not,” the Secretary said. ”We advertise publicly for tenders to supply liquid hydrogen and oxygen from suppliers.”
”Who use recycled tanks?” Johnny asked.
”Yes, of course,” Abubakar said in a doesn't-everyone-know tone.
”What agency checks those tanks to be sure they haven't sprung leaks?”
”Leaks?” Georg Fraga gave a laugh. ”Is your point that SA might be paying for more fuel than the freighters get to use?”
”Got it in one,” Johnny said with a curt nod of his head.
”Have you any proof?”
”Indeed I have. Yeoman, be good enough to screen the file marked CeeCeeD CeeCeeD Number One-fuel consumption. It's the one I just put on your desk.” Number One-fuel consumption. It's the one I just put on your desk.”
Admiral Coetzer nodded for Nicola to do so. Peter sensed that this was no surprise to Dirk. Colonel Watari was clearing his throat and beetling his eyebrows. Peter got the distinct impression that this was not how the Base commander had thought this meeting would proceed. As the file was being beamed to First Base at the same time, all saw the report simultaneously. Colonel Watari's frown deepened, Major Cyberal looked shocked, and Lance gave a long sigh, s.h.i.+fting position so he could rest his chin on his raised hand.