Chapter Thirty-seven
The president called a press conference. He announced the formation of a space corps, per the emergency powers clause of the constitution. He grinned widely and told the reporters they currently had a commodore and three captains, and Liberty Gem Space Corps didn't. Mandolin expected to have a large number of other brilliant and skilled young people Liberty Gem's Space Corps didn't. A reporter asked about cost.
"We don't know. We have a lot of decisions to make before we do, but we don't plan to raise your taxes. We don't need a defense fleet, but we drafted some young people to do a defensive job, and if we didn't give them the rank they needed, Liberty Gem would have. Since several plan to join the exploration force, commissioning them and loaning them to us would have been reasonable. We may attach our space corps to theirs. It may be all reserve except those serving in the exploration fleet. We don't know those things, but we know we had a job no organization we have was right to do, and civilian wasn't getting the point across it was ordered done. One moment, please. Yes, Senator Millson? The Senate has ordered an investigation of the Association of Broadcasters' actions as a self-regulating body. Their records have been subpoenaed. Commodore, you're an Admiral. We've got nine days. Excuse me the Senate is waiting."
Billie designed the uniforms, with the aid of her brother, sister, cousins, aunt and a young man called Sketch.
They used Liberty Gem's to "get all the kinds," but theirs weren't copies. They started with the idea of "softer." They designed around their four officers, but they checked the designs on images of Liberty Gem's admirals and three women who weren't built like Al. Eventually, they found a waist-length jacket design that would look "almost as good" on Blade and Mikey as Quinn and Al.
Their formal uniform was crisper and had a bolero jacket. Work uniforms were too function-designed to be really different, but they weren't just other colors.
That part of the task was finished quickly and sets of those were added to the order on which a tailor shop was already working. The eighty-three-year-old woman who owned it had been delighted to do "something with some artistic flair," when sent Liberty Gem men's formal designs. It had gotten her shop the job of making the first uniforms and the patterns for them, for the new space corps, and a very substantial payment for the work.
Frederick and Andrew were at the very large wedding reception at twenty-one oh three, when the five Liberty Gem admirals left the ballroom with four other people. Frederick was asking questions about the Shoppers Shipping Network, when Jeannine Quinn suddenly pointed. They turned around and headed for the main doors fast.
Twenty Liberty Gem corpsmen marched in, flanked the door, lifted and held salute. The five admirals, in formal uniform, walked to the end of the corridor they formed, turned and raised salute. Quinn led Marty, Brat and Al, in their new formal uniforms, into the ballroom. The crowd applauded as they walked between the corpsmen, then saluted the admirals. The corpsmen marched out and closed the doors. The crowd laughed when Quinn grabbed Nev and 'put' him between him and Frederick and Andrew. Nev said, "Hi."
"Admiral Terschell, Liberty Gem just formally acknowledged the Mandolin Space Corps in the persons of the officers hiding behind you. Would you please explain why?"
"Considering everyone thought someone else told your captains and they were captains, and uniforms were a distinct surprise, we figured a bit of formality might prevent them collapsing in laughter in the doorway. They deserve the recognition for the job they've been doing for you, and the assistance in doing that recognition will give them."
"Admiral, you're not wearing the reserve covers on your insignia. Is that because of this acknowledgment?"
"No, it's because were on active duty, assigned as advisors to your new Space Corps. Your turn, Admiral Quinn."
"Yipe. I hope someone remembers I was drafted for a task, not a career. Those three have been planning theirs. First, 'nine days' made us yelp, but didn't really scare us. There are a lot of people helping, and today was the first time I needed an admiral to pull rank for me. Jeannine Quinn, drafted as admiral, Chief of Staff. Carl Wilson, drafted as admiral, Supply and Support Command. Franklin Bosley, drafted as admiral, Personnel. Robert Quinn, drafted as admiral, Strategic Command. Doctor Anthony Brewer, drafted as admiral, Medical Command. Michael Sanders, drafted as vice-admiral, Strategic Command, Interfleet Operations. Carol Quinn, drafted as vice-admiral, Supply and Support Command, Transport. Aaron Ambrose, drafted as vice-admiral, Personnel, Recruitment and Training. Kevin Blackburn drafted as vice-admiral, Exploration Command, Science and Technology. Marilyn Gaston, drafted as commodore, Chief of Staff Aide. Loretta Wilders, drafted as rear admiral, Chief of Staff Office, Information and Public Relations. Laurel Jamison, drafted as rear admiral, Support and Supply, Facilities. Alberta Ramsey, drafted as rear admiral, Personnel, Payroll and Benefits. The previous command positions are active duty. Those persons may request reserve status in one year, retirement at one-third established pay grade benefits in three, retirement at half pay-grade benefits in five, or full pay-grade benefits in eight. Years in reserve are computed at one year equals one-third year active duty, for retirement computation. This retirement computation is for ranking officers drafted to serve during the organizational period only. Benefits for all other personnel, drafted or enlisted, and pay grades for ranks are not yet established."
Quinn's grandmother walked to one side of the room and the other drafted admirals followed. When Andrew had gotten vid of the group, Quinn continued.
"The following are drafted as Mandolin Space Corps Reserve Officers and activated for the duration of current emergency: Wendy Stanhope, commodore; Timothy Jamison, captain; John Trevor, commander; Maria Masterson, captain; Louisa Sanders, commander; Thomas Lund, commander; Corrine Brock, lieutenant commander; Bramton Ambrose, commander; Christopher Strand, captain, Lawrence Blackburn, captain; Doctor Bruce Brewer, commodore; William Jenner, lieutenant commander; Roberta Lancer, commander; Dorian Mitchell, lieutenant commander; Warren Anderson, lieutenant commander; Marian Flowers, lieutenant commander; Jennifer Reed, commander. Reserve draft is three years. Active-duty equivalency for reserve draft only, one day equals three. For the duration of this emergency, Captain Landon Brant, Captain Norman Martindale and Captain Alisha Albert will be acting as commodores. The reason they're not being promoted to commodores is their expected function in the exploratory fleet. Should reserve officers at the rank of commander or above choose active duty in that fleet, they will, at such time be counseled on appropriate rank for expected function. We'll be doing a lot of 'Hi, there, we're friendly,' just as a number of Liberty Gem's, now Space Corps Reserve, people are, though our visits are expected to be primarily daytrips. If someone suggests an 'unofficial' visit, get it logged as active-duty time, in case they decide everyone should do some amount each year. Grandma, you're a great choice as Chief of Staff."
"Just remember that when you're running the business."
"I made my contribution to that family business. Now I have to make it to ours."
"I know, but you enjoyed drafting me too much not to make you squirm a little. I'm sure Bram Terschell will keep an eye on the space station construction and anything else Lowell Cropper wants someone helping watch, while he staffs shipping offices."
"Oh, I am not worried about that business running smoothly. Lowell's a great choice, and Frind-Rolleran has enough talent to survive without him."
"You wouldn't think so from they squealed when I lured him away, but Alberta Crayton knows that Shoppers Shipping Network will benefit them and he's the right CEO. Frederick, we're not ignoring you. We were working up curiosity for the business announcements. Beginning at four thirty-two, local time, on every world, except the four alliance worlds, and we hope to add them someday, daytrip, or comm, shoppers, will have no problem shipping their goodies home, at a very reasonable price. Every item can be sent to a single address on the wor
ld, and from there to your home. Every shipper in the network is ready, and your purchases won't ever wait for a ship going that way again. Transshipment point for packages to and from all worlds are established. Some of those are a bit out of the way right now, but the nineteen transshipment space stations will soon be in place. All facilities have enough staff to handle the expected volume at this time. The announcement is being made this evening on all worlds. Merchants, the address is Shoppers Shipping, Building Fifty-seven, Mandolin Capital Spaceport. Your turn, Thomas."
"This is a float scooter, and so is this. This one is Billie's. She's five. It's altitude stable, just right for a small child or an adult who wants fun, good exercise, without the complex controls of the stunt scooters. That doesn't mean you can't do some fancy stuff, just that it won't jump and you won't be far off the ground if one doesn't go as planned. Now, this one does jumps. It doesn't jump three meters straight up, but can you can do a whole lot of fancy stuff in a long float at a meter-and-a-half off the ground. This has all the complex controls of the pro-sport model, but it's designed for use by most people, kids and adults, who aren't real athletes, well-acquainted with the staff of a nearby clinic. If you're one of those buy your float scooter on Liberty Gem and send it home Shoppers Shipping. If not, get a flooter like this, or a flooty like this, from your local Chanson Skimmer dealer, in five days."
"Five days?"
"Five days. Beginning tomorrow, major sport shoe stores will have the shoes, the pads, and the location of where to get safety equipment and great costumes, if they don't carry it all. We expect to run out of everything, but no one will have to wait long. Don't ride without the safety gear and shoes. You can't ride' right' without the shoes, and a bunch of dummies who get hurt because they didn't wear gear could make the flooter require a skimmer license. Besides, the costume just wouldn't look right without them."
"You're saying kids should get the costumes too?"
"It's part of the fun. It's also part of the safety gear. If I put that elbow guard around this sleeve, the bunched material would pinch, rub, maybe make a blister. If I didn't put it on tight enough to do that, it would go around my arm with a hard push. Sweat makes bare skin slick and the guard could slip, or it could pinch. If you're just going to stand on a flooty, give it a little push now and then and go straight down the walk, wear it anyway, so you don't set a bad example. Wear it under your jacket if it's cold, but don't go without it. Make yourself two or three costumes and change or put school clothes over if you ride there. Oh, Chanson dealers will have gear bags and lockups too. Get all the pieces. Practice just riding. Before you get fancy, learn to use this very high-tech toy and the shoes well. They are part of it. You'll get some bumps, but if you work to learn right, and wear the safety gear, your parents probably won't store your flooter for two years, even if you do get an introduction to the doctor at the clinic."
"Never practice stunts alone! Never! Never, never, never, not even flooty stunts. It's not the fall that hurts you. It's the stop. You can get going fast enough on a flooty to put your pad down for a double-back, catch the ridge, and go tumbling. If you don't run into anything, you've just got dots to smear with quick-heal, and maybe muscles that yell for a soak in hot water. If a tree stops you, you could need help. Moms and Dads, speed is dependent on push. Your little one is safer on a flooty than you are. It takes timing, which takes practice, to go fast. It takes timing and a lot of muscle to go real fast."
"Like 'don't swim alone,' and many other 'Yes, but something could happen' admonitions, don't do it alone. Everyone of these riders, young kid, young teen and young adult is nodding. They've all seen something that could happen. The admiral has a did happen?"
"Bard, Admiral Loden, broke my fall and kept me from being badly hurt, but it's that he was there that saved my life. I only thought I was ready to try that stunt. I'll try it again when I have as much muscle as Admiral Terschell."
"I'm going to add don't do stunts with a jacket, or anything else, over. I watched today. Even the loosest 'over' would have pulled a pad or interfered with movement on anything but 'just ride,' and that includes on the small children. I'm inclined to say make tights and leotards for winter riding, not wear jackets over. I think a fourteen-year-old would remember 'no stunts in jacket' after "Watch this." There are sports for which 'loose' is dangerous. This is one of them. We have nine days to stop this 'put boys in bags' shit, before everyone in space asks why we dress so weird we missed the Olympics."
"Grandma!"
"CS Grandma. Keep up the good work, Admiral."
"Yes, CS Grandma. My job is fix it. Commander Maria Masterson."
"I have filed suit against Global Mandolin Broadcasting for the content of last evening's society update segment; that A: I have made no choice of career or other which places me in the category of public property. B: Section Nine, Article Seventeen of broadcast licensing regulations specifically prohibits insertion of material in newscasts to promote assumption of veracity by proximity. C: Section Nine, Article Fourteen, requires proof statements made about any legal entity be verifiable. Fem Laura Anne Brewer."
"For almost three decades, I've wondered why the well-known wealthy did not pursue their rights under Section Nine. My copy of the Broadcast Licensing Regulations is thirty-two years old. That personal copy and the copy in Congressional Record, pursuant to a minor change of physical organization, to improve readability, fifty-four years ago, may be the only copies of the Broadcast Licensing Regulations that were not 'updated' twenty-nine years ago, with a truncated version with only eight sections. Doctor Anthony Brewer, Admiral, Mandolin Space Corps Medical Command."
"Medical examination results: sixty-eight women reported on planetary newscasts as 'rumored' to have had over ten love affairs each have intact hymens. They're virgins. Five hundred ninety-seven young people and children reported as 'rumored' to be conceived in adulterous relationships over the past thirty years are DNA proven offspring of their mothers' spouses. They are the biological children of wedded couples. Admiral Quinn."
"We're people. We fall in love, marry and keep our vows. At one time, we aided all who needed it with our money, and guided others to share in accomplishing good things with our support and presence. Now, those fund-raising events are schedules for using us as visual aids for voyeuristic fantasies that we despise. The following annual events are canceled. The East Hills Arts Society Symphony Orchestra Fundraiser, Art Camp Fundraiser, Guest Maestro Series Fundraiser, Chanton Museum Exhibit Fundraiser, the Lowellin School of Performing Arts Scholarship Benefit Ball, the Hamilton Museum Benefit Ball, the Courtly Children's Concerts Luncheon, The Fair Skies Society Community Service Banquet, Bring-a-bat-and-ball Tea, Playground Equipment Fundraiser and Little League Tourney Sponsorship Picnic. We're the only ones who attend, except for the casters who call us names for your entertainment. Last year we donated eighty-seven-point nine million stels at those events, to provide quality entertainment for all. No donation, or the fun we bought for you, was mentioned on any society cast. The broadcast networks made eight hundred twenty-six-point four million spewing filth on us at those events. Obviously, we misjudged the type of entertainment people want. We're not paying to be abused to provide it any longer. If you go to work tomorrow and the doors are locked, we pay your salary. The networks said it didn't hurt anyone because no one believed it. That too was a lie. If it wasn't, the president wouldn't have needed to make me an admiral to get the job done. Infonet site: The nonstandard bio. We promised MPB an exclusive, Frederick."
"Yes, Admiral Quinn you did. How long is the lockout going to last?"
"No one knows. None of us has had a temper tantrum before. I know that sounded like a lot of people when I was reading off that list of officers, but there are some big holes."
"We have more departments and admirals than Liberty Gem."
"That's why."
"I missed that. We'
re supplementing their space corps."
"Complementing it. It's what their admirals and Prime Minister said they hoped worlds would do on their first visit. We realized we're the right world and people to do it."
"He's being quite specific on 'people,' Frederick. The people in this room understand us too well."
"They were victims of an abusive system we didn't even realize was one, Admiral Terschell."
"Wealth is usually a protection, though that's often restrictive, guards for person, home and money to the point you're about caged. One has to be careful about people who guard money. Too often, they see you as the primary threat to it. You don't understand its 'value,' or you wouldn't spend it. You'd listen to them and invest it to make more."
"I can see that happening too easily. You've experienced it?"
"I think every wealthy person has to some extent. They've also experienced the depersonalization of becoming a name attached to a large amount of money. Here, that was exacerbated by their use as 'props' to increase network revenues."
"I was the first drafted to aid in changing it because I was better at being 'too average to be interesting' than anyone else. My hands gave me away. Rod saw it was an extremely well played part in the way I reached for and held things. I was so shocked when Bard told me I was drafted because of it."
"The president's grandchildren do a lot of observing. They attend all those affairs, but they aren't participants. They go places and meet people, and hear things he never would. This time, Rod's observation unmasked Quinn. He's probably the best actor on the planet. The only part he wasn't ready to play was himself."
"I still work not to blend in with the crowd, but the job is show them all how not to do it. Brat and Marty were drafted when I was, and this couldn't have been accomplished without all three of us working to get it going, with the admirals, Wendy Stanhope and the president's grandchildren helping. The women understood how very difficult it was for us to not bunch and huddle and protected the men a little, until they overcame the urge to hide."
"The women protected the men?"
"They develop 'calluses' to protect them from the casters and cams after a while. We did everything we could not to be the face and name used to flay them in front of them. We were taught our bodies are ugly, misshapen and should be hidden. All boys are."
"Look at yourself, Frederick. You stand behind the cam. You don't get in the image often. When you do, it's just your face. Andrew knows the 'real' news has very little except 'landscapes' and faces of men, and you back up to get women's bodies, if one happens to do something 'oddly' newsworthy. Even in business and political news, it's men's faces and women's bodies."
"He's right. It's taught in broadcast schools. 'Male close-up, female backup' is an axiom of the trade."
"We really did cause the skew in gender expectation."
"The society newscasts are responsible for it. Backup, Andrew. Think about the diminishment of our features and dominance of our uniforms, and shapes, in the image. Do you feel odd showing our bodies? Did you use Al, a woman, to show the uniform?"
"Yes to both. He's got a big job, Frederick."
"Yes, Andrew, he does, but he's got our best and some of Liberty Gem's best helping. I don't know how much of this or how it will be edited for broadcast, but MPB management realized it was in the wrong the first time they actually thought about it. We're seeing what it did, and George will choose how we can aid. Two sections dropped, and no one realized it. George, it was Clayland!"
"Clayland?"
"Henry Clayland was programming director of GNMB thirty years ago, Admiral Terschell. They were bottom of the market. He put sex in newscasts, a huge market success, and became CEO of Bell Tower Advertising two years later. Two years ago, at age eighty-eight, he committed suicide. The note said, 'Betrayal is punished by the eyes of children.' No one knew what it meant. He was with them four years, from advertising, back to advertising, with twice the salary because of his huge success at GNMB. He retired at eighty-three, when the Bell Tower Board of Directors elected a new chair. He had no friends, no family and no business power to wield."
"GNMB is ruthless. If you can't be, don't apply for a job. They pay people well to leave their ethics at the door. It's a business, period. The reason it exists is to make money. If that's not what you want, don't invest. They don't break the law, or so they thought."
"Do the investors know how ruthless they are? Do they know they'd have destroyed this world's economic future for this quarter's marketshare numbers?"
"No, Nev, and neither does the very absentee Board of Directors."
"Basically, there's rich 'society' and there's rich who don't have old names and do nothing that would associate them with it."
"Three decades ago, they came to fundraisers, made attention-attracting donations, played golf with us and made sure their kids met us. Politicians did too. An old family name in the family was an asset. Answer comm. Good evening, Gen President. Thank you. Work on our house. Precisely. None. That's their decision. They're about to find out. We didn't get started on the house. Fantastic idea. It should be interesting. Except ships. They did? Thank you. Goodnight. Liberty Gem Space Corps assigned fifty ships to our Space Corps. We have ships. We have ships! Grandma!"
The reception ended at twenty-three thirty, but suite parties lasted until near dawn, with every inner courtyard door open and people moving from one to another, or sitting in the courtyard talking.
There weren't a great many other guests still at the resort on Tenday night, but those who were participated in the long social evening. 'Society' hadn't watched the late evening news, but they had.
MPB had volunteered their records of all A of B meetings and communications for thirty-two years. A of B seemed to have lost many. 'Society' didn't watch the morning news either. They knew how many people were employed in businesses in which they owned controlling interest. The rest of the world learned.
When Quinn awoke at ten twenty-nine capital time, he requested a news recap. Nev arrived with a therm of coffee just as it came on.
"You're practicing?"
"We all are. I brought a coffee from Carousel that's eventually going to be a popular Liberty Gem crop."
"Mmm…"
"Developed on Carousel, and they'll make money selling it to us for decades before we produce enough to nibble at their market. They're very shocked."
"They're angry. We can't do that to them. They're finding out they're wrong. Most of them seem to be sure Dr. Brewer was lying when they heard the numbers. 'Everyone knows' what were like. MPB asked one exec if he thought we were human, then to describe human."
"That's what no one expected, the CEOs and presidents who can't get in the doors."
"Exactly. They didn't know they worked for us either. Ah, another bank."
"You feel a great deal of satisfaction."
"Especially about banks, insurance companies and brokerage firms. Any person can get their money out of a bank, or spend it, insurance premiums and claims are being processed and paid. Comps do it when they're closed, anyway, but no one's borrowing or investing money, and no stocks are being traded. The exchange couldn't open. The comm office was locked. It's sub-contracted and one of us owns it."
"You shut down the world."
"Actually, only about six percent, but it's all connected and it affects everyone. Real estate was the real shocker, I think. People went to work, sure we didn't have anything to do with them, and couldn't get in the buildings they lease from one of us. A judge checked a lease and said the company could move out, on grounds the building was unusable. That wasn't what the company wanted to hear."
"How long do you plan to keep yours locked?"
"I told Grandma to clear mine when she did hers. There. That's why no one has yet."
"Ransom?"
"It doesn't seem to occur to them we decided we didn't need to make mon
ey today. Well, well, a voice of reason. Comm message… suite E-eleven. Thomas Harris Carter, shipping office, Maribel Plains Manufacturing, just told his coworkers he'd lock the doors if his employees were using part of their pay to support people saying his wife was a slut and his kids were someone else's. Unidentified woman said 'everybody knew' you couldn't go faster than the speed of light, too, and had a lot more substantial evidence.' Keying clip save for you. What did she say?"
"If you've got half the money in the world, you don't need to rent your box to pay the rent."
"Ooh, those women are getting direct."
"She's right. Beautiful young women don't invite old men to their bedrooms because they made a tenth as much money one day."
"More of them. The women are… telling them off."
"Most are in their late fifties, early sixties."
"Bleeps!"
"That woman evidently has an extensive vocabulary. And knows just when to use it."
"Laughing and nodding. She just convinced them all. End clip save and send. More women!"
"Signs! 'We're with you. End the smut.' Some don't pay for it."
"Crossland Sports?"
"They've got a list! They want us in the Olympics. There's not enough going on to fill their schedule. Ooh."
"Sport uniforms, winning times and accident stats. They had to be there. We'll be--"
"Comm connect, Nev. You'll be? We'll see if we can rent, or buy, clearance equipment by then. You went? I'll bring it. Comm out."
"I heard Nev."
"The coffee therm is low, Topper, and he accidentally wished himself back to the coffee maker. We're winning. Older working women and sports lovers are starting to yell what they think."
"Sports I got. Women?"
"You don't need to make a living on your back if you're rich."
"True. Prostitutes probably never believed it."
"Probably not."
"Martin's not going to back down on Walston. He told the party chair his kids are more important than politics and his dad agrees. The whole family is pulling out after he finishes this term. Hugh said he's going to enlist."
"They had plans for him."
"A Senate seat in two years, and he realized he was doing the expected not what he wants. Who did you hear?"
"A lot of 'when do I get my uniforms?' The president backed my drafts this morning. He added four. Justice Waverley is Vice-admiral Waverley, Office of Chief of Staff, Legal Affairs."
"Other three?"
"She took her staff with her. Good morning, Bam."
"Good morning. I like this resort. May we go home now?"