“Although we have slowed the anti-ZPG petition drive,” she was reporting, “we have not stopped it. People are still signing the petition, albeit at a slower rate than earlier.”
Madame Urbain, tres chic in a pastel lilac frock and tasteful hints of jewelry, asked, “What are your projections?”
Green Eyes shrugged. “At this rate, they’ll have enough signatures by May first to force repeal of the protocol.”
“Then we have failed?” Madame Urbain asked, looking distressed.
“Not failed,” Eberly said. All eyes turned to him. “This is not a failure by any means.
“Even if the protocol must be repealed,” he said, looking around the table at each of them in turn, “the repeal could be only temporary. The winner of the election could present a new zero-growth statute once he’s been reinstalled in office.”
They considered that. They discussed it. Eberly pointed out to them that if he were reelected by a sizable majority he could use his popularity to slow or divert the people who wanted to allow unrestricted growth.
“If Holly Lane is soundly defeated, much of the power behind her petition drive will be dissipated.” Eberly did not altogether believe that, but he had to keep up the spirits of these women so they would continue to work for him for the remainder of the election campaign.
They talked and debated and rehashed the matter for more than an hour. At last Madame Urbain moved that they adjourn and partake of the pastries and coffee that awaited them at the cafeteria.
Eberly walked beside her, with most of the other committee women clustered around them, down the sloping street toward the cafeteria building, chatting amiably with his admirers.
His phone buzzed. Frowning, he said, “Please excuse me,” and fished the phone from his tunic pocket.
Eberly recognized the face on the tiny screen of his handheld as a technician in the communications department.
“I left specific orders that I was not to be disturbed unless there is an emergency,” he said sharply into the phone.
“I thought you’d want to know, sir. Urbain just sent a report to the ICU. They have proof that there are creatures living in the rings.”
Eberly glanced at Madame Urbain and the other women walking with him. He hoped they had not heard the message.
17 April 2096: Morning
“This changes nothing,” Eberly said, sitting tensely in his desk chair.
Eduoard Urbain, seated before the desk, smiled thinly. “Au contraire. I believe it changes everything.”
“They can’t stop us from mining the rings. And remember, you gave your approval. I have your signature.”
“That was blackmail and you know it,” said Urbain. “I can renounce my endorsement now that Wunderly has proved the rings bear indigenous life.”
“What of it?” Eberly snapped. “We can still mine the rings if we choose to.”
“Not unless the IAA allows it. And with the universities recommending a total ban on mining, the IAA will forbid it.”
Eberly steepled his fingers in front of his face, letting silence fall. He knew bluff was an important part of politics, but he also knew that one had to be prepared to back up a bluff with action, if necessary.
“I don’t care what the ICU or the IAA or any Earthbound gang of bureaucrats say. We will mine the rings. With or without their approval.”
“They will stop you.”
“How? They have no jurisdiction here.”
“The IAA has jurisdiction throughout the solar system,” Urbain countered. “Selene and the other lunar settlements, the asteroid miners, all the research stations on Mars, Jupiter and Venus, even the Yamagata solar power project at Mercury acknowledges the IAA’s authority.”
“Ah,” said Eberly, pointing his index finger like a pistol. 4acknowledge the IAA’s authority. They have agreed to it. We haven’t.”
“Not officially, perhaps, but that is merely a matter of form.”
Eberly leaned forward in his chair, excitement rising in him. Yes, he said to himself. I could do it. They would follow me. I could get the people of this habitat to follow where I lead and respect me for my courageous leadership.
Misunderstanding his silence, Urbain went on, “So you see, the IAA must—”
“To hell with the IAA!” Eberly snapped. “I’m going to put it to a vote. Make a ballot referendum out of it. The people will vote to refute the IAA. They’ll vote for total independence of every vestige of domination by Earth.”
Urbain paled. “Then the IAA would have no recourse but to send troops here to enforce their ruling.”
“Really? Do you think they’d risk a war?”
“You would fight them? With what?”
“With every weapon we can build or borrow,” Eberly said, already envisioning himself leading his people, rallying his troops. “And remember, this habitat is a lot sturdier than the spacecraft the IAA would send. We could hurt them a lot more than they could hurt us.”
“You are mad,” Urbain whispered.
Eberly laughed at him. “It won’t come to actual fighting, I’m sure. Those Earthworms will try to negotiate with us first. And I’ll let them. I’ll spend months engaged in discussions and meetings with the IAA’s bureaucrats. I’ll talk and they’ll talk, for months and months and months.”
“But in the end—”
“And while we are engaged in those oh-so-earnest negotiations, we’ll start mining the rings. I’ll present the Earthworms with a fait accompli. We’ll mine the rings and they’ll do nothing to stop us.”
“But you’ll be killing an alien life-form!” Urbain pleaded. “That is against everything we stand for! Everything we believe in!”
“Everything you scientists believe in, perhaps. But I imagine that even some of the scientists on your staff wouldn’t protest against getting rich from mining the rings. People believe in their own well-being, first and foremost.”
“No,” Urbain said weakly. “That is not so.”
“Isn’t it?” Eberly smiled his warmest. “I’ll leave a large section of the rings free from mining operations. I’ll put Dr. Wunderly in charge of preserving and protecting her precious little ice bugs. There’s no reason why the people of this community can’t get rich without completely destroying the ice creatures.”
Urbain sat there in front of Eberly’s desk, speechless.
Wunderly had thought she was too keyed up to sleep, but she zonked out the minute her head finally hit her pillow. And awoke bright and eager, full of energy.
This is the first day of the rest of your life, she told her smiling image in the lavatory mirror. You’re going to be a famous woman, Nadia. Time to start looking the part.
As she dressed she told the phone on her night table to make an appointment with Kris Cardenas as early this morning as possible. Within seconds the phone confirmed that Dr. Cardenas would see her anytime before noon, in her laboratory.
Glancing at the digital clock readout on the phone’s screen, Wunderly realized it was already well past nine. You’ve overslept, she berated herself. Then she grinned. So what? I’m entitled.
Negroponte woke late, also. Habib was still sound asleep beside her, snoring softly.
Nadia was right, the biologist told herself, as she slipped out of her bed. Don’t send him signals and wait for him to interpret them. Be direct. Be honest.
And most of all, she thought, get to him before anyone else does. Especially Nadia.
She was toweling off after her shower when she heard Habib’s voice from the bedroom. “I … I have to go.”
“Come in,” Negroponte said, sliding back the lavatory door. “I’m decent,” she added with a wolfish grin, as she tucked the towel around her.