Rogue Command (The Kalahari Series) (59 page)

CHAPTER 33

Memories of a Tropical Paradise

Moon Base Andromeda – Residential Unit 103
15 December 2055 – 11 months later

“Richard, there’s an eDiction from the Veloudis Fertility Clinic in Paris, asking if you would consider joining their donor programme again next year. I remember you mentioned something about this but you never told me that you had been there.” Rachel was speaking from the kitchen.

“Didn’t I? I thought I did,” replied Richard from the lounge, where he was playfully bouncing a young child on his knee.

“Well you didn’t. So tell me about it.” Rachel put her head around the door.

“When I attended the joint debrief and wash-up in the ISSF Headquarters – last January, towards the end of the month, if I remember correctly. It seemed an ideal opportunity. I took the train from Strasbourg to Paris. I was there for the afternoon along with forty other volunteers. There was a lengthy screening process and they eventually selected twenty-one of us for the donation programme. The advice I received was helpful to us, too, Rachel – if you recall. They told me that there were no physical problems as far as I was concerned. We had to relax . . . try at the time they specified in your cycle . . . it worked, didn’t it?”

Rachel stepped into the doorway and shrugged. “I recall something of it I suppose.” She walked across to the sofa, sat down next to Richard and smiled at the baby between sips of green tea taken from a white plastic mug. Richard put a hand gently on hers.

“By nature, the programme is completely anonymous,” he said in a reassuring way. “The donors’ identities are coded; the names are not available – let alone ever used. The samples are frozen; apparently they can last for a few months. The selection process is entirely random. You know that. Anyway, I was happy to do it – I felt I was helping someone in some way – as much as I possibly could within the constraints of our . . . Well, anyway, I’m unlikely to participate again – the logistics of it are too difficult.”

Rachel shrugged. “I understand; let’s not talk about it again – okay?”

“Forgotten . . .” replied Richard.

Andromeda Flight HQ – the next day
10:37 Lunar Corrected Time

“Richard! Peter Rothschild here . . . caught you in your office for once.”

“I like to be hands-on, Peter, as you know – not stuck behind a desk all day.”

“Yes, quite.”

“Anyway, how is London?”

“Much as always. No improvement in the weather, I’m afraid, and the exodus to subsurface living continues apace. At least we have enough electricity for everyone these days.”

“The new consignment of crystals – I heard about them.”

“Operating well above expectation – very good news I have to say. They seem to have a great deal more latent energy than the originals.”

“I don’t think that’s surprising, Peter. Not if you consider the role the original crystals played in our history . . . Eridu, Babylon, Atlantis, the Colossus of Rhodes, powering the
Star of Hope
 . . .”

“Good point! Yes!” Rothschild paused thoughtfully. “Listen, I have some news for you. The planned expansion of the Martian colony has finally been approved by the ISSF Council. They expect to quadruple the Osiris Base real estate in the next three years and the expansion will continue from there. They are planning a population of ten-thousand by the end of the decade and one-hundred-thousand by twenty-seventy. With the rejuvenation of the Elysium plantations, food production appears limitless – they are even talking of aerating the atmosphere again. Perhaps we all might move there one day.”

“Nice thought, Peter, but I know you only too well. You wouldn’t call just to tell me that. There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Yes indeed,” said Rothschild after a silent pause. “The Space Federation has already started recruiting. Your name has been mentioned – as a preferred candidate no less. I’m to inform you that there is a managerial position on the first wave – if you want it, of course.”

“Go on.”

“As Director of Surveying and Land Acquisition – you always wanted your old job back and so did Rachel. The position of Chief Medical Officer is coming up, too. I know Rachel has never really settled over there. There is nothing for her on the Moon, she told me that only recently.”

Richard shrugged. “Land acquisition . . . so it starts all over again – will we ever learn?”

“Hopefully we will do it better this time.”

“Another nice thought.”

“The Prime Minister has agreed to release you from your reserve duties with MI9, and the Federation has made it clear to me that you are their first choice. No one else with your level of experience it seems. The job’s there if you want it. Two months to pack.”

“What about Thomas?”

“That’s just it – part of the deal. They want families with young children – babies over fourteen weeks can travel.”

Richard paused and considered the implications. “Is it a one-way ticket, Peter? Be honest.”

“They want permanent colonists, and that’s the reality of it. I suspect it is, Richard, yes.”

“Then we will take it!”

Later the same morning

“Commander Reece . . . Lieutenant Oliver here. I’m the Duty Officer on the front desk. You’ve another call from Earth – this time it’s on the private net.”

“Okay, thanks Peter, I can take it now. Who is it, do you know?”

“Didn’t say, sir.”

“Okay, put it through . . . Hello there, Richard Reece.”

“
Effendi
, it is I, Asharf Makkoum. I call from Cairo.”

“Asharf! What a surprise. Are you well . . . ? Madame Vallogia?”

“All is well,
Effendi
, very well. I have news!”

“News! What news? Go on!”

“I know Madame Vallogia would never call you, not even with such joy. Her pride and dignity would not allow it. So I call to tell you myself – it is our secret,
Effendi
.”

“Yes, of course. What is it Asharf . . . ?”

“The fertility treatment Madame was undergoing in Paris – it was a success. This morning Madame had a child . . . all is well . . . and there are no marks.
Effendi
 . . . she has a beautiful baby.”

Richard leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the wall. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“
Effendi
 . . . ? Are you there . . . ? There is more!”

“Yes, sorry . . . I’m here . . .”

“
Effendi
, it is a girl! Madame Vallogia has a daughter!”

THE END

Queen Nefertiti
An image of Queen Nefertiti taken from the famous bust by the Egyptian sculptor Thutmose

Queen Cleopatra

THE MOON

Palus Putredinis
(latin for ‘Marsh of Decay’)

Glossary

The list of special or technical words used in
Rogue Command

Abrive
- Abbreviated digital text message.

Accelercom
– Accelerated Communication System – Referenced to light speed i.e. approximately 186,282 miles per second or 300,000 kilometres per second.

ARPS
– Atomic Reaction Propulsion System – Propulsion utilising a physical law of motion i.e. ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’.

Bulkhead
– Upright partition, usually structural, in a ship or aircraft.

CIB
– Central Intelligence Bureau – Specialised intelligence operation, derived from the two principal American intelligence and investigation agencies.

Click(s)
– Colloquial for kilometre.

CMO
– Chief Medical Officer.

CMPC
– Cyan Magnetic Pulse Cannon – Close defence system using high-energy magnetic pulses.

Comms State
– Communication Security State – Refers to state of security protection and readiness.

Cosmic Chronometer
– Extremely accurate clock, time computations based on the expansion rate of the universe – “Big Bang” Theory.

Deck
– Floor/platform/walking surface on ship or aircraft.

Deckhead
– Ceiling in ship or aircraft.

DP Check
– Depressurization Check – Medical check on personnel who have experienced space suit problems on the “outside”.

Elliopherical Orbit
– A precise orbital trajectory related in percentage terms to the radius of a planet – Gravitational attraction decreases with increasing distance/percentage, from the planet’s core.

Enigma
– The most advanced spacecraft ever conceived – Utilises matter-stream propulsion. Capable of speeds referenced to that of light. Controlled by an autonomous self-aware computer called EMILY.

ESSA
– European Space & Science Agency.

Frequency
– Number of complete cycles per second, or the rate per second of a vibration constituting a wave, e.g. sound, light or radio waves.

Gamma Radiation
– Short wave electromagnetic radiation given off by the sun, usually very penetrating and dangerous to humans.

Greenwich Mean Time
– The mean solar time at the Greenwich meridian, used as the standard time in a zone that includes the British Isles.

Hatch
– Personnel door in bulkhead: usually structural, airtight, hinged and lockable.

HOD
– Head of Department.

Humatron
– Advanced robot series incorporating Level Seven Programming.

ID
– Identity – Usually in the form of an electronic tag or card.

ISSF
– International Space and Science Federation – Multinational/Global body made up of regional Space and Science Agencies.

Ks
– Colloquial term for kilometres.

Light Year
– Distance travelled by light in one year.

LCT
– Lunar Corrected time – local Moon time, referenced to Earth time and more particularly, Greenwich Mean Time.

LS
– Life Support – Essential equipment or processes used for sustaining life.

MCT
– Martian Corrected Time – Time dictated by the Martian hour, day, month and year but referenced to Earth time, and more particularly, Greenwich Mean Time.

NCO
– Non Commissioned Officer.

Portal
– Door, Entry/exit point: an opening for personnel and usually associated with space vehicles.

PTSV
– Personnel Transport and Service Vehicle – Multi-wheeled surface support vehicle.

R&R
– Rest and Recuperation.

Radio waves
– Electromagnetic waves usually less than 10 centimetres in wavelength.

RIPS
– Rockwell Illinois Plateau System – System for measuring the degree of complexity and memory capacity of a cybernetic system – has become the internationally recognised reference system.

Roger
– Form of acknowledgement, usually meaning that an order or statement has been understood.

SATCOM
– Satellite Communications

Sickbay
– A term for a medical department or small medical facility, having military origins.

Sitrep
– Situation Report – Details of an event or happening.

Spartacus
– Space station that holds its position between Earth and Mars by “sailing the solar wind” – Utilises a giant, square sail that is also a photoelectric screen.

SSA
– Space and Science Agency – Multinational but regional body i.e. European Space and Science Agency or Asian Space and Science Agency.

SSC
– Special Security Contingent – Specialist security team.

SWAT Team
– Security, Weapons and Tactical Team.

TES
– Target Enhancement System – Tracking and lock-on system for weaponry.

Thrust Levers
– Levers in cockpit controlling the thrust of an engine or rocket motor.

Sonic Pistol
– Hand held weapon utilising a massively condensed pulse of sound energy. Depending on its severity, when the pulse hits a target it destabilises the atomic structure of the target, usually resulting in severe damage.

Static Discharge
– Discharge of static electricity.

Wrist LS Controller
– Wrist mounted life support control and display instrument.

U-Semini Case
– Transportable containment system, briefcase sized and constructed to carry the Kalahari Crystals - Utilises a magnetron suspension system and enhanced Celestite protective sheath.