Bootstrap Colony 5 Snippet 1

 Here we go!

Chapter1

 

MitchChambers, president of the Bootstrap Colony was getting heartily tired ofpolitics. It was a series of endless meetings that talked subjects to deathwithout really getting anything done. And trying to keep it all straight was achore.

Fortunately,he had only 2 weeks left before he and his pilot Jacklynn Smith departed forspace and their own world once more.

Theyhadn’t made much headway on the various fronts and agendas he’d set for them. Goals,he reminded himself. The asteroid, trade, immigration, and so on.

Thingswere moving faster now that he’d made it clear that it was a hard deadline.People were starting to actually pay attention to it. He was serious. The hilland certain parties seemed to focus better when there was a hard deadline. Whatwas the line about the prospect of a hanging focusing one’s attention? Hesnorted softly to himself.

Hesometimes wondered why they’d come to Earth at all. Oh yeah, the asteroid, andyeah, kicking humanity into the next phase of their civilization. Hell, ifthey just kept the asteroid from hitting it would be a miracle at this stage,he mused darkly.

Whenthey had arrived in orbit they’d made contact with the International SpaceStation. It had taken a lot of negotiating to get them to the ground safely.But after that the plan had been derailed for a bit as they’d been isolated andpoked and prodded. Certain authorities had made it clear that they were nolonger in control of the situation and that they wouldn’t honor the agreementsthey’d made.

Mitchhowever had an ace up his sleeve, the alien constructs called Memes that hadbrought him back to Earth.

TheMemes looked like flying squid jellyfish. Glowing ones, some tiny, someginormous. The one that was assigned to their mission had a tongue twistingname. He just called it MRE.

TheMemes were ancient alien AI energy beings that were programmed to bring floraand fauna under threat of extinction to a series of alien terraformed worlds.The colony worlds had near circular continents with different populations ofspecies on them.

Througha bit of luck and some shrewd guess work, hell, a lot of it related to hisbackground as a Sci-Fi nerd he had accurately identified what they were. Indoing so he had triggered a new program in the Memes and he and his people hadbeen reclassed as Inheritors. They were now helping him and the humans on thecolony he had tentatively labeled Bootstrap.

Whatthey were helping with was still in flux. Obviously moving back and forthbetween Earth and the colony was one big thing. But they had their limits.

Beforehe had left he had given Bob as much power and money as he had left over inorder to warn the population and get them to act. Bob had managed to get histransit recorded by the media. The major media networks had scoffed at it.

Boband his family had unfortunately died in a car accident so he couldn’t push theissue and get mankind mobilized. But he had managed to get certain parties toactually find the damn rock and do something about it.

Sofar they had tried three times and failed. It was becoming something of arunning joke. Which was one reason Mitch was there.

Mitch hadrealized he had to do something to resurrect his old company in order to lookout for his colony’s interests. He had ended up hiring Perry Jackson torepresent their interests and get things back on track. He sat down with Perryand his assistants for an afternoon and outlined their objectives.

Perry waskeen on stopping the asteroid of course, and was professionally interested inmoving people. But he warned that they had a lot of legal and technical hurdlesto cross. “Legal as in getting you legal immunity. Full diplomatic immunity,not the paper they gave you.”

Mitchfrowned.

“And then theother things to shield you and the company from liability. After that we canget into the nuts and bolts about how to fund that station you want, and set upa balance of trade.”

Mitch nodded.“One thing at a time I guess.”

“So, threethousand… nine hundred and seven people allowed? Why that number?” Perry asked.

“Not my call.The Memes told us that. It is based on the original number of people theybrought over. They brought ten thousand, only three thousand three hundred andtwenty-one of us survived. Since then we’ve had some kids born, and well… theywill allow that cap to ten grand. I’m hoping to change it, but we’ll see.”

Perry noddedand made a note.

“Still onthat subject, everyone who wants to apply has to pass a series of medicalchecks by them. Again,” he spread his hands apart in supplication. “Not mycall. Assumption, it is to make sure those that come over are viable for astable population and so on.”

“Not passingon bad genes?”

“Something tothat effect I believe.” Mitch nodded.

“Right,”Perry made another note. “On the subject of Ryans Corporation…”

Mitch cockedhis head.

“I’d tread carefully.”

Mitch nodded.“Anything in particular I should watch for? Land mines?”

“Oh tons,”Perry said as he sat back. “There is a shadow corporation, a series of shellcompanies that no one can trace. They bought up Ryans Corporation. All of thepublicly available stock I mean.”

Mitch frownedthoughtfully. After a moment he nodded.

“Beyond that,most people try not to get too nosy.”

“Ah?”

“They are thesort of people that do not play nice with being in the spotlight.”

“Cockroachesdo tend to scurry when you shine a light on them,” Mitch growled. In his mindhe was picturing giant centipedes like those he’d encountered in the backcaverns of his base a few times.

He had to bewary of them too. They too bit and could kill a person very easily. “Can youdig into them a bit? And their story?”

Perrygrimaced but then nodded. “You aren’t going public right?”

“Hell no. Notif I can help it. We’re big about being independent. Scrappy and independent,”Mitch replied with a sniff.

Perry nodded.“Good to know. I’ll look around. But quietly.”

“Thanks. Igenerally tend to look before I leap whenever possible.”

Perry gavehim a look and then snorted slightly.

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