A Hop, Skip and a Jump (Family Law Book 4) Read online

  "We need to go to Fargone and talk to Admiral Hawking," Lee said suddenly, with a very determined expression.

  "That would not be especially difficult," Gordon agreed. "The High Hopes is coming in soon. We can take her to Fargone. They will be more comfortable if I visit with an explorer than a heavy cruiser. I seem to make them . . . nervous. In fact, it might be desirable timing to do so right now to get away from this mob of Badger officials. They are driving me crazy. But why this sudden change of subject? Why do you wish to see Admiral Hawking?"

  "Not a change at all," Lee said with a dismissive wave. "Hawking is the highest Fargone official we know. April said they had life extension for Fargone citizens. They have very tight, closed, immigration policies. Well I believe it's time they formalize their relationship with us. We certainly played along with him to allow both their ships and spox to accompany us. We're rich, we're assets. We're not refugees or beggars hoping for a handout. Why shouldn't they grant us citizenship? They should be pleased. Then we'll have a nearby resource for life extension tech. No reason for us to invent everything from scratch for you here at Derfhome. Bonus too! Maybe you wouldn't scare the snot out of the Fargoer navy if you were a citizen. Do you really think Hawking is going to turn you down? Maybe his superiors will have to be persuaded, but he'll back us."

  "Now there's an attractive proposal if I ever heard one," Gordon admitted. "Should we send a drone message ahead?"

  "No," Lee decided, frowning. "That makes it too easy to say no from afar. Let's just turn up there at his door, and if he won't speak to us we'll find somebody else who will. But I think he will."

  Chapter 3

  "Yes, we'd love to conference with you," Gordon agreed pleasantly. It was a polite lie. "However my daughter and I need to run to Fargone for a few days on other business."

  Lee always got suspicious when Gordon sounded so charming. It wasn't natural. She wished she could hear the other end of that conversation, or at least see the screen, because he took it on his hand pad. It would be just a little too obvious to run around and peer over his shoulder, especially since she'd have to stand on a chair to do that.

  "Yes, yes, we do have a life . . . "Gordon jabbed gently, to let the Badger know the universe didn't revolve around him."We need to see if the Fargoers are willing to do some mutual research with us in the biological sciences. It'll all be very public since we publish all contracts on Derfhome. We have an amazing set of new organisms from our explorations, and have become aware of some interesting advances at the Human home world we wish to share. The Fargoers certainly have the wealth to invest, and mutual goals I think. They're handy to us too, unlike the Earthies."

  All that was true, but framed in a very misleading way, Lee thought. For example, which way the sharing would be assumed to flow. It was instructive watching Gordon schmooze and control the discourse, even only hearing his side. A computer stress and inflection analysis would show he believed everything he said. Well, except any pleasure at conferencing with them, but that could be excused as diplomacy. Gordon thought meetings were an utterly boring waste of time, and the chances they would be productive went down in direct proportion to the number of participants. It just might not be what his listener believed the same words meant.

  "To make your wait productive, why don't you form a good solid list of the benefits you wish to derive from our Claims Administration once the Exploratory Association fully forms it? Now is your opportunity to help shape it into something that will serve you as well as us when it is just being developed. That's always easier than changing it later.

  "You may surprise us with some things we wouldn't have thought to offer, and you can decide what sort of fees you think reasonable for everyone. We certainly intend to charge Derf, Human, Badger and all the others the same. It would cause an outrage otherwise," Gordon assured him smoothly.

  Gordon listened a little while and frowned. "I keep getting confused. One day I think Talker is likely to be taken home in chains, disgraced, and the next day you are asking if I'd use him to help formulate this agreement. Absolutely, I would. But I can't tell you who to trust and employ. It's your culture and government, you know what is proper by your own laws and custom. We're getting closer to understanding all the time but I won't deceive myself that we feel the same things when we talk.

  "My take on Talker is he has made wonderful progress understanding the idiomatic use of English. Now, English is a second language for me too, but I've lived with humans for decades. He also seems to have grasped many of the cultural assumptions behind the language. I know that unless you cut him off from contact with us, I'm going to use him for us, to help us understand Badgers. He's helped us understand Bills and others too. I think you'd be foolish to throw away his experience with Humans and Derf, but I can't tell you what to do. You'll have to do what serves your own needs by Badger standards, not mine."

  "By all means, go down to Derfhome while we are gone, and get a feel for the place. There's a substantial human population. You can meet Humans of all social strata, and see how they interact with Derf. That will probably tell you more about both of us than dealing with one race alone," Gordon predicted.

  "Alright, we'll speak in a few days. No need to send any dispatches to Fargone. We'll be near coming back before they'd catch up, they're ridiculously expensive, and we'll be too busy to give them the attention they merit anyway," Gordon enumerated.

  "What a flaming idiot," Gordon said after he terminated the call.

  "Each species seems to have the full spectrum of idiots," Lee said, resigned to it.

  "It's almost like a rule, we each seem plagued with a minimum allotment," Gordon agreed.

  "Hope that we never meet a cold emotionless race driven by ruthless logic," Lee decided. "They'd hate us all and refuse to deal with us, if not simply decide to exterminate us all."

  "Write it up," Gordon suggested, "as a novel or a screenplay. I always thought that telling stories must beat working for a living."

  "It's too depressing. That's even worse than the sort of tragedy we discussed because of Gabriel. I searched the idea on the net, and was surprised to find out there's an actual expression for it – unrequited love. If I write something it's going to be happy," Lee vowed.

  "I've heard that expression before. But I'm not sure where," Gordon admitted, "from Shakespeare maybe? It does seem like a good theme for a pity party."

  "So Talker is easing back in their good graces?" Lee asked of his call.

  "Who knows? Timilo is like a light shuttle, with one thruster stuck on," Gordon said, and made a wild corkscrew motion in the air with one finger.

  * * *

  When they departed for Fargone the Caterpillar ship didn't follow. That was a relief since its presence shadowing them made everyone uncomfortable. The trip was totally uneventful. Fargone hadn't changed visibly in a year. However, their perception of it had changed a lot. Their restrictive immigration policies, and strict screening even for visitors, made more sense now that Gordon and Lee had visited Central and had it explained to them that Fargone, like Central and Home at Sol, had life extension therapy – for citizens.

  Before, it seemed unnecessarily controlling, perhaps even repressive, but with their new knowledge it just seemed smart and vital to their long-term survival.

  The divide between Earth, where life extension was outlawed and suppressed, if not outright demonized, and the space powers that embraced it, touched every aspect of life. Planning on a much longer life changed attitudes on more than personal relationships. It colored what risk one would accept in business, in safety, and in investments. It made terraforming a world something that could see a payoff within your own lifetime, not something for your great-great-grandchildren.

  In the case of Fargone it meant that slowing down population growth was more important than a quick return on investment and expanding land use as fast as possible for maximum returns. Exactly opposite of the program the Claims Commission on Earth pursued, that ma
ximized the flow of wealth from new worlds into the Earth economy.

  It meant excluding the sort of political factions found on Earth that rapid immigration would import. Their self-interest now was to keep a majority of people with life extension and a very conservative political climate that would allow them to slowly build a world and government that suited their needs.

  Organic population increases would give them as much growth as they wanted, so they could be very picky about immigrants. They needed people offering unique skills or abilities. The default choice when in any doubt seemed to be to reject applicants.

  That was all very agreeable to Gordon and Lee, as long as they were on the short list to be accepted.

  They docked and made arrangements for their ship. It was a measure of how comfortable they felt at Fargone that they took a local commercial shuttle down. They didn't take a security detail or feel the need of their own shuttle as a line of retreat. Everything from the dock access to the automated taxi that took them to their hotel was clean and efficient. To Lee it was a contrast with the shabbiness of Earth.

  Admiral Serendipity Duvochek Hawking agreed to see them without demanding an agenda. That bode well, but they were surprised to be told to come over immediately although it was past local noon. A day or two wait would not have surprised them. They were escorted to a comfortable small room, with nothing overtly military on the walls, and no desk or wall screens out and ready to be used. Not his office they'd been received in before their voyage. That suggested he was receiving them as personal guests rather than officially. That didn't speak as well for their purposes.

  "The Admiral is on a call, but instructed me to make you comfortable, and said he won't be long. May I get you any refreshment?" the fellow asked. His name tag said Kindly Jefferson after the strange Fargoer manner of naming. Neither of them knew exactly the young man's position or title. He didn't seem to have rank tabs and his necklace looked decorative. Was he an aide or secretary? But what did it matter?

  "A coffee will do nicely," Gordon allowed.

  "Coffee is good, make it a mocha if you have it," Lee requested.

  The man nodded and departed the room. Lee had no idea if that nod meant yes or no. She'd drink whatever he brought. She and Gordon said nothing, looking around the room, both too unsure of their privacy to chat idly and accidentally give too much away.

  They had their drinks and were left alone. Lee had no doubt if she called out someone would come. The Fargoers tended to heavy furniture and leather. She liked that, but had seen what vacuum exposure did to leather. She thought about it and made a note on her pad to explore what sort of treatment would protect it. If they were snooping on her it had to be disappointing.

  When Serendipity arrived, it was through a different door than the one they'd entered. Lee caught a glace and saw the rear of a desk. It might be the office where they'd talked before.

  The Admiral didn't offer a handshake or other contact, just sat down heavily on a big chair facing them. He seemed a bit frazzled.

  "Did we come at a bad time?" Lee asked, politely

  "There's never a good time anymore," Serendipity said with a dismissive wave. "I'm near the point of telling them all to go to the Devil and take my retirement. I probably should have done so four years ago when I qualified, but it's hard to step aside when you still have a hand in and can influence things."

  Gordon was shocked at his blunt assessment to outsiders, but Lee took advantage of it.

  "Oh good, that makes our request easier," Lee said, putting on a pleased face at his revelation.

  Serendipity for his part was still skeptical enough to be cautious at her sudden pleasure.

  "Ha! If you're here to recruit me in my retirement, you'll find my demands dear," he warned her.

  "I don't want to be accused of trying to bribe you," Lee said carefully. "But if you were free, I'd love to have you sitting in the command chair of a heavy cruiser on our next voyage of exploration. I remember the hammer on your desk. I don't believe they give those away to nut lovers, to make cracking a snack easier."

  "Perhaps a few enemy heads," Serendipity allowed. "I've been piloting that desk long enough a starship bridge would be a vacation. Not to mention I'm aware all our crew who signed on with you came back with shares that will make them very wealthy. But I wasn't aware you had a spare heavy cruiser in need of crew."

  "If I need another I'll buy it," Lee said, to remind him she had the means to do that. "Or commission Gordon to steal it for me."

  That got a smile. He could well imagine that happening, given Gordon's reputation.

  "What do I have to do to ingratiate myself to you that thoroughly?" Serendipity asked, his face still firmly skeptical. "You should be aware I put Fargone ahead of my own welfare or treasure."

  "Of course, I assume you took oaths. I wouldn't propose anything that isn't advantageous to both Fargone and us. But sometimes people can be slow to see their own advantage, and they must be informed," Lee said.

  This wasn't at all how Gordon intended to present their case. But Lee seemed to have piqued Hawking's interest, so he sat back and let her talk.

  "Our agreeing to have your ship and spox accompany us was beneficial, wasn't it?" Lee asked.

  "It did us no harm," Serendipity agreed. "Although I'd like my heavy cruiser Murphy's Law back in our service, and not off several months voyage away from home."

  "But your captain saw the value of staying, and they are establishing a relationship with an entire multi-species star traveling culture on behalf of Fargone. They are there making advances in communications and learning better what items of trade will be desired. You are going to be positioned far better than any of the other worlds in the Human sphere to take advantage of that. Even better than Derfhome, because we don't have the ships to take full advantage of the discovery."

  "True, but you should be over selling these things to Commerce," Serendipity said. "I'm concerned with defense and those things are outside my deep interest, or the mandate of my office."

  "Oh, perhaps we should have taken a freighter and traders along, instead of a war ship and a government spox," Lee said.

  "At the time, there was less certainty," Serendipity said, a little irritated at her jab. "We always want to eliminate the possibility of threats before we worry about profits. But now I see no need to continue sending warships to the Badgers and their friends. I can't see them as a threat from what I've read of your reports. However, if you go haring off in a new direction into the unknown I'd do the same again."

  "Fair enough, but you do allow we've been good allies?" Lee asked.

  "Yes, but we've certainly carried our weight too," Serendipity reminded her. "We put forces into the Derfhome system to protect your interests, even though the Red Tree Mothers wouldn't make explicit requests for our aid. There were those who wanted to withdraw and see how they handled it if the North Americans got aggressive with them again."

  "That was an act of friendship," Lee agreed. "It served the North Americans and other Earthies as well. Perhaps better than us, even if that wasn't your intent."

  "How so?" Serendipity asked, scowling.

  "The Mothers stood ready to wipe most of North America, certainly the most important parts, down to the bedrock. They don't play at war," Lee reminded him.

  "If you actually did that, I don't know how we could ever feel safe while Red Tree existed."

  "You mean you wouldn't consider that an option if Earth seriously threatened your existence? Lee asked. She managed to look sincerely unbelieving.

  "I couldn't discuss that," Serendipity admitted.

  "Don't be hypocritical with me," Lee said. "You just have a harder time seeing that as a possibility. You have more ships, and an entire planet. But if the North Americans nuked Capital City here, the entire district around it, you'd lose what, twenty percent of your population, effectively all your government, and most of the critical industry? I can't believe you'd let that pass without striking back."


  "Yes, there are contingency plans for such things," Serendipity admitted. "There are after all contingency plans for just about anything you can imagine. Although there are a range of responses prepared and updated continuously, all far short of wiping out the entire continent, starting with just a local strike removing Vancouver and decapitating their government."

  "You have the assets to afford that luxury," Lee said with a shrug. "You have room to escalate. The Mothers have doubts they would get more than one strike through, so they would need to make sure they removed the danger at once. I've made that less likely by offering them an island on Providence, so Red Tree has more than one location. It makes North American aggression less likely, if they have to eliminate multiple locations simultaneously. We haven't talked about it, but I'm sure the Mothers appreciated your protection. However, asking for it would make them effectively Fargoer vassals."

  "Hmm... Perhaps," Serendipity allowed. "I can see where they'd feel that way from their perspective, even if it wasn't our intent."

  "We'd like to continue to have closer relations with Fargone. Red Tree is the strongest Derf clan in space, and confidentially, we expect it to take a lead in change to bring all of Derfhome into wider contact with the interstellar community," Lee revealed.

  "Well, that was sweetly said," Serendipity said. "Is this going to be gradual or should I expect a revolution on Derfhome?"

  "The war with North America made the Mothers aware they must deal with the outside world. Negotiating a treaty with North America was very instructive. They also have a new Third Mother who has made them aware of inequalities on Derfhome itself. They intend to move toward integrating the city dwellers and traders into the law and customs of the Keeps. They know the change has to be on both sides. I'm confident this will actually prevent any need of revolution," Lee told him. "We heard these things when we last visited Red Tree without instigating them ourselves, though we'll support them."