The Monkey and Squirrel fight for freedom. (15 page)

cycling continuously, with his web cam permanently on a motion trigger we should catch him on video. We're not recording on an open link, it is downloaded to the old server in the building which is parallel connected to the new secure one. We think as a back up and it doesn't show up on the system register, we can access it any time, the recording should be triggered by the opening of the door.” explained Chatty.

“You're sure then?” asked Tman.

“As much as I can be of anything Tman”

“OK I look forward to the show, if George can't keep quiet the media will have some fun with it and him. He just can't help getting up peoples noses, he never learns, his contempt for other viewpoints and people just grates on the nerves, even with people that mostly agree with him, he ploughs on regardless.” signed Tman.

“Don't worry we'll keep you posted with the highlights as you don't have the time to trawl the net for it. It'll be on the earth watch highlights page of our net as most of us don't have the time either, apart from those who's job it is. Even without the media being involved, there will be quite a circus within the security world. As those groups monitoring your friends belong to different organisations and when their tracers lead back to Homeland Security. Homeland Security will detect them and will backtrack the traces, so a huge but covert row will erupt.” explained Chatty.

“Could it backfire on us?” asked Tman anxiously.

“It already has, they have diverted extra resources to finding us and repulsing an attack from space. The Chinese fain amusement but are fitting powerful lasers to all their space assets on a just in case someone start something basis. Who would have thought an e-mail to old friends could start such an avalanche of paranoid activity.” answered Chatty.

“We should be careful, otherwise they may start fighting each other, if they can't find us, it looks like they're spoiling for a fight. Frustrated politicians and generals are a bad combination, they need a distraction.” signed Tman.

“Our joke has gone down like a lead balloon and could set off an unstable bomb.” observed Chatty.

“We need to give them a distraction without exposing ourselves I wonder, I'll give it some thought. Can you think of anything?” asked Tman.

“Nothing from the problem solving machine?”

“Not so far.”

“Why are you bothered, do you really think your e-mail started this upset?” asked Chatty.

“It's not our fault, but it's become an excuse for action, the suspicion and paranoia feed each other. If they have a war it'll be our fault as far as they are concerned, afterwards the remnants will get together to come after us for revenge!” signed Tman.

“Their national decisions follow a set pattern of escalation, afterwards when the dust settles, they'll need a villain to blame so they can make peace with each other and we’re ready made fall guys.” observed Chatty.

“Every time, unless enough influential statesmen stand up and say stop, it carries on like a runaway train until the inevitable happens.” signed Tman the student of history.

Chapter 13

Butterfly’s wings or unintended consequences

How the e-mail was received depended on the recipient. Knowledge was delighted to get a reply, not happy about being spied on, shocked with the news about Plumber. He recognised the thanks for the Terra-forming supplies was an up yours to security. Loved the video of the core park, then got lost in the plans for the interstellar ship.

Sparks was surprised Lad (Tman) knew about the monitoring, and even more surprised when he checked the e-mails origin. Homeland Security, lad was really taking the piss. How the hell had they found out about Plumber, he himself had only been able to find out Plumber was ill, not how badly. There couldn't be much the New people didn't know about, that they wanted to know. The core park was very impressive it was looking good, he hadn't realised those habitats were that big.

Elf could just imagine the others reactions as he read though it. He enjoyed the video of the core park, appreciated the health and safety issues encountered when building it. The actions taken to counter them, showing Lad had learnt well. Elf was relieved Lad knew about the monitoring, Elf's security system automatically flagged the origin point of his e-mails. The use of a Homeland Security computer showed how confident of being untraceable they were, he hoped that confidence wasn't misplaced. The news about Plumber was unsettling but he knew it could have been any or even all of them. Elf tried to imagine copping with the cancer load Lad was dealing with and shuddered.

The security organisations had checked the moon station for hacked computers, all had come up clean, and that was very disturbing. When the next e-mail arrived from a Homeland Security computer, it sent their paranoia into overdrive. The contents sent them screaming up the wall, especially the attachment listing all of the monitoring organisations, names of the officers involved, with their chains of command. Accompanied by a list of complaint procedures and ways of claiming compensation from said organisations.

George made a right exhibition of himself, when the video of his reaction to the screen saver appeared on U-tube, his face went a very funny colour.

Once those security organisations had calmed down to merely seething with anger, they started examining the e-mail for any scrap of intelligence they could find. When looking at the plans for the interstellar ship, they realised they needed an expert to decide what it actually was, there was only one. Jimmy and to get him they would have to ask the Chinese, they decided to pass that one to the politicians; as everyone knows politicians have no shame, so ideal. 

Homeland Security had been informed as a matter of professional courtesy. So they started by interviewing George who behaved in his usual way so they locked him up until he would answer questions rationally. The computer was quantum scanned, all they found was bits of the deleted e-mail, no evidence of where it came from. Next they did the same to the network and eventually found the old open server still with the web post from George's web cam. It spelt out Georges involvement, with his history it was not hard to work out why he had been targeted, but it was another couple of days before they let him go, he had been very annoying.

So most security organisations, now knew the monkeys were spying though e-coms, how was obvious when you thought about it. Those monkeys had maintained around eighty percent of all satellites, for the seventeen years they had been working in orbit. Undoubtedly installing their own access in of them during that time.

There followed a period of frantic physical checks to see if any more old servers were connected to their 'secure networks', they were aghast at the number of old but reliable servers that had been used to stop the cutting edge ones crashing when they wobbled. They also found that every security organisation was spying on all others, but that wasn't a surprise.

Jimmy was having an uncomfortable interview with his boss and the station head of security.

“Jimmy you recently introduced a new inspection routine, for the habitats can you tell us why?” asked his boss.

“I received a suggestion from a friend of a friend, of a possibility of fatigue failure on the engine damper mounts. I reviewed the design with this in mind, the engine would have to run continuously for thousands of hours before a problem could develop. But then I realised they had, and updated the maintenance schedule. Instituting strain gauge monitoring of that area and a physical inspection after every five hundred hours of engine run time.” answered Jimmy.

“We see, your first concern was for the well being of the habitats, do you know origin of this recommendation?” asked the boss.

“Only that it, came from someone with experience of maintaining habitats. Personally I only know of one other group currently operating them, how they made contact I can only guess.” replied Jimmy.

“You didn't perhaps find a way to ask them for advice? your admiration for them is well known.” asked the boss.

“I wouldn't have had a clue.” replied Jimmy.

“Now you do?”

“Just use the same route they did to contact me, obviously.” said Jimmy 

“So you can think of no reason, that your home nation wants you back to consult on a matter of some urgency?” this time it was security who spoke, his quiet presence had just been uncomfortable until now.

“None what soever, do you have any ideas?” Jimmy said discomfort making room for fear.

“You have no need to be fearful, as much as it would amuse us to grant you political asylum, I doubt you will need it.” with that he explained about the e-mails from space and the fallout from them.

“A high level political approach had been made, requesting you be return to your country to consultant on a matter of some importance.” said security.

“Did they tell you about the e-mails?” asked Jimmy.

“Of course not, we spy on them, as they spy on us, it is traditional, not to do so is a sign of disrespect.” explained security.

“I'm being politically naïve again, engineering is so elegant and beautiful, politics is so often just an irrational mess of contradictions, prejudice and vested interests.” said Jimmy.

“That's why you choose a public naivety, but you do know more about politics than you claim. Copies of the e-mail have been forwarded to you; it’s the second one we believe they want to consult you on.

When you have given all your opinions and speculations to us, from the emails and attached documents, you can then go and do the same for your government. The trouble with leaving it up to spies to transmit information, things can go dangerously wrong. There is far too much international tension at the moment; it is inadvisable for us to indulge ourselves. There is no benefit of any sort if armed conflict occurs, we are all lose whoever comes out on top.” finished security.

Now Jimmy's boss spoke

“We will grant you paid leave of absence, for your visit to your nation, for the duration of the consultation. They are unlikely to compensate you for lost pay, England expects every man to do his duty and all that. If you have trouble returning, just ask our embassy for help, we have lots of work for you here. The three arrays we have already completed have enabled us to close our worst five coal fired power stations. Air quality is already improving noticeably!”

“I'd better make a start.” said a less nervous Jimmy.

“We'll not detain you further, deliver your report to me alone.” said the security man.

Feeling dismissed Jimmy left, he didn't like the way the security man said detained and typical of security at no point had he been told the man's name.

Unlike most people he did have a general knowledge of World history, mostly the high and low points of the last two hundred years; so he knew what could happen, when governments regarded someone as inconvenient. The problem was, he didn't know which government was likely to so regard him, it could be either or both.

After a cup of tea, Jimmy looked at his e-mail and was soon totally absorbed, time disappeared until a call of nature forced him away, he was surprised at how late it was. He stuffed his notes into a folder and went to bed. In the morning, he had a message from his boss telling him to delegate all his work to his subordinates; the e-mails were to have his full attention. So after breakfast he set to, it took less than an hour to delegate. His team was already up to speed and accepted their new tasks readily, having being pre-briefed by security they asked no questions.

Jimmy first read his notes from the night before with a cup of tea, putting them in order. In some cases expanding or combining them on a fresh note pad, double spaced for fresh amendments and additions. Once the preparation was done, it was time to look afresh. The plans although lacking detail were a work of beauty, it was a type of engine equipped habitat, the engine mounts looked like they could take punishment for centuries.

The accommodation space was small, the fuel bunkers were huge, security had edited out all labels just leaving the dimensions, they actually wanted an open mind this time.

He pondered, those bays at the ends were obviously for small craft, suddenly he smiled to himself. Remembering his fights of fantasy he had as a young man, building space habitats, going to the outer planets and beyond. Nearly every one he told, telling him he was a mad dreamer, but here he was building habitats and other space infrastructure.

His smile grew bigger, this was a very long range exploration vessel, those sail like things around the body must be ram scoops to collect interstellar hydrogen to feed the engine. Those structures had been throwing him, solar sails were only useful inside Neptune’s orbit. Going further out than that you need a greater acceleration than they could provide to get anywhere in less than a life time.

As an interstellar ship it made sense, so with this insight and a fresh cup, he looked again, yes now he could see how it all worked together. That engine design looked a bit strange, if he didn't know better he'd say that was a fusion drive like in the SF he read as a boy. But it didn't look like any ion drive he had seen, he needed to consult someone, it would have to be Dodgy Dave engine specialist. So called as some times he appeared to be a bit beyond the cutting edge, but he was the most likely to see what was there without rationalising it away or dismissing it as a hoax.

Without another thought he connected to Dodgy Dave and asked what do you think of this engine design? Just sending him the engine plans. While he waited, it was time for another cup of tea, then picking at the rest of the plans see how it fitted together and worked as a unit. Comparing it with what he knew of their other constructs, calling up the analyses of the vessels that returned to the asteroids, both were capable of much higher acceleration than the habitats or the old stations.

Those stations had reached a pretty good velocity to get out to the asteroid mines in nine months, pieces fell together in his mind. They’re not based at Jupiter to much radiation, it's got to be Saturn, I think I'll keep that thought to myself. He carried on making organised notes, with a fresh cup whenever required, until suddenly, an excited Dodgy Dave was at his door.

“Hello Dave, have you got your interpretation for me?” Jimmy asked.

“Have I! Either someone has made tremendous advances, or it's one of the best damn hoaxes ever, in either case I'm mad I'm not involved.” said Dave.

“So tell me, what do you think?” demanded Jimmy eagerly.

“Apart from this must be what security has got you working on. Someone has designed a fusion drive. Fusion provides the energy and extremely high energy particles which are focused and accelerated out at very near light speed. Even with the tenuous mater in interplanetary space, the exhaust plume could be a thousand miles long.” ventured Dave.

“So it could actually work then?” asked Jimmy.

“If that fusion reactor works, the rest of it is fairly standard. Add in ram scoops you've got the basics of an interstellar ship that refuels itself while its velocity is high enough.” answered Dave.

“Thanks Dave you have confirmed my own thoughts, how do we find out if that reactor is real is the big question, who do we ask?” asked Jimmy.

“I'm stuck there, it doesn’t look like any of the designs I've seen, but then even the best of them only just achieves a net energy gain. It looks a bit like a laser compression type, does it have lasers?” asked Dave.

“I don't know for certain but there are two hundred and sixteen objects equally distant around the sphere, with cabling channels and servo motors for each one.” replied Jimmy.

“I think that makes it more likely to be real, that number while it would be pure hell to set up, could actually make it work. I can't work out how they get the energy from the reaction, the way it's constructed suggests some form of radiation absorption. I couldn't say so publicly, it would make me Mad Dave and Dodgy has done my career more than enough harm.” optioned Dave.

“So your vote is for real then?” Jimmy asked.

“Yes, as is yours, I'd guess. But you know what most experts will say, not possible with current technology. The safe 'no egg on the face' response, no one wants to be thought a fantasiser, a career killer in the science world. So please only refer to me as an independent consultant, don't mention my name if you take this out of this room.” replied Dave.