John Ringo - East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Linda opened her mouth and then closed it.

“You’re not joking,” was what she finally said.

“No, I am not,” June replied. “New Destiny intends to capture the ship so that they can monopolize the fuel. So are we. We hope that you will be willing to participate. In your case, you have background in the engineering tech used on the ship. Whether you participate or not, you will be kept at this facility. If you chose not to participate in the mission, we’ll still ask that you accept a support position. However, the mission positions are far better paid. Far better.”

“How much?” Linda asked.

“You are classified as a Level One Engineering tech,” June answered. “That is nineteen hundred credits per month and a twenty thousand credit bonus upon mission completion, based upon mission performance.”

“That’s a lot ,” Lind said, frowning. “But explain the mission performance thing.”

“The credits are banked,” June said. “There’s nothing to spend them on, anyway, and you’re given full support here. If you agree to perform the mission and then refuse at the last minute your salary is recalculated at minimum maintenance, which is thirty credits per month.”

“That’s less than what a day laborer makes!” Linda snapped.

“You’re being supported, unlike a day laborer,” June pointed out. “That is also the rate at which you will be paid if you refuse to support in any fashion. If you agree to do the mission, go on the mission and then are unable to perform under the conditions, you get the training money but not the bonus. That is the ‘mission performance’ clause. If you are unable to complete the training or drop out, you get the full pay up until that time, up to two weeks before the mission. Backing out in final training reverts you to maintenance pay. Now, I’ve talked about the pay, but there’s more to this mission than money. It’s a very important…”

“Can it,” Linda said. “Appealing to my patriotic side is like appealing to my male side; it doesn’t exist.”

“Very well,” June said primly. “Then I’ll point out that the monthly pay is nearly twenty times what you make as an IS-6 and the bonus is enough to make you mildly independently wealthy. The pay rates are gauged with your point in mind. You get the money in lump at the completion of mission or it goes to your designated beneficiary. I suppose I don’t have to add that risk of loss of life on the mission is high?”

“No, that’s pretty obvious,” Linda said. “I’d guess I get to think about it.”

“Yes,” June said. “Most of the interviewees do. I’ll have you escorted to Security where you’ll be issued your initial badge, then to the transient single female quarters. There’s really nobody that you can talk to who is in support or on the mission team about the mission until you perform it, however.”

“That’s fine,” Linda said. “I just want to think about it for a bit. Where’s Mr. Keating going to be?”

“That depends on whether he agrees to perform the mission or not,” June replied. “If he does, he’ll go to permanent quarters. If not, he’ll be in the transient male quarters, which is on the top floor of the same building you’ll be in.”

“I’d like to talk to him again, whatever I decide,” Linda requested.

“That will have to wait, I’m afraid,” June said with a shrug. “Let me call the guard. I do hope you agree to perform the mission; we need you.” She paused in thought and then shrugged again. “I could talk to Commander Herrick and try to have you assigned as… I guess Mr. Keating’s assistant. He’s somewhat aged; I’d suspect he would appreciate some assistance.”

“He’s been working as a day laborer, remember?” Linda said, shaking her head. “He can probably break me in half. But if he agrees to do the mission and if you can get me assigned as his assistant… I’ll go. I don’t know what help I can be to him, but he’s an important man, a genius. And, okay, absentminded. Maybe I can be of use.”

“I’ll make a note of that,” June said. “Now, let me get you an escort.”

“I think I can find the quarters if you just give me directions,” Linda said.

“If you’re wandering around without a badge, you’re likely to get killed by one of the guards. And we wouldn’t want that.”

“I can tell I’m going to love it here.”

“Well, twelve of the thirteen techs and pilots are present,” June said. She was meeting over dinner with Herzer, Megan and Evan to discuss the personnel situation. “Only five, six with Mrs. Boehlke, have volunteered. One, a computer tech, has most pointedly and emphatically declined. The others are ‘thinking about it.’ The thirteenth, one of the pilots, appears to be among the missing; the Rangers can’t find him anyway.”

“Joie’s here?” Megan asked.

“Yes,” June said, smiling and shaking her head. “She is most spectacular is she not? She is ‘thinking about it.’ Herzer, I have a question?”

“Yeah?” Herzer said, taking a bite of steak. It was military steak, thin and tough. He’d already made a mental note to see about the quality of the food available for the mission. He didn’t care one way or another, but it was going to be important to morale.

“What is your history with Linda Donohue?”

Herzer looked puzzled and shrugged. “Don’t recognize the name. None that I know of.”

“She apparently recalls you,” June said, primly. “And she is quite afraid of you and Megan. Megan in particular.”

“Describe her,” Megan said, just as puzzled.

“Twenty-five,” June said. “Got that from her records; could be anything from seventeen to seventy. Redhead. Good looking. Slim. She works in Duke Dehnavi’s office.”

“Oh, crap!” Herzer said, blanching.

“The doxie?” Megan quipped, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever is she here for?”

“Engineering,” June replied. “She’s got background in particle field generation. She’s said that she’ll go on the mission, but only if she’s assigned as an assistant to Geo Keating, who is listed as an Engineering Tech Three on the basis of his background.”

“Geo Keating ?” Evan snapped. “You found Geo Keating ? Good God!”

“Okay, who is Geo Keating?” Megan said, smiling.

“He’s a brilliant field theorist,” Evan said, shaking his head. “He was offered a Key and turned it down ! Said it would interfere with his work! An amazing mind, a true genius.”

“He’s been working as a day laborer in Raven’s Mill,” June said, shaking her head. “Quite philosophical about it. Rather absentminded. He volunteered. No particular interest in the money, he just wants to examine the equipment on the ship. Something about radiation effects and shielding. I couldn’t follow it.”

“Where is he?” Evan asked, standing up.

“Permanent quarters,” June said.

“Evan, we’re not done here,” Herzer pointed out.

“We’re close,” Megan said. “I’ll go talk to the males about the importance of the mission, you go talk to the females. Then we’ll switch, tomorrow, for the holdouts. See how many we can get.”

“The only female holdout is Miss Donohue,” June said. “And she’s willing to go if she can be Mr. Keating’s assistant.”

“I wonder what she thinks she can get from that?” Herzer mused. “I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.”

“Like Evan, she seems to be very impressed by Mr. Keating,” June said with a shrug.

“We’ll see,” Herzer said. “I think I need to talk to her, first.”

“Okay,” Megan said, nodding at Evan. “ Now we’re done. Have fun talking to Mr. Keating. Don’t stay up all night.”