David Williams - Mirrored Heavens

The United States of America and the nations that comprise the Eurasian Coalition, hereinafter referred to as the two contracting powers,

Proceeding from the premise that war between them would have devastating consequences for all mankind, Asserting that a bold posture of political and environmental cooperation is critical at this juncture in history, Believing that the exploration and use of outer space should be leveraged exclusively for those activities most likely to further the welfare of humanity,

Declaring their intention to achieve at the earliest possible date the cessation of the corrosive arms race that drains resources vitally needed elsewhere,

Have agreed as follows:

The two contracting powers obligate themselves to refrain from every act of force, every aggressive action, and every attack against one another.

The two contracting powers undertake to establish a Joint Environmental Commission, based in Zurich, whose members shall be charged with proposing worldwide environmental standards for industrial operations; the two contracting powers shall then act jointly to secure the ratification of these standards by all nations.

The Joint Environmental Commission will operate in coordination with a Joint Space Commission, based in Zurich, whose members shall be charged with crafting plans to transfer as much industry as feasible to points in orbit and on celestial bodies.

The two contracting powers recognize each other’s sovereignty over their respective nets/information architectures and commit to keeping each other informed regarding communication protocols between them.

The two contracting powers recognize each other’s right to equatorial launch facilities. In this regard, the Eurasian Coalition will continue to maintain the exclusive right to make treaties with nations within the continent of Africa, while the United States will continue to maintain the exclusive right to make treaties with nations within the continent of South America.

The two contracting powers recognize each other’s territorial sovereignty over those segments of the geosynchronous orbits above their areas of terrestrial interest. Such sovereignty will include segments of additional adjacent orbits, as determined by the Joint Space Commission.

The two contracting powers confirm the Eurasian Coalition’s territorial sovereignty over Lagrangian point L4 and confirm the United States’ territorial sovereignty over Lagrangian points L2 and L5. In addition, Lagrangian points L1 and L3 are recognized as neutral, demilitarized sites.

The United States renounces any exclusive claim to the Moon. The Eurasian Coalition will exercise sovereignty over territory amounting to no less than 25 percent of the Moon’s surface and no less than 25 percent of the Moon’s resources. Furthermore, both powers commit to a joint control of the Mare Imbrium north of Archimedes Crater. This shall occur within six months of the signing of this treaty.

The two parties to this treaty will establish a Joint Arms Control Commission, based in Zurich, whose members shall be charged with proposing reductions in both strategic and tactical weaponry, subject to ultimate ratification by the governments of the two contracting powers. Such reductions will be made according to the following general principles:

• Withdrawal of all nuclear munitions from outer space

• Demilitarization of the Arctic Ocean

• De-targeting of space-to-ground weaponry

• De-targeting of ground-to-space weaponry

• Registration of all major military bases

• Registration of all submarine sorties from base

• Limitations in total number of hypersonic missile engines

• Limitations in nuclear megatonnage

Effective within two months of the signing of this treaty, the two contracting powers undertake to cease the testing of all classes of directed energy weapons.

Upon amendment/ratification, the measures proposed by the Joint Arms Control Commission will be verified by agreed-upon satellite overflight and physical inspections of bases.

In the event of a conflict between the two contracting powers concerning any question, the two parties will adjust this difference or conflict exclusively by friendly exchange of opinion or, if necessary, by an arbitration commission based in either Zurich or Geneva.

The present treaty will extend for a period of ten years, with the understanding that if neither of the contracting parties announces its abrogation within one year of expiration of this period, it will continue in force automatically for another period of five years.

The present treaty shall be ratified within the shortest possible time. The exchange of ratification documents is to take place in Zurich. The treaty becomes effective immediately upon signature.

Drawn up in three languages, English, Russian, and Chinese, January 1, 2105.

Signed for the United States:

Alec Morgan, Secretary of State

Cosigned for the Eurasian Coalition by the Slavic Bloc:

V. I. Brusilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Cosigned for the Eurasian Coalition by the Republic of China:

Chen Xuesen, People’s Minister of State

It’s time,” says a voice.

Thirty klicks above Earth’s surface. Thirty minutes after takeoff. A small room within a large jetcraft: Jason Marlowe opens his eyes.

He looks around. No one there.

“Prep for drop,” says the voice.

He sits up. Gets up. Goes to the washbasin. Lets water dash itself against metal and skin. He runs his hands along his face. He wonders if something has changed.

“Stop it,” says the voice. “Move it.”

He turns away. He starts to pull things onto his body: vest, pants, belt. Light boots. Redundant biomonitors around his arms. A knife strapped below his left knee. A pistol below his right. Everything else he’s going to be wearing is contained in the hardware standing in this room’s corner.

“Suit up,” says the voice.

The armor’s the standard heavy model. Too standard. It’s not even his. Marlowe climbs within, wondering as he does who else has worn it. He wishes they’d shipped his own suit as quickly as they did him.

“Power up,” says the voice.

Vibration churns through him as the suit seals. Lights come to life around his face. He turns, feels pneumatic joints dig into him. He stops to adjust them. He calibrates the suit’s cameras to ensure 360-degree vision—sets the range-finders, lets numbers chase themselves across the displays, interface with the ones within his head. He walks to the door, slides it open, walks down a corridor. He goes through into another room.

“Load up,” says the voice.