The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 72

© Beverly Taff

List of Characters.

Charlie Sage Maths and electronics genius.
Shirley Sage Charlies elderly mother
Chloe Charlie’s one time early school friend.
Josephine Flint Surgeon and associate of Chloe’s.
Mrs Jane Anston Director of Anston Aerospace.
Ronnie Garage mechanic at top of lane
Pauline Garage owner, Ronnie’s sister.
Briony Pauline’s teenaged daughter.
Billy Pauline’s middle son.
Abigail (Abby) Pauline’s youngest daughter.
‘Poppy’ Charlie’s little micro-runabout.
‘Doris’ The armoured mobile home.
‘Lady’ Chloe’s Sports Car.
Dawn Charlie’s armoured spaceship.
Colonel Wilson Vindictive misanthropist doctor.
Margaret Thomas ‘Failed’ police security guard.
Sally. 1st Oz Special forces trooper
Jacky 2nd Oz Special forces trooper.
Juliet Charlie’s Mal engineering assistant.
Laura The second mate of the Second Dawn
Kate (Katherine Bergson) The Australian defence minister.
Lieutenant Engadine Asi Charlie’s second prisoner.
Charlotte Charlie and Chloe’s older daughter
Michael, Jessica & Lucy Charlie and Chloe’s younger triplets

Chapter 72

After examining the proposed new interplanetary ore-carrier the four spacers discussed their next moves.

Charlie explained that he would need at least ten tons of the rare palladium family metals from the quarry they had located (and claimed) near Ceres in the asteroid belt. Juliet, Laura and Engie agreed to return to their claim and recover the quantities that Charlie had listed.

“Do we take both ships boss? That is Dawn I and Dawn 2.”

“You might as well,” Charlie agreed, I can use a modified space fighter to get about and carry my stuff to and from Woomera or Canberra. Otherwise, I’ll be getting on with building and delivering engines.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?” They all asked him. “We’re guessing that every bloody Feminista regime plus all the Patriarchies will be baying for your blood. Especially since they learned about your antigrav engines and you?”

“So far my workshop remains a secret, they don’t even know what continent it’s on.”

On this basis the four separated and Charlie was not much seen except when he emerged from his secret workshop with more engines.

Eventually the ore-carrier was built and it pretty-much resembled a ‘Great-laker’ insofar as it was a long and narrow box with no hatch-lids. There being no need for streamlining in the vacuum of space, the only incongruency was the lifting apparatus at the mid-line.

Once again, Charlie perpetuated his invisibility by inviting Juliet to take command of the flying leviathan while he, Charlie, did not even attend the launch. The first time Charlie actually went aboard ‘Dawn 3’ was after it had delivered the captured CCP Hypersonic missile from the moon to Woomera.
Juliet and Laura were supervising the first large loading of rare-earth palladium ore when Charlie eventually showed up at the Ceres quarry.

“Well hello stranger!” Juliet grinned after Charlie had docked Dawn 1 in the capacious docking bay built into Dawn 3 to receive smaller visiting craft. “Long time, no see Boss. Watch’a been doing?”
“Oh, busy, busy, busy Julie. You know how it is. You look pretty busy yourself. How many of those little rock tractors have you got?”

“Twelve; each with its own operative.”

“Yeah, I see you’ve excavated a bloody great void in the belt. When will you be loaded?”

“About another two days”

“I see Engie there supervising the loading; where’s Laura?”

“She’s taken Dawn 2 and gone checking further around the asteroid belt for any other promising deposits. She’s taken Angie with her.”

“Oh; so another one joins the team.”

“Almost inevitable really, Angie and Engie are an item and they were both jet fighter pilot buddies as you well know. It was a no brainer to train her up, besides, she’s paid her dues during the CCP attack, she apparently shot down six hypersonic missiles. Something of an ‘ace’ according to the Oz air force.”

Charlie nodded then Juliet continued.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, no secrets between us, - except the antigrav.”

“Nah. It’s nothing to do with that. It’s a bit more personal.”

Charlie smiled knowingly before replying.

“Let me guess. Is it one of the girls?”

Juliet’s face clouded slightly.
“It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

“Oh no. Don’t tell me; is it Engie and Angie? They’re pretty girls.”

“How did you guess?”

“I’m not blind Julie.”

“It wasn’t me, honestly. They approached me.”

“Oh, what prompted them?”

“They overheard me chatting to Laura. We were discussing your family views and my recent positive sperm test.”

“Oh well, I suppose I’ve got no right to object. By now I expect half of Oz are talking about me.”

“Laura reckoned you are a bit ‘old fashioned’ and we were just chatting about it when those two overheard us.”

“Yeah, it’s hard to stop the scuttlebutt on any ship, go on.”

“Well truth to tell, Laura is interested but not ready to start a family yet and we were just chatting.”

“Just chatting?” Charlie smiled knowingly. “Un-married girls never ‘just chat’ about babies and stuff with unmarried men Julie. She was sounding you out and those two eavesdroppers knew it.”

Juliet pulled a wry face as he nodded agreement.

“So those two decided to put their offer in first.” Charlie finished with a chuckle.

“Yeah. It’s put me in a bit of a jam. I don’t want to betray your beliefs; you know family and stuff; fatherhood. I know you’re pretty stuck on that.”

“It’s not for me to dictate what you do about your children, that’s up to the law.”

“But that’s just it, biologically, they’d be your children still. I don’t want to offend you, especially after the good turn you’ve done me.”

“They’ll be your kids Julie, your name on the birth certificates, you’ll be their father. If you promise to be there for them, as a dad, always around. Even if you live across the street or around the block, provided they know they’ve got a caring, loving dad close to hand, he doesn’t necessarily have to be sharing their mothers’ bed.”

“Well;- that’s just it.” Juliet faltered.

Charlie’s eyes widened with amusement as he grasped the nuance.

“You’re kidding me! A menage et triose! Are you serious?”

“They offered it Charlie; I didn’t ask.”

“What! The whole bang-shoot, sharing their bed and all? Till death us do part and stuff?”

“Ye-ess!”

Charlie let go a howl of laughter as he considered the irony.

“That’s hilarious!” He choked. “Feminista to polygamy in one stroke. You’d better not let the reactionaries learn about it. Perhaps if you got married on Mars!
Have you mentioned this to Laura, considering she might be monogamously interested in you?”

“Don’t!” Juliet protested. “I’m in enough shit.”

“Well I can’t help you, except to say that you choose your own bed so you have to lie on it. Oops; that’s perhaps the wrong choice of words in your case!
Listen Julie, all I ask is that you are always there for your children. As to the law and multiple marriages, well;- good luck with that.”

“There might be one loophole.” Juliet pressed.

“What are you trying to suck me into?” Charlie paused.

“Can a captain of a ship marry people?”

“In some countries, yes. In others he just acts as a registrar on the ship and some person who is licensed to perform marriages does the actual nuptials. It depends on which country the ship is registered to.”

“So if you were the captain of a ship registered on Mars and Martian law allowed polygamy, -“

“And polyandry!” Charlie interjected. “Let’s be fair if we’re talking about a new country, - and planet!”

“No matter,” Juliet continued, “if we were the first settlers on Mars and Mars allowed dual nationality, we could technically get married.”

“Who’d write the laws?” Charlie asked while already knowing Juliet’s answer.”

“The first settlers.”

“I knew that was coming.” Charlie smirked.

“Call it enlightened self-interest.” Juliet suggested.”

“You’ll need two witnesses.” Charlie observed. “We won’t have enough with us five and that includes Laura, even if she agrees.”

“Who says we need witnesses?” Juliet grinned. “What does Martian law say?”

“Okay! Yeah.” Charlie was forced to concede. “Touché.”

“You’re right though,” Juliet concurred. “You have to have witnesses to protect from kidnap and abduction and forced marriages. So that’s it; we’ve got all the ingredients then, we can form a colony on Mars and get married there.”

“You make it sound like a recipe,” Charlie argued, “but remember Mrs Beaton’s recipe advice for jugged hare. ‘First catch your hare.’

First we have to colonise Mars or even claim it! There will be howls of protest from every country on earth. Then we have to build our own ship; enough to carry people and building materials all the way to Mars and then register it on Mars.”

“That bit’s easy. We just build a bigger Cornish Pasty.”

“Will you stop with the Cornish Pasty jokes?” Charlie objected. “She serves and serves well. It was the best I could do back then. You try building a spaceship in a bloody cave.”

Anyway, back to our sheep Let’s get Dawn 3 loaded and back to Earth. By the way, I’ve brought the first months wages with me. It’s cash in Ozzie dollars, they’re jumping through the roof because everybody wants a piece of the action. Those tugboat operators are gonna’ be rich.”

“So will we be,” Juliet grinned. “Are we paying Martian income tax?”

“You’re not on Mars, this is the asteroid belt. The taxes are double those of Mars’.”

“Yeah, two times zero equals - ?” Juliet smirked.

“Your maths is flawless Julie, don’t forget to enter that into the payroll accounts.”

“Does that make you the first interplanetary tax inspector?”

“God forbid!” Charlie laughed. “I Hate paperwork.”

Having delivered sufficient cash and blank paperwork to please any interested exchequer. Charlie chose to make some dinner from the pre-prepared ready meals then he settled at the table.

“Are you going back tonight?” Juliet asked.

“Nah. I’ll sleep here for now then return when I wake up. Have you got anything that needs sorting?”

“No, the tug operators are more than happy with conditions

“Good. I’ll get some shut-eye.”

“Oh! I knew there was something I wanted to ask you.” Juliet remembered.

“Go on.” Charlie allowed.

“The tug operators were asking. After Dawn 3 is loaded, can they had a day prospecting beyond the markers of your claim? The quarry limits that is.”

“Sure, provided they’re honest and stay outside our claim. It’s well marked with beacons. Give them their heads. Are they co-operating as a group or doing loners?”

“The girls are doing a group thing but the boys haven’t decided yet.”
“Groups are more efficient; they cover more of the belt.” Charlie explained then shrugged philosophically. “Still that’s their choice and it explains some of the differences between boys and girls. Goodnight.”

“Good night,” Juliet replied as she smiled inwardly. ‘It was hard to get out of the habits of ‘night’ and ‘day’ even though the sun was always burning brightly.

ooo000ooo

When Charlie woke up there was a ‘shift’ change-over and the Dawn 3 was alive with activity. Many of the tug crew had never met or even seen Charlie and curious eyes turned to study their ‘boss’ as Charlie slipped into the messroom to collect a breakfast. For them it was something of and event to find the ‘high and mighty’ boss casually join the chow queue and pick his food from the heated trays.

‘Just like an ordinary guy,’ He heard whispered in the queue.

“Yeah. That’s right,” Charlie riposted softly to the anonymous voice in the queue, “just like any other guy,” then he strolled to the tables and took his place amidst the somewhat nervous crews.

He had only chosen some cereal with coffee and toast so his food was quickly finished. Finally he stood up and made an announcement to break the tension.

“If you’re wondering why I’m here it’s because I’ve brought your wages. Captain Julie will be paying out either tonight or tomorrow. Your pay will reflect the quantity and quality of the ores you have loaded.”

The mood in the messroom quickly relaxed and a babble of voices soon began to spread around the tables. Payday meant they were coming to the end of their one-month stint and would soon be going home quite wealthy.

That ‘afternoon’ Charlie took his leave of Juliet and Dawn 3 and spiralled inwards to visit the moon before landing finally on Earth.
He arrived a couple of days later on Earth just as Dawn 3 was touching down from Celeres with a full load of precious ores. On learning that the first full scale quarrying voyage had laid the foundations of what would become a very successful venture The Australian PM and the defence minister invited Charlie to accompany them on a fact finding and trading treaty summit that had been organised in the United Nations in New York.

“D’ you really want me there Prime Minister?” Charlie wondered. “You know my conditions by now. You’ll be far better equipped to handle the negotiations than me. I’d be far too forthright and insensitive.”

“Nevertheless Charlie, we need you there. Your presence will add much gravitas, not to mention clout.”

“What about my safety?”

“It’s become pretty obvious to everybody after the disastrous hypersonic missile attack that attempting to kill you is akin to signing one’s own death warrant.” Katie smirked.

“We’ll see about that. I’ve been told that security at the UN is little better than the six oh one debacle. If I go, I’ll have my own security team and they’ll be loaded for bear.”

ooo000ooo