The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 73

© 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 73

Not for the first time, Charlie found himself in the PM’s Canberra office discussing the advent of antigravity and it’s socio-political consequences. The Prime Minister was trying to explain.

“But Charlie, you can’t take your own security personnel into the United Nations Building.”

“Then I cannot go.” Charlie replied without rancour or threat.

“Cannot or will not.” The PM challenged.

“That’s immaterial; you cannot expect me to put my life in danger again.”

“But if you refuse to attend there can be no negotiations.”

“You are not going to negotiate Prime Minister., you are going there to expose acts of war and aggression and somehow get compensation. The missile that Dawn 3 recovered is clear evidence of Chinese aggression against Singapore and Australia. The missiles were obviously made in China and fired from China.”

“But China was attacked first on the island of Riau. That’s the claim China is making.”

“Riau is Indonesian not Chinese; It’s Indonesia who should be protesting the attack. Besides, China has no evidence of the aggressors who attacked that Island. There are no planes, no wrecks, nothing to identify those attackers, conversely, Oz has got two wrecked planes recovered from the Queensland rainforest and both are clearly of Chinese origin even if they have no markings. The hypersonic missile by the way, is also clearly marked. China supported a terrorist attack in Queensland by supplying unmarked jets. Then they launched their own missile attack on a country that they had no evidence against.
Oz should be laying charges against China not answering charges.”

“Those are our intentions.” The PM explained. “But you are evidence that China attacked one of our envoys in Singapore. That scar running from your cheek to you ear is evidence of a Chinese assassination attempt. We want you there to show that evidence.”

This last observation was something that Charlie was angry about, namely the determined assassination attempt on his life. Reluctantly, he acceded to the PM’s request. The prime Minister almost slumped in her chair with relief.

“Well thank god for that! You do realise Charlie that we need all the ammunition we can get.”

“Yes; but I still demand protection. The UN is no longer the place it was intended to be.”

“Amen to that!” Katie the defence minister added.

ooo000ooo

“So we’re going in a bloody ore carrier!” Katie scorned.

“Do you know of any other craft that can get you from Canberra to New York in under an hour, complete with your own personal en-suite dayrooms and bedrooms.” Juliet challenged. “Plus a luxury saloon, a first-class restaurant and several suites of large executive offices. Not to mention several separate lounges for private or communal discussions?”

“We-ell, noo,” Katie conceded reluctantly, “it’s just all those grey and white ore residues clinging to the frames in the cargo holds. I mean it hardly smacks of luxury, executive transport does it?”

“This is a working ship Katie. We’re here to work; and anyway, this thing is impressive enough to turn a few jealous heads when we arrive and then take our station hovering over New York. It’s all been agreed and authorised by the Feministas of Eastern American Republic.”

“Were they agreeable or did you have to knock a few heads together?” Katie pressed.

“What do you think?” The PM interjected as she entered the Dawn 3’s public foyer.

“I’d like to have been a fly on the wall, trouble is I’ve been up to my neck with Charlie and the second order for space fighters. Jeeze’ he’s a grafter.”

“Yes, well be thankful for small mercies. Anyway, I can assure you, the foreign minister gave them a good diplomatic kicking. They were like a bunch of sulking schoolgirls by the time she’d finished. When I finally sat down at the negotiating table they treated me like some sort of draconian head mistress!”

‘You are like a draconian head mistress1’ Katie thought but kept her thoughts to herself.

However the PM caught her introspective expression and grinned knowingly at her friend.

“I heard that Katie!”

“Well hear this,” Juliet commanded as she appeared at the top of the central stair. “This ship is shortly leaving for New York and the ETA is thirty-nine minutes. I suggest you ladies go and get yourselves prepared for your arrival.”

“Is Charlie not with us?” Katie inquired.

“He’ll join us en-route with his wife and children,-“ The PM explained.

“And half a regiment of guards I’ll wager.” Katie opined.

“He wouldn’t come without them. D’ you blame him?”

“Yeah, point taken. How many space fighters am I seeing out there?”

“You’re not seeing all of them, there are another twenty accompanying Dawn 1 and 2.” The PM explained. “Plus Dawn 1 is carrying the disabled hypersonic missile as the evidence.”

“I suppose everybody loves a parade!” Katie chuckled.

“I can’t take any chances, the PM lamented. It may look pretentious but it’s essential. Charlie is the ONLY repository of the knowledge for Anti-grav.”

“Yeah, he’s cunning bastard,” Katie added.

“And a bloody clever on let’s not forget,” the foreign minister finished as they retired to their committee room.”

As they sat around the table they peered out of the windows and digested their own thoughts as the huge leviathan that had so impressed them on the apron of the parliament building, started to rise vertically and silently into space.

ooo000ooo

As they watched the horizon start to curve and grow a thin, illuminated corona, Katie spotted Dawn 2 drawing level with her porthole while the PM noted Dawn 1 pulling level on her side. Beyond the two larger escorts, the Australian delegation could make out at least six smaller, more agile space fighters jostling and jockeying for positions thereby demonstrating their agility.

After a few minutes, Juliet’s voice came over the comm’s.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you’ll see we’ve got company. They will escort us all the time now until we return to Australia.”

“Indeed!” The PM agreed, “And they will be stationed above the UN building as part of our negotiated security arrangements to protect Captain Sage.”

“That makes me feel a hell of a lot safer!” Katie confirmed.

“Indeed!” The PM agreed, “And they will be stationed above the UN building as part of our negotiated security arrangements to protect Captain Sage.”

“Well I feel safer for that,” Katie added.

“It’s for Charlie and the antigrav; let’s not be getting puffed up with our own importance,” the PM intoned softly.”

“I suppose he negotiated that.” Katie opined.”

“Yes,” the foreign secretary confirmed; “the UN security council wanted Captain Sage present to try and negotiate some sort of treaty akin to the Antarctic treaty but Captain Sage has something of a whip hand here. Consequently, the security council was adamant he should attend.”

“If he doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the Security
council, what then?” Katie asked.

“Then the UN will be forced to use diplomacy for once. No bullying or two-faced hypocrisy like the human rights council. As I said, Charlie’s got the whip hand and for once that hand is guided by honesty and humanity.”

“What if he doesn’t get a deal?” Katie pressed.

“Then Charlie wins. Who’s to stop him from quarrying the solar system?”

“Jeeze what it is to have power.” The foreign secretary sighed.

“Let’s not forget, that power is on our side.” The PM reminded them softly. “Iron fists and velvet gloves seem to spring to mind.”

“Well to be honest,” Katie continued, “on past records and performances of the security council; Charlie will have quarried the asteroid belt out by the time they reach agreement.”

“Their loss,” the foreign secretary explained,” Australia can continue to trade in rare-earth metals and run a moon-base for however long it takes.”

“Not quite,” the PM explained, “Australia is signatory to several international conventions concerning exploitation of space and colonisations of the planets.”

Katie gave a snort of derision.

“Ha! Australia may be bound by those agreements but is a single individual bound by them. Who actually has jurisdiction in space.”

“I have no idea.” The PM conceded. “The UN’s lamentable record on human rights and arbitration does not give me confidence. My gut feeling is that Charlie’s going to rub their noses in it and force them to come up with a fair and enforceable treaty.”

“That can’t be a bad thing,” the foreign secretary Observed as she craned to look through her window. “I think that’s Manhattan Island if I’m not mistaken.”

“I still can’t adjust to the speed these things go, and Dawn 3 is just an Ore Carrier.” The PM exclaimed as the comms announced.

“Landing in five minutes, we’ve been given diplomatic clearance to hover over the river just outside the main UN building.”

“That’ll put a few noses out of joint,” Katie grinned.

ooo000ooo

“So how do we get down?” The PM wondered.

Her answer was not long coming. There was a low rumble from behind their accommodation; then that was followed by two soft bumps. Dawns 1 and 2 had landed in the service dock.

As the PM’s party watched, the Airtight doors that separated Dawn 3’s accommodation from the cargo-handling area opened and Charlie appeared, accompanied by his wife Chloe and their four children. Behind the family, Charlie’s fellow spacers Engadine, Angela and Laura stood armed, alert and watchful. They were taking no chances with Charlie’s safety.

It was the first time the PM or anybody in the delegation had met Charlie’s full family, so introductions were swiftly completed as Juliet came down from the bridge to join the party.

“Time to go everybody, they are waiting for us at reception he advised.”

“Who is waiting for us?” Chloe demanded. “I’ll not put our children at risk.”

“There is a standard meet-and-greet procedure apparently,” Juliet replied.

“Well, let’s get it over with. The kids can have the grand tour while we get straight to business. Who’s driving Dawn 2? I presume she’s our taxi.”

“I am,” Juliet explained. “The girls are our guards inside her while the space fighters will patrol close by.”

The delegation entered the service dock and settled into Dawn 2 before emerging from the huge ore carrier and flying around the UN headquarters to land at the main entrance.

“Did you see all the faces in the windows Mummy?” Charlotte observed.

“Do they think we’re Martians?”

This raised a roar of laughter amongst the whole delegation and that laughter spilled over as the Australians entered the building. The formalities were mercifully brief and Charlie quickly found himself with the PM and her ministers seated opposite the UN security council.

Copies of the proposed treaty were being handed out for discussion. Without further ado Charlie opened his and started reading before the PM gently reminded him.

“Introductions and courtesies are usually exchanged Charlie,” She whispered.

“I don’t have time!” Charlie replied. “I’ve read the drafts; I’m just checking the fine print.”

His brusque manner quickly enlightened the council and they stared askance as he silently annotated the pages. Annoyed glances were exchanged across the table but Charlie was impervious to them. As he continued reading, it had been made abundantly obvious to the council that they were dealing with one person; Charlie.

Eventually, after long minutes, Charlie turned to his companion, the Australian PM.

“There’s six items I want to query.”

“The document’s been finalised, we can’t change it now,” she protested.

“If this document is to take humanity forward in perpetuity, there are six items that need correcting. They may not seem important now but centuries from now they could lead to interplanetary wars.”

“Such as?” The PM frowned.

“Well to begin with, you have referenced all positions and times to Earth when they should be referenced to the sun. Nothing is static between the planets. All references to weights should be referenced to a solar constant. A ton of Palladium on Earth is very different to a ton of Palladium on Mars or any of the gas-giant’s moons.

In fact,” Charlie continued, “all references to weight are pretty meaningless when gravity can be altered or even negated by my science. All amounts of all commodities will have to be referenced and measured to a universal constant of volume referenced to a universal constant of gravity. Gravity bends space so if you change the gravity, you change the space.”

“You’re giving me a headache Charlie.” The PM sighed. “And our colleagues across the table don’t look very happy.”

“They’re no colleagues of mine,” Charlie replied bluntly, “some of those people have tried to kill me or deny me my intellectual rights.

Still; no matter.” Charlie shrugged. “Here are my notes, I’ve annotated where the treaty figures need to be adjusted for my science. Both sides of this table will just have to take my word for it unless you’ve got a scientist who can dispute them. I’ve listed correction factors for Space itself, then Mars then Jupiter’s and Saturn’s moons. Then if we ever get around to ‘Terra-forming’ Venus I’ve put those figures last. The maths isn’t hard if you understand the science. You can attach those figures to the treaty as an addendum.

The rest of the treaty suites me, it doesn’t affect my human or property rights, or anybody else’s for that matter. I won’t be signing the treaty of course because I don’t represent any country.”

“But you’ll be the only power that can enforce it,” the PM observed.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Charlie finished.

ooo000ooo