Chapter 4

Law and order was a serious issue.

While the inhabitants of the new planet were supposed to follow the laws of their original nation, many splinter groups had set up their own new nations and deemed they had the right to their own laws.

Lee nor the stronger Earth Nations hadn’t stopped these groups of people from doing this, as Terra was being colonised on a first-come, first-served basis. A lot of minority groups saw Terra as a way to escape the people they believed were suppressing them.

It was estimated that in the two-plus years since the planet was offered to Earth, ten million people had already moved. While this may seem a lot, in the scheme of things, it was but a cup of water from a rain barrel.

The new planet was larger, the continents smaller and more numerous, and numerous islands were larger than the land currently owned by half the nations on Earth. With the population on Earth around ten billion, what was ten million? They had barely moved half that many people to Harmony in the three years it had been open to colonists.

However, many of the people who had moved still needed to be fed. Even with genetic enhancements, crops and livestock still took time to grow and mature. They had to be adapted to suit the new climates and slightly heavier gravity. Hence, in the short term, a lot of produce requirements still had to be shipped to the new planet.

While some of the native plants, sea life and small land animals could be eaten, the lack of larger animals made it harder to live off the land. It wasn’t like it had been for the pioneers in the Wild West, as there were no buffalo, bison or deer to hunt.

It was more akin to the settlement of Australia by the UK and many people were finding things were not that easy for a pioneer who didn’t come well prepared. Many of the support systems and amenities the people were used to having in place back on Earth were also non-existent.

Items people had previously considered essential were now obviously luxuries. Large shopping centres didn’t exist, nor the abundant power and water reticulation systems. Settlement in this manner was a rude awakening to many who made the trip.

As a result, lawlessness was becoming more commonplace, even amongst those people who had previously considered themselves law-abiding. Enclaves, ruled by self-styled Lords or Chiefs, were becoming more commonplace, and those who could take charge ran things their own way.

Those nations and individuals that established military posts first and had ties with UNSEC were having less trouble than those people who went their own way. Even so, many nations had their share of trouble as the new towns were established. Most of the resources for building modern enclaves were still in short supply.

The criminals and pirates were not making things any easier.

James and Dusty settled into their cabin before meeting the crew.

Six of the cabins, including the Captain’s, had double beds. The other six cabins had two single beds in them. While the total number for this team of crewmembers and enforcers is eleven at present, the spare cabins or beds could be used later.

UNSEC planned to have more team members on the other Strikers. VIP passengers or the people they rescued could also use the unclaimed beds. In this case, the three married couples each claimed a double-bed room.

Captain Chris Smith and his wife, Darla, who was their primary navigator and comms officer, settled in the Captain’s cabin. They hailed from America originally and were both thirty and career officers.

Chris was 190cm tall, slim but well-muscled and of Anglo/Chinese descent. Darla was Anglo/Mexican, 178cm tall, curvy, brunette and more outgoing than her husband was. Both had brown eyes and black hair.

Beanie Fuller was the gunner and second pilot. He had a solid build with mostly African features and colouring but a British accent. He was 184cm tall, had short, tight black curls and soulful, dark brown eyes.

At twenty-eight, Beanie was not that hard done by in the looks department. His most distinguishing feature was his long, yet crooked nose. His worst habit was tapping his fingers on everything to a beat in his head.

Kola Jandal was the electrician and computer specialist, and he hailed from New Zealand. His heritage included Caucasian, Māori and Samoan. He seemed laid back and was easy going with a cute, ready smile. He cut his hair very close to the scalp.

However, Kola’s deep brown eyes never missed a thing, and his hearing was extraordinary. He was almost twenty-four, 178cm tall, and he always seemed to be reading something on his peepers.

Tale O’Donald was the plumber. She was of Irish extraction and spoke with a thick brogue but looked Japanese, thanks to her mother. She got the striking dark green eyes from her Irish father.

Tale was twenty-three and 163cm tall, with dark hair cut in a pixie cut. She was a contradiction, as her occupation and accent didn’t seem to match her looks. She could also drink the rest of the crew under the table and knew the dirtiest jokes.

Bella Effie was the Engineer, and she was also an excellent drive specialist. She was a cousin of Sheikh Rashid’s wife. While 170cm tall, she was very slim. She was also a lot stronger than she looked.

Bella was twenty-five and wore her straight black hair in a short bob with a long fringe that almost sat in her eyes. It was odd to watch her crochet fine, flowered doilies or brightly coloured, thick woollen beanies when off-duty.

Dr Quean Williams was the Medic and Science Officer. She was a petite Brazilian with large breasts for her small 158cm frame. She looked younger than her thirty-one years.

She was good at keeping confidences, an excellent medical diagnostician and a whiz with a scalpel. She looked after the few plants she kept on a ship, as she liked a homey atmosphere. She also doubled as the cook and had a very extensive menu to offer the crew.