Chapter 6

SS Peake, December 29, 2162
High planetary orbit over Saturn

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to get a big scoop and scoop up ice chunks from the rings?” asked the helmsman of the Peake.

“Who has a ship big enough to make that profitable? The East is bankrupting themselves chopping up Tethys and hauling it back,” said the engineering officer. Tethys is a small ice moon that the Eastern Bloc claimed and were hauling back cargo ships full of Tethys ice to their various space stations.

“The rings are protected,” said Captain Elliot See, he was the ‘commodore’ commanding all ship operations. He was the commanding officer of the SS Peake and commander of the SS Garriott, their sister ship, who was helmed by Captain Charlie Bassett. “Fifty years ago, the JCHA declared that the rings of Saturn are off limits to commercial venture and are for scientific exploration only.”

The Joint Committee on Homeland Authority, or JCHA, took over after the UN not only caused World War IV with their policies, but many high-ranking officers and ambassadors to the UN were caught running betting pools, wagering on the outcomes of various battles. They were summarily executed in 2096 by firing squads made up of soldiers from all four sides of the conflict.

So far Scarlett Water Systems has hauled back three moonlets made of ice and has made immense sums of money doing that. Now, hauling back Saturn CXLII, code name Big Berserker 4, a moonlet 4.5 kilometers in diameter should be the last moon to pull back and they can concentrate on processing the ice for human consumption.

“Communications, this is the bridge. Any word from Earth or Mars about Captain Scarlett?” asked Captain See. They were expecting to hear from Earth that the Captain was enroute to their location. If he left the Earth now, he should be on site in time for the final inspection before launch.

“No sir. I intercepted a classified communique from Mars Security initiating a communications blackout regarding Captain Scarlett and Earth has complied.”

Trying to hide his emotions, Elliot released from his seat and drifted aft to the tiny communications shack. “Send this message in the clear to the address I listed, let me know when you get a response,” and Elliott wrote the message on the communications officers tablet.

“Aye aye sir,” said the communication officer.

TO: Antonina Matrona Markov@global.net.mail SUBJECT: Christmas Party

Dear Antonia, it was so good to see you at the Christmas party. Hope all is well with the family. How is your brother?

Signed: Your love, Elliot.

“Bridge, communications, message has been sent.” The communications officer smiled. It was the first time that the captain had sent a private message in the four years they had been working together.

“Thank you, communications. Keep an ear out for the Garriott, we should be hearing from her soon.”

“Aye aye, sir ... uh sir? There’s an inbound com for you. It’s private.”

“That should be the Garriott, I’ll take it in my bunk,” said Elliott and he drifted aft to his bunk and slipped inside and sealed the privacy hatch closed. “Send it through here,” he said to communications. Soon, the voice of someone he wasn’t expecting to hear filled his bunk.

“Vozlyublennyy! (Sweetheart) It has been so long, vere haf you been?”

“We’re grabbing some more ice honey, where are you? I didn’t expect a reply so quickly.” It will take over an hour for their radio signal to reach the earth.

“On Tethys doink same ting as you. Can we take vacation vhen tis is over?”

“I have a place on Mars waiting for us. Where is your brother?”

“I don’t know, he slipped off radar hours ago then Mars sent blackout message.”

Alan Scarlett is definitely not Antonina Matrona Markov’s brother. They have an intense distrust in each other and would probably shoot each other on sight. But she provided Alan with valuable information that helped Alan end the scrapper Winston Scarver’s reign of terror. In return, Alan had been fair about Elliot’s relationship with the eastern bloc operative and hadn’t ordered Elliot to get a divorce from her. But he had let Elliot know that if he finds out that she had anything to do with the battle at Venus Prime, he would kill her.

“Thank you darling. Can you come over here for a little while?”