Chapter 4

Xi Pegasi System
Devinstown, New Geneva
Government House
14/25/41 NR 1904 Hours

Rain pelted the ground car’s windows, reducing the visibility to a few meters. Luisa looked out her window, in awe at the sight. “This is wonderful; I’ve never actually seen a thunderstorm.”

Aaron Peters sat next to her, while one of the presidential aides and a driver occupied the front seats of the vehicle. It was a fifteen minute ride from the medical center to the president’s official residence, and Luisa had been awestruck by the storm from the moment she’d stepped outside. They’d arrived at Government House five minutes previously, and they had decided to wait out the cloudburst to avoid drenching their honored guest. Peters had no desire to face Doctor Ozawa if her patient came to harm while she was under his care.

Luisa turned to him, her face alight with joyful exuberance. “What a beautiful sight, Aaron! Please, can we get out now?”

“Now, if you catch pneumonia, Doctor Ozawa will shoot me herself. Let’s wait another few minutes; the storm is tapering off. Please?” He found himself smiling back at her with surprising enthusiasm. It had never occurred to him until a few days ago that she’d never actually been outside without an environment suit. She’d never before experienced the wind in her face, nor had she seen an open sky with her own eyes.

“Fine.” She sat back and looked up through the sunroof at the scuttling grey clouds underlying the heavy overcast as they blew by on the fresh wind. New Geneva had notoriously unstable weather patterns, and, despite years of data analysis and a constellation of weather satellites, the forecasters were still wrong often enough to be the butt of jokes.

Aaron sat quietly as his guest stared out at the storm. He had found reason to visit her nearly every day since he’d met her at the hospital, often enough to become the subject of gentle teasing from the hospital staff. The Martian was the best intelligence asset they had, and Aaron had closeted himself with her for hours and plied her with questions until, after three days, they were both exhausted.

He’d returned to System Command for all of a day before Rita had asked him to personally bring Luisa to this meeting. He’d immediately returned to Devinstown and delivered the invitation, and then had stayed on at his apartment. Aaron greatly enjoyed her company, so they’d passed the time talking about their respective worlds as she recuperated. He’d even taken her outside the hospital a few times, and her delight had been a joy to behold.

Luisa marveled at the power of the storm as it rumbled overhead, but then her attention shifted to the man beside her. Aaron had visited her more often than her exalted status as a hero and her utility as an information source had dictated, and that pleased her in a way she scarcely wished to acknowledge. She’d had opportunities for romance, but she’d never met a man who simply wanted to be with her. Besides, this was hardly the time for a schoolgirl crush, she scolded herself sternly. This man was facing the end of his world, and she had come to help him. Falling in love with him wasn’t the best way to help.

“I think we’re safe enough now,” the aide said as he opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle. Luisa was jolted out of her reverie, and she smiled as he opened her door. The driver opened Aaron’s for him in turn, and Aaron circled the back of the vehicle and waited for Luisa as she carefully climbed outside. She looked around in puzzlement. “Where’s all the security people? Isn’t this the president’s house?”

“Security?” Aaron looked at her with matching puzzlement. “Why?”

“Well, what if someone wants to assassinate the president?”

“Assassinate?” Aaron thought for a moment. “Oh, I see what you’re saying.” He took her arm to assist her up the gravel pathway to the door. “I’ve read about the presidents of Earth in our libraries. There is no security here. In fact, we have no army, and no police.”

Luisa stopped and stared at him. “You’re joking.”

“No, I am serious. Other than some minor things like an occasional fight or teenage pranks, we have no crime here.”

“How about things like drugs or alcohol abuse?”

“We do have that in a few cases. Most of the cravings can be corrected with therapy. I’ve heard of a few people who drank too much, but they never hurt anyone.”

Luisa started walking again. “What about theft and financial crimes?”

“We don’t have a currency system, yet. It’s something that we will need soon, I believe. As for theft, there is no need to steal anything. And, before you ask, we do have the right to own property. But, we have the wealth of six star systems and a good manufacturing base here. Anything can be had for the asking. So why steal it?”

“Wow. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Even the outposts have problems where I’m from.” She reached the step up to the covered porch of the simple domed structure. Aaron held her left arm to steady her as Luisa carefully stepped up with her left leg, and then brought her immobilized right leg up and set her foot down. The heavier gravity didn’t help matters, and she’d have to sit down very soon.

“Given human nature, I don’t really expect this happy state of affairs to last indefinitely. My parents were First Colonists, and they didn’t encourage any of us to turn to a life of crime.” Aaron looked up as the door opened. “Good evening, Madame President.”

“Oh, stop it, Aaron,” Council President Rita Davies frowned repressively. “This isn’t an official visit, and you know I hate that silly title. Now, come in, both of you.” She held out her hand to a bemused Luisa. “Welcome to my humble abode. I’m Rita Davies.”

Luisa took her hand. “Thank you, Madame President. I’m Luisa McDaniel, late of the Martian Defense Force.” She’d heard the hospital staff mention Davies a few times, and she obviously was deeply respected by her people.

“Pleased to meet you, my name is Rita. Now, let’s get inside before another thunderstorm comes by and drenches us all.” The petite woman led the way into a spacious central room flanked by doorways. The dome was much larger than it had first appeared, with skylights and a second floor balcony that looked down onto the main floor. Two archways, one on each side, appeared to lead into flanking domes. Rita turned to her left and passed under one of the archways. This dome was smaller, with a second level that took a larger percentage of the dome’s interior space. “Here we are.” Rita opened a door and ushered Luisa and Aaron inside with a gracious smile. Daylight filled the room, let in by a window that took up most of the back wall. The floor was stone, and the walls and ceiling were finished with what Luisa finally remembered was called stucco. A desk sat off to one side, flanked by bookcases, and several chairs were placed to form a conversation area in front of the desk.