Chapter 16: Biological Terraforming

Lt. Col. Joseph Collins initiated radio contact with Azahar as soon as Sir Galahad entered normal space at the inbound jump point with the message, "Good day, Azahar. This is Lieutenant Colonel Collins, Captain of Sir Galahad. I have some equipment for you along with about fifty souls to help with your construction activities."

McKinsey barely had time to get nervous when the alarm caused by the station's sensors detecting a ship exiting hyperspace in the vicinity of Azahar before the message from Captain Collins was delivered by the AI. She hastily put together a response that conveyed her confusion. "This is Ensign Constance McKinsey. We don't have the facilities in place to accommodate such a large number of colonists. We were told to expect six habitat pods, two greenhouses, components for a shipyard, and a space station AI pod."

The arrival point was far beyond the orbiting moons causing considerable lag in voice communications. It was several minutes before there was a laughing reply, "Your information is correct. But the bulk of this group is hardly colonists, Ensign McKinsey. It's the headquarters platoon of Delta Company, First Battalion, 504^th Brigade who are here to establish a training camp that will make use of the facility that you're constructing underground. By the way, how is that progressing?"

The response from McKinsey was considerably more than what Commander Patrick Kehoe, had expected. The Marine company commander had been invited to the CIC as the ship was preparing to shut down the FTL drive and was shocked when he heard, "We've started excavation from 48 entrances and have about 240 kilometers of tunnel completed. The atmosphere here is not breathable, and there are no habitable facilities on the planet. We barely have facilities on the surface for the current population of ten adults and eleven children, but there are almost 500 habitat pods in orbit."

"Did she say kilometers?" Kehoe asked the equally shocked Collins who remained mentally stuck at the number of habitat pods available. The last report listed an inventory of 77 pods and no more than 200 cubic meters of excavation.

Captain Collins nodded to Kehoe and advised McKinsey, "Instead of the usual bombs, rockets and small arms ordinance, my ship has the core of a factory-class replicator and some key components needed to add a shipyard to your space station. It'll take about a month to assemble it, but this replicator can fabricate a standard Mk I habitat pod in about an hour, but it doesn't sound like you have a shortage of pod production facilities. I expect to hang around your station for a while and can continue to house the marines on Sir Galahad until facilities are made available. I'll be using your expanded manufacturing capacity to complete some major modifications to my ship. We'll be parking next to you in about six hours."

"That sounds good, Captain." McKinsey replied. "We have plenty of room for your ship, but beware of the clusters of habitat pods floating about. I just ask that you don't put our little station in too much shade." McKinsey laughed as she delivered her quip.

"Oh, there's one other thing, Ensign." Collins shared a bit more about her cargo. "My Leopard is stuffed with an aircraft kit that's a rather interesting drone. If you can get started on about three kilometers of runway that faces into the prevailing winds, it can do something about increasing the ozone over Azahar. It won't be as effective as your balloon idea for a long-term solution, but it can orbit upwind and produce six metric tons of ozone a day that can give part of your little island a bit of shade as the ozone cloud blows overhead."

The morning after Sir Galahad entered orbit around Azahar, Naveen was puzzled when two schoolgirls followed Meghrani and Madeline into the kitchen. He asked Meghrani, "Who are these girls?"

Meghrani laughed and Madeline chuckled after their puzzled expressions evaporated. When Meghrani regained control of her voice she told him, "They are your concubines, silly master. Do you not remember Sissy and Carrie?"

"Why do they look like children?" Naveen asked a bit more brusquely than he had intended.

Sissy and Carrie remained timidly silent as their expressions vacillated between fear and indignation. Meghrani gave him an exasperated look as she replied, "Because they are children. Carrie is just a year older than Madeline and Sissy is nineteen."

The cringing girls clearly expected Naveen to physically lash out at Meghrani just for the way she was speaking to him. The fact that Madeline had ignored the exchange and casually retrieved her breakfast from the replicator with one hand as she held John in the other was equally confusing to the terrified girls.

"I see," Naveen mumbled in response as he blinked in shock. He turned to the frightened girls, "Please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. What would you like for breakfast?"

They never took their wary eyes off of him as they sidled around the table and sat down. "Corn flakes?" Sissy said softly.

"Nonsense," Meghrani objected as she retrieved orange juice from the replicator and set a glass in front of each girl. "You need some hot oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins."

Naveen was distressed that Sissy and Carrie ate like frightened animals expecting a predator to attack them at any moment. He refrained from kissing Meghrani and Madeline in front of the Sissy and Carrie. He was sure they would not want him getting that close to them, and he didn't want them to feel slighted by not getting the same treatment as the other two.

A call from Commander Kehoe interrupted McKinsey while she was eating her breakfast, "Good morning Ensign. I'm Commander Patrick Kehoe. I've been ordered to assume command of the training complex and Marine facilities on Azahar. When would it be convenient to meet with you this morning?"

"Ensign Nguyen and I can meet you in the colony CIC thirty minutes from now," McKinsey offered. "If it's more urgent, you can join me in my quarters in five minutes."

Kehoe spoke evenly, without emotion. "This isn't urgent, but does need to be addressed as soon as practical. Lieutenant Peterson, Sergeant Rodriguez and I will join you in the colony's CIC next to the transporter room in thirty minutes."

McKinsey advised Nguyen that she didn't know what to expect, but her gut told her that the two of them needed to present a united front. Any perceived rift could be exploited if the new arrivals proved to be confrontational. Both of the engineers were veterans of boardroom squabbles and prepared themselves for a power play.

Thirty minutes after the call Kehoe led two other marines into the CIC. After introductions, including Nancy and Judith who were manning the Center, McKinsey ushered the group into an adjoining strategy conference room. Since he was the ranking officer in the room, McKinsey offered Kehoe the honor of the seat at the end of the table. She and Nguyen sat across from Peterson and Rodriguez.

Kehoe opened the meeting with, "As I indicated to you earlier, Ensign McKinsey, I've been put in command of the training complex and Marine facilities on Azahar. My staff and I would like to be briefed on the status of the facilities. Lieutenant Peterson will take over the CIC operations. We really shouldn't have concubines running it."

His comments clearly ruffled Nguyen's feathers, but McKinsey was the better poker player, and her annoyance wasn't telegraphed quite as clearly.

McKinsey held out her hand toward Commander Kehoe palm up, "May I have the orders that supersede the ones I have from Admiral Pirelli."

"I have no orders for you from anyone else, Ensign. I'm the ranking officer and that puts me in command of this facility," Kehoe was clearly not accustomed to having his statements questioned.

McKinsey allowed herself a small smile as she nodded her head and baited her trap, "Did you say that your orders were to take command of the Marine facilities and training complex on Azahar, Commander?"

"Yes," Kehoe responded, barely masking his irritation.

"I see," McKinsey nodded as she glanced at the equally smiling Nguyen. "To my knowledge there are no Marine facilities of any kind on Azahar, Commander. This is a Fleet Auxiliary operation. Our orders are to begin the installation of the infrastructure needed to support a Fleet Auxiliary research and manufacturing colony. We currently have an excavation in progress two or three hundred kilometers north of Barcino. We have no idea of its purpose. Could this be your training complex? If so, then Barcino or the station overhead is the nearest facility with a breathable atmosphere. Living at the excavation site will be challenging at best."

Kehoe was not amused by this unexpected turn. "But ... I'm the ranking officer at this site."

McKinsey nodded, "If we were under attack, then I and everything near Azahar would be at your disposal, Commander. Ensign Nguyen and I will gladly obey any lawful order that does not conflict with those we have from Admiral Pirelli. I hope we can come to an arrangement that allows us to work together and share the resources of Azahar to our mutual benefit. If we are to discuss the allocation of resources, then I suggest we should have Lieutenant Colonel Collins in attendance. I believe that he is the ranking officer at Azahar, Commander. Colonel Collins has brought considerable resources with him with the expectation of using both the resources he brought and those already in place at Azahar to make major modifications to his ship."

McKinsey projected a document on the wall Kehoe was facing, "I have orders to that effect from Admiral Pirelli right here."

McKinsey turned to face Kehoe, "Let's not be adversaries, Commander. What resources do you need to accomplish your mission objectives?"

Kehoe wasn't prepared to make requests; he had expected to take command of the operation. "I ... we ... Lieutenant Peterson, what accommodations are needed for our troops?"

"Lieutenant Mark Wallace and Ensign Marvin Clark are the only marines aboard Sir Galahad with their own pods. Corporal Miller has the ten members of Second Platoon with her, I have the 45 enlisted personnel of First Platoon with me, and in addition to First Sergeant Rodriguez here you have four other enlisted members of your staff on Sir Galahad, sir." Lieutenant Peterson was clearly familiar with the head count.

"Will you need personal habitat pods for each of the... 63 marines who don't have their own pods with them?" McKinsey did the math while speaking. While they had that many pods in orbit, they didn't have the infrastructure in place for that many pods on the surface.

"Not at all," Kehoe responded. "A pod for each of the five squads and another for Lieutenant Peterson and me should be more than adequate. We can partition the pod to accommodate the two of us and our staff, don't you think, Lieutenant?"

"Six pods should be more than enough, Commander," Peterson agreed. "One other item, though. Most of our troops haven't been home in three months, and there aren't enough stewards available on Sir Galahad. Are there concubines here who can entertain my men?"

Nguyen had not spoken other than during the introductions. He abruptly stood, knocking over his chair. "There is no brothel on Azahar and we have too much respect for ourselves and our concubines to turn any of them into whores!"

Everyone was looking at Nguyen in shock, including McKinsey. Kehoe was the first to speak, "Sit down, Ensign! Lieutenant Peterson meant no disrespect. Most colonies have a pool of concubines that are available as a distraction for marines on temporary deployment." When Nguyen made no move to retrieve his chair Kehoe repeated himself, "I said, sit down!"

McKinsey griped Tuan's wrist, "Mr. Nguyen is correct, Commander. We have no personnel who are available to take the edge off of the sexual frustration of your men. If you anticipate trouble I suggest they remain on Sir Galahad until arrangements can be made for them to be isolated on the planet. Even one incident of disrespectful behavior will terminate our spirit of cooperation."

"I don't take kindly to threats, Ensign McKinsey," Kehoe cautioned with clouded brow.

McKinsey held his stare, "And I don't take kindly to being insulted in my home, Commander Kehoe."

The stare-down lasted until Nguyen retrieved his chair and resumed his seat at the table.

Kehoe finally took a breath, "We seem to have gotten started on the wrong foot, Ensign. Lieutenant Peterson meant no disrespect. It is most unusual for a planet to be populated by only two households, and you have accomplished more than could be expected without additional personnel."

"I do apologize for giving offense," Lieutenant Peterson said convincingly. "With all the activity in so many locations I didn't realize that yours are the only families on Azahar."

When Nguyen nodded McKinsey told the Lieutenant, "Very well, apology accepted. We should be able to organize some kind of activity where your men can have social contact with our families, but not physical contact. I'll send you the details when they're finalized and leave it to your discretion to only forward the invitation to those who can be expected to behave as ladies and gentlemen at such an event."

Peterson laughed and responded, "Very elegantly put, Ensign. I look forward to receiving your invitation intended for the civilized members of my platoon."