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I only did five actual Interstitial runs in the last four weeks. A larger than ordinary share of the Interstitial stations were still military or co-military. Because my citizenship was metic, I wasn’t allowed to haul most military cargoes, even if they were small fractions of the total load. That was fine with me; I just needed enough practice so I could take myself home to Earth when I wanted to. The Interstitial loads I did get paid very well, though – at least three times the pay I could earn in equivalent time within the Home Instance. The military share of the Interstitial stations was declining as more civilians began venturing outside the Home Instance in pursuit of whatever they were looking for, and more civilian pilots like me became capable of delivering loads for other instances.
“Never take the obvious path on an Interstitial run,” EnIlas warned me, “You’re out of contact and can’t scream for the military, and you’re a lot more vulnerable without Vector. Always offset at least a few years from the least time path unless you’re in a convoy. Even if you have another path solution, offset from it. Our technology is very good; if you get alien pirates you can usually outrun them or outgun them, even with underpowered merchant garbage. Your hull charge is just as tough as military standard, and your screens are about half military standard, too. The few places with technology that might be able to hurt you are in your ephemeris and easy enough to avoid, and our own military tends to distribute forces where there is the greatest danger. You best option within an instance is generally chain-Vectoring away; nobody but operant Imperials can follow you through that and it’s tough even for us.”
I ended up making a profit on the first week in the pilot module; even with the charge of twenty square for EnIlas’ tutoring during that period, I came out a couple thousand ahead. Not so much for the four weeks of Interstitial work, but I’d learned what I needed to know to go home; actual Interstitial loads weren’t really my first choice because they often meant I couldn’t get home to Asto at night. Regular Home Instance loads I could always go home for overnight; thanks to Vector Drive, if it took thirty minutes from my last load to docking at home something was wrong. At the end of our contract, I thanked EnIlas for his help and gave him a “highly recommended” testimonial. He had been nothing but a perfect gentleman – a little gruff and curmudgeonly at times – but never out of line. It wasn’t his fault I was creeped out by his secretive nature. I was now a pilot. He even gave me an “exceeds standards” testimonial under my pilot’s graycode as well as my main identity.
I did some more research on the insurance costs. If I posted personal bond of sixty to the fourth power luc – a small though not insignificant portion of my cash balance – I could avoid over fiftynine sixtieths of the insurance cost. But here was the real trick – I could continue to use the money as a secured investment, and continue to make money on the bond and only be impacted if the balance in the account slipped below that threshold. Even then, it wouldn’t be a severe impact unless the balance really crashed. Of course I’d lose the bond if I stole a cargo, but I had no intention of doing that. Even if I lost the bond somehow, I could afford to keep re-posting the bond – although costs would understandably rise if I caused an insurance payout.
Asto still needed two more weeks – eight days – before he’d be able to get away from the family business. After that, he would be excused if subject to recall for at least six weeks, with the possibility of two more. So I bought a large pilot module with Interstitial, and had the extra room converted into a cargo hold. It wasn’t huge – about a twenty by twenty foot room – but I could carry cargo back and forth to Earth without renting a larger ship. I also added a small stasis generator – assuming my idea panned out, it was easier to carry living cargo in stasis – and added an external holographic system for camouflage. Unlike a Starbird, a pilot module could never pass at an Earth airport for anything other than what it was, even in the dark. My best alternative was setting it down in some uninhabited canyon, and the holographic camouflage would abet that. The illusion would break down if anyone got within a couple dozen feet, but there were any number of small uninhabited canyons people never set foot in. Airplanes would never see through the illusion; they wouldn’t get close enough. Worst case: if someone stumbled onto it, Asto or I could get there and move it before they could fetch anyone. I could have converted more of the living space, but decided not to. If I needed cargo space that badly, I’d rent a bigger ship. I’d figure out something better once things were in process.
I approached Anara with my question, “Who do I see about a permit to import live animals?”
“From Earth?”
“Yes. Do you remember the animals we had with us when you came to my parents’ house?”
“The small furry ones that followed your parents around – Dogs?”
“Yes, dogs. I haven’t seen anything like them since I’ve been here. I can’t find reference to anything similar on the dig. But they’re popular on Earth; our ancestors domesticated them a long time ago and they have been bred to be companion animals to people.”
“Are they dangerous?” Anara asked.
“Only if they’re abused or badly neglected. Given the Imperial adulthood tests and reasonable instructions…”
“I see your point,” she conceded, “Impressive idea, Grace. I wouldn’t have thought there was anything we’d be interested in buying on that planet. But I think you should read Osh’s report on Earth and the confirmation of the survey team. It might influence your thinking. I’ll forward you a copy. Read it. If you still want to try the idea, importing dogs shouldn’t be worth any official interest, but you might pay someone in government for an Official Opinion. Pick any Primus and follow their instructions, although they’ll almost certainly want to see examples of the species to issue the opinion. If you think they’re charging too much, ask another one.”
So I thanked her, went home, opened up the report and started reading. Oh my.
Copyright 2013 Dan Melson. All Rights Reserved.
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