Titan

5 January 2096: Afternoon

Urbain stared unhappily at Eberly and his three department heads, sitting across the small conference table from him. One very young-looking woman, two nondescript men. Except for Eberly he knew none of them. Both the men had golden complexions, almost yellow, even though they were obviously not Asians. The woman’s skin was light brown, like toasted bread.

It had taken a frustrating three days merely to bring these people into the same small conference room with him. Despite all of Urbain’s promptings and importunings, Eberly had delayed this meeting unconscionably, in Urbain’s view.

“I’m sorry it’s taken so long to bring this conference together,” Eberly said, by way of opening the meeting. “Getting these three very busy people into the same place at the same time isn’t easy, I assure you.”

“So it would seem,” Urbain replied stiffly.

Turning to his department heads, Eberly explained, “Dr. Urbain needs materials and manpower to build new satellite platforms. Twelve of them, I believe?”

“Twelve,” Urbain confirmed. “At least twelve. The need is quite urgent.”

“How many technical people will you need?” asked the director of human resources. She had been introduced to Urbain as Holly Lane.

Urbain picked up his handheld computer and projected his list of requirements onto the blank wall at the head of the conference room. The department heads turned to scan the list; Eberly had to swivel his chair completely around. Good, Urbain thought. Make him do a little work.

The head of the logistics department shook his head worriedly. “That’s a lot of electronics equipment you’re going to need. It’ll cut into our spares inventory pretty damned deep.”

“Yes, but—”

“And I can’t just pull people off their existing tasks,” said the manufacturing chief. “Do you have any idea of how thin we’re stretched as it is? Why, I’ve got requisitions for jobs going into the next six months. Just rebuilding those damned solar panel actuators is taking up more than half my resources.”

And so it went for some forty-five minutes, the department heads complaining that it would be impossible for them to meet Urbain’s needs for at least several months. Urbain sat in growing impatience, trying to keep from exploding, knowing that he needed the support of these blundering oafs and if he told them what he truly thought of them and their attitudes he would never get the help he so desperately needed.

Only the personnel chief, this young Lane woman, seemed at all helpful.

“We could shift a few technicians temporarily,” she offered, “and maybe offer overtime pay for those who’d be willing to do the assembly work after their regular shifts.”

But without the materials and electronics equipment, Urbain knew, the technicians would have nothing to assemble.

“I must insist,” he said, forcing his voice to remain calm, trembling only slightly, “that this work be given the highest possible priority. The success of this community’s very raison d’etre depends on it.”

They cleared their throats and shifted uneasily on their chairs. They gave excuses. They waved their hands. It was only after nearly an hour of fruitless wrangling that Urbain realized that the department heads did not look at him when they spoke, they looked at Eberly.

He holds the strings, Urbain finally understood. They will procrastinate and evade the issue until he tells them to do as I wish.

Suddenly he shot to his feet. “Bah! This pointless bickering is stupid. If you will not help me I will proceed without you.”

“Now wait a moment …” Eberly pushed his chair back from the conference table but did not stand up.

“I have waited long enough,” Urbain snapped. “I will launch our existing satellites into orbit around Titan. That will leave us with nothing in reserve, no satellite platforms in storage. If some need for further satellites arises, then you will understand how stupidly you have behaved.”

With that, he stormed out of the conference room.

Eberly made a rueful smile. “Emotional, isn’t he?”

The other two men got up from their chairs and, after a few words of conversation with Eberly, headed back to their own offices. Holly got up, too, but lingered at the conference room’s door.

“Can you really get a team together for Urbain?” Eberly asked her.

“Sure. No prob. And Di Georgio and Williams can make the materials and equipment available, too, if they have to.”

Eberly half-sat on a corner of the conference table, realizing all over again that Holly was as sharp as they came.

“You think I should order them to cooperate with Urbain?”

She looked right into his eyes. “I think that’s what you’re going to do, sooner or later. You just want to make Urbain squirm, make him understand who’s boss.”

Eberly pretended astonishment. “Why, Holly, what do you think I am?”

Holly shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. But I don’t think you ought to be playing power-trip games with Urbain. He’s got some strong connections back Earthside to the ICU, y’know.”

Eberly gave her a long stare. “Perhaps you’re right,” he murmured.

Standing in front of him, returning his gaze unblinkingly, Holly said, “Malcolm, there’s something else we need to talk about.”

“Something else?”

“The ZPG protocol,” she said.

Eberly said nothing as he slowly got up from his perch on the table’s corner and dropped back into his swivel chair.

“Sit down, Holly,” he said, gesturing to the chair nearest him. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

She could see the wheels turning in his head as she took the chair. He’s always trying to figure out how he can benefit from any situation, she told herself. Guess that’s why he’s the chief around here.

“What about ZPG?” Eberly asked.

Holly took a breath, marshalling her thoughts. “Remember the Mishimas? The couple that froze their fetus, back when we’d just left Earth? They want permission to have their baby.”

Eberly pursed his lips.

“If and when they do,” Holly continued, “a lot of women in this community are going to want to have babies.”

“Then we’d better not grant permission to the Mishimas. Not yet, at least.”

“You can’t put this issue off forever,” Holly said. “It’s as natural as breathing, Malcolm. Women want to have babies.”

“Do you want a baby, Holly?”

She smiled at him. “Don’t try to put me off by making the issue personal. Sooner or later you’re going to have a tidal wave bearing down on you, Malcolm. This ZPG protocol could bury you.”

He steepled his fingers and tapped their tips lightly in front of his face. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“You surely better,” said Holly. “You can’t keep this genie in a bottle forever.”

“We’ll see.”

Holly laughed. “That’s what a father tells his child when he doesn’t want to face the consequences of saying no.”

“I understand what you’re telling me, Holly,” Eberly said in his sincerest mode. “I appreciate your bringing this to my attention.”

Holly knew that what he was really saying was: I don’t want to deal with this. Not now. Maybe not ever, if I can get away with it.

Getting to her feet, Holly realized that if Eberly wouldn’t deal with this issue, she would have to.