Star Missions - Book One - Part III

Chapter 19 - Moving Forward

MOVING FORWARD

Hydra Base, Strolla System

Terra Date: 10-21-2201

Colonel Don Hand found it difficult to wrap his mind around the destruction on the screen in front of him. Even though he had seen the mushroom cloud with his own eyes, the desolation it had left behind still put him in awe. Though, he was not one to dwell on it. Still, seeing the crumbling remains of what used to be someone's home was different from watching a distant explosion from the air.

The only thing more impressive than the destruction that had been unleashed by a single bomb was the thought that a bunch of tiny bugs could have been even more devastating if left unchecked. Hand found that he couldn't stop imagining the power wielded by the man who controlled such a swarm. For the sake of Terrans everywhere, both in Strolla and Sol, Hand was determined to find the person or persons who weaponized the bugs. Maybe such technology could be useful for his plans. It would be the ultimate deterrent, a foolproof safeguard against attack in a universe that was daily becoming more hostile to Terrans.

Hand turned away from the viewscreen and took a seat behind his desk. He pulled up a list of newly arrived resources, both personnel, and hardware. So far, he had plenty of the latter but a deficiency of the former. General Strickland's last-minute delivery of weaponry, vehicles, and other machinery meant they were better equipped than before and could hold off a small invasion, at least for a little while.

His problem was the lack of manpower. The volunteers that worked in the Strolla system, military and civilian, had to be physically able to handle working in space. They were the privileged, the ones that passed the tests and had no incidents while on their three-month mandatory on Luna. Military personnel faired well, but Terra Defense limited the number that could volunteer for Strolla. At least Hand knew he could count on every person under his command to serve with the utmost dedication. If they didn't, they would either die or sent packing back to Terra. That was part of the agreement.

Though the Hydracorps was dedicated, their numbers were limited. It had Now, with the looming threat of invasion by unknown alien forces, not having enough men became more of a concern. All the weapons in the galaxy wouldn't do him any good if he didn't have soldiers to fire them.

Colonel Hand thought of others he could count on in the System.

Emerson Enterprises was the largest private mining company in the Strolla System. Previously known primarily for their ship-building, the Leadership Council awarded Michael Emerson the contract to mine and to build CS fighters on The Rock. His workforce numbered over twelve hundred men and women, many ex-military. Emerson was a Colonel on Terra when Hand was only a captain. He left the military and made his fortune building ships for deep-space exploration and the military. Even Hand thought of Emerson as an arrogant SOB. Yet, he ran a tight ship. Security was state of the art, and what he built was the top of the line. His workers were dedicated and loyal. He grinned. Perhaps they had more in common than he initially thought.

Having Emerson on his side would provide an added level of security. Emerson controlled the Rock and got most of the material for the construction from the mining of the Rock. The refining and machining were around the clock. But still, the electronics, engines, fuel, and many other components came from Terran companies. Emerson Enterprises depended on the colony and Terra for production. Weapons production would not be a problem, but if the gate remained closed for an extended period, ship-building would cease. Hand thought about that for a moment. Though he welcomed the idea of Emerson's workers supporting the Hydra-corps, slowing down the production of ships for defense would be problematic. He would have to consider all of the angles before he approached Emerson. The Colonel was confident of his abilities to get what he wanted, even from Emerson.