天翼
<< Tianji >>
The Plan Epsilon
The report titled fluttered into life upon Xiaoying's documentary-tablet.
Plan "E", it said plainly, using the greek symbol for
epsilon. She sighed heavily and started browsing the plan details, waiting for Dr. Zhu and Da Meng, with whom she was to meet for a consensus. The other members of the clique - Jiang Diao, Wang Kaimin, Liu Faoshing, and the Köng (as he insisted to be known), were busy with important other tasks related to reining in the Politburo during this time of upheaval. The fallout of the spine warfare and the difficulty incorporating some of the ex-worker's syndicalists (who, for some reason, viewed the Politburo as "undemocratic and capitalistic" - whatever that meant) had caused a buzz in the General Assembly, and the otherwise stable harmony of the Habitat had been clearly disrupted. This, Dr. Zhu told the rest of the SC in a terse address, was what they had been training for. Now was the time for the SC to demonstrate its vision and integrity, keep the peace, and protect the people of
Tianji.
That's all well and good, thought Xiaoying, thirstily draining her headache medicine,
but we're all trapped in a submarine-cum-mental asylum for the next 194 days.
"The Commissary is expected to publish a report of supplies and maintenance later today." Xiaoying heard Da's voice, sharp and clear, as the door to the meeting room opened.
They were not meeting in the Club today, as they had not done since Xiaoying's initiation, but rather were making use of their amenities in the Politburo offices. After all that had happened, Xiaoying had come to grow rather fond of her office, where she spent most of her working hours, staring out the window at the arboretum, where gardeners and farmers tended to be busy at all different times of day or "night." It had a sort of pacifistic and orderly feel, which more than usually helped her relax.
"Yes, I hope that the rumors aren't true," said Dr. Zhu, entering the room behind Da Meng. "I was hoping we could meet with Captain Alaria today, but I'm afraid she might be too busy."
Xiaoying stood up and bowed respectfully, and they did the same for her.
"Comrade Deng," said Dr. Zhu. "I hope you are doing well."
"And you as well, Comrade Zhu," she replied evenly. "I have received Comrade Da's report and have been perusing it just now."
"Yes, Kong and I finished putting that together last night, after news broke of the missing supplies and the rumors came through," said Da Meng, sitting herself down at the table and flicking her fingers at some auxiliaries. Lights started popping up around the tables and walls, displaying the plan details, as the door closed and locked itself automatically. Almost as if as an after thought, she smiled her serpentine smile at Xiaoying, and added, "Good morning, Comrade Deng."
Xiaoying appreciated this gesture although she did not feel it was absolutely necessary. Straight to business, she felt. "And to you. I've only had time to read the abstract and the conclusion. Are you certain about your conclusions?"
"In a way, I am," she said, adjusting her spectacles. "In another way I am not. The major problem with the Plan is expressed in Section C, but given projection of resource shortages and other weaknesses it's a solution worth considering, as expressed in Section B."
Dr. Zhu grimaced and scratched his chin. "I feel skeptical about this proposal. It seems to me we lack the resources to ensure that it can work without endangering the Habitat to extinction. I read the plan thereof in Section A, but-"
Xiaoying felt her mind trailing off, so to catch up, she lighted her docu-tab and checked the table of contents:
PLAN "E"
Classified to the Inner Circle of the Politburo: a modest proposal for alternative settlement
Abstract. - How it can be accomplished, why it must be accomplished.
Section A. How the resources available to Habitat 9 and the habitat module can be made to function as a contained habitat on Epsilon-V.
Section B. How dangers posed by external phyle influence and uncertainties resulting the long-term settlement prospects of Planet, and the resource needs of the phyle, encourage a targeted solution to resolve these problems.
Section C. How the environment of Epsilon-V poses risk of extinction.
Section D. Conclusion. Preparations to detach from
Tongyi and land on Epsilon-V independently should be made and efforts to construct the supporting infrastructure thereof would assist settling Habitat-9 in any similar zero-atmosphere environment, with appropriate modifications for the magnetic shielding.
She looked up again, and now she saw that Da Meng was talking.
"The magnetic shielding around Epsilon-V is unique in the area, especially with the unknown radiation influences in the area and the overall peculiarities of all the rocky bodies around them. Atmospheric containment is therefore the only major concern, as well as resistance or contingency for tectonic or volcanic interference. We can mass-produce atmosphere suits from the prototypes we already have, and rely on mineral extraction and geothermal energy to build robust facilities with high population-reclamation rates in the event of a disaster..."
The "Zhu suit", Dr. Zhu's invention of a multi-functional, comfortable space suit capable of surviving zero-gravity and zero-atmosphere environments. Mostly useful within the Spine, its usefulness in deep space is limited as it lacks extensive radiation protection. The support of larger magnetic fields, typically meant to be generated by the host-station or host-body, is required for maximum functionality in hostile space environments.
Dr. Zhu held up a hand at this point. "That is sufficient for any disaster which causes damage to the auxiliary facilities, but the primary habitat will require constant maintenance and active disaster contingencies under that schematic."
Da Meng inclined her head. "Acknowledged, but that's the price we would have to pay. Constant vigilance."
"Sounds tiring," said Xiaoying.
Da Meng and Dr. Zhu both looked at her, Da with a little glint of annoyance in her eyes, but Dr. Zhu chuckled.
"Good point, if tersely made," he said, leaping off of it. "We came to this new System to find a home, not a fortified worksite in a hostile hell-scape."
"It will indeed be 'tiring,'" said Da Meng slowly, keeping her eyes trained on Xiaoying for a second before looking back at Dr. Zhu. "But unfortunately this entire situation is tiring."
Dr. Zhu nodded. "That's why we should seek a solution that admits the greatest possibility of success with the least effort. Water moves effortlessly, Comrade Da. Be like the water."
Da Meng pursed her lips and looked back at the screens, lost in thought for a moment, while Xiaoying looked at the projected images of Epsilon-V: the volcanic, metallic planet with the strong magnetic field.
"This is not meant to be a long-term solution, right?" She said, cautiously.
Da Meng looked over at her. "It's a short-term solution meant to grant us an environment protected from the most dangerous thing in this system: other people."
Xiaoying nodded slowly. "So, in that case... this would not be a permanent settlement for the entire phyle."
"That is the idea, yes. We would support the expansion of future operations from Epsilon-V as an interim base of operations. The possibility to abuse tectonic heating caused by Super-Jovus for power, the richness of the metals in the base... as well as the very hypothetical possibility of mining hydrogen and helium from Super-Jovus itself."
Dr. Zhu waved that off. "That's far too hypothetical to consider at this point."
Da Meng pursed her lips again, but continued. "The volcanic and tectonic activity would need to be monitored. We have the technology for that. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is, hm?"
They sat in silence for a few moments, Da Meng looking between them earnestly, Dr. Zhu scratching his chin, and Xiaoying's imagination floating off.
"Well," said Dr. Zhu, "I have to say I do not think this plan should be our primary strategy. I'd like to hold off on any such absolute pronunciations until we have had a chance to meet with Captain Alaria. And as a contingency, it sounds reckless... too reckless." He turned to Xiaoying. "What do you think, Comrade Deng?"
Xiaoying snapped to her senses again, blinking. "Well, uh..."
She thought for a moment. The idea that they might have to have a plan to deal with sudden destabilization on the Tongyi had been floating around the phyle since the Worker's Syndicate and the Order Militant went to war in the spine. That embarrassing accident and the division among the phyles indulged the General Assembly's pathological fear of "the unharmonious ones" - or anyone not in the phyle, a "kind" way of referring to outsiders, and they cried out for some assurance that the Tianji would not pin its survival on the goodwill of its fellows. Within the Politburo, the attitude was a little different: it was assumed that the other phyles did not want to perish either, but the idea that they lacked the self-control to avoid that outcome was enough to give all of them pause.
Hence... Contingency Plan "E."
"It seems to me," said Xiaoying slowly, "that the people want to know that there is a contingency plan in case something goes to horsehocky in the next 194 days. As brutal as these methods are, they are logical, and the situation will surely be different if something devastating happens to the Tongyi. We will be left to fend for ourselves and make do with what we can. In light of that..." she took a deep breath, "I think the adoption of these contingency preparations will give us the means we need to react to disaster, and forge our own path if the need becomes preeminent. We should always be prepared."
Dr. Zhu nodded respectfully, and Da Meng cracked a slow smile.
"That is my thinking as well," she said. "We can apply these preparations to a number of airless bodies in the system, and give ourselves a fighting chance if catastrophe sees fit to strike."
"Well, then," said Dr. Zhu. "It seems we are decided. We shall pursue these contingency operations, as we continue to wait and watch."
Da Meng stood, and started pulling images off the wall, looking somewhat pleased with herself. "This will be quite a relief to me as we meet with Captain Alaria later today. By the way, are you coming with us, Comrade Deng?"
She blinked. "I wasn't aware I had been invited."
"Rubbish," said Da Meng. "You're one of us. I think you'd make a fine member of our delegation."
Dr. Zhu added, "I think it's a good idea for you to meet Captain Alaria. You may like her."
