The Denser Plane by Suzanne Hagelin

Author:Suzanne Hagelin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction; adventure; alternate dimensions; artificial intelligence; genetic engineering; time travel; aliens
Publisher: Varida P&R
Published: 2021-09-21T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15—Moon Walk

Port Jemison wasn’t a tourist town. It was a waystation where Moon residents transferred on and off the surface, where supplies were exchanged, and trade deals negotiated, and where restaurants, hotels, and parks were all geared toward business deals. Anyone who came to the Moon for fun headed out to the resorts.

The Cuevas family would have gladly stayed in a resort but lacked the funds, or the time, what with the Gen meeting coming up. The rooms were completely windowless. The top-level ones had views, but they cost four times as much and there was no indulgent AI benefactor on the Moon giving Sil extra perks.

The main business park had only one level above ground, heavily shielded against radiation, and six vast underground levels. Full satellite communication and unlimited power supply was available across the board, meaning that heat and light were abundant. Water, though, was very restricted and charged to each guest and resident separately. The cost of food was astronomical. Most people, even the wealthiest, prepared their own food and ate in their rooms.

Sil and Scarlet both went to bed as soon as they made it back from the Tract and slept for many hours as Walter handled logistics. He filed charges against Gilda at the Security Station and entered the ore deposits and mining operation into the public records at the Registrar’s Office. There was some misunderstanding about the taxes, and he had to fight with one AI official for over an hour before gaining at least a promise that back taxes would be evaluated before being assessed and that they would have the opportunity to pursue legal recourse.

Walter found himself grumbling at the idea of being wealthy again—and ashamed of not appreciating the possibility. There were a lot of benefits, but there were things he hated as well. Never knowing if your friends were real, for one. There were so many decisions he never had to face when he lived with a reasonable budget. And the tax nightmare. He couldn’t just leave it in the hands of experts because he was liable for what they did. He always made sure he understood what he was signing and what the current laws were.

Everything on the Tract was legally their property, including the machinery and buildings left behind. Would someone try to remove their equipment before he could get the operation going again? It might take some time before they could repair or replace the overseer and, in the meantime, nothing would be extracted. No money would be coming in. The legal costs, the taxes, and the hassle of guarding the land were headaches he wanted nothing to do with.

Subdividing wasn’t an option. Selling was an impossibility in the current political climate on the Moon. Founding Colonists jealously guarded their power and would never allow someone to buy in. They probably would fight Walter and Sil tooth and nail if they chose to exert their own founding rights in politics.

Gilda’s ore stashes, which he was able

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