The Hive by Orson Scott Card

Author:Orson Scott Card
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

CHAPTER 13

Rescue

Ansible transmission between the Hegemon Ukko Jukes and Polemarch Ishmerai Averbach. File #474750. Office of the Hegemony Sealed Archives, Imbrium, Luna, 2119

* * *

UKKO: You’re the military. You have the biggest guns. And yet you keep losing supply ships to thugs and pirates.

AVERBACH: Calling them thugs paints a false impression. These aren’t bumbling thieves. They’re highly sophisticated and well equipped.

UKKO: Yes, equipped with ships and tech that they stole from the Fleet.

AVERBACH: We’ve lined supply routes with escort vessels, but the Fleet is spread thin. We’re fighting two wars at once here, and I’m more concerned about the Formics and the possible annihilation of the human race than I am about a few emboldened criminals.

UKKO: Then allow me to give you a lesson in economics. Wars are won with coin. Ships and supplies are not made from thin air. They are bought and paid for by the free citizens of Earth, who pay heavy taxes to the Hegemony to sustain your efforts. How long do you think they’ll continue paying those taxes if they believe their precious money is being wasted on ships and supplies that never reach their destinations or engage the enemy? And how long do you think we can keep fighting once our war chest is empty?

AVERBACH: I can only do so much. I’m high above the ecliptic, leading an assault. Would you have me pull our ships out of the war effort to run down pirates?

UKKO: You got this job because you’re a brilliant strategist. Be creative.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.