Troy Rising 2 - Citadel by Ringo John

Author:Ringo, John
Language: eng
Format: epub

NINETEEN

“That is a sight for God damned sore eyes,” Admiral Kinyon said.

The commander of Troy had accepted Mr. Vernon's invitation to observe the arrival of the Wolf Mother. And he was glad he had. The view from the Starfire was spectacular.

Wolf Mother was the newly minted tanker for the Terran system, a kilometer long, four hundred meter wide mass of nickel-iron just packed with helium. Apollo was planning three of the He3 carriers to handle the output of the gas mine. What had once been a near entire lack of helium was about to be a glut. The Wolf Mine had been designed and constructed to not only supply the Sol system but the Glatun. With trade cut off, it was too much for Earth to absorb. At the moment.

Wolf Mother was only half full, but even that was enough to fill not only the Troy's tanks but the Fleet and civilian needs. The rolling blackouts on Earth were about at an end.

“She won't be able to top off your tanks,” Tyler said. “But with the present state of the power system, you've got fuel to spare. So, now that that problem is settled, I've got some issues I'd like to bring up.”

“I still have plenty on my plate,” the Admiral said. “I should have figured you had a reason to bring me onto your territory.”

“The Troy being yours,” Tyler said. “Which is what this is about. First, you've never opened up the water testing area to unauthorized personnel.”

The “water testing area” was an “accident” during the construction of the main water tank for Zone One. According to contract specifications, Apollo had to supply an area to test the water in the tank. The area had to be at least one hundred meters square, three meters high, accessible to the water and with Earth normal gravity, temperature and air.

Due to an “accident with the SAPL,” what Apollo had delivered was an area sixty acres across and two hundred meters high, cut so that the water flowed into it to various depths, shallow, medium, deep enough for, oh, diving, and walls that climbed up like hills to the overhead and which had what looked suspiciously like water slides built in.

“It's not useable as a pool at present,” the Admiral noted. “All it is is water. And it's pretty cold, by the way.”

“You went swimming,” Tyler said, shaking his head.

“I tested the temperature and conditions,” the Admiral said. “And it's pretty darned cold. Also no safety equipment, no circulation, no ready exits, no vacuum safety systems . . .”

“All of which I will install on my own dime,” Tyler said. “Well, mine and LFD's. With the agreement that military and civilian personnel will have access thereto.”

“Agreed,” the Admiral said.

“Good,” Tyler said. “Because all the gear has been sitting on the ground waiting for an okay and fuel for lift. I can have it up and running in about two weeks.”

“Figures,” the Admiral said. “Second?”

“Apollo has agreed to meet military standards for all personnel working on Troy,” Tyler said.

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