Somebody Else's Space Program
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Chapter Ten "...let's go south for winter this year..."
"Colonel, your proposal intrigues me. I am not certain, however, it can become reality with less than the cost of a dreadnought and a century of work."
"Perhaps, General, you should look more closely at the second folder." Bezschastnoi flipped his own folder open and paged through the photographs. "Here." He skimmed the photo across the desk to in front of the General. "It's already started. This is a hruss experimental facility." Another photograph, "And these are our other friends -- not quite as far along, but --" Bezschastnoi slammed his hand onto the desk "--we have _nothing!_ Nothing!"
"I see." the General studied the second photo. "Yes. You will get your funding." He gestured to a messenger standing by the door. "Accompany the colonel. I want to know everything about these other two research facilities. Immediately."
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Bleakness, the colonel reflected, was not in short supply in his homeland. The upside of that was that there would be no test stages falling on peasants -- Bezschastnoi had a better appreciation than most of the military of peasants, but he didn't need them raiding his supplies, either. Just the control mechanisms cost more than a farm would produce in a decade.
"Your office is ready, sir. The technicians you requested were delayed -- they will arrive in two days. And there is a package from Academician Zhidislav waiting for you at the depot. It's rather large," the sergeant apologized, "And no one knew if it was personal or for the project, so we left it for a later pickup."
Bezschastnoi sighed. "That is perhaps all for the best. We need a secure storage for the contents."
"Secure, sir?"
"Yes. Something that will hold a raging mastodon would be appropriate."
"Ah... yes, sir, I'll arrange it at once, sir."
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The office had one of the few glass windows on the premises. the colonel settled back in his well-worn chair and looked out over rows of colorless buildings. The military could get things done, but at the price of boredom. Bezschastnoi picked up one of the packets waiting for him. A report on the hruss experimental station.
He read. Race car drivers. Bah. But then, the fuels were similar... _That_ one wasn't hruss; the tall blond stood out among his dark haired comrades. And perhaps _there_ was the reason -- Her Serenity Mairyonven, daughter of their ruler-in-exile. Some of the photographs looked a bit overly-affectionate, but the hruss were shameless by the standards of most of the civilized world.
One of the photos showed a number of small children playing around the launch station. No obvious signs that any of them belonged to the blond... The clothing was subtle, but an expert could read hruss social standing -- one of the children was the current heir, his father the prince dead since before his birth, and one was probably the princess's child. Yes, another photo of the princess with three children. And an assortment of dogs, some purebred, some mutts.
Bezschastnoi carefully slid the photos back into a neat stack and labeled a file folder "hruss." The photos went into the folder and into the filing cabinet, all except one that clearly showed the blond's face. _This_ was his opponent.
_This_ was the face of his enemy.
But children? At a scientific outpost? Unbelievable! And pets!
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