Gany ships took to the sky, freighters and cruisers and patrol ships. One day this odd fleet landed among the space cradles, killed and imprisoned the Terran and Martian guards, and proclaimed that Ganymede and the cradles were their property. If the Senate wanted to use the cradles they paid, and paid plenty. Twenty per cent of all freighted goods turned over to the Gany Emperor, left on the moon. And full Senate representation. If the Senate fleet tried to take back the cradles by force the cradles would be destroyed. The Ganymedeans had already mined them with H bombs. The Gany fleet surrounded the moon, a little ring of hard steel. If the Senate fleet tried to break through, seize the moon, it would be the end of the cradles. What could the System do? And at Proxima, the colonies were starving. "You're certain we can't launch ships into deep-space from regular fields," a Martian Senator asked. "Only Class-One ships have any chance to reach the colonies," Commander James Carmichel said wearily. "A Class-One ship is ten times the size of a regular intra-system ship. A Class-One ship needs a cradle miles deep. Miles wide. You can't launch a ship that size from a meadow." There was silence. The great Senate chambers were full, crowded to capacity with representatives from all the nine planets. "The Proxima colonies won't last another twenty days," Doctor Basset testified. "That means we must get a ship on the way sometime next week. Otherwise, when we do get there we won't find anyone alive." "When will the new Luna cradles be ready?" "A month," Carmichel answered. "No sooner?" "No." "Then apparently we'll have to accept Ganymede's terms." The Senate Leader snorted with disgust. "Nine planets and one wretched little moon! How dare they want equal voice with the System members!" "We could break their ring," Carmichel said, "but they'll destroy the cradles without hesitation if we do." "If only we could get supplies to the colonies without using space cradles," a Plutonian Senator said.
Prev.
Back
Top