Well, that makes sense, said the General after a moment of reflection. Prepare a report, Cadet, Ill review it, and maybe Ill give it a go. And now I have news for you. Yesterday at the Academys board of trustees meeting we talked about you. The Chairman of the Council, General of the Army Vasnetsov joked that we have cadets in the Academy with sufficient combat experience to enter the General Staff Academy. Laugh all you want, but after the meeting I pulled your file. Youre a ready candidate for the Academy. Youve had enough experience in command positions. The only thing you need is a higher military education, and only officers are allowed in the Academy. Youre 16 now, as strange as it sounds. I keep getting the feeling that Im dealing with someone my own age, but from a formal point of view, it doesnt change the case. Youve done enough for the Academy to make its director in my person want to take part in your destiny, grinned the General, but the only person in the Earth Federation who can authorize officer promotion circumventing the age limit is the President. Ive spoken to Vasnetsov, and hes ready to make a presentation to the President for you to be promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. Ill sign the recommendation, too. We need the signatures of three other high-ranking officers who know you personally and can vouch for you. Do you have an idea?
Colonel General Knyazev, Admiral Nelson, Admiral Fulton, without hesitation I listed,I really dont know Admiral Nelson personally, but he commanded the operation to free Luyten-5, and I think the Colonel General can persuade him to sign this document.
You didnt waste any time, grinned the General, Fulton and Knyazev cant stand each other. To the extent that this is known well beyond the Fifth Strike Fleet. If you manage to collect both these signatures on the same document Okay, enough of this stuff. Lets start, perhaps, with Knyazev.
* * *
We fought off the quarg attack at the cost of losing the Gliese-338 system and almost complete destruction of the infrastructure in Groombridge 1618, but the enemys advance was stopped. The early graduates were even sent back to the Academy to finish their studies. A little over a quarter of those who left the Planetary Commando Academy 40 days ago have returned.
For the next four months, I worked like wood-carver Geppetto on the Pinocchios assembly line. The director of the Academy had drawn up a plan for me to crash into my wretched head and the motor centers of the spinal cord the knowledge of all specialized subjects for which the cadets were normally given two and a half years of learning. I was handling it, but I sank into bed in the evening like a sack of potatoes and fell into a dead sleep until the morning. And then I was called to the capital, to Earth, to be awarded the Gold Star.
I didnt like the situation on the front lines. When I came here, the balance of opposing forces seemed steady, and I thought I had at least five years left to get promoted and to make useful connections and improve my abilities. Now I realized clearly that if I wouldnt act now, The Earth Federation risked losing the war before I can complete my mission. It was time to put a team together. I wouldnt manage to do this alone.
Once again, as the first day of my life in this world, I decided to analyze my assets and liabilities. The task of constructing the portal gates so far was as unattainable as when I arrived at the hospital on Titan. I saw no direct and quick way to solve it. Well, lets take advantage of the way thats as old as the world, and divide a big problem into a lot of little pieces. I need the knowledge, resources, people and permission of the authorities to build and test the gate. I have the knowledge. But its not exactly the kind of knowledge I need. I wont build the gate myself, which means the information in my head needs to be legitimized. How to do that? The cadet and even the second lieutenant, if the response to the submission is positive, dont have that kind of knowledge. So what we need is an official organization that can present this information as its own development. Thats number one. Now regarding the resourses. At the moment its primarily money. Right now, my personal account contains just over 32,000,000 federal rubles. These are patent royalties, instructors wages, trophy prizes and gratuities attached to the Iron Cross and Gold Star. That seems to be quite a lot. With this money, one can comfortably live in the capital of the Federation for almost ten years. But it concerns a common man. Im a person whos very restless and unprepared to just sit on his ass, so this money will be enough only for a start. So, the question of resources is soon to be resolved, but not right now. Thats number two. Next on my list are people. Im supposed to pursue a career in the army where Im not even an officer yet. So, all the current affairs of providing resources and the activities of the company yet to be created will have to be handled by someone else. I mean, sure, Im gonna go for it, but I might not have the time or the opportunity. I started thinking and almost immediately remembered Lieutenant Jeff, my senior technician. He should be interviewed one of the first. Professor Stein of The Colonial Technological Institute may also be of use. His name and connections will certainly prove useful. And I need to talk to Inga. I could really use a trusted person at the company. To be honest, I really wanted her to give up her military career, but knowing her, I was kind of afraid to even talk about it.
So, basically, the plan has been ready. First, a weapons development firm. Itll help me solve two problems at once. I will slowly feed my knowledge from the past life into it and embed it into new weapons samples, thereby legalizing the information I need. And money, of course. The development of the gate will require just an enormous amount of money, which the Federation treasury would never give me, and that way Ill spend the companys profits. The second, no less important than the first, is the military career. By the time the gate is built, I must have sufficient influence in the authorities to provide the contact of civilizations according to my scenario. And third, its time to help the Federation with new technologies, otherwise we may not live to fulfill that contact.
* * *
The capital of the Earth Federation, the huge city of Amundsen, is located at the south pole of the planet, in the heart of Antarctica, covered with forests. In the middle of the twenty-first century, the human race here finally succeeded in contaminating the home planet, with irreversible environmental consequences. Waste islands in the oceans, man-made disasters on oil platforms and chemical plants, oxidation of ocean waters with carbon dioxide, filling the atmosphere with dust and its poisoning combined with the increasing overpopulation of the planet, all of this has led to people barely surviving to develop terraforming technologies. And the first planet to which terraforming had to be applied was the Earth itself.
An artificial thermonuclear sun hung above the south pole, melting the ice and giving to the suffocating and thirsty mankind source of fresh water and oxygen extracted from it. This seemed to be a temporary solution, but it allowed people to survive to the point where the deep purification plants built along the air and sea currents would bring the concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere and oceans to an acceptable level. Humanity no longer made such mistakes, and the environmental protection began to be treated on the Earth with blatant fanaticism. Not surprisingly, the ice-free southern continent has become a forest-and lake-covered paradise, in the middle of which humanity, grateful for its salvation, has jointly built an ecologically exemplary mega-city which became the capital of the Federation.
There was a spring in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, and the Antarctic sun also imitated this pleasant season. The awards ceremony was two days away, and since I was in the capital, I decided to take care of my future corporation. I didnt know much about local law, so I went to a small consulting firm I found online, whose pages seemed adequate to me.
Good afternoon, I am the leading lawyer of JurTex Leo Rabinovich, the man who answered my call was a vibrant man in his 30s, What can our company do for you?
Igor Lavroff, I said in return, I need to register a company that will be able to take part in the State procurement competition.
Sphere of activity?
Development and supply of weapons and military equipment.
Rabinovich had a glimpse of surprise, but he kept on talking calmly:
This activity requires State licensing. The list of requirements for obtaining a licence is extensive. There is a need for a production base, qualified staff, minimum registered capital requirements.
Thats why I asked for your advice.
Tell me, Igor, do you plan to become the founder and owner of the company?
No. Im a minor. My mother will own the company.
How much are you planning to invest in the capital of the new organization?
30,000,000 rubles.
Rabinovich didnt give a damn. None of his business where a 16-year-old boy took that money. Maybe hes the son of a wealthy businessman, maybe its an inheritance. Who cares?
Well, thats enough, at least, to comply with the law. I can take your case, but to obtain a license for such an activity I need from you a number of documents, which confirm that you have experience in the development of new weapons, as well as the results of tests of your products and recommendations from high-ranking military officers. Are you able to provide them? in the eyes of the lawyer there was doubt.
I think so. But its gonna take some time.
Then we can do this: Ill register a company for you. This will be the first stage of our cooperation, a rather inexpensive one. Next, as you provide the necessary documents, we will proceed to obtain a license. Here, prepare the money, Igor. It will not cost you less than half a million rubles.
* * *
The rewarding ceremony was very solemn. 35 persons to be awarded were assembled in the main column hall. The award was broadcast online throughout the Federation. In addition to the President, there were many high-ranking officials and military officers. I was licking my lips in anticipation while looking at this flower garden of potentialities, but my insignificant rank has isolated me from them as well as thick tank armor. Earth Federation President, Marshal Ivan Tobolsky, 60-year-old impressionable man with a thick mane of gray hair, a nose with a light hump, a strong chin and piercing brown eyes, delivered a speech that was traditional for such cases, but was slightly adapted to the current situation on the fronts, which was by no means the best. Therefore, weve heard repeatedly: «in this difficult time», «it is time for hard tests» and «verification of our will to win». And then he went straight to the award. A tall and smooth general who summoned my association with the word parquet gave the name of the next recipient, and the guy in question approached the President with a report while marching in a ceremonial pace. Most of the time Tobolsky smiled habitually, took the award from a tray his extremely solemn assistant was holding, handed it to the hero and shook his hand with congratulations. The decorated man responded with a statutory phrase and returned to the line. Sometimes the President spoke to the officer or soldier a few words in a quiet voice and even listened to the answer. It was impossible to understand exactly what they were saying.
I turned out to be one of the last.
Commander in Chief, Sir, Cadet of the Planetary Commando Academy Igor Lavroff has arrived for the state award! I reported clearly to the President.
Luyten-5? Commanding the Heavy Commando Brigade and striking to meet our landing party? suddenly asked Tobolsky. There was a glimpse of surprise on the face of the foppish general who heard the question.
Thats right, Commander in Chief, Sir.
Congratulations on the Order of the Gold Star, Second Lieutenant. And on joining the General Staff Academy. Now more than ever, we need such commanders.
Serving the Earth Federation, I answered according the regulations, standing at attention.
Unique Specialist? The President quietly asked, nodding at the badge on my tunic and having thrown the ceremonial General into final shock by deviating from protocol. Do you have any requests or suggestions?
I, too, was barely keeping my face cool, but I wasnt going to miss an opportunity like this.
Thats right, Commander in Chief, Sir. I do.
After the ceremony wait for my assistant. And now youre free to go, Second Lieutenant.
There was no miracle, no personal meeting with the President, but his assistant did find me after the awards ceremony, and diligently concealing his disdain for a person as insignificant as a second lieutenant, invited me to submit my requests and views in writing and send it to him for processing and transmission to the Commander in Chief.
* * *
The door to the Presidents office opened silently and the well trained assistant brought the Head of State coffee and ginger cookies. Tobolsky silently nodded.
Mr. President, you asked me to remind you of Second Lieutenant Lavroff.
Ah, Lavroff. Yes, thank you, Tobolsky wearily moved his hand along his face. Whats there? Just briefly.
He claims that in the operations on Luyten-5 and Kapteyn, he used weapon systems of his own design, based on our and trophy circuitry and built on the Academy tech base and in the field conditions. According to him, they were far more effective in combat than our standard models.
Did you check that?
Yes, Mr. President, Ive sent inquiries to his commanding officers. The answers have been strictly positive. In the case of Luyten-5, there is even a specific combat efficiency calculation: 130 percent.
Hmm. Lets say its OK. What does he want? Money for development or transfer to a defense industrial complex?
Oddly enough, no. He doesnt ask for money and only sees himself in combat units. He requests a licence to develop arms and military equipment for a company he has just registered as well as unhindered access to the Ministry of Defence competitions.
Whats the problem with the license?
It has been the practice of the Ministry of Defence to issue such licences only to large enterprises within the defence industry complex and to their subsidiaries. Theres no way for a small firm just set up to get a license like this. They just wont let you, even after fulfilling the formal requirements. I mean, theres so many of them, you can always pick on something.
Lets not get in his way. This guy might be useful to us. Someone in the Military Industrial Complex has overdone things, and this guy, if he doesnt turn out to be nothing, which I dont think he will be, could be a good pain in the ass What is required of me?
Recommending a license with your signature will solve all the problems.
Is draft paper ready?
Yes, Mr. President.
Send it to me, Ill sign it. And let me know if he makes any sense.
* * *
Leo Rabinovich froze up, staring at the screen of his tablet. I understood him well. I sat like that yesterday, stupidly reading and rereading the recommendation to issue the Lavroff Weapons Company a license to develop arms and military equipment, signed personally by President Tobolsky.