The Disestablishment of Paradise Read Online Free

Games
     
     
     
     
    Hera was working at the southern tip of Royal Straits, at the dangerous place where the island of Lennon comes closest to the steep cliffs of Horse. It is dangerous because of
the rip tide that comes roaring through the narrow strait when the two moons of Paradise are pulling together. This is, of course, also a time of extreme low tide, and that was why Hera and her
student assistant were there. They were trying to establish a new submarine seedbed for the spongy green pancake wrack which had once been common in that region but was now, like so much else, in
decline.
    The work was going well on that fine sunny morning when the peaceful routine was broken by the shrill
bleep-bleep
of a high-priority call demanding attention. The student worker, on
shore and unpacking supplies at the time, took the message. It was from Hemi Katene, the administrator at ORBE HQ , and he was asking to speak to Hera urgently.
    That lady was some fifty feet out from the shore, down on her knees, leaning over the side of one of the flat-bottomed barges used for marine work. She was reaching out, her arms brown in the
clear water, and trying to attach a cable to bolts bedded in a rock just under the surface. The boat bobbed under her, striking her uncomfortably under the arms and splashing water up into her
face. Reluctantly Hera was coming to the decision that she would have to don a wetsuit and plunge fully into the water.
    ‘Tell him I’m busy,’ she called through clenched teeth and without looking up. Time was short as this particular rock only became accessible at extreme low tide.
    ‘He says it’s urgent,’ called the student worker, raising the radio phone above her head and waving it.
    The loop in the cable passed over the bolt head and Hera began to screw it tight. ‘OK, I’m coming,’ she called, ‘Be there in a mo.’ She completed a twist where
strands of wire were sticking out sharply – they had already scratched her arm – and snipped off the pointed parts and twisted them under. Satisfied, she loosened the anchor rope and
started to pull the barge back to the shore. ‘This’d better be good,’ she said as she climbed out onto the rocks and accepted the phone. ‘You go out there and take over.
I’ve got the first two ends tied but we need to secure the central piece. And watch out for the bloody wire ends.’
    The student set off and Hera climbed up to where she could sit on one of the rocks and dry out in the sun. ‘Hello there, Hemi. This is Hera. What’s the trouble?’
    ‘Yeah, sorry to bother you, but it’s pre y important, eh? I’ve just had a call from Captain Abhuradin. Priority alph—’
    ‘She’s not still going on about that tourism proposal is she? I thought we’d scotched that one.’
    ‘No, no. This is something else. No details as yet but, according to Abhuradin, she’s just received a message from Space Council head office. Evidently the Economic Subcommittee has
just come out of a long session. They’ve passed a resolution suggesting that three planet colonies be disestablished – and we are one of them.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Yes. The recommendation is due to be discussed at a full Council meeting in a few weeks and if it is passed then it will be actioned immediately. Part of the new fast-track
initiatives.’
    ‘But they can’t just—’
    ‘I know, that’s what I said. But it is definite. Old Ahab’s no happier than you are. She wants to see you as soon as possible. This afternoon if you can get back here.
There’ll be a shuttle waiting.’
    Hera was silent for a moment. She didn’t trust snap announcements like this. In her experience, they usually meant that someone had been plotting for quite a while and now was striking
fast to minimize resistance. The fact that it was the Economic Subcommittee that had come up with the proposal made matters worse. That committee had become more militant of late, the result of a
change of head, a new broom