The Monkey and Squirrel fight for freedom. by Adrian eng Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

told I am not funny, woe is me. OK I'll give a rest for a time.” signed Tman.
    “Back to more immediate matters, I'm pleased the vote went in favour of the commemorative plaque, worded
    'THE NATION OF THE NEW PEOPLE, STARTED YEAR ONE HERE WITH BUILDING THEIR FIRST HOME. LONG LIVE THE NEW PEOPLE!'
    instead of a nuke booby trap!” stated Chatty.
    “That was one of the more insane ideas, it would have made the humans crazy for revenge, our new nation would have only lasted as long as it took for them to carpet bomb us with nukes.” signed Tman.
    “Yes the idea of going far away and out of sight so they forget us is our best hope.”                      
    “Yes Chatty, I think Saturn serves that end best, and I'm glad the vote went that way.”
    “It’s farther away. Despite the bravado expressed in the debates, most of our people greatly fear the Humans. I know I do.” signed Chatty.
    “Quite right, I do to! But even with nuclear power it is not practical for us to go further out, the Saturn system of satellites offers the best chance of sufficient resources and time to exploit them, it gives us the best chance of a real future!” enthused Tman.
    “It is galling to be so driven, when all we have done is to make a break for freedom.”
    “The universe is as fair as Humans are rational, Chatty.”
    “Hopefully that won't always be true?”
    “They regularly destroy their own civilisations, as anyone can see from their history! They don't seem to learn that much in the process.” signed Tman.
    “Nearly time for my compulsory rest period.”
    “That is a rule we needed, otherwise we would carry on until we dropped, working when you are too tired; it just wastes time and effort.” signed Tman.
    “Yes, just like its only possible for us to stop once the job is done.” observed Chatty
    “You have got the nut on that one, programming again. So away to your hole in a tree.”
    “Good one Tman, I'm going to my bed.”
    “Me to.” signed Tman.
     
    The New People's space ships arrived at the mines in mid-October three weeks after the Chinese space freighter future Mars space station departed Earth orbit for Mars orbit.
    The Chinese also delivered the deep space ship on time. It was three months later it departed, two months behind schedule. With only inexperienced space workers being available to the non Chinese space company’s, delays were unavoidable. The deep space ship accelerated harder than the new people had expected, but the initial delay still left them with over a month clear in their latest schedule.
     
    Each Newp habitat now had three reactors installed. One running the normal load, one on standby to provide backup and spare capacity, the third was a spare. All were eject-able. In storage they had three complete sets of spares, ready if the need arose replacement reactors could be up and running quickly. They had emergency battery power and fuel cells that gave them 28 days basic life support, more than enough in theory to build a new power plant from spares. Nearly everything was installed but the last few parts that they had to make in microgravity.
    The miners had also pulled out a surprise. It turned out that the habitat they had built themselves. Using an asteroid that had been nearly solid Iron years ago, they had equipped it with engines and control systems they could build themselves. Ready to make a run for it, if the general revolt failed or looked like it would never happen. This is where they had stockpiled supplies, seeds, soil, Nitrogen [5] and preserved Foods.
    This was being retro-fitted to the same equipment level as the new ones, but the miners had kept their old systems in parallel but separate, because they had a better understanding of their old systems. It was a quarter of the size, one third the mass of the new habitats and had a stable ecosystem. It was their home and it was now part of the fleet. When safe havens are rare, all are cherished.
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