Free Henry Gallant Saga 2: Lieutenant Henry Gallant by H. Peter Alesso

wife.
    “You’ll be responsible for negotiating with Elysium’s leader for access to resources and manpower. You know our requirements including heavy metal mining, heavy water collection, plus the construction of an accelerator and manufacturing facilities.” Neumann paused, and then said, “I want you to listen carefully. Circumstance and distance will dictate you exercise a degree of discretion, but I want to be kept fully informed. I will not accept any freelance activity. You will be held strictly accountable. Am I clear?” Neumann scrutinized Gallant as if daring him to contradict.
    Gallant bit his tongue and swallowed hard before saying between his teeth, “Yes, sir.”
    “I want a weekly report, in person. You’re going to spend a great deal of time in this cabin debriefing me and listening to my instructions.”
    “Aye, aye, sir.”
    “I want you to make a long term arrangement with Elysium’s leadership to keep the force shield down. See if we can get equipment and men to support our mining and manufacturing efforts. We can provide synthetic foods, or offer to build a nuclear power plant for them, as barter and incentive. Offer to take a representative back to Earth with us. I’m sure that will be of interest. Tell them we can provide defensive support against the Titans, in the future, after we’ve returned from Earth.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “We have only one Hummingbird, so we’ll have to rig up a tractor beam for the Hummingbird to pull a container trailer to ferry supplies and people back and forth from the planet.”
    “I’ll get Chief Howard started on that before I leave.”
    “Good. I expect you to supervise all planet operations and maintain a rigorous schedule. I want maximum cooperation from the planet’s leadership. We must be ready when the destroyer comes back,” added Neumann with a frown.
    “Aye, aye, sir.”
    “Gallant, your success on Elysium is critical to the survival of Intrepid. I expect you to represent the Untied Planets in a manner to bring credit on the Intrepid. Given your lack of genetic engineering, I’ve concerns. Your performance will reflect on me when we report back to Earth and I’ll be completing your fitness reports from now on,” said Neumann.
    Gallant looked at Neumann’s rigid face and set eyes. He was all too aware of Neumann’s views.
    Neumann continued, “I won’t allow your failures to reflect poorly on this ship, or on me.”
    “I am prepared to accept responsibility for my actions, sir,” said Gallant, saluting as he left the cabin.

CHAPTER 11
ELYSIUM
    Fire retros, thought Gallant, prompting the Hummingbird to fall from its vertiginous orbit.
    The tiny ship’s battle scars reminded him of what he was leaving behind, but he quickly dispelled his momentary sense of isolation. Instead, he focused on his mission to a new world. He let Elysium fill the viewport as well as his imagination. The fulsome imagery blended with his neural interface receptors, producing a heightened awareness. Optimistically, he resolved to enjoy the eight minute ride to the landing strip at the outer edge of the town.
    He had grown up on terra-formed Mars and never visited Earth. Now as he plunged downward toward the aquamarine water, he could appreciate its novelty. The craft penetrated the atmosphere and passed through the dotted white clouds with the sun reflecting off its polished surface.
    When the Hummingbird pierced the stratosphere, the hull creaked from strain, alerting him to the many and varied external noises—a startling change from the formal silence of deep space. Buffeted by solar winds and the air pressure of the ionosphere, the ship’s metal fabric added vibrating noises.
    He listened to a cacophony of thunderous rocket engines bellowing as fuel gurgled into the nozzles and then exploded; fierce winds howled as they chafed against the heat shield, and a rhythmic plink of particles struck the hull.
    Performing a wingover helped to stabilize the fuel