Free Red to Fade Page B

Rogan. We know that those 3 dead assholes know about the R-1 file and the CSB-R1 base. Harper might know what they know. If I were Connor I would go to the base with the file. The Clandarians could find out where Space Drill is and they could launch an attack on it before we attack them. If they attack Space Drill we haven’t a hope in hell of defeating them. We need to attack them as soon as possible. Send the RBMs to the First Dome right now and I’ll get you your DC file.”
    Eric says, “It’s too risky; if we kill Connor before that file gets out in the open then I’ll send the RBMs to the Red Planet. If that file gets into the media we’ll have to abort this mission completely.”
    Joel says, “Don’t worry about the file going public; there is no mention of anybody’s name on it. All it contains are maps and diagrams of the CSB-R1 base and Balaxian equipment. There is an auto-erase rule on the file; if somebody opens the R-1 file from any other computer except the computer in the main server room of the FBI LA branch, the file will automatically delete itself in five minutes and if somebody’s made copies they will delete at the exact same time as the original file.
    â€œI have also created a print rule for the file. Whoever opens the file will be unable to print it. If Connor tells morphians at the CSB-R1 base about our mission and we’re questioned about our mission by Clandarian authorities we can just deny everything. It’s one man’s word against ours. We don’t want the Balaxians to see the R-1 file and find out what we’re going to do because we don’t want them to be prepared for us when we attack them.
    â€œMy main concern is the Space Drill station being destroyed by the slugs. If the Balaxians find out about Space Drill, the chances are they won’t attack us; they might try to contact the president for a discussion about Space Drill, or they could try to find Space Drill and blow it away as soon as possible. I don’t think that we should leave things to chance. I think that the slugs will only attack us if we attack them first, but if they know where Space Drill is and Space Drill launches a missile attack against them they’ll know where the missile attack is coming from and they’ll be prepared to defend themselves.
    â€œLike I’ve said before, if they find and destroy Space Drill, it’s game over. If Space Drill is destroyed, the glacitone and RB-7 equipment will be destroyed along with the missiles used to destroy the Balaxian ships. Send us the RBMs.”
    Joel is using Connor as an excuse to attack the base because he wants to download the DC file, give the file to Eric and get paid handsomely as soon as possible.
    There is silence for a minute. Eric takes a few moments to stop and think about what decision he should make.
    After a minute he says, “Right, OK, I’ll arrange for a USGTS ship to drop off the RBMs on Mars.”
    USGTS is a United States Government Transport Ship. USGTS ships are used to transport weapons and IT technology from the Clandarian spaceships and the glacitone domes to America. They are also used to transport equipment from America to the ships and domes. Inhabitants of Balaxia helped to build the USGTS ships, so USGTS ships have some Balaxian technology. The American government has its own private planet transport station in Washington DC so that USGTS ships can land and take off to export and import equipment.
    The USGTS ships are slow compared to the planet transport passenger ships. A passenger ship can get you to Mars in five hours, while a USGTS ship takes thirty-seven hours. The USGTS ship has to travel at a slow speed because of the cargo. One time they did try to make the USGTS ships move as fast as a planet transport passenger ship while laden with large cargos; it was a disaster as the g-force made the cargo smash through the transport equipment doors and