VIEWPOINTS

by

Thomas Wm. Hamilton

With the results from California merely validating what was obvious earlier in the evening,

America has elected Raymond Mulvey, inventor and megabusinessman, as its next President,

defeating Senator Wayne Fargo. Mulvey has the least political experience of any President at

least since Dwight Eisenhower nearly a century ago, but anaylsis shows his support was strong in

those states where he has major business interests, and totally overwhelming in states involved in

space exploration. Considering that Mulvey invented the faster than light drive, and completed

the first explorations outside the Solar System just twenty months ago, his move into politics has

been astonishing. During the presidential debates he dismissed opponents and critics as people

stuck in the past, incapable of thinking or reacting to America's conquest of the galaxy, and

voters seem to have bought this argument enthusiastically. Mulvey has 37 states and just over

four hundred electoral votes assured...

Notice and Warning: The material in this section is a construct created by an AI working with a

computer and human psychologists and historians at the History Department of the University of

High Woonsocket, Rhode Island Sector. This material has no probative value, and may not be

used for purposes of litigation or historical validation, as it only presents one of several unproven

theories. Copyright 2215 University of High Woonsocket, all rights preserved.

President-elect Raymond Mulvey sat in the private study of his palatial home. His brother-in-

law said, "Let me get this straight. You want a website that looks like some sort of illegal back

door to a government area, and you're going to write in the content. The whole thing is to self-

destruct after being accessed once. This has to be ready by May. Do I have everything?"

"Perfectly." The President-elect smiled. "I can invent FTL travel, but I'm not the computer

hotshot that you are. I trust you understand that you'll have to forget this, once done."

"I turn it over to you, and I know nuzzing, I see nuzzing. How are the grandkids?"

"Well enough. I trust yours are well, too. Your country is proud of you in its time of need.

How much should I pay you?"

Extracts from the Inaugural Address of Raymond Mulvey, 49th President of the United States,

January 20, 2037:

. . . Regarding the developments deriving from my invention of a Faster Than Light Drive, let

me say this. Four ships are currently exploring stellar systems in the database astronomers have

developed in the last thirty years or so of extrasolar planetary systems, seeking those with

inhabitable planets. Each state in the union will be allowed to pick one such planetary system, in

the order in which they joined the union. . . I shall shortly be going to the United Nations and

presenting a proposal to allow foreign nations to pick such planetary systems also. Each nation

will be allowed one planetary system for its first one hundred million of population, and an

additional system for up to five hundred million, and a third system if over that. Nations will pick

in an order determined by a point scheme, with points awarded for length of time with diplomatic

relations with the USA, for length of time with United Nations membership, and for democratic

rights recognized. Points will be lost for having warred against the USA and for lack of democratic

rights, so nations with rights problems are urged to clear them up quickly. . .

This plan should keep settlement of new worlds under control. Unrestricted access would

lead to thousands of groups trying to settle worlds, with the results being a rapid depopulation of

the Earth, and a likely collapse of civilization as no world would have a significant population or

technology base. . .

Hey Charlie, Want a hot tip? Go to ExecAcFlash37.gov and enter password doitrichtig,

counter password omicron849.

Kovack glanced at the anonymous message, and almost deleted it. He got probably half a dozen

anonymous tips a week as one of NewsNet's better known hack reporters, and most were worse

than a waste of his time. But this one was a (dot)gov, which was just enough unusual for him to

give it a try. Maybe a whistleblower?

ExexAcFlash37 gave him a screen which warned access was limited to authorized personnel

with a strict need to know, under various ominous sounding statutes and Executive Orders.

Fortunately, NewsNet had some very unauthorized features for its computers. Reasonably

confident he would not be spotted as an intruder if he entered a qualified password, Kovack

typed "doitrichtig", then added the counterpass.

He found himself staring at a menu. "Schedule", "Assignments", "Equipment", "Budget", and

more. What the hell, he thought, and clicked on "Schedule".

"T=0 Air Force One leaves Dulles International Airport with President aboard. Timeframe June

10 to July 1.

T=12 minutes Djinn SA missile launched at Air Force One.

T=14 minutes Capitol destroyed. (see separate instructions)

T=15 minutes state capitols destroyed (see separate instructions)

T=18 minutes to 1 hour surviving Senators, Representatives, Cabinet members, and

state Governors taken into protective custody. (see separate instructions)

T=20 minutes all news media secured (see separate instructions)

T=1 hour 5 minutes assigned personnel sworn into designated offices. (see separate list)

Kovack read no further. Either this is somebody's really sick idea of a joke, or we're in deep

shit! He hit print. When the "Schedule" print out was done, he printed out "Assignments", and

then "Equipment". The "Equipment" file had just noted that the Djinn Surface to Air missile was

manufactured in the Maghreb Federation, and purchased with Indian money, but shipped

through China, when the screen froze and the printer died. Then the screen flashed

"Parameters exceeded. Identify user."

Kovack typed in the password again. The screen flashed "Identify User by Name". Kovack

typed in "Donald Duck". The screen flashed, "Donald Duck, remain where you are. Security

officials will question you within five minutes to assure you are authorized." Kovack hit "delete",

"escape", "control A", "Alt", "Exit" and a dozen more keys, ending with turning off power. Then

he called his editor.

"Mack, I just hit a doozy. Got an anonymous tip to check a government web site. When I

went to it I got the damnedest load you ever saw, a complete detailed outline for a military

takeover of the government, from assassinating the President to seizing control of the states. In

the middle of that a ton of bricks got dumped on me, and I bailed."

"You get copies of any of this?"

"The complete index, schedule, personnel assignments, and just the start of equipment. I

was blocked before I got to the budget."

"Lemme take a look."

"The last message I got was that security agents would be at my desk in five minutes."

"Don't let that worry you. We paid enough so nothin' gets traced back here. Now show

me."

Kovack took the print out to his editor, quickly thumbing through to see what he had: two

pages of index, one page of schedule, eight pages of assignments, and two lines of equipment.

The names on the assignments pages seemed to be almost all naval personnel or FBI. He

recognized a couple of each from stories he had worked on.

His editor took the materials and looked them over. Then he questioned Kovack carefully and

thoroughly about the initial email. Finally he sat back, and said thoughtfully, "We can't publish this

without being damn certain it's genuine. Tell you what, check out a few of the people on the

'assignments' list and see what they're up to. See if you can find any evidence for a Djinn missile

being sold through India and China. Do a sidebar on why the Navy and FBI would be unhappy

with President Mulvey. Then get back to me, within, oh, one week. We've got a bit of time if

this isn't supposed to be executed until sometime in June."

Kovack said, with just the slightest trace of annoyance, "I assume all this is in addition to

everything else I'm working on?"

"Whadja expect?"

Sigh. "I'll get right on it."

Robert Daughtery, Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy, 46, was found dead in his wrecked

car early this morning, according to District police. The car appeared to have hit a bridge

abutment shortly after midnight. Police said there was no sign of alcohol or drugs, but the car

was clearly traveling in excess of 80 miles per hour. Daughtery's wife said she had no idea why

he was out so late, and insisted that he never drove recklessly or at excessive sppeds. She had

not heard from him and had been getting worried when police contacted her. Funeral

arrangements have not been announced.

NewsNet EditSys 7 May 2037 15:48:12 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

Sidebar Draft

Senator Wayne Fargo has been a critic of President Mulvey since running against him in last

Fall's election. The President's plans for space colonization announced in his Inaugural address

have been a particular sore point. "Space was opened through American initiative and

inventiveness," the senator said in a speech last month. "We should not pander to foeigners by

giving them open access." He did not mention this inventiveness and initiative were Mulvey's

own.

The Navy has been unhappy with President Mulvey ever since he suggested during last

Fall's campaign that if elected, he would have nautical security on American colony planets

opened up by his FTL drive handled by the Coast Guard. But Raymond Mulvey's name has

become a virtual epithet with the FBI.

It was not enough last October, during the second debate among Presidential candidates,

that Mulvey expressed the view that the FBI is more crooked than the people they arrest. Less

than a week after taking office, on January 25, President Mulvey ordered a thorough review of

FBI records dealing with an eighty year old incident. On October 4, 1957 the old Soviet Union

launched the first satellite into orbit. A small object, all it did was report its location and its on-

board temperature.

The first two American recordings of this satellite were made by a radio network's facility on

Long Island, and a ham radio station at Columbia University. The Long Island recording had to be

driven into Manhattan for rebroadcast in a news special. The ham station's recording was walked

one block across the Columbia campus, and aired on the Columbia fm station, WKCR.

The next morning two FBI agents walked in and seized the tape. That tape was never

returned, replaced, or paid for, until President Mulvey's investigation. Both the FBI agents

involved are of course long dead, and no trace could be found of the tape, so Mulvey forced the

current FBI director, L. Craig Drachel, and the head of the FBI's New York office, Simon

Pritchard, to present WKCR with a formal letter of apology, and a check for the cost of the tape

plus 80 years of interest compounded, plus a generous allowance for historical value. All this

came out of the FBI's budget. Pres. Mulvey attended the ceremony, which WKCR broadcast

live. The President apparently designed the entire affair to humiliate the FBI, and sources which

declined to be named have suggested that in this the President was very successful.

The President has indicated that the FBI will be allowed no law enforcement role on the

colony planets, and has hinted he may seek to ask Congress to create a new agency to replace

the FBI entirely. Senator Fargo has promised a major legislative battle if Mulvey does introduce

such a proposal, but the President has so far been very successful in out-maneuvering his

opponents in Congress.

Newsnet Memosys 09 May 2037 14:22:49 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

Mack, I'm not too successful tracking naval and FBI personnel. In fact, asking is getting me on

more bad lists than I like. The FBI people I've checked on seem mostly to be where they are

supposed to be, but I did hit one anomaly with naval, a paper pusher named O'Hara. He's

number 142 on the list, apparently down for running coastal Maine and New Hampshire if I read

the print out code correctly. Anyhow, he just got back from Vladivostok. He spent two weks

there for no damn good reason I could see, although he apparently met with Adm. Vinarski

twice. O'Hara is involved in assuring sanitary supplies reach Atlantic fleet as needed, and there's

no record he speaks Russian, so what the hell is he doing with Vinarski, who's number 5 on the

list as over-all ruler of the entire Atlantic seaboard.

"To: O'Hara, R. Lt.Cmdr. 14 April, 2037 NavFltCmdOff

You are hereby directed and ordered to report to VAdm J. Vinarski, Cmdr, NavSta Vladivostok as

of 0800 local time 20 April 2037 for assignment. Travel orders follow by messenger."

O'Hara stared at the terse message in total shock. Comfortably ensconced in a peacetime

paper-pushing job in the Pentagon, a short notice reassignment was not normal for one in his

position. And his lack of knowledge of the Russian language should have made Naval Station

Vladivostok totally out of the question for him, given Russian sensitivities about needing American

protection on their own soil. After thinking about it a few minutes, he realized he had less than

no desire to visit or be assigned to a town on the edge of Siberia. O'Hara picked up his phone

and called his superior, Capt. Kendall. To his dismay, Kendall was no help. "I received notice that

you were being reassigned to fill an important posting, and that it was secret, and I could not

ask, argue, or be informed, discuss, or question in any way. Face it, that's the kind of job we

have."

O'Hara didn't like it, but he faced it. He called his wife and warned her. Her response did not

make him any happier. She enjoyed the Washington social scene, spoke no more Russian than

he did, and certainly had no wish to live within three thousand miles of Vladivostok. O'Hara

interrupted his conversation to accept and sign for his travel papers. He finally told her to

continue living in their house, and he would occupy bachelor officer quarters in Vladivostok for

however long he was posted there, which, he assured her, was bound to be brief, given his lack

of qualifications.

The Military Air Transport flight to Vladivostok was even longer and more boring than

expected. On arrival, the air base personnel had no record of his expected arrival, and he was

held up for hours while they checked his orders. Finally O'Hara got into the naval base

established fifteen years earlier to protect this piece of what was left of Russia from annexation

by either Japan or China. His orders directed him to report directly to Vice Admiral Vinarski, the

base commander, but Vinarski was not available, being in Irkutsk, the Provisional Capitol of Russia.

O'Hara cooled his heels for four days, until Vinarski returned and had time for him.

It was a difficult interview. "Lieutenant Commander O'Hara, why are you here?"

"Sir, I have no idea. I just follow orders."

Vinarski's comment on that was just "Humph." He studied O'Hara's papers, then skimmed

over them a second time, finally looking up to say, "I see nothing here to suggest you know

Russian--po Russki?"

"No sir. Just French."

"The Russians still haven't accepted the idea they need Americans on their soil. How long

have you been here?"

"I arrived late five days ago, and have been waiting four days for this meeting."

"Humph. Alright, get out of here. I'll call you back in when I find out what this is all about."

O'Hara saluted and left. On the chance that the Navy knew what it was doing, while he

waited for his next interview with Vinarski, and having used up the tourist delights of Vladivostok

while waiting for his first meeting, he tried to learn some Russian.

The Admiral undoubtedly had other, and quite possibly more important concerns than what

to do with an unexpected Lieutenant Commander, so O'Hara did not anticipate being called back

soon. It was in fact nine days later that he was ordered to appear before a Capt. Black. This

officer, more a light cafe au lait than black, simply handed O'Hara a fat envelope. "Sir, are these

my orders?"

"Orders and travel papers." Black clearly had few words to spare for unwanted Lieutenant

Commanders.

"Travel papers?" Oh, God, are they going to send me somewhere even worse?

"It's all explained." Capt. Black was clearly dismissing him. O'Hara saluted and left, taking the

envelope back to his assigned room before opening it. There he was delighted to find he was

reassigned to his old job in the Pentagon. He had a seat on the next available MATS flight. He

immediately dialed his wife to let her know the good news. She just complained about their

children's behavior during his absence.

NewsNet Memosys 11 May 2037 10:33:12 Orig code Edit-Mack Destin Code C.Kovack

Charlie, this is so hot I had to take it higher. You are to prepare a complete write up on how

you got this, include all the print out and any info on names appearing there, and ship to the

Top.

NewsNet Memosys 11 May 2037 12:52:11 Orig Code CEO Destin Code C.Kovack

Materials received. You will be advised promptly.

NewsNet Memosys 12 May 2037 09:21:58 Orig Code Edit-Mack Destin Code C.Kovack

Charlie, here's the word from on high. It's both good and bad. The bad news first. If this is a

fake and blows up in our faces, you're out of a job and I'm reassigned to Greenland. The good

news--you are in charge of this story. The Top wants you to have a comment from the

President with the break. Clearly this has to be handled carefully, because if it's real, people

prepared to pull off so many political assassinations won't hesitate to shut you up, or, more

importantly, me. Have you any ideas on how to approach the President with this?

NewsNet Memosys 12 May 2037 10:13:04 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

Mack, you know a good reporter never names his confidential sources. Anyhow, my daughter is

in a sixth grade class with one of Mulvey's grandchildren. We'll see if a note home to her mommy

might not reach Old Grandad.

NewsNet Memosys 17 May 2037 04:02:12 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

6 spooks grabbing me help

NewsNet Memosys 17 May 2037 07:27:08 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

Everything okay. Will be in further touch noonish.

NewsNet Memosys 17 May 2037 12:17:19 Orig Code C.Kovack Destin Code Edit-Mack

I'm back from a very private meeting with the President, who apologized for giving my wife and

me heartattacks by the way I was "invited" to meet with him. Mulvey in person is really different

than his public persona, much more man of the people than egghead scientist/bloated plutocrat.

Here's the deal. He's now got investigators working on the stuff we got. If it works out, we

get exclusive inside coverage of the clean-up. If this is junk, I'll be asking Wazooistan for political

asylum.

NewsNet Memosys 17 May 2037 12:18:01 Orig Code Edit-Mack Destin Code C.Kovack

Charlie, thank God you're okay. I had contacted every lawyer within fifty miles, including a few

that had been disbarred. Thought you might have been renditioned to the Moon without a

spacesuit.

The Vice President and full cabinet had joined President Mulvey at Camp David. They had

travelled separately, secretly, and by circuitous routes, although none understood why the

meeting or the reason for the secrecy. Each was handed a dossier that included the print out

provided by Kovack, and the results of an investigation by a very few, highly select Secret Service

agents. After everyone had time to read the documents, Mulvey looked them over. "We'll go

by office, so Anita, you first."

The Vice President looked appalled. "This is horrible."

Mulvey had a sardonic chuckle. "We've had half a dozen Presidents assassinated. You're

reluctant to provide a precedent for knocking off Veeps also?" She did not seem to appreciate

the humor. The President turned to the Secretary of State.

"This reads like a cross between a scenario in some banana republic and a horror story."

The Attorney General said, "How much of this can we trust? Would any of these papers hold

up in court?"

Mulvey looked grim. "We've tried to access the website that damn reporter got this stuff

from, and all we get is alternating messages of no such address or access denied. The stuff from

the Secret Service on all the personnel mentioned seems to be firm. One name appears to be a

minor typographical error, but otherwise, everything is quite accurate as to rank, assignment, and

the like. Also, you'll note that we did find evidence of a Djinn missile being sold in February, and

the trail of where it was shipped seems to peter out after Shanghai."

The discussion continued for hours. Mulvey asked for suggestions on what to do. The

Defense Secretary suggested using the Army and Air Force for security, and pointed out the

Secretary of Homeland Security had nominal authority over the FBI. That officer agreed they

should call in the FBI director and grill him. Mulvey pointed out this would warn the other

conspirators. The Vice President suggested the FBI director be invited to consult with the

Secretary on some minor matter, and when he arrived, be questioned. This was agreed to, with

the Director to appear at 9 am the following Tuesday, June 2. If they were not satisfied with his

answers, the President would use the Army and Air Force to move against the conspirators.

5 June 2037 10:40:00

"Pentagon ALERT! ALL Personnel! ALERT! This is NOT a Test! Intelligence warns terrorist

assault on Pentagon to occur within next nine minutes, +/- one minute. Armed personnel to

resist fully. Unarmed personnel to lock doors, take all precautions to safeguard classified

materials. Materials in danger of compromise to be handled pursuant to OMB 55-02C.026 THIS

IS NOT A DRILL!"

O'Hara stared in disbelief at the message appearing on his screen. It flashed through several

colors. As it happened, he did have a sidearm in his office, locked up. His petty officer secretary

came in looking frightened. "Sir, what should we do?"

"You'll lock yourself in here, and be ready to duck if they blow the door. I've a firearm, so I'll

be outside, ready to resist. But we're not likely to see any terrorist get this far. If they planned

this, they'll be heading for more important areas." As he spoke he was getting his sidearm,

ammunition, and loading. As he strode out the door, he heard it locked behind him. From

scraping noises, it sounded as though the p.o. was shoving file cabinets in front of the locked

door. He was dismayed to hear several loud explosions.

The President's battle armor was standard issue, but where ordinary armor would have rank

emblems, his displayed the presidential seal. Mulvey was riding in an APC, manning the .72 caliber

machine gun which fired explosive shells, and clearly enjoying himself. His vehicle was part of a

column out of Fort Dietrich, headed for the Pentagon. He was singing in a pathetically off-key

baritone, "Eightyfour big tanks lead the big parade, followed by rows and rows of the finest

APCs, the cream of every army." Sitting near him, in battle armor with no rank designation, was

a thoroughly miserable Charles Kovack, who had no interest in either heroics or a post-humous

Pulitzer Prize. The column also included, in addition to the units Mulvey tried to sing about, 5000

troops and twenty self-propelled artillery pieces, and the usual non-combatant units in the rear.

The column crossed the Potomac, adding to the traffic jam it had created going all the way

back to Maryland. At the Pentagon's north parking lot two guards flagged down the lead tanks.

Mulvey ordered his APC to the front, where he stuck his head out, so the guards could clearly

see him. "As your Commander-in-Chief, I order you to lay your weapons on the ground and

surrender yourselves."

One guard, his jaw dropping, put his rifle down and stood back, hands in the air. The other

guard just stared in disbelief. After Mulvey repeated his order with no further response, two

APCs turned fire on him. The shreds of his body littered the area. The tanks moved forward,

crushing cars as they advanced.

NewsNet, Washington, DC--5 June 2037, by Charles Kovack

Shortly before 11 am this morning President Mulvey became the first sitting President to lead

a military unit in action. The President rode in an APC as a column of troops and machines from

Fort Dietrich snarled traffic and moved on the Pentagon. While the main column hit the

Pentagon and smashed into the building through loading bays and public entrances, other troops

entered the battle travelling the D.C. Metro. When they got to the Pentagon station, closed for

many years for security reasons, they stopped the train and smashed into the basement of the

Pentagon.

Someone had apparently warned some occupants of the building just before the troops

arrived. Army, Marine, and Air Force personnel stayed in their offices, but Navy personnel came

out shooting. Since the troops from Fort Dietrich were all wearing battle armor, while few if any

in the Pentagon had such armor, the battle lasted no more than ten minutes. Four soldiers

under President Mulvey's command received minor injuries. Just over two hundred Naval

personnel working in the Pentagon were killed or injured, while all were taken into custody to be

questioned on their role in the conspiracy to overthrow the government.

Meanwhile, back in the District, troops under the command of Lt. General Lethbridge Nuttall

moved against the FBI at its E Street headquarters. Valkyrie helicopters lay down suppressing

fire against the roof of the J. Edgar Hoover Building, while troops advanced. However, formerly

unknown gas outlets spewed tear gas, intoxicants, and vomitics into the streets, while crash

gates slammed across the doorway and windows. Extremely heavy fire greeted the troops, who

fell back, taking cover in surrounding buildings and behind stalled vehicles. General Nuttall sent

tanks in to smash through the defenses. Tank traps and bazooka fire drove the tanks back. A

cruise missile then struck the side of the building, blasting a hole through which intense gun fire

poured in both directions. Incendiaries set the building to burning. Gen. Nuttall held his troops

off until the fire and artillery had reduced the building to rubble. Troops are now searching the

rubble for possible survivors. Nuttall's troops suffered six dead and about two hundred injured.

FBI offices throughout the United States are being raided by Marine and Army units, as are

naval bases. Naval bases outside the United States are being raided by combined US and host

nation forces in many cases. Latest word indicates that Russian spetznaz troops broke into the

office of the U.S. commander in Vladivostok, Admiral Vinarski, and found he had killed himself with

a hand gun.

Statement of Roger O'Hara, formerly USN, to the Trial Court, October 18, 2038

I stand before you accused of treason, sedition, conspiracy, and a host of lessor charges such

as resisting arrest and diversion of governmental funds. My background as the fourth generation

descendent of a Confederate officer is cited against me, although I was totally unaware of even

the existence of this relative. My claim that I visited Naval Station Vladivostok on orders is

dismissed as perjurous on the grounds that the copy of the orders I presented as evidence are

forged. As an officer, I followed orders. The orders I received appeared valid, it was not my role

to question them.

My entire career, no, my entire life is reinterpreted in the worst possible light. Were Admiral

Vinarski still alive, I would call him as a defense witness to prove I was an innocent victim in being

sent to Vladivostok. The claim of those seized at the Pentagon that we were alerted to resist a

terrorist attack just before the President brought in the military column from Fort Dietrich is

dismissed as baseless. I never plotted to overthrow the government. It is true that I was

displeased with many policies of the new Administration, but my actions were limited to some

conversational criticism, and my vote in November of 2036. It is clear that we will receive no

justice. I am innocent. Do what you wish, for it is obvious that is what you intend.

NewsNet FactBase

Shayol: Fourth planet of the K0-III star t Carinae. The system was first visited on May 28, 2036

by the Mulvey OSS Spaceship Bart Bok. The fourth planet had some native lifeforms despite the

host star being an occasional flare star beginning its move up the Giant Branch. Native lifeforms

and terrestrial lifeforms are totally incompatible for sustenance. On February 2, 2038 President

Mulvey selected Shayol as a prison planet for federal prisoners, and since that time the planet is

guarded by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and all unauthorized spacecraft are barred. Various

states accepted the federal offer to place their prisoners on Shayol also. At this writing 32

states allow all persons with felony convictions calling for more than ten years' sentence to

emigrate to Shayol, while four require such emigration for sentences longer than twenty years

(25 for New York). Such emigration is one way. Terrestrial plants can only survive in sheltered

situations such as greenhouses during flares.

Characteristics of Shayol (Earth = 1)

Diameter 0.88 Surface Gravity 0.79 Atmosphere N2 77% O2 19% Ar 2% Kr 1% misc 1%

Land/water ratio 39% obliquity 14.3 degrees eccentricity 0.105 a=1.22 Moons none

NewsNet NetFeed February 18, 2040 08:10:12

CONSPIRATORS LEAVE FOR SHAYOL

Three hundred fifty members of the conspiracy which might have overthrown the

government of the United States two years ago had not NewsNet exposed it boarded a Federal

Bureau of Prisons ship, together with about 270 spouses or other family members, today. The

spaceship Alcatraz will take them to the planet Shayol, where one continent is reserved for the

conspirators. They were allowed eighty pounds per person of private goods, no firearms

permitted. The government is providing tools, building materials, food for a year, and seed,

fertilizer, and farm animals.

About two thousand protestors gathered near the entrance to the launch site, carrying signs

and banners, or just making a presence. NewsNet interviewed a few protestors. Harlie Hineline

of Missouri said, "These creeps tried to destroy democracy. They don't deserve to live in space,

they deserve to hang." Barry Farnhite of Los Angeles was of the opinion, "With any luck,

monster thingies out in space will eat 'em alive." "They wanted to kill President Mulvey. I can't

understand why he's being so generous to them," said Joanna Yoland, who admitted she

intends to vote for Mulvey's re-election later this year.

Also present were family members of some of the deportees. One woman who asked her

name not be used said, "My brother and sister-in-law are aboard that ship. I've taken in their two

children, because Shayol is no place to take kids. My brother is a good man, a naval officer in

the Pentagon. He was framed. No one who knew him can believe he would have gone against

his oath to preserve and protect the Constitution." She dismissed the trial evidence as rigged,

and suggested that the "real" conspirators were still free to plot. She also admits that like

herself, her brother voted for Senator Fargo for President four years ago.

from the diary of Roger O'Hara, Captain, United Shayol Navy, Shayol Year 12, Day 108

Balloon observers had reported seeing a small settlement near a bay perhaps a day's sail ahead

of us. Commodore Black ordered the flotilla to gather two hours' sailing time before. When wind

conditions were suitable for both the balloons and ships, we sailed in. Marines who had been

sent ashore hours earlier secured escape routes inland.

The degenerates at this settlement numbered about two hundred. They were from three

New England states. Apparently the enemy had felt the numbers from each state were too low

for a viable settlement, and combined them. We informed them that they were now

incorporated into the United Shayol state, and would be expected to pay appropriate taxes in

the form of labor or produce. One fool started to object. Two Marines put arrows through him.

It was then explained that resistance was treason, and would be properly punished. The man

who had apparently been running this collection of thugs then asked about elections. It was

explained that the planet was under martial law, and elections were suspended. In any case,

they had not yet earned the rights of citizens. A small Marine garrison was left at our new

NavSta 13, and we sailed to the next, far larger, settlement.

The next settlement we designated NavSta 14. There were actually armed guards patrolling,

so the balloons dropped some incendiaries, followed by a Marine assault, while our ships pulled as

close to shore as possible. Fortunately, I have a helmsman who understands sailing ships, and we

placed ourselves near a small collection of fishing boats. Assault troops quickly secured these, but

one degenerate fisherman used a gaffing hook to injure one of our men. The degenerate's body

was left drifting in the waves. After a brief battle which left thirty of the degenerates dead, and

eight of our men injured, we had subdued the place. The survivors were put to work clearing

out the damage and constructing headquarters for our much larger garrison. A quick census

showed 970 men, 823 women, and over two thousand children. The adults claimed to be from

California and Utah. After the United Shayol flag was run up, and their duties to the state were

explained, they were also told that the USN would protect them from the forces of the FBI,

which were attempting to enslave everyone on the planet. Of course, as criminals and the

descendents of criminals, they deserve no better, but we didn't tell them that!

from the diary of Roger O'Hara, Captain, United Shayol Navy, Shayol year 17, day 42

Back on Earth, I could be cured in 24 hours. Of course, back on Earth, my wife would not

have died two years ago, either. Still, being sick I don't have to concern myself with how the

United Shayol Navy is to hold together a planet without radio communications, or defend

ourselves without radar. A couple remote NavStas have rebelled, and FBI raids are getting more

presumptuous. The doctor says my illness is due to dietary deficiencies combined with trace

elements humans shouldn't ingest. The climate doesn't help, and I've lived through four flares of

the sun here. I guess Shayol qualifies as a third world world. That's funny, should share it with

the sailor in the bed next to mine. When I feel stronger. Yes, stronger.

Presidents and policies come and go as elections shift the fates of governments. Two men

and a woman had served in the Oval Office since Raymond Mulvey left it. A third man sat there

now, looking to cut some budget items. No longer were people transported to Shayol, and even

the manned ships of the federal Bureau of Prisons were cut back to a single spacecraft,

augmented by robotic orbital platforms. But even at this late date, Mulvey Outer Space Systems

still held the contracts for construction and maintenance. And so a small spaceship bearing but

one person was not noticed when it entered the t Carinae system. It dropped quickly to the

surface of Shayol, landing fifty miles from the nearest settlement. The sole passenger exited,

carrying two suitcases, and a backpack. The spacecraft rose on autopilot, and a few hours later

plunged into t Carinae.

The former passenger camped out for a day, and then, hefting his supplies, headed for the

nearest settlement. Had anyone been watching, they might have commented how strongly he

resembled a Past President.

Former President Raymond Mulvey, who won the 2039 Nobel Peace Prize for bringing about

the peaceful colonization of space, is lost and presumed dead in space. The famous spaceship

Freedom's Avenger, with which he made the first flight outside the Solar System, has long been

in the Smithsonian, alongside such artefacts as the Wright Brother's Flyer and some early Earth-

orbiting spacecraft. He was flying a private spaceship, the OSS Recompense, on a flight to

inspect some investments he had made on a planet assigned to Colorado. He is now a month

overdue, and a search had turned up no trace of him or the Recompense.