Having Nice Things

Copyright 2012 Angus H. Day

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover Illustration Copyright © 2013 Belinda Pepper

I want to thank my wife, Cheryl Elaine Day, for believing in my ability to do anything I put my mind toward. I feel I only have that ability because of your love and support. I thank my parents for encouraging me to stay with reading while they were alive and my seventh grade English teacher Mrs. Prescott who helped me discover that a novel was not an intimidating thing.

Having Nice Things

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Way things Are

Chapter 2: Is brain washing the true path to God’s favor?

Chapter 3: Recuperating, Reenergizing and Recommitting.

Chapter 4: Finding Bishop!

Chapter 5: Cleaning up after the party.

Chapter 6: Massive mayhem.

Chapter 7: Innovating with the help of a ghost.

Chapter 8: Changing the rules.

Chapter 9: Can't take your crazy shit anymore.

Chapter 10: Giving up on Bishop.

Chapter 11: Closing a chapter and moving on.

Chapter 12: The Purge.

Chapter 13: Does anyone index history by outbreaks of peace?

Chapter 14: There are only resources for offense in space.

Chapter 15: New opportunities, now hiring.

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Chapter 1: The Way things Are

Basil Wright is the current Vice President of Next You Inc.-Home planet recovery Division, HRD. He is in his mid-fifties though he has the health and image of a thirty something and he has a stunning girlfriend. The overall goal of the HRD is to gain back as much ground and resources as possible by cleaning up the vestiges of the genocide war of 2140. This will enable the dismantling of the domed cities which have become places of subjugation and economic enslavement. People were never suited to live in close proximity to each other for so long.

Currently the Tribunal and Next You are deciding on which stretches of the earth are going to be the quickest to recover and relieve the crowding pressure in the domed cities. Chair person Sheila, the survey shows that the Pampas in Argentina and the Great Plains of Canada will have the quickest turn around. Second tier will include Northern Europe, Russia, Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand's south island, Madagascar and the area formerly known as Peru and Colombia. All other areas are third tier. First tier is doable in one year, second in three years and third tier we can begin repopulating in ten years if no natural disasters delay the schedule.

Mr. Wright, I'm amazed by the technology and the desire to use it in such a philanthropic manner. That being said I don't know that we can maintain civil order long enough to accomplish that time line. Just bringing starvation under control should have mandated taking a million from each of the domes a week ago. What would you suggest we do for the first year considering the land you say will be ready will only support roughly 500 million people?

I think you might have to offer incentives for people to immigrate off world in the short term to get the population issue eased. You are the political leader; I'm just a business guy trying to do the right thing. Our OCD (Off-world Colonization Division) can make ships available again, but we need destinations negotiated in advance. Our neighbors have made it quite clear that there is an accepted method to colonization and that our previous method almost led to a problem.

How soon can we begin the colonization to relieve the pressure? I don't believe we can wait a year for the first reclaimed land.

We can have the first colonization convoy ready to load in a week with a likely destination past Wolf 359. We will ask the Vessir to make contact for us. The convoy will be capable of transporting 250 million colonists and the vessel will remain with the colony for support.

Why that's outstanding, thank you.

Oh don't thank me for that. The HRD operates at no cost to the Tribunal or the Earth. It is a complete charity. The colonization operation will cost you however and the price is Next You ownership of the continent of Antarctica.

Tribunal Chairperson Sheila, who appeared to be in her early forties experienced a shock induced fainting spell upon realizing the cost that the pressure relief operation would require. When she awoke the face looking into hers was that of a woman of Indo-Asian descent and she was smiling.

My name is Miranda and I work with that rather rude man Basil. Maybe he should have asked you to take a seat before dropping the bill on you.

Yes, that might have helped. What on Earth do you intend to do with Antarctica if I am authorized to pay you with it?

We intend to establish a Next You facility there for processing energy for the entire planet. All materials from the recycled domed cities will be processed through there and be delivered to reclaimed land homesteaders.

Won't it cost more to do things that way?

Basil again My dear chair person that will not be your cost to bear. No one uses Antarctica these days so you might as well have the Tribunal attorneys draw up the deed and be ready to turn it over as soon as the ships start loading. We'll be in contact as soon as the ships are ready to load and two weeks will go by fast. You don't want the population to know that you passed on a chance for them to leave for a new world. Have a nice day.

As Miranda and Basil made their way back to their courier ship they chatted like a young couple though they had been together for five years and they were both in their mid fifties. Weren't you too harsh on her Basil? What was the point of shocking her like that?

CP Sheila has made quite a reputation for herself in negotiating circles. She's actually gained an advantage in two recent IA support treaties soon after suspiciously timed illnesses. Her father was a con-man in New Sydney until last year when he tried to extort the Tribunal and Sheila cut her family ties. I'm fairly sure that as she fainted back there she was making a list of things she had to do to make the sale happen.

I think I'll just stick to energy, physics and fooling around with you. Basil, how would you feel if I wanted to transfer?

I thought you wanted to help me with the HRD but if you are unhappy I won't stand in your way. I could visit you anywhere unless you want to be rid of me also.

Um, I'm talking about transferring into a Next You avatar and cranial unit. What are you talking about?

Apparently the wrong thing. Why do you want to do that when you look frigging awesome? I understand why Robert and Etresca did it in response to their injuries but what is the point in giving up a perfectly good body that has nanites doing maintenance?

To look better, feel better about ones self, be stronger, faster, live longer to be around those that you love as long as possible. The point is that I won't do it without you.

That stopped all the words that Basil Wright had jammed up in his head at the idea of transferring one's self. If they had been composed of mass his head would have become a black hole at that moment.

I don't think I'm ready to take that step yet Miranda, but if you want to then I'll support you and stay with you in it.

You do know that there is only so much those nanites you have can do for you right? Remember when Etresca took all those micro-meteorite holes, they just barely kept her alive and then couldn't repair the damage.

Well I believe that I said her injuries justified the action she took. Can we talk about this later?

That was the harshest he had been with her since they had started being together and though she wasn't hurt she decided she would back off. All right Basil, I won't nag you about it. What are we going to do next? I really need to get to the lab and begin working on the power generation technology that you have pitched to the Tribunal.

Can you stay with me long enough to check on the broken equipment on the pampas?

Yes, that would be fine and I get to go to Argentina with you. Can we stay overnight in our company suite at the Inca Nights Hotel?

Basil got this smile on his face that he got when the opportunity to play with Miranda presented itself. I definitely think we can burn a night there. Would you like to go dancing?

I want to dance, dine and swim with you. Then once I've gotten you all tenderized I want to... the rest of the offer was drowned out by the rotor wash of the fusion powered tilt rotor aircraft that was going to take them from Geneva to Buenos Aires. The expression on Basil's face, as he understood what she wanted to do to him, could only be compared to that of a citizen child finding out that they were getting a pony for their birthday.

During the flight they reviewed company reports on the progress of reclaiming the pampas and the problems they were having with the equipment. Most of the earth moving equipment was maintained using batches of nanites to repair bent metal restore worn hydraulic parts and maintain the micro reactors that provided power. The breaks appeared to be a problem with the detection and processing sections of the equipment. The local technicians were rated able to deal with this sort of thing but were still having unexplained glitches.

Atmospheric flight was still the preferred method for crossing continents on earth even though the travel time could be cut using sub-orbitals. The engines driving the propellers produced no pollutants and the aircraft could sustain high enough flight to avoid the violent storms which would destroy anything short of an asteroid. Miranda and Basil enjoyed a private cabin where they snickered at having joined the mile high club, though their previous couplings had been off-world, on a courier ship, at a Dyson world, the moon Phobos, the planet Cassius...you get the point.

When they arrived in Buenos Aires the plane deposited them on the heli-pad on top of the dome and they checked in at the Inca Nights. A Next You engineering technician greeted them.

Hello Mr. Wright and Miss Patel. He stopped for a minute as if processing what he had just said and deciding that laughter would probably end his career. The suite is ready and when you want to inspect the breakdowns I will be available to take you. My name is Paco Ventafio and I program the maintenance routines for the equipment nanites.

Basil didn't even look at Miranda as he said We'll head up to the suite to freshen up and meet you back here in an hour and a half.

Very good sir, I will be here then.

Basil put his arm around Miranda and walked to the lift. Miranda, there is something not quite correct about Mr. Ventafio. Did you sense anything odd?

I kind of thought he reminded me of someone who has been sequestrated. I think we need to commune with Etresca as soon as we get to the suite.

Really, I was kind of hoping we had time for that thing you wanted to do to me in the spa tub.

Smiling she replied You know you're going to get it but we really need to get business done first. Besides, I really do want to freshen up first to be fully alert if this guy is a puppet.

They arrived at the suite to find their travel things had already been delivered. All right, why don't you go for the shower first and I'll contact Etresca.

Miranda grabbed her personal care things and headed for the bathroom as Basil took a seat in front of the balcony window, blinking to start the communing state with Etresca. He happened to catch her at a moment when Robert was on the job and it was a little bit awkward as she responded to his message and Robert's ministrations at the same time. Etresca shut him out with a blink and the wall was up.

Basil was out of the chair slinging off clothes as he made progress to the bathroom. When he opened the door his shirt was off and his pants were around his ankles, his erection so hard that it pushed out the waistband of his boxers. Miranda had one foot in the shower adjusting the water temperature as he came up behind her reaching around to cup her breasts teasing her nipples with his thumb and index fingers. She pressed the silky roundness of her buttocks back into him feeling the erect penis pressing into the small of her back and hearing him groan with building excitement.

That was a quick conversation. What did she suggest we do?

Nothing yet, I caught them in the middle of doing each other.

Oh my, I see.

She turned around and covered his mouth with hers as she took a grip on his now fully engorged shaft. He was able to lift her up against the wall entering her as she brought her legs up to wrap around his torso and lock in the small of his back. Basil moved his hands one at a time under her thighs to cup her butt cheeks and he kept a rhythmic thrusting going, building up friction against Miranda's clit until she spasmed and clamped down on him. The heat and closeness of her and the sweet smell of her skin drove him to release and they both ended up on the floor.

I think we could use a 'hat on the door' signal for this communing thing. I probably could have sent a hyperspace message to coordinate a commune but the time lag would have been too much. I'll try again in a few minutes.

Right, lets get you in this shower with me you dirty boy.

Fifteen minutes later as they were toweling off Etresca gave him a mental nudge. Hey Basil, Robert and I would like you to forget what you saw. What did you want to say to me?

First, I'm sorry on the timing thing, we really need some kind of doorbell thing. Second, we're in Argentina and we've met our guide a Paco Ventafio. He appears to be sequestrated. Any thoughts as to how we should proceed?

When are you meeting with him?

He is taking us to survey the broken equipment in about an hour.

Postpone until tomorrow morning. I'll get three of our corporate security agents down there to accompany you. In the meantime stay in the corporate suite, your employee number should open a false wall in the bedroom opposite the balcony. There should be M972s, and slug thrower handguns. Arm yourselves with the handguns; I've activated your corporate carry licenses.

Do you expect there to be trouble?

I expect you to prepare for trouble. Now about your little intrusion, I've devised a little out of the office wall for you to hit in the future if I'm...occupied. I would suggest that you and Miranda do the same as we will have increased difficulty maintaining a working relationship if we are constantly distracted with 'on the job' images of each other. As for what you've seen already, I suggest you use some nanite behavior modifiers to do some erasing.

Yes E, thanks.

Not a problem, later.

Basil told Paco that they would delay the tour until the morning and that they were staying in to rest up from the travel. Paco took the news with no expression and silently left the hotel lobby.

That was damn odd Miranda; he didn't even ask what time to be here in the morning.

Yeah I think staying in was an excellent idea, at least until reinforcements arrive. Shall we get something to eat?

Let's get room service; I haven't had lamb in a long time. After dinner we can luxuriate under the ceiling screen of what the sky would look like out of the dome. You know that screen is over the pool?

Yes Basil that had caught my attention. Do you think it is safe to sleep here?

I intend to secure the suite once we have our dinner. The executive security kit in the armory room has enough features to keep us safe.

They ordered room service and after 15 minutes of waiting decided that getting the security kit ready would be a reassuring way to pass the time. One of the instruments in the kit scanned for intruder nanites and needed to be tuned to normal level of the protected beings. It was fortunate that they decided to tune it because it alerted them to danger when the food arrived. The wait staff delivered clean food but they were absolutely infested with breachers and behavioral modifiers. It didn't help to settle things down when Miranda realized that the second person was Paco Ventafio or his exact clone.

When they left the room Basil ran for the armory room and snatched up the active Gamma scanner giving the entryway a thorough hosing with hard radiation. The scanner detected no more breachers or sequestrators out to its maximum range of thirty meters. They heard a series of thumps outside their door. They drew their handguns and opened the door to find a dozen humans including the wait staff unconscious on the floor.

I hope I didn't overdo it with the Gamma. Do you think they will make it?

I'm not a Doctor of Medicine, damn it Basil. We better summon emergency services and keep the scanner going. Maybe the local 'Next You' clinic recovery team should be here.

Right, I'll call them.

You did the correct thing.

It just doesn't feel that correct Miranda. I don't want to be a killer.

Twenty minutes later a team of doctors from the Next You clinic and the local Peace Corps liaison arrived. Seven of the bodies had expired and Captain Ingersoll of the Peace Corps was busy determining if anybody should be executed or imprisoned pending