TEMPUS CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN
We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community.
Dorothy Day
Lorelei was already cooking when Cristian woke up. He had a shower and got dressed.
“Watcher can you get The President on video.”
“Five minutes Cristian, He is in the middle of something.”
“I will grab some coffee.”
Hammers, air nailers, compressors, table saws, circular saws, all at once. Men yelling instructions. He looked over and could see that they had started a second floor and more rooms. There was a second-floor open walkway that allowed access to the second-floor rooms.
“Good morning sweetie, breakfast will be in twenty. Gotta run bye.”
“Wow, a drive-by loving.”
“Cristian I broadcast the execution to the world,” said Larry. “The world seems to approve. The lawMakers have already said that the executions took place on a planet where they do not have authority. No laws were broken no treaties were violated.”
“That is interesting.”
“Have you talked to The President?” Asked Larry.
“I am about to why?”
“I will let him tell you.”
Cristian grabbed a coffee and a muffin and headed over to the video studio.
“Cristian could you meet me in your office.”
“Just going into conference with the US President, I will see you after that Tiffany”
“Good Morning Cristian.”
“Good morning Mr. President.”
“Has anyone given you the news?”
“Tell me.”
“We have all the CEOs of the major Pharmaceutical companies in custody and have seized all of their assets.”
“Wow, are we ever thinking alike? I was going to ask if you wanted to do that today?”
“Actually we did it under your order Cristian.”
“Absolutely. Mr. President when this is over and we have elections for the First Leader you have my vote and my backing.”
“Thank you, Cristian that means a lot to me. The CEOs are at this location. They are already lawyered up. Things would go better if they were to confess their crimes to the people. I just wanted to mention the Laws of Earth do not apply on Mars.”
“That explains why that was mentioned on the news about the executions. That was your doing Mr. President brilliant.”
“How many men?”
“There are six.”
“I will pick them up in a half-hour Mr. President. Their interrogation will be broadcast.”
“Do you think that wise Cristian?”
“Now more than ever we need to show the world we have nothing to hide.”
“Take care Mr. President and thank you for taking those bastards down. How are the cravings?”
“Completely gone, my wife is very thankful Cristian.”
“Tell your men I am coming I will need them shackled and I will need the keys.”
“Done.”
“I just had thought we should retool those factories that make those little pills into manufacturing nanobots for the world. That would help keep your unemployment figures a little lower.”
“Cristian that is a great plan.”
“Have a great day Mr. President.”
“You too Cristian.”
The President immediately got on the phone with the new plan to save the companies he had just seized.
Cristian knocked on his own office door.
“Come in.”
“Cristian come in I have a new floor plan for the cave here waiting for your approval although a lot of it has already been built.”
“Approved.”
“You haven’t looked at it”.
“There are some things that don’t need micromanaging Tiffany.”
“You look very nice today? I like the glasses and that is a pretty dress.”
“Thank you, Cristian I like the relaxed atmosphere here the poly suits were never my thing and I always hated contacts. I am wearing armour underneath and I am armed. Like everyone else is.”
“Excellent I prefer that everyone be safe. In a few days, you will find that you don’t need glasses.”
“I will change to clear lenses I still like the look.”
“What is on the agenda today?”
“I have six CEOs to interrogate today off-world.”
“That sounds exciting. How did that come about?”
“Six pharmaceutical companies’ assets were seized and their CEOs jailed this morning for the assassination attempt. Apparently on my order.”
“The President?”
“Yup.”
Cristian picked up the six with Lucy and M1 on board and took the men to Mars. It only took the threat of leaving them on the surface to get them to talk. They thought that once they were home the lawyers would get them out.
They admitted to conspiracy to commit murder. They also admitted to other murders of others that got in their way. They named other pharmaceutical companies involved. They admitted to price fixing and overcharging for their products, false advertising and even paying other officials to promote unsafe food products that would cause people to get sick so they could sell more pills. They admitted to helping promote the use of sugar and helping pay to lie about fat as the killer that sugar really was.
They admitted that most of the drugs they sold were engineered to keep people using them. They admitted to paying officials money to have the unsafe drugs approved and falsifying test results. They kept on admitting including horrific stories of human trials on homeless people and animals They admitted that most of their drugs did nothing to save people.
They also admitted to creating and selling the street drugs that destroyed so many lives. They also created the food additives that would give people cancers so they could sell even more drugs that didn’t work. They admitted to helping the chemical companies to make pesticide products that would also make people sick.
Cristian had Watcher broadcast the confession to the President as soon as they were in range. Mr. President sent in teams to take down the other companies before Cristian broadcast the interrogations to the world. When they got back they had no money no friends and no lawyers. Even the P.D.s didn’t want to defend them.
Then he dropped them off at ADXMAX and stopped in to see Tiny.
“Hey, brother how’s it hanging man?”
“Long and Loose First Leader.”
“How is our friend?”
“Still breathing but he doesn’t sit very well.”
“I owe you.”
“I owe you, man, My wife moved closer I can see her and the kids every week and the warden has arranged time in the trailer for me.”
“I brought six more in.”
“Do they need protection?”
“Nope. They were the heads of the Pharma companies who tried to kill me. Tiny don’t go down hurting them.”
“No need everyone in here will want a piece of those lowlifes.”
“Tiny I will ask the Governor to reopen your case on the basis there is evidence that you were railroaded into the fight.”
“Are you freaking kidding me.”
“Nope listen up I am going to vouch for you. You fuck up and hurt any other human I will come back and cut your arms, your legs and your dick off. I never said that.”
“I won’t Cristian I give you my word” The two shook through the bars.
“Good enough for me Brother and no crime. If anyone bothers you let me know.”
“Man I don’t want you to fight my battles?”
“Would you fight mine?”
“In a freakin’ minute”
“Then shut the fuck up. You have a family to take care of.”
“Yes, Cristian.”
Cristian went back to the cave. The new rooms were almost finished. Just needed wiring and touch-up.
“Watcher I think this place needs some plants why don’t we have plants.”
“Cristian you are home we have watched the news you have been busy again. Hungry?”
“I could use a bite.”
“Tiffany any messages?”
“Richard called and said that the construction of the first components has started.”
“That is excellent news.”
“Well done on the pharmaceutical CEOs?”
“As always just doing what needs doing Tiffany.”
“Cristian do you ever do what you want to do?”
“Tiffany every time I make my wife smile I am doing what I want to be doing.”
“She is lucky.”
“I am going to take a look at the new building Tiffany.”
“If it’s OK I will walk with you Cristian?”
“Of course, Tiffany there is a prisoner in ADX that has helped us. I need to get him out. He will need work. Call the Governor. Ask him to keep James in charge of the prison.”
“Prisoner Tiny, Cristian?”
“Yes, Miss Randall.”
“He killed 5 men, sir.”
“I killed over 150 Tiffany. They dare call me a hero and him a murderer. He defended the honour of the woman he loves.”
“I see Cristian.”
“If I look like I am going blank it is because I have other conversations going on Tiffany.”
“Understood.”
“Raguel, Uriel have you been watching the news?”
“Yes, Cristian.”
“Can we increase the delivery of the nanobots by retooling the factories that we just seized?”
“We can do that.”
“We are suddenly going to put a lot of people out of work. We are also going to lose some essential pharmaceuticals like anesthesia, painkillers, antiseptic, and more.”
“Unless we were to give them instant training for other jobs.”
“Sometimes the simple answers evade me,” said Cristian.
“The essential pharmaceuticals could be processed with the help of the government. Get the President to keep them open and hire new management. Remove the unnecessary pills from the product offering and concentrate on the essentials.”
“The new training centres will put workers in universities out of work.”
“Universities with overinflated budgets and skyrocketing tuition. Mostly not accessible to most of the population.”
“I see your point,” said Cristian.
“Thank you for your input.”
“Cristian what do you think?” asked Tiffany.
“I like the view from the walkway.”
“How is our bean counter doing?”
“We are building him an office over by the barbershop and hairdresser.”
“Say what now?”
“We needed one and we are building a small Dentist office and extending the medical centre. We have a quartermaster that will handle everything from acquiring food to blankets. We also have a gunsmith and weapons master. He will track all weapons and ammo. We have set up a system to inventory and keep track of every item here. We are building you a new office and I will convert your old office to my quarters and Office. The video editing room and lecture hall will be converted into more offices Including Larry’s Office and Living quarters, and one for our Chef who will report for work in two days. Cristian your office and living Quarters including a smaller kitchen for Lorelei will be above mine. Our offices will be connected by a stairway. It was all in the blueprints.”
“Like I said I have no need to micromanage. If everyone is happy with the new design I am happy with it. Although I would like to see more greenery in here.”
“That is an excellent idea Cristian. I will see to it.”
“What about safety if we have fires etc.”
“Taken care of.”
“Okay good.”
“Does Lorelei know about the chef?”
“Yes, Mary talked to her and convinced her that her job was to be the first lady and mother.”
“That must have been quite a talk.”
“She took it well.”
“Chef Armonde?”
“Yes.”
“Well you all seem to have everything in hand, I should go away more often.”
“I need to conference with The President right away.”
“Watcher?”
“Ready in five.”
“Is there any way I can help with those calls Cristian?”
“Tiffany just get Watcher to complete the calls.”
“I am going into the media room you can join me.”
“Meet me there in four.”
“Lorelei honey I just found out you are being ousted out of the kitchen.”
“Yea.”
“Are you OK?”
“I am OK, it’s time I thought about being a mother, a wife and the first lady,” she said reluctantly.
“I know what you are feeling they designed and built us a city without me.”
“I hear you are gonna have a kitchen in our quarters. That is something right.”
“You know how to find a silver lining Husband. I love you Cristian.”
“I know. Gotta run The President will be waiting for a call.”
“Mr. President what are your plans for the pharmaceutical companies”
“LIke we discussed Cristian. Do you have more to add?”
“I thought maybe the government could run them for a while keeping everybody employed. Making essentials like anesthesia, Painkillers, antiseptics, and others. Get rid of the bad drugs. I had thoughts about the medical staff that will soon be unemployed.”
“Go ahead.”
“You can offer them free retraining to the occupation of their choosing. You can offer them positions in many fields with instant jobs.”
“The training will take time.”
“What if I told you that I could train a lawyer or a doctor or a scientist in less than ten seconds.”
“I need to see proof.”
“You already have, before the event, I never touched a guitar.”
“What?”
“I flew the C17 out of McGuire. I have never flown a jet, I have never spoken another language until that night.”
“Are you serious? I heard you speak at least eight different languages fluently at the table over from ours.”
“Ten actually, learned as I walked over to the table.”
“Now you are going to shut down my universities.”
“Universities that have overinflated budgets and tuition rates that are out of reach of most of your nation.”
“What would it be like to have a highly trained nation?”
“You post the jobs available people could get training that day and fill the jobs? What would that do to your unemployment rates.”
“It could eliminate them except for the people that work in Mc Donald’s and Burger King. What would I do with the low-end jobs.”
“Open your borders.”
“Canada has already done that and is home to many people from other nations who are happy to take those jobs. You need to anyways the boomers are retiring.”
“Cristian you are talking about a new age.”
“I read once: You can ride the wild tiger or let it put its paw on your head.”
“Cristian you are that tiger.”
“I will take that as a compliment Mr. President. Take some time to think about the suggestions but not too much. The Pharma companies could send your markets crashing. Take care Mr. President whatever you decide we will try to support you however we can.”