Forbidden the Stars Read Online Free PDF Page B

proverbial mother lode was getting tense.
    Michael knew there were iron ore lodes out there in the Belt that would more than justify the massive investment by Canada Corp. and others. One or two big finds would alleviate the debt the SMD was accumulating.
    He needed a few more billion dollars for operating costs and research—there were hundreds of thousands of asteroids to survey—and he was sure the “Big Find” would occur soon. He had to get the Minister of Finance on his side, and to believe in SMD.
    Then they could take their case to CEO Dolbeau.
    Over the past two months, however, Michael had been unable to arrange a meeting with Ian Pocatello. The minister would not take private meetings with the VP of SMD, and had not returned any of his calls. When Michael discovered that the Minister of Finance was on the attendance list for the night’s charity, he had seen to it that he and the Minister would cross paths.
    Another man was approaching, and hearing the last words spoken, commented in a wry voice.
    “We have a Canadian on the Orcus 1 . Did you know that? I’m following the story closely, myself.” He laughed. “And I saw a tabloid on the Mesh just today promising that landing on Pluto will mean the end of the world. 93% of readers agree.”
    Which is why they perform extensive mental competency and personality tests before someone can buy a share of the country corp. and can then vote on national matters, thought Michael.
    The others curled their lips at the comment as the Minster of Energy, Mines and Resources—Michael’s direct co-superior—joined them. He and the Minister of Canadian Space Exploration shared the joint-chairmanship portfolio of the Space Mining Division.
    “Michael, how are you?” Alliras Rainier asked. A gray-haired man of seventy-one, Alliras was the foremost champion of the SMD, having made it a personal crusade to pass the bill ten years ago to create the Division, and pushing to have long-time friend Michael Sanderson appointed VP and director of the effort. Michael’s meteoric rise through the ranks of EMR could be attributed, to some extent, to his association with Alliras Rainier, a long-time advocate of Michael’s philosophies on energy and conservation.
    Michael himself had just passed his fifty-third birthday a week before, spending the weekend with his family at his home outside Hull, Quebec. He kept fit by jogging two miles every morning, avoiding animal fats, and eating grains, fish, rice, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. At his last check-up, his doctor said to him, “I have some bad news; you only have about fifty or sixty more years to live.”
    Family was the most important thing in Michael’s life, but a close second was the welfare of his fellow humans, not just Canadians, but everyone in the world. He gave to charity, and did what he could to help the environment, which was why he had gotten into the field of environmental energy at McGill University, where he had met his wife, Melanie, a Humanities Major.
    Some small successes early in his career had garnered him the notice of Canada Corp.’s Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources. He had been climbing the ladder of the governmental corporation for the past thirty years, and was near the top, where he had gained more influence than he had ever hoped or dreamed.
    He was in a position to effect great changes in the way the world found and used energy, and the possibilities excited him. The passion that had sent him into Environmental Studies in University had not dissipated over the years.
    His energy level, and tolerance for political maneuvering, however, was fading fast.
    When Michael nodded that he was fine, Alliras prompted, “And your lovely wife, Melanie?”
    The conversation from this point was choreographed; the two had gotten together at Michael’s house the night before to discuss tactics.
    “Melanie? She’s here, somewhere. I think she’s cornered Angela and the two are probably deep