War World X: Takeover Read Online Free PDF Page A

make everybody self-sufficient, then independent. That’s how we can beat CoDo, first and last.”
    “I’m not following you,” Makhno replied.
    “I’ll explain later. Where did you leave Van Damm?”
    “In Brodski’s bar. He’d brought in a buddy just off the Kennicott Harbinger who needed a job, and he figured ’Ski could get him one.”
    “Did this buddy bring anything useful?”
    “Possibly. He had a really heavy duffel bag that he wouldn’t let anyone else touch, and it clanked when he set it down.”
    “Good. When you get back, tell Brodski to keep an eye on him. And have Van Damm radio me, last channel; we have to make some plans together.”
    “How soon?” Makhno grumbled. “I was planning on getting a little shore time here…with you.”
    “Not right away,” Jane smiled. “Besides, Benny’s been working on something else that he’d like to show you.”
    “Ah, what would that be?”
    “You know,” she smiled wider, “That thanks to Jomo’s stupidity—and some generally poor construction techniques—you now have the only boat on the planet that’s fit to run the whole length of the river. That gives you a useful monopoly for right now, but eventually the Black Bitch will wear out beyond our capacity to repair and we’ll be in real trouble.”
    “Sooner rather than later if I have to make any more heavy runs the length of the river!” Makhno exploded. “The woodcutters’ stations get fewer at every run, and the kit-boats—Damn-it, half of them were made by rank amateurs, and they’ve been dying ever since. This last trip, I saw the Putty Princess sink—no surprise there—but then Rosie ’s engine blew up. The Last Resort was the best built of the lot, and we know what happened to her. And before that… Hell, Jane, The settlers started out with eight steamboats, and now we’re down to three. I wouldn’t bet on their survival for another year. If I let her take up the slack in the trade, the Black Bitch will wear out in another one or two T-years. I won’t do it, Jane. I know I’ve got my share of the fort, but the Bitch is how I’ve always made my living—I won’t lose her.”
    Jane smiled. “Understood. We’re going to need more big boats, ones that are built by people who know what they’re doing. So, how would you like to become an admiral?”
    Makhno pulled his jaw back up and made a good guess. “What will you do for engines?” were the first words out of his mouth.
    “Hermaphrodite. Sails, and… Ever hear of a steam-turbine?”
    “Wait—waitaminute! Turbines need high-grade steel; we can’t make that—”
    “Depends on how fast you spin it. Benny has a design he’d like to show you, and he says we can make it out of brass or even crude iron. I do believe we could get that from the miners down river.”
    “Uh, okay. They’re always hot for our crops…Hmm, what will we use for boat-hulls?”
    “Steelwood is a real bitch to cut, but that’s material for another industry.”
    “Even so, wooden hulls…. We couldn’t make very big boats that way. What kind of design is Benny thinking about?”
    “Ever hear of an arrowhead-trimaran?”

     
    DeCastro was beyond impatience and well into desperation. Captain Makhno had taken the Black Bitch and gone east up the river and hadn’t returned for over a full T-week. The Golden Parrot was out of almost everything, while Harp’s Sergeant was doing excellent business. The Fleet troops were groundside, drinking up a storm and spending money, and all DeCastro saw of it came from the women. His bar had become nothing but a whorehouse, and putting all of one’s eggs in one basket was bad business. He had to get out of here—and soon.
    Subsequently, he was overjoyed to hear from his lookouts that the Black Bitch was pulling up at the dock. He almost pulled himself to his feet to run down to the dock himself, but remembered his position in time and sent one of the girls instead.
    The waiting was almost intolerable,