Chapter 16: The Colony on Secundus

"Hullo, Admiral, ladies," he said.

Good morning, Governor," I replied, "how are things progressing?"

"Very well, on the whole. We've had a few misunderstandings, but the counseling system that Roas suggested that we employ is working a treat. I've only had to adjudicate a couple of times. That's left me plenty of time for my news-gathering. We hope to start up the iridium extraction plant next week, and from then on we should be exporting it. We don't know exactly how much is available, but what we do know is that there is sufficient for at least a couple of hundred years."

"What is the situation with the Seabees?"

Oh, most of them have left, now. They've gone on to Tertius to prepare that planet for colonization. Those that remain are instructing our own people on how to operate the Federation machines that they are leaving with us. We should be able to keep up with the construction work needed before each new batch of the population arrives. The main infrastructure is complete."

"How are the farms working out?"

"Fine. The first crops are already sewn, and we expect the second of our bulk carriers, the Trygve Lie, to arrive next week with our first batch of livestock. Our farmers are looking forward to that. We also have a meat factory going that is providing most of our requirements. The Karsians provided that."

"Did they give you any other help?"

"Yes. They have provided us with most of the facilities that we need to start industrialization. There are some machines that we haven't unpacked yet. They said that they will visit us later to explain what they've sent us, and to demonstrate it."

"You seem to have everything under control then?"

"Yes. I've been sending in my reports on a regular basis detailing what we are achieving here. I don't think that there is any more to tell you. Some of our facilities are somewhat understaffed at present, but they will fill up as we get more colonists. How would you three like to come to lunch?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea."

Reginald produced his cell phone, and contacted his wife to say that there would be three more for lunch. He then suggested that we walk back to his residence, so that we could see some of the progress that had been made. When I asked what we should do about our vehicle.

He looked at me, and replied, "Did you tell it to wait for you?"

"No, I didn't. Should I have?"

"Only if you had wanted it to wait. All our vehicles are programmed to return to their base if they they don't receive any instruction to the contrary."

He led us out of the Hall, and into the park that lay behind it. On the other side of the park lay a strip mall that was only partially occupied. Reginald said that they did not expect the mall to be fully functional until after the third batch of colonists had arrived. After that, businesses would expand out from the center of the town.

We passed a building that seemed to be short changed in the number of windows that it had. Reginald pointed it out as being their television studio.

"As you see," he said, "there's plenty of room around it for expansion. At the moment we only use it for the news bulletins, and the odd factual program."

"How are you filling in the rest of your programming schedule?"

"Oh, we're using recorded material that we brought with us. In time we hope to produce programs of our own. We've started a play reading group that I hope will spawn a little theater group. Did you know that we even have our first author writing tales that are going up on our internet. I hope that he'll turn later to writing plays. The hall we were in is equipped with television cameras so we can use it as a studio with a live audience."

By this time, we had arrived at the Governor's residence, a modest two story house, where we were introduced to his wife, Maude. She sat us down to a plate of meat pie, and chips.

"What do you think of the pie, Bill?"

"It's delicious, Maude, but I can't quite place the meat. What is it?"

"It's synthetic meat, or as we call it, synthameat. It's grown in our local factory, on the other side of the space port."

"Its taste puts me in mind of chicken, but there's something different about it. It's almost like a gourmet chicken dish."

"I'm glad you like it. The producers will be going to the University of Halvdor on Karse as soon as they train some one to stand in for them. They'll learn how to introduce other varieties into their output. We hope eventually to export our surplus to Earth."

I turned to Reginald, and asked, "How soon do you see yourselves as being self-sufficient?"

"As soon as our first crops are harvested, and processed. That should be in about six months, I think. It also depends on our population not growing too fast. The present rate feels about right as far as I can tell. Don't tell me that you are thinking about stepping up the rate of immigration. That could cause problems. We can handle the present rate, but would prefer if it could slow down a little in later stages."

"Tell me. What do you envisage as your final population?"

"Oh, I see about a figure of some hundred to a hundred, and fifty thousand as a viable population. That would allow room for a subsequent natural growth."

"One thought that has occurred to me is how soon do you think that it will be before you're ready to start a tourist industry?"

"Oh, not for some time. Let us get a population of two or three thousand under our belts before you start to dump tourists on us. By that time, we should have something to show them. Did you know that we have our own musical group?"

"No, what are their primary occupations?"

"They're all from our hospital staff. My mother left me her collection of MP3 files, so that I can compare our group with some of the old timers. The best way that I can describe our group is to say that they sound like a cross between Bing Crosby, and 'Abba'. They're boisterous, sentimental, and a lot of fun. Sometimes they remind me of 'The Corries'."

"Perhaps you should market their recordings?"

"That's an idea. Their stuff is all original. I'm sure it would go down well at home. I know, I shouldn't say that, but we haven't been here long enough for it to be home yet. I'm sure, however, that it will become home someday."

"If you could get me a copy of their work, I'll see if I can get it published."

"Thank you, and on behalf of the Secundus Quacks, I thank you."

"I take it that their name reflects their medical origin rather than the fowl variety?"

"Yes. I think they chose it for its amusement value. It would tend to take their patients' minds off their 'mallardy'!"

"Oh how 'ducky'."

"That's a 'fowl' remark."

By this time Reg, and I were laughing our heads off. On that note we made our farewells. We borrowed the Governor's vehicle to go to the space port telling it to return to the Governor's residence after we had disembarked.