Deep Space Journey - 14. DSJ Chapter 14

“I have organised that all four of you remain in high-level protection, until the Imperial guards arrive, there should be security officers posted outside the conference centre as we speak. Your Serene Highness, I will see you on your way back to the Home-world, and Senator Lenegan, you are now Lord Lenegan, as are your son’s.

My Lord is up to you if you travel with your wife or not, but for safety reasons, I would suggest that you remain there with one of your son’s and one travels with the Regent, bye for now” the Chancellor said and the screen went blank, leaving the Lenegan family standing there stunned.

“Let’s sit and discuss this as a family” Natihya suggested, and Quinn and the boys did that, and looked towards Natihya to see what was to happen next. “Well it appears that you outrank me now my dear, so what is it that you command?” Quinn said with a cheeky smile, and his wife laughed.

“Well since we have only two days till the Imperial Guards arrive, I guess we better start making some decisions fast, as much as it is going to hurt all of us with this family separation, I agree with the Chancellors recommendation, and Suamyl will come with me back to the home-world, while Quinn you take care of our oldest, and make sure that he continues his extra studies.

I know it is going to be hard to be separated, but I feel that it is important that you remain here, to oversee operations here in this solar system, and go ahead with relocating SS Scorpion to a Mars orbit, and get that Lunar base built as fast as possible, that way we can concentrate on the Republic, and let those on earth deal with their own disputes” Natihya announced.

Both boys were softly crying at this point, and Maenyl leaned towards his father for comfort, while Suamyl did the same with his mother, a few minutes later, when everyone had recovered from the shock of everything, Quinn pushed the Intercom button, “Send in the five ambassadors please” Quinn stated, and a few minutes later the doors opened and Martin and the other four Ambassadors entered.

“What is all this about? Son. Why are the guards at the doors to here?” Martin said as he approached Quinn, “Take a seat please dad and Ambassadors, and all will be explained” Quinn said, and they did as was requested, sitting opposite Quinn, Natihya and the boys.

Over the next ten minutes Natihya explained everything to the Ambassadors, who were a little shocked with all of this news, “Well Dad, I suggest that you and the other Ambassadors, escort our guests back to Earth, first thing in the morning, with apologies for cutting the conference short. For now, we will keep this information within the URP and Sahndrol Empire, and say nothing to the SRT Academy cadets, and everything will be same as usual, apart from the added security around the Regent and her family” Quinn said.

The following day, after the guests and Ambassadors had left Scorpion, Quinn and Natihya and their sons spent as much time together as possible, once Quinn had dealt with the usual business of getting work started on building the Luna Base and organising preparations for relocating the Space station, once the Luna Base is completed. When the Ship arrived from the home-world, it was accompanied by five space fighters, and three medium-sized shuttles, that carry a crew of 3 and 46 passengers, plus cargo, that had been sent as additional spacecraft for the URPS - the United Republic of Planets of Sahndrol.

Quinn put the shuttles to work right away, to get work started on locating and setting up, a suitable site on the moon for the lunar base, while building supplies were being transported from Jupiter, that will create the Luna base. Natihya remained for two more days, after the Imperial transport ship arrived, before she and both sons, boarded the ship and headed towards the home-world, with three space fighters as escorts.

Two weeks after returning from their space trip, the Foreign Ministers from Switzerland and Canada were about to make a joint announcement to the Security Council of the United Nations in New York, with the UN Secretary-General in attendance.

“Mr Secretary General and permanent members of the Security Council, we stand before you today, not only as of the chosen Foreign Ministers of our Countries of Switzerland and Canada but as one of only a few lucky people to experience what it is like to be in Space”, the Swiss Minister said. A ripple of discussions could be heard within the council chamber, and the call to order was made.

“What my colleague is saying is, that three days ago the elected leaders of Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and South Africa, along with the Foreign ministers of those countries, plus the URP Ambassadors in each country, gathered for a top-secret conference, so secret that not even our families knew where we had gone, and that was to the newly built United Republic of Planets Space Station Known as Scorpion, which is in a lunar orbit.

Meeting with his Excellency the Chancellor and High Council of the URP via video link from their capital in Jupiter, plus with Senator Quinn Lenegan, a member of the High Council and Director of the Space Research and Training Academy on Mars, it was agreed that the URP would relocate their space station to a Mars Orbit, to allow for Space agencies on Earth to establish one or more lunar bases on the Moon’s surface, as they feel that the Earth’s moon is part of Earth’s territory, and they will not interfere in these matters” the Canadian Minister announced.

“As a departing gift, the URP has agreed to build a basic Lunar base for the European Space Agency’s 22 members, with work beginning very soon, and will be completed within 6 months. The lunar base will have a living area to accommodate 264 people, which is 12 people from each ESA member country, the Republic informed us that the ESA would have full ownership of the Lunar base once it is completed.

It would also be their decision, as to whether they allow other space agencies to use the facilities at the Lunar base or not, and at the moment there are no plans to allow additional space to accommodate extra people at the base, apart from the 264 semi-permanent ESA members.

Representing one of the Member countries of the ESA, after notifying the ESA of the gift from the URP, the ESA would make a decision on access to the Lunar base once it is completed and operational, that is all we have to say today” the Swiss Minister announced.

“Mr Chairman, as I represent a permanent member of this Security Council, I must protest at how we are being told what will happen on the Moon without any consultation by other members of this Security Council or the Full United Nations Council” the United States Foreign Minister said after standing up. “I too wish to protest on how we are being told in this manner”, the Chinese Ambassador to the UN said, as he too stood up, and the Ambassadors for France and Russia did the same, with the UK Ambassador to the UN remaining seated, with a small smile on his face, and the Chairman told the four men to sit down, and called for order in the chamber.

Once there was silence, the UK Ambassador stood up, “Mr Chairman, I wish to address the Council on this matter, as you may recall the United Nations and this Security Council put their own countries priorities ahead of all countries on this planet, by insisting on gaining control or trying to force the URP to give some access to their technology and easier access into space.

We can now see clearly that this action as backfired, in such a way that the URP will no longer have any dealings with the United Nations or its security Council, especially when they tried to have the URP Embassies closed, and the staff forced to go home. Although the United Kingdom is a member country of the European Space Agency, this is the first we have heard about the plans for the ESA Lunar Base, and we welcome it being established there.

I am glad that some of the more powerful countries of Earth are finally being put in their place, and being forced to take a back seat to a new era of advancement, in a new frontier, that being space. As it has been stated clearly before, the United Nations has no legal authority on what happens beyond the outer atmosphere of Earth. I wish to propose and recommend that a Committee be established, represented by all six leading Space agencies on earth, to sit down and discuss establishing protocols and whatever else is needed to regulate space activity in and around Earth, including the Moon, but nothing beyond that” the UK Ambassador stated.

“I second that proposal” the USA Ambassador called out, and it was a unanimous agreement by the other permanent members, “Very well, so be it, I suggest the six-member countries, meet at the earliest time possible, to decide how to go about establishing this new Committee,” the Security Council Chairman said, and he called for a suspension of all other matters to another time.

“Four World Leaders and Foreign Ministers visit Space Station Scorpion” was the headlines in the newspapers worldwide the following day, New York Time, “It was announced in the UN Security Council yesterday, that the Leaders and Foreign ministers of Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa and Canada, made an overnight top-secret journey to the Space Station recently, to meet dignitaries of the United Republic of Planets, where they discussed the future of Space travel, and establishing Space Bases” the article read, and as soon as Martin at Earth Base saw the article, he scanned it and sent it on to Scorpion, for his son to see, and Quinn didn’t seem too worried about it.