Read Alicia Jones 3: New Frontier for Free Online

comfortable with it.”
    Marlon didn’t seem the type, but I imagined some of the
power hungry in the colonies resented Earth from taking their exalted position
in the galaxy away, even if their worlds will probably be richer for it, not
being under the thumb of my cousin any longer.  We ran out of time for
discussion when we arrived at the U.N. complex. 
    I knew the way, so I escorted him through the building to
the large meeting room.  The entire board was there, as well as fifteen
more people, including Senna from Leira, and Nora from Tressia.  Seven of
the worlds weren’t present, but it was hardly a requirement.  There was no
voting someone in, if a world signed they were in, if they violated the treaty
they were out for at least fifty years.  It was that simple.
    At a guess I’d say all fifteen people were only there to
work out trade and other agreements, not because of the treaty itself.  At
least, that was probably the case before they heard a Knomen colony wanted to
join.  I could feel how tense the room was, but I believed Marlon could
win them over if they gave him a chance.  He was the first Knomen I’d met
that wasn’t ridiculously arrogant and blind to reality.  Even my
grandmother, who I liked, was arrogant beyond belief.
    When I caught Nadia’s eyes, I nodded almost unperceptively,
just to let her know that Marlon at least, was on the level.  I stayed in
the back, and gave half an ear toward following the conversation.  It was
basically a very flowery way to go over the blunt questions we’d covered in the
shuttle together.  Marlon wanted to make sure his colony would be equal in
the eyes of everyone else in the treaty, and everyone else questioned him about
why he wanted to join and probed for ulterior motives.
    As far as my perceptions, he didn’t really have one. 
As far as the others, there was definitely anger there, but no one threatened
to walk out if we let him sign on.  I felt a little sorry for him, but
then that was life.  It would take years before they would ever be
trusted, and many times that for the home world when that finally got sorted
out.
    At least no one tried to kill him…
     

Chapter
7
    A month went by before anything exciting really
happened.  The fleet had their first tournament, the computers keeping
score.  To my surprise the ship that won didn’t take leave on Earth, they
exchanged some money for gold, left at FTL, and headed to Tressia which was
just hours away in our newest ships.  I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise,
one of the perks of fleet should be meeting aliens and stepping foot on other
worlds.  I just hope they don’t wind up in jail somewhere.
    The moral in the fleet seemed to be up, especially with the
shore leave schedule fully in swing.
    I’d spent a lot of time running simulations, and pouring
over the multi-dimensional math for gravity, and seeing how exactly dark energy
fit into it.  I knew the forces were related in some way, or at least,
that was the theory.  It was at the end of the month that theory, and my
work, paid off.  I’d designed a power converter, and power conduits that
reached through the whole ship.  I let the fabricators take care of the
big stuff, and put the nanites on the smaller tasks.
    It still took a few days.  Every system on the ship now
had two power sources, I wasn’t sure if that would ever change.  Having
fusion backup local to every system just made sense.  Just in case the
ship did take damage, and wasn’t destroyed, and an important powerline was cut. 
Doubtful, but possible.  Plus, if I didn’t leave it there Kristi would
make fun of me.
    “Al, go ahead and bring the converters online.”
    Al replied, “Converters are active, and are running at
eighty-six point four percent efficiency.”
    That… was actually really good.  All it meant was
compared to what we figured on paper, it was fourteen percent less power that
it could draw.
    “Al, switch all systems from fusion to the dark