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ready to join the rest of the galaxy yet. Go home or
learn fast.’
    He picked up a tablet and a stylus, ‘If
you can find a way of getting funds and a patron, we would be more
than delighted to take pupils in from your race. I would suggest
that you look farther than just astral navigation. Good day.’

CHAPTER 8
     
    Steven went straight to the President.
Of course, what the Dean had told them was the absolute truth. The
President admitted that they had already approached a number of
galactic banks and all had refused to open an account for the
Humans.
    The President sipped at his coffee,
‘The Dean was right to some extent. We can’t sell any of the
precious metals or gem stones that we brought with us. We would be
allowed to sell that which we have procured from our own home world
if we receive galactic status. Normally when you receive galactic
status you can deposit any amount you wish as collateral, providing
that it came from your home world. That doesn’t include your solar
system. I have a team of people wading through it right now, but it
isn’t looking good.’
    ‘ What about our
supplies sir?’ Admiral Baxter asked.
    ‘ We are going to have
to ask for an escort from the Emperor.’
    ‘ That means we are
going to have to stop them on the other side of the barrier until
we have a large enough number for a convoy sir. That will seriously
delay the arrival of some essential supplies.’
    ‘ I am aware of that.
We are going to hold a large feast for the Emperor and what other
dignitaries he brings with him from the other worlds. After that we
may well have to return to our own side of the barrier, at least
until we can build staging posts where our forces can cross over to
refuel and resupply.’
    ‘ Even then, any
vessel we have, including our military ships, can be stopped and
searched at any time by the relevant galactic forces.’ Admiral
Baxter added. ‘Every single one of our ships has meat products on
board.’
    ‘ That is another
thing we are going to have to address: non-meat products that will
give our people the nutrients they require to function efficiently.
The longer we are here, the longer we walk a tightrope.’
    The Admiral agreed, ‘Aye sir, right now
we are at the mercy of the Emperor and his goodwill.’ He shook his
head, ‘I don’t like it one little bit. I wouldn’t trust the bugger
as far as I could throw him. He has nothing to lose and everything
to gain if our people fall foul of these intergalactic laws. To not
submit to this galactic police force could bring Dante’s Inferno
raging down round our ears. I don’t see any reason for the Emperor
to give us fuel or rations, certainly not for free. Neither have we
any way of paying for those supplies.’
    The President sighed, ‘We are in a
bind, with no real way out. Right now we have fuel and provisions
for a number of months. By the time they begin to run out we had
damn well better be prepared for what comes next.’
    The President reached out, took a large
pad from a pile, and looked around the gathering of top officials
and officers. ‘I am going to write out orders and have them
delivered to each of you. I want nothing discussed here, nor do I
want any paperwork being put into any electronic device. Any plans
from these orders shall be made on paper. Our friends and foes are
far more technically advanced than we are. As far as we know they
could be roving through our databases right now and we would never
even know.’
    He looked around at everyone to make
sure he was being taken seriously. ‘Gentlemen, I want an escape
plan. I imagine our food stocks would run out first, however I
sincerely doubt that it would be in the Emperor’s best interests
not to convoy our freighters to us. Nevertheless, I wish for this
plan to be triggered by either our food or fuel resources reaching
a level that will leave us vulnerable. I need your best men to
calculate in the fact that we may well have to fight our way out.
We know the