LITMIR.BIZ

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to analyze my assets and liabilities. The task of constructing the portal gates so far was as unattainable as when I arrived at the hospital on Titan. I saw no direct and quick way to solve it. Well, let’s take advantage of the way that’s as old as the world, and divide a big problem into a lot of little pieces. I need the knowledge, resources, people and permission of the authorities to build and test the gate. I have the knowledge. But it’s not exactly the kind of knowledge I need. I won’t build the gate myself, which means the information in my head needs to be legitimized. How to do that? The cadet and even the second lieutenant, if the response to the submission is positive, don’t have that kind of knowledge. So what we need is an official organization that can present this information as its own development. That’s number one. Now regarding the resourses. At the moment it’s primarily money. Right now, my personal account contains just over 32,000,000 federal rubles. These are patent royalties, instructor’s wages, trophy prizes and gratuities attached to the Iron Cross and Gold Star. That seems to be quite a lot. With this money, one can comfortably live in the capital of the Federation for almost ten years. But it concerns a common man. I’m a person who’s very restless and unprepared to just sit on his ass, so this money will be enough only for a start. So, the question of resources is soon to be resolved, but not right now. That’s number two. Next on my list are people. I’m supposed to pursue a career in the army where I’m not even an officer yet. So, all the current affairs of providing resources and the activities of the company yet to be created will have to be handled by someone else. I mean, sure, I’m gonna go for it, but I might not have the time or the opportunity. I started thinking and almost immediately remembered Lieutenant Jeff, my senior technician. He should be interviewed one of the first. Professor Stein of The Colonial Technological Institute may also be of use. His name and connections will certainly prove useful. And I need to talk to Inga. I could really use a trusted person at the company. To be honest, I really wanted her to give up her military career, but knowing her, I was kind of afraid to even talk about it.

      So, basically, the plan has been ready. First, a weapons development firm. It’ll help me solve two problems at once. I will slowly feed my knowledge from the past life into it and embed it into new weapons samples, thereby legalizing the information I need. And money, of course. The development of the gate will require just an enormous amount of money, which the Federation treasury would never give me, and that way I’ll spend the company’s profits. The second, no less important than the first, is the military career. By the time the gate is built, I must have sufficient influence in the authorities to provide the contact of civilizations according to my scenario. And third, it’s time to help the Federation with new technologies, otherwise we may not live to fulfill that contact.

* * *

      The capital of the Earth Federation, the huge city of Amundsen, is located at the south pole of the planet, in the heart of Antarctica, covered with forests. In the middle of the twenty-first century, the human race here finally succeeded in contaminating the home planet, with irreversible environmental consequences. Waste islands in the oceans, man-made disasters on oil platforms and chemical plants, oxidation of ocean waters with carbon dioxide, filling the atmosphere with dust and its poisoning combined with the increasing overpopulation of the planet, all of this has led to people barely surviving to develop terraforming technologies. And the first planet to which terraforming had to be applied was the Earth itself.

      An artificial thermonuclear sun hung above the south pole, melting the ice and giving to the suffocating and thirsty mankind source of fresh water and oxygen extracted from it. This seemed to be a temporary solution, but it allowed people to survive to the point where the deep purification plants built along the air and sea currents would bring the concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere and oceans to an acceptable level. Humanity no longer made such mistakes, and the environmental protection began to be treated on the Earth with blatant fanaticism. Not surprisingly, the ice-free southern continent has become a forest-and lake-covered paradise, in the middle of which humanity, grateful for its salvation, has jointly built an ecologically exemplary mega-city which became the capital of the Federation.

      There was a spring in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, and the Antarctic sun also imitated this pleasant season. The awards ceremony was two days away, and since I was in the capital, I decided to take care of my future corporation. I didn’t know much about local law, so I went to a small consulting firm I found online, whose pages seemed adequate to me.

      “Good afternoon, I am the leading lawyer of „JurTex” Leo Rabinovich,” the man who answered my call was a vibrant man in his 30s, “What can our company do for you?”

      “Igor Lavroff,” I said in return, “I need to register a company that will be able to take part in the State procurement competition.”

      “Sphere of activity?”

      “Development and supply of weapons and military equipment.”

      Rabinovich had a glimpse of surprise, but he kept on talking calmly:

      “This activity requires State licensing. The list of requirements for obtaining a licence is extensive. There is a need for a production base, qualified staff, minimum registered capital requirements.”

      “That’s why I asked for your advice.”

      “Tell me, Igor, do you plan to become the founder and owner of the company?”

      “No. I’m a minor. My mother will own the company.”

      “How much are you planning to invest in the capital of the new organization?”

      “30,000,000 rubles.”

      Rabinovich didn’t give a damn. None of his business where a 16-year-old boy took that money. Maybe he’s the son of a wealthy businessman, maybe it’s an inheritance. Who cares?

      “Well, that’s enough, at least, to comply with the law. I can take your case, but to obtain a license for such an activity I need from you a number of documents, which confirm that you have experience in the development of new weapons, as well as the results of tests of your products and recommendations from high-ranking military officers. Are you able to provide them?” in the eyes of the lawyer there was doubt.

      “I think so. But it’s gonna take some time.”

      “Then we can do this: I’ll register a company for you. This will be the first stage of our cooperation, a rather inexpensive one. Next, as you provide the necessary documents, we will proceed to obtain a license. Here, prepare the money, Igor. It will not cost you less than half a million rubles.”

* * *

      The rewarding ceremony was very solemn. 35 persons to be awarded were assembled in the main column hall. The award was broadcast online throughout the Federation. In addition to the President, there were many high-ranking officials and military officers. I was licking my lips in anticipation while looking at this flower garden of potentialities, but my insignificant rank has isolated me from them as well as thick tank armor. Earth Federation President, Marshal Ivan Tobolsky, 60-year-old impressionable man with a thick mane of gray hair, a nose with a light hump, a strong chin and piercing brown eyes, delivered a speech that was traditional for such cases, but was slightly adapted to the current situation on the fronts, which was by no means the best. Therefore, we’ve heard repeatedly: «in this difficult time», «it is time for hard tests» and «verification of our will to win». And then he went straight to the award. A tall and smooth general who summoned my association with the word ‘parquet’ gave the name of the next recipient, and the guy in question approached the President with a report while marching in a ceremonial pace. Most of the time Tobolsky smiled habitually, took the award from a tray his extremely solemn assistant was holding, handed it to the hero and shook his hand with congratulations. The decorated man responded with a statutory phrase and returned to the line. Sometimes the President spoke to the officer or soldier a few words in a quiet voice and even listened to the answer. It was impossible to understand exactly what they were saying.

      I turned out to be one of the last.

      “Commander in Chief, Sir, Cadet of the Planetary Commando Academy Igor Lavroff has arrived for the state award!” I reported clearly to the President.

      “Luyten-5? Commanding the Heavy Commando Brigade and striking to meet

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