LITMIR.BIZ

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of the Gold Star, Second Lieutenant. And on joining the General Staff Academy. Now more than ever, we need such commanders.”

      “Serving the Earth Federation,” I answered according the regulations, standing at attention.

      “Unique Specialist?” The President quietly asked, nodding at the badge on my tunic and having thrown the ceremonial General into final shock by deviating from protocol. “Do you have any requests or suggestions?”

      I, too, was barely keeping my face cool, but I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity like this.

      “That’s right, Commander in Chief, Sir. I do.”

      “After the ceremony wait for my assistant. And now you’re free to go, Second Lieutenant.”

      There was no miracle, no personal meeting with the President, but his assistant did find me after the awards ceremony, and diligently concealing his disdain for a person as insignificant as a second lieutenant, invited me to submit my requests and views in writing and send it to him for processing and transmission to the Commander in Chief.

* * *

      The door to the President’s office opened silently and the well trained assistant brought the Head of State coffee and ginger cookies. Tobolsky silently nodded.

      “Mr. President, you asked me to remind you of Second Lieutenant Lavroff. ”

      “Ah, Lavroff. Yes, thank you,” – Tobolsky wearily moved his hand along his face. “What’s there? Just briefly.”

      “He claims that in the operations on Luyten-5 and Kapteyn, he used weapon systems of his own design, based on our and trophy circuitry and built on the Academy tech base and in the field conditions. According to him, they were far more effective in combat than our standard models.”

      “Did you check that?”

      “Yes, Mr. President, I’ve sent inquiries to his commanding officers. The answers have been strictly positive. In the case of Luyten-5, there is even a specific combat efficiency calculation: 130 percent.”

      “Hmm. Let’s say it’s OK. What does he want? Money for development or transfer to a defense industrial complex?”

      “Oddly enough, no. He doesn’t ask for money and only sees himself in combat units. He requests a licence to develop arms and military equipment for a company he has just registered as well as unhindered access to the Ministry of Defence competitions.”

      “What’s the problem with the license?”

      “It has been the practice of the Ministry of Defence to issue such licences only to large enterprises within the defence industry complex and to their subsidiaries. There’s no way for a small firm just set up to get a license like this. They just won’t let you, even after fulfilling the formal requirements. I mean, there’s so many of them, you can always pick on something.”

      “Let’s not get in his way. This guy might be useful to us. Someone in the Military Industrial Complex has overdone things, and this guy, if he doesn’t turn out to be nothing, which I don’t think he will be, could be a good pain in the ass… What is required of me? ”

      “Recommending a license with your signature will solve all the problems.”

      “Is draft paper ready?”

      “Yes, Mr. President.”

      “Send it to me, I’ll sign it. And let me know if he makes any sense.”

* * *

      Leo Rabinovich froze up, staring at the screen of his tablet. I understood him well. I sat like that yesterday, stupidly reading and rereading the recommendation to issue the Lavroff Weapons Company a license to develop arms and military equipment, signed personally by President Tobolsky.

      Finally, the lawyer stopped scrutinizing the document and gave me a still slightly stunned look.

      “I think, Igor, in a week you’ll be licensed. With such a recommendation, it is unlikely that anyone would pay attention to formalities, because, in fact, Mr President himself has assumed full responsibility. You’ve earned a lot of trust, though.”

      I just hemmed vaguely. I didn’t expect it myself. And some little worm of doubt was scratching somewhere in my brain, banging hammers into the top of my head: there’s no free cheese in rat labyrinths.

      “I’m more than happy with the week,” I told Rabinovich, “But I have to get started somewhere. Can your company find me an office space and an experimental workshops site?”

      “I think so. It won’t be a problem. It’s not hard to rent an office in the capital, if one has money. It’s pretty simple with a production site, but not on Earth, of course. There’s no way you’re gonna be allowed to set up a production site here, but the Moon is at your complete disposal. There are huge tech parks where they will be happy to rent you out the necessary space, perhaps even together with the equipment.”

      “Then, Leo, get the list of the parameters of the site and the office that I need, and I’m looking for suggestions.”

* * *

      “Good afternoon, Ivan Gerkhardovich,” I decided not to delay calling Professor Stein,“Do you have a few minutes for me?”

      “Glad to see you, Igor,” the professor gave me a sincere smile. Of course, I’m the one he has extremely positive memories with, both emotionally and financially, “Always happy to talk to you. But you didn’t just bring up the provincial professor. Surely you have another adventure for me. Am I right?”

      “As always, Ivan Gerkhardovich, as always,” I didn’t deny it, “But I’m also very happy to see you in a good mood.”

      “Well, tell me, then. Why waste time?”

      “I’ve registered a company and I’m going to develop weapons for our army. In a week’s time, I’ll have the necessary license, office and space to house the production equipment. I need people, good engineers and scientists to develop EW systems, armor and cannons, and then utilize all this into prototypes of spacesuits, dropships and combat robots. Ten people will be enough for now. I’ll send you a list of the skills needed. Could you find me such people among the best students of the Colonial Technological Institute or among recent graduates? I need young people with open-minded brains capable of perceiving and developing breakthrough ideas.”

      “Give me your list, I’ll see what I can do.”

      I sent the professor a pre-prepared paper. A couple of minutes later, Stein stopped reading and looked up at me.

      “I think I will. I see you’ve already indicated the approximate salary levels. I don’t think any of my candidates would give up on that. It’ll take me a few days to talk to the right people.”

      “Thank you, professor, I had no doubt that you could help me recruit people. But that is not all,” I said, observing a slight surprise and interest on Stein’s face,“To manage this team, I need an experienced leader with the necessary knowledge and authority in the scientific community.”

      “And you want me to help you find such a man?”

      “No, Ivan Gerkhardovich, I don’t. I already found him. This man is you. If you want to, of course. But something tells me you’re not gonna say no,” I smiled rapaciously.

      The professor started thinking. He didn’t see it coming.

      “Hmm,” Stein vaguely hemmed, “about another adventure, I did guess. I’d probably send someone else with that idea a long way away. I’m too used to the Colonial Technological Institute, I’ve got all my roots in it.”

      “Professor,” I told Stein quietly, “do you watch the news regularly?”

      “Yes, I do, from time to time.”

      “And what do you see? Do you think I’d start this whole thing if everything was okay? Why? I’m not poor already. And as you can see, I’m a soldier, not a scientist. And suddenly, I make this offer. Why do you think?”

      The professor looked at me silently.

      “When

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