Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Bribery delivered to the door
Isabel and Sullivan left for Aubrey that night.Sullivan nestled rather aggrievedly in the small passenger seat of the spaceship, squeezed together with Isabel's samples, notes and remaining supplies.Holloway watched them go, noticing that the Fuzzies weren't too upset about it.Either these little guys aren't very emotional, or they're the "out of sight, out of mind" type.In contrast, when Isabel left, Carl was sullen.Even though Banban tugged at its ears, the baby didn't cheer it up by rubbing against it.
Three days later, Holloway received an encrypted, return-receipt email asking him to testify about the furs at a hearing in Aubrey Township eight days later.Holloway laughed, Isabel really did what she said, and didn't waste a minute.
A few minutes later he got the request, and Chad Byrne was online. "Are you trying to get me fired?" Holloway heard Bourne yelling as soon as he slapped on the pure audio, and he didn't even have to exchange pleasantries.
"Good morning from me too," said Holloway.He is drinking his morning coffee.Papa Fluffy - who Holloway now knew wasn't Papa either - was sniffing the liquid in his glass curiously.
"Shut up, Holloway," said Byrne. "Why didn't you tell me when you found these little things?"
"You mean furries?" Holloway asked back.
"Yes," said Byrne.
"Why should I tell you?" said Holloway. "I give you a detailed report of every animal I come across? I live in the forest, you know."
"I don't want every animal report," Byrne said, "but if you run into a caveman on this planet and get us all kicked out, you should tell me anyway."
"They're not cavemen," Holloway said. "They live in trees, or they used to live in trees, and now they're taking over my house." Holloway pushed the cup up to Papa Fluffy to taste this drink.
"Jack Holloway, a master at interrupting," Bourne said.
"They're not human anyway, so I don't bother to tell you," Holloway said. "They're just very smart little animals."
"Our biologists don't think so," Bourne said. "Not to look down on you, Jack, but she probably knows more about it than you do."
"Your biologist is over-excited with a big discovery," Holloway said, watching Papa Fluffy sniff his coffee carefully, "she's a biologist, but she's not an expert on extraterrestrial intelligence. Asking her to decide whether furries are intelligent or not is like asking a podiatrist to decide whether you want a liver transplant."
"Whitton Aubrey doesn't see it that way," Byrne said. "The future chairman of the Zara Group came into my cubicle and yelled at me for ten minutes because one of my surveyors found an intelligent being." But he didn’t bother to tell me. The 0.4% I gave you has already been put on the trash list by him. Now I think I’m also on his assassination list.”
"Don't worry, Chad," said Holloway, "they're not intelligent beings." Papa Fluffy poked his head into his cup and took a hesitant sip of his coffee.
"Are you sure?" Bern asked.
Papa Fluffy spit out his coffee and stared at Holloway, as if to say: What's wrong with you!
"That's right," said Holloway, "I'm pretty sure." He picked up his coffee and took another sip.
"I wanted to come over and see those things for myself," Byrne said.
"What?" said Holloway. "No."
"Why?" Bourne asked.
"Well, first of all, Chad, you're not a biologist, let alone an expert on extraterrestrial intelligence, unless you're hiding it from me," said Holloway, "which means you're only here to stare at the little ones." Look. I don't run a zoo. Besides, I don't like spending time entertaining you."
"Thank you for your 'enthusiasm,' Jack. But you have no choice," Byrne said. "Your contract states that I, as the surveyor's representative for your Zara Group, have the right and even the obligation to conduct Site visits to make sure your equipment and operations are in compliance with Zara Group regulations. So guess what, I'm going out now and be here in six hours."
"Excellent," said Holloway.
"I'm as excited as you are," Byrne said, "trust me." He cut off.
Holloway looked down at Papa Fluffy. "If I knew you were going to cause so much trouble, I should have let Karl eat you that day."
Papa Fluffy looked up at Holloway too, paying no heed to his words.
Bourne didn't come alone. "If he gets out of that spaceship, I'll push him off," Holloway threatened once he spotted Joe Dries in the front passenger seat of the four-seater spaceship that had landed in front of his treehouse. Weedon Aubrey VII, who got out of the rear passenger seat with Brand Langdon, was taken aback: "Is there a problem?" "Yes," said Holloway, "I hate him to the bone." "I don't think you like everyone on this ship, Holloway," said Aubrey. "That's not a good enough reason to keep Mr. Dries in his seat. I need bodyguards when I leave Aubrey Town, Board of Directors. Very sensitive to me being out in the wild alone." "None of my business," Holloway said. "It's too hot to sit in an enclosed ship," Langdon said. "Then break the window and give him a bowl of water," said Holloway, "and if he comes on my turf, I'll give him a shotgun split." "Are you going to put 'murder' on your resume, Mr. Holloway?" Langdon asked. "If he trespasses on private property and refuses to leave when the owner asks, it's not murder," Holloway said. "He's the sheriff of the Zara Group, which is a planet under the group's management," Aubrey said. "Then let him show me the search warrant," Holloway said. "If he doesn't have a search warrant, he's trespassing. On second thought, so are you and Langdon. The only ones who have a legitimate reason to be here are Chad." .” "So you're going to shoot us all?" Aubrey said. "It's tempting, but I don't want to," Holloway said. "Just bomb him. If you think I can't, just let him step out of that spaceship and try." Aubrey looked back at Bourne who had just gotten out of the driver's seat. "I have absolutely no idea where this is coming from," Byrne said. Dries watched all this happen, and had nothing to do but stare at each other. "Leave him the key." Finally Aubrey said to Bourne, "He can turn on the air conditioner." Aubrey turned to Holloway, "Okay? Do you have any other unreasonable demands?" "Is there any legitimate reason for you to be here, Aubrey?" asked Holloway, pointing at Bourne. "I know why he's here. He wants to visit. What do you want to do?" "Maybe I'm curious about those animals too," Aubrey said. "They could cost me a lot of money, and I figured I'd at least get to see them." "Sorry," said Holloway, "they're not here now." "You didn't leave them at home?" Bourne said. "You knew I was coming." "I knew you were coming," Holloway said, "I wasn't prepared for a large entourage. Also, I wouldn't keep them, Chad. They're not my pets, they're wild animals, come and go as they please , After staying for a few days, I went out to the forest from time to time. I think they should be busy with the things they were busy with before they met me. I also come and go freely, and I am busy with the things I was busy with before I met them." "When are they coming back?" Bourne asked. "Let me repeat, they are wild animals," Holloway said, "and they left me without a schedule before they left." "Then we can talk about something else," Aubrey said. "Is there anything else to talk about?" Holloway asked. "Would you mind letting us go in and talk?" Aubrey said, "because right now I think it's kind of funny that the only guy you're trying to kill is sitting in the air-conditioning ship." Holloway glanced at Dries, who was still glaring at him viciously. "Okay," he said, "come in." After entering the hut, Karl showed his favor to Bourne, whom he knew and liked.Holloway carefully adjusted the position and angle of the surveillance camera on his desk to get a clear picture of the outside world and Bourne's ship, then pulled the hat over it so that it wouldn't block the camera. "So it's the famous Demolition Dog," Aubrey said, patting Carl. "The alleged demolition dogs," Holloway said, "can't be proven." He turned to his guests, sitting on the desk. "Of course," Aubrey said. "What do you want to talk about?" Holloway said. Aubrey glanced at Langdon. "We have some concerns about the upcoming hearings on whether these animals are intelligent beings." "That's right," Holloway said. "We want to know what you plan to say," Langdon said. "I don't know," Holloway said, "I don't know what the judge will ask me." "I expect the judge will ask you to corroborate Miss Vangar's report," Langdon said. "It's possible," Holloway said. "Would you say that?" Langdon asked. Holloway looked at the three of them in his cabin. "I think we'll skip the opening question," he said. "If they asked me if I saw what Isabelle saw, I'd say yes. Because I did. It doesn't mean I agree with her, think Mao Mao is an intelligent creature. If you are going to persuade me to disagree with Isabel's conclusion, don't worry, I don't agree. And Isabel knows I don't agree. So you don't have to bribe me." "That's not good enough," Aubrey said. "Good enough," said Holloway. "Not enough," said Aubrey. "She's a biologist, you're just a surveyor, and her opinion carries more weight than yours." "So what?" said Holloway, "I live with these little things. Her opinion may have more weight than mine, but my opinion is enough to prevent the judge from directly ruling Zara Group to file an SSR. Reported. At worst, the judge ordered further research. If you operate properly, you can still operate here for two to three years before Mao Mao is finally certified as an intelligent creature, enough to mine the sun mine." "I know you're only concerned with the Sun Mines, Holloway," said Aubrey, "but there's something else involved besides your little gain. The planet's deposits of metals and minerals are more unusual than those of the Sun Stone. The amount is still abundant. It is precisely because of this that the sunstone mine is formed here. This planet is the one with the richest resources among the planets that the Zara Group has the right to mine and survey. If we lose it, the Zara Group will be in a precarious situation. " "What's the use of telling me this?" Holloway said. "I don't need to know this. Except for the sunstone mine, the rest has nothing to do with me." "I'm telling you to let you know, Holloway," said Aubrey, "that any of this could have anything to do with you if you wanted to." Holloway turned to Langdon, "I guess it's your turn to speak." Langdon smiled.He opened the folder he carried with him, stepped forward to Holloway, and handed him a page.Holloway glanced at the file and said, "Here's a map." "Can you see where the map is?" Langdon asked. "Well," said Holloway, "it's a map of the Northeastern Continent." "This is the only continent on Zara 23 that the Zara Group has not started mining," Langdon said. "We only obtained permission from the colony star to operate on this continent last month." "Okay," said Holloway, "so what?" "It's yours," Aubrey said. "What?" said Holloway. "Zarastra is going to pilot a project where a single surveyor is responsible for surveying and mining an entire continent," Langdon said. The method of managing and dispatching other surveyors. The difference is that the chief surveyor can get 5% of the mining income of the continent under his jurisdiction." "Deducting operating costs and fees he gave to other surveyors under his command," Aubrey said. "Yes," Langdon agreed, "that would be 4.75 percent." Holloway curled his lips. "I guess that means you're not going to kick me off the planet when my contract expires?" "Obviously not," Langdon said, "if you agree." "Also, how is this not a blatant bribery of me?" Holloway asked. "This will reduce the number of Zara Group employees, thereby saving costs." Langdon said, "At the same time, the 5% of the contract income can be tax-deductible." "The Zara Group is almost free of tax," Holloway said. "Just think of it as icing on the cake," Aubrey said. Holloway gestured in Bourne's direction. "So I could be a billionaire just by doing his job," he said. "It's a bit bigger than his job," Langdon said, "but it's about the same. The big advantage is that you can subcontract all the work without even being on the planet yourself. You can Sitting at home on Earth, waiting by the pool to collect money." "What do I have to do to get these benefits?" Holloway asked. "Destroy Miss Vangar's credibility," Aubrey said. "That's not going to be easy," Holloway said, waiting a moment longer, then adding, "And it's not going to be a good idea for you to sign me this contract after I've done that." "Give us some confidence. We know how to keep a low profile, Mr. Holloway," Langdon said. "We will wait for an appropriate period of time before announcing a contract with you. Miss Vangar will not be punished for requesting a hearing. That's right, she's going to be promoted to director of one of our labs here on Earth." "That said, get up high and stay out of here, out of the furs," Holloway said. "Anyway, you can help her career this time," Aubrey said. "It's good for her, and it's good for you, and it's good for Bourne." Holloway looked at Bourne. "Really?" he said. "It's a good thing," Aubrey said. "We said he could work for you. I think you'll treat him well." "I suppose so," said Holloway.Bourne himself looked terribly miserable, and he wore a sour face throughout the conversation.He knew that he had become the cover for Aubrey and his party to come to Holloway's tree house to negotiate, and he also knew what a tragic fate the little man would have if he was involved in the big man's big plan. "So humans have their own way," said Holloway. "Where's Mao Mao?" Aubrey shrugged. "If you care about them so much, take them to the northeast continent," he said, "designate a protected area for them, do whatever you want, and the Zara Group can even set up a 'Save Mao Mao' fund. Reputation is fine too. As long as nobody calls these things human anymore." “Isabel has a video of the Fuzzies,” Holloway said, “a secure, tamper-proof video of what she thinks proves that Fuzzies are intelligent beings.” "You taught your dog to explode, Mr. Holloway," Langdon said. "That's not the same thing," Holloway said, realizing what Langdon was implying, and recalling Isabel's argument with him, "Also, if you suggest that Isabel teaches Mozzarella tricks to deceive people, I'd rather I'm curious how you guys came back to give her a promotion afterwards." "She didn't teach Fluffy, you did," Langdon said. "Confess to the judge that you taught the little animals some tricks before Miss Vangar's visit. We don't deny that these animals are very smart and learn them quickly. Just say what you meant." It was a harmless joke, a prank. She took it seriously, and you filed a request for a hearing report before she could explain it. She is not at fault. You just made a nasty but harmless joke. " "It makes me look like an asshole," Holloway said. "Everyone thinks you're an asshole anyway, Holloway," Aubrey said, "No offense meant." "It's all right," Holloway said. "Besides, we're talking about a lot of money, and it's worth being an asshole," Aubrey said. "Well, it's what you say it is," Holloway said. "Mr. Holloway, our proposal is serious," Langdon said. "The stakes are too great. The outcome of this hearing must be a ruling that the SSR report should not be filed. All other outcomes are disastrous. We It’s up to you to deliver the best results for everyone.” "Yeah," said Holloway, "I just need to embarrass Isabel." "No rehash, Holloway, but you've made a fool of her before, haven't you?" Langdon said, nodding to Bourne. "Mr. Bourne told us you betrayed her at a hearing." She said you taught your dog to blow up and you said she lied. You were just trying to keep your contract and didn't seem to think much of her. Now you're about to become one of the richest people in the universe, Probably more motivated to do so.” "Perhaps," said Holloway. "Okay," Aubrey said, "then we've got a deal." "I must stress again, Mr. Holloway, we were never here," Langdon said. "Of course not," Holloway said. "Only Bourne, your guise, came to see the little animals." "We have reached a complete consensus," Langdon concluded. "Yeah," said Holloway, "a complete consensus."
Notes:
Bourne didn't come alone. "If he gets out of that spaceship, I'll push him off," Holloway threatened once he spotted Joe Dries in the front passenger seat of the four-seater spaceship that had landed in front of his treehouse. Weedon Aubrey VII, who got out of the rear passenger seat with Brand Langdon, was taken aback: "Is there a problem?" "Yes," said Holloway, "I hate him to the bone." "I don't think you like everyone on this ship, Holloway," said Aubrey. "That's not a good enough reason to keep Mr. Dries in his seat. I need bodyguards when I leave Aubrey Town, Board of Directors. Very sensitive to me being out in the wild alone." "None of my business," Holloway said. "It's too hot to sit in an enclosed ship," Langdon said. "Then break the window and give him a bowl of water," said Holloway, "and if he comes on my turf, I'll give him a shotgun split." "Are you going to put 'murder' on your resume, Mr. Holloway?" Langdon asked. "If he trespasses on private property and refuses to leave when the owner asks, it's not murder," Holloway said. "He's the sheriff of the Zara Group, which is a planet under the group's management," Aubrey said. "Then let him show me the search warrant," Holloway said. "If he doesn't have a search warrant, he's trespassing. On second thought, so are you and Langdon. The only ones who have a legitimate reason to be here are Chad." .” "So you're going to shoot us all?" Aubrey said. "It's tempting, but I don't want to," Holloway said. "Just bomb him. If you think I can't, just let him step out of that spaceship and try." Aubrey looked back at Bourne who had just gotten out of the driver's seat. "I have absolutely no idea where this is coming from," Byrne said. Dries watched all this happen, and had nothing to do but stare at each other. "Leave him the key." Finally Aubrey said to Bourne, "He can turn on the air conditioner." Aubrey turned to Holloway, "Okay? Do you have any other unreasonable demands?" "Is there any legitimate reason for you to be here, Aubrey?" asked Holloway, pointing at Bourne. "I know why he's here. He wants to visit. What do you want to do?" "Maybe I'm curious about those animals too," Aubrey said. "They could cost me a lot of money, and I figured I'd at least get to see them." "Sorry," said Holloway, "they're not here now." "You didn't leave them at home?" Bourne said. "You knew I was coming." "I knew you were coming," Holloway said, "I wasn't prepared for a large entourage. Also, I wouldn't keep them, Chad. They're not my pets, they're wild animals, come and go as they please , After staying for a few days, I went out to the forest from time to time. I think they should be busy with the things they were busy with before they met me. I also come and go freely, and I am busy with the things I was busy with before I met them." "When are they coming back?" Bourne asked. "Let me repeat, they are wild animals," Holloway said, "and they left me without a schedule before they left." "Then we can talk about something else," Aubrey said. "Is there anything else to talk about?" Holloway asked. "Would you mind letting us go in and talk?" Aubrey said, "because right now I think it's kind of funny that the only guy you're trying to kill is sitting in the air-conditioning ship." Holloway glanced at Dries, who was still glaring at him viciously. "Okay," he said, "come in." After entering the hut, Karl showed his favor to Bourne, whom he knew and liked.Holloway carefully adjusted the position and angle of the surveillance camera on his desk to get a clear picture of the outside world and Bourne's ship, then pulled the hat over it so that it wouldn't block the camera. "So it's the famous Demolition Dog," Aubrey said, patting Carl. "The alleged demolition dogs," Holloway said, "can't be proven." He turned to his guests, sitting on the desk. "Of course," Aubrey said. "What do you want to talk about?" Holloway said. Aubrey glanced at Langdon. "We have some concerns about the upcoming hearings on whether these animals are intelligent beings." "That's right," Holloway said. "We want to know what you plan to say," Langdon said. "I don't know," Holloway said, "I don't know what the judge will ask me." "I expect the judge will ask you to corroborate Miss Vangar's report," Langdon said. "It's possible," Holloway said. "Would you say that?" Langdon asked. Holloway looked at the three of them in his cabin. "I think we'll skip the opening question," he said. "If they asked me if I saw what Isabelle saw, I'd say yes. Because I did. It doesn't mean I agree with her, think Mao Mao is an intelligent creature. If you are going to persuade me to disagree with Isabel's conclusion, don't worry, I don't agree. And Isabel knows I don't agree. So you don't have to bribe me." "That's not good enough," Aubrey said. "Good enough," said Holloway. "Not enough," said Aubrey. "She's a biologist, you're just a surveyor, and her opinion carries more weight than yours." "So what?" said Holloway, "I live with these little things. Her opinion may have more weight than mine, but my opinion is enough to prevent the judge from directly ruling Zara Group to file an SSR. Reported. At worst, the judge ordered further research. If you operate properly, you can still operate here for two to three years before Mao Mao is finally certified as an intelligent creature, enough to mine the sun mine." "I know you're only concerned with the Sun Mines, Holloway," said Aubrey, "but there's something else involved besides your little gain. The planet's deposits of metals and minerals are more unusual than those of the Sun Stone. The amount is still abundant. It is precisely because of this that the sunstone mine is formed here. This planet is the one with the richest resources among the planets that the Zara Group has the right to mine and survey. If we lose it, the Zara Group will be in a precarious situation. " "What's the use of telling me this?" Holloway said. "I don't need to know this. Except for the sunstone mine, the rest has nothing to do with me." "I'm telling you to let you know, Holloway," said Aubrey, "that any of this could have anything to do with you if you wanted to." Holloway turned to Langdon, "I guess it's your turn to speak." Langdon smiled.He opened the folder he carried with him, stepped forward to Holloway, and handed him a page.Holloway glanced at the file and said, "Here's a map." "Can you see where the map is?" Langdon asked. "Well," said Holloway, "it's a map of the Northeastern Continent." "This is the only continent on Zara 23 that the Zara Group has not started mining," Langdon said. "We only obtained permission from the colony star to operate on this continent last month." "Okay," said Holloway, "so what?" "It's yours," Aubrey said. "What?" said Holloway. "Zarastra is going to pilot a project where a single surveyor is responsible for surveying and mining an entire continent," Langdon said. The method of managing and dispatching other surveyors. The difference is that the chief surveyor can get 5% of the mining income of the continent under his jurisdiction." "Deducting operating costs and fees he gave to other surveyors under his command," Aubrey said. "Yes," Langdon agreed, "that would be 4.75 percent." Holloway curled his lips. "I guess that means you're not going to kick me off the planet when my contract expires?" "Obviously not," Langdon said, "if you agree." "Also, how is this not a blatant bribery of me?" Holloway asked. "This will reduce the number of Zara Group employees, thereby saving costs." Langdon said, "At the same time, the 5% of the contract income can be tax-deductible." "The Zara Group is almost free of tax," Holloway said. "Just think of it as icing on the cake," Aubrey said. Holloway gestured in Bourne's direction. "So I could be a billionaire just by doing his job," he said. "It's a bit bigger than his job," Langdon said, "but it's about the same. The big advantage is that you can subcontract all the work without even being on the planet yourself. You can Sitting at home on Earth, waiting by the pool to collect money." "What do I have to do to get these benefits?" Holloway asked. "Destroy Miss Vangar's credibility," Aubrey said. "That's not going to be easy," Holloway said, waiting a moment longer, then adding, "And it's not going to be a good idea for you to sign me this contract after I've done that." "Give us some confidence. We know how to keep a low profile, Mr. Holloway," Langdon said. "We will wait for an appropriate period of time before announcing a contract with you. Miss Vangar will not be punished for requesting a hearing. That's right, she's going to be promoted to director of one of our labs here on Earth." "That said, get up high and stay out of here, out of the furs," Holloway said. "Anyway, you can help her career this time," Aubrey said. "It's good for her, and it's good for you, and it's good for Bourne." Holloway looked at Bourne. "Really?" he said. "It's a good thing," Aubrey said. "We said he could work for you. I think you'll treat him well." "I suppose so," said Holloway.Bourne himself looked terribly miserable, and he wore a sour face throughout the conversation.He knew that he had become the cover for Aubrey and his party to come to Holloway's tree house to negotiate, and he also knew what a tragic fate the little man would have if he was involved in the big man's big plan. "So humans have their own way," said Holloway. "Where's Mao Mao?" Aubrey shrugged. "If you care about them so much, take them to the northeast continent," he said, "designate a protected area for them, do whatever you want, and the Zara Group can even set up a 'Save Mao Mao' fund. Reputation is fine too. As long as nobody calls these things human anymore." “Isabel has a video of the Fuzzies,” Holloway said, “a secure, tamper-proof video of what she thinks proves that Fuzzies are intelligent beings.” "You taught your dog to explode, Mr. Holloway," Langdon said. "That's not the same thing," Holloway said, realizing what Langdon was implying, and recalling Isabel's argument with him, "Also, if you suggest that Isabel teaches Mozzarella tricks to deceive people, I'd rather I'm curious how you guys came back to give her a promotion afterwards." "She didn't teach Fluffy, you did," Langdon said. "Confess to the judge that you taught the little animals some tricks before Miss Vangar's visit. We don't deny that these animals are very smart and learn them quickly. Just say what you meant." It was a harmless joke, a prank. She took it seriously, and you filed a request for a hearing report before she could explain it. She is not at fault. You just made a nasty but harmless joke. " "It makes me look like an asshole," Holloway said. "Everyone thinks you're an asshole anyway, Holloway," Aubrey said, "No offense meant." "It's all right," Holloway said. "Besides, we're talking about a lot of money, and it's worth being an asshole," Aubrey said. "Well, it's what you say it is," Holloway said. "Mr. Holloway, our proposal is serious," Langdon said. "The stakes are too great. The outcome of this hearing must be a ruling that the SSR report should not be filed. All other outcomes are disastrous. We It’s up to you to deliver the best results for everyone.” "Yeah," said Holloway, "I just need to embarrass Isabel." "No rehash, Holloway, but you've made a fool of her before, haven't you?" Langdon said, nodding to Bourne. "Mr. Bourne told us you betrayed her at a hearing." She said you taught your dog to blow up and you said she lied. You were just trying to keep your contract and didn't seem to think much of her. Now you're about to become one of the richest people in the universe, Probably more motivated to do so.” "Perhaps," said Holloway. "Okay," Aubrey said, "then we've got a deal." "I must stress again, Mr. Holloway, we were never here," Langdon said. "Of course not," Holloway said. "Only Bourne, your guise, came to see the little animals." "We have reached a complete consensus," Langdon concluded. "Yeah," said Holloway, "a complete consensus."
Notes: