A short snippet of April 12 in progress

It might make sense to build this way, Irwin Hall thought, but it lacked the lovely vision presented in completed architectural drawings with props like attending spaceships and suited figures to give one a sense of scale. The hub of Beta hung there as attractive as a length of pipe with holes hacked in it. There wasn’t anything to show why it was worth tens of thousands of solars to get to this point. It wasn’t even rotating yet to at least display some action for a video. At this distance, the dots of workers might be mistaken for rivets by Earthies unaware rivets were an anachronism rarely seen now except in cartoons.

That’s why Irwin hadn’t exactly prohibited shots of the floating hunk of junk before him but had always shown his investors the future end product in promotional documents. Showing the reality of what they had now would be like using the bare chassis and suspension points of a ground car in an advertising brochure. The only people who would appreciate those unadorned sorts of technical details were the kind of fans who didn’t need to be sold on the idea at all.

“We’ll be closing off those big opening,” Eddie said. “Two will get spokes extended right away, and two will have temporary bulkheads put over them until we need to put spokes on them. That will be right before we finish running the full first ring around.”

“When you cover them up paint the temporary plate a contrasting color,” Irwin said.

“Why?” Eddie demanded. “Pigments are cheap, but the organic carrier and binders will be a couple of hundred bits wasted to no purpose. In fact, it will have to be burned off to salvage the plate. It’s kind of obvious where they go. The stress reducing radius sticks out around the opening already.”

“It’s obvious to you. I want it to be obvious to somebody who knows nothing about aerospace architecture and may have a hard time finding three brain cells that can hold hands and work together. Be glad I’m not asking you to outline them in a dashed line and print – CUT HERE TO ATTACH SPOKE – in letters three-meters high. When an Earthie investor looks at it, I want them to be able to immediately see where the spokes are going to attach,” Irwin said. “It’s marketing.”

Eddie had to smile, thinking how silly that would be to do, but he stopped arguing. “Do you want to go over and look around inside? There isn’t much there yet but decks and some bulkheads with no hatches mounted,” Eddie said to him.

“No, a construction zone is hazardous. I might create risk not just for me but to others by being in the area and disrupting their routines.”

“Why did you come over then?” Eddie asked. “I could have sent you a view off my helmet cam that would show everything you are seeing from here.”

“Because now I can write an update to the investors that starts: ‘I was at the Beta site today, watching work progress.’ It makes them think I am right on top of things exercising due diligence, not just reading reports from some project manager who might be self-serving.”

When Eddie looked at him funny, he explained. “That is no reflection on you, Eddie. On Earth, it’s simply what you would have to do to make sure you weren’t being cheated. It really makes sense in an Earth context.”

“Better you than me,” Eddie said. Irwin knew exactly what he meant.

18 Responses to A short snippet of April 12 in progress

  1. Jim March 28, 2020 at 9:58 am #

    Thank you! Your books bring great enjoyment, re-reading them yet again. Please stay safe and sane.

  2. Anonymous March 28, 2020 at 1:17 pm #

    Thank you!

    I thought you planned alternating between April and Family Law. Since this is next April, is Family Law in the process of being released soon?

    • Mac March 28, 2020 at 10:38 pm #

      No, it is started too. My brain is just supplying more April material at present.

  3. Cheryl March 28, 2020 at 1:38 pm #

    Paragraph 3 “close off those big openingS” (the S was missing)

    As usual your writing is superb, please stay healthy we look forward to many more wonderful stories to read and reread

    • Mac March 28, 2020 at 10:44 pm #

      Thanks
      We unfortunately are right on the big hot spot in MI. We know five people with the virus. However I saw this coming. We always have supplies in the house and I topped everything off several weeks ago. I can stay holed up pretty easily. I did have some UPS come in. I put on a N95 mask, safety glasses with the foam seal and gloves to pick it up. Took everything off and sprayed with hydrogen peroxide and cleaned up on getting home.

  4. TJ Jones March 28, 2020 at 2:10 pm #

    Am so happy you are continuing.

  5. Randy Slocum March 28, 2020 at 6:49 pm #

    Ya damn tease….. impatiently waiting as usual. Thank you so much for the hours of enjoyment that you have already provided.

  6. naleta March 28, 2020 at 7:42 pm #

    Glad to see progress! Looking forward to buying this one, too!

  7. Jennifer March 29, 2020 at 8:18 am #

    Wonderful to see you have another one in the works. Very happy to hear you’re prepared to get through this mess safely.

  8. James J Davis March 30, 2020 at 5:20 am #

    Thanks for the snippet! Am sending you Solars… please drop off touch-plate virus scanner in my backyard. 🙂

    • Mac March 30, 2020 at 8:53 pm #

      Preproduction is a little rough. You are authorized to make a cardboard mock-up for marketing porpoises.

  9. Ben March 30, 2020 at 8:32 pm #

    I love both April and Famly Law, want April in April.
    It is nice to read books that have a well developed background.
    Also reading (and waiting on) Delphi in Space, but no snippit yet.

    • Mac March 30, 2020 at 8:51 pm #

      You want more Greeks?

  10. Chandra Pricer April 2, 2020 at 6:29 pm #

    So happy you & yours are safe. You are one of my favorite authors. Thanks for the snippet.

  11. Butte Bill April 6, 2020 at 6:07 pm #

    So the snippet is part of your Beta site? Glad to see your work is progressing.
    Given no touch plate scanners or patreon site, do you have alternative ways of receiving solars?

    • Mac April 19, 2020 at 1:04 pm #

      For your convenience I take the 31.1 gram coins. Address on request.

      • Butte Bill May 23, 2020 at 8:47 pm #

        Address on request: I used last known address on internet – 801 #208.
        Solar & check delivered maybe 10 days ago, and not cashed.
        If wrong address, I apologize.

  12. Big Ben April 13, 2020 at 9:29 am #

    Thanks for the teaser, Mac.
    I don’t need a complete ready-to-go virus scanner … just hook me up with Dr. Houghton’s address up there in Canada.
    …. and Doc Brown’s address, too. I’ll need to borrow his DeLorean to travel to the future to meet up with Dr. Houghton.
    Stay safe. Your imagination should be classified as a national treasure. ??

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