Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Five: Adam #6

When Lannister finished for the day and went upstairs to his apartment, he found Adam on the couch. Zie had a Consortium slate and was on the portal, posting something on Facebook to friends back home. Peeta was in the kitchen, finishing up supper preparations.

He went to the living area and sat down beside Adam. "How was your first day on the station?"

"Good," Adam replied, closing the portal and turning the slate over in hir hands. "I went to the educational facility like you said. They did a bunch of tests. Will have to go back tomorrow." Zie made a face.

"Yeah, one of my sailors did the test. Takes three days, as I recall."

"Never liked school much," Adam said. "But this didn't seem so much like school back home. Might be okay."

"Kurgara don't require a specific score, unlike college," Peeta said from the far side of the room. "But they are healers as well as fighters. Best get used to studying."

"That's quite a lot of food for three of us," Lannister commented as Peeta sat a large tray of appetizers on the table.

"Did you forget the Enaray?" Peeta asked. "You agreed to dinner last week."

Lannister groaned. "I did, didn't I?" To Adam he added, "Peeta means the NRA."

"The National Rifle Association?"

"Yes, I've always supported the second amendment," he protested. "Always. But some of the things that group has done or argued about in the name of the second amendment—"

"Dad says it's the most important right," Adam interjected. "So does Grandpa, for that matter."

"I would agree, for the most part. But assault rifles and armor-piercing shells in the hands of civilians? Even Grandpa balks at that."

"Not Dad. Still, I see your point," Adam conceded. "What do they want with you?"

"Something even crazier," Lannister groused. The door chimed, and Peeta went to greet their guests.

His saving grace was that Fox and Kellii arrived hard on the heels of the NRA representatives, and Lannister thanked the Watcher he'd invited them as well.

There were nearly a dozen ranking members of the NRA, including an aging rock star. They were for the most part cordial. Peeta served game hens braised and baked in a thick vegetable and rice dish, which went over well.

Toward the end of the meal, they brought the conversation around to the purpose of their trip. "We just want to touch base about whether or not the station is going to respect the rights of American individuals when they visit this station, including the right to bear arms."

"As my security chief said," Lannister replied, "it's not common practice to allow armed civilians on a military operation."

"Oh, come on, this is no military operation. The vast majority of this station is civilian. Civilians who are American citizens and should be afforded their rights."

"Colorado isn't an open carry state though," Adam put in.

"And businesses are allowed to ask that firearms not be carried on their premises," Fox said. "We have a unique situation up here. We are in space. Any firearm could pose a number of dangers."

"Explosive decompression, for one." Lannister said.

"It would take quite a round to pierce our hull," Kellii said. "But there is equipment that could be damaged—ricochet damage."

"Most gun owners are responsible people," one of the men said. "They wouldn't be firing willy-nilly. They'd appreciate those risks."

"I agree most gun owners are responsible," Lannister said. "But you aren't asking me to let most gun owners carry guns up here. You're asking me to let all gun owners bring their firearms on the station. That's a huge risk."

"The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun—"

"Is our scanners," Fox interrupted. "They've a very high success rate. A bad guy with a gun is not getting on my station."

"Or a kinetic shield," Kellii added with a thoughtful expression. "That would stop a bullet. Or graphene body armor."

Adam snorted, biting back a laugh.

"I was with the military, in my youth," Kellii went on. "Worked a first contact mission in the Debiana quadrant. The natives were these short humanoids. They had magnetic dart guns, fired little metal darts, as fast as your rifles. We wore body armor, the military units. The diplomats thought that would be too aggressive looking. So they opted for kinetic shields. We stood behind our shields while the darts went bing bing off the shields. Eventually they got tired of shooting at us, and curious why it wasn't working. Not a bad race once we got down to talking. They'll be part of the Consortium someday, when they've grown a bit more civilized."

"All I can say is this," Lannister said as Kellii's story wound down. "I will share your concerns with the council, but as of right now, guns are not allowed on the station. If and when that changes, I will gladly let you know."

Eventually the dinner and the meeting was over, the men covered their disappointment as they said their goodbyes. Kelli and Fox, too, headed out.

When it was just the two of them again, Adam said. "Guns on a space station? You're right. They really have jumped the shark on this one."