The President had issued his commands earlier that morning. A secret
communication had been issued to the commanding officers of all the
bases of Space Command. A similar message had been sent to the heads of
large commercial enterprises such as Starlight Enterprise and Nolan
Mining Enterprise, as well as the local authorities of population
centers in the Asteroid Belt and on Mars. The communication had
provided what information was known about the threat that the pirates
manifested. It ordered Space Command and urged the private parties to
keep the information secret so as to avoid panic and to prevent the
pirates from learning that their sheathing apparatus had been observed
in action, and advised all parties to prepare for any attack the
pirates may launch. They were put on high alert for visual attack and
to be ready for instant defensive response.
In Amundsen City, Keith Seaton sat at his desk, scanning the Asteroid
Belt with his telescope. His strong build filled the chair in which he
sat.
"There's Ceres," he said quietly as the image of the Belt's largest
asteroid came up on the screen. Charlie Taylor and Allen Foster, who
were sitting next to him, nodded. The fathers of the three Starmen
weren't conversing much that night, but all were greatly comforted by
each other's presence.
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