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“I am being recalled to Brasilia. Hopefully, it won’t be very long, but I’m not sure. The President and Col. Assis want, among others, to get a briefing on the dinner we just had in the White house. When four capitols blackout at exactly the same time for the same duration, it gets attention’” Gabriela announced two days after their debauchery in LA.
“The prototype of the hover cycle is ready. You can do some testing before we give it to Elton for him to sexy up. Jerry can drop it off with you in the Dorney. Take Cida with you if only for the day. She may want to stop off at the ranch and visit her horse, get her feet muddy.” Oliver offered.
“Thanks, I am not sure if I can ever get used to having only a regular car. It is a good idea to get Cida dirtside for a while. She told me she was getting overwhelmed and would like to see home a little.” Gabriela sighed. “The big shots are anxious to see me, so thanks for everything in case they throw me in jail.”
“We will jailbreak you, not to worry,” Babs said with utmost confidence. After all, she had just smacked down the American President.
What it turned out to be was a photo op for the Brazilian President’s election campaign. Jerry landed in front of Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the President of Brazil. A regiment of supporters and a scrum of reporters from all over the world were there. Apparently, he had been promising them a show ever since the Mars Landing. Cida was the icing on the cake. The crowd roared when Cida stepped down the hatch stairs. Gabriela followed close behind and Cida grabbed her arm like someone drowning.
“Don’t you dare let go of me,” Cida demanded of Gabriela.
“I will protect you from the sharks, but you will have to say something. Not much, but something. You are the hero of poor people in the flesh. Just tell them how much fun you and Jed had riding the electric cycles. And you miss your horse, Carlo.”
President DaSilva got up on the podium and started yammering on about the new age of human exploration, Brazil was at the forefront and proved it is the country of the future and the future is now yadda, yadda, yadda. Then he called upon Cida to speak with a great heroic flourish. She approached the row of microphones like they were a skinny anaconda.
“I have a friend named Carlo,” She began. “He has been with me many years through dry and flood. Always happy to see me even when he knew I was going to put him to work. Lately, I have not seen him much because a horse can’t pull a spaceship,” the crowd had a good laugh and gave a little applause. “I have changed a horse cart for a spaceship, but I am still the same person. When I stepped off onto the surface of Mars, there were no deep philosophical thoughts other than ‘this is a very strange looking place. A dusty red and no plants.’”
“You know I was raised in the Pantanal. One of the wettest, most green, and wonderful places on Earth. When Jed and I rode our electro-cycles all around and we had so much fun, my view of Mars changed. I thought so what if it's dusty. We can find water and with water, I can make anything grow. It will just be some work. People without money know about work. In Brazil, if we work, we eat. It will be the same on Mars. I have seen things that I thought must be magic with my new friends and crew. It is not. It is just the result of hard work. They are saying the technology will be shared when people of the world unite and stop fighting each other. We will make Mars ours with hard work and we stick together. Thank you,” Cida finished abruptly and turned to sit down.
The President pulled her back and started taking questions. This was his dog and pony show after all. Mostly he answered the questions since he had set up people in the audience to ask them. Finally, it was over, and they were led inside to a small luncheon.
As soon as the reporters were out of sight the President completely lost interest in Cida. Now it was Gabriela’s turn to be the center of attention. Col. Assis was nowhere to be seen. The President didn’t seem very happy with her. Then it dawned on Gabriela. He had been kept out of the loop the whole time.
The luncheon was served with tension in the air. DaSilva had brought two political advisors and one army general from logistics to the lunch. Something was up.
“Mr. President, I was expecting to see my commander here today. He is the main contact to the American military and the ASS group,” Gabriela threw out her bait, fishing for explanations.
“He has been reassigned. General Freitas will be your new commanding officer,” President DaSilva said. The Army general nodded toward her with a lazy, greasy smile.
“With respect sir, I am an Air Force officer,” she replied.
“That doesn’t matter. General Freitas will be on special assignment for space activities. Capitan Queiroz, where do your loyalties lay?” DaSilva asked with a stone face.
Gabriela did not like the fish she had just caught. This leftist prick was going to try to cash in on her position with the crew. She sat for more than a minute thinking about how to respond.
“I am loyal to Brazil... Until just this moment, my loyalty ran through the armed forces. My position with Mr. Eversole’s crew is more important to Brazil than my association with the Força Aérea Brasileira. I had hoped to continue with this same course, but I will not be a puppet. I will resign my commission first,” Gabriela said with iron in her voice.
Cida suddenly stood up. “I think there are still reports outside. Let’s go give them the news.”
“Wait, wait.” DaSilva had turned ashen. He was not expecting his strongarm tactics to be counter-punched so hard, so fast.
“Return the status quo. I am not bargaining. Sorry, General Freitas, I do not know you,” Gabriela said now confident her snap decision was right.
“It is not so easy, I owe favors,” DaSilva’s voice took on a whiny quality.
“Which you will never be able to repay if you lose the next election. Let’s finish lunch then I really do need to see my boss, Col. Assis. We will come up with something that benefits all Brazil.”
Nothing else was said during the lunch. The political advisors’ faces turned red with anger for a while, but they calmed down by the time of coffee. This battle was lost. They simply had no leverage.
For appearance's sake, Gabriela showed off the Dorney first to the President’s entourage, then the press. When she explained the hovercycle was going to be made available for sale, suddenly she was bombarded with questions mainly how much and when. She took a cute reporter from Nigeria for a spin around the area floating over all obstacles. Then Jerry took a beauty from Brazil around the course for the cameras. Two countries whose roads are horrible. This new transport would reduce the need for road maintenance to near zero. And make distant villages close. Such a simple thing could transform an economy.
