Page 16 - Unlikely Stories 5

On His Own Petard

Leon Minsk, given to grand gestures and fits of pique, had moved
his entire operation to another state following several unpleasant
showdowns with local officials over tax incentives and unionization.
It was a costly exercise in machismo, not easily justified to
shareholders—but fifty-one percent of Minsk Unlimited was in his
hands. Now, concentration shattered by the urgent five-note theme
of “Ride of the Valkyries”, he was flinging papers in all directions,
digging out his very private and totally secure cellphone from a
shallow grave of blueprints, proposals and contracts.
It was Hoffmann, Chief Security Officer, his eyes and ears to the
annoying outside world of people blind and deaf to his ambitions.
One percent of the company’s ownership had sufficed to ensure the
man’s loyalty and give him the confidence to speak to Minsk bluntly.
“Boss,” he said quickly, “Bad news from my source: they did it. All
tests completed and passed. Just a few more formalities and they’ll
announce a date for the first ascent. The news will break in a matter
of days.”
Minsk did not hesitate.
“Call Roznop. 804-376-4402. Got that? Repeat it. Good.”
He disconnected and erased the call log. Hoffmann had the codes
to unlock his instructions; they in turn would give him the alias and
passwords for his next call, and so on down a short chain of
command, each link responsible for initiating actions the full
implications of which would not be evident. Minsk checked the
launch schedule. His bread-and-butter, dropping communications
satellites into orbit, was one of the revenue streams upon which his
future depended. It also provided a regular calendar of launch dates
for his Corsair 3 rockets from the Gulf Coast. The next one would be
sacrificed for the greater good of humanity; and, he reflected, in the
short term not jeopardize his business. No one expected a perfect
series of launches. But this one had to fail in a very precise and
undetectable way.
His desk was a mess. Division heads would be dropping by with
progress reports. He tidied up, but not too much: his image as the

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