Consolidation The Great Eagle Origins

[Anatoli Sidorov]

As I got back to the shipyard the flow of traffic to the opposite direction was obvious. It was now the end of the shifts at the shipyard so everyone was leaving to go back to their families and wherever else people were going after their work. I didn't know nor did I really care to be honest. As I entered the shipyard a shunter was moving around some cars as I parked at my parking space I saw Elena's Iron Tunsken sitting at it's spot so I supposed Elena was doing some final shifting around the yard before she went home. As I went to cross the rails I saw Elena coming my way with her shaunter. I signaled her down and she slowed and I climbed on her Ironhorse 9C and she continued pushing the wagons. As I entered the cabin I said:
A- Hey, how it's you that has to stay overtime?
E- Oh I asked for it. I had too much energy to go home from now.
A- So then why not take your Tunsken for a ride?
E- It's not yet that time of the day. So you know what baffles me?
A- No.
E- Why would a minister choose to hang out with a nobody.
A- Care to elaborate? Did one of the ministers get caught soliciting with a young woman and paparatsi caught him in the act?
E- Well no. But I still can't understand why from all the women he could have he chose someone that next to him has accomplished nothing.
A- For whom you are talking about? Spill the beans already.
E- I am talking about you for the train's sake. You are the Minister of Transportation and yet you decided to go on a date with me of all people.
A- Ok I don't really see your point but go on.
E- You could be with anyone with all this power you have but you chose me. That's what I am saying.
A- Ok, to clarify something, I didn't chose you. You offered me to go somewhere else instead of my ship for a night and I just agreed.
E- So when you denied to kiss me it was not because I was a bit drunk?
A- Elena, you don't even know me that well so I denied because I didn't want to hurt you in case I am not what you think I am.
E- Well for sure you are not what I think you are...
A- It will be wise to get to know each other before we start making big steps.
E- I want to be mad at you but I can't. Why didn't you tell me you were also the Minister of Transportation?
A- Cause I didn't think it was necessary. Yeah I sit regularly enough with the other ministers and the Premier and discuss shit about politics but for them I am practically a placeholder until i get the Ministry bankrupt and I get executed for that. Why do you think the Navy is my responsibility?
E- The Navy that's supposed to obsolete?
A- Yes that Navy. Luckily they haven't figured out that I will use it as training to bring crew to man our ships that will traverse the universe while they play around with their planet. I hope that by next year I will be able to reopen the Naval Academy with new curriculum to fit the demands of the new service they will be facing.
E- Why they want you to fall?
A- I was given this seat just before the previous minister died of ill health and since then none takes me seriously or thinks I am capable of doing the job that was given to me and everyone waits for me to fail. I won't fall though. My vision is clear enough and my ministry will be the first to become net positive and won't require tax money to stay afloat. Anyways. I plan on going on Indomitable to barbeque some steaks I bought on my way here. You are welcome to join if you want. And god forbid if you ever mention that I am the Minister to anyone.
E- Ok. My father told me about it. He saw you climbing out of your car when you were at the Ministry and he sent me a photo.
A- I see. Anyways. honk twice if you want to join me.
I said and exited the cabin. Once Elena slowed down a bit, I jumped off the locomotive and I went to my Pathfinder to take my stakes, sausages and coal for the grill and I went to my boat tied to the dock in order to go to Indomitable. Maybe at some point I should bring it to the dock so I wouldn't need to take the boat every time but oh well. Soon enough I was on the deck of Indomitable making fire on the grill and preparing the sause to soak the steaks in before I placed them on the fire. soon after, when I was about to put the first stake on the grill when two honks were heard from the shipyard. I sighed not out of disapointment but out of inconvinience. But at least it didn't happen when I had steaks on the fire. I left the steaks on the plate and I went to pick up Elena from the dock. As I sideparked the boat at the pier, Elena entered and sat gracefully next to me. Once back on Indomitable, we put the steaks on the fire and enjoyed a nice evening before I drove her to shore and parted for the night.

 

[Anatoli Sidorov]

As the next day dawned, I got up and started my morning excercises on the deck of Indomitable. The morning was crisp and some fog had gathered due to the condensation in the bay. The anchorage had just welcomed the rest of the ships I used at my first transglalactic journey. Subsecuently all the bearths but one were empty but that wouldn't last long since in some hours 3 ships of the Terrarian navy would arrive for repairs and refit. It was finally time the navy got reactivated and served it's purpose. To safeguard the seas of terraria from illigal maritime trade, drug trafficing and contraband trafficing. Also today I had to present myself to a politbureau meeting and today was my chance to present my request for obtaining 4 arms manufacturing factories from the Ministry of Defence to produce ammuntion for the navy and all the new ships Pavel and I would build. After finishing my excecises I went for a bath and then I went to eat some breakfast. Soon after, I was going to the shipyard where Yuri was waiting for me. After I got on the pier, he asked me when he would be able to see the weapons that we would put on the ship. I told him that I was hoping that today I would start the process of aquiring some factories for this purpose. Then I went to my office to grab the official acquisition form I had dradfted days ago and then with my Rimward Pathfinder I made my way to the Politbureau. Some ministers were already there yet I parked at my spot 10 minutes before the meeting. First to meet was the Minister of Agriculture, he had a worried expression on his face. Then I saw the Minister of Energy and Environment. He seemed a bit more relaxed since the army had stopped playing with it's "planetary defence weapon" or as I called it uncontrolled manhole launchpad. the Minister of Defence was not yet present along with the Minister of Culture and History. The Premier himself was also not present something not unexpected since well he was the Premier. As I was going through my reports the Minister of Agriculture approached me and said
M.o.A.- Good morning.
A.- Good Morning Minster, how can I be of help?
M.o.A.- We have a problem with the crops... and I hope you could provide me with a solution. Farmers produce fresh produce to but half of them get spoiled on transport. Especially the farms that are away from and cities. And the poor farmers, transport their goods with their trucks and it makes the whole situation even worse...
A.- I see but still I am not sure how I can help you minister. I can upgrade the road infrastructure but I am afraid sending heavy machinerry will create environmental problems that your farmers won't be so pleased about.
M.o.A.- I understand but also I was considering of creating a small rail network that would be connected to a warehouse where the produce of the farmers would be stored after harvesting and loaded on the trains for faster transportation to the cities. I also believe that this will aslo help the population in general since there will be more food delivered to the markets. Not to mention the boost in production of processed food like bread, cheese, yogourt, chicken fries, fried potatoes and others.
A.- So, practically, your problem is throughput and not the condition of the produce itself right?
M.o.A.- YES. Exactly! You put it better that I ever could.
A.- Glad to hear that. Why don't we stay after the meeting so we can discuss this in detail and peace of mind?
M.o.A.- I am more than greatful.
Just as the minister finished his sentence, the doors opened and the Minister of Defence, along with the Minister of Culture and history entered the room with the Premier following close behhind. Cocksuckers, I thought to myself while they all passed. Then the doors to the meeting room opened and we slowly entered and took our respective seats. After we were served our drink of choice, a cup of black tea with a shot of Vodka for me, we started the meeting. While the presentation of each department went smoothly, but when it was time for me to present my numbers the looks I got was full of irony and pettiness.
A- The Ministry of Transportation declaires the following expenses.
A) Infrastructure maintenance
B) Maintenance of Navy ships,
C) Salaries of field and office personell
A total of 2 trillion
Now the Ministry of Transportation declaires the following sources of income.
A) Citizen taxation for infrastructure maintenance
B) Income from toll booths
C) Income from companies utilising railroads, airports and ports
A total of 2.1 trillion.
Actions of the Ministry of Transportation for this period.
A) Completion of railway connection from northen passes to Anatoli shipyards, payed in full by Anatoli Shipyards.
B) Approval of Navy Vessles survey to decide which ships will be scrapped and which will be repaired.
Requests of the Ministry of Transportation.
A) Acquisition of 6 arms manufacturing factories for indipendent production of armaments and ammunition. It is known that some factories underwork due to lack of need for guns and ammo and it is our wish to aquire them for our own production needs.
As I finished my speech the silence was heavier than expected. Then suddenly the Minister of Defence started laughing and soon after the Minister of Culture and History. Then the Premier raised his hand and all fell silent again. Then he said.
P- It is nice to see that your Ministry is finally bringing in some profit but I am thinking that your margin is too small. I can order the Ministry of Defence to give you the factories but are you sure you will be able to pay the compensation and cover the salaries of all workers?
A- Sir Premier, I know that I am not popular among the people that consist of this meeting due to my age and the way I came to have my seat today but I am confident on my skills to utilise my existing sources of income and potential contracts between companies that the ministry has close collaboration with to not only cover the expences but also to create even bigger profit margins in the near future.
M.o.D.- And you think you, a child, will manage to successfully manage all this while running around the planet fixing bridges and roads? Oh please take my underperforming factories for whatever you wish to use them. I will even be generous with the compensation. Only 100 million. Now well the thing is that the underperforming factories are spread a bit around. There are 2 near Anatoli Shipyards, 1 near Kremlinia, one to the east of Murmaskiya and one in the Alpines. So by the wish and will of the Premier you may have them. But I hope you don't expexct my Ministry to bring them to their original condition either them or the infrastructure that come along with it.
P- That's enough. Anatoli do you accept the terms?
A- Yes sir Premier.
P- Good. Then by decree of the Premier the afformentioned factories are transfered custody from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Transportation with immediate effect. yet remember that if you fail to produce even a marginal profit you will lose your seat and also be forced to pay the difference. Just a reminder on what ground you are standing. Yes we accepted your appointment from your predecessor but you have yet to accept you as one of ours and believe me you have a long way until then. Anyways. Meeting is over. Damn I want to go eat that cake of Natasha's.
While the rest laughed about it I was disgusted by the comment but said nothing. As I was going to my car I was followed by the Minister of Agriculture. Oh yeah I had promised him to discuss about his troubles. As I turned to face him I told him
A- Oh yeah wanna go for a meal at a restaurant where we can discuss in peace?
M.o.A.- I know just the place.
He said satisfied and then got into his Volgar VX-24 and I followed him through the streets of Murmaskiya to a not well known restaurant that the minister claimed it worked under the school of agriculture as a way to make new farmers understand the need for quality crops and for young chefs to know how to treat the produce in such way to exploit the maximum potential of their taste and nutrients. While the interior was plane this didn't mean anything about the quality of the food. As the Minister took us to a corner table and ordered for both of us I waited for him to start talking.
M.o.A.- So as you have put it, I need a way to transport the fresh goods from the fields to the cities in a way that doesn't impact too much the quality of air around the fields.
A- So maybe we can utilise the Ironhorse 11 for this role. It's a fully electric engine that needs wires above it so the telegraph can pull electricity from the cable to the engine itself to power the engine up but it doesn't emmit any exhaust gases except some heat from the cooling of the engine but this is just normal everyday air just heated up.
M.o.A.- So I should contact Anatoli Shipping for the prospect of expanding his railway network towards some hubs in the fields?
A- Well I think that the owner must be present, shall I go bring him?
The minister of Agriculture seemed to join my humor and he stood up and said:
M.o.A- Mister Anatoli, glad to have you here with us today.
Α- Glad to be here sir minister.
Then we sat down and enjoyed a small laugh between the little joke of ours. Immediatelly after the food also came. The minister had ordered us 2 servings of a variety of meats and some spaggheti. Then the minister said: "Let's enjoy the meal first, shall we?" and he dove into his meat plate. When I tasted the first piece of meat I understood that the quality of the ingredients and of the cooks were excelent. The sensation of the meat melting on my tongue was monumental and my eyes sure reflected this. The minister was the first to break the silence saying
M.o.A.- I am glad you seem to enjoy the meal.
A- Sir with all due respect, this is one of the best quality meats I have ever tasted. I wish I could have stocked some of it for my galactic travels. Maybe Anatoli Shipyards can have a permament posting for it's dining room?
M.o.A.- Well if we solve the transportation issue we may be able to find a solution.
A- Ok so from the top of my mind I could propose that we build some storage facilities including some refrigerated spaces where the yield of the farmers will be palletised or loaded on hopper cars to be transported in case of grains, while all other cargo can be palletised and placed into boxcars or refrigerated wagons for transport. Also it should be stressed that the trains will run on a tight schedule to aid with the most efficient transportation of goods. That means that the farmers should be on time with their deliveries because if the train will leave in time no matter what.
M.o.A.- On that we can agree on.
Α- Ok, now the question is where the hubs and the rails should be placed? I can have my engineers draft plans but it will demand some recession of land from the farmers to place the lines as required by safety standards. Not to mention the need for land to build the depots themselves.
M.o.A.- I see what you mean. Send me over the proposed plans along with a timetable of completion and price of the project and we will proceed. I think we have the general lines of the project and it seems that I will have no problem passing it through my comitee.
After finishing our meal we stood up and after a handshake we departed and I drafted an email to send to the developing department of Anatoli Shipping and they would come to present it to the ministry of transportation with a delegation of the ministry of Agriculture to approve the fine details. Now the initiation date of the project would be almost immediate given that the existing rails wold need modifications to accept the new extensions and branches of the rails since the existing infrastructure was built to support industry and intercity passenger transportation. Soon after I was driving back to the shipyard.