Ituri started forward, fists clenched, but Kalico motioned him to desist, saying, “Inspector General, my people aren’t expendable. There’s only sixty-five of us left, not counting the children, and we’re producing more wealth and rare Earth elements than the entirety of the Belt. Even with the delays, breakdowns, and setbacks. But my people come first. Period.”

She could see his eyes as drops of water ran down the face shield. “Indeed.” His tinny voice conveyed no emotion.

“Inspector General,” Ghosh said, “it doesn’t matter what our production might have been, even if we’d been running at full capacity. As it is, Turalon can’t transport what’s already up in orbit, even if they stripped out the Transportee Deck and strapped a container to every square meter of external hull. My guess is that it would take her two and a half trips, just with what we and Port Authority have stockpiled.”

“But it could be so much more efficient,” Soukup noted as he stared up at the bottom of the hopper. “How many people would it take to excavate this entire mountain?”

Desh laughed. “That depends on how you mine it. What kind of equipment you bring in. With enough explosives, and properly placed, your rock fragmentation could be so thorough that you could strip it from the top down with draglines. This is the twenty-second century everywhere but on Donovan, where we’re handicapped by the equipment at hand, and whether we can keep it running.” He pointed up. “Like these lights. Made in Port Authority. Just like they would have been in 1920. But that’s the best we can do with the resources we have at hand.”

Soukup took one last look around. “I’ve seen enough at Corporate Mine. I want to see Freelander.”

Kalico shifted, water spattering on her helmet. “All right. I’ll have Juri have the bird ready to go up first thing in the morning. It’s—”

“I would like to go now,” Soukup said tonelessly.

Kalico wheeled on him, stabbing a gloved finger into the man’s chest. “It’s the middle of the night. Ensign Makarov is asleep. I’m tired and hungry. We’re heading up top to the compound for a meal and a night’s sleep. Sorry, but you and the Four are in the barracks with the rest.”

And with that she turned, stomping down between the rails, splashing water as she went.

Hurrying behind her, Ghosh asked, “You think that’s a good idea? Pissing him off like that?”