From: Koenraad Gertodtenhaupt <kgertodtenhaupt@ross128-ventures.com>
To: Bill Tasker <wtasker@navy.mil.earthsys.gov>
Subject: I need you at Ross
Date: 14 Sep 2421 06:56:13 +0000
Date-Local: 14 Sep 2421 06:56:13 +0000
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf8"

Bill, I don't think he's going to listen. He's always been
soft. Good with his people because of it, but it's a weakness, and
I think it's going to stop him from doing what has to be done.

I need you out there as soon as possible. I know you're not done
working up yet, but that isn't going to be a problem for you, is
it? Call it a trial cruise. Hell, say you're going out there to
relieve the colony - I can pull some strings and make it an
official request, load you up with a med team and a couple bays'
worth of supplies for them, and that'll still give you more than
enough force to deal with the problem. It's only 27 of them, and
you'll have, what, 20000 marines?

Tell your people to go a little easy on the rest if they can. The
med workups are going to be unpleasant enough, and we do need to
end up with a minimally viable colony still out there once you're
done cleaning up. From the sound of it, they still think these are
the people they used to know, and they spent 25 years in space
together. You know and I know there's no cause for grief, but
they're going to need some time to realize it, and the more we can
avoid making that worse, the quicker we'll have the healthy colony
out there we need. So keep the collateral under twenty percent,
maximum. Keep it under ten, and there'll be something very special
waiting for you next time you visit Phoebe.

Remember what we talked about before, and don't get clever trying
to improve your bonus. This is not a sample return mission! We
don't know what we're dealing with out there, but we know it is
there, and we know it's highly infectious. Make sure all your
people are in full protection, decontaminate and screen them all
before you let them back off the assault boats - and if there's any
doubt, don't take foolish chances. You know what that ship means to
all our projects, not just Ross 128. If getting back clean means
leaving that planet with twenty thousand new colonists, do
it. Enough will survive.

Your command will receive the request for assistance by midday
tomorrow, no later. Project your departure and arrival times on
that basis, and let me know soonest. I've got Kolya out there and
my board here to keep pacified until you get there, and I need to
know what kind of timeline I'm working with.

Koenraad