/sci/ - Science & Math

>>14493406
>13 September 2060
>”Commander, we must send them a message,” demanded Neil Cover, the CEO of Deep Space Resources.
>”I’m sorry Mr. Cover, but the U.S. Space Force is not here to be some sort of Martian Sheriff, this is a competitive commercial environment and Abundant Harvest has not broken international laws,” explained General Alighieri, the commander of the small military base that was adjoined with the US-EU mining boomtown. “You will have to try to get to the next asteroid faster. Speed up your plans to go to 6107.”
>”But their military is building a blockade around significant parts of the asteroid belt, including the orbit to 6107. Why can’t you help us to maintain our claims? We pay our taxes, do something.” pled Neil Cover.
>Gen. Alighieri knew Neil had a point. The Allied Asian Armed Forces (AAAF) were acting like a security detail for the Abundant Harvest miners, establishing what they referred to as shipping lanes, yet amounted to a blockade of small agile and potentially weaponized spacecraft. Still Gen. Alighieri lacked authority to be the security staff for U.S. mining corporations. She wasn’t the Sherriff who could gather the leaders of international mining conglomerates to have a good old-fashioned shoot out at the Martian version of the OK Corral. The U.N. guidelines for the free and fair usage of space permitted establishment of shipping lanes.