From: Koenraad Gertodtenhaupt

To: Bill Tasker

Delivered-To: Tasker William T W/GEN

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Subject: I need you at Ross

Date: 14 Sep 2421 06:56:13 +0000

Date-Local: 14 Sep 2421 06:56:13 +0000

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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