INTERLUDE:
From Jimenez’s History of the Wars of Liberation
Of course, the result of the Cheng Ho Incident was that the ethnically and nationally mixed colonization program was dead literally on arrival. Instead of continuing that approach, Old Earth parceled our world up amongst most of its own nations.
There were a number of interesting effects of this. One was that almost all the nations of Old Earth were recreated here, complete with their old animosities. Another was that, with widely scattered planetary authority, some under their own government, some under the old United Nations, a great deal more creative accounting was possible than might have been under a single colonial office.
Very quickly, in other words, Terra Nova became a highly desirable posting for bureaucrats, nominal peacekeepers, corrupt do-gooders, venal executives, aspirant royalty, and the like, because whatever could be found and sequestered could be kept.
A great deal in the way of illegal drugs, slave-extracted gemstones, and presumptively magic animal parts made their way off planet and back to Old Earth in the holds of the various ships that came and went, supplying, reinforcing, or replacing the Earth’s orbiting fleet. It is said, too, that a certain number of slaves, generally female or, if male, very young indeed, were carted from Terra Nova back to Earth where there was no record of them to incite inquisitive police or journalists.
Gold was a big draw. Gemstones were too valuable for simple everyday trading for the necessities and luxuries of life. Slaves were too noisy and obvious, as a general rule. Drugs had an important place in Earth’s back market, but also some risks, as did the trade in rare animal parts. But gold? Gold could be coined, measured out by weight as dust, carried without inciting comment. Gold was very nearly the ideal reward for a UN flunky eager to pad his or her nest. And so gold . . .