Do fences really make good neighbors?

x0x0's having a wall built around the Destiny enclave within the confines of Blue Sun's leased land on Hale's Moon. The official story is that Blue Sun's taking full responsibility for the enclave, making it less of an independent sub-colony and more of a corporate back yard. There was an unofficial story as well, of course, but that was mostly kept between x0x0 and myself. The townsfolk didn't need to know what she had planned for the compound. It was probably best they thought the wall was more to keep them out, rather than to keep the residents of the compound in. Would people believe the official story?

Did it matter?

Given what she had planned, there were times I honestly wondered why she didn't just have Blue Sun buy Hale's Moon. Literally. Pay off all the five or six hundred odd residents, give them funds enough, and transportation, so they could set up in at least as nice a setting on another colony out here on the Rim. It wouldn't have been that expensive. At least not when you considered the sheer amount of cash flow through Blue Sun's accounts. Buying off the colony would be cheaper than, say, building an orbital facility from scratch.

Locals who wanted to stay and work for Blue Sun could, just as they already had. Those who wanted out, could get out. In the end, Hale's Moon would go back to being a company world, as it had under Weyland Yutani. Only, this time, instead of a mining colony, the whole thing would become a Blue Sun research facility. Safely air-gapped from the rest of the 'Verse, so no kurutta orokamono would do something mind numbingly stupid.

It would never fly, though. It wasn't a matter of coin. Blue Sun could afford to buy everyone here out. Possibly even including the KHI orbital. No, it was a matter of principle. Some of the newer colonists would walk away, and some of the old timers would be willing to trade their homesteads for a suitable pile of coin. But some of these folks had worked the mines since the Weyland days. They were stubborn. Chance of them taking coin to turn their backs and walk away was slim to none.

Did I entirely approve of what x0x0 had planned? No. I didn't. But it wasn't my place to tell her no. I could, and had, told her my concerns. That was all I could do in any of my several capacities. The wall itself was partially because of my concern for the colonists who'd chosen me to lead them. She'd take suitable precautions and she was keeping me in the loop. At least on some levels, since I didn't actually want to know all the details.

Regardless of outside appearances, my relationship with x0x was deeper, and far more complex, than it appeared. There were ties between us on levels, and through individuals, that defied logic or exposure. And, deep down, I was honestly fond of her. I couldn't foresee how all this was going to turn out. But I would do what I could to make sure it was as good as could be expected for all involved.

Buddha help us.