by Ryk Brown
“Yes, it just takes time. The new Prime Minister is trying to pass legislation requiring all Orswellans to be scanned and tagged.”
“Tagged?”
“Chipped would be a more accurate term, I suppose. It would make it easier to spot a Dusahn operative.”
“Unless of course, they figure out how to forge chips.”
“No plan is perfect,” the sergeant defended. “What brings you here, anyway? You just come by to bust our humps?”
“Humps? Picked up some Earth-lingo, did you?”
“Picked up a lot of bad habits from hanging out with Nash,” the sergeant joked. “That girl was a bundle of bad habits when she first joined.”
“I always wondered how that went, initially. I mean, the Ghatazhak have always been very selective. Hell, every one of you is the same size and build, except Nash, of course.”
“Times change, I suppose. The Ghatazhak have to change with them, or perish.”
“Then, Nash worked out okay?”
“I think so,” the sergeant replied. “At the very least, she brought a little more abandon to the ranks.”
“I’m sure General Telles just loves that.”
“The man is very patient.”
Doran chuckled. “Speaking of the general, is he in?”
“Down the hall, first door on the left,” the sergeant replied. “I’ll let him know you’re coming.”
“Thanks,” Doran said. “Good to see you again, Czarny.”
Doran made his way around the room, being careful not to distract the two specialists busily communicating with Ghatazhak teams in the field.
The corridor was short, and after only a few steps Doran found himself at the open door to the general’s office.
Just like the command center, the office was rather simple, with a desk, a few chairs, and a few view screens on the wall.
“Chief Montrose,” the general greeted, standing up from behind his desk.
“General.”
“Are you getting settled into your new assignment?” the general queried.
“Well, I’ve managed to recruit my key senior staff members,” Doran replied, “so I guess that’s a start.”
“How may I help you?” the general wondered, returning to his seat.
“I was wondering if you had any idea what kind of resources we’re going to have for this mission?”
“Captain Scott and I have discussed the matter. At the very least, we hope to have personal shields and uniforms for all your men.”
“I was more concerned with firepower and communications,” Doran said. “The more time we have to train with what we’ll be using, the better we’ll perform in actual combat.”
“Of course.”
“Any chance we’ll have body armor?” Doran wondered. “Shields are nice, but they only cover one side. If we’re operating without body armor, our tactics will be different.”
“Understandable,” the general agreed. “Assuming we have time, and access to fabricators, we should be able to get you at least torso protection. We’ll also be pumping up your men with our version of nanites. They are specifically tailored for traumatic injury management.”
“That would help.”
General Telles took a breath. “I hesitate to mention this, since it is all speculative. However, Captain Scott is currently working on a deal that could get us access to significant resources. Possibly even provide us with everything we need, including some things we never even dreamed of having.”
“Well, now I’m intrigued,” Doran admitted. “I don’t suppose you have any details?”
“Nothing solid,” the general replied. “Besides, it’s a long-shot, at best.”
“Well, long-shots seem to be Captain Scott’s specialty,” Doran replied.
“Indeed,” the general replied. “Let’s hope that holds true this time, as well.”
* * *
“What’s up?” Nathan asked, as he came out of his ready room.
“They’re finished,” Cameron told him.
“Already?” Nathan wondered. “It’s only been a couple of hours.”
“We’re nearly finished,” Mister Wells, the lead inspector corrected. “There are three discrepancies we’d like to address.”
“Of course,” Nathan agreed.
“First, your manifest lists six ‘Reapers’, yet there are only four aboard, and there are no log entries for their departure.”
“They are on a covert operation,” Nathan explained. “Such operations do not have log entries.”
“Where is this operation?” the inspector asked.
“‘Covert’ means ‘secret’,” Nathan replied, “which means you don’t get to know.”
“I see,” the inspector replied, one eyebrow raised in disapproval. “How long ago did they depart?”
“Yesterday.”
“Then they cannot be included in your resource list for the purpose of this contest.”
“But they were on board at the time the wager was made,” Nathan argued.
“And had you agreed to an inspection at that time, they would have been eligible,” the inspector replied curtly. “The next discrepancy has to do with your ordnance count. Your logs show eighty jump missiles on board, inclusive of all variants. However, your port magazine’s inventory display shows only thirty-eight missiles, instead of the expected forty. Do you have an explanation for this as well? Perhaps they too are on a covert mission?”
Nathan was not amused by the inspector’s sarcasm. “I will have my executive officer investigate the discrepancy,” he promised.
“I’m sure, however, those two missiles cannot be included in your resource list, either.”
“If you can wait a few minutes, I’m certain we can figure it out,” Nathan insisted.
“I’m sorry, Captain, but the terms of the inspection are clear.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “And the third discrepancy?”
“Your shield-penetrating jump missiles have not yet been used in combat, nor have they been field tested.”
“We have very limited resources,” Nathan explained, “and our computer simulations have always been accurate in the past. Therefore, we chose not to waste the ordnance on live-fire tests.”
“That is highly irregular,” the inspector insisted. “Especially considering that those weapons are your greatest asset, and could be the key to your victory in this contest.”
“I disagree,” Nathan argued.
The inspector looked confused. “How could you possibly disagree with that assessment? Shield-penetrating jump missiles are a huge tactical advantage…”
“Yes, they are,” Nathan replied, interrupting the inspector, “but they are hardly our greatest asset.”
Again, the inspector looked confused. “Then what is?”
“Our crew.”
Now the inspector looked truly shocked. “Your crew?”
“Yes,” Nathan replied.
“Perhaps you could elaborate?” the inspector asked, obviously in the form of a challenge.
“The people you see around you have been in more battles than I can count. They have seen every tactic, every situation, and every horror that war can present, and they’ve all gotten through it…alive. That is not an accident, Mister Wells. That is skill. These people know what order I’m going to give before I give it. They know their jobs, and have developed instincts that no AI can equal. More importantly, they have seen the suffering that evil brings, and they have chosen to stand and fight to the death, if necessary. An AI can never understand the motivation that such dedication brings.”
“An AI determines the most efficient way of accomplishing its goal, regardless of emotion,” the inspector argued, “and it does so in a fraction of the time. No offense to your crew, Captain, as I am certain they are fine, dedicat
ed professionals. However, they cannot match the performance of AI controlled weapons systems.”
“I guess we’re going to find out,” Nathan replied confidently. “Is there anything else?”
“We will need to verify the performance of your shield-penetrating jump missiles,” the inspector insisted.
“As I explained, we have a limited supply,” Nathan replied.
“We do not require their detonation, Captain. Although we could not adequately scan all of your missiles, we were able to detect all of their warheads, both conventional and nuclear. Therefore, we only require verification of their shield-penetrating capabilities.”
Nathan exchanged glances with Cameron and Jessica, both of whom looked concerned.
“You do have the ability to recover undetonated ordnance, do you not?”
“We do,” Nathan confirmed. “I suppose you have a target in mind?”
“In anticipation of this test, we are prepared to place a shielded target ring in orbit above SilTek.”
“How big of a ring?” Jessica asked.
“Thirty-four meters in diameter.”
“Kind of small, isn’t it?” Cameron stated.
“We assumed your weapons were highly accurate,” the inspector replied. “Is the size of the target going to be a problem?”
“No problem at all,” Jessica insisted.
“Excellent,” the inspector declared. “The target can be deployed in minutes.”
“Helm, break orbit and prepare to jump us outside of SilTek’s defense perimeter,” Nathan ordered.
“Breaking orbit, aye,” Josh replied.
“That won’t be necessary, Captain,” the inspector insisted.
“On the contrary,” Nathan argued, “if you’re trying to determine this ship’s capabilities, you should see it in action. May as well make it as realistic as possible, right?”
“Perhaps I should notify defense command, so they do not mistakenly identify your ship as an aggressor.”
“I’m sure your AIs are smarter than that.”
The inspector did not reply.
“Jump is plotted and ready,” Loki reported.
“Are you ready, Mister Wells?” Nathan inquired.
The inspector looked to his android assistant, who nodded, then replied. “We are ready.”
“Execute your jump, Mister Sheehan,” Nathan ordered.
“Jumping to the outside of SilTek’s defense perimeter,” Loki replied.
The jump flash washed over the bridge, fading a split second later.
“Jump complete.”
“Coming about,” Josh reported, as he initiated their turn.
“Set general quarters,” Nathan instructed calmly.
“General quarters, aye,” Naralena acknowledged.
The bridge trim lighting switched from green to red as the alarm klaxon sounded. Without a word, Cameron turned and left the bridge, heading quickly for her station in combat command.
Inspector Wells seemed startled by the sudden commotion. “Is it really necessary to come to general quarters?” he asked. “After all, this is only a test.”
“You came here to inspect our capabilities,” Nathan explained. “Might as well show you how it’s really done.”
“If you approach in a battle-ready condition, there is a slight possibility that our defense AIs could misinterpret your intent.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Nathan remarked, seemingly unconcerned.
“But you don’t even know where the target is going to be,” the inspector replied.
“Oh, I’m certain we’ll find it.”
“Back on course for SilTek,” Loki reported. “Range is twenty light years.”
“Oh my,” Inspector Wells said under his breath.
“I take it you don’t get out of the system much?” Nathan remarked.
The inspector took a breath, trying to calm himself. “I must admit, the idea of transiting that much space in the blink of an eye is somewhat unsettling.”
“You get used to it,” Nathan assured him.
“All decks report general quarters,” Naralena announced. “XO is in combat; Chief of the boat is in damage control.”
“Shields are up, and all weapons are charged and ready,” Jessica reported. “Two jump missiles on the rails.”
“Mister Sheehan,” Nathan began, moving to the center of the bridge. “Plot our entry point to be directly into a low orbit above SilTek’s fifth planet.”
“We’ll need to decelerate if you want to establish an orbit, sir,” Loki warned.
“No need, Nathan replied, glancing at the flight dynamics display on Josh’s console. “We’ll slingshot around her and take our shot as we come out. Be ready for a quick jump as soon as that missile leaves the rails.”
“Destination for the escape jump?” Loki asked.
“Right next to the target,” Nathan replied confidently as he sat down in his command chair. “I want Inspector Wells to get a good look.”
“Aye, sir.”
“I’m certain our ground stations will be able to verify the results,” Inspector Wells insisted.
Nathan ignored him. “Kaylah, prepare a recon drone. Program it to jump in at the same point over SilTek that we just departed from. The moment it detects that target, it is to jump back to us, near SilTek’s fifth moon with the plot data for that target.”
“Aye, sir,” Kaylah replied.
“Captain,” the inspector protested, “this is really unnecessary…”
“Recon drone is programmed and ready,” Kaylah reported.
“Jump to SilTek’s fifth planet is plotted and ready,” Loki added.
“Launch the recon drone,” Nathan ordered.
“Captain…” the inspector repeated.
“Recon drone away.”
“…please…”
“Mister Sheehan; when that recon drone jumps, we jump.”
“Recon drone is jumping,” Kaylah announced.
“Executing jump,” Loki added.
“…I must insist…”
The bridge again filled with the blue-white flash, and the SilTek system’s fifth planet, a small rocky world, suddenly filled the screen.
“Jump complete,” Loki reported.
“New contact,” Kaylah announced. “Tekkan recon drone: twenty light seconds off our port side, ten degrees down relative.”
“Has it spotted us?” Nathan inquired.
“Negative,” Kaylah replied. “They only stay on station for fifteen seconds before they jump, so that one would have departed before we arrived. It’s old light.”
“We’ve been detected,” Jessica reported. “Sensors on the surface of the fifth planet. It picked us up the moment we arrived.”
“New contact!” Kaylah added. “Comm-drone.”
“I’m getting plot data for the test target,” Jessica reported. “Loading the targeting data into the jump missile on rail one.”
“Clear jump line to SilTek in ten seconds,” Loki reported.
“Missile launches!” Kaylah reported urgently. “Four of them! On the surface! Five seconds to impact!”
“Launch the jump missile,” Nathan ordered.
“Missile away!” Jessica replied, pressing the missile launch button.
“Jumping!” Loki followed, intent on escaping the incoming missiles.
“So much for your smart AIs,” Nathan commented as the jump flash washed over the bridge.
“Jump complete,” Loki reported.
“Target ahead, two kilometers above our flight path,” Kaylah reported.
Nathan pressed a button on the left arm of his command chair, causing the center section of the main view screen to zoom in on the target in orbit above SilTek.
“Missile has arrived,�
�� Kaylah reported.
Nathan watched as the missile streaked across the main view screen, entering along its upper edge, closing the distance to the target in seconds. The missile the threshold of the shield the circular target, passing through the shield that filled it without difficulty.
Nathan fought back the urge to breathe a sigh of relief, as did everyone else on the bridge, including the inspector, albeit for different reasons.
“Stand down from general quarters,” Nathan quickly ordered. “Power down all weapons, but maintain full shields. Comms; remind SilTek this is a test, and that we are not a hostile.” He looked at the inspector. “Just in case your AIs haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Weapons powering down,” Jessica reported. “Shields at full strength.”
“SilTek defense command has acknowledged our transmission,” Naralena announced. “They are standing down all defenses.”
“Once they do, you can lower our shields,” Nathan instructed. “And change our readiness to condition one.”
“Condition one, aye,” Naralena acknowledged.
“Captain, that was reckless and completely irresponsible,” the inspector protested angrily. “You could have gotten us all killed!”
“You don’t really think I’m that crazy, do you?” Nathan defended.
“I’m starting to wonder.”
“There was no way any of your missiles were going to penetrate our shields on the first volley,” Nathan explained. “The second volley, maybe, but we wouldn’t have stuck around long enough for that to happen. Besides, you wanted to see how this ship, and her crew, truly perform in combat. Well, you just did.”
Inspector Wells offered no reply, but was obviously relieved to have lived through the dramatic exhibition.
“I believe that should serve as adequate verification of our shield-penetrating jump missiles,” Nathan decided. “Jess, send a signal to that missile to disarm and jump it clear of all defenses for retrieval.”
“It was never armed to begin with,” Jessica assured him.
“You see,” Nathan said, looking back at the inspector, “a good crew knows what their captain wants, even without being explicitly told.”
“I see your point,” the inspector admitted. “However, there is still the matter of the multi-jump variant.”
“Pardon?”