by Craig Allen
Jericho grasped the edge of the desk. Several UEAF ships and a couple of Spican vessels registered on gravimetrics but not all. They were likely on the other side of the star and thus out of range. That, or they were caught in the blast and were done for.
Physics was no one’s friend, not anywhere in the universe. A vessel massing at tens of thousands of tons had been ripped down to its atoms by the massive gravity of the neutron star. That tiny string of atoms, which still retained its mass, impacted the star at around half the speed of light, meaning the energy released on impact was greater than every tac in the fleet detonated at once.
Any ships too close would turn to vapor. It also meant that the Antediluvian facility was likely destroyed in the blast. As for the latter, Jericho could live with that. Anything that could provide inexhaustible amounts of exotic matter could be nothing but trouble. The downside was that their mission was a failure.
But his ships mattered more. Those were good men and women.
“All ships, regroup at waypoint one.” As his staff relayed the order, he spoke to his lieutenant. “Repeat that every two minutes until all ships respond.”
“Aye, sir.”
As his lieutenant busied himself, Admiral Jericho rubbed his chin. The whole venture had turned into one giant soup sandwich, with nothing to show for it.
~~~
A voice sounded on the ship intercom. “All clear.”
Cody’s hands were still vibrating when he pulled away from the wall. Whatever had happened, it wasn’t from an impact. It had felt more like the ship pushing itself past its safety limits.
Sonja dusted off her hands. “That was interesting, whatever that was. Do you have any details on the boarders, Sergeant?”
The marine glanced down the passageway. “They’ve been cornered and are being dealt with as we speak, Gunny.”
“Well, I got more for you in there.” Sonja gestured at another marine. “Mind if I borrow your sidearm, Marine?”
Cody groaned. The plan was formulating behind her eyes, and he didn’t like it one bit. At the same time, he was in no position to tell her not to proceed, not when she had the rank.
The marine drew his coil pistol, checked it, and handed it to her, the barrel pointing upward. “Help yourself, Gunny.”
“Thanks.” She faced everyone. “I need two to head down to the maintenance room down this passageway. Flush them in this direction, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
“Already got that end secured, Gunny,” the sergeant said. “Is there anyone else in there?”
Sonja shook her head. “Not anything human.”
“Good.” The sergeant tapped the side of his head. “This is Tango Four Seven. We found Gunnery Sergeant Monroe and the Doc. We’ve confirmed we have intruders in maintenance conduit five five two one, deck four. Confirm all exits secure.”
A voice on the comm responded. “Roger that. Confirming and venting.”
“Venting?” Cody asked.
A second later, a red light flashed on the maintenance door, followed by holographic letters in red that said Depressurizing.
A loud hiss sounded, followed by quiet for a couple minutes. Grisly though the solution was, it made more sense than riddling sensitive electronics with coilgun rounds.
Finally, more red letters appeared: Pressurizing. A moment later, the red light turned green, and a pleasant bell chimed. The entire anticlimactic event made Cody release a huge sigh of relief.
“Venting confirmed,” the same person said over the comm. “Anything in that passageway that managed to keep from getting spaced is dead, Tango Four Seven. Going to be a mess in there, though.”
The first marine spoke into the radio. “Thanks, bridge. We’ll get a mop.”
Sonja handed the coil pistol back to the marine who’d given it to her. “And I know where to find one.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Cody operated the controls to move a stretcher to an available bed. Once on the bed, the stretcher slid with precision out from under the marine it was carrying, and the bed automatically connected the man to the medical sensors and IV machines. He didn’t feel a thing.
Once Sonja had joined up with her squad, people he hadn’t met yet, Cody decided to make himself useful in sick bay. About two dozen marines were injured, with only three dead. Considering the strength of the Kali creatures and the fact they had coil weapons, those were pretty light casualties. They’d gotten off lucky. Of course, the family members of the dead marines would have a different opinion.
Cody could relate. Bodin, Admiral Rodriguez… hell, the entire crew of the Washington had died. The loss was still there and would leave a hole in him for the rest of his days, but he kept those feelings locked up for the moment. He still had a job to do.
Admiral Jericho entered, and every able marine stood at attention. Even those in beds tried to rise.
“As you were,” Jericho said quickly, and everyone relaxed.
Jericho toured sick bay, speaking to everyone, asking them how they were, and thanking them. Though that was mostly small talk as far as Cody could tell, the marines seemed glad to speak with him. Occasionally, he would put a hand on the shoulder of someone injured, who appreciated the gesture.
Cody stepped out of the way of a passing nurse then joined Jericho. “Any luck reaching the mine?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Jericho said. “We’re trying to send a hopper down the tube, but it’s full of debris. We’re still trying to determine if the debris is wreckage or actual matter from the star. If it’s the latter, then that mine is probably buried forever.”
“It’s probably wreckage, Admiral,” Cody said. “Neutronium can’t exist outside the massive gravity of the star. It would just disintegrate.”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve been told. But if it were degenerate quark strange matter filling the hole, it’d still exist, wouldn’t it?”
“True, that sort of exotic matter can exist in normal space. But whoever designed the mine would probably have thought of this possibility. It’s possible there’s a system in place for cleaning up any debris caught inside.”
“That would be convenient.” Jericho stared through the open glass of the operating room while doctors operated on a patient. “Getting that much debris out of such a narrow and tall hole would take time. But until it’s cleared, this mine is out of operation for the time being.”
Jericho remained calm, but Cody was sure he was seething. They needed more exotic matter than what they had to create their own stealth field, but they had nowhere to get it. A full assault on the planet against a fleet that was essentially invisible to gravimetrics was suicide.
Jericho took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his hands made into fists. “We’ll have to contact Camp Murray and tell them the situation has changed.”
“What will they do?”
“Hard to say. They may call in more ships from the fleet or…”
Cody raised an eyebrow. “Or?”
“They may let the Spicans handle it. I’m sure you know as well as anyone that they’re professionals in regards to annihilating all life on a planet.”
“They’ll use an ASEB?” Cody’s jaw fell open. “It’s forbidden by the Sol Conventions.”
“Spicans didn’t sign those documents.”
“But they agreed not to use ASEBs again.”
“Against us.” Jericho nodded toward the bulkhead. “They don’t care about planet Kali.”
Cody had no response. If the Spicans got it into their heads—or, rather, their brains as they didn’t have heads—that Kali was a threat to the rest of known space, they’d probably launch every ASEB-based weapon they had even though one was enough to wipe the atmosphere off the planet. Nothing would survive—not the fliers, not the toads, not any of the creatures enslaved by the red reeds.
“Admiral,” Cody said, “we didn’t see those pods until the last minute, correct?”
“No, we didn’t. They probably used whatever stealt
h method we witnessed back on…” Jericho tilted his head back. “Ah, I see. Good thinking, Doc.” He left, giving orders into his personal comm. “Captain, I need full scans of all debris. Search for any ex-mat pods. I want all of them collected.”
~~~
Cody examined the wreckage before him, doing his best to keep out of the way. Nearby, crewmen continued to patch the hole where the strange ship had punched its way through the hull. The hole was one of many scattered throughout the Tokugawa and other ships in the fleet. The hull could seal itself, via nanobots and a sealant that automatically excreted to cover breaches, but techs liked to make sure the job was done right.
“What do you make of it?”
Startled by Jericho’s sudden appearance, Cody managed to not flinch. “I’m told it’s an engine with a life-support system.”
“Not even a cockpit,” Jericho said. “I’m told it has an automatic guidance system, like a torpedo.”
“Who would do that?”
“Someone who doesn’t care if their people live or die.” Jericho clasped his hands behind his back. “I have half a mind to just let the Spicans nuke the planet out of existence.”
Cody didn’t blame Jericho. “That’d be a shame, though. Not just the fliers, Admiral. The toads, the blobs, probably everything on that planet is enslaved by the reeds. They’re the real enemy, not everything else.”
“Yes, it seems that way.” Jericho scratched his head. “But the fact remains that that army the reeds built has a distinct tactical advantage. It’s even possible they may spot an incoming ASEB and knock it out of the sky. It’s becoming increasingly clear your plan to move in stealthily may be our only option.”
Jericho spoke to an approaching engineer. “Mr. Bradley, have you made your calculations?”
“Yes, Admiral.” Bradley scrutinized a personal viewer as if it contained dark secrets. “Good news and bad. The good news: We’ve managed to understand the mechanics of their stealth field from intact wreckage. We can reproduce the effect.”
“Do we have enough to hide the Tokugawa or the Joan of Arc?” Jericho asked. “Or is that the bad news?”
Bradley twisted his hand side to side. “Sort of, Admiral. We have nowhere near enough to hide a warship-class vessel. But a destroyer might work.”
“A destroyer.” Jericho scowled. “I’d rather not send the smallest vessel we have. If they’re detected, they won’t be able to fight their way out. And it’s unlikely they would ever escape in time.”
“I’m sorry, Admiral. It’s the best we can do.”
Cody’s stomach clenched. He was hoping the Tokugawa would go in. Almost nothing could take on a warship, other than another warship. A destroyer, however, was vulnerable in any number of ways. However, she was also more agile, which could also be an advantage.
“I would’ve preferred to send the Tokugawa.” Jericho raised an eyebrow. “Well, a smaller vessel would be harder to spot. Very well, Mr. Bradley. Gather what you need to make the appropriate changes. We’ll notify you of which ship within the hour.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
When Bradley left, Cody spoke. “Admiral, permission to—”
“Denied.” Jericho glared at Cody. “Doctor, are you aware that you’re mentally ill?”
“That’s what my mom said when she found out I wanted to be an orbital jumper.”
“This isn’t a sport, Doctor. This is life and death.”
“I’m aware of that, Admiral. I crashed there, remember? I survived it.”
“You were lucky.” Jericho snorted. “You really believe I’m going to allow you to enter a war zone?”
“I’ve been in them before,” Cody said. “I’ve also had training with communications signals, and I’ve hacked the Kali’s transponder code before. And the fliers know me. They’ve always been more willing to speak with me than others, and we’ll need to speak with them to learn more about the main facility on Kali. That’s two reasons that make me an asset.”
Jericho raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression you had a lot to live for, Doctor.”
Cody wondered if the entire fleet knew about him and Sonja. Maybe everyone from there to Tau Ceti knew. Speaking of which, Sonja was going to kill him when she found out where he was going, but he had no choice. The fliers trusted him.
“I don’t want to die, Admiral. But I can help. I’m the one who begged Admiral Rodriguez not to nuke Kali into oblivion. I accepted the responsibility of being an ambassador to the fliers. I feel like…”
“You feel responsible. You feel we would be better off if Rodriguez had taken extreme actions in the first place.”
Cody’s face slackened. “I was sure the Kali’s residents would never be able to leave their home system. Now they can go everywhere.”
“You couldn’t have known about the mine,” Jericho said. “We had a survey team here years ago, and they missed it.”
“That’s true, Admiral. But I’m still of use to the mission. You’ll need me, especially if we encounter fliers or others from Kali.”
Neither said anything as they stood before the wreckage that had once been a ship designed by the denizens of Kali—a unique ship that didn’t exist anywhere else in known space. A little over ten years before, the creatures of that world would’ve marveled at a bow and arrow. But those days of innocence were gone forever.
Finally, Jericho pinched the bridge of his nose. “Very well, but I want you escorted at all times in case there’s a problem.”
Cody smiled. “I know just the person for the job, Admiral.”
~~~
The hopper rocketed between ships on its way to the destroyer Olympus Mons. The hopper was Banshee Five One, of all things, the same one Cody and Sonja had been in all along. It didn’t feel right to Cody without Lieutenant Hayes at the stick, though.
Cody sat in the bay along with Sonja. He watched her as she sat next to him, her arms folded, but his thoughts kept going back to the briefing. Sonja had been there, too, and she’d been angry ever since.
Cody broke the silence. “You could fly us to the Olympus Mons.”
“They won’t let me.” She wouldn’t look at him as she spoke. “I don’t think they’re happy about me flying a hopper while stationed on the Washington, but they haven’t done anything about it.”
“At least you’ll know more than everyone at flight school.” Cody buried his fear of what they were about to do, especially about their chances of succeeding. “So we’re good to go on the Olympus Mons.”
“Hope so,” Sonja said. “They can’t accelerate over fifty g’s with the new configuration, but they say it’ll work.”
“They won’t be able to see anything either, at least until they shut off the Alcubierre field.” Cody frowned. “It might be easier if we decode the transponders while in orbit instead of fifty meters over the ocean.”
“And too dangerous.”
“Timing our velocity so we enter the atmosphere and stop just over the ocean at the last possible moment isn’t dangerous?”
“Not when compared to the alternative,” Sonja said. “In orbit, the destroyer would be a target.”
“Not with this new camouflage working,” Cody said.
“True, but they don’t want to take the risk. If we get spotted, the Olympus Mons can sink into the ocean, concealing her profile. If we get spotted in space, we’ll get blown out of the sky before we can hide.”
Cody understood the logic but didn’t like it. “I could go the rest of my life without seeing the ocean.”
“I can’t believe you’re going.”
Cody raised an eyebrow. She’d said more words just then than she had since the briefing. “It makes sense. I know the fliers, and—”
“I know, I know.” She crossed her legs. “I just hate it when you go into these situations.”
“How do you think I feel when you do it?”
“It’s my job, Cody.”
“And that’s supposed to change how I feel?”
Sonja shook her head. “I can’t do this anymore.”
Cody held his breath, afraid to ask. “What are you talking about?”
“We can’t do this anymore.” She pointed at herself and then Cody.
“Sonja—”
“No.” She covered her mouth when her voice cracked, glancing up toward the cockpit to see if anyone heard. “I can’t lose anyone. I won’t survive it.”
“You’re not losing me, Sonja.”
“I am.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Even if we survive this, I’m going to be an officer. I have no idea where I’ll be stationed. This was fun, but…” She sniffled. “But we’re through.”
“Don’t say that, Sonja.” When she was done talking, though, he couldn’t change her mind.
She was done with him.
Cody sat quietly, watching her as she wiped her eyes from time to time. Neither spoke for the rest of the trip.
~~~
Cody and Sonja disembarked onto the smallest docking bay in the fleet.
Stretching from end to end, the ship was about the size of the Tokugawa’s largest hangar bay. Only three other docking tubes were there, and theirs was the only hopper available. The five crewmen in sight stopped to stare at Cody and Sonja, as if they hadn’t had guests in years.
“There a problem, gentlemen?”
Sonja’s icy voice caused the men to say, “No, Gunny,” before they went back to work.
A rich laugh echoed through the small docking bay. An officer with the rank of commander approached, flanked by two others of lesser rank. The commander had the first button of his uniform unbuttoned and sported a gray beard. He strode forward with the brashness of someone much higher in rank.
Sonja stood at attention. “Commander.”
The commander waved her off. “At ease, Gunny.” When Sonja went to parade rest, the commander laughed. “We don’t stand on ceremony around here.”
Sonja leaned back on one leg, putting a hand on her hip. “Sorry, sir. I’m used to working on a tight ship.”