The Ties that Bind

by Hiroyuki Morioka

  “Promptly pinpoint the location of the lead assault ship.”

  Where on the planar space side of a portal a bubble would end up was strictly up to chance. Appearing on the side opposite Atosryua’s ship was more than possible.

  Luckily, the Gamrogrh happened to have manifested relatively close to their position. They were about a third of the portal’s circumference apart.

  The space-time bubble of the Gamrogrh cycled repeatedly through the stationary and mobile-states in order to lose speed and make it easier for the assault ships under its command to gather once again.

  “Keep pace,” directed Lafier.

  It was the Senior Starpilot, Sobash, whose job it was to maneuver the space-time bubble now, not hers.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Sobash changed the bubble’s direction of locomotion, and then switched it to the complete mobile-state.

  Meanwhile, the planar space map reflected how the consort ships were everywhere headed to positions behind their own lead assault ships.

  Lafier’s line of sight darted to and fro. Where’s the enemy?

  While the enemy space-time bubbles were technically “unidentified,” there was little else they could reasonably be. They were still far-flung, and attempting, at present, to disperse. They aimed to return with the information they accrued, even if only a single ship of theirs made it back alive. Fragmentary though the information was, (amounting almost solely to the number of Abh ships racing to intercept them and the time it took those ships to prepare), the enemy’s analyst systems could press in on a full picture of the invading Star Forces, much akin to a geologist’s ability to accurately infer a planet’s environment through a single piece of rock.

  Their bravery is certainly praiseworthy, Lafier mused, but on the Star Forces’ honor, we mustn’t let a single ship escape.

  That being said, as a mere Manoüass Gairr (Assault Ship Captain), there wasn’t much she could do. She was to follow the lead assault ship, and hope the chances to fire the antiproton cannons came soon and often. That was all.

  At last, the six vessels of Assault Unit 1 had convened. Soon after reshuffling the battle array, the Gamrogrh switched to its total mobile-state. Needless to say, the Basrogrh followed suit. It was third in the line.

  Thus, Assault Unit 1 joined the larger formation it was part of, Assault Squadron 1058. They were drawing nearer to the enemy.

  The enemy reversed course, gaining distance from the Aptic Portal. This spurred Assault Squadron 1058 to spread its wings — the goal, to curb the enemy’s range.

  Eight smaller-mass bubbles split off from the unidentified space-time bubbles.

  “An inter-bubble communication from the Gamrogrh,” reported Ecryua. “‘Perform space-time fusion.’”

  Lafier gave Sobash a slight nod. They instantly intuited the Unit Commander’s plan. The enemy’s smaller bubbles were most likely a salvo of mobile space-time mines, (or simply mines for short). Assault ships were extremely weak to these mines, which sailed across planar space without outside direction using their own individual space-time bubble generators. As such, they ought at least to bolster their defense by converging together.

  The six ships of Assault Unit 1 fused their respective bubbles into one larger aggregate bubble.

  Hecto-Commander Atosryua’s image returned, now that EM communication was again feasible. “I don’t think the situation needs explaining. Let’s just avoid the immediate peril for the time being. All ships, conduct your information links.”

  The Gamrogrh’s directives were overlaid upon Lafier’s frocragh. She equipped her control gauntlet anew, and directed the Basrogrh to the designated point, before glancing at the planar space map. The bubbles that were all too likely mines were hurtling straight for them. It seemed that her first opponent in her first battle would be a cadre of soulless death machines.

  “Prepare the antiproton cannons.”

  “Releasing safety,” said Sobash. “Preparations complete.”

  “And the multi-turret laser cannons?” she asked Ecryua.

  The deputy starpilot had already finished readying the mobile cannons for operation, her expression meek and mild.

  “Twenty seconds until estimated space-time fusion,” said Sobash, who thereafter began the countdown.

  Through her frocragh, Lafier could sense the space-time bubble’s inner surface was beginning to seethe and froth.

  The space-time particles the mine was emitting were now penetrating their bubble with enthusiasm.

  It wasn’t long before their two pocket universes would merge.

  “...Five, four, three, two, one, fusion,” said Sobash.

  A hole opened before their eyes, yawning wider and wider each passing moment... and they could feel what lay beyond.

  “Confirmed to be United Humankind mobile space-time mine,” said Sobash. No sooner did he say it, than the yellow blips on the planar space map turned red. They were the enemy all right.

  Lafier screwed her eyes shut and focused her frocragh. She put her right index finger on the antiproton cannon trigger, and lightly flexed the fingers of her left hand to point the Basrogrh’s bow toward the mine.

  Atrosryua’s command resounded: “All ships, FIRE!”

  The assault ship’s mass made the recoil of the antiproton cannons quite minimal. They felt virtually no impact whatsoever, not even at the moment of firing. Six streaks of antiproton currents shot toward the mine, which writhed in their whorl and, subsequently, scattered in pieces. The mine may have met an anticlimactically swift end, but that only marked the beginning of the battle proper.

  “Our first task is complete. Undo space-time fusion,” said Atorsryua.

  While the Star Forces’ assault corps were preoccupied with mines, the enemy patrol ships had taken the opportunity to slip through the encirclement meant to trap them, and gained a considerable amount of distance to boot. Mass differences were part of the reason why. Fragments of wrecked mines were hiding in the bubbles of each assault ship. The velocity of a space-time bubble was determined by, and only by, its mass, which here meant the weight of the planar space ships plus whatever other matter was in the bubbles.

  Assault Unit 1 formed a column once again and gave chase, though relatively more slowly. However, though the matter that made up what used to be a mine was slowing them down, they were still faster than a patrol ship. Lafier checked the map and saw four assault units were pursuing the enemy ships, with Assault Unit 1 at the head of the pack.

  “It’s just like back then,” murmured Jint; he stood close by, with nothing keeping him busy. “Only now the positions are reversed.”

  “Yeah,” Lafier nodded.

  Once, they had stayed aboard the patrol ship Gothelauth. The ship had been by itself when it was ganged up on by enemy assault ships and destroyed. And now, these enemy ships that were probably patrol ships were facing a struggle even more desperate than the Gothelauth’s.

  “But that doesn’t mean we’re clear from danger. We’ll be among the first to fly into the fray. It would be strange if we didn’t sustain any damage. We might even get completely wiped out.”

  “That is so like you,” Jint smiled weakly. “To tell you the truth... I’ve been scared to hell and back this whole time.”

  Lafier scanned the vicinity to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. “To tell you the truth, so am I.”

  Now that one skirmish was behind her, the thrill of the moment had given way to icy terror. Something else was bothering her, too. Did Hecto-Commander Atosryua intend to have them plunge right into the fray, just like that? Challenging a patrol ship with only six assault ships was well past “brave” — it was reckless.

  Have we been saddled with an incompetent commander?

  Not that there was a thing she could do about it, apart from offering her opinion via inter-bubble communication.

  This is quite the drag, thought Lafier, biting her lip. I can’t raise a peep in protest, no matter how absurd the orders may be.

&nbs
p; “I’m happy to hear that,” Jint beamed.

  “How does my being afraid put you at ease?”

  “Beats me,” Jint shrugged. “I guess I just feel like it’d be kinda unfair if I was the only one shaking in my boots.”

  “I don’t think there’s a single person on this ship who isn’t afraid.” Her eyes turned to Dyaho’s cage. “With one exception.”

  “Dyaho’s courage is unparalleled when he’s not being forced to take a bath,” Jint agreed.

  The only starpilot on the Basrogrh with real combat experience was Mechanics Linewing Starpilot Samson. He had participated in the Raïchacarh Üécr Sauder Scaraicr (Clash at the Scaraich Portal-Sea) three years prior. Yet even he was clearly on edge, his typical cheery manner gone as his gaze was fixed on his console.

  “Twelve minutes until estimated space-time fusion.” Sobash always seemed calm.

  What was on Ecryua’s mind, meanwhile, was just as inscrutable as ever.

  It wasn’t hard to take the tension that gripped the bridge as none too debilitating, none too lax. Lafier could feel her spirits rising again. However, it wasn’t as though her fear had up and vanished. She noticed her lips were trembling slightly. She closed her mouth tight, and the trembling ceased.

  The Gamrogrh, flying at the front, decelerated. She must have been thinking what Lafier was thinking: that it would be wiser to wait for the other units to catch up. That, or she’d received a directive from Glagamh Saubr (Squadron Command).

  “Changing estimated space-time fusion time,” said Sobash at once.

  “Good grief,” said Jint, relieved. “The way things looked, I thought we’d be heading in with just six ships!”

  Symh Acharr Gona (Assault Unit 4) had caught up. With twelve ships in total, the Gamrogrh once again switched to the total mobile-state. They formed two columns of six ships each and sailed after the patrol ships’ bubbles in hot pursuit.

  “Ten minutes until estimated space-time fusion.”

  In other words, they had nothing to do for another 10 minutes. Lafier got to her feet in front of the control counter, crossed her arms, and glared at the planar space map.

  Elsewhere, the battle was already raging. Assault ship bubbles were swarming around enemy bubbles. Bubbles of augmented mass were splitting back into smaller bubbles.

  Recalling a video record of a certain landworld that she’d seen as a child, Lafier knitted her brow. This was just like how those agile carnivores reared to tear apart their prey... and this sector had turned into the Abhs’ hunting grounds. Lafier’s Basrogrh was another hound in the hunting party, and it chased down a patrol ship.

  “The enemy is splitting their space-time bubble,” Sobash reported.

  Four lightweight bubbles were now headed straight at them.

  Lafier clicked her tongue. So they still have some mines left.

  For what could they be, apart from mines? They’d probably deployed them as their last and final shred of hope.

  “What’s Unit Command saying?” she asked Ecryua.

  “Nothing ye— an inter-bubble communication from the Command Center: ‘All ships act at will.’”

  “I see,” Lafier nodded. They no longer had the time to fuse together and wait on the lookout. Assault ships were weak to mines. Whether or not one survived an encounter with a mine was up to chance. Lafier strained her frocragh and tried to prepare for space-time fusion, but the figure of a familiar someone loitering nearby distracted her.

  “Jint, return to your station.”

  As the ship’s clerk, Jint’s duties during battle consisted of maintaining the onboard environmental conditions. Whenever a ship took damage, there would be compartments that began leaking air. It was his job to evacuate the crew in those compartments and then seal them off before the pressure dropped too low in the other rooms. Put in different terms, up until they took damage, Jint was the least busy out of all of the battle positions on this ship.

  He shrugged at her. “If we take a direct hit from a mine, will there even be any work for a clerk?”

  True, thought Lafier. If they took a direct hit, not a man or woman onboard would ever work another day. Not after the Basrogrh was atomized without a trace. “Do as you please. Only, make sure to stand in place. If you were to fall on top of me, it would hinder the piloting of the ship.”

  “I’ll be careful.” Jint stood behind and to the side of Lafier, much like a vice captain might.

  “Enemy space-time bubbles, likely mines, approaching,” said Sobash.

  The red dots were closing in on the series of blue dots representing Assault Unit 1. They passed to the side of the Gamrogrh still at the front, passed through the second in line, and lined up with the Basrogrh.

  Lafier could sense Jint gulping. Yet that trepidation lasted a mere moment, as the enemy mines flew further past.

  Just as it looked as though they’d keep flying after passing by every one of the blue dots, they took a sharp turn around and came for the assault ship all the way in back.

  “Fusing with the Cidrogrh.” That was that assault ship’s name.

  Lafier simply watched as the red and blue dot became one. They intertwined into a purple dot, signifying that an ally and the enemy were engaged in battle in that spot. Soon, however, purple reverted to blue. The assault ship had survived, albeit narrowly.

  “The Cidrogrh is dropping out,” said Sobash.

  Due to taking in the mass of a mine, the Cidrogrh’s bubble had turned heavy, too heavy to keep up with the other ships even at total mobile-state. But Hecto-Commander Atosryua clearly had no plans to let up their total mobile-state velocity, hot on the enemy’s heels.

  One of the remaining mines forced itself upon the fifth ship of Assault Unit 4. That ship was not as lucky as the Cidrogrh. The purple dot disappeared dizzyingly quickly.

  And if things played out poorly, the Basrogrh would share their fate.

  Naturally, Assault Unit 4 didn’t slow down, either. The two units maintained their double-column formation and chased their prey. Other groups of assault ships were also catching up.

  “Seven minutes until space-time fusion,” amended Sobash. They were definitely drawing closer.

  “So it’s ten against one...” muttered Jint. “Not bad.”

  “This is even more similar to the Gothelauth now,” said Lafier under her breath.

  “Then we’ve got to win this.”

  “You really do lack any common sense,” said Lafier, taken aback. “As though I’d ever accept a battle it’s okay to lose.”

  Jint shrugged. “Good point.”

  “Six minutes until space-time fusion.” Sobash’s calm voice permeated the bridge.

  “You’d best return to your battle station,” said Lafier. “Against a patrol ship, you’ll have a role to play.”

  “Right you are.” Jint went back to the clerk’s Seat.

  Lafier realized her fear had dissipated at some point.

  Is that why he came by my side just now? she thought, glancing at Jint. But she soon dashed that idea from her mind. I can’t believe he’d ever be that thoughtful.

  That said, it was indisputably the case that her terror had ebbed just by exchanging a sentence or two with Jint. Lafier focused her jitters back on the battle to come.

  The gap between them and the red dots gradually shrank.

  “We will be fusing with the enemy in one minute.” Sobash’s tone of voice hadn’t changed. “The lead assault ship will be fusing in 32 seconds.”

  “Ecryua, when we fuse, conduct an information link with the Gamrogrh,” ordered Lafier.

  “Roger,” answered the deputy starpilot tersely.

  The Gamrogrh and the lead assault ship of Assault Unit 4 nestled close to the red dot. Then, the two lead ships finally commenced fusion with the enemy bubble.

  “Seventeen seconds until space-time fusion,” the senior starpilot counted down. “...Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, fusion.”

  Lafier’s fr
ocragh was hit with the patrol ship’s massive form. She also perceived the several assault ships that had fused with the enemy’s space-time before her, flying this way and that... as well as a group of fragments of what looked like the ruins of an assault ship.

  Was that the Gamrogrh? Lafier feared. But soon she learned that was not the case. The information link with the lead ship had gone through.

  “Welcome to the red-hot field of battle, Deca-Commander Abliar,” said Atosryua. “Proceed to the predetermined position.”

  The patrol ship’s mobile laser cannons fired their way. Getting hit by a laser wasn’t too damaging a blow, but better to take no damage at all. After affirming their position using her spatiosensory perception, Lafier had the ship skid sideways, pointing the ship’s bow right at the patrol ship. She pulled the antiproton cannon trigger.

  The antimatter, intent on reverting the matter that made up this universe to pure energy, advanced on the enemy ship as a violent, crashing torrent. Most of the antiprotons were deflected by the enemy’s magnetic shielding, but a small percentage made it to its hull, thereby engendering small-scale explosions.

  They arrived at the point that the Gamrogrh directed them to, sending torrent after torrent of antiprotons without restraint.

  The enemy fired its EM cannons. A ship belonging to Assault Unit 4 turned into plasma, the twenty lives onboard gone in the blink of an eye.

  “Urgh!” Lafier’s eyebrows creased. The patrol ship’s laser pierced the Basrogrh. The assault ship was small, but even so, the blow didn’t amount to much.

  “What got damaged!?” Lafier knew that she needn’t have opened her mouth for that info to reach her ears, but she couldn’t keep herself from asking. This was the first dent on her first ship.

  “There’s a hole in Storeroom 14,” said Jint.

  “That’s fine, then. Storeroom 14’s unmanned. It’s not pressurized to begin with.”

  “It’s ‘fine,’ you say!?” said Samson. “That’s where we’ve got a fair few important replacement parts stored. Let’s hope they’re not trashed...”

  “C’mon, we can get them resupplied in no time,” Jint said placatingly.

  “We’ll be throwing out components that’ve never been used. Do you know how upsetting that is?”