Battleship Furiosa

by Michael G. Thomas

  "Yeah, you'd be right if this were atmospheric combat. The gun system would overheat after two, maybe three seconds of firing. The real problem with that type of combat is the friction, both on the mechanism and travelling through the atmosphere."

  He pointed to the open section.

  "Entering a planet's atmosphere with entry points like this will see you ripped apart. Even at high-altitude, friction with the air will burn through the innards of a gunship and gut you in a fraction of a second."

  Using his hands, the man demonstrated the launching of projectiles from a railgun system. As the one hand moved, he explained carefully, "Right now, you have a gunnery system with what, a ten-round magazine per gun? That's a three-second burst at the most, and then you're done."

  Nate nodded quickly.

  "Yeah, that's right. Those rounds take up a lot of space, and we have to be careful when we're shooting."

  The man shrugged as he pointed off to a raised section behind the bulbous crew compartment. At first, Nate couldn't see any difference, but then he noticed the subtle hump-backed shape plating.

  "Power couplings are rerouted under the hump, and that clears space for a compression unit, as well as pushing your ammo up to a hundred rounds of 60mm per gun."

  Nate shook his head in surprise. The gunship was a big craft, but even at this size, the bulk of the interior stowage was now taken up with solid slug ammunition. The rounds were much smaller overall than projectiles used in conventional kinetic gun systems. A standard shell would incorporate a shell case, warhead, and propellant. The railguns required nothing more than the warhead, and that meant they could be substantially reduced in mass.

  "I don't see how you can fit so much ammunition inside of that calibre, though. It's one hell of a piece of engineering."

  The engineer chuckled and then tapped the lid of a metallic box. It popped open to show a series of semi-smooth hexagonal slugs.

  "You're not wrong. We put a lot of work into getting this loading mechanism working properly in the gunship. The ship has been retrofitted around these chin guns."

  He then pointed at the lower part of the spacecraft.

  "That's why we've got these new modifications, as per the upgrade specs. Tranche Four gunships will be more capable of prolonged combat. A hundred rounds will give you a full twenty seconds continuous fire."

  He indicated a small flap behind the gun system. It was barely visible until the man pointed out the lines along one side. He pulled out a portable control panel and tapped the screen. The panel slid back and exposed a vent.

  "You see, when you're in the void, this panel will open and expose the heat sink of the gunnery system via the vent."

  Nate nodded slowly as he bent around to examine the change.

  "This was your design?"

  The man shook his head.

  "Nah, not me. This came down on the list of field upgrades from Command. All new gunships are getting the mod as standard. It will give you a major boost to firepower in space combat."

  "Sixty percent, you say?"

  "Yeah, but in short bursts. You'll effectively get two firing modes, just like with the carbines."

  Nate's eyes narrowed as he listened.

  "I don't follow."

  The engineer looked back and sighed.

  "In combat, the firing mode will be determined by how you pull the trigger. Pull it in low-power mode, and the guns will engage continually at maximum loading speed, but with a heavily reduced velocity. You can keep this up nonstop until the guns run dry. The guns will be running at about four hundred rounds a minute of 60mm. It will still be fast enough for leading your targets, but you'll put out more shots in the same amount of time."

  "And the other mode?"

  The man chuckled.

  "Flick the switch and the loader will position five rounds in the breech of each barrel."

  "What? Are you serious? Is that even possible?"

  He shook his head as the engineer grinned, clearly enjoying his explanation.

  "It's not that complex, but it does take a few seconds to complete the loading. All of this is done with the upgraded software. Nothing mechanical is altered. You see, the gun technically fires but only moves the round a few centimetres. The computer positioned them so each is placed touching the next. Then...when you're ready, just hold down the trigger and enjoy the show."

  Nate moved to the muzzle of the two 60mm cannon fitted under the chin. In space, they didn't seem especially substantial, but this close they had more in common with the guns fitted to some of the warships. The tips were slightly discoloured from the immense heat created by releasing projectiles at such a velocity.

  "When you depress the trigger, the capacitors release a boosted charge to the coils. They will give up to double what you are used to, and then release the block of five rounds from each barrel."

  Nate looked back at him and nodded in amazement.

  "That is a big upgrade. How has it performed in simulation?"

  The man shrugged.

  "No idea. I just patch them up and upgrade them as we get the kits. I guess you'll have to find that out for yourself."

  Nate was so busy examining the changes he didn't notice Rex and Cassandra as they walked onto the deck from the express elevator. The pair headed directly towards their comrades. There were many deck crew busy working away, but only three pilots from Knighthawk Squadron. Matilda and Billy were sitting on a loading platform talking when they arrived, while Nate was a few metres away and talking to one of the engineers.

  "What's up?" Rex asked.

  After receiving such a verbal telling off so recently, Nate found the nonchalant tone used by Rex to be nothing short of intolerable. He made his excuses to the engineer and then turned around to face the two of them. They walked hand in hand across the deck and made matters much worse by Rex showing something close to a swagger. He pointed to one of the fighters and both laughed. Nate crossed his hands in front of his chest and faced them off.

  "Oh, really?"

  At first, nothing happened, but then Rex burst forward towards Nate. Cassandra pushed her arm out in front of him to try holding him back, but she was either too surprised or caught off guard to actually make much of a difference. Rex pushed her arm out of his way so hard that she cried out in discomfort. Rex ignored her and stepped up to Nate, their faces close enough that Nate felt immediately uncomfortable. It was classic bullying behaviour, and a few months ago, Nate would have turned away, or at the very least stepped back a step.

  Stand up to him, and let him do what he wants.

  Nate knew what he had to do even though it was the exact opposite of his instincts. He moved his arms down to his side, yet slightly in front and with the fingers apart and ready. It was a passive, calm posture that all of them had been taught by Sergeant Nál in their hand-to-hand combat classes.

  Be ready.

  Rex leaned in close, and as he spoke, a little spittle ran down to his cheek. He was quite clearly agitated, and Nate couldn't believe it would be something as simple as him standing up to him.

  "You're kidding, right?"

  Nate shook his head in answer.

  "No, I'm not."

  Nate refused to back down, and though his chest was now pounding, he stood his ground. Instead, he indicated for Rex to move back and did his best to look calm and assertive. With somebody else, it might have even worked, but Rex knew Nate only too well. The fear and the nerves were clearly visible to all of them, especially him.

  "Take your aggression somewhere else, Rex. You're already on the suspension list. Don't make it worse."

  Rex's relatively normal looking expression instantly evaporated. What had been a calm demeanour was now something closer to when they were sparring in the gymnasium. He glanced at Cassandra who still seemed a little shaken at him pushing her away so quickly. When he looked back to Nate, his usual demeanour had transformed, and in its place was the cold harshness Nate remembered from their first few meetings.
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  Great, the old Rex is back. That's the last thing I need.

  "Suspended? Why, what did you tell them, Nate?"

  Rex's tone lowered and though he tried to sound angry, Nate could tell he already knew what had happened. Either he'd pretended to ignore it or had pushed it aside until Nate brought it up. Matilda and Billy moved towards the trio because of the increase in noise they were making. Billy started to talk, but Rex lifted his finger to his mouth to silence him.

  "Rex," said Nate, "Turn around and leave this place. You need to cool off before you do something really stupid."

  Nate lifted his right hand to point at Rex, but his rival beat it aside and turned his head a little to the right. His face was still contorted, but as Nate looked at him, he saw something was off, as though Rex was putting on a show for somebody else's benefit. For a second Nate even suspected he was just pretending to be angry, though he had no idea why.

  "Always jealous of me, aren't you, Nathaniel?"

  Rex then looked to Cassandra and shook his head, as though she'd just done something remarkably stupid. His tone was equally offensive and seemed to surprise even her.

  "What the hell did you ever see in a scrawny little runt like him? I cannot believe you had a crush on him all this time."

  Cassandra tried to move, but Rex stepped away from Nate and blocked her path, making sure he remained the centre of this small drama, Cassandra now in front of him. Her face reddened with embarrassment, and she did her best to turn her gaze away from Nate.

  "The only reason he made it through the contests was because we pulled him through with us."

  Nate's nostrils flared at the obvious attempt to get a reaction out of him. He had many weaknesses, but being easily provoked wasn't one of them. Some saw this as something a little cold about him, and he'd even been described as being sociopathic in the past. The reality was that he tended to think things over, and he knew that reacting to an insult like this was intended to force certain behaviours, so he refused to let that happen.

  "Nice, Rex, really nice," said Cassandra, "Come on, let's get out of here."

  She turned away, but Rex grabbed her wrist firmly, holding it hard. Cassandra cried out in surprise and tried to pull away. Rex held on even more firmly and gave her such a stern, angry look that she paused for a second.

  "No, stay here and see what happens to your little toy boy."

  Nate was still reeling from the announcement that after all this time Cassandra had actually liked him. For the briefest of moments, he almost forgot what was happening. Then he could see the discomfort Cassandra was in and the leering expression on Rex's face.

  Do something, you idiot. Yes, you!

  "Rex, let her go, now!"

  He tried to sound tough and commanding, but the words seemed to blur together into nothing more than a sound. It did have an immediate effect on Rex, though. He took the opportunity to move in close. He'd already taken a step before finally releasing his grip on Cassandra, and she groaned the instant his hand released. He moved back to Nate who was just a few steps away.

  "Idiot," muttered Cassandra.

  She gripped her uncomfortable hand but did nothing more. Rex, on the other hand, stepped right in front of Nate and then leaned in close. Nate took in a short breath and shook his head. Rex still refused to back down and maintained his position, just as Nate did. He lifted his hands and reached ahead to grab Nate, and with that one gesture, everything changed.

  Do it!

  Without thinking, Nate grabbed the one arm, pulled it forward, and locked it to his side and under his elbow. The move must have caught Rex completely off guard because he grunted in pain. Nate tried to turn around so that he could throw Rex down, but it was too late. Rex twisted away and stepped back a single pace from Nate.

  "Bad move, Nate, very bad move. Now it's time for us to settle things, don't you think?"

  This time he lifted his hands into a conventional boxing stance, but with his hands kept close to his torso. He rocked to the left and then the right, before sliding his head around as though in a sparring match.

  "The only reason anything went wrong out there is because you don't have what it takes to lead a fighter squadron."

  Nate nearly choked at the words.

  "You're kidding me, right? You've put me in danger twice now and refuse to follow orders. You're reckless, and you're a..."

  Without finishing, he swung his left arm, trying to catch Nate with a strong hook. Nate twisted to the right and avoided it, but only by the slimmest margin. It was a good punch, and had it struck his face, he might easily have been knocked out cold. Nate kept his eyes on Rex as he circled around.

  "You need to back off. You're gonna bring down a world of pain on yourself if you continue."

  As before, Nate pushed his hands out in the low, defensive posture. It should have looked non-threatening, but Rex recognised it right away for what it was.

  "Oh, very nice. You trying some of the tricks we've been taught, right?"

  Now Rex was furious, and his voice rose to a shout that caught the attention of the deck crew.

  "I'm gonna make sure you never fly again...you are an incompetent..."

  Matilda had no qualms at keeping quiet and stepped alongside Nate, instantly allying herself with one side against the other. The two remained shoulder to shoulder while Rex snarled back at them.

  "Rex, you need to grow up. Have you even bothered to look at the new duty roster? You're not going anywhere."

  Again Rex attempted intimidation and stepped so close to Matilda that she could have bitten him on the nose, had she been so inclined. He started to shout, so Matilda instinctively drove her left knee up hard into his groin. None, especially Rex had expected the quiet twenty-one year old to react quite in this way. As he doubled up in pain, she grabbed him and pushed him past her so that he slid to the ground in an unceremonious heap.

  "Do not speak to me like that, ever!"

  Her tone was stern, but she did not raise her voice. Rex lifted himself up and turned back, still bent over and clearly in discomfort. His face contorted, Nate spotted his hands clenching into fists. He stepped out and between Rex and the others.

  "That's enough, Rex. You need to calm down or get off this deck."

  Rex shook his head.

  "Oh, no, I don't think so."

  Nate braced himself, but as Rex charged at him, he realised it wasn't enough. They crashed together, and Nate lost his balance. Time seemed to slow as he flew through the air until finally crashing down on his back. The sharp pain at the back of his head quickly replaced the initial shock of the fall. Nate shook his head to clear his vision and found Rex there.

  "Yeah, you ready, Nate?"

  The fist came down hard and struck his nose. The pain was agonising and sent blood dripping down his cheeks. Nate struggled to get up, but then another blow came down, and another before Billy was there and tugging at Rex. His vision blurred, but he shook his head and forced himself into a seating position. Rex swung at Billy and struck him several times until knocking him against a racking mount filled with parts. The entire unit crashed to the ground, sending pieces of equipment flying.

  "Hey!" yelled one of the engineers.

  Several more crew ran over, but they were too late to help. Rex looked back to Nate and then marched towards him. Matilda tried to help the shaken Billy to his feet, and then marched towards Rex, her hands up ready to grab him. She was too late, though. Rex stopped in front of Nate and lifted his right boot.

  "No more flying for you!"

  Rex had no idea what was happening as the huge, muscular arm struck him in the side. He tumbled to the ground and slid along the floor. He coughed from the surprise of the blow and then rose to his feet.

  "Who the hell..."

  His mouth hung open in surprise as he looked upon the massive bulk of Sergeant Nál. She tensed her muscles and then pointed to Rex.

  "Want to try that again?"

  Rex shook his head quickly.
The synthetic warrior looked like a monster, and though she wore her Marine Corps uniform, it did little to hide the bulges of her thick, taut muscles.

  "I thought not."

  The Sergeant then signalled for two of her marines to move in and grab the deflated Ensign. They marched him off, but not before Cassandra called over to him.

  "You idiot, Rex. You'll lose everything because of this."

  Sergeant Nál moved over to Nate and helped him to his feet.

  "I saw what happened. Are you injured, apart from that?"

  Blood continued to run down Nate's face, and his nose looked a little twisted.

  "Yeah, I'm good, Sergeant."

  Sergeant Nál sighed.

  "You'll need to visit medbay and get that nose fixed. Next time, try not to get hit."

  The Marine Corps Sergeant turned to walk away, but Cassandra chased after her.

  "What about Ensign Hampel?"

  Sergeant Nál shrugged.

  "He's part of this crew, and like all of us, he will take responsibility for his actions."

  She looked back towards Nate who was talking with Matilda and Billy.

  "Next time you might want to help your comrades when they are prepared to help you. Ensign Hampel doesn't have what it takes to be a fighter pilot."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alliance Armoured Assault Ship 'ANS Relentless'

  23 December 2472

  Captain Galanos looked at the others in the room and shook her head while the ghostly images of the other senior captains looked on. Only three of those in the room were actually physically present, including her, Captain Cornwallis and the venerable General Honorius. The remainder of the senior commanders were virtual presences created by the projector unit at the centre of the room. She stopped the moment the ghostly form of Prince Kratha began to speak. He'd transferred to his new flagship in the last hour, and it felt odd seeing his virtual presence instead of his physical form.

  "As you can see," started the Admiral, "Nothing is getting through that Rift unscathed. With ANS Promethium operating as the gate guardian, they are taking a beating. Sending in formations in rotation, we are able to maintain continuous pressure on whatever comes through with fresh ships."