by C. R. Daems
"I'm Captain Bergan. I've been a captain for five years and command the cruiser Sobek. I've had two tours at the frontline with the First Fleet and hope the Odin is going to help us kick ass." Bergan was in his early forties, average in every way, but had a solid record as a captain. He nodded to the woman next to him.
"I'm Captain Lahti, and I command the cruiser Amsit. I've been to the frontlines with the Second and Fourth Fleets, and have been a captain for six years. Those two Mactans there," she tossed her head in their direction, "say this ship is important. Like Bergan, I hope it's kick-ass special, because those damn blood-suckers are nasty bastards." Lahti was a tall, sturdily built brunette with a brown complexion and a round motherly face. Her hazel eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her tone was clear and commanding. She smiled at Storch, who sat next to her.
"I'm Colonel Storch, commander of the Odin's one hundred marines. I've been a colonel for fifteen years, been assigned to the frontline five times, and agree with Captain Lahti. The Issog are nasty. They may look fragile, but they aren't. In addition, they have good equipment, are well trained, and aren't easy to kill." He looked to his left.
"I'm Commander Stewart, commanding the Odin's twenty-five attack fighters. I've been a commander of fighter units for ten years and have been to the frontline four times. The Issog fighters are not as well armed as ours, but they are twice as maneuverable. In most fights, the kills are about equal, which is not good since I believe they have more than we do." He looked across the table and nodded.
"I'm Lieutenant Commander Vanek, in charge of engineering, twelve years in service and four as an engineering officer. I've never been to the frontlines. Wouldn't be going now if my travel agent hadn't booked me first class accommodations." A huge grin appeared on her freckled face. She ran a hand through short curly red hair as she nudged the man next to her.
"I'm Commander Jiang, Weapons Officer. I've twenty years’ service and have been the weapons officer on seven different ships, three times to see the Issog in person." His face became expressionless, almost sage. "I'd fire your travel agent, Vanek. Although the accommodations are first class, the Issog are an unfriendly lot." He looked to his left.
"I'm Commander Felder, Chief Medical Officer. First time to the frontline. I volunteered. Didn't seem right living in comfort while men and women were dying to defend me. But I like a quiet and clean dispensary, so please, no injuries." She managed to maintain a serious expression, to everyone's amusement. Even Akar had a small twitch of his lip. She was middle aged and tall for Indian descent, with an angular face, almond eyes, and black hair.
"I'm Commander Houser, the Environmental Officer. I've ten years’ service, two as the Environmental Officer, and this is my first time to the frontlines. I think Vanek and I have the same travel agent."
"Thank you. Our shakedown cruise starts tomorrow. Let's hope Vanek and Houser's travel agent knows something we don't, and this tour will be a kickass adventure of a lifetime," I said to cheers and clapping. "Lahti and Bergan, I'd like to talk with you in my office."
* * *
"The three of us are going to be developing the strategy for the next generation of Odin captains. I'm hoping our experience will allow them to become functional quicker. They will have to, if we are to defeat the Issog, because of the time it takes to produce an Odin captain. Not only is it a long and tedious process, it has a high dropout rate."
"How long and what kind of a dropout rate?" Lahti asked, frowning.
"After you're selected, six to seven months with a dropout rate of seventy-five to eighty percent."
She stared off deep in thought. "Two or three a year?"
"That's a good guess."
"Since they can only produce a few each year, you're hoping we can produce a strategy which will make them effective from day one, avoiding additional delays acquiring experience and reducing the casualty rate," Bergan said, getting straight to the issue.
"Exactly. We're in a race to save the Commonwealth. The current assessment is that the outcome will be decided in the next five years, with the Issog being the odds-on favorites to win. Right now, the Odin is the only wildcard in the game. To make matters worse, if we win, then we have to be ready to take on the Arrith, who are preparing to take on the winner." Silence followed as the gravity of the Odin squadron's success or failure became clear.
"That explains the Mactans. What about Admiral Simons?"
"My orders allow me to act independently, which makes it imperative we're in sync when that happens." I wasn't sure what that meant, but I was sure it had to happen.
"How?" Lahti asked, frowning.
"That's what you and I must figure out if we are to defeat the Bats and keep the Lizards at home."
* * *
I decided that if this were to work, I needed the collective wisdom of those around me. Although I would be the final decider, I wanted as much input as I could get. So for the maiden voyage of the Odin, I had Bergan and Lahti on the Bridge. They had to understand what the Odin was capable of if they were going to contribute to an overall strategy. In addition, I had Disanto and Maize on the Backup Bridge along with the primary backup crew.
"When I put on my Battle Helmet, all of the primary Bridge panels are disabled and the controls revert to me. You can see what happens with my commands via the monitors above each panel. For example," I said while putting on the helmet. Seconds later, the monitors began displaying the results of my mental commands.
Nav monitor: Vector to Wave: 310 by 033
Helm monitor: Set speed 240 gravities, execute vector.
"As you can see, I asked the Nav panel for a vector to the wave and the Helm panel to execute on delivery. Notice that the longest delay was the Nav panel computing the vector. I could just as easily have computed the vector and had the Helm panel execute it."
"All right, you saved a few seconds. How does this help in a battle?"
"Imagine: two Issog cruisers have each launched four missiles at you with an estimated fifty-second time to impact. Using standard missiles and speeds, how far away are they? Bergan? Lahti?" They stared at me with blank expressions.
"One hundred thousand kilometers," I said after waiting a few seconds. "Because of my implant, I would know the answer to that question within a second. Faster than you could type in the numbers. Given the vector the enemy are on, I could compute a skip to within a few hundred klicks, fire, and skip away. How long do you think it would take you to request that information, set up the firing sequence and a skip, and execute the order?" I waited while Bergan and Lahti traded looks with each other.
"Three or four minutes, if we had practiced doing it beforehand," Bergan said, his forehead wrinkled in thought.
"Sounds right," Lahti said, nodding.
"Therefore, unless the enemy ships were shooting at you from at least four hundred fifty thousand klicks, you couldn't respond in time with a skip and attack solution." That received nods of agreement. "I could respond within ten seconds, because my implant allows me direct access to the Sensor Suite, to compute the answer, and to send the result to the Helm station, without a verbal interface, with electronic speeds."
"Where do I sign up?" Lahti asked, looking serious.
"The question is how can we coordinate with you, or you with us, since we can't duplicate those kinds of responses?" Bergan asked.
"That is what we are going to work on for the next few weeks. If we succeed, it will triple our effectiveness as a squadron and wreak havoc on the Issog."
* * *
Over the next week, I conducted a variety of exercises which proved conclusively that no matter what we tried, neither Bergan nor Lahti could respond quickly enough to support my decisions in what I considered an acceptable time. By the end of the week we were all frustrated.
"You'll just have to tell us where you want us, and we'll have to figure out what to do when we get there," Lahti said with a wry grin. At first I thought she was being sarcastic and maybe she was, but the m
ore I thought about it the more it made sense. Sort of my argument to Mikel—the difference in the way we would like the system to work for maximum efficiency and the way those fighting our enemies work.
"Thank you, Lahti."
"For what?" Lahti and Bergan blurted together.
"Get a good night's sleep. I'll see you here tomorrow at noon. We're going to fix the problem." I left them with their heads together talking. Back in my office, I called Mikel.
"Steven, I need your best system programmers here on the Odin at noon."
"Is there a problem with the Odin?"
"No. The problem is my responses are too fast for the people I work with, making the team less effective. I want to increase their effectiveness even if it degrades mine..." I went on to explain what I wanted to accomplish.
* * *
The next day after everyone had assembled, I reiterated my concerns. "My responses are many times faster than could be achieved by a captain on a standard cruiser. And that's great, but I'm in command of a squadron. If I'm to be effective using the Odin's unique capabilities, I can't take the time to communicate verbally to Captains Bergan and Lahti if I see a weakness to exploit. I need to act while the opportunity exists, which would leave my squadron in the dark as to my motives and deprive me of support. Think how much more powerful the Odin concept would be if I could communicate my decisions to my squadron at electronic speeds." I paused to give the group of three men and two women Mikel had assembled a chance to consider the problem. Mikel was first to speak.
"If I'm following your reasoning, it would be worth some degradation in your response time to have the support of your squadron in whatever you were planning to do. In effect tripling your effectiveness."
"Exactly. Captains Bergan and Lahti have wartime experience against the Issog, so they don't need hand holding, but they do need to know where I'm going and why—the vector, skip time, and an idea of what I'm planning."
"Effectively, an Odin squadron. That could triple the effectiveness of each Odin cruiser, and could provide us with the winning solution we've been searching for. The time it takes to create an Odin captain has us all concerned. We have a winning solution but we can't produce sufficient Odin captains in time to be effective," Mikel said, excitement evident in his voice. "I like it, Zoe. You have my full support. Anything you need from Next Robotics."
* * *
We began by reviewing the simulations Elaine had developed and my responses.
"Wow, those are kickass solutions. The Issog aren't going to like you. If Bergan and I had known what you were planning…" Lahti said after a couple of hours watching.
"That's the goal. Rather than one cruiser, we’ll have three creating havoc. We need to determine what information you would need to join me in these scenarios." I finally thought we were not only making progress but increasing the potential effectiveness of the Odin concept.
"Can I suggest we begin with the first simulation that would benefit from a squadron engagement and see if we can determine the information Captains Bergan and Lahti would need? Then decide how we are going to get it to them. That would give us the framework to evolve other scenarios," Larry Pickard said while looking at the notes on his tablet. Pickard was the senior system programmer for the AHI project, young but brilliant. He had led the team that reprogramed the current panels to accommodate my changes. A small quiet man with infinite patience and determination.
It took a twelve-hour day to come up with the elements for the first simulation: A full length description of the enemy configuration and the action taken: vectors, timing, and action.
Another full day to define the data needed and the protocol for passing the information: M# = the description index, V#=six-digit vector, S#=skip duration, A=action if any. Where # was the letter of the alphabet beginning with a=1, b=2, c=3, etc.
By the end of the second day we had an example of a command package:
MaVa015088SbAaVb120100Sc
where M1, referred to the action Skip, Fire, Skip; V1, to the first vector defined by 015 by 088 and a two second skip; then the action A1, fire all missiles; and the second vector defined by 120 by 100 with a three second skip.
The Captains would have to memorize the various command actions in support of the Odin strategy so they could participate effectively. Pickard left with his team to put together a prototype.
"This feels exciting," Bergan said the next day as we sat around discussing the five simulations we had decided would be in the initial database. "It may slow you down, but it will bring a lot more punch to the party. I agree with Mikel. This may be the solution to surviving."
"I think we have all been focused on beating the Issog, and tend to forget about the Arrith," Lahti said to nodding heads.
* * *
Pickard returned five days later with a new panel and monitor for each of the ships. The panel would give me the visual information I intended to send to the squadron and allow me to delay it if necessary. The panels on Bergan and Lahti's cruisers would decode the command string, send any vectors to the Helm's panel, and allow the captain to modify, hold, or execute the package.
Over the following week, we debugged the software, added four new scenarios to the initial one, and added new commands. The biggest change should have been obvious but wasn't until we began simulating the scenarios—Bergan and Lahti couldn't respond to my orders with the speed I could. Although they had all the information, it took them time to refresh their understandings of what would be required of them and issue any orders concerning missiles or targeting to the crew. And then it took more time for the crew to implement them. Therefore, I would have to anticipate a delay. Also, I had to be able to send separate orders or vectors to each captain. By the end of two weeks the system appeared solid, and Bergan and Lahti performed well. One day before we were to leave for the front lines I met with Mikel.
"It's interesting, Zoe. Your changes to my original concept made it impossible to achieve the one hundred percent improvement I was working toward, and your recent changes further decrease your performance by the methods we were using to measure the before and after results." Mikel paused for a sip of his wine. "Despite that, it seems to me that you have significantly increased the overall combat effectiveness of the Odin, and in the end, that's all that matters. I'm pleased, and I believe the Admiralty will be too when I brief them."
"Like you, I was hoping the Odin captains could make a significant contribution in their confrontations with the enemy, but one cruiser can only do so much solo. A squadron, however, could have an exponential impact. Plus, it partially solves the problem created by the high dropout rate and the time it takes to produce functional Odin captains."
"I've informed my team to include the new panel into the training, so the next Odin trained captain will have worked with them during the simulations. In fact, I may put together a training program for the captains assigned to an Odin squadron." He stood. "Good hunting, Zoe."
"Thanks, Steven. As always, it's been a pleasure working with you. Most men pursuing a dream wouldn't have been as flexible as you were."
He laughed. "The thought of the Issog using me as a blood donor helped. In the end, I want you to have a machine that gives you a real-world advantage. I think that together, we've accomplished that."
* * *
"Comm, contact the Sobek and Amsit," I said as we neared the Wave entrance to the Northern sector of the Commonwealth, the area over which the Issog had substantial control. A minute later Bergan and Lahti appeared on the monitor in a split screen.
"Our orders are to join Admiral Simons, who is commanding the Sixth Fleet. I'm informed she is currently in New Hope. We will enter the Wave together and exit at Battle Stations, but with our systems in passive mode. Any questions?" Seeing only shaking heads, I cut the connection. I hoped New Hope was under Admiral Simons’s control, but no sense being careless. I sat back with mixed emotions: excited to be commanding the Odin and returning to the front, but dreading
the inevitable carnage of war.
The Issog were a tough adversary. They had good cruisers and commanders, and therefore, most encounters hinged on who came to the party with the most power or who surprised who. I hoped the Odin would be the surprise-or and not the surprise-ee in the upcoming confrontations.
"Captain, entering the Wave in one minute," announced Lieutenant Commander Sainz, the Comm Officer. And shortly afterward, "Entering in ten, nine...two, one, now."
The Bridge and the people faded to ghost-like figures for several seconds as we transferred from normal space into the Wave's energy stream.
"Commander Disanto, you have the watch," I said as I rose. The trip would take two days and twenty minutes, which would be an excellent opportunity to show myself and get acquainted. Most captains tended to restrict themselves to staff and senior officers. I preferred to be visible. The crew had a right to know the woman on whose decisions their lives rested. The medical unit was my first stop, where Doctor Felder met me.
"Captain LaFon, are you unwell?" She looked concerned.
"No. The shakedown cruise and working with the squadron has kept me busy. I thought to take the next two days to get to know the people and see how things are going. Any problems or concerns?"
"The facility and the equipment are first class, better than many hospitals. Unfortunately, most of my people, including me, have no war experience, although they are all qualified in their specialties."
"When we aren't engaging the Issog, it should feel like a normal hospital. The men and women on the ship are for the most part in good physical condition, so it should be relatively quiet. When we meet the Issog, I imagine it will be similar to a trauma center after a natural disaster or a major industrial accident. If it's bad, every man and woman will be necessary to keep the Odin operational, therefore everyone who can, must return to duty as fast as possible. The worst part is that you won't have time to save everyone. Learning to prioritize will be the hardest," I said, summarizing what I had heard from others. My personal knowledge was limited to conditions after the fighting had ended and most of the chaos was under control.