The only way we can ensure safety for Earth is to engage the approaching enemy fleet far out in the solar system. The enemy had presented us with an additional opportunity which we must not fail to exploit. If we do, then we do so at our own peril.
The enemy fleets are approaching Earth in two distinct groups from two directions. We have analyzed the path and we know that they intend to rendezvous at a point beyond the orbit of Pluto. Once the two halves of the fleet assemble, then by the doctrines of space warfare they become not twice but almost four times as lethal. We have our greatest probability of success if we can engage the two halves of enemy fleet individually and take them down one by one.
The Shaitans have chosen the point of rendezvous appropriately from their perspective. Our ships cannot reach that point before they do. Our current ships do not have that range, neither do they have the endurance to be able to last for that amount of time. So there is nothing we can do with our current technology to stop them.
If however we could reach that point before the Shaitans can, the laws of physics will ensure that the Shaitans can do nothing that would enable them to meet up before we engage one of the halves.
It so happens that we now have technology within our reach which will enable us to build warships that can reach the rendezvous point before the Shaitans if we act immediately. That is the reason ladies and gentlemen of the committee for this emergency session. It is to urge you to act immediately to authorize the development of the proposed new class of spaceships, which you all would have seen in the preliminary reports.” Daniel paused, more to catch a breath, but US representative took the opportunity to speak.
“Are you suggesting that we build warships to a theoretical design using a fusion reactor technology, whose first prototype has only been successfully tested just a few months ago? Do you realize that even the design for the first experimental ship to use that fusion reactor is still in its preliminary design phase? We do not even have complete data on the input output characteristics of that first prototype fusion reactor! There just has not been enough time!” The US representative said incredulously.
“I am painfully aware of those facts madam councilwoman. You have to believe me when I say that no one hates untried and untested technology more than us military personnel. It is we who have to travel in those ships and it is we who have to fight using those weapons. There is nothing more disastrous for us than an equipment which fails in a battle. That is why military tends to be conservative in its choice of technology.
If there had been any other way, a plan or a strategy that could be devised which would not involve using untried technology, we would have been the first to grab it. Unfortunately the tactical situation that is emerging leaves us with no such option. Our chances of success increase dramatically if we are able to reach the rendezvous point and confront the two halves individually. Our chances if we cannot do that are so poor, that it even with the risks involved in the use of untried technology we are better off.” Daniel concluded.
“So, can you elucidate your proposal for the benefit of the committee please admiral?” The chair asked Daniel.
“According to the scientific and engineering advice given to the USC, the ships powered by the new fusion reactors should be able to reach the rendezvous point in just over 10 months. Giving some allowance for time, it puts a hard stop for us in just over 4 years for the construction of the new ships.
Since we do not have any experience in mass production of the new fusion reactor, I have been advised that at best we can expect 4 reactors to have been made and tested by that time. This is the limiting factor as far as construction of this class of ships is concerned. I am proposing that we prepare the designs of this ship on a war footing and start construction of these four ships simultaneously.
As fusion reactors become available, we can start fitting them onto the ships. We can use the first ships that get ready for training and to develop new battle tactics to best utilize the strengths of these new class of ships. Assuming we have the 4 ships ready before the launch date, we start off in the direction of the rendezvous point. Even if there are only three ready by then, we stand a fair chance of taking on one of the halves of the fleet. It would make the task of our conventional fleet that much easier.” Daniel laid out the plan they had hatched all through yesterday and last night.
The US representative spoke up again. “Assuming we can pony up the money for the fusion reactors and all the technology that goes along with it, we still have limited ship building capacity. What according to your estimation admiral would we be sacrificing in terms of conventional ships, in order to build these four fusion powered ships?”
Daniel had the answer with him. It was etched in his mind. He and the rest of his admiralty had agonized over that figure over and over again before coming to this decision. “Since these would be a new class of ships requiring new tools, construction techniques and even development of some new technology. We expect the average construction time of these four ships to be twice that of the conventional ships. This means that we would be sacrificing 8 conventional ships for this program.”
“And you think that as a prudent course of action, which minimizes the risk to Earth?” The US representative was needling and baiting Daniel. Daniel was aware of that. He had been warned by everyone to beware of this particular member of the committee.
“Yes madam, I do.” Daniel replied pokerfaced, refusing to get drawn into her bait.
The committee questions veered into the usual bickering about budget, and who pays for what and in what payment schedules. Most of them were not directed towards Daniel, although he was asked various questions on priorities.
After the session was over, Ramesh came up to Daniel and informed that the political winds indicated that his proposal would be passed. Ramesh assured that the Human alliance would ensure that US puts its weight behind it, despite the problematic representative from the US. The Chinese, Russians and Indians were supportive, although the Europeans were noncommittal. But there was enough support that should carry the proposal through.
Daniel went back to his hotel room wondering whether he had played the cards of the biggest gamble of his life right.
Chapter 9
Change of plan
Kuiper Belt, on the way to the Solar system
December 2082
Warmaster Taste of Belligerence was shocked. The spawns of Ka were communicating in the holy language of their beings! It should not be possible! In the history of their beings, they have fought spawns of Ka before. As a seer and a warrior, it was required for the Warmaster to study the previous encounters of their beings with earlier spawns of Ka.
As preparation for this campaign, the Warmaster had studied those encounters further in as much detail as possible. He would have known if ever a spawn of Ka had been able to speak the holy language. It was thought impossible because the holy language was ordained such. It was adapted for the mental capabilities of their beings. It should be far too complex for the spawns to even have a conception of such a language, let alone the ability to understand and speak it.
Yet that is what was happening right now. It was a general consensus amongst his beings that these spawns of Ka were different. Not the most powerful his beings had faced, but different in many ways from the others. In fact these spawns were almost as weak as the first spawns of Ka their beings had faced and exterminated, and those spawns had been laughably primitive.
Yet these spawns of Ka had not just stopped but destroyed a fully armed migration vessel. That is what made these spawns different. It was thought that Ka had designed these spawns with special attention to deception. Ka intends to fight this battle with the element of surprise.
Let us see who surprises whom this time. They may have defeated a migration ship, but let them see the wrath of war vessels of his beings. The council of seers in their briefings had specifically warned him against underestimating the capabilities of these spawns of Ka. It is tho
ught that underestimation was a major cause of the defeat for Warmaster Scent of Carnage in the previous campaign.
Warmaster Belligerence had already got a taste of that underestimation, and his campaign had not even begun! If these spawns were capable of the amazing mental feat of understanding the holy language, what else were they capable of?! He needed to reevaluate his plans in light of this new capability of the enemy. He needed the counsel of the curious caste seer who had come with them for this campaign.
Seer Taste of Mystery was one of eldest in the curious caste not yet a member of the council. He was a student of the wisest of them all, seer Taste of Harmony. The Warmaster wished that he had the counsel of seer Harmony himself. This was such a profound discovery that he would have been the best of their beings to interpret the significance. Seer Mystery was very good too, and he was the one available to him for counsel.
Seer Mystery was at his tasting station in his assigned niche. The Warmaster could easily have made contact with him from his own station, but this was a subject where he needed to taste his physical slime. This discussion was too important for the impersonal taste signals coming from a tasting station.
The Warmaster went over to Mystery, touched him and started sending electrochemical signals through the skin without any preamble, as is the way of their beings. The Warmaster could sense that Mystery was simultaneously tasting the signals sent by the spawns of Ka over and over again. Those signals as well as Mystery’s initial prognosis were coming over the electrochemical signals from the slime of Mystery.
What the two seers were having, could loosely be called as communicating with each other. Human language does not have an exact term for this form of communication. It was more like the two had created a connection between their brains through the electrochemical signals they were exchanging with their skin slime. The connection was not as fast or rich as synaptic neurons that interconnect the parts of the brain, but is was fast. It was much faster than the neural interfaces developed by humans, which had recently started being adopted by a few.
Their brains had not merged into a single entity because the connection was narrow and each side could choose the signals they wanted to send. Each brain still functioned autonomously. However once they decided to share a train of thought or a concept, the neurochemical signal were transmitted unaltered through the skin slime for the other brain to interpret it in raw format.
This was possible because the skin slime was secreted by a specialized part of the brain responsible for this function. Thus the slime was made out of brain material having the same neurochemical properties as the brain. One of the signs that a being is being claimed by entropy and ready to be sent to the liquefaction chambers, is when the skin slime of the being starts drying up. I means that the brain is no longer functioning properly. Mystery had seen the seer Taste of Light, his mentor Harmony’s mentor go through the process and having to be sent to the liquefaction chamber.
When the slime functions however, it is the most amazing form of communication between two intelligent living beings. It is so rich that comparing it to human conversation is like comparing human conversation to a dog’s barks. It is like being in the head of the other person and understanding what the other person is thinking along with all the context within which the person is thinking.
Thus what transpired between the Warmaster and seer Taste of Mystery could hardly be called conversation, but in gist the conversation went along the following lines.
“You have tasted the signals sent by the spawns of Ka seer Mystery. I have come for counsel. I would like to know your thoughts on what it signifies, and how that may affect our battle plans.”
“I share you shock, surprise and utter disbelief Warmaster. I am not going to dwell on the fact that it should not be possible, because it has already happened. I will start with mode of transmission and the structure of the language used, and make some speculations on the psychological profile of the enemy. I will then analyze the message itself and give you my thinking on their intentions.
First thing to note is that the enemy first transmitted the signals over the exact frequency of laser light that we use for our ship to ship communication as well as to communicate back to our world. This means that they are aware of our exact communication mechanisms and protocol. You should be conscious of this fact throughout this campaign Warmaster. It has dangerous implications for us.”
“How is this possible seer Mystery? Warriors follow strict communications discipline. It should not have been possible to break into our communications.”
“I suspect Warmaster that the enemy got hold of our communications equipment from either the original scout vessel or the nest we had made on the 6th planet’s moon. We are unaware of the fate of both, and it is possible that one or both of them were captured by the enemy, and our communication equipment studied.
I would not have believed that the enemy was capable of replicating our communication technology even if they got hold of a sample equipment, but I cannot deny proof staring at me. This adds strength to the council of seer’s warning that the enemy is far more capable that it lets us believe. We have to be constantly wary of underestimating them. It tells me a lot about their psychological profile, but I will come to that later.
A few milli-cycles later, they repeated the same message over the electromagnetic spectrum, starting with microwave frequency used by us as an alternate means for long distance communication. I believe they would have eavesdropped into Warmaster Scent of Carnage’s last report from the previous campaign.
They would have most probably eavesdropped from their base on the moon, since all the three war vessels of the enemy were dead. This means that their base on the moon must have survived to pass on the information to the rest of the enemy, which means that our nest on the moon must have been destroyed or captured, which is what makes me believe that they learnt our communication protocol from our captured nest.
After transmission on a certain frequency, the enemy waited for some time before changing frequency and transmitting again. Every time, they transmitted the exact same communication. I hypothesize that they are expecting or hoping for a response. So the spawns of Ka are trying open a conversation with us.”
“Why would any being want to open a conversation with their enemy?! What can they expect to gain out of it? Do they expect us to turn back to our world and abandon our holy duty seer Mystery?”
“Deception perhaps Warmaster, we cannot be sure. I will come to that, but first let me highlight the syntax and grammar of their message. You must have noted Warmaster that the structure of the language in the message was incorrect on many counts. It was as bad as a youngling just out of a spawn would communicate. Since we have had no precedent of any spawn of Ka ever having used our holy language, we cannot say with certainty whether this bad language syntax is due to diminished mental abilities of the enemy to learn the complexities of the holy language, or because no one taught them any better.
The reason I have been repeating the message over and over again is to make certain that we have understood correctly what the message means. With such bad grammar and syntax used, it is possible for us to misunderstand what the enemy means to say. However I am now fairly certain Warmaster that the message means what we interpreted it the first time.”
“So seer Mystery, where does that leave us with understanding the true intentions of the enemy, you know their message as well as I?”
“Well Warmaster… other than their obvious intention, the purpose for which they were designed by Ka, that of challenging the survival of our beings, I have no special insights into their tactical intentions. Those are your area of specialty and I will like to hear from you about them.
I can however give you some insights that I have gleaned from the message, on things that may be important to the enemy. Knowledge, which may hold value in our upcoming struggle. I can also speculate how they are likely to behave if we put pressure on certain assets of theirs. An
d last but not least, I have a suspicion which if possible should be investigated, for it has terrible consequences for our species if they turn out to be true.”
“I would very much like to hear about them seer Mystery, it would influence any change of our battle plans.”
“The fact that the 3rd and their home planet is precious and critical to the enemy is obvious and need not even be discussed. We had however not seen any significant presence of the enemy in any other body in this heart of the Kalshuk system. This is what had led us to believe they are not very void capable species.
If you note however that the enemy has a presence on both the 4th planet of Kalshuk as well as the moon orbiting their own home world. The presence is small from what we can make out from this far, but that could be the failing of our sensors or a deception on part of the enemy.
If you remember, the previous expeditions had reported that they had not detected any enemy presence of the enemy on the 4th planet. They had only detected automated signals from the moon of their home planet but no presence of the enemy there.
It is not possible that the enemy suddenly sprang up on these two places in the intervening two thousand cycles. If these two places were capable of supporting the spawns of Ka, then they would have migrated there long time ago. It would be too much of a coincidence for the enemy to suddenly become migration capable between the time of our last expedition and this expedition.
Becoming migration capable to settle another planet takes millions of cycles to evolve, as we know from the history of our own beings. So the enemy was always there. Either our previous expeditions were mistaken, or they were deceived by the enemy.
So why would they want to hide their presence from the 4th planet and the moon, when they have made no attempt to hide their presence on their home world itself, which presumably is the most precious to them? Even their message is designed to keep up away from these two places.
Shaitan Wars 2: Wrath of the Shaitans Page 11