The Collective

by David McCahan

  Actually the grumbling as that part of the news sunk in wasn’t as bad as Jeff had feared it would be.

  “Once free of the Heliosphere we are cleared to engage Grav Drives and complete our 2 C burn test and on successful completion of that test we can proceed to Epsilon Eridani at 10 C.”

  That brought back the cheers. Jeff nodded to Glory who knew that was her clue to start the countdown clock. As the crew noticed the now active countdown being displayed, the roar of their celebration grew louder. The General held up his hands for quiet which section commanders picked up on and quieted their ranks.

  “As you can see, we don’t have that much time and there is still a lot of work to be done. So section chiefs check your project punch lists and assignments. Keep on your timelines and report in progress. So let’s get to it!”

  Index

  Chapter 2 - Onward

  0700 July 19, 2169; launch minus 2 hours. The senior staff and department heads meet in the Commanders Conference Room for final status checks and orders.

  General Fitsimmons cleared his throat and immediately everyone focused their full attention on their commanding officer. “We are now two hours until launch for Epsilon Eridani. Our mission there is to assess the 5th planet of that system, code named Eden, for possible colonization. If surveys prove correct we will place a scientific outpost and a marine contingent to begin the process of establishing a colony. We will then continue to our secondary target in the Tau Ceti system for the same purpose. We will then return to Eden and then finally Earth. Estimated mission time for Columbia is 10 years.”

  Jeff paused to assess the room and was met with approval reflected in the crew’s attentiveness. “Of course this is all contingent on successful egress from Sol system and then successful full power run of the Gravity Drive Systems. Had there been a less threatening atmosphere regarding our gravity propulsion we would have ideally run full operational trials instead of static tests on the drives, but ‘we play the hand that is dealt us’.” Glory managed to suppress a snicker at the reference to poker. Her historical references were evidently being noticed by Jeff a lot more than she had thought. “Colonel Callaghan if you would brief us on the plans for our safe departure clear of the solar system and then quickly final status updates?”

  “Yes Sir. Obviously the intense disapproval and/or hatred of this system and the gravity focus technology means there are more than one government and group that would wish us a less than successful departure. Let’s face it - there are many that would be very happy to see us explode like a star turned Super-Nova.” A few hisses and groans met that statement but no disagreement with the blunt assessment. “To that end CentCom has ordered a conservative departure plan with two squadrons of screening ships accompanying us all the way into interstellar space before we are free to engage Gravity Drives and accelerate towards Eden. While we could outrun and out-maneuver any system on only Ion drive we are ordered to stay within our screen and so at their best speed. The estimate is 42 hours to interstellar space if no obstacles are encountered.” That brought a Collective groan. “Additionally, we are under the orders to NOT engage Gravity Focus, at all costs, while in system. The Atlas Station catastrophe may have been 34 years ago but we are to honor the Shantou Accord.” A quick survey of the room showed full understanding.

  The Shantou Accord was a treaty establishing the prohibition of Gravity Focus within the Solar System with any force greater than 20,000 Newtons. This would barely be sufficient to catch small asteroids but even that was a major concession given the magnitude of the death and destruction on the Asian Continent when Atlas focused her rear focal point on Earth with too much force and too tight a focus to brace against the asteroid. Not that there weren’t military reprisals but it still prevented all out world war. Attacks on this station to either destroy it or at least cause an incident were a very real concern.

  Glory continued, “Engineering, status of the drive and power systems after the OS updates?”

  Chief of Engineering Colonel Javier Rodrigues lifted his tablet to view the latest status dashboard, even though he had been reviewing and updating the stats almost continuously for the past hour, and summarized; “All Fusion Reactors are fully operational with no problems detected and all Gravity Generators are also fully operational with no problems detected. All the software and firmware updates that CentCom sent up have been applied and tested. Engineering is go for launch.”

  “Thank you Colonel. Navigation status?” Glory continued.

  “Yes Ma’am. We have received final course corrections and they have been plotted and verified by ships systems.” Lt. Colonel Eva Svenson began. “There has been a last minute change on the in-system route that CentCom just sent up.”

  That got the General’s interest. “Colonel Svenson please explain the change and why am I just hearing this?”

  “Sorry Sir, the order just came in 10 minutes ago,” Eva began “and had explicit instructions to confirm and verify prior to advising command. I just received that verification a few seconds ago. The change in plans is that I am to choose the heading plus or minus 10 degrees to perpendicular of the elliptical plane and only relay that to our screen just before launch. Then somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way to the Heliosphere, again at my discretion, alter course again by 5 to 10 degrees. In this way no one on Earth, or even in space except for me, knows where we will exit into interstellar space exactly or even know within a few million miles our exact course in transit.”

  “Colonel Callaghan can you verify those orders?” Jeff requested.

  “Verifying Sir.” Glory responded as she linked into the ships command systems in her mind’s eye where the orders would have been logged once CentCom verified them. “Orders received and verified. Our Navigation Officer has sole discretion on course and additionally once she sets course the screens Navigation systems will be slaved to ours and updated automatically. Obviously CentCom wants to add an extra layer of security to our departure. If they don’t know our course than it cannot be leaked. The squadron waiting for us in Interstellar space will serve largely as a decoy. Although we can use their sensors to look for any dangers past the Heliopause.”

  “Well, I don’t care for surprises, but all things considered not a bad plan.” Jeff replied. “Ok, anyone else have any surprises or anything other than Green Status and Go for Launch?” He waited a few moments and scanned the room. Seeing all thumbs up he replied, “Good then we all have a lot to do in a very short time. Everyone to their duty stations, finalize your check lists and report final acknowledgments to C&C. Launch at 0900. Dismissed.”

  With the launch just a few minutes away the Command and Control Center was a hive of activity. Considering the space available on Columbia the C&C was as spacious as any similar facility on Earth. Around the perimeter of the circular room were two rows of workstations purposed to provide the Commanding Officer all the information needed on the internal systems of Columbia and also the strategic conditions of near and far space around the ship. In addition to being capable of focusing gravity to attract or repel from objects at vast distances the gravity systems also provided the means to monitor the gravity signatures of objects with astounding precision. It would be near impossible for a vessel to sneak up on Columbia, which is why many in the crew could not understand why the brass wouldn’t just turn her loose and let them make use of her superior speed and maneuverability to avoid confrontation. When Columbia enabled her Gravity Drive a gravity field would be created around the ship. Essentially warping the gravity around Columbia. She would be isolated from local gravity and exert near zero mass in local space. Her Ion drives, which are strong enough to move the ship at 0.4 C (light speed) with the Gravity Drives off, can move the ship to 0.75 C with the drives powered. About 1/3 faster than any known Ion Drive ship in space.

  The two squadrons of Nimitz Class Destroyers were formed around the LaGrange point that housed the shipyards that produced the Columbia. Her sister ship was nearly half complete
d and would launch on her own mission before Columbia’s projected return. That armed space going vessels were even needed was a sad testament to the turmoil from the 21st Century that spawned the reorganization of the Earth governments and formed new alliances and new enemies and dangers. From the economic collapse of governments around the world in the mid 2100’s to the religious wars in the middle east that managed to carry into many other areas of the world there was now a much more divided world to consider. The Western Republic was much stronger economically and so could afford to expand into the space around Earth and now looked to the stars. There were many that wanted to prevent that for a wide variety of reasons. For the crew of Columbia once they were out of the Sol system and running free in Interstellar Space they could leave all the politics behind, many for the rest of their lives, hopefully.

  “Alright Glo let’s get our final checklist complete and get underway.” General Fitsimmons told his second in command as he stared into the main 3d plot showing the placement of all assets and threats in the area and also their ‘projected’ departure path. Projected because Colonel Svenson was the only person that would know her final selected route until she locked in the route and then he ordered them underway.

  “Yes Sir!” Glory responded a little more enthusiastically then she would have liked, but if anyone noticed they didn’t let on. She keyed her com unit to address the command network, “All department chiefs report in final status on departure checklists and confirm go/no-go status.”

  With anyone other than Colonel Callaghan and her ‘enhancements’ this status check would have taken considerably longer to sift through the reports or take a role call over the com. In this case the status’ were updated in the C&C system and Glory was able to roll through them in a matter of seconds.

  “All systems report fully operational and all departments report go for launch General.” Glory reported to the commander.

  “Excellent Colonel. Navigation please activate your chosen course, relay to our screen and advise when ready to engage.” Jeff spoke into the com system.

  “Yes Sir” was the response in his earpiece. A few seconds went by while she activated the course and waited for the escort ships to acknowledge the updates. “All vessels report acceptance of course. Fleet ready at your command Sir.”

  Finally, after five years, for many of this crew, preparing for this mission it was time to get underway. A final check of the systems in the plot showed all systems go, Gravity Drives engaged (no Gravity Focus to be used but the gravity bubble is still produced) and Ion Drives ready and awaiting his command. A single word was all that anyone wanted to hear so that was all he said, “Launch!”

  With endless drills honing this complex task into routine the ship and her screening fleet began to move out of orbit onward to interstellar space and ultimately a star 10.5 light years distance and hopefully a new Eden.

  Index

  Chapter 3 – Escape

  As the fleet began to move out slowly, or at least slower than the crew of the Columbia would have liked, the excitement grew. Everyone was glued to any monitor they could find with ship mission information. Colonel Svenson had decided to make full use of her guidelines and chose a heading a full 10 degrees off of perpendicular to the elliptical plane. Instead of heading out past the planets and the asteroid fields it had been decided to go straight “up” out of the system and once past the Heliopause, then choose a direct heading to Eden in the Epsilon Eridani system. The 10 degrees off of that course did not add any meaningful time and the further away from their announced course, the better for safety as far as she was concerned.

  “General, fleet is underway, on course and moving at our projected speed of 0.5 C. Current speed and heading would clear the Heliopause in approximately 42.5 hours.”

  She could not announce final arrival in interstellar space because their orders were for her to choose from a range of time and amount for course changes and also amount of change of the course. Also the exact moment they left the Sol system and entered interstellar space is not exactly a clear cut border so any estimate would by definition be ‘approximate’.

  “Engineering, let’s keep a tight watch on the sensor network. I want to know if so much as a pebble between here and Pluto changes course.” Jeff spoke into the com. While traveling above the elliptic meant less places to hide wandering comets and asteroids moving about still provided cover. The most dangerous time was just as they got underway, where there were still plenty of places to hide.

  “Acknowledged, Sir,” Came the reply from the Chief of Engineering.

  No sooner had that exchange took place when alarms sounded. The 3d plot lit up with red dots designating possible threats. Plenty coming from Earth side, from the Moon and further out another wave from the direction of Mars.

  “Colonel Callaghan, can the systems get assessment on the bogies yet?” Jeff asked.

  “Coming in now, Sir. The near threats all seem to be scout class or personal craft. No weapon systems detected, no targeting systems for missile deployment. Initial threat assessment is suicide pilots. Probably try to peel off our screen.” A slight pause as she queried the system for additional information. “The second wave coming in from outer system is spreading out to try to cover our escape trajectory. Laser weaponry and targeting systems for missile deployment. Looks like they are going to try to get in our way and engage us directly. Can’t rule out suicide attacks from them as well.”

  As Glory reported on the threats Jeff was studying the plot for friend and foe deployment. “Navigation, alter course heading X plus 15 degrees by Z minus 10 degrees to give the more distant bogies a little more difficult intercept.”

  “Yes Sir.” Eva responded. “General, the screen commander is deploying her ships in three parts to address the three separate threats. She advises the ships headed for the Mars side threats are capable of 0.6 C for a short distance and so we can accelerate as well.”

  “Increase speed then, Nav,” Jeff responded. Watching the plot as the other ships risked their lives to challenge the possible hostiles. Rather than just eliminating them they were attacking at close range when the challenges were refused. If Glory was correct in her assessment that even though the hostiles were ending in a ball of exploding gases, they surely were packed with explosives, they achieved their goal of diverting the screen. As Columbia and only 1/3 of her screen accelerated away from Earth they were facing an armed threat which outnumbered Columbia and her screen 2 to 1. The technological advantage was dramatically on their side but all it would take is one to get through and get a lucky shot to force Columbia back to the ship yards for repairs.

  “Colonel, shall we open our Easter Egg now?” Jeff asked to Glory.

  “CentCom didn’t think them necessary, but can’t let ‘em fight our battles for us now can they?” Glory responded while ordering two full squadrons of tactical shuttles to launch via her cyberlink. The shuttles functioned well as armored landing craft but also were fast and packing laser canons and ship to ship missiles.

  “Alright ladies and gents, time for us to join the party.” Lt. Sato keyed his com and ordered his squadron’s into the battle. “Arm missiles and safeties off Lasers.”

  The plot now brightened with an additional 48 green icons designating friendly craft.

  “Alphas we’re to reinforce the flank at a heading of 350 degrees by 20 degrees high. Bravo you’ve been designated the bogies trying to cut under the flagship dead ahead and 10 degrees low. The bogies have already been warned, so engage and destroy. Full emergency accel now.” Lt. Sato, Alpha Squadron Lead, ordered his shuttles into the fight. “Raptor Control this is Columbia Alpha leader, Alpha and Bravo Squadrons are approaching to assist. We have synched into your Battle Net and acknowledge your control.”

  “Acknowledge Alpha Leader, this is Raptor Control. Welcome to the fight. Proceed on your current vectors, your assigned bogies are flagged for your teams, good hunting.”

  “Thank You, Raptor Control.�
� Lt. Sato then keyed squadron internal coms, “Alright, you heard the lady, bogies a plenty, let’s take ‘em out. Alpha 3 and 4, take your wings and swing outside and flank our assigned bogies. The rest of Alpha stay on me and we’ll meet them head-on. Once we have solid missile lock, launch on my mark, then we’ll clean-up the stragglers with lasers.”

  The battle behind them was now over and all threats on that side were eliminated. The ships were deploying out in front of Columbia and numbers were on their side.

  “Nav, let’s slow forward speed to 0.4 C to give them a little more room to engage the hostiles in front of us and let the rest of the screen catch up.”

  “Yes Sir, slowing to 0.4 C.” Eva responded.

  “Glo, keep a close look out for anymore threats.” Jeff looked over and she acknowledged his concern with a nod.

  “Alpha Squadron, positive missile lock, launch all birds.” Lt. Sato signaled his squadron. Each of 24 combat shuttles launched 2 missiles each at a combined 38 targets. The enemy ships deployed anti-missile counter measures from some of the ships, but the brute force and technological advantage of the Western Republic’s missiles scored direct hits on all but 4 of the targeted ships. Unfortunately, those 4 launched 4 missiles each from behind a protective screen.

  “Incoming missiles!! Alpha 8 and 13 evasive. All Alphas target those missiles!” Lt. Sato urged his squadron to defend 2 of their own that had been targeted by the full spread of missiles. Laser batteries opened fire and the incoming missiles began to disappear in a series of explosions approaching Alpha 8 and 13, until only 2 missiles were left and those were diverted by the decoys that those 2 craft deployed but detonated all too close. Alpha 3 and 4 with their wing mates swung in from the flanks and targeted the remaining bogies with lasers and destroyed them in a single pass.