by Chris Hechtl
“Hopefully, we won't need that many, but we'll see,” the admiral murmured. “Now, we'll need to shift some resources around I understand,” he said. “Do you want some time to consider it with your staff, Captain?” he said, shifting to look at Captain Ch'n'x
“I'd like to do so, sir. I think we can skim a division off of Third Fleet. Question, will we be getting them back?”
“No. I highly doubt it. I'll double-check with Admiral Irons when I get the chance though,” the admiral replied as he made a note. “Now, you can look into the tanker. Shifting focus here, we've got another planned exercise with the Seti Alpha 4 picket and fortresses scheduled for next week. I'd like to see if Rear Admiral X'll'r can shake a task force loose to play the op force. It'd be nice if we could add some realism by having them actually jump into the star system, but I know we don't want to add too much to the wear and tear of the equipment. But sometimes you need to add a bit of realism to shake people out of their complacency from time to time. I wish we could do it without them knowing, but I don't want or need a live fire accident either …”
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Airea 3
Two days after getting to the ground, Dancer's crew leave was cut short. The ship was ordered to bring the full records to Epsilon Triangula then to haul ass back to the Trajin cluster to tell them help was coming. The Veraxin captain managed to delay her crew's loss of liberty for a short time by arranging a refueling of water and basic supplies, then negotiating for fresh food to be brought up to the ship.
Chapter 26
Boni waited until the commodore was deeply asleep in a stable delta wave pattern before she attempted to control the woman's body. It wasn't just her curiosity that drove her to it. She knew someday she would need to do so in a hurry, so she needed to create the programming and learn the necessary methods of controlling the body, which nerve impulses to trigger, that sort of thing.
If she'd waited longer, the commodore would have slipped into REM, which would have made her lose muscle tone and be virtually paralyzed for the duration of that period. Delta state meant she was in the deepest level of sleep and wouldn't wake if the A.I. accidentally bumped a limb.
She wasn't quite comfortable with getting the commodore to rise and walk around the compartment yet, but that was coming. For the moment, she focused on moving each limb, then moving them in a sequence of simulated walking or kicking motions.
She had practiced such things every time the commodore had slipped into delta. She had also monitored the commodore's neural network and central nervous system so she could better copy the movements. She was gaining in confidence that she could work the woman's body when necessary. Balance was still something she was learning to take into consideration.
When she finished a series of exercises, she let go of the nervous system and allowed the woman's body to rest once more. She focused on internal considerations. They were a day out from their next stop, and she knew that the commodore like the crew had little hope that the star system had rethought its position in helping or joining the Federation.
She ran through the ship's forums and chat boards and then checked on Lieutenant Prometheus. The other A.I. was in his own downtime for the moment so she reveled in the freedom of the network. She co-opted some unused processors to run some problems she'd had lingering in her lists.
One thing she did know was that she needed to encourage the commodore more to use her flag staff more fully. For the moment, they were underutilized. The comments on the board supported that. She was of two minds about pointing it out. She ran a series of sims from worst to best case, then averaged them. The odds were not in favor of showing them to her. She wrote a Turing bot database she could draw on for answers if and when the subject came up, including loading evasions if necessary.
She ran a check on the security of the compartment and surrounding area, then the ship's systems, then finally the convoy's status. She logged what she saw and then reluctantly released the borrowed processors as Lieutenant Prometheus came out of his slumber. She decided she could doze, so she took some of her higher functions offline to process what she'd learned during the day as well as her recent activities, ever mindful of keeping a part of her consciousness aware in case of threat or need.
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As Puglia had reported, Tau-X3301 was a star system with a series of space colonies only; there were no habitable planets in the star system. The system was a good stop since it had several gas giants and a good refueling operation going. The population had been estimated at around twenty thousand or so. They didn't do business with just anyone however. Their leader Cairne had flat-out refused to do business with Puglia, citing the desire to remain neutral in the conflict between the Horathians and the Federation.
After reading and watching the videos of Captain Loggins' interaction with the natives, Shelby didn't reserve very high hopes of making any headway herself with the natives, but she was determined to try one more time as they passed through the star system.
That determination changed when their sensors reported that many of the small space colony stations, some built out of stranded starships, had been blown into clouds of debris.
“Who? Who could have done this?”
“Based on the ion trails, there have only been three ships through here in the past eighteen months, ma'am,” the sensor rating replied.
“Let me guess which three,” Cynthia growled, fists clenching in important rage.
“My sentiments exactly,” Shelby said, glancing at her XO and then to the main plot as CIC continued to coordinate incoming sensor feeds from the convoy's escorts. “Why did they do this though? Comm, see if you can raise anyone,” Shelby said, turning to Lieutenant Jardin. “Put me through to the frigates. I want them detached to spread out and look for survivors,” she said. She frowned and then nodded. “Get them the information on this system that Puglia collected. Have Captain Loggins help,” she said.
“Aye aye, ma’am.”
“Let them know they can use recon drones and to dispatch SAR teams at their discretion,” she ordered.
“Aye aye, ma’am,” the communication's rating said.
“Move us in slowly, Portia, when we're ready. Mahoney may have her hands full. We're going to need to help them,” she said.
“Aye aye, ma’am,” the navigator murmured.
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A day later and the convoy had started to move cautiously into the inner star system. The frigates that had spread out ahead of them had reported back finding several destroyed colonies. The colony with the largest fuel supply had been only lightly hit. Based on the frigate's sensor findings, the fuel had been taken not dispersed by the punctures to the tanks.
“They raided for fuel and supplies,” Shelby said. “We're still talking about the three ships that survived the encounter with Puglia here, right?” she asked, looking around the wardroom to her staff. Heads nodded. “Sensors have positively fingerprinted their emissions to within a 5 percent margin of error. That is close enough to match the trio of ships that Puglia had tangled with. That makes it Fourth Fleet,” Cynthia said.
Shelby looked around the compartment. The officers were clearly frustrated and enraged by what they had seen. “Senseless. It's … they were helpless and …,” Portia waved her hand paw.
“I know,” Lieutenant Talon said.
“We're here to stop it,” Lieutenant L'n'v'll said softly.
“This has been going on here and elsewhere for centuries,” Shelby said heavily. “We can't be everywhere. But you are right, we're here now, and we're here to put an end to it,” she said firmly.
“We have a rough timeline of events, ma'am. The pirates arrived eighteen months prior. They moved in and took out the colonies nearest on their way to the fuel station with what looks like kinetic strikes,” Lieutenant Z'k'th'ss'Th reported. “The colonies of course couldn't dodge.”
“They most likely didn't know what hit them,” Lieutenant L
'n'v'll stated.
“Possibly true. We have found some survivors,” the Naga reported. That made some people perk up. “We've been monitoring a whisker laser; one of our ships passed right through it on its way in to check the colony. We identified half a dozen survivors in the caverns and mines on that moon. They've been trapped there waiting and watching their air and hope run out all this time. They did their best to help themselves, but they are in a sorry state,” the Naga said.
“Get SAR on them. Have them broadcast our bona fides to the star system at large in case there are more out there. Have them transported to the Mahoney,” Shelby ordered.
“Aye aye, ma’am,” the Naga said, making a note. “They are starving and on the ragged edge. From the initial observations, a few have spent too much time on the surface trying to effect repairs. At least two have been cooked by exposure to too much radiation,” the Naga stated. “They are also reluctant to leave the only home they've ever known.”
“Wouldn't you? They don't know us,” Chief Sulistyo said bitterly.
“Have the doctors take care of them. Hell, if we have to park Mahoney near and ferry them up or the doctors down, whatever works,” Shelby growled.
“Aye aye, ma’am.”
“Ma'am, we are receiving hails from the extended SAR teams,” Lieutenant Prometheus stated. Shelby looked up and then over to his holographic avatar. “We're getting hails from all over. Some are scared, and some are asking or even begging to join us.”
Shelby closed her eyes briefly. She inhaled and then exhaled slowly, aware the others were looking at her expectantly. Finally, she opened her eyes. “Get me a headcount.”
“There is also chatter from some who wish to remain. They seem stubborn and are demanding the others stay behind as well,” the A.I. reported.
“We don't have that much room, some since we put the frigates out, but not a lot for thousands of people. But we'll find a place for them and fit them in,” Shelby vowed.
“If peer pressure doesn't convince the rest to remain behind and rebuild,” Portia observed.
“Well, they can count their blessings,” the Naga tactical officer said. Accusing eyes turned to him. “They have been hit and more or less shattered. I doubt the pirates will bother coming back since they did the deed. That will give them time to rebuild.”
“Why, the bastards will just return eventually to take what they want,” Chief Sulistyo said bitterly.
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The convoy spread out across the solar system and scoured it for survivors. Everyone was treated on the hospital ship. Those that wished to remain in the convoy were given cabin space in the transports. A few returned to their homes to gather what meager belongings they could.
The remaining colonists voted to try to pool their resources and survive more or less together. Shelby had the convoy help in that. They managed to get one of the largest moon colonies back online. The five overworked Spacebees and volunteers from the fleet helped the natives by patching the domes and cleaning the facilities, then rebuilding the power supply and life support. Electronic shops on Gustav Eiffel rebuilt the colonies electronics. Work crews stripped the other abandoned bases for usable gear and brought them to the new colony or used them as material to produce some of the equipment the new colony needed. They even provided seedlings and ration packs from the hydroponics on the ships to help restart their greenhouses.
Three hundred and eighty-six people had been found alive. Seven had died from their radiation exposure despite the best efforts of the medics on the hospital ship. Of the surviving number, three hundred and twenty had decided to remain. Ten were judged as seriously ill by the medics on Mahoney. They had been treated for the cancers and radiation damage, but the damage was too extensive to hope for a miracle. They all knew they were on borrowed time and wished to spend it with the loved ones in familiar surroundings.
Shelby gave them an automated refinery platform for the gas giant as well as an automated fuel tug and a manned tug. She handed over a generous supply of parts to help them keep their electronics, mining equipment, solar panels, elderly fusion reactor, as well as their life support going.
“You've done enough, Commodore,” Cairne the Tauren leader of the colony said gruffly. “We'll be fine here once you are gone,” he said. “I'll even log a discount for your ships the next time they pass through these parts,” he said grudgingly.
“Look …”
“We thank you. You've done enough and have more to do elsewhere. You can go,” the Tauren said in dismissal.
Shelby nodded slowly. Cairne was a prideful old bull. Captain Loggins had confirmed that the bull had been the one who had refused his ship trade when Puglia had come to the star system. There was something to be said about hubris she thought as she closed the channel.
“So wait, that's it? We spend a week or so helping them rebuild, and they give us a pat on the back and send us on our way?” Portia demanded.
“We didn't do it for thanks,” Shelby said as she turned to see the doctor come onto the bridge.
“I'd like to check the bodies. I need to see if they have the plague,” Doctor Taylor said. “None of the bodies we recovered did, but some of the colonists reported that the bases near the jump point to Tau-23IX22 went offline before they were hit.”
Shelby shook her head. “Denied, Doctor,” she said. He opened his mouth to protest but she raised her fingers off the desk to stop him with a hand gesture. “We can't risk it, Doc, besides, exposure to vacuum over this long a period?” Shelby asked.
He grimaced but then nodded. “The exposure would have destroyed the virus most likely,” he finally admitted.
“If they even used it in the first place, Doctor,” Portia said. All eyes turned to the Neopanda. “Why use a virus when you are already planning on blowing them up? Why risk exposing your own people?” she asked.
Shelby nodded. “True,” she said slowly. “Good point, Lieutenant,” she said with a nod to the navigator.
“You were hoping we'd find proof that the Horathians are behind the spread of the virus?” Shelby asked, arching an eyebrow to the doctor.
“Yes, ma’am. Proof or lack of proof. I don't know,” he said with a shrug.
“Better luck next time,” Shelby said.
“I hope not,” he said, seemingly affronted. Her eyebrow quirked upwards again. “I'd like to have seen the last of that plague, thank you very much,” he said firmly.
She nodded in agreement. “You and me both, Doc,” she said.
“Ma'am, we're getting a faint neutrino signal. There is something on the other side of the star system,” the sensor watch said. “Very faint.”
“Are we going to go over to it? Delay leaving, ma'am?” Portia asked.
“CIC, how good are your readings on this tango?” Shelby asked.
“Not good, ma'am,” the rating said from the overhead. “It is very faint. We've managed to triangulate it, but it is several AU on the other side of the star system.”
“Either it's pirates or the natives. Would Cairne know?” Shelby asked.
“Would he even tell us if he did?” Portia muttered. Shelby's eyes cut to the panda. She grimaced. The panda was right.
“Is it moving CIC?”
“No, ma’am. Fixed in one location,” the sensor rating reported.
“Well then, we can leave it to the locals then,” Shelby said with a shake of her head. She heard the doctor inhale in protest. She turned to him. “We've done enough. If they wanted our help, they would have asked for it. Don't worry; the natives who stay behind will talk to them eventually. They've got a couple tugs; they can trade. When we send a ship back, perhaps they'll be enticed to trust us.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the doctor murmured with a brief nod.
Shelby smiled slightly, then turned to the Neopanda. “Have the convoy form up. Plot a course to the next jump point and execute once the convoy has been reformed. We'll do something about resupply if necessary at the jump point,
” she said.
“Aye aye, ma’am,” Portia replied.
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Captain Magda Burke of the elderly but still well-used Charger class destroyer Castrator watched the massive number of ships go with a mix of annoyance and relief. On the one hand, such an opportunity for booty … but on the other there had been far too many hostile warships involved. Where they had come from though … she shook her head. Best to keep a very safe distance and let the others know a new set of players were in the sector.
She'd lucked out in timing. Castrator had jumped in three days prior to the convoy's arrival. That timing had allowed her energy discharge to have been dispersed by the time the other ships had arrived across the solar system. She'd been conserving fuel, piddling across the star system and actually dismayed by the carnage one of her fellow pirates had inflicted. She'd known Cairne; she'd gotten fuel and supplies out of him each time she'd passed through the system without more than a surly growl from the old bull. To burn everything down like that, it seemed like a waste. It also meant that the fuel they'd get in the area would be crap from the planets, thick with impurities and such, and harder to extract from the bottom of the gravity well of a planet.
Those thoughts were almost forgotten as she had watched the interlopers spread out. She'd gone to stealth out of an abundance of caution and was glad she had. She'd thought they were Horathian, but the chatter her radio watch had recorded told her a different story. She didn't know if they were truly Federation or not, but it was very interesting. They had to have some really expensive cargo in those ships to have such a heavy escort too.
Once the convoy jumped out of the star system, Captain Burke powered up Castrator's engines and then went to her own jump point. The jump point to Cenarius was known but not often used; it had a secret jump point that led to Virgin's Holes, the nearest pirate base.
Word would spread of the convoy, and perhaps Captain Burke's ship would be in when they got enough ships together to take down the escorts and divide the spoils up for themselves.