“And in those terms, a Formic ship coming here would seem odd. But what if this sector of the Kuiper Belt wasn’t getting preferential attention? What if all sectors were getting equal attention? Maybe the Formics aren’t solely targeting this sector. Maybe they’re targeting them all.”
Victor and Imala exchanged glances.
“Every mining ship has a spotter like me,” said Edimar. “And we spotters have our own forums on the nets. We all look at the starcharts and make notes of new objects found and possible collision threats. We also track the movement of known pirates and keep each other informed of anomalies. All of that observational data goes into an open database we maintain. But it is by no means an exhaustive database. Movement happens all around us, and if we’re not looking for it, chances are we’re not going to see or notice it. There’s just too much open space to view and too few of us.
“So I asked every spotter I knew to look back through their records. We all use an Eye for tracking movement, but the Eye is just a computer. It only sees what we tell it to look for, and it only alerts us when it finds an object within the parameters we’ve defined. Most spotters set the parameters pretty narrowly. Otherwise, we’d be getting alerts constantly, mostly for objects that pose no threat. So we tell the Eye to only alert us of objects that come within half a million klicks of us, for example, and to ignore everything else. This means every spotter is operating in a little bubble. We’re not looking at the immensity of space around us and processing everything. We’re only looking at the space that affects us and our family. Our immediate vicinity.”
“Hence the database,” said Imala. “So you can share what you’re seeing.”
“Right,” said Edimar. “But the database isn’t a thorough record because it only includes the objects within our collective set parameters. So I told all the spotters to reach back six months into their records and to search for movement under new parameters. One, did their Eye detect any objects coming in from open space above the plane of the ecliptic? And two, could the trajectory of any of those objects intersect with an asteroid? Basically I wanted to know if other Formic ships had parked on rocks. By this morning, I had two dozen responses.”
She made a gesture in the holofield and two dozen red dots appeared in the solar system. Nearly all of them were on the side of the system nearest to the approaching Formics. Most were in the Kuiper Belt, but there were several in the Asteroid Belt as well.
“Now,” said Edimar, “these are only the responses I’ve received thus far. Most of them are from big clans with big ships that have strong Eyes and hefty laserline capabilities, meaning they can receive new posts and respond back fairly quickly. I have a few responses from small ships like us, but they’re all in the Kuiper Belt and within eight months of us, so relatively close. I suspect I’ll get more responses from smaller ships as time goes on. What’s significant right now is how quickly the responses are coming in. A lot of ships have detected an anomaly over the past six months. And remember, these are only the anomalies that were detected. This obviously doesn’t include objects that no one saw or that avoided detection.”
“So these dots,” said Imala, gesturing to the holofield, “while this may look like a lot, this might actually be woefully short of what’s really out there.”
Edimar nodded. “I ran a statistical algorithm. I had to fill in some numbers because I don’t have all the variables. It’s guesswork at this point. But even my conservative estimates will surprise you. Let’s assume that only thirty percent of these identified anomalies are Formic ships. I think that’s way low considering that all of these objects were heading for asteroids, but for the sake of argument, let’s leave it there. And let’s also assume that the Formics sent ships to all sectors on this side of the system. Considering the spread of known anomalies here, I don’t think that’s an unsubstantiated conjecture. And let’s also assume that the Formics sent the same number of ships to each sector.” She pointed to a cluster of asteroids in the Kuiper Belt. “Now, the highest number of anomalies was spotted here in this sector. Five. So we’ll let that be the number of spotted anomalies per sector. Five. And let’s also assume that the known anomalies represent only one-fifth of what’s actually there. That’s a big supposition I know, but considering that Copernicus didn’t detect its own attacker, I don’t think that number’s inflated. In fact, it’s probably higher. Any anomaly we spotted was probably a fortunate accident.”
Imala gestured to the holofield. “So how many Formic ships are we talking about?”
Edimar waved a hand in the holofield, and their side of the solar system filled with red dots. “Well over fifteen hundred.”
The others stared at the holo in disbelief, and for a moment no one spoke.
“It can’t be that many,” Imala said finally.
“That’s not the worst of it,” Edimar said. “I then went back again to the spotters and asked them to search one last time in their Eye records for any anomalies that had come in from deep space and intersected asteroids, but which had come not from above the ecliptic but from below it.”
“Below the ecliptic?” Imala said. “But the fleet is up here.”
“What was the result?” Victor asked.
“They gave me their numbers. I ran my algorithm. And this happened.” Edimar tapped the solar system and twice as many red dots appeared. “Roughly the same number of objects came from below as from above. We’re looking at three thousand Formic ships sitting on asteroids in our solar system. Right now.”
There was a long silence.
“But this is guesswork,” said Magoosa. “You’re just making up numbers.”
Victor had been so focused on the holo, and Magoosa had been so quiet off to the side, that Victor had forgotten the boy was there. “It’s not guesswork, Goos. It’s statistics. One or two objects coming into the system and colliding with an asteroid would be an amazing coincidence. But dozens of objects coming into the system and colliding with asteroids is an invasion.”
“But from below the ecliptic as well?” asked Imala. “You’re saying their fleet is coming in from two directions?”
“Their fleet has already divided,” Edimar said. “It divided a long time ago. They’re coming in from above and below. I’m one hundred percent certain of this. Because remember this line?” She pointed with her stylus at the line she had drawn from the fleet to the asteroid. “We assumed that the Formic ship at 2030CT came from up here where we’ve always imagined the fleet to be. But the Formic ship didn’t come from that direction.” She erased the line. “I changed the parameters on our own Eye and did a search. The Formic ship right outside, the one parked on 2030CT, came from below the ecliptic.”
CHAPTER 13
Luna
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Armor
* * *
Victor,
Your armor design is strong. But keep in mind that Formics are tunnelers. They never built any aboveground habitats during the invasion. Instead, they dug a vast tunnel system beneath the landers. I think this is species-typical behavior. They’re probably doing the same on asteroids.
If I’m right, we’re in trouble. A defensive position like that is almost impossible to seize. The tunnels will be designed for their body shape and movements, not ours. They’ll know the layout—including switchbacks, dead ends, and traps. We won’t. They also see in the dark and share a hive mind. We don’t.
Also, dust. If they’re tunneling through the asteroid inside a contained habitat, they’re generating a lot of dust that has nowhere to go. When we dig, our dust dissipates into space, but they’ve sealed themselves off from space. So there may be a toxic amount of dust in the air. Breathing may be difficult. Visibility will be poor. The dust may clog our equipment, or render it useless. Impossible conditions for combat. We need to know if that’s the case. Going in without knowing the environment may be suicide.
But the bigger question is: Why are they tunneling in the first place? Initially I thought they were simply turning the rock into a collision threat with Earth. Still possible. But another option is this: They’ve dug out and oxygenated this habitat inside an asteroid in order to breed and build their army. We don’t know much about the Formic life cycle. Maybe they can achieve adulthood in a few months. And if their minds are led and guided by a Hive Queen, they might not require much training before being given a weapon and ordered into combat. Maybe she can instantly give them the skills of veteran soldiers.
I hope I’m wrong. Because if I’m not, they can replenish their forces faster than we can kill them. That gives them the victory. They’ll win by attrition, wearing us down with a continual onslaught of fresh recruits that we cannot match in numbers. Game over. We lose.
One note on the armor: Tunnels will be narrow. You can’t allow the armor to snag on surface walls and restrict your forward progress. Shoulders, knees, and elbows pose the most risk. You may want to round a few corners of the individual pieces to avoid snags. Also, coat all the armor in a flexible resin. No exposed metal. It might strike rock, and you don’t want sparks in an atmosphere of pure oxygen and hydrogen!
Old Soldier
Mazer exited the lunar shuttle via the docking tube and found a young female lieutenant waiting for him at the gate. She came to attention and saluted. “Captain Rackham. I’m Lieutenant Prem Chamrajnagar. I’m your appointed attorney for your court-martial.”
Mazer grabbed the safety rail to steady himself. Gravity here was only one-sixth of what it was on Earth, but it was far more than he was used to and his legs felt heavy and weak.
“Easy,” the woman said, catching his rucksack as it slipped off his shoulder. “You still have your space legs, sir. No rush. They advise you take a moment before setting out. You’ve been in the Black for a long time.” She set the rucksack on the ground beside him and gave him a moment.
“Thank you,” Mazer said, clutching the railing and spreading his feet apart a little to widen his stance. “I never realized I was so heavy before.”
“Be glad they didn’t take you straight to Earth,” the lieutenant said, smiling.
Mazer regarded her. The single bar on her uniform meant she was junior grade. Her expression was formal and military, but she wasn’t exactly the seasoned attorney he was hoping for. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Lieutenant, but you look younger than I am.”
“I’m twenty, sir. So, yes, I am younger. And petite. And female. Three strikes against me, I suppose.”
“That’s no strikes against you,” Mazer said. “I was merely expecting someone a little older. When did you graduate from law school?”
“Two years ago, sir. With honors.”
“You don’t have to keep calling me ‘sir.’ Mazer will suffice. Law school takes three years. How old were you when you started your undergraduate degree?”
“Fourteen, sir.”
“What a fun adolescence you must have had. Keeping with the time line, I can only assume you went to junior prom while still in the womb and that elementary school happened prior to conception.”
“I’m young, sir. But I’m capable.”
He could see it was true. She had an air of confidence about her—a self-assuredness that didn’t come off as cocky. She simply knew she could get things done because that’s how she had always operated.
“If it makes you feel any better,” said Chamrajnagar, “it’s unlawful to assign counsel that hasn’t been deemed competent by the Judge Advocate General.”
“Where is that law written?” Mazer asked.
“Article 27b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. I can recite the paragraph if you wish.”
“That won’t be necessary. How many times have you served as lead counsel?”
“JAG appointed you a single attorney, sir.”
“How generous of him. All right, how many times have you defended someone?”
“Including your case?”
Mazer nodded.
“One.”
“You’re not instilling a lot of confidence here, Lieutenant. I thought you said you graduated two years ago.”
“I did, sir. We shadow members of the JAG Corps for two years before we get our own cases. I’ve written a lot of briefs if that makes you feel any better.”
“Not really.”
“You can formally request another attorney, sir. I can recommend a few senior officers who may be more to your liking.”
“You’d step aside that easily?”
“This is your defense, sir. Your attorney is there to advise and assist you, not to dictate. If you do not want me to assist you, then yes, it’s in your best interest for me to step aside. You must trust your attorney completely. The worst attorney is the unwanted attorney. But please don’t take my willingness to remove myself as a sign of disinterest. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was not assigned to your case. I volunteered.”
“Why?”
“Because abuse of power like that exhibited by Colonel Vaganov will lose us this war, particularly when it jettisons good soldiers who should be leading.”
“What makes you think I’m a good soldier?” Mazer asked. “Or a leader for that matter. You don’t know me.”
“I know you fought with the MOPs inside the Formic scout ship during the first war. I know you were instrumental in winning that war. I know you willingly agreed to avoid the spotlight so that the MOPs could take sole credit and thus prove to the world that a diverse, international military force like the MOPs is the best chance we have to defeat the Formics, thus paving the way for the formation of the International Fleet.”
“Who gave you that information?” Mazer asked. “None of that is in my service records.”
“There is quite a bit missing from your service records,” said Chamrajnagar. “The IF has done a very good job of removing all traces of the truth. Had Colonel Vaganov taken the time to dig a little, he might have figured out who you are exactly.”
“You have a very active imagination, Lieutenant.”
“So you’re denying you helped win the war?” Chamrajnagar asked. “You’re denying you served with the MOPs? You’re still protecting the Fleet?”
“Or maybe I’m denying it because it’s all nonsense.”
“A vigorous denial is as good as a confirmation,” said Chamrajnagar.
“Did they teach you that in law school?”
She smiled.
Mazer let go of the bar. His legs still felt weak, but he was feeling steadier now. He hefted his rucksack and moved toward the end of the gate, taking slow deliberate steps. She fell into step beside him.
“We’ll take a rover,” she said. “It’s a long walk to the front gate.”
She moved ahead of him and climbed up into one of the mini rovers parked nearby, taking the wheel.
Mazer hesitated. “Those are for driving the elderly around. I can walk.”
“It’s a long terminal, sir. If you walk in your current state, I’ll have to keep stopping to help you up off the floor.” She gestured to the empty seat next to her. “Taking the rover will do us both a favor.”
Mazer glanced down the terminal. It was a long distance. And his legs weren’t up for a lengthy hike. Frowning, he tossed his rucksack in the back and climbed up next to her. She pulled away and stuck to the rover path.
“What do you know about my case?” Mazer asked.
“I know the charges that have been filed against you.”
“An extensive list, I’m guessing.”
“So extensive it smells rotten. Did you really strike an MP with an iron bar?”
“Is that what Nardelli is saying?”
“He got twelve stitches in his head. I’ve seen the photos filed with the police report. Pretty ghastly.”
“He gave that wound to himself,” Mazer said.
“He struck himself with an iron bar?”
“There was no bar involved. I
ron or otherwise. He hurt himself attacking me. It’s quite humorous in retrospect. He launched at me. I put something in his way. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. End of story. I never touched him. He’ll have a hard time providing any forensics.”
“And let me guess,” Chamrajnagar said, “if you had touched him, he would have needed a lot more than twelve stitches.”
He looked at her and found her smiling. “You’re mocking me,” he said.
“No. It just seemed like the testosterone thing to say. But that’s not who Captain Mazer Rackham is, I see.”
“Disappointed?”
“Relieved actually. And I wouldn’t worry about Nardelli’s testimony. I’ve done a little digging. The man’s not a credible witness. If his deposition is presented as testimony, we’ll obliterate him.”
“No objections here,” said Mazer.
“So you’re agreeing to my representing you?”
“I’m agreeing to listen and participate in this conversation. I’m stuck on this rover with you. I don’t have much choice.”
Chamrajnagar nodded. “Fair enough. Issue number one, the charges filed against you are rather serious. The most serious of which is leaking classified information.”
Mazer chuckled. “Easily dismissed. I shared private information in an IF forum. The intel didn’t belong to the IF. Nor was it classified. The IF didn’t even know about it. Vaganov was just miffed he couldn’t take credit for it. Which leads us to issue number two, the presiding officer at my court-martial is a personal friend of Colonel Vaganov.”
Chamrajnagar glanced at him, surprised. “How did you know that?”
“Vaganov is smart,” Mazer said. “He knows he doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on. And yet he was completely confident that I’d be burned. So much so that he was fairly brutal with my confinement. Plus you labeled the first issue as issue number one, so I assumed there would be others. I was hoping I was wrong.”
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