Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space (The Henry Gallant Saga)

by H. Peter Alesso

  Kelsey said, "Don’t you dare touch that bandage. I did a very nice job stitching that wound, if I do say so myself, and I don’t want you introducing an infection."

  Gallant opened the lockers containing the fighter’s food supply and removed a package of synthetic food and a water bottle. He split the provisions into two portions and poured some water into cups. Their rations restricted them to two small meals each day, and each was anticipated more than the last. Kelsey joined him in the forward portion of the ship, and they shared the simple meal. They fell into casual conversation, forgetting their difficult circumstance.

  Turning to Kelsey with a sour look on his face, Gallant said, "I’m afraid we’ll be eating these unappealing synthetic concentrates for the rest of the trip. They taste like chalk." Though he started to eat without relish, his appetite drove him to finish the sparse meal.

  Kelsey nodded, "My mouth is watering for a sugary dessert right now." They remained quiet for a while, enjoying simple recollections of better meals. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to share more and more of their personal stories with each other.

  For the most part, navigating through the asteroid fields had kept them busy enough. They constantly checked radar sightings as they caught glances of ships from time to time. However, they enjoyed the silent expanse of space itself when they could disregard the constant collision warnings that intruded upon them. Once in a while, the ultimate beauty of space surprised them and intruded upon their thoughts.

  Kelsey chattered about her home life and her friends on the Repulse. Gallant learned to listen without a twinge of envy for her comfortable family background, and he, in turn, spoke of his own experience growing up as a colonist on Mars. The hours and days seemed almost cheerful.

  As Gallant became less self-conscious, he told her of his ambitions and daydreams. She listened to all of his stories without a trace of skepticism. Her calm voice soothed the tensions of the day as they traveled. When she slept, he missed her, despite her nearness.

  He hardly knew what he wanted to say to her sometimes. Yet, sometimes she halted their conversation abruptly, as if she wanted to add something important but couldn’t find the right words. During those moments, they just looked at each other, waiting patiently for inspiration.

  They talked about the books they had read and the poems they enjoyed. Their conversations always ended the same way, talking about their shipmates and their feelings of loss.

  One day, after a rather long silence, Gallant was compelled to look around the compartment for a diversion. Finally, he plunged into a conversation to distract them both.

  “How about examining the Titan’s AI CPU unit?” he offered.

  Kelsey nodded enthusiastically. Gallant opened the lower storage locker and pulled out the alien device. He began turning it over and over again to examine every aspect of it. He looked at the connection fittings, the structural material, and the circuit chips that were exposed. He pointed out some interesting features to Kelsey who likewise made a few brief observations.

  “I took this unit from the Titan ship because of its integration into the main Titan computer and my guess that it includes some parts of the AI CPU, but it’s quite different from anything I’ve had experience with. What do you think?” asked Gallant.

  “I’ve seen some schematics for our own AI equipment, but why don’t we just look at the Eagle’s AI interface unit for comparison?”

  "The aliens must work together collectively to drive the Titan destroyer. I think the Titan AI unit is able to send commands to the aliens and vice versa. It would be necessary for many aliens to be connected through the neural interface at the same time to manipulate the various ship controls in a coordinated fashion."

  "Do you mean some kind of limited telepathy?"

  “Well, suppose the Titans were partially telepathic. They could communicate among themselves to some degree and use the AI as a kibitzer. An individual Titan would order the AI to obey an order, but then a group of Titans could communicate telepathically and decide something else. Or they could collaborate with the AI to reach a conclusion and then carry out the operations.”

  “That’s too complex for us to evaluate on our own,” concluded Kelsey.

  CHAPTER 20

  The asteroids Ceres and Pallas were originally thought to be fragments of a planet that had once occupied the orbit around the sun between Mars and Jupiter. This conjecture was overturned when scientists concluded that the asteroid belt was fashioned from material that had never formed a planet at all. Individual asteroids were composed of either a carbonaceous, silicate, or metal-rich rocky core covered by an icy mantle. Over the eons, the ice melted from internal heating, bombarding radiation, and meteorite collisions. Over time, the melting and refreezing of the ice produced deep canyons and crevasses in the surface mountains. Occasionally, icy comets passed through the asteroid belt contributing to its abundance.

  The four largest asteroids, Ceres, Vista, Pallas, and Hygiea make up about half the mass of the belt. Ceres’s 950-kilometer diameter makes it the belt's only dwarf planet. While collisions between large asteroids occur frequently, the remaining bodies range down in size to as small as dust particles. In general, the belt is thinly distributed, but there are enough clusters of obstructions to produce radar shadows for ships to hide behind.

  These shadows, along with solar flares and meteorite showers obscured Gallant’s passage. As the Eagle thrashed along magnificently, they remained vigilant against the possibility that at any minute they could be subject to an asteroid collision or an attack from alien ships.

  Gallant congratulated himself on getting this far. He appreciated Kelsey’s course calculations through the areas of highest meteor density. Their existence was turning into a rhythm of alternating six-hour watch cycles, followed by six hours of equipment repair or whatever sleep they could squeeze in.

  Gallant's mind began to run back through his recent calculations of the ship's position and course. He was satisfied with their progress through the debris field, but he was concerned about the constant adjustments to the life-support system.

  He didn’t recognize it at first, but for some time, Gallant had not been troubled by headaches due to the neural interface. On the other hand, the low oxygen and high carbon dioxide atmosphere were giving him a distinct migraine. He also found it a horrible nuisance when he had to gasp for breath. He resorted to rubbing his forehead, trying to erase the annoyance. But his biggest headache was the fuel gauge and food supply. Shaking his head, he tried to figure out how he could squeeze his resources a little further. With that thought in mind, he smiled to himself and continued working out what was needed next.

  Each day when he woke, he smoothed his sadly crumpled uniform and performed isometric exercises while lying in the tiny sleeping compartment. He stretched out as much as was practical to relieve his stiff muscles. While the limited space was a source of irritation, it did not dampen his spirits.

  Absentmindedly, he tapped his finger on a cup of synthetic coffee and took a few sips along with a bite of the food substance for breakfast. He forced himself to keep his train of thought focused as he piloted the Eagle. A piece of the information that he was mentally evaluating pleased him. He asked, "What are the chances of us stopping at one of the mining colonies somewhere in the belt to get some additional fuel and supplies?"

  Kelsey didn't reply right away. She looked up, lost in thought. Finally, she said, "Even if we found a convenient mining facility to stop at, the odds are they wouldn't have any fuel or resources to spare. Besides, prolonging our transit will increase the chances of running into a Titan scout ship."

  She examined their flight trajectory against the AI system’s colony information. She said, "Unfortunately, this sector is very sparsely settled. There is one mining colony, however, on the far side of Ceres that has some possibilities. It's very small, but it’s right along our route. It wouldn't cause much of a delay."

  Gallant looked at
what she had suggested. “Perhaps, we’ll look in, as we pass.”

  Kelsey said, "Our options are limited.”

  Then, distracted, he said, "Kelsey, look at the pattern of Titan ships scouting the area. There is a distinct concentration as we approach Ceres. Even though we've been keeping our radar profile very small, it is possible that the Titans have caught a whiff of us and are sending extra ships to look. However, I can't see that a lone fighter limping through the asteroid belt would be worth their time."

  Kelsey said, "Something strange is going on. Perhaps, they are looking for our convoys to disrupt our commerce. However, it seems to me that they should be concentrating on Jupiter."

  -------------------------------

  Some days later, Gallant’s Eagle approached the dwarf planet, Ceres. Its family asteroid cluster consisted of thousands of various-sized asteroids sharing an orbit. The asteroids were covered with irregular mountains in shades of gray, green, and black, pockmarked with glittering white ice pockets.

  The high density of asteroids created a nest of rocky obstacles that obscured radar returns and created an archipelago that was a perfect sanctuary for hiding. Gallant maneuvered into this area. As the Eagle cleared a large shadow, its radar lit up with a dazzling brilliant display of ships, fortresses, and facilities.

  Ironically, it was because Gallant and Kelsey were stealthily leapfrogging from one cluster of asteroids to another that they happened upon the best hiding place in the asteroid belt—a place the Titans had already discovered and used to build a secret Titan base. The base was the reason behind the large number of Titan ships that Gallant had noticed in the area.

  Gallant was shocked to see a vast armada with supporting space stations, fortresses, and methane-production facilities. Rows of Titan ships were in orbit around the Ceres cluster, including a multitude of destroyers, numerous cruisers, and many battle cruiser saucers. Space stations and fortresses were distributed around the asteroid cluster. The entire base gave the Titan fleet extended capabilities.

  Gallant directed his AI system to record data on the Titan forces and installations. Kelsey scrambled on her computer, trying to keep up with the information being collected and adding comments for everything she could. Gallant maneuvered the Eagle to a less exposed position. He bobbed and weaved between asteroids, hiding from the Titans while they collected information. The big and small rocks formed a channel through which Gallant could maneuverer his Eagle. He hopped between the radar shadows they provided.

  The constant acceleration adjustments caused little creaks and groans in the Eagle’s hull. The slight noises annoyed Gallant, but he ignored them and gazed out the forward view port to see what was before him. He slowed and tried to disguise their radar signature to appear like another one of the numerous Titan shuttlecraft moving between ships and facilities. They moved in brief spurts to give themselves the opportunity to reinforce the deception. After successfully playing hide-and-seek with the Titan fleet, Gallant moved the Eagle to a position where it could gather considerable information about the fleet, the fortresses, and their supply ships.

  He completed a count of the Titan forces, getting as many details as possible. It included 288 destroyers, 72 cruisers, and 12 battle cruisers, along with three space stations and six fortresses. He knew that the Mars Fleet consisted of about 200 destroyers, 60 cruisers, and 24 battle cruisers outfitted with many fighters.

  The Mars Fleet should be powerful enough to deal with the Titan armada. He recognized that the United Planets would be planning to send a relief force to aid Jupiter Station sometime soon, but such a force would take ships away from the defense of Mars. At that point, this hidden Titan armada would constitute a serious threat to Mars.

  He considered the complex array of asteroids in the vicinity. He was looking for a clue to how the Titans had managed to build such an extensive base in the middle of the asteroid belt, unobserved. Somewhere, there was a detail that would enlighten him.

  Gallant and Kelsey decided to keep a low profile and stay hidden among the asteroids while they spied on the secret Titan base. He was close to the edge of their hidden base and pondered whether he should make a run for it.

  He pondered the possibility of trying to remain stealthy to prevent giving away the fact that the aliens had been discovered. He thought this would prove useful to the Mars Fleet. However, he had the gravest doubts as to whether they could escape the trap they had just walked into.

  CHAPTER 21

  The asteroids that made up the Ceres asteroid family proved to be a magnificent hiding place. This was true for Gallant’s Eagle, as well as for the secret Titan fleet. Some larger boulders formed a channel, or path, for Gallant to follow to avoid detection. With astonishing abruptness, he moved through some of the brief open spaces. He thanked his lucky stars that he had decided to maneuver along the sunward side of the Ceres family. It offered better concealment than the far side, which ran very close to one of the large fortresses.

  As he readjusted his neural interface, his subconscious noted the positions of every ship and rock in the asteroid field. Making rapid maneuvers required all of Gallant’s concentration. He gave himself little respite as he worked vigilantly. He shook off the stress, driven to find the best course to the next position of cover.

  The deception of mimicking the local traffic was working, but the dangers remained great. They came upon a long, looming crevasse on the surface of a large asteroid. Gallant dropped the Eagle down on a large asteroid. He fumbled in the dim light to maneuver into a crevasse and land as if he were docking on Repulse. Once there, they could remain hidden while they weighed their options on how to proceed. He could finally disengage from the neural interface to rest.

  He had only a vague sense of how to inform Mars that the Titans were in a position to launch a sneak attack. If he was discovered, he would have to fake his ship’s destruction. Then he could alert Mars without the Titans realizing it. This would give Mars a strategic advantage. But it was easier to run into this danger than make a run for escape. On his radar screen, he glimpsed ships in the immediate vicinity, but it was almost impossible for him to identify an escape route.

  If they were cornered, he planned to pull off a deception based upon releasing debris with a covering explosion, and then he would find another crevasse to hide in.

  As they collected more information, Gallant was concerned about how long he should wait before trying to get a message to Mars. He discussed their options with Kelsey. He was tormented by the idea that if he broadcast a message, they would be exposed to immediate discovery and attack.

  Gallant found inspiration when he looked at Kelsey. Even at this dangerous moment, her eyes were fearless.

  "We need to try a stealthy escape. It allows for the best strategic options," she said.

  We will succeed, thought Gallant, optimistically. But before they could act, everything changed.

  The radar alarm rang out "Ping... Ping.... Ping... Ping......" Their hiding place had been discovered by a scout ship.

  There was nothing subtle about the situation they found themselves in now. They had to scramble out of the crevasse and get moving. They were fighting for their lives; outgunned a million to one.

  As Gallant began evasive maneuvers, he prepared but did not transmit a message to give a quick warning to Mars. It would tell Mars Fleet that there was a large, hidden Titan force near Ceres, but they would have to wait for details. He would only transmit the message if the Eagle was about to be destroyed. It was a tough choice, but the only one he could reasonably make.

  They tried to make a quick exit, but as they maneuvered away from the Titan destroyer, their path was blocked by a large convoy. The convoy’s course posed the very real danger of cutting off Gallant’s line of escape. He realized that he was going to be hemmed in by scores of transports and shuttles that were intent upon resupplying a nearby fortress, with a number of destroyers and cruisers acting as their escorts.

  Kelsey said quiet
ly, “Henry, there are several destroyers drawing close on the port side.”

  Gallant was going to acknowledge her but never started the sentence. He angrily thrust the Eagle forward at full speed. The image of the destroyers appeared on the radar scope and then quickly disappeared. He wasn't sure of which direction to move next. The Eagle flipped to the right, rolling at 30 degrees as she was forced backward and down in the maneuver.

  He could tell by the maneuvers of two cruisers on his port side and two cruisers to his starboard that they’d had brief radar glimpses of his ship and were maneuvering to intercept. It seemed clear that the general alarm had been given.

  He could only try to make erratic maneuvers to avoid giving the enemy a clear opportunity to fire at him. It might seem hopeless, but there was nothing to be gained by doubting the only plan possible. He would play it out to the last second. He dropped his hand onto the console and concentrated on his neural interface to identify ships and asteroids. He calculated the speeds and courses of each, and adjusted the Eagle’s actions accordingly.

  The ships and asteroids surrounding the Eagle nearly formed a net. Gallant could see only one slim avenue of escape, but the destroyers were fast enough to close that gap once they realized his intent.

  Gallant thought, Remaining here is death. I must risk everything on one throw of the dice. He made a dramatic move, charging directly at the convoy. At that moment, he knew his opportunity lay in scattering the convoy and causing them to maneuver to avoid collision with him and each other. It just might mislead the escorts.

  Hard to port, Gallant thought as he maneuvered. He was confident that he could use his mind’s eye view to preserve his position relative to the enemy ships.

  The destroyers fired several missiles in his direction, but left the escape route open. Gallant shot his remaining antimissiles. In the stillness that prevailed on board the Eagle, he could hear the swoosh of the exiting missiles venting from the Eagle’s tubes.