by Chris Hechtl
If the sight of the weapons made the Marine escorts nervous, they didn't give any sign. They remained outside as the admiral led Jethro and the captain inside.
“I've got a couple armorers in mind for you. They are still working on producing standard Marine armor now and that fell behind so they won't be available until next week. But we can get a general idea on things,” the admiral said as he indicated Jethro should open the casket.
Bast sent his IFF to the casket and its contents. Jethro smiled as he saw his bandwidth step up. “Looks like someone's glad to see you,” Admiral Irons said.
Jethro turned an ear to him, but his eyes were on the casket as it opened up to show the night dark armor within. It seemed to drink up the light in the room. After a moment, the eyes came alive with a faint glow. There was a soft almost subsonic rumbling purr as he touched the armor.
He felt the data transfer step up even higher. His hand locked as Bast used the jack to connect to the suit's systems.
“Okay, I think you know about the stealth and shield, correct?” the admiral asked, all business.
Captain Lyon nodded. “I've seen Cadre in combat, sir, with and without being cloaked,” he admitted.
“Okay, so we don't have to give you that part of the tour. So, this is RECON Cadre armor. There are distinct classes,” the admiral explained. “Each with its own tradeoffs and abilities. The baseline is that they all have shields, and they all have an on-board power supply. Before the war, it had been antimatter.”
“I remember problems with power, sir,” Captain Lyon said with a nod.
“Right. Which was why they retrofitted the surviving armors to run on alternative power supplies. In this case, fusion. It is less than a tenth of the power that it had with antimatter. But it is far easier to keep fueled and maintain,” the admiral stated as they pulled the suit out of the casket. It stood on its own like a hulking beast ready to strike.
“The frame and armor are made out of some pretty exotic materials that are quite frankly a bitch to make. They save on weight though and are incredibly strong,” the admiral explained. “The suit has an inner layer of nanites,” he said, accessing the suit. The suit opened up for him after a moment.
Jethro stepped to the side so as not to obstruct the interior.
“I thought they had nanites but no one confirmed it, sir,” the captain said slowly, peering into the suit. “It doesn't smell. I've never seen that,” he said. “Or I should say, smelled.”
“Correct. The suit like Jethro destroys his personal scent and DNA so it cannot be traced. One of the features,” the admiral said as he looked within. “You've modified this suit, correct?” he asked, turning to Jethro.
“Some of the internal weapons have a limited ammo supply, sir. And the lasers draw too much power from the power plant so I don't use them,” Jethro said, pointing to the wrist gauntlets and shoulder pauldrons. “We rigged hard points on her back to attach the flight pack,” he said. He leaned over to point to the sections he and Ox had rigged on the suit. “For the most part, the flight pack plugs into the ports here and here and attach to hard points here and here while also wrapping around the waist and shoulder so it can remain attached.”
“And the flight pack …”
“Here, sir,” Jethro said, pointing to a nearby set of crates with his free hand.
“Why do you have your hand on the armor?” Captain Lyon asked.
“He's linked. The three of them are symbiotically linked. Half of Bast's A.I. core resides in the armor and in the nanite layer,” the admiral explained for him. He pointed to the layer. “You can't see it, I can, but it is there,” he said.
The captain peered closer then stood up straight and grunted. “I'll take your word for it, sir,” he said.
“Good. Bast prefers that her host be in armor as much as possible so she is complete and can use her full capabilities,” the admiral said. “Correct, Bast?”
“Yes, sir,” Bast replied from the suit. She turned the head to look at him and wiggled the ears.
The admiral smiled. “That brings up the next point and one of the reasons I'm here. We have to have a suit for each person when they go through the initialization process,” the admiral explained. He looked at Jethro.
“I remember, sir,” Jethro replied with a nod.
The admiral cocked his head as he studied the suit. “I know I'm going to have to be on hand to build each suit and to initialize them with the user. We're going to have to tailor each suit to the user as usual. We're also going to have to work out a force mix. Unfortunately, we don't have the blueprints for the other Cadre armor designs. So, we're going to have to use what I picked up in Lemnos plus this suit as a template and then go by trial and error,” he explained.
“The good news is the nanite layer has some self-repair abilities,” Jethro added. “And I know the armor can use that to update and upgrade itself over time with power and materials,” he said. Bast nodded on his HUD. He pointed to a few parts. “When we first put the suit together, we had to use parts from other suits as well as freshly replicated components. But I noticed Bast has brought them up to Cadre standards,” he said.
“Correct,” Bast said purring softly as she turned her head to look at him.
“Okay, I wasn't sure about that part,” the admiral said. Jethro realized the admiral was making some of it up as they went along. That made him feel like they were working without a net. It was a scary thought.
“I can tap the Marine armor production line for components. The question is: should we replicate the nanites only? The nanites and the electronics suite? Or go further? Bast? Your thoughts?” the admiral asked.
“Nanites and electronics are not enough. A basic Marine suit is too substandard for a Cadre unit, sir,” she stated.
“I was afraid you'd say that. Okay, so, what if …,” the admiral reached in with his right arm. The arm morphed and after a moment Jethro could hear soft whirring sounds as the admiral did something to the right pauldron. When he was finished, he lifted it away.
“Now, if I give you another pauldron from a Marine suit with Cadre grade raw material plus power, could your nanites reshape it into a proper pauldron?? The admiral asked.
“I could do that. Why?”
“I see where this is going,” Captain Lyon said with a nod. He turned to address Jethro and the suit. “What he's saying is, we pull parts and treat you, the suit, and the A.I. as a replicator. You make the replacement parts for your suit. The other parts we use to outfit the next person,” the captain said looking at the admiral for confirmation.
“Exactly. I think Bast and Jethro would prefer the original parts though so we can swap them back,” he said, putting the pauldron back in place.
“Yes, sir,” Bast said. “The nanites in the piece are keyed to me,” she stated.
“Right. So we'd have to re-initialize them for the new user or flush and replace them with a new set,” the admiral mused.
“I think that process will work with just about everything but the core frame itself, sir,” Jethro said, indicating the core frame within the suit. “How are we going to get around that?”
“I can replicate a core frame that closely matches what we need. I can even use the Cadre materials to approximate what we need, just like the replacement parts. With nanites and the A.I., I assume that the suit can adjust and rebuild the core as necessary,” the admiral said, rubbing his jaw as he ran his right hand over the inside of the suit.
“That scan tickles,” Bast said with a chuff.
“Sorry,” the admiral said with a smile.
“Okay, so we can replicate a cat suit. But the only other cat in the unit is Letanga. So I am assuming he's first up, sir?” Jethro asked.
The admiral nodded. “Once Doctor Thornby has a baseline from you and him, she'll be able to replicate your changes with my help in him. It will also be a learning process,” the admiral stated. “I think for the moment we're done here. I don't see any spare suits to ex
periment with,” the admiral said, looking around the compartment.
“My suit is the only one here, sir. I don't even know if some of the Cadre candidates are suit qualified yet,” Jethro admitted. “It's been a while since I worked with them, and the subject didn't come up on the way here,” he said.
“Okay. So, we need to get you,” the admiral paused and bowed his head to the captain as well. “ … Both of you up to speed on your people. What they can and can't do.”
“Yes, sir. About that …,” the captain said as Bast directed the armor to return to the casket. Jethro patted it as it laid back in the casket and then reluctantly broke the grip as he stepped back. The suit closed and then the light in its eyes faded. After a moment, a soft husking sound announced the movement of the doors to shut the casket once more.
“I need more support personnel. Not just for the Cadre but for the base. Getting clearances is going to be fun,” the captain said as they exited the building. “And I'm sorry, but the Cadre base here isn't up to what we need, sir, which is why I'd like to explore a permanent Cadre base,” he said.
“I'm all for that,” the admiral said with a nod. “I doubt we can do it this quarter though,” he said. “There is such a thing as biting off more than we can chew,” he said.
“Tell me about it,” the captain said with a roll of his eyes. “I'm wearing too many hats, sir. I've got too many things going on, and I have to be accessible to the other commands I have under me, which means I can't be in the Cadre base.”
“Are you saying you are the wrong person for the job, Captain?” the admiral asked carefully.
“No, sir. I'm saying I need help,” the captain stated firmly. “I need a proper chain of command in each of the SPECOPS so I can delegate when I need to do so.”
“Agreed,” the admiral said as they climbed into the vehicles and headed to the main admin building. “I take it you don't have that now?”
“No, sir. I'm overseeing this base, training here and in the field, plus overseeing activities and personnel on Agnosta, Protodon, ET, Pyrax, and throughout the sector now. General Forth dumped the entire RECON Marine and Federation SPECOPS department on my shoulders, sir. It's a bit much to handle remotely. I've got two other officers here; one is an ensign fresh from training and so green it hurts …,” he paused as the admiral went from a grin to a grimace.
“ … The other is a lieutenant but isn't good at juggling paperwork and personnel.” Captain Lyon said with a shake of his head. “I've got seven officers on Agnosta—one a lieutenant, the rest are ensigns—another twelve in the pipeline but no promises on how many will graduate, two in Pyrax, two on ET, and two on Protodon. Four others are slotted to go to Tau and the same for Sigma. Two more are assigned to Third Division. I've got six ensigns in transit to different places or on leave. The ones going to the other sectors are en route or are in Pyrax. Those are my Marines. I haven't counted the six officers in the SEALs,” he said with a shake of his head.
Apparently the RECON course was a bit much for officers, Jethro thought cheerfully. “Don't forget Major Kodiak is RECON too, sir,” Jethro said. “He could help you on Agnosta.”
The captain pursed his lips but didn't say anything; he just stared at the admiral.
The admiral nodded soberly. He hadn't realized how stretched thin the SPECOPS community was at the moment. That was stupid. He knew it took a special breed to handle the job, and the rigorous training they underwent had a high casualty ratio. They did everything they could to retain personnel, but sometimes people just couldn't hack the extra stress. “I know. I'm working on getting you help. If you have officers in mind who can handle the job, let me know.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And thank you for admitting you are in over your head. Most people in the Navy wouldn't do that. They'd try anyway. Try and sometimes fail or at least muddle through it,” the admiral said as they landed next to the complex. Some of the Marines remained with the vehicle. Captain Burrows went with them into the building.
“I admit, sir, I was a bit concerned, but I know you want it straight,” Captain Lyon said as they strode up the stairs. He got to the door first and opened it and then held it for the admiral.
“I do. I don't like yes men. If you need more resources, say so. And you just did. So, I'll do what I can to get you what you need,” the admiral said as he nodded to the desk guard. The guard checked their credentials, then logged them in. They strode through the hallways until they got to a conference room where they could continue the conversation in relative privacy.
“Thank you, sir.” The captain looked at Jethro. “For the moment, I'm afraid a lot of running the Cadre will fall on Warrant McClintock's shoulders.”
“I know,” the admiral said, eying Jethro. “I think he can handle some of it. The DI part of his training should stand him in good stead for the first part of Phase I.”
“Yes, sir,” Jethro said. There goes sleep he thought.
“And Bast can help with the paperwork,” the captain said with a grin. “At least until I get my own A.I.”
“That too,” the admiral said with an answering smile.
Bast flicked her ears on his HUD. Jethro watched as she rolled her eyes but then nodded.
“Okay, so while I'm here, let's work on a basic plan and go over the budget. Call it a working lunch. I need to be out of here no later than 1400. Bast, Protector, see if there is any armor in the area we can get here in that time. I'd like to try that replacement idea while I'm here instead of making a special trip later. If you can do it without me, all the better,” he said.
Bast nodded on Jethro's HUD. “We can try that, sir,” Jethro said. He felt her hook into the Wi-Fi. There was another presence he could distantly feel through her, working alongside her. “I feel them off on that project, sir,” he said.
“Good. I should have thought to bring a couple crates of parts with me, but coulda, woulda, shoulda. Next time I suppose. For the moment,” the admiral said as he indicated they should take a seat, “I've got a meeting with Nara tomorrow morning to get the medical side going. She'll be down to work with you folks probably within a week. So, you've got time to get other things rolling.”
“Yes, sir. We're still going over the requirements and what we'll need. I have a partial list,” the captain said. He turned in his chair to the counter behind him and pulled a tablet out of a recharge rack. He tapped at it until he logged into the system and then brought up the necessary files. “I saw the budget; I've got questions there. I suppose as you said, we're learning as we go along. What I want to know is where I can fit some of this stuff in,” he said as he set the tablet down and turned it before he pushed it over to the admiral.
The admiral scanned the file and grunted. “Yes, I see. Armor, medical … but we also have to work on training the personnel as you mentioned. I've been focused on getting them up to Jethro's level; I hadn't considered that part as much as I should have.”
“Should we get them up to Jethro's level in training before we go through the implant and armor process? I'd rather they pass the psych screens and such before we hand them the keys to the Federation, sir,” the captain reminded him gently.
“True, too true. But that's what the preliminary workup is for, At least on the medical side. But I see your point on the training side,” he said. He looked at Jethro. Jethro's ears were erect. “So, you get to play DI sooner than I'd thought.”
“Yes, sir. I can work on a training syllabus, sir. I'll need more information to fill it out, but I can use some of the briefing material in that packet you uploaded to start the framework,” he said.
“Good. Excellent. Now …”
Chapter 17
Doctor Thornby nodded to Admiral Irons as she entered his office. “You are ready to start Phase I your memo said. I'm assuming it has to do with the stern ONI stuff and warnings I've been getting,” she said.
“You assume correctly.”
“Why me?”
He snort
ed. “You are the best medical expert on implants we've got in the star system, quite possibly in the entire Federation. Also, you are ranking medical officer in the star system.”
“Well, in the Navy,” she said clearly preening a bit. “But I bet the medics in ET will give me a run for their money. If not now, then soon,” she said.
“Possible,” the admiral admitted. “The Cadre Initiative,” he said with a nod to her. “We've got our Phase I candidates on site. It's time to start, Doctor.”
“Lovely,” Nara said as she took a seat. “I've been reading up on some of the medical requirements. Some of it is pretty invasive. The nanites …,” she shook her head.
“We'll get to that eventually, Doctor. I'll have to be on hand to initialize each. I suggest you start with the blood and work outward. Gunny Letanga is the next natural candidate since he is so close to McClintock,” the admiral stated.
“True,” Nara mused. “I'll need baseline recordings before we get in too deep, full medical work up. I know they've had it before and probably had a recent physical. This is a lot more invasive though.”
“Agreed,” the admiral said.
“Long term,” the doctor mused, tapping her lips with a finger as she looked up to the bulkhead. “I'm still reading up on how to cultivate the Royal Jelly. I noted the passing of it from parent to child. That I'm a bit confused and concerned about, given there is a lot that can go wrong, and the artificial DNA packets are subject to viruses, insult, radiation, and other things just like normal organic tissue is,” she said. “I'm still a little fuzzy on how come the host body doesn't object to it and encapsulate it or remove it,” she stated.
“I, unfortunately, didn't explore that when they put it in me, Doc, so I can't help you there. The medical literature …”
“Is obtuse, most likely for good reason. I'll bet others would use this tech.”
“They have,” Protector stated from the desktop speaker. Both sets of eyes cut to the desk, then away.