Jack gave a sigh. “Archie, translate. How the fuck can you direct this Dark Energy output in one direction, versus universal dispersal?”
The man’s brown eyes scanned quickly all the faces at the table. He frowned. Then gave a loud “Oh. Isn’t it obvious? I will use the non-baryonic Higgs Field now used by Agnes’ people to confine Dark Matter to similarly confine Dark Energy. With a single output direction. Which is the end of the DE Projector. Wasn’t that clear?”
Jack closed his eyes. Around him came sighs. Plus a chuckle from Max. Who had to have known these details but had failed to inform his captain. He opened his eyelids and fixed on Zhāng. “Fleet Commander, it sounds to me as if it will be safe to install this accelerator on the hull of your ship, power it with your third fusion reactor, and let this DE Projector thingie do its job. Agreed?”
Zhāng nodded slowly, then gave him a worried look. “Must I have this . . . this professor aboard my Nimitz? While this Dark Energy Projector is working?”
Jack understood. Gareth had barely coped with having Archie and Matthias Binder on board his ship as the two converted the Dragon’s accelerator from neutral particle emissions to antineutron antimatter emission. He guessed that history had made its way to Zhāng. Whose professional manner now looked fragile. “Well, uh, yes. Professor Archibald has to be onboard your ship to monitor the Vesta accelerator’s functioning and output.” The woman winced. “But Archibald will be under the direct guidance of your Weaponry Chief!”
The woman who had organized the system-wide collaboration needed to produce the first colony starship gave him a resigned look. “As you command, Fleet Captain. There is a spare roomsuite in my officers’ quarters. Will that be suitable for you, Professor Wheeler?”
The man who had just held center stage explaining to everyone how he could produce something no one had ever created before now lifted his reddish-brown eyebrows, scanned them all with puzzled eyes, then gave Zhāng a quick nod. “Of course it will suffice, Fleet Commander Zhāng. I thank you for your future hospitality. I thank you even more for the opportunity to use your destroyer as the platform for my DE Projector.”
Agnes had been following all of Archie’s particle physics chatter with a knowing look. Even the mention of the man’s planned use of her modified Higgs Field had not made the woman react. Now, though, she showed a slight smile as she looked to Zhāng. “Fleet Commander, will there be a spare roomsuite for me? I wish to accompany my accelerator on this mission to the stars.” The shapely woman gave a quick shrug. “After all, what do I have to manage here, if my accelerator is elsewhere?”
Archie looked shocked. Then pleased. He blushed deeply. “Agnes, your assistance will be—”
“We have the room, Director Cumberland,” Zhāng said before Archie could make an obvious fool of himself. A twinkle in her eyes made Jack suspect she was aware of the semi-romance that the two geniuses had going for each other.
“Romance among the starways is so nice,” Max chuckled, then looked his way. “Jack, Archie and I can take apart and reassemble this accelerator around the hull of the Nimitz. We can make its output end into a DE Projector. Placed above the ship’s nose, similar to the particle beam emitter on the Bismarck. That will take at least seven days. Which gives us the time we need.”
Jack waited. The man said no more. Were Archie’s mannerisms infecting his buddy. “Out with it! Why do you need that amount of time. Other than for building the Dark Energy thingie?”
His Drive Engineer grinned, looked down at his grease-blackened hands, then up. The man’s thick black eyebrows lifted. His wrestler-wide shoulders bunched up as the man leaned forward. Humor glinted in his gray eyes. “Have you all forgotten? Ship captains Vigdis and Helena have spent the last two months traveling 240 light years to check out whether the Dakto or Usulungun Hunter systems are actually the home system of the Arbitor T-rex dinos. Yesterday I sent them an encrypted neutrino message with all the details on upgrading the settings and algorithms of their Alcubierre stardrives so it will give them a speed of 40 light years a day.” The man now beamed openly. “No doubt they’ve already dropped out of their Alcubierre space-time bubbles, made the changes while in deep space, and are now back in travel mode. I compute that each ship will require six more days to reach their target system. Versus the two more months it would have taken under the old speed parameters.”
Jack swallowed hard. He had not quite forgotten about Vigdis Sturludottir of the Hawk or Helena Antonov of the Grizzly. But things had been busy lately. Especially as Nikola’s belly grew with the growth of their baby. Max’s news was a big deal. “Wow, Max. Thank you!” He looked around the table, including Cumberland in his scan. “People, this means we will know if either of these Hunter systems is the Arbitor system! If one of them is, then after we test out the DE Projector on the Megurk system, we can head for the Arbitor home system! Where maybe we can teach them a lesson about why every species should be able to explore space!”
Cassie clapped her hands slowly. “Brother, that is indeed good news. So. If one of the systems that lies almost 500 light years away from Sol is the Arbitor system, we go there. If neither is their home, we go to the Megurk system, kill its Isolation Globe, make contact with a juvenile star system people, then come home to Sol to await the arrival of the Arbitor.” His youngest sister pushed back her long, blue-black hair. She gave a nod to Max, then looked to him. At 22 she was 16 years younger than Jack. But her determination level was the equal of Maureen’s. Who was watching this new development like a mother eagle. “Right, brother?”
“Right, sister.” Jack looked around the table. “Anyone have anything else to add to these matters?”
Max, Archibald, Cassie, and Nikola all shook their heads. Maureen leaned forward from her station at his right. “I do. Once we kill this Isolation Globe, contact some juvenile species and then defeat the Arbitor ship, may I take the lead in mounting an armed boarding of that ship? Never did like lizards. And that giant dino is the biggest one I’ve ever seen.” She let show a look that shocked Agnes, made Archibald frown and left Zhāng to comment.
“Sister Maureen, I applaud your focus on a final result. But I suspect my admiral would hope his Mars Marines could assist in this boarding assault,” the Asian woman said in a dry tone.
Maureen sat back and crossed arms under her breasts. Which while not needing a bra were part and parcel of the woman’s muscular physique. Jack saw her lips quirk a bit. “Zhāng, that’s fine with me. We might need armaments more powerful than my revolvers and Maureen’s laser rifle.”
Zhāng gave a quick nod. “Truth. I have seen the Bismarck’s Marines practice with a shoulder-mounted recoilless cannon. Shoots a three inch wide shell at just under 3,000 feet per second.” She looked to him. “Fleet Captain Jack, do you think that portable artillery piece will suffice to pierce the hides of those dinos?”
Jack shook his head admiringly. “Zhāng, Maureen, you two ladies could conquer a planet just by your two selves!” He gestured to his right. “Combat Commander Maureen will lead such a boarding. She can be assisted by your Mars Marines, led by Lieutenant Mabry. But I will be there right behind her! With my fellow ship captains. Minna, Ignacio, Akemi, Júlia, Aashman and Kasun stood by me in the First Sedna Battle. They saved my hide. I’m sure they can contribute to the conquest of the Arbitor ship.”
“Which,” Nikola said quickly, “we must first capture. Ladies, gentlemen, this lady needs to visit the facilities. Quickly!”
Laughter and the sound of scraping chairs filled the room as various people stood up, offered help or gestured in the direction of the auto-toilet. Jack stood and bowed to her. “Milady, please attend to your business. When you return, we will all head for our second stop.”
Agnes Cumberland had not risen. She twisted in her chair to catch his attention. “Fleet Captain Jack, what is your next stop? Here on Vesta?”
As Nikola walked quickly toward the slidedoor leading out of the conference room, Jack turned t
o the institute director. Whose sharp brown eyes had not missed one psychosocial element of the meeting. “To do what should be obvious by now. To visit the Assembly Hall of Vesta Central, there to ask its delegates to vote for a Declaration of War against the Arbitor dinos! Later I will ask the same of the Mathilde Citizens Council. And from the Familia Prime on Ceres Central. Then I’ll seek similar votes by the Mars and Moon authorities.” Max, who had stood as Nikola left, now walked over to stand at Jack’s side. As the man had done ever since the killing of their first shipmates on the comet 1992 QB1. “People, I led our first two trips into the stars because it needed to be done. But now that all humans have worked together to launch the colony ship Humanity, I no longer wish to be a . . . a solo actor on behalf of everyone. While I do act as a consul, making war against social carnivores and peace with the Aliens of the Freedom Alliance, I want buy in. I want the people of Sol system to understand we are all united in this battle!”
Agnes clapped her hands loudly. Then she stood, bowed and looked up to him. “Fleet Captain Jack, I was impressed with your declaration of the need for all humans to fight for a principle. At the send-off event. But now . . . ” the woman paused. Archibald had stood up when she did. Now, the Brit physicist put a hand on her shoulder, a clear gesture of support and caring. The woman blinked quickly. “Now, I look forward to joining your fight in the depths of space. Being the director of this place had been fun. Mentally stimulating of course. But as your Max knows, there comes a time for every person to get out and push forward the cart of history. I will lend my shoulder to that pushing!”
Jack breathed fast, his heart hammering. He’d spoken before crowds of thousands, before Aliens who had never seen a human, before despots and dictators. But his time here, now, with these people, made it all worthwhile. He bowed to the woman who was giving so much to his efforts. “Director Agnes Cumberland, thank you! And when you board the Nimitz, please bring with you the flag of your home nation. If that be other than the Belter flag of Sol and its planets. I’m sure Captain Zhāng will be happy to add it to the many flags that adorn the outer hull of her ship.”
She smiled big, dimples showing on each rad-tanned cheek. “Thank you! That flag would be the Bratach na h-Alba or Saltire, the flag of Scotland. Where my parents came from, before they migrated to the Belt.”
Jack thought some of the woman’s words were Scottish Gaelic, based on the Irish and Welsh Gaelic he had heard spoken by Maureen and Gareth. To have the flag of Scotland, of a people who had fought constantly for freedom from England until it was achieved in 2021, only to be overshadowed by the Unity Assembly flag, well, to Jack it fit. He met the eyes of his people. “Everyone, time to head back to the lander and head for Assembly Hall in Aricia Tholus. Good Cassie used her Spy talents to get me onto the agenda of this week’s opening session.”
Everyone smiled, a few chuckled and Agnes gave Archie a hug, a look that said much, then she turned and led the way out. She had been the first person of the institute to greet them. Now, she would convoy them back to the lowest level airlock room. Jack liked that kind of hospitality. He liked even more how it was a sign of loyalty. Now, the only thing lacking was a fresh beer.
“Agnes, before we leave, you got any Europa Light Ale hiding in some cooler somewhere? I’m thirsty. And I gotta grab my lifemate once she’s done her business.”
Laughter filled the room and warmed Jack’s heart. The future held surprises and dangers and challenges. But with these people at his side, he knew humanity’s future was bright.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A week later, in orbit above Vesta, Jack and his people were gathered in the Pilot Cabin doing a checkout of all ship systems. Maureen wished to make certain the Higgs Disruptor that had been added before their trip to the Megurk system now worked in complete synchrony with all other ship weaponry systems. He looked down at his Tech panel, above which floated the holo of Maureen. Who was in the Battle Module, hands hovering above her Fire Control panels. Two of them were for the antimatter and neutral particle beam emitters. A third had been added for the Higgs Disruptor, housed in a nodule attached to the belly of the Uhuru. Located ahead of the fusion pulse exhaust funnel, the nodule provided a full 180 degree firing arc for the emitter of the Higgs Disruptor beam.
“Maureen, everything properly linked up? Is the Higgs included in the ship’s Auto-Track and Defend system?”
Their Irish grandmother looked down, touched her three panels, scanned readouts, and looked up to the motion-eye that was located ahead of her seat and panels. Jack had a full-face view of the woman, whenever she bothered to look up from her Fire Control panels, from a combat simulation playing on her yellow datapad, or from cleaning the innards of her laser rifle. A thing she did as automatically as other women knitted while talking. Her black curls looked wet on her bullet head. She gave him a quick smile. “Just fine!” she said, her tone hearty and happy. Having new weapons to play with always pleased Maureen. “You children ready to toss out some spysats for my target practice?”
Behind him Nikola, Cassie and Blodwen chuckled. They did not mind the women’s frequent reference to them as ‘children’. Archibald was absent, working on the Nimitz as he, Matthias and Agnes finished the installation of her accelerator and the setting up of a Fire Control pedestal on Zhāng’s Command Bridge. Where Archie would be under the watchful eye of the woman’s Weaponry Chief. Matthias would return to his teaching post on Mathilde when the fleet left, having had enough ‘star gallivanting’ as the man had put it a few days ago. Perhaps the kidney wound he’d suffered in the second star trip was the cause of his sudden liking for solid ground. Which left Jack to check on Max, Denise and Elaine. All of whom were busy tap-tapping on their own function panels. It was up to him. “Combat Commander, we have no spysats beyond the six we normally carry. And our geo-penetrator rockets are for use against hardened structures. So, make do with your combat simulator.”
“Whippersnapper,” she muttered, using an antique English term that Jack had never before heard.
Elaine looked his way. “The Bismarck and her four destroyers are still holding defensive orbit around us,” she said calmly as she looked down at her NavTrack panel. “The Dragon and the six other ships of the First Belter Fleet precede us in orbital vector. All report themselves fully fueled, with all crew onboard. Uh, the Badger says it is willing to deliver some Vesta beer to us.”
Jack smiled. He knew that offer to be an attempt by Ignacio to spend more time with his sister. To whom the Basque was now lifemate Committed. He sympathized. If he and Nikola were on separate ships his mood would not be as upbeat as he now felt. All the congresses, assemblies and houses in Sol system had voted for the Declaration of War against the Arbitors. With Jack named as War Leader. Or a similar term, depending on the source of the resolution. “Thank you, sister and Pilot, for that information. Maybe we can take delivery later, after this systems checkout is done. Max, how are our engines?”
“They are oh so fine,” the man said wonderingly. Which was unusual for the normally calm Pole. Jack looked back. His buddy was caressing the grav-pull drive pedestal, which stood just behind the Alcubierre drive pedestal. He saw Jack looking and gave a guilty shrug. “Hey, I can’t help it if I see cosmic beauty in our ability to maneuver at right angles to our vector, to bounce around like a bumblebee, and to use that pyramid of tubes for straight-line acceleration without a drive flare. Local area ‘frame-dragging’ á la the Einstein-Lense-Thirring Effect is something I love to see happen!”
Jack could not blame the man. Their stealing of the grav-pull drive from the hulk of the dead Rizen starship had allowed them to make the fight against the Hunters gathered in the Kuiper Belt a real contest. With the old and new Uhuru ships giving a fine account of themselves in true space combat. “Understood. Though I would think you’d cherish the Alcubierre pedestal even more. After all, that Rizen thingie is what got us FTL star travel!”
Max smiled, looked up at the ceiling where the fusi
on pulse Main Drive module had lowered from the ceiling, then back down. His left hand had moved to caress the Alcubierre pedestal. “True, this thing is a wonder! And I love how its internal settings can be so easily adjusted with just a few specialty algorithms.” He frowned suddenly. “Though I cannot help but wonder at how the Arbitor uses the Alcubierre space-time modulus to erect a defense shield around its ship, and an Isolation Globe around an entire star system.” The man shook his head. “Both are clear variations of the Alcubierre space-time bubble, but neither involve spatial movement. It has me wondering about the equations which could—”
“Jack!” called Denise. “Got an incoming neutrino signal. Encrypted.” She paused and tapped on her Comlink pedestal. “The precursor ID says it’s from Captain Vigdis of the Hawk!”
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