The Far Field: A Military Science Fiction Epic (Seedlings Book 1)

by Richard Sosa

  Iris said without taking her eyes off Karl. “You don’t have a clue what the 7s are, do you? Don’t worry we know our jobs, mister Captain.”

  Karl turned around and glanced at Iris with a challenge to her mean stare down, then turned and walked through the door but midway he held up his finger as if forgetting something and walked back with a purpose.

  Iris took a fighting stance. Karl placed a small drive on the table. “I modified the ATB Six M Pulse Rifle App and we downloaded the application to all of our Pulse rifles. I am backing it up to all our rifles now, so they are continuously updated with enhancements in real-time. This app gives the guns a mighty kick, but it will be effective or at least that’s the theory. Ra and I want the 7’s to be prepared with a fighting chance,” he looked directly at Iris, “you make sure you have this loaded on your rifle or you’ll be worthless out there.”

  “Get out of here old man.” Iris tossed her IARI on the table. She looked at the group. “Ra is my friend and you are sending into harm’s way,” she looked at Rik, “7’s for 77th infantry. We’re the ones in the defense lines. We’ll do our god damn jobs, count on it.”

  Iris gave Karl a final dirty look and walked out of the room. The group stood silently watching her leave. Before she reached the door, she talked over her shoulder to Rik. “See you at hangar 52 for lunch?”

  Karl pushed the chip app into Rik’s palm. “Get this on her weapon.” Rik was stunned.

  Dask watched her leave. “Those damn marines. I know they'll defend Aoife to the last women and man, but do they need to be such assholes all the time?”

  Rik watched Iris leave through one door and Karl through another and frowned. “Marines?”

  “Yeah. 7’s, that’s cannons and infantry. She told you. They’ve been studying the black machine defense protocol. We’re going to meet them head-on.”

  Rik was catching on and said. “Wait. Iris is a marine? Is that what ‘commissioned’ means?”

  Chapter Thirty

  Dask inspected Rik head to toe for the first time, seeing a soldier and maybe something of himself in him. “I never had a chance to apologize about beating you up. I was out of options.”

  “I am sorry I let you,” Rik said, “You got some lucky punches in, next time I’ll kick your old ass three sides to Rehimt-Star 9.”

  “What I am sorry about is making you think I would harm Iris. Her reports indicated that you wanted to run, and you were getting sidetracked and more focused on finding Da. That was a risk point for us because there were people who wanted you dead. They just needed the right way to draw you out.”

  “I get it.”

  “Harming you, on the other hand, has been an option I still keep open.” Dask smiled but Rik was unsure. “Risk point? According to Iris, there was no place to run and I could be tracked anywhere.”

  “Yes, that’s true. Well-funded people were trying to get the cube and find a way to decode it and some simply wanted to kill you. Once Iris secured it—"

  “You mean stole it.”

  “She made sure everyone received indirect data about how you lost it and you were recorded walking around looking on the ground desperately. We couldn’t have staged it better. That recording may have saved your life. Everyone else was searching as well.”

  “Did my brother ever talk about our father. He was driven like you and just as towering. You do know just your presence is intimidating to a lot of people, right?”

  “What? No, I don’t know that,” Dask changed the topic, “Da, told me about the worlds you two had visited and you were always just in front of the invasion. He said your actions could trigger some genetic attribute in the human seeds and they would be aggressive to your kind. As if they have some automatic switch that made them violent toward you.”

  “That’s true, it’s the ingrained DNA that prepares the food for its harrow. That makes the situation dangerous for the Lares, especially right before the invasion. It’s not a comforting place to find yourself in, especially knowing the harrow is close.”

  “At first, we couldn’t get in front of the threat. It was out of character for our citizens even self-marginalized ones to act like animals and want to kill you. Iris began communicating this to everyone to protect you, but it brought more crazies out. I was so angry with her but in the end, she may have saved your life.”

  “I am sure my arrival changed things. Maybe not as you might have anticipated. I was sure my brother was killed or in captivity. Mostly I felt frightened for Iris because she seemed to be put in the situation without any resources. I didn’t know she was a marine. We had to buy supplies for me with all these people staring at me and following us like we were circus animals.”

  “My agents made you more nervous?”

  “Agents? They walked around us taking images, following, talking and pointing. It was a totally scary situation.”

  Dask shook his head. “Sorry I messed up. I didn’t realize they felt like a threat. Do you know where your meeting will be? Your team leaders and lead pilots will be gathering for your instructions. Like I said son, sorry for the rough start. Welcome to the family.”

  He patted Rik on the back and turned to walk away then said, “you are expected over there at 13 hundred, so we’ll talk later?”

  Rik turned to leave then stopped. “Dask? How was Neil as a dad?”

  Dask smiled agreeing with a memory. “Sometimes he was self-critical but only on what he expected of himself, for us as kids he was a blast. We used to build cardboard box Flyers and he’d tip them and bounce us around, lots of laughs. Is that what you remember about your brother?”

  “I can’t imagine him as a father. I am glad you had the experience. Glad to be on the team again. When this is all over, we will talk about your old man.”

  “Roger that. Don’t be late for your meeting. Those pilots are counting on your input.”

  Rik watched Dask walk away seeing his brother in the large man’s stride.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  At Hangar 52, Rik and Iris sat at one of many lunch tables where technicians, mechanics, and pilots were eating and conferring over the meal occasionally there was a burst of laughter but generally, everyone was intensely preparing.

  “Hey, I am meeting all the pilots at 13 hundred in the large conference area lecture room,” Rik said, “I am told there is an old-style whiteboard and I can draw pictures. You want to come?”

  “Hell no. I have things to get done before the evening. You should be O.K. without me.”

  “You sure, Stu will be there.”

  “I am sure, I can’t O.K?”

  Rik moved the food around on his plate. “Not a problem, I was just asking no need to rip at me.”

  They sat eating in silence for a few moments and then Rik spoke. “I am I forgetting something?”

  “Forgetting something? No, I don’t think so. She checked her IARI. Why do you ask?”

  “You seem mad at me or something like I probably did something I am not supposed to do like maybe I accidentally got engaged to a girl by smiling at her and looking at her butt in some way. I don’t understand the cultural significance of things around. Maybe I accidentally touched her hair. I tend to mess up on the customs and protocols on this planet especially when it involves women.”

  “You touched a girl’s hair?”

  “No, just saying as an example.”

  “No worries it’s a universal failing for all men. Stupidity,” Iris breathed in, “actually It’s not you, it’s me,” she gathered her things, “besides, I have to stop over at the supplies stores.”

  “So, I’ll see you later?”

  After slowly making his way to the conference room area, Rik located the large meeting room. He waited around outside the room gathering his thoughts, and wondered, ‘why are you nervous’. He took a steadying breath and cracked the door to see into the large conference room. It was empty. Rik’s mind raced; did I get the wrong room? The time, oh damn I am late, he thought, he turned aro
und and walked fast to the front of the building information desk. A young girl was startled by Rik’s rapid pace. “I am Rik and I was meeting my pilots for a conference.”

  The young girl checked her rooster. “You’re in the simulation conference room with your pilots and then all pilots will be in conference room seven-three, it’s the large one that is next to the walk-in stage.”

  “I know where that is, where is the simulation conference room?”

  The girl jerked her head slightly and Rik imagined her saying, ‘duh.’ She smiled and pointed to the elevator. “Take the elevator up one floor and head in the same location. Follow the green lights on the ceiling.

  The room was darkened, and he was surprised to see only the Commanders present. They stood in a circle with somber expressions and when Rik stepped in, they snapped to attention. Rik said. “At ease. I thought we were going to start downstairs first, I am late, let’s get started.”

  Rik fumbled in his bag for markers, found none but he brought some paper from Dask’s notebook, he noticed a pencil at the bottom of his bag and his heart sank. The images on the screen in the center of the table made him jump. The virtual screen held a three-dimensional view of an attack formation in an attack dive. He walked around inspecting it.

  “I am up first, we have a lot of work,” Commander Gwen-jewel said, “to get this right.”

  Rik was confused about the visual demonstration and pointed. “Explain this.”

  Commander Gwen-jewel bit her lip and her body tensed. “I know, we’re not lining up. This is the sixth attempt.”

  Rik inspected the images beginning to understand. “This is the sixth attempt in the simulation? How far is this from the Orb?”

  “Sir this is the attack dive,” The Commander closed her eyes.

  Rik stepped up to the screen. “Where are the Raptors?” The screen as if hearing his voice, moved the image away from the fighter group. Rik stood studying the positions and the imaged looped and then rage begin to boil in Rik’s mind. “You mean to tell me that in the attack dive, there are no Raptors, they are not even in the square? What do you think is going to happen?” The Commanders were silent. Rik took out his laptop set it on the table and grabbed the hated pencil from his bag and flung it across the room. The Commanders straightened, chin up. Rik shouted. “The CS’s will see the Raptors behind the attack square, they will eliminate them because they have no cover and they let the Square come in close. If we are doing this everywhere, the fleet will be decimated in space before using the twisted light weapon. Look, if you think we can’t do this initial maneuver I need to know right now, so I can scrape the entire air force off this mission and pull the Flyers to dirtside. Tell me now damn you.”

  “My teams are watching out for each other and we can’t keep up,” Commander Gwen-jewel said.

  Rik put his hand over his mouth to stifle a scream but calmed down. “You have to enter space already lined up. Have all your pilots do their calculations and spacing, and once they break gravity, turn off your navs and punch it to the orbit transition point.”

  “Some pilots won’t survive that,” Commander Magnas-Temj spoke up.

  “I don’t give a shit. Ask your people to volunteer off the mission rather than put their teammates in danger. If they feel they cannot perform this, I need to know that. No dishonor. If we can’t be ready to execute crushing first blows on the enemy, they will defeat us. If that’s going to happen in space, then I will take my chances with all of you flying dirt side. I am I clear?” Rik was angry again.

  A young Commander inspected the images closely. “Sir, Odonal-tej, I mean Commander Odonal-tej, I think I have an idea that we can test. If everyone sets their ‘navs’ to the intercept point but pings the Raptors at the same time and if we let the Raptors move out in front of the Square groups, we can link up in space, rather than trying to position while attempting to break planetary gravity.” Rik let out a ragged breath. Odonal-tej stared at Rik’s reaction. “Can I demonstrate?” The young man typed some entries on his IARI and fed them into the simulation. They watched the Raptors move into space and rocket away starting an orbit arc and then the Squares entered the screen and lined up in perfect formation then moved rapidly into a parallel arc, the Raptors folded under them and the completed orbit came upon the Orb. Rik stepped forward and watched. “Run this in real-time. Get the pilots to do this.

  Commander Odonal-tej typed quickly on his device and Instantly the simulation began to populate data points in real-time. Data points as red and green arrows showed as pilots in real-time were executing the new maneuver and perfecting it while the system was learning and compensating the learning curve. The training program was learning, and the pilots were correcting each other in real-time. Greens lines started to populate the screen.

  Rik smiled, “Good work pilot.”

  Commander Odonal-tej stood next to Rik observing the corrections and software AI learning. “Not my work, I asked my friend for help.”

  “Is your friend Ra?” Rik wondered.

  Odonal-tej stepped back. “Yes.”

  Commander Gwen-jewel nodded her agreement. “We will have this programmed and perfected in one shift. We needed the kick in the pants. Thanks.” She looked at Odonal-te, “next time I need something technical done right I need to talk to someone like you.”

  Rik said to all. “Remember, come out of gravity, ‘navs’ off, program arc on, ping for raptors and punch it to the link and the Raptors will fold under your attack squares. Race them to that point. If someone falls out of formation, another moves forward,” Rik’s relief showed on his face and he leaned on the table edge, “O.K. I want—”

  “To see this executed perfectly in three-shift bells. Yes Sir.” Commander Gwen-jewel interrupted.

  Rik said. “…Yes…I want to talk to everyone, here or on-visual com.

  Rik had time to sit and drink a dol-ve, watching the training improve from the monitor on his laptop. He understood the control points, the data correcting and others repeating the flight. Green dots and arrows indicated the flight arcs were within the improving parameters and an orange line indicated failed attempts, yellow was improvements shared.

  Commander Samit-jec stepped up and cleared his throat. Rik looked up. “Sir, Commander Samit-jec Medical Support, the group is all present downstairs, as you can see many pilots have adapted well to the changed routine.”

  Rik got up. “Let’s be at it, then,” and followed Samit-jec down the stairway.

  Pilots in various colored uniforms sat lecture style but all the helmets had the same insignia. Many of them were on their devices, taking notes or talking in a friendly manner. The cacophony of voices rose and fell to fill the large space. Men and women, all ages, and experience levels with the Commanders in the front row talking among themselves in lower voices. When Rik and Commander Samit-jec stepped into the room all talking stopped and Rik felt their eyes on him, watching him, measuring him and following him as he walked across the room. He didn’t care. Rik scanned the room and saw staff in lecture-style seating and wall monitors with teams in similar lecture halls on the remote share. There were thousands of pilots waiting. Rik set down his bag and noticed someone had retrieved his pencil and placed it on the podium for him, his jaw clenched. “We provided a new routine for setting up in attack formation. Tell me about the ABLE ZETA 90 run. Anyone.”

  A young pilot stood up. “Sir, we are forming in such a way as to maximize fire cover for the Raptors because they need to fly in close for the led shot. The ABLE ZETA 90 run will be our first maneuver. Our team has perfected the movements and we are working with the other Raptor pilots. Commander Gwen-jewel, here, and her teams are in simulations with us, so we are learning the routines together.”

  Commander Magnas-Temj was a large man and he stood. “As you can see Sir, the new routine is getting fine-tuned. Our younger pilots like the idea of turning off ‘navs’ and racing each other to the preset position and coming out of hyper-speed while banking into a
n orbit. Us older folks are probably going to throw up.”

  Rik smiled at the thought. “Everyone in the battle square has a responsibility to protect these Raptors. If they can’t do their job with the single twisted light weapon, then we won’t be able to make an immediate punishing attack on them as quickly as I want. Understand?”

  The room erupted with a unified voice. “Sir, yes sir.”

  Rik scanned the room. “From what I am seeing we will be attacking using a 4879 parga-mag banking sequence with thir-3 metrics but using a slight modification of the Repiy-gamit juncture, probably transverse about 4985 squared but the calculations will change in real-time. Stay on top of your computer panels. We’ll repeat the orbit but change it to the current speed of the CS’s and repeat the attack until the thing is dead or compromised for atmospheric entry. I am estimating there will a minimum of eight hundred Orb CS’s in the fleet based on the size of this planet so two hundred fifty Flyers will be on each CS. The CS’s will gather in groups as they settle and prepare to invade, that’s when we will be hitting them. They will break apart and just like that game we wrote in the training, the Flyers close in will concentrate on the remaining CS’s and any that break out will be attacked by the further orbiting Flyers,” Rik sipped his drink, “the CS’s will come out of deep space and slow their light speed by using the gravity pull of a major gas giant in this system, Artio-Hecbec 45 or Imping-tek 116, not sure which. They will correct their orbit and loop through our planet as a cluster then correct to an invasion orbit. It’s during this time that they will be detected by my equipment,” Rik stopped and corrected, “your equipment. When they are identified in our system, how long do we have to get into position in the exosphere? Can anyone answer?” Many hands shot up and a pilot called out, ’thirty gaml-ite-minutes’.