While watching, Cindy says, “I hate to sound stupid, but I don’t recall seeing that before.”
“We had to install it,” Joe responds, then he explains, “the controls for the rail guns were originally with the weapons themselves, which meant that someone had to be with each one to fire it.”
“Fair enough,” Cindy responds, then says, “now that you mention it, I do recall seeing it on the list you sent me of upgrades and changes.”
John stares at his navigational plot, then says, “I have a few candidates in view, and will try to find a good one for our test.
Peter opens the lid of the box to reveal two dials. He stares at them and grins at their simplicity. He lifts each one to release them from their locked position, then turns them both clockwise until they click at the first mark. He announces, “Outer hull plates lowering.”
The forward section of the Terran’s main hull is almost flat, with only the upper and lower two levels sloping inward, the remaining sixteen levels create a blunt nose effect. In the very uppermost forward section of the ship, two sections of armor slowly slide downward.
Resting approximately midway along the main hull, are the five command levels. They appear to be an addition, rather than part of the ship’s original design. The uppermost of these houses the bridge, and it is from here that the crew observe the weapons test.
Peter turns both dials to the next mark and says, “Moving weapons into firing position.”
Joe glances up from his console, then with a deft motion adjusts the main view and says, “Both guns should be coming into view.”
Cindy squints as she tries to spot the open panels, then says, “They’re pretty widely spaced.”
Joe sighs, “Yeah, and not only that, the Gamin power unit that was installed, when we were kicked off the ship, is between them.” He shakes his head disapprovingly, then turns back to monitor the test from his console.
Peter shakes his head, and with disgust in his voice adds, “Lazy bastards. The hull was already damaged by the nukes, so they simply installed everything, then patched up the holes.”
“Yeah,” Joe says in agreement, and then adds, “that’s the main reason we wanted the second power unit installed in the hangar deck. That puppy up front is pretty exposed should we run into anything.”
John tilts his head toward Joe and wonders if he is making fun of the time he rammed the ship into an alien space station.
Joe catches the intent look and frowns in confusion. Suddenly he recalls their first encounter with the Kord, and laughs heartily. In between chuckles he says, “I was not being literal, but,” he shrugs his shoulders and adds, “if the shoe fits!”
Emma points excitedly at the forward view and says, “I can see them!”
Cindy flicks an annoyed glance at Emma, as she is still unable to see them. Looking forward intently and squinting, she frowns when she finally notices movement. From the two distant openings in the ship, a pair of long barrels begin to extend through the shields.
Joe grins as he says, “At least they installed these weapons on tracks so they could move. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if they were fired from inside the shields.”
George, who has been listening, adds his thoughts, “I doubt that it would be a real issue, we only have navigational shields. But,” he adds in earnest, “if we are successful in our mission, we may be able to secure the more powerful combat shields, and I am sure that would be a totally different story.”
Peter monitors his console intently, then grins as he questions John, “You think that one?”
John replies with pride, “Go big or go home. Right?”
Off in the distance, a massive asteroid spins, one easily half the size of the Terran. Joe reviews the ship’s data on the asteroid then scoffs, “You two would make poor astronomers.” Joe shakes his head as he adds, “That’s a baby, and I can’t believe it took you so long to find one, the asteroid belt has millions that size.”
Peter blinks at Joe in surprise, and replies indifferently, “I never really looked much past the moon.”
“You I can forgive,” Joe says, motioning to Peter. He then adds jokingly, “But John here, he calls himself a shuttle pilot.”
John grins and immediately replies, “Those days are long gone.”
Cindy stands up and interrupts their banter. Chastising them, she says, “Will you boys quit talking, and shoot that damn thing so we can get going.”
“Yes ma’am”, intones the three men. Though the words are sincere, all three sport wide grins.
Peter stares at his console intently, then after a few moments, he turns both dials to their third position and says, “Charging weapons.”
A red light shines next to each dial. Peter stares at the Gamin console and can see from the navigational plot, that the ship is aimed straight at the asteroid. Fifteen seconds later the light changes to green, and while turning both dials to the last position he says, “Fire!”
The fully charged rail guns launch their projectiles at incredible speeds. Even though the asteroid is as close to the Terran as the moon is to Earth, it still takes an agonizing thirty-five seconds for them to traverse the distance. During this time both weapons recharge, and thanks to an automated loading mechanism, are ready to fire again.
The entire bridge crew stares intently at the asteroid, which shows no sign of being struck. The seconds tick by, when all of a sudden, the large asteroid splits into smaller chunks, each of which spins off in different directions.
“Yes!” cheers Peter as he pumps the air with his fist enthusiastically.
Cindy smiles and says, “You make it sound as though hitting that massive target was difficult.”
Peter faces her and replies, “It’s tough. The guns don’t move, so John has to line up the ship with the target before we fire.”
Cindy nods in understanding, then says, “Are you guys happy now?”
Joe grins as he replies, “They work pretty darn well.”
“Good,” Cindy replies, “now can we get a move on?”
John grins widely as he activates the ship’s sub-light engines, and moves them up and over the asteroid belt. After double checking their telemetry with Joe, and confirming that the rail guns are secured, he turns to Cindy and says, “The main drive is ready at your command.”
Cindy leans back in her chair and orders enthusiastically, “Punch it!” She loves the phrase, and grins as John engages the Terran’s main drive. She stares at the view screen as the ship accelerates. The kaleidoscope of colors that bombard the ship’s shields are relaxing and mesmerizing to her.
Robert stares at the visage then suddenly recalls an inquiry he received by one of his fans. He turns to Joe and says, “Hey, I have a question for you.”
“Sure, fire away,” replies Joe willingly, his thoughts still on the weapons test.
“How is it that this ship travelled so far on two percent power, and yet when you guys returned you had to go slower, and recharge the ship’s capacitors at regular intervals?” Robert frowns as he is perplexed by the apparent anomaly.
Joe nods his head at the valid question, and replies, “I get asked that a lot actually.” He takes a deep breath, and then begins his explanation, “We are familiar with engines where we supply fuel in accordance to how fast we wish to travel. Imagine, if you will, the accelerator on a standard car. The driver presses the pedal, fuel is supplied, and the vehicle moves.”
Robert shrugs his shoulders and says, “Right, and?” He adds questioningly, still not understanding where this is going.
Joe continues, “Now with Gamin technology, the premise shifts. These controls,” he says, waving at the stations in front of Cindy, “set the ship’s desired speed, then the engines draw the power needed to fulfill the request.”
With a shake of his head Robert says, “Yes, but all twenty nuclear reactors only supply a fraction of the ship's standard power levels.”
Joe shakes his head and replies, “Yes and no. The
safe output level of the reactors is two percent of the power grids capacity. But you have to understand, the Gamin drive system is not concerned with our safety limits.” He sighs and then reluctantly admits, “We hooked the reactors directly into the power grid, and then we installed GUS as an interface between our technology and the Gamin systems.”
Robert’s jaw drops as he begins to grasp what happened. With a shaky voice, he says, “So the drive system just took over?”
Joe nods slowly, and adds, “Even worse, the Gamin systems ran the reactors well beyond their tolerances, causing two to begin to melt down. You see, this technology is designed to use Gamin Power Units, along with immense capacitors.”
Robert stares at the controls in front of Joe and says, “So if you set a speed, the ship will do anything it can to achieve it.”
“The Gamin race survives by being able to flee when they need to, everything else is secondary,” continues Joe.
“Surely not everything?” Robert questions with a scoff.
Joe stares at Robert with a steely gaze and says, “From what I have gleaned, the reason these command levels are separate, is so that the bulk of the ship can have its power requirements reduced, or even cut off, if needed. The only exception to this is their hatchery, which seems to get the highest power priority of all the ships systems.”
Robert stares back while he ponders Joe’s words. He scratches his head, then asks, “I still don’t get how two percent could have done it?”
Joe shakes his head then says, “Mate, when the reactors were overloaded by the system, they somehow used up many years of fuel in a few hours.” He holds up a hand to stop Robert from replying, and adds, “Olaf spent a long time absorbing the radiation, and even then, he had to isolate a couple of the reactors.”
George, who has been listening to the whole exchange, turns and adds his words, “If we had not stopped when we did, every reactor would have melted its way through the deck. As it is, they all required substantial repair efforts when we returned.”
Robert tilts his head then asks, “It sounds like having them is dangerous and risky. Why didn’t we remove them?” His gaze shifts from Joe to George while a frown deepens on his forehead.
George nods, then replies solemnly, “Because we know that if we absolutely have to, this ship will burn them to the ground to keep us moving.”
Robert is too stunned to reply as it dawns on him that the reactors are a last-ditch survival tool. Even if the radiation kills us, the ship will keep moving. The thought does not comfort him in the least.
Joe sighs, then adds somberly, “The Gamin ships are designed to sustain heavy damage, and still be able to flee. I think it is a sad way to live, constantly on the run.”
A chill runs up the back of Robert’s neck, then with trepidation, he says, “What if we run into whoever is fighting the Gamin?”
Cindy interrupts the conversion and replies confidently, “We have a greater understanding of this ship, more power, and weapons this time.” She turns her gaze to Robert and adds, “We will either run or fight, depending on the situation.”
“Couldn’t you just talk to them?” Robert asks naively.
“We are in a Gamin ship,” Cindy replies bluntly, “and we have been shot at simply for that reason.”
Robert asks apprehensively, “Then why are we going? It sounds much more dangerous than I thought it would be.”
“With great risk comes great reward,” interjects Peter. With a smile, he adds, “and the rewards for success far outweigh the risks. Besides, we have been to both target planets, and saw no signs of any tangible threat.”
While the others talk, John steadily increases their speed. His finger slides the main drive bar further and further, then stops. He performs a number of calculations, then turns around and proudly states, “Factor six point three and holding. We will arrive just outside the Oglan system in thirty-five days.”
Cindy grins and says, “Great work.” She stretches, then adds, “I’m hungry. Who else wants to go to the mess hall?”
As Robert’s thoughts turn to his notes, he has an idea. He smiles and says, “I would like to commemorate this day by taking a picture of you all first.”
“Why not,” Cindy replies with a smile.
It takes a while to get everyone together. The group stands with their backs to the main viewer. Robert looks through his camera lens, adjusts the focus, and then smiles. He sets the delay to ten seconds, and then rushes forward to be included in the picture.
John, Peter, Radclyf, and Robert stand in the middle of the back row, with Patrick and George standing on either end. The front row has Cindy and Hayato standing in the middle, with the shortest members of their group, Emma, and Joe, on either side.
Emma reviews the image on Robert’s digital camera and cringes. She puts her hands on her hips and says defiantly, “You all make me look shorter than I really am!”
Joe is the second shortest of the group, and although he grins at her comment, he remains quiet. Once everyone has reviewed the image, and given their appraisal, Cindy leaves for the mess hall.
Location:
Hawking
New Earth
General Walker stares at the reading, then glances at the two fishermen. The small boat rocks on the lake as the three men carefully change positions. None of them want to fall into the cool waters.
One of the fishermen points to his fish-finder and says with glee, “See I told ya. No way is that a school of fish. It ain’t moved, and it’s deep.”
Walker replies absentmindedly, “Whatever it is, it’s metallic.”
“Metallic!” Replies the fisherman in surprise. He stares at the image on the fish-finder and asks, “How do you figure?”
Walker stares at the small screen on the device, then says, “This unit was adapted from a radar unit, and I am telling you, whatever is below us, it’s made of metal.”
Three days pass as Walker’s men hastily construct a dozen pontoons, then erect a temporary crane on them. Each pontoon supports one leg of the oddly shaped crane which now straddles the area directly above the submerged object. Scuba divers have been busy removing silt, and running cables around it.
On the fifth day, Walker stands with Barbara on the edge of the lake and observes as his men slowly winch the mysterious object out of the water. Scuba divers continually report the progress, while others watch from a safe distance.
The area between the pontoons turns muddy as the disturbed silt rises closer to the surface.
Barbara’s heart skips a beat as the object rises out of the water. Gasps can be heard from the onlookers, many of whom step back in fear.
Walker’s face twitches, then he says, “Well, that’s the darndest thing.”
A shuttle, bigger than all but the largest the Terran has, dangles above the water, suspended by numerous cables. Water drips off its curved wings, and its impressive looking stubby engine.
Walker stares at it in amazement for a few moments, then whistles and waves to his men. A large truck edges close to the water’s edge, while at the same time, the small motors on the pontoons start up. Carefully and slowly the alien craft is moved toward the truck. Walker diligently watches the lengthy loading process. Once completed, he walks over to the object that is now resting on the truck. Its body overhangs both sides of the truck’s bed, while its muddy wings hang out even farther. He stares at it for a while, then turns to Barbara, and says. “This engine looks like a miniature version of a main drive unit.”
Barbara walks over to Walker and asks, “What do you think we should do with it?”
Walker slowly shakes his head from side to side, then replies, “Well, as much as I would like to examine it, the Terran should be back soon.”
“They are better equipped to deal with alien technology,” Barbara adds thoughtfully.
Walker bends down to look underneath the alien craft. His eyes narrow warily when he spots a recessed section in its hull. He leans closer. His heart ski
ps a beat when he notices an ordinary looking handle in the center of the recess. He motions for Barbara to look, and asks, “Do you think the pilot is still inside?”
Barbara’s eyebrows raise up as she replies, “If so, I am sure he, she, or whatever it is,” she stammers, “is long dead.”
Walker rubs his chin thoughtfully, then says, “I am going to put this thing in lockdown.”
“Lockdown?” Barbara inquires.
“Yes. It should be stored in a secure location, at least until the Terran returns. Perhaps they know who this belongs too,” Walker adds optimistically.
“Okay,” Barbara replies reluctantly, “I agree.” She is not sure if the crew of the Terran will know anything, but she does know that the current group is ill equipped to be poking around what appears to be a small spacecraft.
It takes Walker’s men the rest of the day, but finally, the truck with the alien spacecraft on it is parked outside his headquarters. His men hastily erect a fence, and then post guards to keep any curious townsfolk away.
Chapter Four - Oglan World
Location:
Deep Space
Oglan System
Emma stares at the forward view excitedly, and asks for seemingly the thousandth time, “How close are we to the Oglan’s planet now?”
John takes a deep breath, then taps his console once again, pushing their sub-light engines to maximum thrust. He glances at Joe, then hesitantly replies, “Couple of hours.”
Emma pouts, “Why did you stop using the main drive when we were still so far away?”
John chuckles, “We were pretty close actually, considering we had to estimate the solar system’s position.”
“Estimate it?” Emma queries as she glances from Joe to John.
Joe responds, and thus saves John from any more harassment. “Our sensors can only scan to a distance of around twenty light years. Even with the aid of the Navicon unit, I was concerned about certain inconsistencies in the stellar charts.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 114