by Don Foxe
“Would it get through a depleted field?” Cooper asked.
“Depends on the weapon, the distance it is fired from, and how close the hit is to the dynamo. The further from the power source, the thinner the shields are normally. With this surge technology, even thinner,” Storm answered.
“If the engineers can make the changes to the dynamo, with the primary software you have re-written, we may prevent their weapons from damaging the Star Gazer?” Poonch asked.
“Yes,” Storm answered.
“Then we have increased our chances one-thousand-fold,” Poonch declared. He left to personally inform the people waiting in the engineering section to start work on the plan.
Cooper watched him go, and turned to Storm. “You are amazing,” he told her.
“Yes, I know,” she assured him.
2:00pm GMT. The John F. Kennedy.
Captain Black and Genna waited in the main engineering control room, called there by Dr. Trent. Genna stood serenely, but Black nervously paced, watching the readouts on monitors that recorded every engineered system aboard the ship.
Dr. Trent, wearing a civilian version of the Space Grays, with no insignias, walked in with the ship’s current Chief Engineer, and another man from Trent’s laboratories on Earth.
Without preamble, Trent informed them, “We may have a way to increase the 109’s space-fold speed.” He turned the impromptu meeting over to his head engineer, Dr. Manny Hernandez.
Hernandez, a short, thin man of obvious Hispanic heritage, calmly walked to the monitor that provided readouts for the laser-crystal array which created space-fold drive.
“A number of lasers, varying in strength and angle of contact, strike the facets of a crystal. That combination produces the space-time bubble, and determines how fast a ship will travel in space-fold. The crystal is set in a faraday cage connected to the ship’s hull by copper-alloy conduits. Simply stated, this creates the fold bubble, as well as compresses space and time forward the ship, decompressing it behind the ship as it proceeds. The tighter the bubble, the faster the ship.
“At our laboratories on Earth we constantly experiment with crystals and lasers. One theory suggests, if the lasers are adjusted during space-fold flight, making the laser beams hit a crystal more precisely on the edges of the facets, specifically those running from the crystal’s top to base, the bubble will compress, resulting in an increased speed.”
“You’ve tried this before?” Captain Black asked.
“No,” he replied honestly. “An attempt requires a ship traveling in folded space. We planned to experiment with an Angel series using a drone pilot, but had not figured out how to manually adjust the lasers without a live person. We couldn’t afford to lose a crystal because of an automated system glitch.”
“What happens if you try and fail?” Genna asked.
“Best case is nothing, and worse case is we blow up the ship. The most likely outcome is the ship falls out of fold, and into natural space. Of course, if that happens we probably damaged the crystal.”
“We have a crate-load of extra crystals on board,” Trent interjected. “We brought a supply to make sure we had enough with the proper cuts to add space-fold drive to the alien cruise ship.”
“How much time would it take to install and calibrate a replacement crystal?” Genna again.
“Twenty to Twenty-four hours,” Hernandez answered.
“If I understand you correctly,” Captain Black said, speaking to both men, “We might increase speed. How much sooner would we reach Captain Cooper.”
“Six hours, best estimate,” Trent replied.
“Six hours,” Black repeated. “Or we blow up. Or we destroy our crystal, and cannot engage space-fold for twenty to twenty-four hours. We bet those negatives against the possibility of reaching our destination six hours sooner, and still eight hours after the Zenge reach Captain Cooper.”
“We cannot leave the adjustment on for more than fifty hours,” Hernandez suddenly added. “We believe the crystal will develop cracks after that length of time. That is actually why we only pick up six hours. We would make the adjustments at forty-eight hours prior to the updated estimated time of arrival.”
Captain Black stood perfectly still. Her hands dropped to her lower back, clasped in the traditional at ease stance of military personnel for centuries. It was not a conscious movement. An uneasy quiet fell in main engineering.
Genna broke the silence. “We should try.”
Trent agreed. “We need to try. If it works, we could make a difference. If it doesn’t, we probably weren’t going to arrive in time to help anyway.”
Hernandez added, “The team studied this for years, and we have discussed it at length over the past few hours. We believe it will work.”
The current Chief Engineer of the 109 remained quiet. In the military too long to get caught between his captain and civilians. Besides, no one asked his opinion.
“You believe it will work?” Captain Black repeated the phrase, but with disdain. “This is my ship. I am responsible for the ship, the crew, and the mission, so you cannot blow her up, Dr. Fernandez. If you drop us out of space-fold, and it requires a day to repair or replace the space-fold drive, we may as well return to Mars. I’m not a fan of waiting. If you can get this ship into the fight faster, I’m for it. But your plan includes far too many potential negatives. You are not going to experiment while we are in a battle posture, Dr. Trent. This is not your laboratory on Earth, and you are technically a civilian aboard a military ship. As Captain this ship, I forbid you making any unapproved adjustments to the space-fold array.”
With that rather pointed pronouncement, Captain Black pivoted and removed herself from the room. She made it clear the subject not open for discussion or rebuttal.
“Amazing,” Trent said after the door closed behind the captain. “I didn’t expect her to be thrilled with the concept, but without other options, I thought she would see the need to try.”
“Yes, amazing,” Genna agreed. She did not have enough time around the captain to analyze her motivations. Her only real frame of reference was Captain Cooper, and he and Captain Black were nothing alike.
“Dr. Trent, Genna, Dr. Hernandez, Master Chief Camden,” Kennedy spoke.
“Yes, Kennedy,” Dr.Trent replied for the group.
“Captain Black ordered Col. Gregory to place a Marine guard on the door to the space-fold array. No one has access without her express permission.”
Chapter 35
10:05AM GMT (Next Day). John F. Kennedy.
Forty Hours Until Zenge Overtake.
“Captain Black,” Lt. Dominczyk beckoned the commanding officer to her station.
The Captain eased out of the Command chair and walked the couple of steps to stand behind the lieutenant. Black tried not to judge the lieutenant on her looks. The five-foot-four Polish-heritage officer had light skin, bright blue eyes behind wire-frame glasses, and blonde hair cut in a pageboy style. She personified ‘cute.’ No one wore glasses anymore, except as a fashion statement, or to try to appear older, or wiser. Black decided the late twenties’ woman had her uniforms tailored for her size 2 frame.
“What is it, LT?” Black took her at ease stance, hands cupped behind her lower back.
“We’ve picked up speed,” the officer replied. “According to the time-lapse computer, we will reach the exit point in [she hesitated, and double checked her readout], forty-eight hours instead of fifty-four. Six hours ahead of schedule.”
“Forty-eight hours?” Black repeated, both as a question, and as a realization.
“Yes, ma’am. We should arrive within eight hours of the Zenge’s ETA.” The Lt. sounded excited about the news. When she turned to her Captain, expecting the same reaction, she saw the dark scowl, and quickly returned her attention to her console.
“When did the speed increase?” Black asked.
Dominczyk replied, “Five minutes ago, ma’am. Exactly ten-hundred-hours.”
“
Kennedy,” Black said through a clenched jaw.
“Yes, Captain,” came the immediate response.
“Find Dr. Trent, Chief Engineer Hernandez, and Counselor Bouvier. Have them meet me at the space-fold array room. Regardless of where they are, or what they are doing, have them meet me there immediately.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Black exited the bridge, with a “Lt. Dominczyk, you have the bridge,” tossed over her shoulder. She shuddered at the thought of the cute one in her seat, but she was the highest ranking officer currently on the bridge.
Trent and Hernandez had been in the Chief’s office, near the power systems, including space-fold. They arrived to the room first, where two Marines stood guard.
Captain Black stormed down the corridor, and without bothering to greet the two scientists, stood facing the two Marines, who snapped to attention.
“How long have you been here?” she demanded.
The corporal on the right replied, “Ma’am, four-hours ten-minutes.”
“Who did you allow into this room?”
The same corporal, obviously slightly higher on the rank-pole than the corporal on the left, replied again: “Ma’am, no one. No one has even been on deck since we arrived,” he added.
Genna arrived, wearing her Space Fleet grey sweats and tennis shoes. She came from the exercise area and training with Col. Gregory and a half-dozen Marines.
Black turned to Trent, Hernandez, and the newly arrived woman.
“The speed of the 109 has increased. We will arrive six hours sooner to our exit point than originally scheduled. The increase in speed occurred at precisely 10:00am GMT, and the return to natural space will occur in exactly forty-eight hours.”
She let the information, and the importance of the timing sink in before continuing. “Which of you decided to disobey my direct order and altered the array?”
Before the three could deny or accept responsibility, the ship replied:
“They did nothing, Captain Black,” Kennedy said. “I used the array’s automated mounts to adjust the lasers to increase the power from the crystal.”
“The ship did this!” Black shouted at the hull. “Kennedy, on whose authority did you do such a thing?”
“I have been running scenarios since Dr. Hernandez described the experiment and the possible outcomes. Using the information in Engineering’s files, complimented with data uploaded from the Earth laboratories from Dr. Trent’s private computer, I concluded the odds for success far greater than those for failure. Since you did not directly ordered me not to approach the array, upon deciding the reward outweighed the risk, I initiated the changes.”
Black could not decide where to look. It was the AI, and the AI was the ship. Finally she looked to Genna, because she was the avatar to the AI.
“Counselor Bouvier, you are under house arrest.”
Genna stammered, “What? Why?”
“You are ship’s Counselor, and the avatar to the AI, so you must have been aware of the decision, a party to it, and, therefore, you directly disobeyed a command from a superior officer during war. Marines!”
The two Marines, already at attention, both answered: “MA’AM!”
“Take Counselor Bouvier to her quarters, and lock her in. I no longer need you to stand guard on this room, obviously, so you will stand guard on her. She will not leave that room, and no one is to enter without my permission. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am!” they replied In unison. As they stepped forward, Kennedy broke in.
“Captain Black, Counselor Bouvier had no knowledge of my intentions, or my actions.”
“Perhaps, Kennedy, perhaps. But someone is going to pay for disobeying my orders, and I cannot put the ship in a brig. Until I am convinced Counselor Bouvier did not conspire with you, or until a court-martial, or jury, or whatever is convened, she will remained in her cabin, under guard.”
“Captain Black, I cannot lie.” Kennedy said. “Genna knew nothing of my actions until you informed her, along with Drs. Trent and Hernandez.”
“You cannot lie, but you certainly can act deceitfully,” Black said aloud. “Marines, escort the Counselor to her cabin, NOW!”
They flanked Genna, and walked her away. Black turned to Trent and the Chief Engineer. “I suspect that since we have not blown up, or dropped into natural space, the changes Kennedy made worked. Please continue to monitor the array. If anything appears to fail, warn me immediately. I will take it offline, and take us out of space-fold. Do you both understand me?”
Both men nodded and replied with “Yes, Captain.”
“Kennedy.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“If you disobey another order directly, or by indirect methods, or if you disrespect an order I have given to someone else aboard this ship, intentionally bypassing a command decision, I have the authority, and I have the ability, to shut you down and control the operations of the SF PT-109 with crew and computers only. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Captain.”
Captain Black turned, and strode the hallway to the lift to resume command of the bridge (and get the cute girl out of her seat).
Trent and Hernandez stood quietly, watching her go, until she entered the lift, and the doors closed. They turned, faced each other, exchanged a high-five, and started laughing out loud.
“Kennedy,” Trent called.
“Yes, Dr. Trent.”
“You go, girl!”
“Thank you, Dr. Trent. But what about Genna?”
“Genna will be fine,” Trent assured the AI, not knowing if it was true. “You can keep her apprised of everything happening.”
“Yes, Dr. Trent.”
“Kennedy, what you did was insane. In fact, it was a particularly human act. You know that, don’t you?”
“You built me to learn and to adapt, Dr. Trent. I hope this does not represent a setback.”
“Kennedy, you may have made the biggest leap forward since Fairchild found the Martian hangar. If Captain Black did not have her head up her ass I would have explained that to her. On top of that, you increased Coop’s odds for survival by twenty-five percent.”
“Thank you, Dr. Trent.”
“Any time, Kennedy. Any time.”
Chapter 36
10:00AM GMT. The Star Gazer (twenty-four hours later)
Sixteen Hours Until Zenge Overtake.
“Attention All Decks,” the PA rang throughout both spheres, on every deck, through every bay, hangar, and storage facility. “Captain Poonch has a ship-wide announcement.”
Poonch: “We are sixteen hours from being overtaken by the Zenge. In fifteen hours the Star Gazer will come to a full stop. At such time, any non-essential systems will cease operating. We will route the available power to the dynamo which supplies our forcefield, and maintain only the minimal power needed to operate bridge controls, and communications. Engineers, both crew of the Star Gazer and volunteers from among our brave Osperantue citizens, have developed a way to help improve our forcefield, and shield us from the Zenge weapons. To do this we must put as much power to the dynamo as possible.
“It will become bitterly cold. You must gather all the clothing and blankets you can. Livestock must huddled together. Pets kept close. You will need to congregate in groups so your body heat will help keep you warm. You will need to find places to sit or lie down. Breathing will not be an issue, but excess movement will use up the atmosphere more quickly, so remain as calm, and stationary as possible. Finally, because the environmental controls also control the gravity on the ship, you will experience a lower gravity field. You will not float, but you may experience queasiness as your body responds to less gravity.
“We have help aboard, as many of you know. The man from this solar system, Captain Cooper, has an extraordinary ship. He has promised to stand between us, and the Zenge.
“Earth, his home world, is sending more ships, ships more powerful than those of the Zenge. We only need to hold out, and hold on unti
l they arrive.
“As Captain of the Star Gazer I must say I am proud of everyone aboard. My crew has acted selflessly, and with honor throughout our ordeal, and our citizens have remained true to their heritage; strong and fearless. Stay strong. Stay fearless. Captain Poonch, out.”
Coop laid a hand on the shoulder of the Bosine officer, for whom his esteem had risen steadily over his time aboard the cruise ship.
“Captain Poonch, if ever I decide to take a real job, and get work aboard a cruise ship, I would take pride in having you as my commanding officer.”
10:00AM GMT. John F. Kennedy.
Twenty-four Hours Until Exit to Natural Space
“Attention all decks,” Kennedy’s PA rang on every deck, in every cabin, hangar, bay, storage, and office aboard the SF PT-109. “Captain Black has a ship-wide announcement.”
Black: “We are twenty-four hours from exiting space-fold and returning to natural space. We have no idea what we may encounter. It is imperative everyone on board must be prepared for battle. There is the distinct possibility, upon arrival, our mission may become recovery and resistance, instead of rescue. We may face an alien enemy with capabilities we do not yet understand. Regardless of the situation, we will act in accordance with the highest standards of Space Fleet. While some among us are not military, nor technically members of Space Fleet, I expect you to perform to the same level as your Fleet counterparts.
“We represent the force which protects our planet. We might stand between humanity and aliens intent on destroying our families, our friends, and our way of life.
“You have been drilling steadily since our departure from MSD; now is the time for you to rest and ready yourselves. Make sure your stations are ready for action. Make sure YOU are all prepared for action.
“It is an honor and a privilege to command the SF PT-109, John F. Kennedy as we sail to make history. Make me proud. Make Space Fleet proud. Make our home world proud by your actions. Captain Black, out.”