Greener Green II: The Balls Brigade

by Peter Sowatskey

  When we got there, the dragons were inside the ship, sleeping. I hoped someone had rigged a good exhaust system. Lillian would have seen to that. She called Manello out and I said, "Manello, let's go sit over there."

  I held out my hand and he took it, unafraid. Evidently his mind was open and he wasn't deeply fearful. I asked him if I could sit on his lap to see into his eyes. "Yes." We sat and I looked back down his Time Track. Damn long one at that. Just as I'd suspected, too much Lillian to cope with, also too much sleeping, at too slow a time rate.

  I asked, "You and Lillian together long?"

  "Too long, she always wins. Then say she always wins, too many times."

  "Another female will be here with you, and her, for six months. Maybe you can talk to this other female?"

  "Oh, that would be different. But maybe Lillian talks, too."

  "Lillian can't talk endlessly."

  "True. We will wait and enjoy, then.

  "Good. Is there anything you want to tell us?"

  "I know how ANNU KI pilot their machines. Our weapons were too weak. I know how strong weapons have to be."

  "You will be very valuable to us." I said, laying a hand on his shoulder. He was solid, probably as strong as Lillian. He just lacked her driven sense of self. But he had the same gifts. Properly focused and motivated, he'd be a force on his own.

  I asked, "What are your people going to do?"

  "Most, nothing, now, later they may wish to fight. Can you give them weapons?"

  "I will talk with my people."

  "Why, you the leader?"

  I smiled at him and absently curled his long hair around a finger. "If only it were that simple."

  He really looked at me for the first time, allowing the veils to go away. "You not simple, I understand, maybe. Maybe you come share my dreams?"

  I considered, he considered, and he didn't quake. I said, "Sleep lightly. But I must go now. We will speak again at the end of the Time Drop."

  I sprung off his lap. Maybe it was time for me to grow three feet. If I did it gradually, no one would notice. Maybe put a little bit more here and there. Why not? Like he said, I was in charge.

  Lillian and I walked back to the Mess. She asked, "Is he going to be well?"

  "Depends on you letting him be friends with Tina, he will come to appreciate you more. A loose line ties more securely, remember?"

  "What clan did you say?"

  "I didn't." We continued until we met our crew.

  Prestrillo was looking around what was surely home for him. He asked, "Are we done here?"

  "I am. I think the Security Squad should remain here. I have a mission for them."

  "As you wish, there's Sergeant Rowells."

  I walked in her direction, motioning her to one side. I said, "You and your squad are to remain here, special mission. You're to chart bays for fighters and nearby quarters and mess facilities. Calculate 5,000 pilots and whatever ratio of mechanics and loaders that is considered normal. Concentrate on quick egress. Make a report each day and lay it on your desk. Time technicians will be over later. I'll include longer term rations on their shuttle. Also, familiarize your people enough to fly the on-board shuttles, enough for doing external inspections. Anything further I'll contact you directly. Do you understand?"

  "Yes. You're expecting pilots and want to put them up here."

  "Exactly. Can you round up the shuttle pilots? We're ready to leave."

  "I already told them. They're at the controls."

  I called, "Admiral, we're ready."

  Tina escorted us to the shuttle. She saluted the Admiral and me. She wanted a good luck hug from me but she didn't know how to adjust to the difference in heights with dignity.

  I UNDERSTAND TINA. A LOT OF OUR SUCCESS IS IN WHAT YOU DO. BE KIND TO MANELLO. YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT. I'LL ALWAYS BE JUST A THOUGHT AWAY.

  She stepped back to let the gang plank go up, now satisfied that she wasn't being sacrificed.

  Prestrillo tried to start a conversation on the way back. When he became aware that I had directed the pilots to Secallo's ship, he started to protest. I laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

  I sensed he realized that something must be discussed between the three of us so he sat easily. If the enemy attacked and wiped out all three leaders they had damn fine intelligence. And we were toast anyway.

  When we walked into Secallo's suite I held up my hand and said, "Those damn phones of yours never work. Please get an electronic Tech on it right away." Then I helped myself to his Scotch. Who do you think signed off on the cargo manifest, anyway? Prestrillo motioned for me to pour one for him, which I did.

  The Tech came in and I touched his arm and passed on to him the data I'd received from the courier. He lit up like strobe light and indicated five minutes. Tildore could only sip his energy drink, while looking at our Scotches, and fume. I forgot now whether I programmed in a liking of drink. Oh, well, even more for Tristel and me if I forgot. It took the Tech six minutes, so Trist and I had a refill.

  The Tech hung six devices with magnetic backing onto the walls, switched them on, and left.

  "OK." I said, "Now we're secure. We can't make too many exclusionary rooms on each Weapons Ball or they'll be noticed. That was a gift from your long dead fellow Captains. Seems like they did more than sleep through Eternity."

  "Taln was always coming up with something along those lines." Trist fondly remembered

  "I noticed Tina didn't return." Tild remarked with concern in his voice.

  I said, "Prepare to receive."

  I put in his memory what had transpired, leaving out the personal items.

  "I expect you'll be keeping an eye on her."

  "Of course,she has the least dangerous of assignments. Taln pinpointed the location of the ANNU KI ships. Now we have to do something about them. Besides the one by Ayers rock, there is on the South Pole and one in Central Canada."

  Tild said, "I've been thinking about that. Does he know which one is the main ship the A I's spoke about?"

  "Yes. He says the one on the South Pole landed first, and is the largest. They started broadcasting some wave he never understood. They make the electro magnetic shield of the planet the carrier wave. It's so high in frequency he suspects it has to do with thought. The one in Australia was next, about a quarter the first ones size, and lastly one in Canada, the same size as the second one. No secondary activity, fighters or scouts, came from the South Pole ship. At least nothing that he could trace back."

  "Something in me, which I can't pin-point, says go after the Canadian one. So unless we figure out differently, that's the target."

  I interrupted, "We may have some volunteers. Manello spoke about being a pilot. They had energy ships. Don't know what his frame of reference is. I'll get more on that later. Their ships were no match for the ANNU KI. I did, though, lift a battle from his mind where they killed an enemy fighter. It took eleven ships to do it. They developed a tactic where they'd scatter under attack, and if an enemy fighter broke formation, they'd swiftly close in on it from all directions and destroy it. Like I said, later, but he thinks his comrades might want to join the fight when they're recovered. So I told Sergeant Rowells to make a plan to accommodate them. When do the intra atmosphere fighters get here Trist?"

  "Three days."

  "Too many unknowns, way too many, we know phasing out is a slit in Negative Space. The question is, can we introduce that effect from outside a vessel. If we could, we would break their Time Track continuity. If we broke it in two places we'd have a segment of time, as we know it, to affect them in. So, let's get that question answered first. Also, we need to get Time Slip capability on the new fighters. Paula, who has come through with a dossier to do that?"

  "I put the Time Techs through Volunteer rebirthing first. They had finished their installations on the space stations and the fighters in current human form and returned to ARK I. Person in charge,Ted Markus. If he can't consider the question, especially in his pres
ent evolved form, maybe I didn't order enough Scotch."

  "Can you up the beer flavor in our potion?"

  "Yes." I made a quick survey, beer won. "I'll do it on the next batch."

  Trist had been on his phone, "He'll be over in a half hour. Meanwhile, tell us about these dragon people. I noticed you weren't surprised to see them."

  "I was, but not totally. They pop up here and there when new planets form. Most of them escaped from Earth. Their usual form is energy. They have ships which are all force field. In the energy state, time is of no consequence. They can go up to almost energy and exist for a very long time; proof is on the ones which arrived today. They have another capability which is very important to us. They form collectives. By that I mean, when one dies in body, and another body isn't practical or available time wise, they combine. I saw that Lillian had 973 people coupled with her when M.Verdai called down the Med Deck. We have to learn that, because where we'll be, there will be no Frigate pick-ups of the dead."

  Tild and Trist sat in stunned silence.

  Finally Trist asked, "You said 973 people?"

  "Yes."

  "I just can't imagine that. But it's a good point. This is not the usual poker game. Will Tina learn that aspect too?"

  "No idea. But if we can't achieve insulation from a Dragon lady's menacing thoughts, we'll have to start looking for other places to exist. I mean exist, not live."

  Trist said, "I can't tolerate that."

  "Not for me." Tild agreed.

  Ted knocked, "Can I join the wake? Anybody I knew?"

  I said, "Us, if you can't answer 'can do' to Tildore's question.

  "You're on."

  "Simply put, can we introduce Negative Space Phase-Out from outside a vessel?"

  "Assuming the vessel is stationary, with enough power, transmitters coupled to each other, force field exterior to the whole mess, I don't see why it couldn't be done. By the way, I sent a crew over to the passenger station already with Time Bay equipment, something about one to twenty four."

  "Thank you. What Tildore wants to do is cut the ANNU KI time line in two places to create a segment of time. He thinks that would make them easier to overcome."

  Ted concurred, "They could just fly around the blockage using time slip, if they have the capability. But sure, twenty years is easier to manage than 7,000,000. If the target was hit at multiple points within the twenty years, at once, the shock value would become a factor. Shall I start on the work-up?"

  Tild and Trist looked at each other. They both nodded. I said, "So, that's the plan for now. It's been fun. But I have to go back to the Med Deck. After a half hour, people coming out will be implanted with what we've learned today. That includes your contribution Ted. I'll give you credit."

  Poor Ted, he didn't know whether to thank, or curse me. Always leave them wanting resolution. They invite you back. No one noticed the two bottles of Scotch I put in my deep jacket pockets.

  OPERATIONAL AREA EARLY EARTH NEAR PLUTO

  ADMIRAL TILDORE SECALLO

  CHAPTER TEN

  The Carriers, with the intra atmosphere fighters, finally arrived. There was no mention of their contents in any data base that Admiral Tristel Prestrillo or I could find. It seems toward the end, the Defense Department became compartmentalized. Who knew what else we'd find? We, Trist and I, weren't holding our breaths. Whatever they'd developed hadn't been successful. Trist and I argued long and hard about that result being the fault of the equipment, or the personnel. We'd almost agree, then switch points of view and go on. To begin with, we were almost ashamed of our leisure time, being released from all details. Then we gradually realized that's what Admirals do, worry.

  We were being probed by a vessel fifty years out of our current time. Despite that, Trist and I felt secure enough to both go to see what had arrived from the shipyard. Along with us we took Jandor Zorn, our Area 51 moon run pilot. Because he and Nerre' were running the Flight School, she accompanied us also. Flight School was a huge success. Once Nerre' and Jandor had discovered the best way to fly our deep space fighters everybody came out with that knowledge. Trist mentioned that the last person out was going to be a (super- person), but we'd never notice because he or she would be just like us.

  The Shuttle pilot took us around the massed ships. They looked exactly like star liners of the future that I'd seen in ARK IV's Seed Ship, but one half larger. Up close one saw hatch openings, which we took for fighter craft launching tubes. They were fore and aft. They didn't seem proportionate, must be the oversized construction that made them appear that way.

  Trist entered a code into his handheld, and we entered a bay on the second deck from the top. The door dance, as I called it, took place. (Every vessel had airlocks with double doors, so one had to go through four doors/hatches to get into another vessel.) We entered the Carrier proper by walking down a ramp. The inner airlock door shut behind us. We were met with rich (thirty three percent oxygen) Phaeton air. We'd become used to it, and liked it.

  I said, "Nerre', you and Jandor go directly to the fighter decks. Admiral Prestrillo and I are going to look around the Bridge first. We went up one deck where we expected the Bridge to be and found the crew recreational room and a swimming pool. At each end of the upper deck, the layout schematic showed two Landing Shuttles and an Infirmary. Trist and I looked at each other in disbelief. But then he pointed to another deck schematic further along the wall. We counted down from the top, Rec deck etc, mess, officers quarters and conference room, enlisted quarters, maintenance, then four Hanger decks with fighters, propulsion deck, another maintenance deck, then the lowest which was water surface propulsion and ground landing struts. A small red 'X' between the four fighter decks had a line off the main view, which said Bridge. Fastest access was a 'down' jump tube in the exact center of the Rec' deck. I looked at Trist, and said, "Buns away." and jumped feet downward into it. I saw him follow.

  Grab bars for the intervening decks flashed by. The artificial gravity wasn't set high enough for us Newlings. I probably should have that set a bit higher before Trist complained. But he wasn't going to be on the Carriers anyway. (Hilde, Take a note.) I grabbed the red bar and swung myself sideways onto a floor with deep orange-brown carpeting. When in Rome---.

  I moved out of Trist's way. He swung in behind me and said, "We never had this level of luxury on my station."

  "Indeed. Why don't you try out the Chair while I wander around? These smaller chairs further along look like remote control piloting stations."

  Softest office type chair I'd ever sat on. I was correct. The controls were two sticks and two foot pedals. A 200 degree concave screen came down when I sat back. The chairs were arranged in twos, back to back. Well and good, that's how we fly on remote. How did we do it for real? I called Nerre' on my shoulder tab pick-up. "Found any fighters yet?"

  "Yes, they're the oddest."

  "Pilots sit back to back?"

  "Yep. This is going to take some getting used to. Jandor and I are sitting in one looking through tactics manuals."

  "Take good notes. You two will be rewriting them. The Bridge is in the middle of the fighter decks. Not much of a view."

  "Contraire. Here I see very well all around us. The screens are remarkable, total coverage, from the inside."

  "True. Take your time. When you're done join us on the Bridge."

  I walked over to Trist where he sat on the main control chair and asked, "Anything new?"

  "This chair, no, but come on over here to the two Arms Control Chairs." They, like the pilots chairs, sat back to back. He said, "Sit, I'll bring them on line."

  Shortly a slightly concave screen dropped down to eye level. It had six rows of dots across it. I said, "No clue."

  "This ship has a double hull. About ten to twelve feet of separation filled with some gel mixture. The main chair turns on force fields that fill that whole space, top and bottom too. These dots represent 1,000 KW plasma cannons, which protrude out of the outer, hull far enough to a
chieve separation of the charge. I didn't count, but there are a lot of cannons. You would cut your way through an enemy formation doing a lot of damage. One chair's for each side of the ship, "What kind of an enemy did they foresee?"

  "Maybe rebels or--an 'on planet' group?"

  Trist said, "I just can't tell. Let's go look in the Captain's office."

  We found it at the edge of the chair area. A wall, of the forty foot, by forty foot room, consisted of filing cabinets, this in a civilization, which bragged about its electronics. I didn't even start. Trist sat at the desk and brought up the last log entry. It read, 'All systems exceed design requirements. Good luck to you who will use this weapon, Captain Toeurquenas, 6th Interstellar Development Group'.

  I found a chair next to a small table and took a carafe of juice out of my kit bag. We'd taken to carrying along what we'd need for the duration when off ship. Trist flipped back through the log entries. I worried trying to worry like the good Captain would have done. I vaguely succeeded.

  I said, "Trist, answer me two questions. Any Carrier uses or loses fighting platforms quickly in combat. Where are the replacement platforms? Secondly, I'd imagine they would not call themselves Interstellar, if they, in fact, weren't."

  He quit playing with the log and directed his gaze to me. "First, I evidently, again, didn't get the catalog entries right. There must be, at least, fighter replacements for combat losses, at very least five percent. I'll look further. Interstellar means just that; a point out of this solar system. It could be in any direction. This Captain appears to have been left behind. Ordered to produce what was necessary to fight an enemy where they'd gone. But there's been no evidence of N Space Drives."

  Nerre knocked and walked in with Jandor behind her. "We figured out the fighters. They go both ways. The pilot and fire control alternate functions. It has triple back-up propulsion and platform control. Its principal armament is missiles, which come close to light speed. Small explosive charge, but big velocity. If it jettisons its foils, it can operate under water. We've already ordered fifty pilots, to start training tomorrow. We'll start a class of fifty each day until we've exhausted the manpower pool. Is there anything on the Bridge which impinges on our job?"