“Good to see you, Captain Chen. I guess that you’re done with the ship designs?” Hall asked.
“Yes, sir.” Chen sent him the information.
“Please take a seat. I’m not as fast as you merger types.” Hall smiled.
Chen nodded with a small smile and settled down into a chair.
Although Chen might have left the legion behind, he had been hesitant about what he would be doing in the new Victor Corporation. He still didn’t know what his job would be, but it was clear that the people trusted him. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have given him such a large task that would have a massive impact on their future.
“Carrier, troop transport, battleship, and support vessel,” Hall said as he went through the information. “Tell me in your own words a summary of the four types, then required time to build and necessary infrastructure.” Hall’s eyes focused on Chen.
Chen activated the hologram projector in the room as a ship appeared between the two of them. It was a boxy-looking ship, with ports running along its sides and communication hubs dotted across its surface.
Chen gathered himself quickly before indicating to the hologram.
“The carrier is the mainstay of space operations. It has the strongest communication systems and multiple back-ups and has primarily two ship types: the rapid support drones as well as seeders. Its weaponry is focused on the defensive to allow the different ships to exit as well as protect the open acceleration rails.
“It has a specially designed launch system that will allow stored RSD to deploy in just a matter of minutes. The biggest thing with the carrier will be the seeders and the RSDs needing to be added to the ships.
“It will take two months to make one carrier if using ten level-three fabbers continuously and having automated machines to put the different sections together.
“The troop transport is similar to a freighter, optimizing interior space to fit more fighting personnel. It will also have bunkers to store some extra needed materials and fabbers in case they are needed to make more parts.
“Its weaponry will be defense based for space combat and then have weapons to support ground combatants.”
“Much like how the Moby was able to support the mergers on Edani with their rail cannons?” Hall clarified.
“Exactly. It will also have launch rails for the new drop-ships for rapid deployment and a multi-stage system to increase deployment rate. I will be able to carry a company of Gorgons, a carrier group of troopers, and artillery to support. I am now thinking I can modify the EMFCs to become these troop transports.”
Hall nodded in understanding. The EMFCs were large ships and if they could use them instead of having to start over, it would be for the best.
“They will also have medical facilities onboard ready to receive wounded that come up back from the surface.”
“How long?” Hall asked.
“Will need about twenty level-three fabbers running for a month and a half,” Chen said, holding nothing back.
The troop transports would be carrying and supporting the main force on the ground and they would be much larger.
The carrier, on the other hand, had a lot of specialized equipment, with most of its space being taken up with communication systems, RSDs, seeders, and launch rails.
Hall nodded, his eyes looking at the troop transport. “Continue.”
The image changed once again, turning to that of a ship that looked to have its bottom half cut off.
“This is the supply vessel. Its Alcubierre drive can be collapsed, opening up the underside of the vessel, which is a series of cargo doors. It will work like a mobile factory from the rear all the way to the bow. Materials will be taken in near the engines of the support ship, then pass through different fabbers or machine shops to be turned into whatever items are needed, then crated up and carried off by heavy hauler shuttles that can double as small freighters with attached Alcubierre drives. It will have different mining machines to gather materials from asteroids or planetoids based in the system of operations. From there, haulers will take the materials back to the support vessel, feeding its material needs. With these, we can support long-term missions in different systems if needed. I think that they should be built ahead of the other ships,” Chen stated.
“Why?” Hall asked.
“Right now, we’re in a period of expansion. With these mobile factories, it will be much easier to support development on, say Tricticus, or in the asteroid belt. Right now, we’re relying on the Yard and this freighter to create a lot of the different items that we need. If we could have these support ships online, they could help increase the speed at which we increase your capabilities.
“The troop transport, carrier, and battleship will allow us to strike out at the enemy, but they will not provide us with any help in increasing our abilities to sustain ourselves or grow,” Chen said.
“Agreed. How long will it take to build them?”
“Twenty fabbers, three months,” Chen said.
Hall nodded. It was understandable: with a large craft that had so many capabilities, it made sense that it wouldn’t be some short-term sort of project.
“The final one, the battleship?” Hall asked.
Chen frowned slightly before he started talking on the battleship. “This ship is built with space warfare in mind. It will be the fastest moving ship in the fleet, with larger battery banks that will allow it to travel farther on its Alcubierre drive. It will be outfitted with an anti-matter power system to increase the recharge speed.
“It will be using the M30 cannons with multiple fire functions, as well as lancer missile system. It can launch two flights of RSDs from its defined launch system every ten minutes. Its armor is the thickest and will have a nanite repair system built in. The command center will have overlapping carbon hendral plating and the systems will be wirelessly and wired connections. Even if sections are cut off, the batteries within the system will allow it to remain operational and power the nanite repair systems to bring the ship’s main systems online.
“It will have twelve reactors and four fabbers, as well as a supply dump to create new munitions or replacement parts as required. It can survive off a short crew of two hundred people but will have one of eight hundred for day-to-day operations.
“It will take two months and thirteen fabbers to build a carrier. However, the command center will take ten level-two fabbers three months to build. With the carbon hendral plating, it will be much harder to build.”
Chen’s voice was much more clipped and it was clear that he had some issues with the battleship. This battleship wasn’t merely made to attack the Maraukian insertion barges before they entered a planet’s atmosphere: they were the core of the Victor Corporation’s defense against the legion and any other human group that might try to attack them.
Chen didn’t want to have to fight against the people he had served next to in the past. He also knew that it might not be his decision.
He had picked his side and he would stick with it.
If the legion attacked, he would do all in his power to defend the people under his command and those who were part of the Emarl system.
Hall’s own expression was grim. He had been fighting against humans most of his life and he knew that they needed to be ready for whatever came their way.
“I saw that Charles was looking into specified nanite programming. Would it be possible to speed some of these processes up by having specially programmed nanites making certain systems after the ship is completed?” Hall asked.
“Certainly. I have made this plan based upon using fabbers. If we have the capability, it would be much faster if we were to follow this second assembly plan.” Chen sent over a second file. This used a mix of fabber parts for the more complicated systems, panels that could be made on a factory line and assembled via automation and shifts of people. It was a much more complicated system but it would reduce the time needed to create the ships by half in the case of the carrier
and troop transport, which were much simpler than the other two ships.
“Looks like you have been talking to the people in the Yard.” Hall looked over the detailed plans.
“Yes, sir. I might know ships and the merging abilities that I gained give me a great edge, but I don’t know the Yard or how to build ships as well as them,” Chen said.
“Good man.” Hall closed down the information and looked at Chen. “Do you know about what Charles found?”
“Something about a signal?” Chen had heard snippets but he had been focused on design and trying to get the engineering team to make something that was workable instead of what was the best that they could possibly produce.
“Our target isn’t the Union, nor is it the EHC, or really the Maraukians. Charles found a signal that is passing orders to the Maraukians.
“If he is right and we can find out where the signal is coming from, we can launch an offensive to take out whoever created the Maraukians,” Hall said.
There were many conspiracies and ideas about the Maraukians but thus far nothing much could be found out about them, other than the planets they lived on and the different manufacturing plants that they built all over space.
Chen, although in shock from the news, wasn’t taken over by emotion. After all, most people accepted that there was more to the Maraukians than what met the eye.
“We need to be ready for whatever they have, if that is space-based ships, forces on the ground, or what have you. We need to stop that signal from transmitting and then we might be able to gain an upper hand in this war,” Hall said.
“Hit them at the root,” Chen said in understanding.
“Exactly. And we’re not going to go in half cocked. We need to consolidate our power, build ourselves up for whatever is coming. We don’t owe anyone else anything. If they want our help, then they need to be in our system. Otherwise, we’re just trading with them,” Hall said.
This was a powerful declaration. The Union was made to defend one another, but the Victor Corporation was looking to defend just one system. Without their strength all over the place, they had a much higher chance of defending the system and planet.
“Humans aren’t the smartest race. If they see that we’re doing well as they’re not, then it’s likely that they’ll blame and attack us. We can’t save all of humanity, but maybe we can save the people we care about. The EHC and Union used us, Chen. Now it’s time we worked for ourselves,” Hall said.
Chen knew he was saying it for his benefit. He felt better hearing those words, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow. “Yes, Admiral. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“Get the Moby ready for combat. Keep working with the new ship designs to increase their functionality and keep building things with that nanite vat. We’re playing a catch-up game and there’s no telling how long we have until something kicks off,” Hall said.
All they could do was prepare and hope that it was enough to deal with whatever happened in the future.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Malazar School
Tricticus, Emarl System
11/3555
Pela Oina stepped off the shuttle that had brought her and the rest of her fellow students from across Tricticus.
The shuttle port was simply made but it was sturdy and durable.
Ahead of them lay a city that was under construction. Everywhere they looked, they could see different groups of people working to clear the old buildings and build new ones.
Among these groups, there were people wearing uniforms from the Victor Corporation with teacher armbands. They were talking to ad hoc classes, showing how to tack metal together with a welder, how to splice wires together, or explaining why they were building different things.
Other groups with students wearing different colored armbands were working alongside their teachers, doing manual labor or putting the skills they had learned to work as the teachers watched on.
She didn’t have more time to stare at the goings-on of the Skill School as she and her fellow students were herded off for the shuttle pad and into a reception area.
The squat building, thankfully, had a cooling system. Pela let out a content sigh. It seemed that this was one of the first buildings made by the Skill School.
Once they passed through the scanners, they entered a larger hall that had different screens directing them to different tables.
“Engineering Practical—purple line.” Pela followed the directions and the purple line; she joined in on a new line.
It was going by fast as people were issued an identity card and then passed through the checkpoint.
She reached the counter. It wasn’t manned by a person but was rather a computer screen. It took a picture of her and had her give them her fingerprints and DNA sample before issuing her an identification card with her information loaded on it.
She had to use the card to pass through the barriers and then she was in another gathering area. Here people were lined up to enter different rooms. The doors would open and people would enter.
Pela joined the line, gripping her bag tightly. It wasn’t long until she was at the front of the line and entered the room.
A woman waited for her there. “Pela Oina, Engineering Practical track?” the woman asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Pela said, remembering the terms that she had learned from the different elders who had placed their trust in her to test out the Skill School first in her generation.
“I’m Doctor McKay. I will be giving you a Neural Interfacing Artificial Intelligence, frequently known as an NIAI. Do you know what a NIAI is?”
“Yes,” Pela said. Tricticus had been practically under the control of the legion for a long time. There were few who didn’t know about the NIAIs and how many of the powerful figures on Tricticus swore by the devices.
Pela felt excitement and anticipation.
“Good. I will be knocking you out and putting one on you. The reason is that it feels odd when having the system integrate. Is that okay?”
“That is fine.” Pela had heard that she would get a NIAI but she didn’t think that she would be getting it upon her arrival.
“By accepting this NIAI, you are incurring a debt with the Victor Corporation. Do you understand that even if you fail or succeed in becoming a trained professional, it will be necessary for you to repay this debt in the future?”
“I do.” Pela was nervous once again. The debt that one accrued by just going to Skill School wasn’t light. It would be hard for her clan to bear the cost if she wasn’t able to become a full-fledged engineer.
If she did become an engineer, the benefits she would earn were unimaginable.
“These NIAIs are clean, with no software to spy on you. Only if you are suspected of a crime will it be possible to access your NIAI and only then with your consent. Your NIAI will not pass on any information to others that you do not agree to prior.” Doctor McKay stressed this information.
“I understand,” Pela said.
“Good. Tap your card against this interface to agree.” The woman held up a contract and Pela tapped her card against it, taking on the debt of the NIAI.
“Please sit up on the bed.” The woman pulled out what looked like a piece of tape and placed it on Pela’s neck. Then she grabbed a large bracelet from a large crate.
Pela’s eyes closed it felt as if she had just blinked when her eyes opened once again.
She looked to the doctor, who had moved away from her. Did she do anything? It looks like she moved too quickly.
“You are now linked to your NIAI. The interfacing went perfectly well. To activate your NIAI, think NIAI on. It will guide you to where you need to be next,” McKay said.
“Thank you.” Pela stood and went through another door. As she exited, she thought, NIAI on.
“System is fully functional and operating at one hundred percent. I am a Neural Interfacing Artificial Intelligence. I currently do not have a designation. Would you like to
give me one? Also, please follow the bouncing ball to retrieve clothing items from stores and then I will take you to your sleeping quarters. It is good to meet you, Pela,” the monotone voice said in her head.
Pela saw a bouncing ball in front of her, guiding her through the large open area where people were talking to thin air, or excitedly to one another. Others were headed out of the doors, following the bouncing balls.
“Uh, Gondi,” Pela thought, thinking of the creature that she had grown up with. He had passed away a few years ago, but she still remembered him.
“Understood. My name is now Gondi.” The NIAI fell silent as Pela was now looking around what was supposed to be the Skill School.
Materials were being dropped off from shuttles that were coming from the station that orbited Tricticus. Others were dropping off new students they had collected or taking items back up to the station.
Around her, Pela saw all kinds of buildings taking shape.
The area was still being cleaned out, with the remaining buildings that were not much more than rubble getting knocked down.
Growing towers stretched up into the sky and different factories were being marked out. Parks and other recreational areas were also being grown out.
There were still very few solid structures. In the middle of the area that had been the city, a multi-leveled tower was growing in stages. It was meant to be the administration building for the Skill School. Then there was the inspection and intake area that Pela had come through.
Everything else seemed as if it were under construction.
She made her way to a covered area that had tarps fluttering in the wind and cloth sheets creating a doorway. She made it inside the building. The fresh air from outside allowed the place to be a bit cooler.
Pela followed the bouncing ball. Inside the tarped-off area, automated bots moved between materials, organizing items that were coming in and making them ready for others to take away.
The new additions grabbed bags that had their names stenciled on them.
An Empire is Born (Maraukian War Book 3) Page 11