Assault on Cambriol: The Manhattan Trials

by Jerry Borrowman

  “Thank you, Chief.”

  It’s times like this that Captains are supposed to pull some magic out of the air and initiate a bold, daring move that saves the ship and everyone onboard. Everybody expects it. Movies require it. Unfortunately, a Boundary Patrol Cutter just doesn’t have the necessary horsepower to do a lot against the force of a star fragment. So, deciding to put protocol aside, Jesik turned to the assembled crew and asked, simply, “Any ideas, gentlemen?”

  There are occasions on a military vessel that one wishes desperately for silence … some relief from the throbbing of the engines, the pinging noise of navigation and the meaningless chatter of shipmates. There are other times, like this one, when the last thing anyone wants is silence. Everyone wants to hear someone say, “Why, yes, Captain, I have a great idea! If my calculations are correct, we can just try such and such.”

  It just wasn’t a good day for hope, unfortunately. The crew was deathly silent. Clearly, the next move was still up to Jesik.

  Turning to the Communications Officer, he voiced, “Have you communicated our predicament to the authorities on Kalenden, Mr. Williams?” The look he got in reply announced things were even worse than he thought.

  “We’re unable to transmit anything through the magnetic disturbance, Sir. The last message I heard was the sound of Colonel Kensington giving a planet-wide stand-down to the alert, telling everyone there was nothing to worry about, other than a few harmless plumes on Cambriol magnified by a passing dust storm.”

  “That’s great,” muttered Commander Brighton under his breath. “We’ve managed to neutralize the planets’ early warning systems.”

  “Do we have any Esper links onboard – certainly they could get past the interference?”

  “Not presently, Sir, since our patrol has been confined to the solar system we haven’t really needed one.”

  For a few moments Jesik was dazed. What could they do other than prepare for a sudden, crushing death, knowing that in less than five hours an entire planet would be drawn from its normal orbit into one certain to destroy its atmosphere? With an increasingly unstable planet, a full-scale evacuation was impossible. It was all so staggering that his mind almost failed to grasp its full meaning. The hopelessness of the ship being dragged to a crushing end seemed the perfect metaphor for his ill-fated career.

  “I just don’t see how this thing could suddenly appear out of thin space!”

  All the other officers kept their gaze forward. There was no plausible explanation.

  “If only there was a way to get a message out.”

  The ship lurched again, throwing Jesik off balance. At the moment, he had a fleeting image of the incident with the two cadets. He tried to dismiss it so he could concentrate on the problem at hand. But, then, slowly, an idea began to form itself in his mind. With the Lentisimmo’s own death certain, he no longer had to worry about that, which freed his mind to think more clearly about how to help the planet. After a few moments in which everyone stood in expectant silence, the Captain shook his head, took a deep breath and made a decision.

  The crew noticed his back stiffen as he turned to everyone and declared, “Gentlemen, we’ve got to warn the planet of their danger. If we give them enough time, perhaps they can launch some nuclear weapons that will divert the fragment from its collision course with Kalenden. Unfortunately, our present trajectory prevents us from properly placing our own missiles and we can’t break free of the fragment’s gravity to maneuver into proper firing position.

  He noted that the navigator nodded to confirm his conclusion.

  “To get a message out, we need to get a clear line at a communications corridor and since there’s no way we can break free of the field, we’re going to have to deploy a surrogate.” That statement produced a sea of blank stares.

  “Mr. Brighton, please order the two young men from the academy to join us in the shuttle bay.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Then the Captain asked Weapons, Navigation and Communications to join him for a brief, whispered conversation. The others looking on were somehow pleased to see the three of them start to shake their heads in the affirmative, though no one smiled. “What’s the Captain have up his sleeve?” Ensign Wight whispered to the Navigator. It was a rhetorical question. The point is that the Captain had a plan and that’s all the crew needed for the dark mood to disappear.

  Down in the shuttle bay the two boys stood at attention as the Captain strode into the room.

  Jesik didn’t have any time to waste, so he said simply, “Gentlemen, there’s been an unanticipated change in our condition. A high-density fragment has somehow slipped past system sensors and is attracting all the space debris in the area. It’s pulling us in as well and will undoubtedly warp the orbit of the Cambriol moon if left unchecked. Kalenden itself is in grave danger unless we can get your ship out of harm’s way to pass a message through to Sector Control. Quite simply, we’re counting on you to send perhaps the most important message in the history of this planet.”

  One can only imagine what the cadets had imagined they’d hear from the Captain, but this clearly wasn’t it. They were floored, and stood motionless with vacant stares. Jesik wanted to shout at them to get moving, but realized they needed time to process what they’d heard.

  Finally, Cadet Eaves cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me, Sir, but if the Lentissimo can’t pull clear of the gravitational pull of the fragment, how can our little four-seater possibly break out?”

  “A good question, Mr. Eaves. Here’s the plan. We’re going to use our ship’s Vortex drive to create an inverted cone from the Cambriol radiant. Because it won’t be a completed vortex, it should simply have the effect of neutralizing gravity in the area, rather than creating a deep-space fissure. Think of it as a coral reef protecting the water in the lagoon from the wave actions of the ocean. You’ll use full thrusters to clear the gravity field and then bring yourself into a neutral position with a clear shot to Kalenden where you’ll send a high-speed coded transmission that will automatically launch a planetary alert. That should give Fleet Control enough warning to take countermeasures.

  Jesik watched their faces to gauge whether or not they had the courage to do what he was requiring of them. If there was any hesitation he would have to send one of his own officers to command the mission. In some ways he’d prefer to spare one of his own men, but his first responsibility was to save civilians. Fortunately, he was reassured by what he saw in their eyes.

  Eaves’ companion, Sean Magill said, “Sir, may I ask what will happen to the Lentissimo if you divert enough energy to give us a clear path? It seems to me that you’ll never be able to break away in time.”

  “An astute question, Mr. Magill. Honest questions deserve honest answers. You’re exactly right. Instead of having 38 minutes of fuel, we’ll have just ten. That’s not your problem, though, it’s ours.”

  “Sir, if I may also say, perhaps it’s better for us to stay onboard. There must be an alternative to passing through a vortex field that is likely to crush our ship.”

  Jesik saw the growing fear in the young man’s eyes and knew that he had to move decisively.

  “Gentlemen,” he spoke with firm authority, as Cadets at Kalenden Arms Academy you are subject to immediate impressment in the Sector Defense. You will each consider yourself so pressed as of this moment. You are now commissioned as acting Ensigns in Boundary Patrol, assigned to my command. Is that understood?”

  “Yes Sir,” they replied in unison, a hint of disbelief in their voices.

  “Can I count on you to execute my orders with precision?”

  Commander Brighton, who had been standing by during the conversation, noticed an almost instantaneous change in the boys. They assumed a military bearing and seemed to straighten to the task before them. Brighton could tell that all this was wearing on the Captain, so he said, “Gentlemen, the Captain has given you an order. There’s no time to lose in meaningless discussion. Our engineers have re
versed the effect of the dazzle blast on your ship. Please prepare for immediate departure.”

  The boys gave a crisp salute.

  Turning to the Captain, Brighton said, “Sir, the Lexus Class mini-cruiser we commandeered for Sector Defense is ready for immediate departure.”

  “Very good.” Turning to the cadets, he offered, “Gentlemen, good luck!”

  With that Jesik turned and strode away as the newly minted ensigns scrambled into their tiny little craft. Once settled in, they found a sophisticated communications array strapped into the empty third seat.

  When the Captain reached the bridge he asked the Helm if it was ready to create a vortex field on their next pass. Ensign Wight responded in the affirmative. The Captain then asked Communications if everything was ready to trigger the array once it was clear of the interference. Again he received a positive response.

  “Very good, then. Chief, would you please divert energy from the standard engines to the Vortex Drive.” It was an order, not a question. As the Chief Engineer began the process, the Captain switched on the public address system and addressed the entire crew.

  “Gentlemen, fate has dealt us the opportunity to make a difference today. Our ship is lost, no matter what course we follow. By hastening our demise, however, we may save millions. Please join me in saluting the newest members of our crew and wishing them Godspeed as they begin what will be an extremely dangerous journey out of the grasp of the deep-density fragment!”

  Jesik was gratified to hear the crew give three hurrahs in traditional military fashion as the Lexus fired its inertia engines. Suddenly the lights dimmed and the ship jerked wildly as Ensign Wight attempted to engage the vortex drive. The field was unstable, as they knew it would be. Still, they could see the debris field clear before them and then, in an instant, the little Lexus runabout rocketed out into the deep blackness of space. In three minutes all would either be well with them, or they’d be destroyed. And all the fuel in the Lentissimo would be gone, except for ten minutes of emergency standard drive. The Captain discovered he wasn’t afraid of his own death, but mourned greatly the thought of losing his crew. As he watched the little craft disappear from the video monitor, he found himself wondering if there really was life after death.

  Onboard the Lexus, Acting Ensigns Eaves and Magill were hanging on for their lives. The ride was wilder than anything they could imagine, the little vehicle being buffeted about in cascading waves of the vortex drive. Nothing in their experience had ever prepared them for such a thing. If it hadn’t been so exhilarating, it probably would have been terrifying. For three minutes all they could think of was whether their ship would hold together until they reached safety. Fortunately, the Lexus was known as one of the finest crafted vehicles in the universe and it stood up to this challenge.

  Once clear of the field, Travis Eaves deftly maneuvered the spacecraft to its pre-assigned position and Sean Magill initiated the emergency launch sequence of the communications array. The cabin divided into four airtight containers, one for each member of the crew and then jettisoned the communications buoy.

  Even though they expected it, it was still startling to hear the radio burst into life with a system-wide emergency signal that they themselves had initiated.

  “Warning, Warning, Warning … all military and civilian spacecraft … extreme danger in the Kalenden system … prepare for an emergency announcement from Sector Control!”

  The boys smiled, knowing that Sector Defense was, at this moment, unscrambling the message and would, just as soon as possible, deploy all available spacecraft for an assault on the debris field and the errant fragment. They couldn’t help but let out a cheer, even though they were now officially commissioned junior officers.

  After the shout, a hollow silence settled in. Eaves turned to Magill, the best mathematician of the two and asked, “How much time does the Lentissimo have?” Magill did quick calculations on his slide rule and said, “About nine minutes.”

  Eaves then asked, “You’re the expert on deep-space deployment – how long before the planet can launch effective countermeasures against the asteroid belt?”

  Sean replied in a subdued voice, “At least twenty to thirty minutes before they can develop strategy and position themselves far enough out to avoid being trapped by the gravity field, while still in range to fire weapons.”

  The two boys found it hard to speak as they looked back in the direction of the belt they had just escaped. It was illuminated by strange and shifting light patterns created by the magnificent colors of the plumes they’d stirred up. Now they understood why their attack had created such an unusually spectacular display. But, the giant plumes were merging into one as they were drawn by the gravity of the fragment. The sulfur cloud would never settle down. It’s like a whole section of the night sky was on fire with agate, amber and crimson. And it seemed unfair that the Lentissimo would die amid such overwhelming beauty.

  It’s strange how an unspoken resolve can begin to grow between two like-minded people. No one knows exactly what the other is thinking, yet somehow both know. So it happened this time. Eaves, who had grown up as a spoiled child of a patrician family was in superb physical condition, typical for boys of the ruling class. His training was impeccable, yet he’d never really learned to care for anyone but himself and his immediate friends. Through grade school and junior high he’d stirred up trouble wherever he could, always being bailed out by his parents.

  Magill was from the third-class, with a different kind of toughness, but had joined Eaves and his group at the academy where he’d been accepted on a merit scholarship.

  “You know,” Eaves said, “when we first met Jesik I thought he was just a traditional military buffoon like our instructors. After all, why would any serious Commander his age be assigned to a Boundary Patrol Cutter? But he’s actually a really decent guy and a capable leader.”

  “No kidding, did you see how cool he was when he ordered us to abandon the ship, knowing that everyone else aboard was going to die? That took real guts!”

  They both agreed that he was obviously much more than the usual martinet they’d come to expect from the service. It’d been many centuries since the Fleet had faced any real threat and so leadership positions were usually given as a political reward, rather than recognition of talent and valor. Clearly, Jesik had somehow offended the military politicians. But, whatever his offense, he did have valor and now each of them felt his coming death deeply.

  That’s where the resolve came in. It was Eaves, the pilot and seemingly more natural leader, who broke the silence. “We can’t just let them die without trying. There’s got to be something we can do!”

  That sort of talk was always a clue for Magill to come up with a plan. While Eaves played the role of cavalier daredevil, Magill was the more collected one. A quick thinker, his academy major was Geology and Physics.

  Almost unconsciously, he switched on the sensors array, for the Lexus was well equipped with almost as much computational power as a small frigate. Scanning past the asteroid field, he quickly zeroed in on the tiny fragment of a collapsed star that was inexorably draining the life out of the Lentissimo.

  “Look at it,” Magill marveled as he magnified the view. “It looks impregnable.” They watched as a huge remnant of an asteroid collapsed into seeming nothingness, adding an infinitesimal amount of mass to the one-inch fragment. Next they saw an old satellite collapse like a crushed soft drink can until it, too, disappeared from sight.

  “That’s what’s going to happen to the Lentissimo,” said Magill quietly.

  “The fragment is so dense that there are no pock marks or even scratches on it, even though it’s probably absorbed space debris at least ten or twenty million times through the eons!”

  None of his sensor revealed anything that could give them even a remote opportunity to make a difference in the life and death struggle of the cutter.

  Magill flipped some switches on the sensor panel and accidentally tripp
ed the audio array, causing it to emit an ear piercing shriek. While the noise could be great fun when swooping down on an unsuspecting beach party at night, it was useless in deep-space, since there’s no medium to transmit the sound. Which is why he and Eaves were startled out of their wits when their main console returned the shriek from deep in the debris field.

  “What the hell was that!” shouted Magill. Eaves reached over and quickly flipped the switch off, then stared at Magill. Slowly the color returned to Sean Magill’s face as he said, “Of course! The magnetic field is so strong around the fragment that it provided a medium for the sound to reach the field and return to us!”

  “So,” Eaves asked, with a hint of exasperation, “Who cares?”

  “We do!” Magill replied quickly, “listen to the sound going out and coming back.” He replayed the sequence and there was a distinct tonal difference in the returning waves.

  “What does it mean?” Eaves inquired.

  “It means that there’s something unstable in that fragment. There must be a reaction taking place. And where there’s instability, there’s a chance to cause some damage.”

  Eaves was paying close attention now. This was the kind of information he was looking for, a weakness to exploit, an obstacle to conquer. He shouted, “We still have two torpedoes, will that shake it up?”

  Magill quickly re-calibrated the audio to get precise information on the fragment’s hidden flaw. Then, working together on the math, he and the ship’s computer calculated the impact point that stood the best chance of aggravating the fragment’s nuclear core. Because of its density, it was likely that a small explosion would take place, which would disturb the gravitational field of the entire area. It would certainly be enough for the Lentissimo to pull free and may even enough to reduce the pull on Cambriol and divert the fragment away from the system star. A lot of ifs, to be sure, but what else was there to try?