by Andrew Beery
Ken stopped walking and looked at her.
She put a hand on his shoulder to encourage him to continue walking. "Trust me... It doesn't sound nearly as crazy as it is."
"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"
"...and here I thought you were a man of faith" she chuckled.
As they entered the nearly full shuttle for the trip to Ganymede station she started to outline her plan. "When Cal and I were working out the quantum fold heuristics, a comment was made that got me thinking."
"And that was?"
"The easiest quantum fold to calculate is the one to the galactic center... It never changes... In other words once calculated... Always calculated."
"And this helps us how?"
"Well mister engineer... What happens to a ship that hyper jumps into a sun?"
"Really bad things... At a minimum it goes boom"
"And?" Cat prompted.
"...and the boom propagates on both sides of the quantum fold."
"And what happens to a ship located near the origin terminus of such a quantum fold?" Cat asked the engineer.
"For a brief second it would be like it was literally in the middle of the sun."
Cat just smiled as the shuttle pilot cleared the Bowman's landing bay.
Ken continued to look confused. "How does this in any way help us? Suicide is not an effective means of battling an enemy."
"Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe suicide is a sin... One's own starship is not the only source of a hyper drive."
The light of understanding started to dawn in the engineer's eyes. "You want to use one of the hyper drive missiles... But they won't help. It takes too long to calculate the jump parameters... By the time you got them done the battle would be over... Besides, the ship that fired the missile would be fried too."
"Ah... But if you could pre-calculate the hyper jump to say..." Cat started.
"The galactic core" the engineer finished. "Makes sense... I assume you would program the hyper jump to initiate only after the friendlies have jumped clear."
"Exactly" Cat said. "The key to making this work, is going to be augmenting the missiles' sensors and AI to be able to autonomously determine when it's safe to do a suicide jump."
The Shuttle touched down on one of several pads near the armory on Ganymede station.
"That should not be a problem" Ken stated matter-of-factly.
"That's why I have you along. I took a look at the schematics. Things are pretty tight in those things."
"I imagine we could just remove the nuclear payload... That should free up plenty of room"
"See... I knew bringing you was a smart idea."
By the time the loading crew had made the four trips between the Bowman and the armory, necessary to fully stock the ship's weapon systems, Cat and Ken had modified three of the hyper jump missiles. Cat took the opportunity to add random micro jump sequences to the drive controller. These jumps would only be a few feet each time so the calculations could be done in milliseconds but they would make the missiles very hard to hit. Somewhere along the way the two of them had started referring to the modified missiles as suicide jumpers or 'SJ' rounds, and the name stuck.
***
Once again back on board the Bowman, Cat and Ken briefed the Captain on the project she and the Chief Engineer had been working on.
Captain Debu Ramchandani rubbed his chin as he thought about the implications of his First Officers efforts. "Do you really think we need a weapon this powerful? If someone launches that from Earth orbit it could do some serious damage."
"No question about that Sir. However I think I may have a means of insuring that can't happen" Cat said.
"Care to elaborate?"
"It was really Cal's idea... Can I invite him to join us?"
"Commander, I've noticed you started referring to 'Cal' as a him... Rather than it. I thought the Heshe were gender neutral?"
"Technically they are gender-morphic, like some species of fish but since Cal is interacting with a female - me - it decided that it would shift into a male orientation. Thus since Cal now refers to himself as a him... So do I. Trust me... It gets confusing."
"I can see what you mean... If this was 'his' idea then by all means invite him to join us."
"Thank you Captain" Cal said utilizing the captain’s comlink. "As Commander Kimbridge explained the situation to me, there is a concern that a nefarious faction could engage a quantum fold generator in such a way as to deliberately allow a lethal energetic backwash to decimate a population center."
"I'm not sure I would have worded it that way but yes... That is the concern."
"It is not the type of problem the Heshe would typically have a solution for. We abhor the taking of life. Frankly, that humanity can understand and accept the divine and yet still take life is a mystery to us."
The pastor in Ken spoke up. "Humanity is not like the Heshe. Many of us recognize the virtual impossibility of a universe without a creator. Further, many of our greatest physicists talk about the increasing complexity of the universe as one adds additional dimensions... clear up to eleven and more... as incontrovertible proof that a trans-dimensional intelligence must exist. And yet despite this others manage to deny the logic and the proof of their own eyes. It is human nature to question. Unlike the Heshe, humanity is forever in a balance between belief and non-belief... And this more than anything gives us the ability to make war."
"We don't cherish war but we understand it" Captain Ramchandani added. "But we are getting off topic."
"Indeed. The key to protecting Earth would be to prevent a quantum fold from forming in its vicinity."
Cat spoke up "It should be possible to setup a low power, oscillating hyper field that will disrupt a secondary field initiation. In principle, the USC could create a hyper drive dampening grid that would preclude this type of attack."
"What would it take to put this in place?" the captain asked.
"In order to setup such a dampening field, and to allow safe travel through such a field, it will be necessary to have very exact measurements of the space in and around Earth orbit, as well as any other regions that are to be protected. If I can be allowed access to Earths Internet I can collate this information and provide USC with detailed schematics and programming."
The captain looked from Cat to Ken as if reading their thoughts on the matter. Finally he spoke. It was obvious he was deeply concerned.
"This is a serious problem. If we have figured out how to do this then an aggressive hyper drive capable society most assuredly has as well. That being the case, I'm tempted to give you whatever resources you need... But I can't. At the end of the day you are not human. I don't understand what motivates you and I'm not prepared to hand you the keys to the kingdom... Not yet at least. I will, however, turn this information over to the admiralty board and let them decide."
Cat started to say something but the captain raised his hand to stop her.
"Commander, my decision is made. Please ask Cal to leave us."
"Yes Sir."
The captain looked at her a moment as if deciding what to say. "Commander, I want to trust you. Every decision you have made has been the right one. You are smart and capable and driven. I like you. But you are an alien construct with alien tech running through your veins and as much as I want to trust you... There will always be a piece of me that won't and can't."
"Sir, I understand." She paused and searched what remained of her soul. "I'm thankful to be alive but I still wonder at what cost. You deserve a First Officer you can trust. Once this mission is complete I will gladly step down until such a time as you feel you can."
"Captain" Ken quietly interrupted. "There is one thing nobody's mentioned. Cal asked for permission to link up with Earth's Internet. If he had a mind to do it anyway I don't think we would be able to stop him."
The captain looked at his Chief Engineer. "Don't think for a moment that I have forgotten that Lt. Commander."
&nb
sp; Chapter Seven – Incursion...
The D’lralu named Third of Nine watched the multitude of life signs on his sensors. This system was literally infested with competing intelligences. He would gather as much information and organic samples as he could before he headed back to the home world to make his report. When they scheduled the extermination he would be given a place of honor at the front of the armada. His speed was up to .2c which was the optimum for his sensors.
The people knew of one other race that had interstellar capability. They were disgusting creatures that didn't even have a proper language. Regrettably they had not been eradicated. Like the Lodestone bug fleeing from the light ... These others fled from the people. Still Third of Nine envied their technology that allowed them to jump closer to worlds within a system. The people used the tools the masters had given them but the tools were clearly not the best.
Third of Nine was surprised when a small craft jumped in one light minute in front of his ship. He immediately began applying reverse thrusters so he could dissect this ship and its crew.
***
"Captain…" Cat reported from her sensor station "the alien ship is four minutes out and still at .2c.”
“Can we make an ID?”
Cat took a moment to ask her AI, Cal if the sensor data matched anybody the Heshe was familiar with. His answer was disheartening but not unexpected. "Sir, Cal confirms the drive signature matches that of the D'lralu. I would recommend assuming a defensive posture prior to their coming in range"
"Raise shields, prep all weapons systems, and deploy a hyper drive log buoy. Mr. Cortez give me ship-wide"
"Aye Captain" the comm officer acknowledged.
"This is the captain. In a few minutes we will encounter an alien ship which is almost certainly more powerful than ours. We have no idea what their intentions are. All we know for a fact is the last time our two peoples encountered one another it did not end well for either of us. We will do everything we can to avoid a hostile encounter but at the end of the day the choice may not be ours. Stay sharp, stay focused. That is all, Ramchandani out."
Turning to Cat "Would your AI care to join us?"
The overhead speaks crackled briefly. "I am monitoring the situation Captain" Cal answered.
"Good" The captain said. "Can you provide any insight into how to communicate with these D'lralu?"
"The D'lralu typically do not communicate unless it is in their best interest."
"Can we use that somehow to get them to talk?"
"Unlikely Captain Ramchandani, their 'best interest' seems to be to eradicate any potential competing intelligences. They live by a strict 'conquer or be conquered' philosophy."
"So in all the time you been dealing with them they have never even been willing to talk peace?"
"That is correct. My people at first could not comprehend their desire to kill, to the last entity, every race they encountered. We reached out to them in every way we could, but the result was always the same. If they talked it was always in an effort to further the goal of Heshe annihilation."
"So you do know how to communicate with them?"
"Affirmative. They will respond to their language broadcast using frequency modulation near the 10th multiple of liquid waters absorption frequency."
"Mr. Cortez?"
"One second Sir... Let me do some quick math... OK that would be something on the order of 24.5 GHz. We can do that, Sir. But Sir, as far as I know we don't have anyone that speaks their language."
The captain looked at his First Officer and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Sir" Cat offered "I believe my Heshe encounter unit might be able to help. It was designed to allow two way communications with just about everyone the Heshe have run into over several millennia."
"How far away are our visitors?"
Cat checked her board. "They've slowed way down. They must have good inertial dampeners or be able to really handle some G's. They are about 45 seconds out."
"Commander, open a channel and try to engage our visitors in a conversation... It may not buy us anything, but I'll be damned if I'm going to fight somebody without even trying to talk."
"Aye, Sir" Cat responded. "Lt. Cortez, go ahead and open 24.5 gigahertz... Let's see if they feel chatty."
"Yes Ma'am. Channel open"
Cat engaged her encounter unit. Although the words she tried to say were English, the sounds that uttered from her throat were more like those of a growling wolf pack. Because of her training under the tutelage of Cal's progenitor, Yarin Prime, she was somewhat accustomed to the odd sensation of saying one thing and hearing another.
"D'lralu vessel. You have entered the Earth system. The United Space Command welcomes you if your intentions are peaceful. Please advise us of your intentions"
***
Third of Nine was forever amazed by this species. They would be good hunting indeed. Somehow they had learned the mother tongue! He had no idea what this ' United Space Command' was, other than food for his pups. Third of Nine did something he rarely took the time to do. He decided he would get to know his prey before he killed them, so he opened a channel to respond.
"Earth vessel, I am Third of Nine from the House of the Grey. To whom am I speaking?"
Cat heard the response and knew immediately what was being said, but it was clear from the looks of confusion on the faces of the bridge crew that she was alone. She had a sudden thought. 'Cal, can you tie into my encounter unit and the ships intercoms and provide a real-time two way translation?'
Cal responded by providing the requested translation services. The D'lralu's message was translated for the crew.
"Captain you can respond and Cal will transmit the proper translation" Cat offered.
The captain raised his eyebrow in acknowledgment of her statement then, continuing out loud "Third of Nine, this is Debu Ramchandani, Captain of the United Space Command vessel Bowman. Please state your intentions."
"Captain of the Bowman. Does your race like to play?"
Ramchandani looked around his bridge as he mulled over this question. It was not one he was expecting. "In our experience all intelligent animals like to play. For what purpose are you asking?"
"Sir, sensors show him powering up weapons" Cat said as soon as her board indicated the power surge on the alien craft.
"Helm! Full reverse" Ramchandani yelled.
Suddenly the ship rocked as powerful energy beams lashed at her hull.
"Report"
"We were just hit with a 250 mega joule coherent energy beam. The displacement generators worked as designed."
"He's firing again" Shelby yelled.
This time it seemed as if the world were ending. The ship roiled amidst energies orders of magnitude more powerful.
"Captain, that last beam was almost off the charts. Easily 10,000 plus mega joules. We can't take many more like that" Cat yelled over the din of emergency klaxons.
"Helm get us out of here... Jump" Ramchandani yelled.
"Sir we don't have a jump solution..."
"I don't care how far we jump... Jump us one kilometer if you have to - but jump this ship and do it now!"
"Roger, Sir... Jumping in 5, 4..."
"Damn it" the captain yelled as he dove forward towards the helm... "Don’t count - just jump!"
Just as the captain’s hand hit the jump button the ship was rocked with yet another energy blast. Part of the energy was diverted around the ship but as the shields collapsed for 32 milliseconds just prior to the jump the D'lralu's weapons vaporized a ten foot wide hole clear through the ship. Hot plasma started to explode through the adjacent areas but the super-hot gasses were drawn out of the Bowman by the vacuum of space. The jump engines were spared, but the power grid surged under the energetic onslaught and the mains burned out seconds after the jump concluded. The bowman had jumped only about 20 thousand kilometers. In the general direction of the Pluto system.
The bridge was a mess. The blast that holed the ship had
traveled from a point near the shuttle bay thru the bottom third of the ship and out a point just aft of the bridge. The airtight doors had closed automatically but not before an explosive decompression of most of the surrounding spaces including the bridge. Cat was nearly sucked through the airtight doors in the first few of seconds of decompression.
Cat's ultra-adaptive nanite systems kept her functioning. The others on the bridge were not so fortunate. She ordered the computer to repressurize as fast as possible, but the sixty seconds it took seemed like eons to her.
Shelby was dead. She had been right next to a panel that shorted out when the mains blew. Cortez was breathing, but red foam was frothing from his mouth. The decompression had caused his lungs to burst. Cat knew he was not long for the world if she could not get him to sickbay. A quick glance around the room did not show the captain. With no one else on the bridge and many systems down Cat knew she needed help if she was going to salvage the Bowman.