HADRON Revelation

by Stephen Arseneault

  Humphrey said, “Dampener fields showed 66 percent saturation in that initial volley. Averaging just over 35 percent now, Mr. Hardy. I think we can keep this up for as long as we want.”

  Mace replied, “Mr. Mueller, keep hitting those cannons! Johnny, re-open that comm!”

  Another half dozen Dellus cannon turrets were destroyed or disabled before the Dellus admiral came back on the comm. “You will pay, Mr. Hardy!”

  Mace replied, “If you haven’t noticed, Admiral, your ships are taking severe damage while we go unhurt. I urge you to stop this aggression while you still have a fleet.”

  As another cannon turret exploded, the Dellus admiral raised a hand. All Dellus ships ceased firing. Hans Mueller followed suit.

  Mace said, “Admiral, its time you took stock of the situation. We know about your secret gatrellium mine on the far planet in this system.”

  The admiral huffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Hardy. A gatrellium mine?”

  Mace nodded. “Play dumb if you want, Admiral. Just know this. We’ve already confiscated the cargo of the ore hauler that was coming this way. I’m certain you know it is overdue. And I suspect you’ve already been to the debris field. So let’s cut right to it, shall we? We need the food in these storage containers. And you are going to deliver it to a location we specify.”

  The admiral tilted his head as he scowled at the comm camera. “And why would I do that, Mr. Hardy?”

  Mace said, “Because you don’t want the rest of the Galactic Union to know about your little mining operation out here. That much gatrellium is quite the find. One species having access to that much would give them a huge advantage… if it was kept a secret. On the other hand, if such an operation was exposed, the penalties for hiding such a discovery would be severe. I would say it might even lead to the confiscation of all Mawga worlds from your control.”

  The admiral sat silent for several seconds. “What is it you want from us, Mr. Hardy?”

  Mace half smiled. “For starters, I want enough of this food to feed all of Earth for two years. I’ll tell you where to send it. And I know this is an emergency store, so no Mawga will be going hungry. When we have that settled, we can discuss our arrangement with the gatrellium. I’m thinking we will become your ore processors. You mine it and deliver it to us, we’ll refine it, keep a small share for ourselves, and return the remainder to you. If anything, this might even be to your advantage.”

  The admiral replied with a continued scowl, “How so?”

  Mace said, “This operation is highly illegal in the Union. We aren’t members of the Union. Give us the processing and you are off the hook should the mine be discovered. The miners on that planet can all be made to report to us as our subjects.

  “This would give you full deniability of that operation, even though it is happening in one of your own systems. Basically, you could claim ignorance. And besides, it’s not like we’re really giving you a choice in this matter. So which is it, Admiral? You willing to do business with us or should we report this to the Union?”

  The admiral let out a deep breath. “Mr. Hardy, I will have to report this to my superiors for a decision.”

  Mace waved his hand. “Go get it done, Admiral, we’ll be waiting right here for you.”

  The comm closed. Minutes later a wormhole opened with the Dauntless slipping through. The eighty-six Mawga cruisers sat silent, awaiting further orders.

  Johnny loosened the belt on his chair as he turned with a grin. “Nice move, Mace! You come up with that on your own?”

  Mace nodded. “It came to me as I was talking. We need food and we need processing equipment. The Dellus have to agree or they’ll not only lose their mine, they would get punished severely by the Union. We were definitely negotiating from a position of power.”

  Johnny chuckled. “I’m now certain you are sitting right where you were meant to be. That was a brilliant call.”

  Liam followed. “I have to agree. Well done.”

  Mace opened a comm to the conference room. “Mr. Moskowitz, I think we found a way to process that ore.”

  Jeff replied, “We were watching the comm from here, Mr. Hardy. Well played.”

  Two hours lapsed before the Dellus admiral returned. Johnny accepted the comm.

  “Mr. Hardy, Military Command has chosen to accept your offer. I was given authority to negotiate your percentage of the gatrellium.”

  Mace smiled. “First, I’d like to know the size of your find out there.”

  The admiral replied, “We believe there to be as much as one hundred forty tons, Mr. Hardy. This would be the second largest find in the history of the Galactic Union.”

  Mace nodded. “We won’t be greedy, Admiral. We’ll take an 80 percent share of what we have, and 20 percent thereafter. That will give you the majority of the find and give us enough gatrellium to last us for a decade.”

  The admiral nodded. “Accepted. I will relay that to Command.”

  Mace asked, “Now let’s discuss the food transfer. I’ll send over coordinates of where we would like it delivered. The same holds true for the refining equipment for the gatrellium. When you have those coordinates, I’d like to see the transfers begun.”

  The Admiral agreed and the comm was closed.

  Mace summoned David Yancy to the bridge.

  As David walked into the room, Mace said, “I need a location near Earth that is not in our solar system. I’d like to set up a base we could jump to that the Union won’t seek out.”

  David thought for a moment. “Alpha Centari B has a planet about the size of Earth. The Mawga starmaps show it as a rocky planet with little atmosphere. I would suggest we try it out. Might be able to construct an underground complex deep enough that it wouldn’t show on sensors. We will have to jump there as the journey would take us about eight years from Earth using the gravity drives.”

  Mace nodded. “Sounds perfect. Give the coordinates to Mr. Hobbs.”

  Johnny said, “You sure you want the Dellus knowing the location of our base?”

  Mace replied, “I’m sending the Dellus the location of Proteus. We’ll move everything to Alpha Centari once the transfer is complete and the Dellus are gone. The Proteus site is compromised now that the Targarians know of it anyway.”

  Johnny sighed. “Wish we knew how Jasper was doing.”

  Mace said, “When we get the food moved and the gatrellium refining taken care of, and our embryos rescued, we can talk about trying to get Jasper back. We haven’t forgotten he’s out there.”

  Johnny frowned. “I can’t help but think they’ve already done away with him.”

  Mace smiled in thought. “I could see that if he was running his mouth. My guess is he’s fine and they’re studying him more than anything. If he’s on that drug, he’s pretty subdued about now. Cracking jokes and being sarcastic doesn’t happen while under the influence of that stuff.”

  Mace turned toward Liam. “Mr. Hobbs, take us back to the Gerty.”

  Once the food shipments began, the trip out to the Gerty took nine hours. Coordinates to Alpha Centari B were entered and a wormhole to the system opened. The Gerty followed the Rogers through to the new system.

  David stood looking at the wall display. A tiny bright star hovered in the background behind the rocky redish-brown planet.

  David said, “Looks like we have iron down there.”

  Humphrey replied, “Core is molten like Earth. Gravity is 8 percent higher than Earth. That atmosphere is thin, but dense. Only 6 percent oxygen though.”

  David nodded. “Look at those polar icecaps. It has water but it doesn’t look like it has any life.”

  Humphrey replied, “Hmm. Even though it has an iron core, the magnetic field is only about half Earth’s. Might be a radiation issue.”

  David crossed his arms. “Possibly. Would be fascinating to study.”

  Mace said, “Mr. Hobbs, pick us out a parking space and take us down. Mr. Mallot, I’d like a scan for an
y underground caves or caverns. If we can find something suitable for an entryway to below, we won’t leave evidence of digging on the surface. A nice fat cave we could squeeze a shuttle into might work.”

  Hans added, “We have the size of those food storage containers. Something that would already fit one of them would be ideal.”

  Mace pointed. “Good call.”

  The Rogers slid down through the atmosphere, coming to a stop a kilometer above the surface.

  Humphrey ran his scan. “Interesting. Atmospheric pressure is almost one kilogram per square centimeter. Same as Earth. Thickness is about one hundred fifty kilometers, about a third that of Earth. Oxygen is 6.2 percent, nitrogen 14 percent, 76 percent carbon dioxide with various others rounding it out. And Mr. Hobbs, I’m sending you coordinates for an area that looks promising.”

  The Rogers was moved to the new location. The inner sides of an ancient crater showed several cavernous openings. The largest was selected and scanned.

  Mace said, “Mr. Yancy? Would you like to pilot the Collins in there? See how she looks. Johnny, want to go with him?”

  The two men left the bridge as Jane walked in. “Where they going?”

  Mace replied, “Taking the shuttle down into that cave entrance. That might be the doorway to our new home.”

  Mace stood. “Come on, come with me.”

  A short walk had them standing on an outside balcony, the gravity wall keeping the temperature and atmosphere as normal.

  Mace leaned on a rail. “Haven’t been out here in a while. Forgot how much I used to like it on Bontu’s ship.”

  Jane looked down at the brown rocky terrain below. “Can’t say this is the most beautiful place I’ve seen.”

  Mace nodded. “We’re not far from the northern pole. It has an icecap made up of carbon dioxide. There does appear to be water down there, though, just not on the surface.”

  Jane nodded. “A regular paradise. Anyway, why’d you ask me out here?”

  Mace hesitated. “It’s you Jane, I have to have you.”

  Jane laughed as she pushed on his arm. Stop that. Now really, what is it?”

  Mace looked back over the rail. “I think Jenny and Jordan might be an item.”

  Jane shook her head. “Well you’re the one who stuck them together. I still haven’t figured that one out.”

  Mace shrugged. “The two of them were best suited for that job. She’s an excellent pilot, and he’s thorough and makes good decisions. We needed someone we could trust to fly that thing. We go on trips like this and it’s our only way home.”

  Jane leaned on the rail. “Always putting everyone else first. I think that’s actually one of the reasons everyone on this ship respects you so much.”

  Mace said, “So my question is, what do I do about her?”

  Jane tilted her head. “Not sure. But they haven’t made any announcements, so I’d say you’re still in the running.”

  Mace chuckled. “In the running for what, though? At most we’ve had a few conversations. Not like I can take her out to dinner or anything. We’re stuck out in space.”

  Jane smiled. “What I saw was more than conversations. I saw attraction, and it was mutual. I may have been out of the game for along time, but I still know what I’m looking at. She genuinely likes you.”

  Mace sighed. “Was a lot easier when you could pick up a phone and set up a date for dinner or a movie or just about anything else to get things rolling. In there, trapped on this ship, it feels awkward.”

  Jane patted him on the back. “I’d say have Tres make the two of you dinner, but I can see where sharing a couple nutrient bars might leave something to be desired in the romance area. Hey, maybe have a picnic out here? Would be different and you’d have a whole new world down there to talk about for conversation starters.”

  Mace nodded. “That might work. Problem with that is she’s on another ship and I’m constantly busy trying to keep us alive.”

  Jane replied, “Well, how about Johnny and I go over to give them a break?”

  Mace frowned. “I don’t want to seem like I’m eager or trying to force it. Or that I’m worried about Jordan.”

  Jane laughed. “You are eager and you are trying to force it. Where I come from, we call that caring.”

  Mace replied, “Just the same, I’d rather it happen naturally. At some point, she’ll be over here or I’ll be over there. I can strike up a conversation then and see where it leads.”

  Jane let out a deep breath. “Geez. It’s like junior high all over again. You do what you feel is best.”

  The Collins exited bay one and was soon disappearing into the mouth of the cave.

  Johnny came over the general comm. “I think we might just have a new home here. This place is huge.”

  David asked, “Mr. Mallot, what are you seeing on the scans?”

  Humphrey replied, “I lost your scan signature about a hundred eighty meters in.”

  David replied, “Were stopped at six hundred. Cavern looks stable. Don’t see any fallen rocks. Scan from in here says solid rock, no fissures for a couple hundred meters going out and up. Whatever formed this, it was a long time ago. We should be able to dig straight down about as far as we want.”

  Johnny said, “I’m setting her down. You might ask Gnaga what would be best for cutting through this rock.”

  Gnaga replied, “Try using your plasma rifle. Not too close, though, it may kick debris back at you.”

  Mace and Jane walked back to the bridge. A video feed showed on the display wall.

  Johnny pointed his rifle. “That nodule sticking up over there.”

  A plasma round entered the target. The cavern in front of Johnny filled with dust as the solid rock nodule disintegrated.

  Johnny shook his head. “I think we have to scratch that idea, That dust would leave a fat trail coming out of here. You’d be able to see it from orbit. We need something that will cut.”

  Bontu Montak said, “Mr. Hardy. We do have skilled miners aboard. Six of the dozen crewmen from the ore hauler have worked mines before. They have the proper skills for this task.”

  Mace replied, “Johnny, come back up. Mr. Montak has some workers who can give us an evaluation of how we’d best tackle this.”

  A short time later, Johnny, Bontu, and six Mawga miners stood inside the giant cave.

  Johnny asked, “What you think?”

  One of the miners replied, “Would you have plasma wands on that vessel?”

  Johnny looked into his camera. “Plasma wands?”

  Gnaga replied, “We do. They are stored in the maintenance room.”

  The miner asked, “Do you have any more of the exosuits?”

  Bontu shook his head. “I’m afraid not. However, my crewmen have suits that we could spare.”

  Mace said, “Can they give us a time estimate of how long it would take to dig what?”

  Johnny pointed. “With the wands, how long would it take your team to cut a hole two hundred meters long by a hundred meters wide, one meter deep?”

  The miner looked over the area in question. “Where will we be moving the rock?”

  Johnny gestured toward the shuttle. “Lets say we load it on the shuttle to take out of here. And if you need more workers we have people with those suits who can carry stone.”

  The miner looked back toward the entrance. “My team could have the requested area cleared in six hours. The cut stone would be stacked close to the cave entrance for transport elsewhere. Am I to assume you will be cutting deeper than just one meter?”

  Johnny asked, “Do we have a calculation of the size of the space we need?”

  Jeff chimed in. “The food at the Barika site measured eighty million cubic meters. We’ll need a hole four kilometers deep. At one meter per six hours we are talking… a thousand days of cutting.”

  Johnny chuckled. “OK, sounds like we need a plan B.”

  Jeff said, “It would appear from the scans the cavern is four hundred meters wide. If we
make use of that width along with four hundred meters of length we would only require half a kilometer of depth.”

  Johnny shook his head, “Still have eighty million cubic meters to dig.”

  Jeff turned to the miners and asked, “The plasma wands, how deep will they cut?”

  The miner replied, “Five to six meters with speed. Much deeper with time.”

  “How long would it take if you cut the stone in cubes of four meters per side. Stones that you didn’t have to move?”

  The miner thought for a moment. “The area in question could be cut in under an hour. A pit to the depth you request would take three weeks of continuous cutting with this crew. The top layer of stone would have to be removed before we could go deeper.”

  Mace asked, “What’d you have in mind, Mr. Moskowitz?”

  Jeff replied, “We use the grapple on the shuttle to pick up stones and move them. That reinforced arm could easily lift a kiloton. If we can make big cuts, that ship can move them.”

  Mace nodded. “Let’s get started, then. We’ll assign as many of the crew as you need to keep that cutting going.”

  Jeff added. “We have two shuttles to make use of. And there are plenty of other caves around here where we could drop the stones. I’ll have Mr. Mallot identify those, and we’ll be on our way.”

  Chapter 12

  *

  The stone cutting went on continuously for two days. A grapple was used to take hold of four stone blocks at a time, lifting them from the hole and flying them to a nearby wide cave opening. The depth of the hole had been taken down to sixteen meters.

  Mace said, “It’s taking us too long for the moves. Gonna be two months at this rate.”

  Jeff nodded. “We could cut that time in half if all we had to do was drop those outside.”

  Mace looked over the Collins as it came in for a new grab. “How many do you think we could fit in our cargo bays on the Rogers?”

  Jeff replied, “Stones?”

  Mace scowled. “No… monkeys. Of course stones.”

  Jeff tilted his head to one side and then the other. “Four bays, couple dozen per bay maybe?”

  Mace opened a comm. “Mr. Hobbs, bring the Rogers down. We’re gonna load you up with the stones we’re cutting. You fly them into orbit and then vaporize them.”