Whatsit trotted through the hatch just as O'Connell said, "Sir, look."
An Asiddian battleship emerged from a dense cloud bank in the planet's upper atmosphere and hurtled toward them. A white sparkling ray leaped from it and damage alarms began wailing.
With the VIEW mode in operation, the damaged area on Destinnee appeared first as a blank spot in the port side and then as the hatchway leading to the Bridge cafeteria as the cameras feeding the bulkhead display failed.
Punch us out of here, Jason!" Tom screamed as a second ray lanced at Destinnee.
The ship jumped five light years as Lloyd took the initiative. His picosecond reaction prevented an amidship hit that would have crippled the Destinnee and obliterated over half its crew.
As detailed damage reports began filtering into control, McPherson thumbed the ship intercom and said, "Drs. Heinbaum and GooYee to the control room. On the double."
***
As the Thorncutter climbed into the thick clouds, Harrier said, "The moment sensors detect the Chrysallaman craft, we attack."
"I urge caution, General," Vultura responded. "They may have protections we're not prepared to undertake. I don't trust their scientists."
"Have you no confidence about your discovery?"
"Of course. Its efficacy against a saucer has been tested, but their main warship may have other defenses."
"My aggressive response to their destruction of my fleet is the only positive outcome I see," Harrier growled. "I will strike while the advantage is mine."
Science Officer Skua broke into their discussion, "Sir, sensors have detected a large mass moving away from the planet at half light speed."
"That's it", Harrier said. "Navigator, plot an intercept course. Weapons master, the moment we are in range, activate the new ray."
Despite his doubts, Vultura stared at the view screen. Keeping his hands concealed in his jacket pockets to hide their shaking, he tried his best to appear nonchalant as the Thorncutter broke through the cloud bank and arrowed toward its target.
Even though the Destinnee was moving away from Chrysalis, It was clear she was not in full retreat because the gap between the ships closed. The targeting software locked onto the Destinnee and Vultura's white ray erupted from the spines.
The protective bubble that blocked the Asiddian laser didn't activate. Unimpeded, the white sparkling ray drilled a fifty foot hole through one of the FORCE icon displays. Debris exploded from the rupture, and the great ship wobbled.
"Fire again amidship," Harrier ordered with a smile.
Just as the Weapons Master pushed the firing button, the Destinnee winked from existence and the white ray bored through empty space.
For a few seconds, Harrier stared at the empty screen. The debris from the first shot floated into ever widening arcs.
"Next time, I'll crack you open like an egg," he muttered.
***
"We lost a quarter of our sensor arrays, one FLIT Gen, and we'll be on water rations for the duration," Doug said as he reviewed damage reports.
"Fortunately, personnel losses were minimal," Becky added. "Twenty-eight Humans and twelve Chrysallamans were in the target area."
"Where's Heinbaum?" Tom asked. "I need answers."
"Heiny and Gooey are acting strange," McPherson replied. "When I told them to come here on the double, they said they'd be along in a minute. When I said they didn't have a minute, they said it didn't matter."
Tom was upset. His ship was compromised and his top science team wasn't responding. His finger was hovering over the FLR intercom link to Heinbaum's labs when a breeze fluttered his hair.
Absently rubbing his neck where the draft tickled his skin, Tom was about push the button when he noticed his staff staring at him like he had suddenly grown a tail.
Something tapped his shoulder. Turning, Tom gaped. Heinbaum and GooYee stood smiling at him, and he hadn't heard them enter the room.
"Glad to see you took time from your busy . . ."
Heinbaum disappeared, and a soft thump sounded from where he had been standing. Then GooYee disappeared with a thump. Whirling to see if his staff was watching, Tom saw Heinbaum pop into existence beside Whatsit.
A breeze seemed to flow across the room from Heinbaum's position. The skinny scientist placed his hand on Whatsit's shoulder, and they both disappeared with a thump. Loose papers on the desk whipped into the empty spot where Whatsit had been sitting.
Doug went to Whatsit's chair and ran his hands through the empty space.
There came a muffled snick and McPherson's Microtec Halo OTF knife slid into his palm from his sleeve holster. Poising his thumb on the blade release as he looked warily around the room, he said, "Try that trick on me, Heiny, and you won't be happy with the new arrangement of your face"
The conference room door opened and in walked Heinbaum, GooYee and Whatsit.
"Oh, put the knife away and sit down," Heinbaum blustered. "I didn't realize you'd react like some Nervous Nellie to more of my magic."
"What the Hell," McPherson mumbled as he reholstered the knife.
"Glad you asked," Heinbaum replied as he wrapped his arm around GooYee's shoulders. "My collaboration with Dr. GooYee has resulted in one of my greatest achievements."
Opening his lab coat, Heinbaum pointed to a miniature FLIT drive embedded in his belt buckle. The clear glass globe was marble sized and if you casually glanced at the mechanism, it looked like a buckle decoration. A thin wire from the device trailed up his shirt and down his sleeve to a handheld box with one button. The light in the button was currently yellow.
"I call it the I-FLIT for Individual Folded Link Instantaneous Travel. A spaceship is no longer needed for travel to designated coordinates.
Holding up the box in his hand, he explained, "This box is a telepathic token similar to the ones all over this ship. It's connected to Lloyd by FLR. I simply think of where I want to travel. Lloyd receives my thoughts, calculates the spatial coordinates of the destination and feeds them into my I-FLIT. When the light is green, I activate and presto, I am transported to my desired destination."
GooYee broke into the explanation, "The field of operation will encompass any living being the user touches during transport. We demonstrated the effect on Whatsit."
Slapping Heinbaum on the back with a friendly thump that caused the skinny scientist's glasses to almost leap off his face, GooYee said, "I never thought of using the FLIT Drive for anything but spaceships; however, when you think about it, a body is nothing but a structure built of water, a few metals and various kinds of salts."
Rolling his shoulders to ease the shock of GooYee's backslap, Heinbaum said, "Using the device causes disturbances in the air. Arrival displaces it causing a slight breeze. Departure creates a vacuum which the air rushes to fill with a thumping sound. I predict my device will be useful for guerrilla war tactics.
Looking pointedly at McPherson, he continued, "I dare say McPherson will do quite well with the new technology given he's half ape."
If the look in McPherson's eyes turned real, Heinbaum would have disappeared in a fireball. It was a good thing the snide weasel was on the opposite side of the desk out of reach, or he would have spent the next few weeks in a body cast.
"To say I'm impressed is an understatement," Tom said in an effort to avoid the brewing fight. "But I'm concerned about their new white ray. Our shield is useless."
"I have worked out a new geometric algorithm for the shield," GooYee responded with a dismissive wave. "The configuration is similar to the mirror effect I used during our first encounter with Winged Death.
"Will it protect us or just overheat the FLIT Gens?" Becky asked.
"Yes and no. It is designed to stop the ray, but we must be within 1,000 miles of the Asiddian ship before I can project it."
"I don't understand," Doug said. "A shield is a shield. It either works at all times or it's impractical. Why do we have to be so close to the enemy before we can use it?"
&nbs
p; "The shield isn't for us, it's for them," GooYee said.
Chapter 20 – Tactics
"Report," Harrier muttered as he reviewed the notes on conversion of the Royal Suite into a fusion reactor compartment.
"Scanners do not detect any power sources within ten light minutes of our current position."
"Maintain alert status on the weapons computer. Continue RFP."
Vultura could sense the General was worried. To continue the Random Fire Protocol longer than one hour was most unusual. It was defensive in nature and involved random 365 degree weapon bursts designed to ward off enemy infiltration. The enemy never knew when the weapons would fire. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time meant instant destruction.
The problem with the protocol was re-energizing the weapon capacitors. It took one minute for the fusion reactors to recharge the capacitors providing power to the new white energy beam. Continuous high output operation of the fusion reactors led to early exhaustion of their fuel source. Under normal operation, a fusion reactor would provide routine operating power for 100 years. Under the protocol, every four hours of RFP decreased the reactor life by twenty years and increased maintenance by ten percent. The RFP had been in effect for 12 hours.
Vultura's thoughts were interrupted.
"Earth spacecraft detected. Vector 186, Negative Angle 35. Ten light minutes and closing."
"Ready weapons and lock on target," Harrier ordered.
"Target will be in range at current speed in eight minutes."
"What do you mean eight minutes?"
"Target is approaching at light speed. They will not be within range of our weapons until then."
"Move toward them. Full speed," Harrier ordered. "I'll take the battle to them."
Thorncutter leaped toward the Destinnee. Harrier gritted his teeth as Weapons Control began a countdown. It was now five minutes to engagement.
"Something has emboldened the Humans. I recommend caution," Vultura said.
"You have no confidence in your own weapon?"
"I don't trust the Humans. We already demonstrated their shielding is useless against my white ray. Yet they now speed toward us as if they have no fear of destruction."
"Two minutes to intercept," the Weapons Officer said.
"Humans have made a mockery of Asiddian military prowess. I will not miss this opportunity to end their upstart existence. Ready all weapons. Instruct the Weapons Computer to fire the instant they are in effective range."
***
"The real question is can we get within 1,000 miles and stay there long enough to project the force field?" Tom asked.
"We don't have a choice. It's a thousand miles or no shield," McPherson replied.
"The Asiddians have detected our approach and are coming for us," Jason muttered. "They're not content to wait."
"How long before they're in range?" Tom asked.
"If we FLIT, time and distance are meaningless. At our present light speed coupled with their coming for us, we have approximately 4 minutes to engagement."
"Lloyd, can you dodge the Asiddian ray?"
"From a distance of 10,000 miles, I will have enough milliseconds to dodge. The only flaw in my assertion is the Asiddian computer making an unpredictable move. You should not make the assumption it will hold fire until our position is known. Firing at random would increase the probability I might FLIT into a target location. The correlation of my destination and point of weapon impact would lead to our total destruction."
"Calculate the odds of correlation."
".000030. 1 in 30 million."
"Yer aff yer heid!" McPherson exclaimed.
"I'll take those odds," Tom smiled. "How close are we to the target?"
"Approaching one light minute."
"Can you provide I-FLIT coordinates while randomly FLITing?"
"No. I have to maintain a fixed position in order to accurately calculate the destination and return bearings. Any change would require a one second delay for establishing FLR contact with the I-FLIT Operator. Any delay could result in death."
"I think we need a diversion. The Asiddians should be focusing on their own safety rather than destroying us."
Hesitating a moment, Tom said, "Lloyd, FLIT us to a position behind the flight path of the Asiddian battleship and maintain a minimum 10 light minute distance from it. I want enough space so you don't have to be constantly evading it. Ask McPherson, Whatsit and Chellsee to equip with FINGER Guns and I-FLITs and come to Control."
"Yes, Sir."
***
"All weapons are prepared to fire, General."
"Excellent. Navigation, maintain course and speed."
"Sir, sensors have lost the target."
"What do you mean?"
"Sir, one moment the ship was within 20 seconds of firing range, then it was no longer detectable."
"Find it!" Harrier demanded.
"Sir, I have it located," the Science Officer replied and the awe in his voice sent shivers down Harrier's spine. "It's now 5 light minutes outside the orbit of Chrysalis on a vector opposite our current flight path. Distance from us is 11 light minutes."
"Impossible. It would have to fly past us to reach that position."
"I agree, Sir. Something must be wrong with our equipment. Computer, damage report!"
"Nothing is malfunctioning," the mechanical voice of the Master Computer replied. "My logs indicate the Human ship disappeared from its original flight path and reappeared at its current location one second later. Time and distance from the ship's last known position to its current coordinates indicate a top speed of 7,500 times the speed of light."
Harrier's fright wig blossomed with his anger, "Impossible! Reverse course. Get within firing range."
A breeze wafted by Harrier's face. The Navigator screamed as she bolted from her flight chair and pointed.
"Your murder of innocents ends here and now."
Turning toward the voice, Harrier's eyes grew wide. The red haired Human stood no more than 10 feet away; frowning with his arms crossed. Next to him were two figures. The taller one was wearing a long dark green coat and brown leather wide brimmed hat. The other was clad in a slick black outfit and wide brimmed hat.
Guards leaped at the intruders but what Harrier and his Bridge crew saw next was shocking. The Human pointed his finger and a white beam of swirling, sparkling light emerged to burn a hole through one of the guards. A sword of the same dazzling light blazed into existence, and the black clad figure whirled. Slicing the forearm from one guard, it pirouetted toward Harrier.
In a split second, Harrier remembered the cave video of the attack on the Chrysallaman Underground hideout. This was the shadow wraith. Dodging as fast as he could, Harrier watched in dismay as the blade sliced off the back of his command chair. It clattered to the deck in a smoking heap. The remaining guards fired their disintegrators, but the rays met a bubble shield protecting the intruders.
As if waiting for the guards' attention to be riveted on the whirling dervish, the specter wearing the green coat pointed its finger at the Weapons Control panel. The Asiddian manning it leaped away just as a swirling, sparkling beam blossomed from the specter’s finger and destroyed the console. An intruder alarm began a belated howling only adding to the chaos.
The main hatch slid aside, and Vultura stood pointing a tube shaped weapon at the intruders. Just as a white beam of destruction lanced at them, they disappeared with muted popping sounds.
Vultura's eyes narrowed, and he said, "My instruments detected the intrusion. How did they get aboard?"
Instead of answering, Harrier said, "Computer, confirm you can respond to my orders for weapon fire without input from the control panel."
"Yes, General."
"Everyone return to your stations. Turn the damned alarm off. Navigator, time to intercept."
"Unknown, Sir. Every time we come within five light minutes of the target, it moves to another random point 10 light minutes away. It's like chasing a pet t
hat doesn't want to be caught."
"Continue pursuit for now."
"You realize catching the Humans is impossible," Vultura said. "They have demonstrated the ability to cover light year distances instantaneously."
"Yes, and because of your incompetence, their secret to faster than light travel remains a secret. I will not tolerate failure," Harrier muttered.
Vultura was visibly angry, but he remained silent. With Corvus gone, he was the only senior scientific adviser available. Being indispensable had its value.
Unnoticed in the excitement, a surviving guard slipped away. The story of the specters with magical powers was about to spread like wild-fire.
Evolution of F.O.R.C.E. (The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. Book 3) Page 22