“That is an excellent question,” Sandie replied. “My best conjecture is that it is due to multiple factors. First, the Jellie craft has been following the trail left by that Zalian spaceship. That may mean the Jellies believe that its activity was a priority. Second, we are not leaving much of a discernable trail. At least, from what I conjecture their methods of tracking might be. That leads me to believe they may not be actively pursuing us at the present time. Third, there is a possibility that the Jellies do not care that we have escaped. Although this is a low probability conjecture, there are indications in the Zalian records that the Jellie’s prime targets have been species which are utilizing faster-than-light travel.”
“Cammarry and I came here in an FTL scout,” Jerome responded. He was not sure how to feel about the implied idea that humans were not worthy of pursuit.
“That is true,” Sandie replied. “However, I have seen no indication in any of the Zalian records that the Jellies actually know humanity possesses a form of FTL technology. As I said before, the Jellies do appear to have a knowledge that humanity exists, but they may be under the impression that our voyage will take decades and decades to complete. From a Jellie perspective, they might feel they have plenty of time to find us later somewhere along the way.”
“So, if we can just sneak to the Cosmic Crinkle, we may escape without any fighting at all? That would be awesome!” Jerome said. He had hope for his sons, and felt some encouragement.
“Yes, that would be ideal. It also leads me to my fourth point, which involves the Cosmic Crinkle. The records show that the Jellies did attack every Zalian ship which had traveled outside of the Zalian home world’s solar system. Only one ship did return, and I believe we saw the last flight of that Zalian ship when it saved us and set us on this pathway through the heavens. The Cosmic Crinkle though, does not seem well documented in the information about the Jellies. From my observations, the Jellie ship we are facing did not pass through the Cosmic Crinkle. Therefore, I conjecture it has a different method of traversing space than the Zalians did. It must also have a different method of surpassing the light-speed barrier than what our FTL scout used. I still am unable to conjecture how the Jellies have gotten around the mathematical limitations on mass which our FTL methods have encountered.”
“Well, we are dealing with three different views and sentient species: Human, Zalian, and Jellie. They are bound to have vast differences, since they evolved in isolation on different worlds. And as you pointed out, humans were historically terrible combatants and they are of the same species. That is not limited to history either. We have seen that lived out on the Conestoga a bunch of time.”
“Yes, we have,” Sandie replied.
“Aliens will be even harder to understand. I made some false assumptions about the Crocks, and learned my lesson for sure. They saved us, and I thought they were enemies. Concerning aliens, I think we have to be open to all possibilities. I have begun to challenge all my own assumptions. For my assumptions are my windows on the world. I am trying to scrub them off and make sure the permalloy is clear, otherwise I will not see the world accurately.” Jerome stretched and looked again at the red numbers which showed he had almost no way to defend the Conestoga on this flight. “Sandie, assuming the Jellies are hostile, and they certainly were to the Zalians, we will need weapons to fight back.” He glanced at the opposite side of the large display where smaller displays showed the flight status and equipment. “We have the repulsor systems and the microparticle turrets. How effective would they be against that Jellie ship?”
“That depends on a great many factors which we…” Sandie was interrupted.
“Jerome, the Jellie ship is again on the move,” Eris interrupted though the display system. Her face was on one half of the central display screen. “It is heading this direction. It is a different trajectory than last time. I am relaying our imagery to your station. Do we have anything we can fire at the Jellies, if it comes to a fight?”
“I have the five probes,” Jerome said as he looked at the central display. “And the repulsor system with microparticle turrets. No other weapons are ready.”
Eris’ golden eyes narrowed a bit and she frowned. “That is what the lattice of compeers reported, but I had hoped you had something completed which was not in their system. The main drive could be tried, but that is almost a guaranteed give-away of our position. They might not know where we are.”
“Why else would they be coming this direction?” The display showed that the purplish-blue, oblong, Jellie ship was moving away from the planet Zalia. The display was also showing range and velocity. The Conestoga was crawling along in comparison to the Jellie ship.
“The Jellie ship is rapidly approaching us,” Eris stated. “Hold your fire until I give the signal. I repeat, do not fire those probes until you hear from me.” On the display, it was clear Eris was moving about on the bridge, making adjustments to controls, and reviewing systems. Jerome saw Eris looking at another display screen where Siva’s image was portrayed. He could not hear what she was saying.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead. Jerome wiped it away with the back of his hand. His other palm was resting on the manual firing controls for the first probe. He knew it would take about five minutes for the next probe to be placed into a launch position after he fired the first one. He wondered if they would survive that long. His fingers trembled a bit on the controls.
“The most effective range of the probe, used as a ballistic slug weapon, begins at seven thousand meters. That is where its maximum speed is achieved. The probe cannot structurally tolerate faster speeds, as the gravity pulse engine will cease to function due to vibrations. Therefore, its maximum total linear momentum is achieved at seven thousand meters and beyond,” Sandie reported. “I am still unable to fully analyze the components of the Jellie ship, so I cannot estimate impact and damage potentialities.”
“Sandie, you said you could throw a shade of the Conestoga, are you ready to do that?” Eris asked.
“Yes, Captain Eris,” Sandie replied. “I can throw that shade illusion up to one thousand kilometers away from here.”
“Sandie, stand ready to throw that shade, make it back toward the planet, so it looks like we are behind that Jellie ship,” Eris commanded.
“Yes, Captain. I am awaiting your command,” Sandie replied.
“Jerome, be prepared to fire the probe, and the others afterward, just as fast as you can, but only on my command,” Eris said. “The Jellies are still approaching, but it might not be an attack.”
Jerome bit his lip to hold back an argument. “Understood, Eris,” he croaked out. He had been wrong before, about the Crocks, and he mentally knew he needed to trust Eris, but his emotions were screaming at him. She was just a teenager. He needed to strike now, before the Jellies got any closer. His fingers were trembling ever so slightly over the probe’s firing controls. He wrestled his emotions and his urges to act.
“Siva, be ready to run your test on the main drive. If we have to fight, we will run at the same time, but only on my command,” Eris was speaking toward a different display screen, and this time she had not muted Jerome’s ability to hear it.
“Right Eris, but no guarantees. The energy flux is still giving bizarre readings on some tests, the concentrator is marginal, but the alignment on the ejectors is as good as I can make it,” Siva replied. “Give me the word, and I will get this carousel moving as best I can.”
For a few more tense moments there was silence, and they all were watching as the purplish-blue Jellie ship sped toward them.
Jerome was grappling with his emotions, and wanted so badly to strike back at the Jellies. Waiting was terribly hard. He had watched them turn the chartreuse green of the planet Zalia into a dusty tan ball of death, and that was too much like the Earth. Jerome wanted vengeance, but he still hesitated, as his mind waged war with his emotions. He did remember Cammarry’s overreactions, and that helped him to refrain and trust Eris.
“Still approaching,” Eris stated. “Be prepared, everyone.”
Sandie the AI broke the silence. “Do not do anything! I think I know where it is heading.”
“What?” Eris yelped.
“It is heading for us!” Jerome cried out. “Nearly on top of us.”
“Not exactly,” Sandie stated. “Look at your displays.”
The displays shifted to an animation of what was happening outside in space. The Jellie ship was still approaching, and on this new animation, a purple dotted line was projecting its trajectory out from its front. That purple dotted line nearly, but not quite, intersected the light green dotted line which projected the trajectory of the Conestoga.
“See there is not an intersection of the flightpaths, instead, I conjecture the Jellie ship’s target is fourteen kilometers away from our slight path,” Sandie said.
“They are on an attack run!” Jerome cried. “We should fight back now!”
“No!” Eris snapped. “Sandy what are you saying?”
Sandie the AI replied, “The flightpaths of both ships will be close, but the Jellie ship may not be heading here. Observe closely along the Jellie’s predicted path. There is an object. The original Dome 17 robotic probe is drifting in space at that location. I believe that is the real target of the Jellie’s activity.”
“That junk cannot be what they are after,” Jerome interjected. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Monika quietly sat down in the control chair next to him.
“I conjecture the old robotic probe is its target. It is directly on the trajectory of the Jellie ship. Remember, the robotic probe left a wake, or remnant from its faster-than-light travel. Perhaps the Jellies are zeroing in on that somehow? However, that conjecture of the robotic probe as the Jellie’s target is not a guarantee,” Sandie stated. “It is my best, and I hate to use the term, but it is my best guess.”
“Eris if we wait, we will lose out best punch at that Jellie ship,” Jerome countered. “If they fire first, we might not get another chance. I say we shoot now.”
Sweated beaded on Eris’ forehead. The muscles across the small of her back were tight, yet her face was controlled. “Do not fire. Not yet. I am not sure our current best punch will do anything except give us away.”
Jerome began to argue, but the pressure on his shoulder increased. Monika’s sensuous touch flowed into him, and he had the power to restrain himself. Although his fingers were still poised on the fire control buttons.
“The Jellie ship is now passing seven-thousand-meter distance and still closing,” Monika said and nodded to Jerome as he glanced at her. Then she whispered, “The boys are asleep.”
Jerome pulled his hand back, knowing they had missed the best opportunity to fight back. Yet, he was still ready to launch that first probe. “I am holding back. But I believe the automatic repulsor system will kick in at two thousand meters, if it is functional again.”
Sandie replied, “It has been repaired. Jerome is correct it will engage shortly.”
Eris barked out a command, “Lattice, shut down repulsor system. NO firing. Repeat, NO FIRING! Do not engage any target. Shut it down now!”
SB Pinaka replied, “Repulsor system disengaged.”
“Eris, this is a huge wager, if you are wrong…” Jerome stated.
“If I am wrong we will die,” Eris replied. “I do not think I am wrong, but I know we are not ready for a fight. Not yet.”
“The Jellie ship is now fifteen hundred meters, and slightly veering away from our course,” Monika stated. Everyone was watching the same readouts, but she felt it necessary to announce it. That eased her own worries and fears, for the twin boys who were in the next room, as well as for Jerome. She caressed his shoulder. “The Jellie is still on track for the robotic probe from Dome 17.”
“Surely, they will see us, being this close. We are huge compared to that probe,” Jerome said tersely. Sweat was pooling in the small of his back. Had he been wearing the RAM clothing this would have been wicked away, but as it was it stuck his basic dungarees to his skin. “They will see us.”
“Not necessarily. Mass alone is not the deciding factor here. The robotic probe is still emitting some residual energy patterns and signals, even though its systems failed some time ago,” Sandie stated. “Those lingering traces, as well as the waves made by its FTL drive, might be the focus of the Jellies. By comparison, the Conestoga is relatively dark. The lattice of compeers and I have masked as many places as possible to improve our stealthy movements. A large black object can hide much better in the darkness than a small illuminated bulb.”
The Jellie ship passed by the Conestoga without any signs of deviation from its predicted flightpath. When it got near the free floating robotic probe, the Jellie ship stopped. It was only ninety-two meters away from the robotic probe.
The color purple, which had been consistently emitted from the Jellie ship fluctuated. It brightened with more blues hues to it. The displays magnified the activity of the Jellie ship. Several spheres were expelled in some fashion from the Jellie ship. A pulsing glow came from those spheres as they moved away from the Jellie ship toward the robotic probe. There was no visible method of propulsion, yet those spheres moved in a coordinated manner.
“Sandie, analyze everything we are seeing,” Jerome commanded.
“I have been doing that ever since the sling launch,” Sandie replied. “I am getting some fascinating findings.”
The two spheres had emanations come out from them. The display’s magnification changed in a flicker, and a closer perspective showed long tentacle-like extensions coming out from the spheres. They wrapped around parts of the robotic probe and then the two spheres carried the robotic probe back toward the Jellie ship.
“Sandie, can you remotely overheat the power supply in the robotic probe? Or cause some other malfunction which would result in an explosion?” Jerome asked. “This could be a wonderful Horse of Troy if they take the robotic probe inside that Jellie ship.”
Sandie replied, “Unfortunately, there is no way to do what you suggest. But the idea of a Trojan Horse was a good one.”
“You cannot just start the robotic probes FTL engine while it is in there, can you?” Jerome pressed. “Anything to cause some harm to that Jellie ship from the inside? Anything?”
Sandie’s response was a slight bit slower than typical. “No, I cannot do anything like that. I would if there was some method to activate something along those lines, but, unfortunately, there is not. The robotic probe had a limited lifespan, and limited capabilities. Its FTL drive is inoperative, but that was an excellent idea. It seems that the Cosmic Crinkle may have also done damage which further weakened the robotic probe.”
With several bright flashes of a bluish-purple light, the Jellie ship absorbed the two spheres and the robotic probe. The light then intensified, and in a surprising dash, the Jellie ship flew off.
“Sandie, what will they learn about us from that Dome 17 artifact?” Monika asked. Just then a baby began to cry. Monika looked at Jerome.
Nodding his head, he said, “I will check on them. I will call you if they need feeding.”
“I pumped a while back. There are several bottles in storage. Use them if needed,” Monika replied. “You look like you could use a break from this stress anyway.”
“Yes, I love those boys.” A tear ran down his face. “I thought…”
“Your old robotic probe saved us, now go.” Monika’s beautiful smile cinched the deal.
Jerome mouthed the words, “Thank you.” He walked off talking to himself. “Saved again by a probe. Interesting. Learning is about questioning, studying, and probing everything around us. We probe, and, if we get very lucky, we get strange clues, to a mystery.” He picked up the fussy baby, rocked it, and kept speaking to himself, but used soothing and calm tones. The baby stopped crying a moment later, and Jerome’s stress dropped.
Monika smiled as she heard the giggling of one of her sons.
“Monika br
ings up a great question,” Eris said. “How much will those Jellie raiders learn about us from that probe?”
“It is all Dome 17 technology, so they will learn very little about the Conestoga directly,” Sandie replied. “It is possible, although I conjecture it a low possibility, that they may conclude that the probe was what was reported by their satellite system. From the Zalian records, I conjecture a strong probability that the Jellies already have some kind of platform of knowledge about humanity. My biggest concern is that the robotic probe does have FTL capability, which the Jellies appear to prize highly. If they assign that FTL technology to humans, which would be a valid connection on their part, then they may very well be more aggressive about pursuing us. Simply put, to the Jellies we may be elevated as a more valuable prey.”
SB Pinaka reported, “The Jellie ship is making a course correction. They are heading for the location of the Cosmic Crinkle.”
The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books Page 230