"Getting the data in our heads is another matter. I need five hundred thousand Battle Wagons, send a message."
BETTY, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. DELIVERED TO POLARIS I ASSUME.
I nodded.
ONE MONTH
"See, that didn't hurt, did it?" My cheeky Signal Ensign asked. "That's why Hank and I are here. Your time is too valuable for normal channels."
"I get it. Have Hank meet us in the Battleship Mess. Bring lots of duplication capability, lots and lots."
The first thing Hank Jim and I did; when we were set up, is make a hundred copies of the discs for delivery, Eyes Only-Secure Room Required, to the top one hundred people in the Command structure. More Signal Ensigns appeared to deliver the results. Then the three of us started wading through the data making combined notes as we went. This took nineteen hours.
"Before we start on the repercussions disk, I need two hours." I said.
"Maybe we'd want to include the Rangers when we do that Ma'am,” Hank observed. "They'll be able to give valuable input about the concerned systems and what can be done by them to stabilize events."
"That's a windy way of saying you're bored, and want to stir." Jim retorted.
"Boys, boys; I appreciate your desire to manage me. Don't overdo it. Nevertheless the Rangers have to be involved. Up front is probably best. Get some in here, two hours. Haul it."
They left, each holding the door open for the other. They had good minds. Maybe I should 'Share' with them. If they shared back, what then. Would I look child like? I must ask Paula, about that.
IT'S UP TO YOU. YOU'LL SURVIVE. WON'T BE THE SAME, BUT YOU'LL SURVIVE AS YOU.
I slipped out of my uniform. Where the hell did they put that hot tub? I didn't ask for much, Jim, Hank.
BAY FOUR.
Half hour in the tub, doing bulb exercises, half hour flat, felt like new, better than new. My data base, and the data base I'd surfaced with, continued their integration. Phaeton, as a conceptual language, overshadowed English. I'd use it for my revelations in a few hours.
Two hours, I stood by an airlock. Hank ushered our guests in while Jim stood in the background, with two A-Is. First were Rangers Olaf and Gustav Lundgrun. They were in my memory bank, along with Ranger Margaret and her volunteer self Beth. Jim walked in, same A-Is. He said, "Allow me to present Jesse and Jane. They command the A-I presence. Both saluted me and hugged me. First time I had the pleasure. They gave the impression of contained limitless strength, a good feeling.
"Welcome. I'm glad to be here with you. Scientific advisor is my role, if you haven't heard already. You've had a chance to go over the First Federation data. I'll cover the background later. Now, we want to briefly address the possible ramifications. We'll listen to a briefing disk which starts with an overview. Let's go the Mess. Snacks are offered, if you care."
When they were settled Jim started the disk. The Mess became the First Federation space and the fringes. The affected systems were highlighted as the discourse proceeded. I became aware that the disk spoke to each in their language. The opening lasted an hour and a half. Jim stopped the voice, but left the display in place.
Olaf spoke first. "I have Ranger HQ on secure beam. A Carrier Battle Group is underway, ETA two days. They request permission to be part of the planning and eventual execution. Whatever force level is required they will provide it."
Jesse said, "We also have a deep interest, our ancestors come from that area. One of our Ships of The Line with support vessels will stand ready to move under orders agreed upon." Jane nodded.
"Command decisions are the decisions of the Admirals, who will be here in two hours. I'm sure they will appreciate all offers of help. Meanwhile let's look at the worlds which have space capability."
We looked. We were impressed. They all had high level agricultural complexes and automated shipyards, manufacturing Universe Drive ships of any kind you'd want. I understood better why the Seed Ship said, "Waves would be made."
Jim interrupted. "We're to go to the main Auditorium. A special clean room has been set up. There are too many people to host here."
I hit the hold button. Reaching up to fluff my hair, I met fuzz. Jim and Hank didn't notice, I think. I had a few things to get used to. Maybe Sharing would be best put off a day or two, especially after I had my conversation with Tildore. He occupied my mind as Rafe, my husband and father of our child. This could get complicated.
The three of us entered the auditorium. I noticed a definite energy field at the door. Eyes focused on me as I walked to the podium. Conversations ceased. When I had silence I grasped the edges of the podium and said, "I'm hanging on here for a reason. I suggest you grip something also, at least your sanity. Here's how the destruction took place."
Repeating word for word what Erlo had told me kept them on their seat edges. When I finished and looked over the assembled veterans of wars beyond their remembrance I saw dazed unfocused faces. When most refocused, I continued.
"I know this data answers questions; provides understanding of motivation, and, I consider, is the total damnation of our enemy, the IL ANNU KI. Above those items, the situation shouts for handling. Look to your chain of Command and don't falter in carrying out orders. We do not want to go the way of the First Federation."
With that, I quit the podium and stood between my Ensigns against the wall near the doorway. Dead silence reigned. Tildore took the stage and ignoring the podium, stood by its edge.
You could have heard a sun go nova.
"Everybody from Carrier Captain up will have twenty four hours to submit a complete resolution of the situation we've heard described, and have studied these last twenty four hours. You will work separately with your subordinates. Let the governing consideration in your conclusions be the concept of many totally self sufficient units; operating under a single preexisting order; with no going back to Mama to ask questions. I won't shame your intelligences by offering any further explanation. Back here in twenty four. Dismissed."
I thought 'he is no more my Rafe.' That saddened me for a moment. Oh well, no going back to Kansas, Dorothy.
He came and stood in front of me. "Spare a moment?"
I held out my arm. He led me to a corner where we watched the assemblage file out through the eight available doors.
He softly said, "Never got around to that honeymoon. Now this will interfere. But I still think we should. How's Junior?"
"He'll be a ship's Captain when he's ten, I swear."
"That's good breeding you know."
I'd forgotten that half faced smile. I said, "Pick out a nice place for the honeymoon. I'll be ready whenever. We'll pick over the bones, understand?"
With a far away look in his eyes he said, "I understand."
He squeezed my arm and left.
I walked over to Jim and Hank. "I consider that order applies to us three, and whatever crew we might have. See about that, won't you. I can find my own way back, honest."
They grinned, saluted, and left. The last to leave the auditorium, I paused and looked around. We needed a name to put in the history books, which we would write, for what we're going to do. Maybe 'encore' described us.
The battleship hadn't been rearranged in any way from Ark I design, despite ARK V and its contents being forty per-cent larger. The Captain's quarters consisted of a large stateroom and a bedroom. I sat on the lounger, juice by my side, kicked back, and started the long process of realigning my personal, Volunteer, priorities. I needed to concentrate on this theater of operations only. My other self would take care of Earth. Two way Communications would flow. Task Forces; of a kind largely of my design, would go out from here, me along with them. That needed to be my sole concern. Why did I miss Junior so much already? Maybe I hadn't become non-human after all.
I slept and dreamed of campaigns which I'd been part of over my centuries, and the centuries laid out in my merged minds. Then the reasoning from my accumulated minds themselves, put in their offerings. Any solution would take a lo
t of ships. God, I hoped Prestrillo had a few ships left in his yard. I'd reinvent the skeleton crew. Wait, I didn't command any more. There existed a fat chance, of anyone letting me get away with that one. But I would not be put in the chain of command, absolutely not. Then I dreamed of tall waterfalls, quiet pools and grassy pool sides, and writhing bodies, oh boy, hang on to that one.
This body woke, refreshed, after four hours. I spent the other four with bulb practice, and reviewing the plan my combined minds had created. I liked it.
My shadows, Hank and Jim, arrived and we went to the Mess for a discussion.
"You two, access the plan I came up with."
Jim started picking away at it first, "Grandiose, but not enough. The Rangers will insist on two Carriers per Passenger Ball."
Hank piped in, "The AIs will insist on two Carriers of theirs per Ball, too. It's a duality thing with them."
"OK. We'll do a scientific 'reach out' to each Hunter Gatherer world in turn. After visiting each peaceful agriculture world and dropping of a Passenger/Hospital Ball in orbit around each of them. Leave two Carriers there with the Ball; plus ten thousand Battle Wagons, continue on to the next. We need forty crewed Passenger Balls, and eighty Carriers. Too little?"
"Skin wise, that will remove one layer, about right to me. What do you think, Jim?"
"It calculates for me, I'll put it through the program."
"What program?" I asked.
"Something we Ensigns thought up; does the grunt work of requisition of supplies and personnel and such things. It's pretty thorough."
"I believe. What's the armament on the Passenger Balls?"
Hank explained that one, "For reasons known only to them, the AIs at the Phaeton shipyard have been spitting out Passenger Balls reconfigured to defend themselves from attack by several ANNU KI Mother Ships. They have weapons blisters all over them, shields, on shields, on shields. Light skipping missile tubes adorn the spaces in between the blisters. Plus, depressions to nest two hundred ANNU KI saucer fighter craft equipped with the Ranger disintegrator cannons."
Impressed, I asked, "How many are available, forty?"
"Brush burn level of agony, against what's in the shipyards," Hank assured me. "Hang up is crews."
"We'll divert Erlo's prisoners, medics, and techs to get a barely minimal crew, then pick up volunteers as we go along. There should be some adventurous spirits out there. Can you two ram something into their heads, like Navigation, so we miss suns as we go along?"
Jim smiled, "Piece of cake."
"Now just hope somebody doesn't come up with a better plan."
Hank announced, "Essence level conclusion, with which the Admirals agree, yours is a go. You just bought yourself forty planets. Other efforts will be directed to the other nine, which won't be so easy."
"You're serious?"
"I told you we didn't have time for playing around. We depart en-mass in ten days. ARK V goes along to record events. ARK III shifts from Torme's world to here."
"So we're excused from the planning?"
"Unless you have something specific to add," Jim answered.
"Not me. Can I get through to Erlo from here?"
"Sure, awake, or asleep?"
"Awake."
"He'll be on in two minutes. We'll check back later."
"Erlo here, I've been expecting your call. Naturally you want me on your mission. Yes, I'll meet you at Polaris in ten days. Is there anything else now?"
"Bring whatever Calvary you have."
"Will do, Erlo out."
Operational Area Moneslakia Rim Worlds Space
Chapter Four
Lil
During breakfast I scanned the grounds with my mass/spectrum analysis meter. The mass, shown three hundred meters away, had to be the anvil in the smithy. But underneath it, were readings of gold and an unknown alloy. Mary followed my reasoning path telepathically. She indicated we'd explore later. Exteriorizing and splitting my attention, I kept a close eye on Torken's cousins in the kitchen, no poison yet, except for the attitude of her and her younger sisters. Quite naturally, they didn't like the supposed route their parents took, to the village to shop, and then for parts unknown, to stay away from Torken. Better they thought that, than the truth.
I caught the eldest cousin's eye when she sat a dish on the table and asked, "How many children go missing in the woods every year from this village?"
"Three--four. Careless idiots, they wander away. It's wild country, useless parents allow that to happen. More milk?"
"No thanks. Have you and your sisters eaten?"
"No."
"Do so. We'll give you money later for food supplies."
Mary and Torken looked at me, knowing we had none. Then their eyes hardened with understanding. I waved, follow me and led them to the smithy.
"Move the anvil, Torken."
Despite it's massive size, and mounting on a block of wood fifty centimeters square; his face didn't show the least effort as he did so. I pried a loose stone out of the floor and reached into the exposed hole and drew out a heavy canvas sack. On a work table, I upended it. Gold coins and head bands appeared.
"Here are your missing children."
Torken looked around for something to break. Evidently his wits didn't desert him because he commented, "My Uncle couldn't have done it alone. He'd have drawn suspicion in the end."
We each took a third of the gold coins and the headbands and put them in our combat vests. Out in the yard, I adjusted the meter to react to the headbands only and did a circular sweep. A point about a kilometer away read positive.
I said, "I'll give your cousins money for food, and tell them we're going for a walk."
The house, when we found it, almost hidden, in a thick grove of trees, appeared much the same as the ones we went by on the way here. The windows, heavy shutters open, looked out to the pathway we approached from. We didn't knock. Inside it had the feel of a church because of the stillness. An old man sat on a sturdy chair. Aside from looking searchingly at Torken, he didn't acknowledge our presence.
He must have made peace with his Maker, because he said, "I told your Uncle he should have killed you. I knew you'd be back. You had that look, not breakable. Of course he's dead. I hope his wife, too. Yes, I see it. Good riddance. I'll be good riddance, too. The gold and the unused rings are under the hearth stone. The house is yours. Don't make a mess on the floor with my blood, please."
With that, he stood and started to walk toward the back door. I grabbed his neck with my talons from behind and slammed him back into his chair. For a moment, his attention focused on the room, glancing up to me, and then he retreated into his private hell.
I threatened, "Before we do you the favor of killing you, you are going to speak long, and in detail, about what you've done. Then I promise I'll rip your throat out."
I withdrew my talons from his neck but kept a grip on his shoulders as he spoke. It took several hours. We took his sack from its hiding place. It contained much more gold and thirty seven head rings.
"They fit on young heads and give as the person grows you know," he imparted absently, never looking at Torken directly, after his initial glance.
When we didn't have any more questions, I escorted him to the backyard, and had him stand away from me and called the waiting Frigate. "One for pick-up and storage."
White light engulfed him. He didn't open his eyes. I read from his mind, that he saw the children he'd sent to death, waiting for him.
Back inside, we split the contents of his money chest and sat for a while, each of us thinking of how to proceed. (The whole situation had become complicated; because Mary and I had to be elsewhere to investigate data we'd gathered from the Overlay Space Continuum.)
Mary said, "The aircraft from the (Carriers which dock on the) Rail Gun Ship have located slaves in every major town on the planet. We can't possibly get them all, out overland. So we'll have to do it by air. So far we're talking about nine thousand plus banded slaves.
We have to wait for Lewis to arrive with enough space to house them off planet, another two days maximum. Meanwhile, Torken can go downhill to the local capital and follow the trail of corruption we discovered today. Take along Hortimer's party, historical research--you're their escort, nothing unusual. Several Carrier aircraft will be overhead at all times. Lil and I will go back up to the ANNU KI ship and explore it further. Torken, come on back here with your mind--think. Is that all right with you?"
"Just so I get to kill the slave masters."
"I promise."
Torken said, "Get your party down here. We'll start downhill at dawn. I'm going to wander around, say hello, conquering returned hero; they couldn't imagine the truth. See you back at the house for supper."
He left. Mary called Throckmorten. "Can you and your party be at Torken's house, at dawn? Walking shoes are needed. You're an off world historical research party escorted by a former slave. You'll be going to the local Capital, very highbrow. Wear long robes with cowls, several of different thickness."
"We get the picture, should be interesting. See you in the morning."
"Maybe not, we're going back up to the ANNU KI ship. Torken will be waiting for you. He'll explain what we've stumbled onto."
"Acknowledged. Throckmorten out."
Mary said, "That leaves us free for a couple of hours, Lil. Do you want to go up now or after supper? We could walk around, too."
I thought, oh hell, there's always war. "Good idea. Let's play rich tourist. Good play acting practice for what we have to do."
To the extent each of us could relax and focus strictly on now, we had a delirious time. We bought something in every shop we came to. Being the end of summer, plenty of fruits were on display on stands along the main street. Dried smoked meats seemed to be a staple in the diet, so we bought several months supply of them. Everything we bought we doubled and had the item delivered to Torken's house. If word of his return hadn't reached them, we told everybody the story. Toward sundown, we ended up on his doorstep.
"Oh, it's you two," a younger cousin said. "I thought something else had been delivered. Supper will be in an hour. You two came from the sky, didn't you? Don't lie now."
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 3