Ten minutes and a knock on the door, "Come in," heralded the entrance of five female soldiers. They all walked slowly. I'd noticed that trait among demol people.
"The short story is that the enemy will blow Lasitier - I. We don't want that to happen. Dismissed."
They saluted, slowly, and left the room. I knew their minds weren't slow. They were still alive. I'd have my choice of plans within the hour.
Despite my positive orders, I felt no satisfaction. That meant I had missed the situation analysis completely. What if the Hybrids weren't escaping? What if they were attacking? That many Cold Fusion Bombs would make this a whole new war.
Just then the printer on the plotting table started. I rushed over to it. Across the top the printouts read: Transportation mode-number of Hybrids-departure point-travel vector-speed-and, time to arrival point.
"DO, get Marvin in here, and get me connected with all local parties."
Marvin came in immediately. I motioned for him to wait.
"DO here, you're connected."
"Change of plan, based on new Intel. Every ship carrying a Hybrid is now declared an enemy war vessel. The working hypo is this, that an attack is taking place, not a retreat. Line ships will eject one hundred fighters apiece. Targeting will come from Intel HQ. Hybrids are to be beamed off any ship, and let go of in deep space. Execute now. Nerre' out."
I drug Marvin to the chart table and said, "Get this pile to Maria."
He touched it and said, "Done."
"Maria, put this data into your sky. Select the nearest three hundred target ships and dispatch the fighters standing by."
I carried the pile of printouts to my desk. Upon sitting, Marvin beside me, the consol screen lit up. The message read, 'follows list of embedded Hybrids and their locations. Make note of the first one.'
A name and location remained on the screen while the chart table printer started again. The screen read, 'Corporal Girt Benign, 2nd Federation Honor Guard.'
"Marvin, get me Hank or Jim, have them link to the rest there."
Marvin said, "Go ahead. I've already transmitted an update."
"Erlo, we can't have this happening. Following are a list of embedded Hybrids. We're testing the veracity of this info. Unless proved completely useless and an attempt to misinform, we have to take it at face value. Before the first transport ship from our sector lands, minus any Hybrids, the embedded ones have to be removed. Can you see that?"
Melin answered, "We see it. Marvin has sent the part of the list that has printed out. Keep sending the rest. We will handle it from here. Erlo says the Rangers have anti-terrorists capability. We calculate a fifteen hour window. Don't do anything massively overt until twenty hours from now. Have Intel HQ concentrate on interdiction. Understand?"
I said, "We understand, and will comply. Nerre' out."
"Marvin, you know what's to be done, carry on please."
"DO, any report from the Mine Sweepers?"
"Didn't want to interrupt. They report a massive mining array. They have cleared a narrow access channel though to Lasitier - I, and are continuing to widen it. One ship has been badly damaged and is returning to us in the Positive Universe under Invis. A salvage ship has been dispatched, under Invis. Report complete."
"Thank you. Tell the Demo team to shake it."
"Acknowledged."
I became aware that the printer had stopped.
Marvin commented, "There are people in this list far beyond the Rangers activity sphere."
"What can we do about it?"
"Sending messages to Police will take far longer than we have. I know people here and there that could help us, if you swear we never had this conversation, punishment if you talk; eternal hell fire, swear?"
"I swear."
"And I'm not loosing it. You'll understand when you're an Essence."
A knock on the door, a glance, Demo Team, "Lay it on me." I said, proud of my command demeanor.
The leader glanced around the room, saw a low round table, and pulled it to an open space. The whole team sat cross legged around it, with a space for me. I took that as a command to sit likewise, so I did. Marvin grinned lop sided, but I ignored him.
One of them began, "The most efficient way would be to drop a Hydrogen Bomb down the geo-thermal access holes. Lasitier - I, has many of them. However the most efficient and effective placement would be these five holes shown here."
I looked at the chart laid across the table. The concept that sold me lay in the blow outs, which showed close layers of different rock that had accumulated as the planet cooled.
"How many Special Ops people can you effectively use for approach and cover?"
"A squad has proven most useable, and a team of Engineers with an Absorption Box in case we can't dismantle the Bomb. There may be other vent tubes they plan to use, but any other one or two the planet can withstand."
"I'll need a few moments to get five Frigates, and five Signals Ensigns over here from ARK V. The Mine Sweepers have cleared a channel through the mine fields in Negative space. How soon can you go?"
"Two hours, we move slowly."
"I noticed. Keep on doing that, and get back safe. Dismissed."
They were up off the floor and halfway out of the room before I made up my mind to rise. Fell into that one, didn't I. At the chart table Marvin's grin had shifted to the other side of his face. Maybe he chewed weed?
Suddenly the blue light went on followed by the soft, but not to be ignored, chimes.
"What next?" I asked Marvin.
"Tell them to stand down. It's just Tel and Selma with the first Mother Ships from down time."
The light went out. The chimes stopped.
"DO here, I'm told that the first re-crewed captured ANNU KI Mother Ship has arrived."
"Put Tel on."
"Tel here. Sent report. No fun back there. We prevailed in the end. Another ship should arrive every five minutes, different sizes."
"Congratulations on your success. I'll be anxious to read the report. We could use your help in a new situation. Are you Mission ready?"
"Yes."
"You're to go to Lasitier - I, Positive Space only, under Invis, scan departing ships, beam Hybrids into deep space, and do nothing else. Stay outside planetary defenses. If possible we will provide you with an ANNU KI code that says you're on a classified mission. A Signals Ensign will be over from ARK V, and then you can depart."
"She's here already. Tel departing."
"DO, when other Mother Ships arrive, convey our congratulations, and dispatch them to a planet near Lasitier - I, with the same orders, and a Signals Ensign."
"Acknowledged."
"Marvin, can you put me through to Ambassador Jill at the Rim Alliance HQ?"
"Sure, should be one of us floating around there, just a moment."
I vaguely suspect he invented someone from across the Universe, but Jill's voice, that unmistakably Sergeant's voice, came through clearly.
"Nerre', how nice to hear from you, but I'm sure the circumstances aren't nice. Go on."
"Good to hear your voice, and talk with you. Major confrontation going on, your message person will give you details. How goes it with your Rim Alliance Ranger plan?"
"All organized, but not dispatched, four thousand strong to date."
"Might be a good time to do that. If this situation goes well, they can claim the responsibility. If not, you'll want their ears out there to provide you with information."
"Understood, I'll go over the data, talk with the Regs, and get back to you soon, Jill out."
In my old age, if I have one, I'll look back on those fifteen hours and try to sort out what happened in which sequence. At the end of them, I remembered we had: only a major earthquake on Lasitier - I, one hundred and thirty seven space Liners blown up in non planetary space, twenty nine leaders from planets I never heard of assassinated, 29,783 Cold Fusion Bombs defused, for which Jill's Rangers took most of the credit, a news chain spread the whole gru
esome plot details, in every manner possible, to all who would listen, so often everybody tired of hearing it, and we blockaded 225 planets, out of which 217 immediately sent delegates to the Rim Alliance.
My canteens were all empty, six of them, lined up on my desk and I had no sustenance.
Marvin entered my office with two new ones and said, "We're going to have to get you a steak soon."
"I have no memory of food."
"Says you. We're going out on a date tonight. Right after you fall off to sleep. Don't ask. Here drink deep. You'll be a long time topping today, I hope. It seems quiet now. That's when to double patrols, and load two guns."
"Marvin, I suspect that you were not always a monk."
"Me, a monk, oh whoa, that comment will get you several rounds in the right place for the joke of the century. I'll tell you when this is over."
"DO, double patrols, and push them out twice the distance, and twice the time span. Pass the order along to all units, right now."
Marvin perched on the desk corner, "I half joked, but I should have recommended triple. I'll go have a look see myself. Melin says she has a sense of the Universe taking a deep breath. That's beyond me, but I duplicate her meaning. The A-Is from the Phaeton shipyard have reported for duty, 20,000 ships of a design even I can't understand. One thousand will be reporting to you for assignments. I'm told they can go to the very edge of the Universe. They'll be here in ten hours. Why don't you finish off these two canteens, and I'll refill all of yours and place them on the desk. I suggest you fall onto the corner couch, before, or after, you take your boots off, and think 'beef on a spit."
I did as he suggested, after the 'boots off.' I heard him return with the full canteens. Then I followed my nose to the burning beef smell.
Operational Area Intel HQ Moneslakia
Chapter Twenty Seven
Admiral Tildore Secallo
After filling my canteen from the barrel I went to my small round table against the Planetarium wall to attack the day. While sitting I noticed the memo on top of the stack said Nerre' and her four Carriers would arrive tomorrow. It would be like old home times. Putting that memo aside I reached for the next one, almost.
The Planetarium went blue, chimes sounded, and a voice started chanting, "Intruder alert, intruder alert."
Maria diminished the usual array and put up Moneslakia. Damn, they were right overhead.
A voice boomed throughout our vicinity, "Don't shoot, don't shoot, we are Marvin's friends, Marvin's friends, don't shoot."
Marvin's voice came from nowhere, "Don't shoot, they're my friends."
Too late; two Worker ships had engaged and missiles were streaking toward the ship, which I recognized as an old Liner.
Four clouds of energy billowed out from the Liner and met the missiles. When the clouds cleared the missiles were no more. The Worker ships veered off and resumed patrol.
"Sorry to surprise you. Our Nav calculations were a bit off. Can we come down?"
I thought, 'or you were testing us.'
"Of course you can."
"We'll come a bit closer and beam down onto your plateau. Don't bother to come out Admiral, we'll come in."
"Fine, I'll have breakfast brought to my area."
"Splendid, see you in ten."
I asked, "Any idea Maria?"
"Not a clue. Their minds and the ship are hidden from me. That means they are Essences, but nothing else."
"Magnify their ship."
She did and I saw drive engines mounted over half of the hull.
"Do you see those engines, Maria? How fast would that thing go?"
"The answer is meaningless. Let's say, a hundred times faster than our ships. It must have held together. The flux lines on the hull say it came sixty percent of the way across the Universe. We'll see."
"Yeah, tell the kitchen to hold up on setting tables until we see what they look like. They may have ten arms and lay down to eat."
"Good joke Admiral, but you'll find the two and two and a head the design most often used, though I've seen some radical exceptions. We'll leave that story for a peaceful night shift."
"Damn little peace we'll have, ever."
"They're down and walking in."
"Forgot my hat."
"It's on the wall behind you."
"Thank you. You and Janus should do a show together."
Clomping boots with steel heel and toe cleats said they weren't far off. The boots said something about them. They warned people to get out of the way before they walked over them. I started for the hallway entrance as they strode in. They took up the whole Planetarium with their presence, six of them, about eight feet tall, massive bodies topped with square faces, wearing capes down to their boot tops. The capes were half open and I could see battle gear, and odd things hanging from it.
They spotted me and altered course. One slightly ahead said in precise Phaeton, "I'm Gato. Pleased to meet you Admiral Secallo. These fellows do have names, but they prefer not to mention them. It makes your job of looking through the Wanted posters harder."
All of them had a hearty laugh at that. His handshake showed he knew his strength to be so much more than anyone else he needn't show off, yeah two and two, and a head.
"We'll set up at that table over there if you want to take your gear off,"
"In a minute; you don't seem to have any entrance other than the front one, do you?"
"No, maybe the builder didn't get done."
"Oh, he got done, it's just that the ANNU KI hasn't been opposed for so long that they forgot the niceness of a bolt hole. About a mile that way is a very pleasant large land locked valley, grassy surface beneath shade trees. Would you like us to make a passageway to it?"
I looked at Maria standing close by, she nodded, so I said, "Make away if you please. The tunnel borer sets outside."
"We brought our own, come lads."
The approached the left wall and stopped ten feet away. They stood in three pairs of two, one behind the other. It seemed they were aligning themselves. Then suddenly they bought pieces out from under their capes and fitted them together in what could only be rifles. Then the first pair lay prone, the next pair kneeled, and the last pair stood upright. Evidently some countdown took place because the muzzles of the rifles started emitting a slightly wavering white energy pattern as one.
The energy ate at the wall, very slowly at first, but after four feet the earth gave way at an accelerating rate. Maria and I stood directly behind them, watching how they made minute adjustments in their aim. Suddenly daylight could be seen, and a rush of fresh air came through. Their rifles disassembled and stored Gato said, "Let's go for a walk, Admiral. It's a beautiful valley, not seen by any eye before."
"Don't we need to let the walls cool?"
"They're not hot. We just push matter out of our way. The matter combines at the sides making them dense and capable of supporting great weight."
"Well then, let's go. Come along Maria, see Eden."
"Hardly, but let's go." She linked her arm in mine. Damn she would be Betty's height soon. Whatever did they have in their diet?
We tromped through the tunnel, the eight of us, side by side. At the end of the tunnel a bright valley met our sight. I calculated approximately three miles from the tunnel end to the far wall, and slightly wider than deep. Odd, there were trees, but sparse, not like the usual dense growth.
"We saw a pond at the far end. That's where we will set up camp if you allow."
"It's your valley. The Torkens will probably give you a deed. Thank you for your trouble. The people working here will appreciate it. The plateau is crowded at times, with craft coming and going."
"We won't land. Our ship has immense anti-grav engines, no need to land."
We started back through the tunnel. I said to Gato, who walked beside me, "I noticed you have many engines on your hull."
"We're in Real Estate, have holdings in many places, it takes much transit time to visit them, so we go a bi
t faster than most ships."
I commented, "The Workers, the ones who fired on you, have a shipyard in orbit. I expect they might ask to see your ship?"
"Maybe. They have good response time. Good policy to fire first and ask questions later. Makes less questioning time spent. Shoot them down, ask questions of the wreckage."
"A bit foolhardy, your arrival, not to criticize you."
"You don't have anything that can damage us, not here."
I looked at Maria, "I guess I'd better pull Melin's ships in for planetary security."
Gato agreed, "That's what I'd do. Weapons on her ships would destroy us. Curiosity about her, and a desire to see Marvin again, led us to make the journey."
"How long did you take?"
"We don't do elapsed time, gets boring. I smell something delicious, fresh baked pastries, fruit filled, oh good."
We approached the set table. They hung their gear on wall hooks that I'd never noticed before. Their two piece uniforms rustled with static electricity as the moved. Supercharged, came to my mind, as to how to describe them.
A Worker pair came in and joined us. One Worker said, "Sorry to have missed you. Otherwise your ship would have to spend two minutes repairing its self."
The six of them laughed and laughed. I imagined the Workers joined in, in their own way.
Two hours later they, and Maria, had reduced the feast to the basket of pastries in the middle of the table, refilled how many times?
I asked, "Do you think we can count on the help of many Essences?"
"How many do you need? You don't know. You have no reality on how many would make too many. But to answer your question, I'd expect a few more than us six. But you already have many Essences here. Some of us will come because the ANNU KI is a scourge, and we're tired of having them around."
A Worker said, "You know what they did to the First Federation?"
"Yes, they destroyed you."
"My makers say to spare no effort. The A-Is from Phaeton have made a ship to go to the edge of space, like Melin's ships. We can not make ships like hers; can not replicate ships like hers. Perhaps you can tell us how we get to the edge and fight. We already have weapons that kill them if we can get there."
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 24