Quisier arrived a half hour later with a roll of papers under his arm. The bartender automatically brought him a carafe of tea.
He started, "News of your trip has preceded you. We'd better start delivering on your promises. A platoon of Void Infantry, as you call them, which is fine with me, will be ready in five days. That's a trial run, which will expand greatly, production wise, when they're tested. So let's look at your tank. I couldn't decide whether one person or a two person vehicle would suit the tactical situation better, so I designed both of them, with help from my colleagues. Here's the one person type."
I said, "Thank you for putting so much effort in this."
He smiled his reply and laid the design out on the table. I asked myself, where have I seen this; on the farm, essentially a big tractor tire, big enough to seat a person inside it. Transparent plasti-steel made up the domed sides. A mortar and a machine gun protruded to the front and to the rear on both sides. Holes appeared in the tire tread. I followed the explanatory side sketch; green net balls came out of the holes. Several gyroscopes kept it upright after collisions. The tire rotated around the inside compartment, which blew left and right upon the vehicle being disabled. Then the soldier exited and fought on foot, with a net launcher and a rifle with low velocity penetrating bullets in its drum, which exploded after penetration. The usual two automatics with drum magazines and a long and short force knife calibrated to cut anything rounded out the equipment. The two soldier version had one half again the diameter, with a wider seat, and a barrier in the middle which made it yet useable were one side blown away. It had four gyroscopes for stability, and greater munitions storage. Testing would govern the mix of a one or a two person version.
I asked, "Can we test these tomorrow."
Evidently he had molar problems, or would have the way he ground his teeth. When he quit he just said, "Yes." What the hell. Say yes first and save the teeth.
The Reg behind me choked on his beer. Don't drink the damned stuff, I thought.
Quisier rose, "I must be on my way. You like the designs, no?"
"They are the Best. I would kiss you were I not in uniform, thank you."
Regs shouldn't drink Hendes I beer I decided. I walked him to his runabout and helped him get his seat belt fastened. He took off at full throttle, but he pulled back half way across the river. Hell of a place to pull back.
I went into the restaurant to fill my canteens, and find someone in control of their bodily functions. Lenh and Huta had a salad platter between them and were picking at it from both sides. Maybe I should go back to bed and get up in another direction, I decided. Ready to leave, they saw me and beckoned me over.
I sat. Lenh said, "Quisier just doesn't like to activate his Time Drop Bays. When he gets over that he'll produce. There won't be any problem, and this is the way we always eat at home, when we eat, which isn't often. Two Assault platoons are back. We'll go talk to 'Hector and his bunch when we're done eating. I'm going to use the suit to go up to them. Did you know the thing has anti-grav and directional thrust pods on the back?
"Yes, all of them do. Some Regs will be trained in them, most won't, but I specified that be in the V R."
"We'll be done in a moment. I'll collect you on the porch if you'd rather not watch."
"I'll be in my rocker, between my Signals Ensign and my guard."
I left them, they were laughing too much to eat.
Lenh and Huta came out an hour later. The rocking had calmed me to the point where I just wanted to do it more.
Lenh said, "I'll go get the suit. It's behind the Post. Go ahead, I'll catch up."
As soon as I said, "Fine." A Battle Wagon rose from the parking area and approached the porch hovering a foot off the ground. Six side doors went down, guess we were going to the ball in style. I didn't even glance at my guard who had a satisfied grin on his face. We entered, sat, and the Wagon lifted and sat down before the higher Post in five minutes.
Huta, my guard, Kris, Kristen, Claudia and I disembarked and waited by the Wagon for Lenh to show. Show she did, floating down from the sky while we watched the path. She came to rest five feet away as Hector, Irene and Jeff arrived.
Hector said, "Nice bird Lenh, what's your next stunt?"
"You put that time shifting belt of yours around me and we'll see what this thing does out of present time."
He hesitated, shrugged his shoulders, took his belt off, and adjusted it to its maximum, which sufficed, belted it on and stood back.
"Send Vids Lenh."
She hovered at five feet, and disappeared.
Hector beckoned, "We might as well go inside. Who knows which century she might turn up in?"
We went in to the Saloon and took chairs where we could see the front.
Huta asked, "Can you describe the intention problem, or just transfer the experience."
Nothing took place other than Huta's face becoming reflective. He'd sort it out. I asked Irene, "Can you quantify the reduction in effectiveness away from norm?"
"Roughly about thirty percent would be the platoon average."
I speculated, "You're built for extreme exposure, so that will probably translate to fifty percent for us grunts. The question is do the ANNU KI experience the same slow down. Betty, do they?"
HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. BASE YOUR CALCULATIONS ON 'NO' FOR SAFETY'S SAKE. BETTY OUT.
Claudia wryly observed, "That's not heartening."
I said, "No, damn it, it means we'll have to let the Worker/soldiers lead, and suited Volunteers and Regs will have to do mop-up. Well, what is, is, what are you and the rest going to do Jeff?"
"We've discussed it. There are bound to be time placed holdouts. We've developed a beacon to detect enemy ships, not perfect, but it will get us in the vicinity, time wise."
Huta asked, "May I experience it? We may be able to calibrate it finer."
"Sure, come along, it's up in the ship."
They left. I became concerned, "How far back does that belt go, Hector?"
"Somewhere short of the big bang."
"Oh shit, I just know what she's up to. She'll go back to when this planet had people. I just know it."
Irene said, "I see no reason she'd do that."
"Believe me, she doesn't operate on reason. The belt won't establish a time portal, will it Hector?"
"No, that would take two belts. We have enough problems now. We don't need more from the past."
"You'll see. What's the latest from Intel HQ, I've been gone."
"We know. The latest is a General Niken arrived from Earth, high powered mind melder, Thelma's doing. Anyway, he and his logistics genius, Alstons, stopped for a day before going on to set up a forward base on Frizdier. The gist is that he's going to get the forces together and create a bowl type front facing the ARK position, and gradually diminish it."
The guard, Grlau, spoke, "We used that tactic often. If the line has enough depth, it works. If they break through and attack from the rear there's all hell to pay."
Claudia asked, "Has Melin been put in the loop?"
Hector answered, "Probably not, she's a loose cannon to Niken."
I asked, "Which one of you is going to call Hank or Jim."
Hector said with a sigh, "I'll do it. We should have one of her ships here to coordinate tactics. Niken will be useless in approaching the Universe ARK. Also someone has to tell him to not shoot at it. Excuse me."
He didn't go anywhere, his eyes just glazed over. Me, I'd blossomed into a leader that had troops back in time, and far gone.
Claudia nudged me, "I'm still here."
Kris and Kristen waved their hands.
Irene said, "Me too, and your escorts, but I'm becoming a bit concerned about Lenh." She spoke into her radio, "Jeff, trace where she is."
The voice out of the radio said, "Tina has it right."
I said, "Oh, double shit, I just knew. What the can of worms has she opened?"
No one even ventured to guess. It would have been beyond o
ur combined imaginations, I'm sure. We sat in silence, the foreboding growing by the moment.
Jeff's frenzied voice over Irene's radio brought everybody to their feet, "Time portals are opening up all around the planet at 100,000 feet. Too many for the counter to count. No sense lifting. Think ground combat, wait, the vessels are broadcasting our transponder frequency. What in the hell is going on?"
We rushed out onto the porch, leaving Hector in his daze, to look up into the sky. We couldn't see anything.
Claudia said, "They're there. Hector is keeping a channel open to Melin until we know what's happening."
At that moment, Lenh appeared on the front yard. She yelled through the suit's P A system, "Don't get worried, they're friends, friends, and don't shoot me Jeff. You can't hurt me. You'll just mess up the real estate."
I yelled, "You goddamned idiot, what have you done?"
"I prevailed. Your plans are good. I made them better. The people overhead will give us that edge."
"I don't care; when you're out of that suit I'll strangle you."
"Claudia, please calm her. I'll explain, and I'm not getting out of the suit until you are calm, Tina."
Claudia grasped my arm, "Let her talk. We can kill her later, if we want to."
I took deep breaths of air, then said, "I'll wait, let her talk."
Lenh continued, "My new friends are from the First Federation. The catastrophe can't be stopped. We tried for centuries and centuries. So an evacuation is taking place. These above are the first wave of retribution. They have sworn to follow my orders; because I've demonstrated I can kill them all before they're born. I did well. Don't hate me for doing well. Don't hate me for not hesitating."
I strode down the steps to her, and then walked around and around her. I gradually got my mind engaged. I told myself, done, is done, over and over again until my guts didn't cramp at what she'd wrought. Finally I stopped in front of her and said, "I'm under control now. We have to sit and think this through. Word has gone out to all parties, including your HQ. They didn't answer. You can come out of the suit. I won't try to hurt you."
"Unbuckle the time belt. It's not needed anymore anyway. This suit has the capability built in."
I did as asked. Then I had a suspicion, "How long were you gone, your time?"
"Pushing a thousand years. These above know the drill. They know they probably won't survive. They and the ones to follow are the winners of a vast lottery."
I tried to imagine. An hour had passed. She'd changed the Universe. Could I have taken the responsibility, probably, but it would have taken me a long time to decide.
We walked up to the porch arm in arm.
Hector came out of the Post and said, "Melin says you deserve a spanking. She has promoted you to Admiral; spanking later, keep these new forces under control. She would hate to erase them before we get to the real task."
Lenh acknowledged, "She could. I'll keep them under control."
Hector motioned, "Come in and sit, tell us what has taken place."
We sat chairs in a circle so we could see her better, "First I want you to know, Tina, scientists on board the ships are in touch with Quisier. They will help him absorb hundred of years of refinement of his plan. A ship has been sent to the Reg world to ask for Rim Alliance recognition, and to give the advanced knowledge to the Battle Suit makers. Also I have forwarded to Paula the changes your ship needs, Hector, to better carry out the plan. Also we experimented with approaching the Void. We didn't approach the ARK, though it is there, with the ANNU KI on board. Debate still rages about whether to attack it back then. They may do so after the evacuation is complete. That's their decision. Anyway, about approaching the Void, one must generate a field around their ship or suit. I suspect that's what your suit does, Kris, Kristen."
Kris said, "Essentially. The technology is very old."
Lenh continued, "With the field generated, the unit, essence-body, is contained and the dissipation doesn't happen. That's very important, because the enemy is moving at full speed."
I said, "I thought to approach along the Void, instead of from the inner system. They might have fewer forces at those approaches."
Lenh said, "Makes as much sense as any other way, sort of like a spider approaching the center of its web. Speaking of webs, Kris, Kristen, I asked about your ancestors. No trace of anything remotely like your descriptions. I'm sorry."
Kristen answered, "No need of sorrow. I am evidently before the First Federation."
Through my bulb I sensed a ship approaching us. "Can you feel that, Claudia, Hector?"
"Yes. You, Lenh?"
"Not to worry. It's my Flagship. Look."
At the fork of the river a town came into being that stretched from there to a distance I couldn't see. It had layers on top of ever diminishing layers, seventeen I counted.
Lenh stood, "Come on, I invite all of you aboard. Let's go."
"It's not in my data base," Hector said. "How about you Kris, Kristen? No, I see not. Well, we're all in for a treat. You must promise, Lenh, you won't steal us away from here; or I will spank you myself."
"I promise. The ship won't move. Don't be last into the Battle Wagon?"
Operational Area Hendes I
Chapter Thirty
Admiral Lenh
I leapt out of the Battle Wagon first, to be met by a uniformed woman of a race I'd never seen.
"I'm Greta Lindross. I'm the Captain of this ship, your Flagship; welcome Admiral Lenh, and all of you. Please follow me. Your Sergeants are welcome too. You'll see circles in the floor. Step on them. Careful, they rise. Now, slightly tilt your weight forward, like I'm doing and follow me."
I kept in place right behind her. The further you tilted forward the faster the circle moved, but I stayed behind her, thinking about the reception I'd gotten on my return. I wouldn't have changed my course of action, but it hurt. I'd endured those centuries just to be called an idiot. I could place myself in their shoes and understand their views, but they couldn't put themselves in my place. It made me sad, and I felt alone, against the world. I realized I would probably feel even more alone as events progressed.
We came to a circular central area, which I took to be the Bridge. The transport circles sunk into the floor, and we stepped off. The bowl shaped Bridge had three rows of descending seats. There were three evenly placed stairways down through the rows of seats. I supposed the central raised dais had to be where the Captain held out.
Greta announced, "Welcome to the Bridge. Make yourselves at home. We've parked the ship. The crew is about, tending to maintenance. Feel free to sit at the various stations. It will be clear what each does, but not while the ship is parked, naturally. If you'll come with me, Admiral Lenh, we have business to attend to. I'll have her back shortly."
Such a pleasant woman, I think I knew why. She has nothing to prove, not like me with my eternal strivings to excel. I followed her into a spacious office with six doors opening off of it.
She said, "This is your office. You have quarters on another floor. We must get you sworn in and a uniform issued. We will go into my personal history later. If you'll stand here, on that square, Melin will speak to you. Meanwhile I'll go get your uniform."
I stood on the square. She left the room. A swirling orange light came down from the ceiling and up from the floor. A voice said, "This is how you contact me. I'm Melin. You are to swear allegiance to me personally, and to the cause of eradicating the ANNU KI in case I cease to be. For your allegiance, you will be given the location of ten thousand ships, which you must collect and find crews for. You can use a created crew, or you can staff with essences, who must swear this same oath. Accept, or get off the ship and leave history pass you by. Which is it?"
"I swear allegiance to you and to the cause."
"Very well, accepted. Get your ships manned and report back here by tomorrow. You have Time Drop capability; use it. I'll be watching."
The orange light slowly wisped away. It hadn't just b
een light. I had been examined. I drew a breath and another. I had just come back from somewhere, I'd never been before.
A cough behind me said other people lived in this 'Universe'. Greta handed me a pile of clothing. "The fresher is that blue-green door. I'll meet you back on the Bridge."
At first glance, it appeared the uniform didn't meet Greta's colors rather it showed blue-green, or green-blue according to how the light struck it, instead of her orange-brown. Oh well, I showered and changed clothes many times in the last thousand years, in too many new places; get on with it.
I expected a closet shower. I got a room which I'd seen in First Fed Spas, sunken bath, and an eight foot square shower with multiple outlets. I forgot everything and let gentle needle sprays pelt my skin. My body hadn't been used much recently, always to busy with mental efforts. I made a vow to change that. Wind tried to blow me dry but I said,' next time' and used a fluffy bath towel instead.
The uniform consisted of a two piece translucent skin suit, cushioned socks, under a two piece outer pants and jacket combination which snapped almost up to my neck. Slip in boots with magnetic clamps came up to mid calf. I looked for a cap. Needed a cap, so I could put my long blond hair up in it and then shake it out; the way the Vids showed. It seemed the First Fed had adopted-adapted me, and now I awaited immersion in another culture, so much older than I'd known, maybe older than me. Better get my mind back on duty.
Back on the Bridge area, Seat Operation Testing still went on. Greta stood by and didn't wince. I walked in and called, "You're all having too much fun. And we're keeping the crew from their duties. Greta showed me my office. Let's go there."
Once we settled and the comments about uniform and office finished, I tried my high back chair behind the wide desk, comfortable, too much. I rolled it out in front of the desk and said, "Greta, find a seat along with the rest. I know the Captain stands, but not in my office. I'm going to give it to you straight. Anyone wants to opt out, tell me, and we'll start anew. Hector, Jeff, and Irene, you and your ship will go with me. The other three platoons are now cadre. They teach and organize the recruits and assign them to new ships. In addition to the crew, five platoons, four assault, and one heavy weapons/supply need organized, quartered on each ship, and the lot tested near the Void. Then they get sent off to Melin, good, or not?"
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 29