Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  “Sorry love but the torpedo sensors are being controlled from the Command Center here and I cannot reposition them. Captain Cook foolishly gave the English the Command codes to the sensor torpedoes with no restrictions and they immediately changed them , locking us out. Th e torpedo sensors are being controlled from the Command Center here and I cannot reposition them. ” Mickey said.

  “Thanks Mickey.” Mark whispered as he followed Captain Summers over next to Captain Cook in the Command observation seating area.

  Captain Cook was disgusted. “I am not going to sit around here for the next week waiting for you to figure out how to remove the civilian hostages. Before trying to take out the AI. My ship does not have that much time to waste.”

  Mark butted in. “So let’s take out the torpedo launch tubes and bring in a couple dozen transport boats like this one to evacuate the tower.”

  The General rolled his eyes. “Who the hell is this moron? Why the hell did you bring him into my Command center Captain Summers?”

  Mark smiled and continued. “I can program our shuttle torpedoes to drive into the building and take out those launch tubes General.”

  “You can what?” The General looked at Mark like he was a turd on his dinner table. Curling up the corner of one lip.

  “Of course the shuttles would have to be right next to the pillar opening and they would have to attack at the same time to keep the AI from developing some kind of counter measure such as timing the detonation of a torpedo in the intersection as our torpedoes approached. It also means our tanks and troops will have to be close by to protect the shuttles as they launch.” Mark waved his hands around on his air keypad as he talked. “And I believe a torpedo hitting at the bottom of the torpedo launch bay wall can open up a sizable hole into the bay and give us access to a shaft that has to be there for reloading the tubes, that the basic building plans say leads strait down to the buildings bottom core level and the AI. But I need the sensor torpedoes moved closer to the building to find out if the way is clear or not.”

  Pausing for a second Mark stared at the screens around the room. “Hell , you don’t even have the sensor torpedoes synced together. Crist General, how stupid are you. The sensor sweeps can penetrate twice as far and show 3 times the detail working together as just pinging randomly away like you have them. It also makes it harder if not impossible to pinpoint any one of their locations even if the AI does detect the signal, which I doubt that AI is equipped to do. If you cut their distance away from the target in half you increase their sensitivity and penetration by four as well.”

  Marks mouth dropped open as he took a deep breath as the General’s face grew red. Mark’s face suddenly looked sad as he shook his head. “I don’t care if you are just a Home Guard reservist, you still need to know your equipment and.... Oh yes I see. Most of your equipment sitting on that defense line around and on the tower is at least 5 years old. Some of it including your troop’s armor is from years before the war with the Russia n State even started. You arn’t stupid, just ignorant which is even worse because that means you are lazy (Mark sta r ted to say corrupt but realized he didn’t have any proof of that, besides he needed to be a little diplomatic) and have not kept up on the latest equipment and tactics. Stand back General and let us professionals do our jobs.”

  Then whispering to Mickey as he looked away. “I want those torpedo sensors right on top of that damn tower now damn it! Find a way.” Turning back to face the General. “And General; why isn’t the Planetary Guard on this instead of the local City Riot Troop Reserves? Your troops are way out classed. ”

  “What? This is a City Province problem and the Mayor has not asked the Governor for provincial let alone to ask for Pee Guard help. Besides all their units jumped off yesterday trying to save some stupid French planet.” Then almost growling. “We already tried getting our drones closer than 20 miles and they got shot down. Now you fucking Tramp pukes can get the hell out of my Command Center. I have had enough arguing with the likes of you.” The General turned around toward the screen to ignore them as Captain Cook grabbed Mark by the arm and headed for the hatch.

  “What the hell were you doing back there Commander? Have you gone crazy?” Captain Cook said into Marks ear as they walked. “Your Father would be having a cow right now. That is no way to conduct a negotiation.”

  “Captain; how many transport boat crews can you put together in short notice?” Mark asked instead of answering her at first and then with a smile. “But it is how we get kicked out so we can do what is needed without interference or them getting in our way.”

  “What the hell boy?”

  “Now that I have had a close look at the tower, getting to the AI is a piece of cake. Getting the damn torpedoes taken care of so we can get the civilian hostages out of the way is our only major problem. As I said the shuttles and I can take care of the torpedoes but we need as many of these troop transports as we can get our hands on to evacuate the tower before the AI can figure out what we are doing and start executing the troops he has for hostages buried down there with him or even worse, blowing up the tower and himself. Which by the way is so unlikely that it is ridiculous to even consider it a valid threat. Besides once the civilian hostages are gone, the damn AI won’t feel, or be, as powerful as he is now and be more prone to talking and seeing reason so we may not even have to assault anything. That is if he does not feel cornered and pushed into something stupid.”

  “But won’t he see a mass of transports arriving , loading and then leaving for half a day?” The Captain said frowning.

  “Not if I move the sensors torpedo’s with their jammers in close to the tower , tap into the security feeds to the basement and use our bombers, the 8 inch SP guns and the Assault Shuttle's and light tank's 105mm guns a s well as the 6 inch guns I can put on the transports boats to lay down a flash bang barrage to blind the AI’s sensors long enough to drop the transports in and another barrage when they leave. That is until we can get marines in close enough to scramble the signals to any of his sensors on the outside of the building while we take out the bots above ground level from the outside in. But we have to get our hands on enough of those 450 foot transport boats that are each able to haul a good 10,000 people plus, for short trips to evacuate the majority of the tower in just a few minutes before the AI controller realizes we have done the impossible.” Mark stopped as the Captain stopped walking at the hatch, letting go of Mark’s arm. Mark contin ued as Captain Cook stared at him. “I counted 21 of the brand new extended hulled transport boats parked at the docks and behind the warehouse. They will handle even more refugees than the short transport like this one I piloted to orbit. ”

  “Humm. Captain Cook stood next to the hatch thinking. Finely she smiled. “I think we can put together another half dozen crews on the fly.” Turning to the red faced Captain Summers as she walked up cutting her off as she started to speak. “How many transport boats do you have or can put crews together for in the next couple hours?”

  “What?... The deal is off. Without both the AI’s taken care of , you don’t get shit including no life boats.”

  Captain Cook blurted out cutting the Captain off . “No it is not Captain Summers. According to the contract you signed. If you prevent or interfere or cancel the contract without just cause which only amounts to us refusing to taking out the AI’s. With not one word about what we can’t do, we get the life boats.” Captain Cook smiled. “Now are you cancelling the misloin mission without even hearing our plan or are you going to tell me how many transport boat crews you can lay your hands on in short notice?”

  Shaking her head as she look from Captain Cook and then Mark before pushing past them to open the hatch and then waited for them to step into the passageway before closing the hatch isolating them from the control center. “What the hell d id o you think you were doing in their Captain, Commander?” Summers looked from Captain Cook to Mark and back again.

  “He is a moron Captain Summers.” Mark said
with a smile.

  “No he isn’t. He is the local Commanding Officer and doing the best he can with the resources he has. As far as the contract goes; it calls for Mark and only Mark to enter and take care of the AI ‘s when we tell him too. I let you get away with playing solder with all the new flashy toys to keep Mark happy so he could do what he has been contracted to do and it is bad enough that Mark has already gotten several peace of the equipment damaged.” Looking at Mark and then back at Captain Cook. “Now I don’t want any more equipment damaged before you return it after Mark is done. Got that? Or we will charge you for damages.” Captain Summers starred at Captain Cook. “Now you are going back in there to help me mend fences with the General like a good Tramp Captain and stay there until this mess is finished so I don’t have to worry about you doing something else stupid and you Commander Collins , will can go back to that new Command APCC your marines stole and twiddle your thumbs and stay out of trouble until I need you to take care of the damn AI. Is that understood Captain and Commander. Or I send you home to your ship without the life boats and start making plans to transfer your whole fucking ship’s family to one or even more likely, to several of the Tramp Camps that have room which means splitting your crew up into smaller groups. Is that understood Gentlemen?”

  Captain Cook took a stogie out of her pocket placing it in her mouth and stepped through the hatch back into the Command Center without saying a word. Captain Summers turned to Mark. “I am sure you can find your way back to the Command APCC. Mr. Collins.” Then followed Captain Cook.

  Mark retraced his steps through the maze of passageways toward the exit following Mickey’s directions . W w hen the directions stopped in front of a hatch that looked nothing like the lock hatch they had entered the Command Mega Box Containers through, Mark frowned . “Ok Mickey, this is not the airlock hatch we came in. In fact I don’t recognize this area either. Are you sure you are not lost?”

  “This is the Command Complexes Computer center Mark. I need you to place one of my remotes into the mainframe computer. There are several people inside but if you act natural like you belong there, no one will even notice you. It should only take a few seconds Mark. This will not only give me back control of the sensor torpedoes, I will be able to monitor what the English troops are doing in and around the tower as well as access any detailed plans they have acquired of the tower.”

  “Ok.” Mark reached into his tool pouch and fished out a small slide and carefully placed it in the small flap covering his comm watch on his suit’s forearm. “Act natural and blend in.” Mark said to himself as he stepped through the hatch. A half dozen technicians in planetary army reserve uniforms sat behind consoles scattered amongst a dozen several 2 foot by 6 foot square server towers with a single 4 by 10 foot round processor tower in the back end of the long narrow compartment by itself. Everyone and everything between him and the main computer core some 30 feet away .

  Looking at the casually uniformed technicians , Mark realized that he stood so far out of place with his big armored suit that blending in was impossible unless. “Mickey; activate stealth mod the instant no one is looking at us please.”

  Several technicians looked his way before returning to their work. One glanced at him. Went back to work for a few seconds then pushed her seat back, stood up, turned and looked in Marks direction for a few seconds. Then around that end of the compartment before shrugging her shoulders, sitting back down and burying herself back into her work.

  Mark smiled. His helmet had folded up around his head in a fraction of a second as one of the technicians had looked away just before the one had stood and turned to look straight at him before looking around with a baffled expression. “That was neat Mickey.”

  “You must stay at least 6 feet away from everyone love and move very slowly and carefully without your steps making a sound . Though your computer will control your boots to keep your steps silent , you have to help by not moving your feet too fast. Also i I f you bump into anything, it will draw attention to you. And if someone looks in your direction you must hold perfectly still. The suit has a slight delay and the ghost image can be seen and noticed when you move . As you saw with the SPG crew on the ramp. ”

  Mark worked his way back through the compartment having to walk directly between two of the sitting technicians with their backs to each other as they worked. Getting only a couple of feet from both of them for a few seconds as he passed between them behind their backs .

  Mark’s His heart started pounding as a young man down the compartment turned in his direction a nd s he stepped towards him. F reezing in place orcing Mark to stop as t he not only young man looked directly at Mark as he walked but started in his direction . Mark’s mind raced trying to figure out what to do. After . T t aking a few steps the young man and ’s gaze turned to look at the woman that had started to get up to see what Mark had wanted , looki ng directly at him before suddenly turning to one of the server towers to check something. Mark quickly stepped away from and to the side where he had some room to pass behind the technition before slowing back down to continue around the various consoles and small server towers. Finely he reached the main frame tower and slid the slide into the indicated slot.

  Leaving was a breeze as he stopped at the exit hatch and turned off the stealth mode to stand there for a few seconds without anyone looking at him until he cracked open opened the hatch and shut it again making it clang .

  As several sets of eyes turned to look at him with the hatch banging clossed opening up , he asked. “Where is the head bathroom ? I am getting desperate.”

  The one that had gotten up before , turned around in her seat and said. “Down the hall to the left then and turn to the right, it is on the left. You can’t miss it trooper boy.”

  “Thanks Mam.” He said as he backed out and shut the hatch. He was in the Command APCC a few minutes later. Thinking about trying the stealth mod again but decided against it as he walked into the back and up between the closely packed consoles to the command area at the end. The Captain of Marines was sitting at the end console as Mark took a seat against the side bulkhead, flopped his feet up on the tactical map table counter in front of him and leaned his head back against the bulkhead as he put his hands on his lap and twiddled his thumbs as the Captain had told him to do even though he had no clue why he was supposed to.

  Mickey gave Mark less than a minute to relax before starting a teaching program on higher engineering mathematics at high speed . Then going to With sections o n f building attack strategies and procedures from the English officers training manual mixed in with details and operating proceedures on their new equipment . The world around Mark slowed down to a craw l then faded away .

  He had just finished a one session on some of the equipment they had picked up from the warehouse when the C ommandant aptain of Marines finished turn ing around ed to face Mark in supper slow motion and then the world arou nd him speeded back up . “The Second Officer is trying to reach Captain Cook. You were with him earlier. Why can’t we get a hold of the Captain? What is going on in the English Command Ship?” The Captain asked frustrated.

  Mark looked up stretching as he noticed the Star Queen’s First Officer on the Main Command Screen on the front back bulkhead next to the hatch into the weapons compartment of the APCC as the C ommandant aptain of Marines looked at him waiting for an answer. “Well now.” Mark swallowed then bit his lower lip as he took a deep breath. “Let's see; I had a few words with the Captain and the General about the plans for the big battle to take out the torpedo bays in the side of the Tower’s base so we could evacuate the civilian hostages trapped in the upper stories.”

  Mark looked back and forth between the C ommandant aptain and First Officer and their looks of expectation as resentment flooded over him at the st upidity of the English General and then Captain Summers rebuff and th r eats. Then an idea popped into his mind as a smile crossed his lips that he quickly killed but then changed his mind and took a deep br
eath not be lieving what he was about to say . . “Heck you guys should have gotten all kinds of orders by now. Don’t tell me that the English comm system is that slow." Shaking his head. "Damn reservists. No, I bet someone in the comm chain is slowing the orders down or holding on to them. I don’t think some of the reserve officers like us Tramps very well.” Shaking his head with a frown. “A shame too , since you guys aren't going to be ready when the battle orders come down starts . ”

  Mark stared at the officers shocked faces as their eyes grew big. Bighting his lip as doubt started to overwhelm him as he told himself to shut up. That he was going to get himself into big fucking trouble. But as they stared expectantly at him more of the plan started materializing inside his head as he rubbed his face trying to buy some time. Wishing he had something like the Captain’s stogy for his hands to do as an old discussion from dinner table talk came to him in his fathers voice making him smile. If you need someone to buy something, tell them why they desperately need it and then shut up until they come back and bite the hook. Taking a breath Mark sneered at them. “ Man; is the shit going to hit the fan when the order to attack is given and you all are just sitting on your butts playing with yourselves without a clue.” Mark leaned back against the bulkhead again and closed his eyes. “And the Englishmen are going to say; see the stupid inept chicken shit Star Queen Tramp Troops can’t be trusted in combat.”