Death Never Leaves a Calling Card
Page 3
Sam took a breath and said, “You’ve not told me in simple terms why you say that.”
Walt shook his head slightly and then said, “Sir, let’s just think about a single scout and how it will be used in the coming invasion.”
Sam nodded, “Go ahead.”
“That scout will go into a Tronan Formation and start blowing through warships at an incredible speed. I suspect it will go into the outer line of warships and just start moving around the formation taking them out.”
Sam nodded, “I can see that. There might be two or more scouts attacking the formation.”
“I hope not, Sir,” Sam replied.
Sam’s eyes lowered, “Why not.”
“Let’s go back and look at the first Tronan Warship the scout attacks. What do you see happening to that warship?”
“It is going to go up in a massive explosion when the Trillium-Egg goes off.”
Walt smiled, “They named the bomb an egg?”
Sam laughed, “Well, the scouts will be laying them in the ships they puncture.”
Walt chuckled, “Yes, I suppose they will. Anyway, so the first warship goes up in a massive blast. Just how big of a blast will it be, Sir?”
Sam raised his shoulders as he said, “I don’t know. The engineers say it will be pretty big.”
“That’s like saying a black hole is pretty heavy, Sir.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’ve had a lot of spare time while using a blaster to harden scout hulls. I thought about what would happen when one of the new scouts punctured a Tronan Warship’s hull and dropped a…Trillium-Egg…before it flew away. I knew the resulting explosion would be large; the trillium blast alone is huge. But I wondered what effect the explosion would have inside a Tronan Warship. So, I pulled up a recent scan of a Tronan Warship and began listing things that could go boom inside it. There are more than a hundred and twenty nuclear missiles in launch tubes on the bottom of the vessel. There are also more than a hundred nuclear reactors spread out between the bow and the stern of the ship. I quickly found that there are hundreds of power containers located around the vessel’s interior and then I asked the computer to estimate how long it would take for all those things to explode when the Egg detonated.”
Sam stared at Walt and finally asked, “What did you determine?”
“I asked ten different computers to work on the question and the longest estimated delay was two seconds and the shortest was too short to measure. Now, picture those explosions taking place inside a five-foot thick hull made of Tronan Armor. Also keep in mind that containing the blast will increase it ten-fold.”
Sam stared at Walt and shook his head, “Why haven’t we seen this? I’ve personally watched hundreds of Tronan Warships destroyed by Trillium Missiles.”
“Yes, Sir; I’ve also watched the recordings. But there is one big difference.”
“What is that.”
“Those missiles exploded outside the Tronan Warships.”
Sam’s eyes widened, “You’re right.”
Walt nodded, “Now, keeping our attention on that single scout and the first ship it punctures, how fast will the blast produced by the first Tronan Warship propagate through space?” Sam tried to figure it out mentally and gave up, there were too many variables to do it without a computer. Walt said, “With no atmosphere to slow the blast down, it will blow out at a speed between two or three-thousand miles per hour.” Sam’s eyes went wide open. Walt said, “Now you see it. That scout will be turning to puncture the second Tronan Warship when the blast from the first will engulf it and all of the other Tronan Warships inside the blast’s radius.”
“But the scout’s hull can withstand the blast!” Sam replied.
Walt shrugged as he said, “But can the gravity units inside the scout withstand the concussion from the blast’s shock wave and protect the crew from being slammed against the scout’s hull? You should also remember that the scout’s boosters will be facing the oncoming shockwave as it moves away from the first ship and they are not made from Bellingham metal.”
Walt waited as Sam lowered his gaze and thought about what he said. He finally looked up and said, “It appears there will be massive destruction in the Tronan Formation the scout attacks.”
“Yes, Sir. But that won’t last very long.”
“Why not?”
“Because the Tronan will quickly see that keeping their ships in tight formation is a receipt for sure death. They’ll quickly order their fleets to break formation and spread out. That is the environment that our scouts will have to navigate to survive. And if we have large numbers of scouts fighting in a small area of space, they could be hit by the blasts of destroyed Tronan Warships from all sides.”
Sam leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Walt sat and remained silent. He wondered why no one had seen what would happen and knew the Fleet Admiral was working it out in his mind. After an hour, Sam leaned forward and looked at Walt, “We didn’t see this because we’re conditioned to use the structures we’ve always used.” Walt was surprised by the remark and Sam smiled, “I know you have to be wondering why no one has seen this. The reason you saw it is because you’ve not been conditioned by commanding a warship and you’ve not commanded a unit of fighting ships.”
“Sir, I’ve not commanded one ship much less a unit.”
“I’m really thankful you haven’t. Your essay makes sense now. Our scouts are going to have to hit-and-run. They are also going to have to know the location of any other scouts near their line of attack.”
Walt smiled, “That’s what I was saying in the essay, Admiral.”
“I understand it now but due to my conditioning, I thought you meant the scouts would need the location of scouts near them to work together. What you actually wrote was that they needed the location of the other scouts to stay away from them.”
“Yes, Sir. The day of staying in formation to attack an enemy is over. Scouts will be working alone and the Commanders of the scout units will simply direct them toward the coordinates that need to be attacked. The scouts will move in and stay away from each other.”
Sam nodded, “They’ll direct the wave but not where it goes.”
“Yes, Sir.” Sam shook his head and Walt asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to have to order every officer that’s gone through Advanced Tactical Training to have to go through it again and undo everything they’ve been taught.”
“I’m sorry Sir.”
“Don’t be. I’ve recorded our conversation and it will be required viewing at the start of their training. I’m changing your command immediately and you will go and start training Scout Fleet One. Their current commander will go through the training and take command of another unit.”
“He could go back to his unit after he completes training, Sir.”
“I’ve learned that when a unit is trained to do things one way, it’s really hard to make them change without using a different person to force it. Every scout fleet will have a new commander but Scout Fleet One will be our first response unit in the event something happens we don’t expect. You should get moving and start getting your fleet prepared.”
“Sir, I’ve not had flight training on the scouts.”
Sam laughed, “I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m ordering Admiral Hummel to meet you in the landing bay and start your flight training immediately. Once he signs off on your competency, you will report to the Key West and take command of first fleet.”
“Sir, would it be possible for you to stop all of First Fleet’s training maneuvers?”
“I’ll issue the order now.”
“Thank you, Sir. It’s harder to break bad habits than to learn new ones.”
Walt stood up and went to attention. Before he could salute, Sam said, “Dismissed.” Walt tuned and left the small room. Sam looked up, “Computer, issue the order to First Fleet to stop maneuvers and what can I do about what I’ve just learned?”
“Why?”
“If the delay is increased from a second to three-seconds, the scouts can get outside the blast without having to go to full speed.”
“What if the Tronan try to disable the Egg?”
“Getting through an Egg’s outer coating is an exercise in futility; they’re armored. Think about it this way, Admiral. An Eggs drops out of a scout that blows through a Tronan Warship. The scout will cause a lot of damage as it passes and I suspect seeing the egg will be next to impossible due to the falling rubble left behind. And getting to it within three seconds in that environment, as the vacuum of space rushes in through the holes in the hull…”
“You’re right. Contact Gregory on Romania and send him a copy of the conversation I’ve just had. Find out when the new delay is done.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
• • •
Walt left the meeting and headed toward the landing bay. He lifted his wrist-unit and saw Tasha appear, “We’ve been ordered…”
“To start flight-training.” Tasha nodded and Walt smiled, “Have someone in the landing bay to move our bags to our quarters and be ready to start training. I don’t think we’ll have enough time to move them.”
Tasha looked away and turned back, “You’re right. Commodore Hummel has directed us to go to her scout as soon as you arrive.”
“Commodore? I thought he was a full Admiral.”
“She’s Admiral Hummel’s wife, Sir.” Walt nodded and started walking faster. As he hustled toward the landing bay he had an idea and said to his wrist-unit, “Contact the Senior Engineer responsible for the construction of the new scouts.”
“There are six engineers in that capacity.”
“Connect me with the one that has the most seniority.”
Walt continued to walk and saw an alien appear on his unit, “Yes, Admiral Mooney. How may I be of assistance?”
“I don’t remember ever seeing…”
The alien smiled, “A Cryan is what my species is called. We were the original inhabitants on Heaven.”
“It’s a pleasure to get to know you. Are you one of the engineers developing the new scouts?”
“I am.”
“Do you know what effect a large piece of Tronan armor traveling between two and three-thousand miles per hour would have if it hit one of the new scouts?”
“I suspect it wouldn’t have much of an effect. The scout would probably just cut it in half.”
“What if it hit the scout from the sides or rear?”
Gamgel stared at Walt and titled his head to the left, “I still think the ship would survive the impact. The Bellingham coated hull is incredibly strong.”
“What about the crew?”
Gamgel smiled, “I was just wondering the same thing. I really don’t know.”
“Is there any way to find out?”
“I’ll get back to you, Admiral.”
“What is your name?”
“Gamgel.”
“I need this information quickly. I’m going to start training my fleet shortly and the answer to that question is critical to developing our strategy.”
“You don’t have to worry. You’ve picked my curiosity and I’ll not be able to rest until I have an answer. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Thank you, Gamgel.”
“No problem, Admiral.”
Randy went through the port to the landing bay and saw Tasha fidgeting across the huge bay. Walt smiled and waved at her as she turned around and saw him. She ran to him and said, “Will you hurry up! The Fleet Admiral is waiting!”
Walt smiled, “Take a deep breath, Tasha. We have to be deliberate in our actions; showing impatience is not a good quality for an Admiral…or his Second-in-Command to exhibit.”
“Just how do you know that?”
“Because I’ve seen it in superior officers and it always made me question why they were impatient. It made me think they weren’t prepared.” Tasha stared at him and walked slowly across the floor with him as he told her about the meeting with Senior Fleet Admiral Oliver.
• • •
Emily listened to them on the wall speaker and said, “Randy, this new Admiral appears to be quite sure of himself.”
“I’ve just been looking at a recording of his meeting with Sam and he appears to be just what I’ve been needing. This new admiral is one smart cookie. However, he does not appear to be over-confident or cocky.”
“Smarter than you?”
“We’ll see. I know I can learn some things from him.” Emily’s eyebrows went up and Randy smiled, “But he can learn a few things from us as well. We will treat him with respect during his training and try to build a good relationship with him and his Second.”
“You’ve not treated the others like that, Randy.”
“They’ve not demonstrated his understanding of the new ship and how it should be used in combat. Respect is earned.”
Emily nodded as Walt and Tasha entered the port and came to attention. Randy smiled and said, “At ease. We are going to start your flight training now and if you will take the chairs behind us, we’ll get on our way.” Walt sat behind Randy and Tasha took the chair behind Emily. Randy said, “We will be explaining each thing we do as we do it. If you have any questions, you should ask them immediately so we can repeat the action without delay. Do you have any questions before we start?”
“No, Sir.”
“During your flight training, professional courtesy of titles will not be followed. We will address each other by our first names to save the time. My name is Randy and my Second’s name is Emily. I assume you are Walter and this is Tasha.”
“Please call me, Walt.”
“Walt, it is. Buckle in and I’m going to lift the scout to exit the landing bay; the air-thrusters are controlled by your feet and we’ll be using them to leave. The left pedal controls the side thrusters and bottom thrusters. If you depress the left pedal, the thrusters will blow directly below the scout generating lift. The harder you press it, the greater the thrust generated. Notice that I’m only putting a light pressure on the pedal. Walt, there is a pedal for you to place your foot on to feel how much pressure I’m exerting.” Walt put his foot on the pedal under the console in front of his chair and felt it only move slightly. He nodded and Randy smiled. “Direction is controlled by the stick in the center of your panel. If you need to turn the scout left, push the stick toward the left. The further you push the stick, the more radical the turn.” Walt put his hand on the stick and felt it move slightly left. The scout hovered above the landing bay and Randy said, “To move forward, push the stick forward. To back up, pull the stick back.”
Randy pulled the stick lightly back and the scout moved backward. He pushed it slightly forward and the scout stopped and began moving forward.”
“What does the right pedal do?” Walt asked.
“It controls the side-thrusters and the thrusters on top of the scout. It moves the ship down. It operates the same way as the left pedal.”
“And if you want to land?”
Randy smiled, “That requires you to press both pedals and apply additional thrust to the top thrusters. Direction is still controlled by the stick; understand?” Walt nodded. “Now, this is important.” “Once we exit the landing bay and move out into open space, you’ll need to transfer the thrust to the dark matter tanks.” Randy moved his finger on the stick and put it on a slide located on the left side of the stick. “Are you right or left handed?”
“Right-handed,” Walt answered.
“The slide that changes the thrusters between the air-tanks or dark matter-tanks is on both sides of the stick. You will need to disable the one you won’t be using and that’s done by pushing it down and pressing it until it clicks. The one under your fingers needs to be pushed up to change to the dark matter tanks. Press it slightly and it will lock in place. To release it will take more p
ressure.”
Walt nodded and moved the switch on the left side of the stick up and pressed it. It clicked and he moved his hand up and down over it and it remained in place. Randy smiled and knew this man was a natural pilot. He anticipated things and didn’t hesitate to investigate. The next two weeks went smoother than any other training Randy had done.
• • •
During the eighth day of training, Walt’s wrist unit beeped. He looked at it and Randy said, “I ordered you to turn your unit off!”
“Sir, I’ve blocked every channel but one. This call is extremely important. May I take it?”
Randy started at him and said, “Put it on the scout’s speaker.” Tasha reached forward and transferred the call from Randy’s unit to the scout’s computer; it was immediately sent to the monitor and wall speakers. Randy looked up and saw Gamgel. His head went back as he said, “Gamgel, I didn’t know you were still around?”
“That’s because you get your head stuck so far in your backside you can’t see anything else!”
Randy laughed, “It’s good to see you, too.”
“I need to speak with Admiral Mooney.”
“Go right ahead.”
Walt said, “What did you find out?”
“You were right to be concerned, Admiral.” Randy’s brow furrowed and he looked at Emily who was also wondering what this was about. “I set up some empty scouts and had chunks of Tronan armor pushed at them at varying speeds.”
“What speeds, Gamgel?” Walt asked.
“We initially followed your suggestion and launched them between a thousand and two-thousand miles an hour.”
“What did you discover?”
Randy leaned back in his chair and saw where this was leading. Gamgel said, “The scout’s hulls survived the impacts just like I suspected they would. But…”
Walt said, “The crews wouldn’t survive.”
Gamgel sighed, “Their chairs were ripped out of the floor and slammed into the walls hard enough to kill the crew.” Walt started to speak and Gamgel quickly said, “We even anchored the chairs with Bellingham metal anchors and put recorders on the chair. The shock of the impact would have slammed the crew’s brains so hard against their skulls that they would have died instantly. There was slightly less damage when the chairs weren’t anchored as tightly; they reduced the shock slightly. But the crew would have still died.”