Nonna turned around to find her XO, LCDR Watson, next to her.
"The brass at Fleet will be going nuts. In command but unable to really control anything."
Nonna nodded her agreement, hands on her hips. "That, Dick, is why they taught us to think for ourselves."
Cruiser Dunkirk
Tau Ceti
Sunday, January 16, 2078, 0928 UTC
Captain Kieran Barker was standing the first watch Sunday morning, as was his habit. It kept him in touch with the Bridge crew and gave his junior officers a small weekend break. His mug of tea was nearby on the Conn workstation. He also took this usually quiet time to work through his backlog of reports to read and paperwork to manage. He had a very capable XO in Captain Andrew Sackville, but some things the Captain just had to do. The detailed survey of Tau Ceti was dull and routine, as he had hoped. His small task force had 'invaded' the system from three sides, surprised its imaginary defenders, and vanquished their feeble opposition. Or, so the simulation went. Destroyer Aurora and frigates Gagarin and Grissom had performed as planned. But, truthfully, there was no good reason for it to be otherwise, there being no actual opposition. Once they secured the system, the survey of the planets and other small bodies around Tau Ceti began. He visibly jumped when his phone screamed. He scooped it up and read the message.
"Bloody hell..." He picked up the ship phone.
"XO...Andy I need you on the Bridge immediately."
He hung up, after thinking for a moment he picked it back up.
"Lieutenant Edwards...Angela this is the Captain. So sorry, but I need you to take the Conn as soon as you can get here...yes that will do fine." He stood at the Captain's workstation and spoke in a loud voice that rattled off the walls and windows.
"All stations set Alert Status One."
The watch-keepers began raising the ship's combat readiness, calling in additional personnel, increasing the level and number of external sensors operating. He then turned to the Communications station.
"Comm...send a message to all vessels to set Alert Status One - tell them this is no drill. Nav... I need time to Inor best possible speed."
As he finished those commands, Andy Sackville arrived on the Bridge.
"You won't believe it, Andy. Liberty has been destroyed at Inor. There is something like thirty surviving personnel on the surface."
"Attacked? By who?" Barker shrugged and passed the phone over so he could read the message. "Bondarenko? Where is she?"
"Epsilon Eridani. They're about four light years closer."
"So, they got this, what, six hours ago?"
"That would figure, yes...they're five and a half light-years from us so we won't hear a response from them for several hours."
Sackville looked across at the CO. "You planning to go?"
Barker nodded. "Yes...we have to go. Besides Bondarenko, there is no one even close."
"Close? Good Christ, we're nine days away!"
Barker shrugged. "So, what, Andy? We have to go. I know Commander Nonna. She'll go."
"OK sir, orders?"
"All staff meeting 30 minutes - say - 1000. I want a Logistics, Weapons, and Nav report. I need to talk to the other captains before then."
"Yes, sir. Interesting times."
Barker grunted. "Interesting, indeed."
About that time Lieutenant Angela Edwards arrived on the Bridge. Captain Barker briefed her on the Liberty report and left her with an order to maintain course and status pending a move to Inor. He then left the Bridge for his office.
Captain Barker held a voice conference with the other three ship commanders, advising them of what had happened at Inor and his intent to go there. He asked them for Logistics and Weapons availability, although he was quite sure he already knew their status. He gave them an hour to be ready to depart for Inor.
A short while later Captain Barker entered the conference room and faced a scene not unlike what Anna Nonna had on Bondarenko. The staff quickly quieted down. An emergency meeting on a Sunday morning?
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Liberty has been attacked and destroyed at Inor." He waited a moment for the gasps and cuss words to subside. "There are on the order of thirty Liberty personnel on the surface, or rather, there were when this message was sent some fifteen hours ago. Nav, what is our best time to Inor?"
"Sir, that's about nine-point-seven light years, so nine days, maybe a little more at best speed."
"And from there back to Earth?"
"Plan seventeen days, might be a little less."
"So, we are looking at a minimum of twenty-six days, plus whatever time we spend at Inor. Very well. Stores?"
"Yes, Captain. By the original exploration plan we would leave here in five days, then a thirteen-day run back to Earth. Add the one-week reserve, and we have about twenty-five days provisions on board." He paused a moment. "I expect you will get similar reports from the other ships."
"So, if we were to spend one day at Inor we would not exhaust our supplies before we return home?"
"Correct, sir, but I think that would be optimistic, and if we are bringing back survivors we will run short."
"Yes, I see. Tell the galley we need to reduce our food consumption by twenty percent. That won't hurt too badly and should stretch our supplies to accommodate any passengers."
The staff murmured general, if grudging, agreement.
"Weapons?"
"Full load still aboard, sir."
"Very well. We will depart for Inor at 1045. That will be all." He turned to the Communications Officer. "Comms, I have a message for Inor and CINC."
FLASH 207801161030UTC
TO: SSO INOR
BONDARENKO
CINCFLEET
FROM: TF DUNKIRK
TF DUNKIRK DEPARTING TAU CETI FOR INOR ETA 207801260230
END
The Hexagon
Inoria
Sunday, January 16, 2078, 0600 UTC
As 40 Eridani A, 'Rorina' as the Inori call it, rose, its naturally orange light now appeared quite red and angry-looking through the pall of smoke over the city. The sky had been lighting up all night with falling debris, but fortunately nothing fell within the city. There were bright flashes out to sea, doubtless from large masses of wreckage striking the planet. If they hadn't known what it was, people might have thought it the best meteor shower ever.
Rich Evans and Carol Hansen spent the night at the embassy, mostly on the roof, some in the friendly Comm office where there was a spare couch, and some outside the front door with the Marines. Rich reset the NetLink to access Liberty devices and immediately they had communications with all the Liberty personnel.
Back at the shattered intersection, it had been a difficult night. Bringing up the NetLink node gave them communications, but it also added one more death to their list. They now knew that there were 26 survivors and 9 dead. Luckily, none of the survivors had serious injuries, but the deaths were hard news for all of them. The whizzing sound of wreckage falling, some hitting the ground, disturbed sleep and raised anxieties.
Terri Michael woke early, about 0500. Today, like yesterday, UTC would roughly correlate with the apparent solar time in Inoria. It happened from time to time as the rotational rates of Inor and Earth cycled in and out of synchrony. Len Davis was up at about the same time and got his group ready for the four-kilometer walk to the shuttle pad. The streets were still a mess, so it would be slow going. They raided the wrecked cafe and split the limited amount of human-consumable food they found. In Inoria there was usually plenty of good food around, but not in this cafe, which was off the usual tourist paths and did not cater much to humans. Davis' group left about 0630.
With the NetLink up, Terri could now send SLIP messages herself through the embassy's facilities. Her Fleet-issue NetComp tablet had somehow survived in her side pocket. Slowly she pecked out an update:
PRIORITY 207801170600
TO: BONDARENKO, DUNKIRK, CINCFLEET
FROM: MICHAEL, TERESA, LCDR SSO INO
R
STATUS REPORT
(1) NETLINK RESTORED CONFIRMED 26 ALIVE 9 KIA
(2) CONSTANT SMALL DEBRIS REENTRY OVERHEAD
(3) NO FURTHER EVIDENCE OF ENEMY ACTIVITY
(4) NIL WEAPONS NIL SUPPLIES
(5) WILL CONSOLIDATE POSITION AT EMBASSY TODAY
(6) NEXT UPDATE 12 HOURS
END
That sent, she regrouped with her officers to discuss their next moves.
"So far, no invasion," she told them, "but we can't rule that out."
Not that they had any weapons to repel one, they all knew.
"Let's get together what we have and head for the embassy. Once we get our situation stabilized we'll need to get back out here to recover our people."
The group of twenty or so officers and crew gathered what they had brought, or found, and organized themselves into a rough column of twos. Ensign Coleman and Lieutenant Stevens took the rear of the column, with Commander Michael in the front with a couple FPI engineering officers. Corporal Jackson took the point.
As dawn grew and daylight came up full, moment by moment the city looked worse and worse. Terri guessed that two thirds or better of the buildings had been damaged, most severely. There were bodies all over the streets, mostly Inori but some human as well. Inor had become a place for the moderately well-to-do to visit, famous for its unusual beauty, the welcoming Inori, and their exotic cuisine. Businessmen were here as well, trading limited kinds of technology or space-mined metals for Inori spices, art objects, and foods. It had been a beautiful place, but now appeared battered and scarred. Hopefully not permanently, but Terri thought the healing might take a long time.
The kilometer-long walk south on Meridian Street took over an hour as they worked around debris and tried to quiet the fear and alarm in those human survivors they encountered. One portly salesman in a cowboy hat and matching accent demanded to go back to Earth immediately. She explained to him that there was no ship, and even if there were he wasn't getting on it. He was difficult, arrogant, and finally, he just swore at the officers and stomped off. Terri shrugged it off, and the group continued their trek south.
"Strange days!" she said to no one in particular.
Embassy of Terra
Inoria
Sunday, January 16, 2078, 0800 UTC
True to their welcoming nature, and their preoccupation with water, the Inori built the 'Fountain of Earth' in front of the Terran Embassy. It was a two-meter-diameter globe, with the oceans recessed so that as water pumped out at the top, it ran through them and drained into a wide pool below. It was a nice touch. But North America and Siberia had both taken a hard hit in the attack, likely a couple Lazy Dogs. An RFG hit would have demolished it altogether. As Carol looked at it idly, as she waited for the rest of the survivors, the water was dripping off in all the wrong places.
It was nearly 0800 as the ragged group approached the embassy. Carol, seated atop rubble in front of the embassy sipping her coffee, watched them approach. Evans was up on the roof. She touched her NetLink.
"Rich, they're almost here."
"Roger that, be there shortly."
Carol was still atop the rubble pile when the group arrived.
Looking up at her Terri asked, indignant, "Hansen, is that coffee?"
"Yes ma'am," she responded brightly.
"So, I spend the night under the stars, ducking falling God knows what ship shit, cold, hungry, and here you are like a princess on a throne with hot java?"
"Well, Commander, I did spend most of the night on the roof, and some out here with the guard, but otherwise, yes ma'am that's about the size of it. " She paused briefly for effect as she climbed down. "Shall I get you some?"
"Yeah, twenty cups, I think."
"Tea for me," Simmons called.
"Got any soda Lieutenant?" came another voice.
Carol just grinned and looked at Terri. "Breakfast is ready for you, ma'am."
The crew moved on into the embassy and down the hall into the commissary. It was warm and smelled fantastic, so much better than what they had been inhaling all night. Terri held back and kept Carol with her.
"How's the Ambassador?"
"Stuffed shirt with smelly diapers I think, Commander. Lieutenant Evans smacked him down pretty hard last evening, which he deserved. I beat him up pretty good this morning to get the supplies for a meal for the crew. It took some convincing, but he eventually gave in."
"Did you leave a mark?"
"No, ma'am. Plausible deniability and all."
They laughed briefly, and Terri moved into the embassy. She was the last to eat, with Carol just in front of her. As they were finishing up, the silver-haired fat politician came through the cafeteria door. He caught sight of Carol on the other side of the room and headed straight for her. She looked across at Terri, who had her back to the door.
"Diaper alert six o'clock."
Terri suppressed a grin and nodded her understanding. He came on at full speed, blundering through the chairs.
"Lieutenant Hansen, where is your commander?"
Terri Michael pushed her chair back, rose, and turned to the man. "Good morning Mister Ambassador, I am Lieutenant Commander Michael. Thank you for this breakfast for the Liberty survivors, sir. It was very kind of you."
Taken off guard by her soft but firm voice, he gladly took credit for what Carol had done.
"Of course, Commander, the least I could do. I am Sidney Johnston."
He managed a smarmy, insidious politician's smile and reached out his fat ruddy hand, which she took and returned a firm handshake to his limp offering.
"Commander, the Inori Council has asked me to meet with them and asked that I bring a senior military representative with me. They did not exactly say what it was about, but one should assume that it is in relation to the current situation with respect to the, uh, tragedy of yesterday."
She looked at him, blank-faced. "A tragedy, sir, is when a young person dies too soon or someone suffers needlessly. Yesterday, Mister Ambassador, was an aggression, a deliberate act of war and I believe to euphemize it as something less than that is not helpful."
He inclined his head and oozed condescension. "In diplomacy, Commander Michael, we must be more guarded in our discourse. We must be sensitive to our counterparts' needs and feelings."
"I don't see how reciting an obfuscated line of crap and not the truth is somehow being sensitive. But fine ambassador, I will go with you."
She turned to Rich Evans, seated next to her.
"Rich, mind the store until Commander Davis gets back. We should be hearing from him pretty soon. Hansen, you're coming too."
Carol almost spat coffee. Johnston leaned back in alarm.
"Me, ma'am?" she asked in surprise.
"Hansen, did I stutter or something? Yes, you."
By now Johnston had recovered himself. "Really, Commander, we need to keep our delegation small. Young Hansen, while obviously quite competent, and also quite loyal to you, is, well, perhaps too direct for our purposes?"
Terri looked at him and then back at Carol. She turned to her left.
"Perhaps you're right. On second thought, Rich, how would you feel about a walk over to the Inori Council with me?"
The ambassador, shocked, replied "Lieutenant Hansen will be fine, Commander. Really, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Terri smiled a little to herself, having forced the old politician into an option he clearly couldn't accept.
Len Davis did check in shortly after that. The shuttle was indeed destroyed. Terri instructed him to come into the embassy, get his group a meal, and they would make more plans from there.
Meantime, she told him, she would be off not being a very good diplomat.
ISC Fleet HQ Communications Station
Fort Eustis, VA
Sunday, January 16, 2078, 0416 EST (0916 UTC)
Communications Chief Mark England hated the long and boring overnight shift. Tonight, he only saw a few routine messages, nothing
urgent. Get, verify, record, deliver. They told him this job would be exciting. They lied. He leaned back in his chair in the darkened room, half-surrounded by monitors showing the in and out of messages as well as the system's status.
He was just getting up to go fetch yet another cup of coffee when the SLIP receiver alarm went off. He slammed himself back down into his chair and pulled up the message.
FLASH 207801151020UTC
TO: CINCFLEET
FROM: LIBERTY ACTUAL
UNDER ATTACK ABOVE INOR. ENEMY UNKNOWN. PROGNOSIS GRIM.
END
England reached for the red Command Center phone as he instructed the system to forward the message to the Fleet Operations Center's Officer In Charge (OIC). The OIC picked up before the first ring finished.
"Operations Center, Commander George."
"Commander George, this is Chief England in the Comms room. I have a FLASH for CINC." James George, a sturdy looking former athlete, saw the message indicator in his display and opened the content.
"Anything more England?"
"That is all, sir. The message is 23 hours and 56 minutes old."
"Shit."
"Roger that, sir."
"CINC gets this automatically?"
"Yes, sir, it will be on his personal device already. Meantime I wanted to get it to you directly. "
"Very well. Let me know if there is any more."
"Yes, sir."
England hung up the Operations Center line. Under attack? By whom?
CINCFLEET Personal Quarters
Ft. Eustis, VA
Sunday, January 16, 2078, 0417 EST (0917 UTC)
Fleet Commander Admiral Connor Davenport was, as one would expect, asleep at home when his phone screamed a siren tone announcing the arrival of a FLASH message.
His wife jumped up, cursing the damnable device. "Dammit Connor that thing drives me crazy!" she whined.
Davenport nodded sleepily at his agitated wife and picked up the phone to read the message.
"Are you listening to me?" she demanded.
Davenport's eyes opened wide as he read the message. "Oh no, oh God no...."
Silver Enigma Page 5