Crucible: Records of the Argos

by Michael J. Farlow

  I was laying it on thick, but it had to be done to reach past his ego.

  “Well, that is true. I am the magnificent one.”

  “Absolutely. Does that mean you will help us?”

  “You’re not just saying this to butter me up, are you?”

  “Absolutely not! I would never do that. I respect you too much.” That was partly true.

  “You respect me like you respect Amini and Doc and Sif?”

  “No question.”

  “Hmm. Do you have the parts descriptions?”

  “No, but I can get them from Tiana. In fact, I believe she has them in the Dreng’s computer storage core. I can get them when we exit FTL.”

  “Good. After that, get me close enough to the cranky old ships when they arrive; I’ll send some bots over, and we can start right away.”

  “We should rendezvous with the ships soon.”

  “Good. Now go away and let me work. I have designs to make, plans to prepare, and a few more bots to make.”

  I took Wizzy’s advice and left the captain’s quarters I was in to go to the bridge where Amini was in the middle of her watch.

  “He agreed.”

  “I knew you could sweet talk him.”

  “Careful what you say,” I commented in a whisper as I pointed to my ear. Wizzy could hear everything when he wanted. Amini nodded.

  We were headed to the remote spot in space to conduct the cargo ship upgrades. Tiana picked it out based on some guidance from the leaders. We were assured it would be a position never traveled by anybody, which was just fine with me. I sat in the chair opposite Amini and thought about what we had done and what we still had to do. Aside from the fact that we were trapped in this area and that I had gone way out on a limb with the decision to help the Resistance, I was enjoying the adventure. It was way beyond what I thought I would be doing with my life at this point. Oh sure, I thought it would happen someday, but not before my thirtieth birthday. At the same time, I wondered if I had what it took to complete all of this. Every day was something new, and the challenges never stopped.

  “Nick!” I heard Amini yell.

  “What?”

  “I’ve been trying to get your attention. We are moments out from exit.”

  “So soon?”

  “You were sleeping or dreaming or something. It’s been over half an hour since you came on the bridge. Stand by for exit in three… two… one.”

  A minute later, Amini spoke again. “We have a problem.”

  “A problem? What is it?”

  “Sensors show the ships aren’t here.”

  “Maybe they’re just late.”

  “Maybe, but as you say, I have a strange feeling I don’t like.”

  “Get me Dreng.”

  “I don’t have to. Tiana is up now. I’m putting her on speaker. Go ahead, Dreng.”

  “This is Dreng. No sign of the ships, Nick. We started a circular search at our best speed when we exited but so far have found nothing. Nothing on our sensors, either.”

  “Wizzy, what can you tell us?”

  “Unfortunately, Captain Nick, my sensor sweep produced nothing. I do have a faint backscatter signal coming from approximately the direction the ships should have traveled but nothing clear.”

  “Can we FTL to the location of the signal?”

  “That would be very risky. I do not have an exact position. Backscatter signals are notoriously unreliable for position finding.”

  “Use your super skills, damn it. Your guess is better than all our calculations. Time is important.”

  “If you say so, but don’t blame me when we find nothing or something worse. Plus, I’ll have to plan the FTL exit so it happens automatically. I’m not sure if anyone has tried that before.”

  I nodded, then spoke to Tiana.

  “Tiana, this is Nick. Stay in position in case the ships arrive and need help. We have a faint signal we will follow. Argos, out.”

  “Whenever you’re ready, Wizzy.”

  “Very well, if you insist. But remember, I warned you. FTL in three… two… one.”

  Fortunately, the distance was short, and the flash of FTL entry merged with the same light of arrival as we jumped from one spot to another. I took a quick look around to make sure we were still in one piece. It took another painful minute for sensors to come online.

  “What have we got, Wizzy?” Our super AI would detect something far faster than any of us.

  There was a painful silence before Wizzy broke the tension. “Nothing here, Nick, except debris consistent with the destruction of one cargo ship. I can’t identify which one it was. If I had to guess based on the ion trails and the types of construction debris in the area, I would say that one ship was destroyed, and another injured ship broke away from the fight trying to get to our rendezvous. The other ship appears to have been under power and following another armed ship in the opposite direction.”

  “In summary, Wizzy, you’re suggesting that one ship was destroyed, another taken captive, and the third got away, possibly toward our meeting coordinates.”

  “That is the way I read the space debris and the ion patterns. What do you want to do?”

  “Send a message to Dreng to search in this direction for a damaged ship coming their way. Do you have an engine ion trail for the ship that was taken away?”

  “I have two — one for the armed intruder and a slightly lesser one from our ship. We can follow and overtake them both if you wish. Keep in mind that the enemy may be flying our ship as well as theirs, and that may equal two ships we would have to fight.”

  “We’ll have to deal with that when we see them. Can you FTL us again and put us in front of them, Wizzy?”

  “No guarantees, Captain Nick. We may have to make two jumps to make that happen.”

  Our courage in making these short-range jumps with Wizzy was growing. None of us would have tried it without him.

  “That’s fine with me. I’ll launch the Falcon when we first see them. Then you, Amini, and Sif can jump ahead of them. We’ll catch them between us, and with any luck, they’ll give up.”

  “Don’t count on that,” came the stern voice of Sif.

  Wizzy did a damned good job on the first FTL jump. We could see the two ships ahead of us. The one in the rear was one of ours and keeping the speed of the two ships down because of damage. Probably partial engine damage. Neither ship was aware of us due to our stealth capability, though I wondered how they would react to the flash behind them from our FTL exit. Luckily, they paid no attention as they slowly drove on through space to an unknown port or space facility. I decided that we didn’t need a second jump to put ourselves in front of the two ships. Falcon would be the key to our next step.

  As before, Amini, Sif, and Doc moved to the old bridge and sealed the Falcon’s hatch behind them. I broke the integration clamps between Falcon and Argos and began accelerating in stealth toward the two ships. This time, we were prepared to board the enemy ship and capture it if possible or destroy it if it gave us trouble. Sif was already suited up and had all the robots, or battle bots as we started calling them, ready to go in Shuttle 2. Doc would assist Amini with weapons fire from Argos.

  As I do a lot, I was playing this by ear, meaning I had no game plan. So I did what I had done once before and pulled up alongside the lead ship about a quarter-mile to port and started talking.

  “Armed cargo ship in the lead of two, you are surrounded. Cut your engines and do the same with the other ship. Prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply, you will be destroyed.”

  Unlike the last captain I tried this on, this one spoke.

  “Who is this? How do I know you have the capability to interfere with my legal right of salvage?”

  “First of all, I’m the nastiest enemy you have ever faced. We outgun you, we are faster, and we h
ave more ships. Do yourself a favor — cut your engines and don’t resist. You may live a long life. Otherwise, you’ll be dead just like your two warships, the corvette, and the frigate.”

  “You are the ones that did that? I don’t believe it.”

  “Captain Nick. The lead ship is charging weapons, and several are pointing at the trailing cargo ship.” Wizzy reported.

  “Can you hit the trailing guns now?”

  “With pleasure, mon Capitaine.”

  I didn’t know Wizzy spoke French, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Anyway, a single blast from the plasma cannon in the belly turret sent the message we wanted to deliver, and the enemy guns disappeared. The ship captain stuttered a response.

  “You ca-ca-ca-can have that ship. We will leave and cause you no more trouble.”

  “Wizzy, can you take control of this ship? Just don’t blow it up.”

  “Given the close range, I’ve already made contact with what they loosely call an AI. It isn’t one, of course. It’s more like an automatic pilot with a few homemade extra features that someone built in their garage. Pitiful. I have control. I can direct it into the closest sun if you want. That would be impressive.”

  “We’re not flying it into a sun. Is there a shuttle onboard?”

  “Yes, but not a very good one, and they haven’t kept up on the food rations that are normally carried. I think some sneaky crewmen have been having unauthorized midrats. Isn’t that the wet Navy term for late-night snacks?”

  “Yes, it is. It comes from the tradition of having food for the mid-watch crews, or mid-watch rations abbreviated to midrats.”

  “Crew of the lead cargo ship, you have lost control of your ship and now have exactly ten minutes to man your shuttle and depart your ship unless you want to go up with it in a big boom.”

  “Heh, heh, heh,” Wizzy said joyfully. “They are scattering to the shuttle like the rats they are. Wait for it. Wait for it. Shuttle bay door coming open. Wait. Yes, there they go. The rats have abandoned ship. Nicely done, Captain Nick.”

  “Second cargo ship. Who is in command?”

  “The Resistance, Captain. We overpowered the few enemy prize crewmen once the lead ship was abandoned. Who are you?”

  “Friends. Can you make it to the original rendezvous with Dreng on your own?”

  “Yes, Captain. We do have injured people, but we are taking care of them now. What about the enemy ship? We can use it, and it would bring our number back to three. We lost one, as you probably know, and another was limping to the rendezvous.”

  “We’ll send Dreng back to collect it after she escorts you back to the rendezvous with the other remaining ship. Any idea how these ships knew to look for you?”

  “Unfortunately, no. It could have been one of our own people accidentally mentioning our plans in the wrong places, but I don’t think so. We take this role very seriously.”

  I reintegrated with the Argos, and, in stealth, we quietly escorted the weakened ship until we saw the Dreng in company with the other damaged cargo ship. Then we did an FTL back to the rendezvous to ensure there were no more surprises waiting for the returning ships. You might ask, why did we stay in stealth the whole time and not say who we were? Just a precaution. We were still protective of the capabilities of the Argos and Falcon. Better safe than sorry, my grandmother used to say.

  Chapter 18

  We spent another week in our remote space home converting cargo ships. Fortunately, the two surviving original cargo ships had more than enough material and weapons in their cargo bays to do an impressive job of refitting each one to levels at least equal to the Dreng. The recently captured ship needed less weapons work, but their maintenance was so bad it took an extra effort just to get it in good flying condition, never mind sanitary conditions. Thank heavens for Wizzy and his bots. They cleaned, refurbished, and upgraded all the ships, even Dreng. When all was done, we had the added equivalent of four corvettes as far as weapons go, though not as fast or maneuverable. Wizzy improved their shields, stealth systems and boosted power to all other systems. Now we had to train them. We had already done some of that, but as they say, more is better. That would take one more week just to get more formation flying done, practice hunting in pairs, and of course, the use of weapons. For the latter, we had plenty of asteroids nearby to use as targets with ships moving and at rest.

  If their first “meeting” in sickbay on the Argos was the low point of Sif and Tiana’s potential relationship, things were going along better. Better enough for me to send them back to the last Resistance camp we visited and teach advanced combat skills. Many of the new recruits who had not fought the enemy at the storage sites were slow to reach the aggressive level Sif and Tiana demanded. Fortunately, Tiana supported Sif and gave the recruits firsthand lessons on supporting each other, firing various weapons, moving quietly, listening to orders, using cover as well as using some of the limited stealth combat suits they had and basic boarding tactics. By the end of two weeks, both Sif and Tiana had taught their soldiers as much as they could in the short time they had been training. The question was, did the recruits need more work?

  I learned from a message from Tiana that she and Sif believed more work needed to be done. They both agreed the new troops would fight, just not well. I suggested they pick a few of the recruits as leaders, officers, and non-commissioned officers to continue development on their own using the basics they had already been taught. She and Sif should return home.

  A few days later, two months from our arrival in system, I held an all-captains meeting aboard the Dreng. It seemed appropriate to us to use that ship since, in the days and weeks to come, we would carry out a plan suggested by the Resistance. Tiana and I had already agreed on the details, and I suggested that she lead the meeting.

  “Finally, my friends, we of the Resistance will be taking the lead in fighting our enemies in space, and later on the ground. We have our Argos friends to thank for much of our new abilities and skills to do so. For security sake, this will be the first you will hear of our immediate goal and plans. We will not be setting foot back on Tye for a while to make sure that security stays tight.

  “We have been trying to force General Gurko out into the open where he could be attacked and destroyed. He has not been motivated yet, despite our efforts. He sends lesser leaders to do his bidding but is afraid to take action of his own. Our immediate goal will be to escalate our efforts, disrupt or destroy his space fleet, stop his flow of supplies and wealth, and prevent him from hijacking our ships and cargos.

  “Beginning immediately, we will break into three units. Argos, the most capable ship, will be Unit 1. The Dreng and another ship will be Unit 2. The remaining two ships will compose Unit 3. Each unit will be assigned a region of space around Tye as their patrol area. If a unit encounters one of Larona’s ships, it will attack. Seek to destroy first and capture second. If you find one of Larona’s ships in the company of a captured ship, destroy the enemy and retake the hostage ship. If a Unit feels it does not have the power to defeat an enemy ship or ships, make a call to Argos on the frequency I assigned. She and her crew will coordinate support. If you have any questions out there, again call Argos, who will coordinate our combined efforts. I have written orders that match what I have just said plus more, and you can pick them up here before you return to your ships. Any questions?”

  “I have one,” called a voice from the right. “What do we do with the ships we capture?”

  “Good question. Take them to the rendezvous spot we used to upgrade and train. Hold them there until further notice. If that is all, return to your ships and good hunting.”

  As the captains departed, I watched Tiana. Her stripes were as dark as I had seen them, and she was all smiles. As Amini and I made our way to our shuttle, we stopped briefly to say goodbye and good luck.

  “We’re leaving for Argos, Tiana. I like the plan and the
spirit your people show. I think we have a chance of really pissing off Gurko, to say nothing of Larona.”

  “I think you are right, though I can’t quite understand Gurko. As an Arkon Red, I thought he wouldn’t be able to resist coming out to fight before now.”

  “That may be for the best,” added Amini. “Without the ships we have now, an earlier encounter might have been more than we could handle.”

  “Probably, but we are learning, thanks to you.”

  Amini and I both wished Tiana luck and good hunting as we continued to our shuttle and then Argos.

  In the shuttle on the way to Argos, Amini asked the question we both had on our minds.

  “Do you think this will work? I mean, can these ships and crews really fight?”

  “I think they will do okay against cargo ships. My worry is, if and when Gurko comes out with more powerful ships, what will happen to them? All we can do is hope for the best at this point. The Resistance has the motivation. Let’s hope they get some good experience before the real threat emerges.”

  In the two weeks that followed, the Resistance did well. They destroyed three enemy cargo ships and captured one. To me, however, this suggested they were more vengeful than practical. It was easier to destroy than to capture. But that was Tiana’s problem to handle right now. Argos, on the other hand, met and captured two ships and escorted them to the staging area we now called Fort Apache. OK, it was my name choice, but not what you think. If you were remembering the old John Wayne western movie and thinking the name came from there, you’d be wrong. I was thinking something a little more relevant to my age group, Fort Apache, The Bronx starring Paul Newman. That was about a police precinct in the Bronx facing a decaying, corrupt environment. Sort of like what we’re facing here.

  Anyway, we now had control of three more ships. One problem was that we only had immediate parts to convert one of them while we waited for more supply runs. But the big problem was that Larona started escorting the cargo ships in convoys with gunboats and now and then an added corvette. Rumors were that she had a frigate available also, but we hadn’t seen it yet. Still no Gurko.