Embracing Oblivion: Wolfpack Book 3

by Toby Neighbors

  “Sure,” Dean said. “Never heard of a handheld that was actually functional, though.”

  “No, we just developed them with the help of our bovine friends and their ship. The problem with rail weapons is twofold, at least in the past. They take a tremendous amount of power to operate and they degrade quickly. Luckily, the EsDef engineers were able to produce fusion batteries. I won’t bore you with the specifics, let’s just say the new batteries will power your armor and weapons for over a month without needing to recharge.”

  “Our armor will power the new rifle?”

  “That’s correct. It connects through a tether, so this will be your new primary weapon.”

  “What’s it fire?”

  “Tungsten steel slugs.”

  “Range?” Dean asked.

  “2,500 yards,” answered Colonel Davis. “With a two round per second rate of auto fire, and a twenty-five round mag, it’s a beast.”

  “Doesn’t look it,” Dean said, studying the image of the sleek weapon.

  It had a folding stock with a built in suspension apparatus to dampen the weapon’s recoil. The magazine loaded into the handle like a pistol, and there was no hand guard along the narrow rails that ran parallel to one another like the barrel of a normal rifle. There was a vertical foregrip so that the weapon could be held with two hands, but no conventional sights.

  “It’s a new type of weapon. No powder or gas, the whole thing is electric.”

  “So the battery powers the rails, one positive, the other negative, and each bullet has its own sabot?”

  “That’s correct. It’s really quiet simple, but effective and accurate. I hear they are a breeze to use. Hydrogen metal rails are used to keep friction to a minimum and keep the metal fatigue at acceptable levels.”

  “How many rounds before the rails need to be replaced?” Dean asked.

  “Ten thousand is the number I’m hearing. But that might not be accurate in the field.”

  “They haven’t been field tested?” Dean asked.

  “Not in a combat zone,” Davis said as he swiped the surface of his desk again and brought up another schematic, this time the image was of a shoulder-mounted cannon. “This is the new plasma cannon. Works just like our utility cannons, only it fires tiny gas cartridges. The problem with plasma weapons has always been range. The little cartridges have a primer on the nose, which fires a spark through the gas upon impact, creating a plasma discharge.”

  “Outstanding,” Dean said.

  “Range is a hundred yards, at ten rounds per second.”

  “How hot does it burn?” Dean asked.

  “Hot enough to vaporize a half inch of solid steel,” the colonel explained. “Massed fire with the plasma cannon will pound through any armor we’ve got.”

  “Let’s hope it’s even more effective against the Kroll.”

  “Roger that,” Davis said. “Now let’s talk armor.”

  Another swipe and the image changed again.

  “We’ve adapted the armor from the aliens you bagged in the Alrakis system.”

  “The rubberized material?” Dean asked.

  “Yep, it’s heat dissipating and very effective against traditional laser fire. Doesn’t do shit against projectiles as you’re well aware of. But it’s been incorporated into your armor just outside the neoprene and under the ceramic plating. You still have the kevlar exterior, with a fusion battery in a housing over your right kidney and a back-up power supply over your left. The batteries get pretty damn hot as you might guess, but the insulation armor diverts whatever heat is shed.”

  “Sounds good,” Dean said.

  “Better than good, Captain. Be prepared to send extensive reports on armor and the new weapons. You’ll be field testing everything, so make sure that you don’t hold back any comments or suggestions for improvements.”

  “Will do,” Dean said. “Anything else?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. I have replacements for your platoon. In response to your request to replace Corporal Chancy, I’ve assigned Demolition Specialist Robb Landin to your platoon. He has been training as a medic, and he’ll carry medical supplies in his field pack just in case you need them.”

  “Won’t our armor automatically deal with wounds?”

  “Yes, but we’re facing the unknown here, Captain. I think having a medic will be an asset.”

  “I concur,” Dean said. “I didn’t mean to question you, Colonel.”

  “Don’t apologize for getting answers, especially ones that pertain to your platoon. I’ve been in your shoes, Blaze. Orders that don’t make sense are difficult orders to follow. If I can communicate well, the better your chances of success. If anything is unclear, you feel free to ask me anything that pertains to your mission.”

  Dean nodded and Colonel Davis continued.

  “You’ll also get Heavy Armor Specialists Emile Owanto and Max Teller. Owanto is a sergeant, Teller is a corporal. Are you sure about keeping Corporal Valosky?”

  “She’s had time to heal sir, and she knows her job. I want her on my team.”

  “Alright, that gets your platoon back up to full strength,” Davis said, with a note of reservation in his voice. “You have one more addition on this mission. She won’t officially be part of your platoon, and she won’t be escorting the diplomats, but Captain Parker will accompany you on this mission.”

  Dean felt conflicting emotions. He liked Captain Parker, she had been his training officer for OTA, they were friends, but he also wondered why another Recon officer was needed on the mission.

  “Will she be leading a platoon, sir?” Dean asked.

  “No, she’s acting as my intelligence officer. I want to know everything I can about the Kroll, and I want to know how the artificial gravity on the new ship effects the passengers. Her job is to gather information, not command your platoon. But she has experience, Blaze, so use her as a sounding board if you have questions. You’ll be out of communication range and it’s almost certain that you’ll run into circumstances we haven’t anticipated. She’ll be an asset as long as you don’t see her as competition.”

  “No sir, I wouldn’t do that. I respect Captain Parker.”

  “Good, then you have everything you need. I’m transmitting your official orders now,” he said with another gesture on the surface of his desk. “And the files on your new additions are already downloaded to your data pad. I know you went with experienced Specialists when you put your platoon together, everyone I’m assigning you has skills that might come in handy. Good luck, Captain.”

  Colonel Davis stood up and Dean moved quickly to join him. They shook hands across the wide desk and then Dean turned on his heel and marched out of the colonel’s office. His wrist link had already buzzed with the receipt of his new orders. When the door swished closed behind him, Dean brought the orders up and found that the E.S.D.F. Apache would arrive at Space Base 13 the next morning. His platoon would be shuttled back from Luna by noon the following day. And they were scheduled to depart by 1700 hours Zulu time. Dean had a lot of work to do before the new ship arrived, and he headed back toward his small quarters to get started.

  He was honored to be the first Recon platoon leader on the new ship. And he was looking forward to finding out as much as he could about the Apache but he also felt a sense of dread. He hadn’t been joking when he said the diplomatic envoy was a suicide mission, and he was officially part of that envoy. It wasn’t a welcome thought, and deep in his mind fear began to root around like a feral hog digging for truffles. The Kroll were terrifying and yet he knew that he would have to face them again sooner or later. In fact, he knew that if his orders had been to go guard a colony he would have been insulted. The last thing he wanted was to run from the fight he knew was coming, but there was something unnerving about their enemy.

  Dean had fought strange creatures, and hostile men, but the Kroll were different somehow. Deep in his psyche he felt that they were dangerous, the way looking into the eyes of a great white s
hark conveyed a sense that they were fundamentally different. There was no compatibility between the Kroll and humans. It made Dean feel as if the diplomatic effort was a complete waste of time. He didn’t want to be allies with the Kroll, he didn’t want to be close to them or communicate with them, no more than he would want to befriend cockroaches or communicate with scorpions. His instincts told him to kill them, to remove the threat as quickly as possible, but he had orders that would require him to deny that instinct. He wasn’t even sure he would be able to carry out his mission, but he was determined to try.

  Back in his small room, he read through his orders slowly. He was assigned to the E.S.D.F. Apache and further ordered to escort the diplomats Butler and Fanning from the ship into Kroll space in an effort to communicate with the predatory race. His job was to protect the diplomats and he was ordered to afford the Kroll the utmost respect whenever he encountered them.

  Once he was sure he understood his orders, he pulled up the EsDef network and ran a search for Captain Esmerelda Dante. Officers on tour were listed as officially unavailable, but most other personnel had at least some record of where they were assigned. Esma’s location was simply listed as “EsDef medical facility, Earth.” That much Dean had already guessed but he had hoped that perhaps there might be an update on her condition. She hadn’t tried to contact him, so he assumed she was still unconscious. He decided he had enough time to write to her via the EsDef network. He couldn’t say where he was going or anything about his new mission, but he could tell her how sorry he was and that he would be thinking of her. Perhaps, if he managed to survive his new assignment, they might return to Sol where he could find a message from her. At any rate, he hoped that she would wake up soon and have the opportunity to read his message. It was the most he could do for her, even though he wanted to do so much more. But his duty came first, and he wasn’t about to let even the smallest detail slip past him. There was too much riding on the outcome of the diplomatic envoy, and he was determined that no matter what he faced he would find a way to get back to her.

  Chapter 23

  The Apache arrived at Space Base 13 without any fanfare, but she was still the main topic of conversation. Unlike every other interstellar space craft in the fleet, the Apache had no moving parts, no rotating wheels or corkscrew design. She wasn’t large, only about half the size of most traditional helix-shaped vessels and the exterior was oval. To Dean, she looked like a dull, black egg.

  “I don’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed,” the private manning the airlock that led to the new ship said as Dean approached.

  There was a steady stream of people moving past the docking arm to get a closer look at the new spacecraft. There were view screens throughout the base, but to actually look out a window it was necessary to go to the docking stations. The airlock doors had large, plexiglass ports, and there were several enlisted, along with a few officers, lingering near the airlock to get a better view of the Apache.

  “Captain Dean Blaze, to board the Apache,” Dean said to the private as he held out his wrist link for the man to scan.

  “Going on board, sir,” the private said excitedly. “Lucky you, I think.”

  “Thank you, private,” Dean said, trying not to sound annoyed.

  The private checked Dean’s ID with his own orders, then pressed the button that opened the airlock.

  “God speed, Captain,” the private said.

  “Thank you.”

  Dean stepped into the airlock, waited for the chamber to cycle, then moved down the short corridor to the new ship. Gravity seemed to twist around him. The Apache didn’t move, but it was docked to the space base, which was in motion and used centrifugal force to mimic gravity. When Dean passed into the new ship’s airlock, he was hit with the new EsDef artificial gravity, which he guessed was dialed in precisely.

  “Hello, Captain Blaze,” said a short man with an admiral’s eagle pinned on his chest.

  Dean immediately came to attention and saluted. The admiral returned the salute.

  “Welcome to the maiden voyage of the E.S.D.F. Apache. Can I give you a quick tour?”

  “Yes sir,” Dean said.

  “Excellent.”

  The admiral led Dean down a straight passageway, which seemed strange to Dean. He was used to curving corridors and arches, not straight lines and right angles.

  “The Apache is built on a simple grid,” the admiral said. “Our power plant is in the very center of the ship. There are three levels, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, each laid out exactly the same.”

  They came to what appeared to be an open courtyard in the center of the ship. A rail rose up to Dean’s waist, above it Dean could see out into the center of the ship where a strange-looking mechanical device rose up like an abstract sculpture. Dean could see the same type of open space with a railing on the decks above and below him.

  “This is the gravity drive,” the admiral explained. “We’ve tested her and she runs brilliantly. No more floating through space, we can move faster than the speed of light and stop on a dime. It’s incredible technology. I understand we have you to thank for that.”

  “Me?" Dean asked.

  “You saved the Urgglatta ship, didn’t you?”

  “Well… I guess so…I was just doing my job.”

  “They don’t give Planetary Medals of Honor to people who just do their job. I know Admiral Hamilton, she’s been a major player in the call for revision in the way EsDef is run. I have little doubt that she wanted the Urgglatta ship destroyed. That’s her way of dealing with anything she can’t control. I’ve read the official reports, but I doubt things went that smoothly for you. I’m not Recon, but I’ve been in the field long enough to know a sanitized action report when I read one.”

  “I did what anyone in my position would have done,” Dean said, not really believing his own lie. He knew that it had taken all of his courage to defy VA Hamilton when she ordered him to destroy the Urgglatta ship. But he had understood the need for the information that would be gained by bringing the ship under his control. It had been a call he had to make, although getting the Planetary Medal of Honor and subsequent promotion had not been as beneficial as one might think.

  “Well, it is only fitting that you are the first Recon platoon commander assigned to the Apache,” the admiral said. “Sometimes things work out just the way they should, even in EsDef. Now, let me show you to your quarters.”

  Each deck was laid out in a cross section, with short corridors north and south, and longer ones east and west. Bravo deck was crew quarters, with a large REC room at the end of the western section. There wasn’t much else to see and they quickly moved on. Charlie deck was the control center of the ship, with the bridge taking up most of the north section.

  “Everything on this ship is made of high density polymers,” the Admiral explained. “Down in the machine shop on Alpha deck we have large 3D printers that can manufacture any part of this ship, from the hull to the complex machinery in the gravity drive. It’s quieter than any ship in the fleet, and could stay on tour as long as we have food. We can gather water, create breathable atmosphere, and keep an eye on our enemies from thousands of kilometers away.”

  Dean marveled at the ship. It felt spacious, and familiar, which made him think long tours would be easier to endure on the new ship than the old designs. The Operators had a large control room opposite from the bridge. The western corridor was the mess hall, and to the east were the officers’ ward room and a lounge.

  “We can use the lounge for anything, but on this mission it’s been set up for the diplomats,” the admiral explained. “They need their own space outside of their quarters, and from here they can monitor our progress and do their work, entertain, or whatever else they might need.”

  “It’s all in top shape, Admiral,” Dean said.

  “Yes, well, let’s just hope it’s up to the job we’ve been assigned.”

  “You have doubts?”

  The admiral smil
ed. “I’m an officer in EsDef doing exactly what I was born to do. There’s nothing like being in command of a good ship, and this is the best ship I’ve ever seen. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”

  “Well, I feel the same way,” Dean admitted. “I’ll do my duty, it isn’t my place to create policy, but I’ve faced the Kroll. I don’t hold out much hope for a diplomatic solution.”

  “Yes, I was given a brief on your action in the Alrakis system. I want more details, but I thought we could discuss that once you’re settled. Would you like to see the Recon facilities?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Dean said.

  There were two deck lifts, each one midway down the respective corridors east and west. They rode down to Alpha deck. The west corridor was missing, in its place was a large hangar. Two shuttles were parked on the deck and rows of drones on large racks filled both sides. Beyond was a large opening. Dean felt like he should have been exposed to hard vacuum as he stared out into space through the hangar opening, but there was no change in the atmosphere or the gravity in the large space.

  “How is that possible?” Dean asked, pointing to the opening.

  “It’s all part of the ship’s new power system,” the admiral said, smiling. “The hangar bay has retractable doors, but they’re for emergencies only. The rest of the time the opening is contained by a magnetic field. I can give you the technical details if you like.”

  “No, that’s above my pay grade,” Dean said. “But it’s safe?”

  “Absolutely. We have a full load of surveillance drones, as well as fully armed attack craft and the usual maintenance pods. Once we have everyone aboard, we’ll have twenty Operators. We’re an intelligence gathering ship, but we’re prepared to fight if we need to.”

  “That’s good to know,” Dean said.

  “Now, this way to the Recon area,” the admiral said.