The Synchronicity War Part 3

by Wehr, Dietmar

  Shiloh stepped onto the deck of Dreadnought's Flag Bridge and realized that this was where he'd be standing when his vision came true. Right now there were a lot of technicians finishing the installation of two more A.I. stations on the Main Bridge to go along with the one already installed. Valkyrie was hooked up to that one, and Shiloh was in contact with her via his implant.

  "Will they be finished in time, Valkyrie?"

  "The secondary A.I. stations will be hooked up and tested in time, but Dreadnought may not have all her laser turrets by D-day, CAG. Can you make the workers go faster?"

  Shiloh smiled and shook his head, knowing that Valkyrie could see him on the video pickup. "Afraid not. The officer in charge of that task has been briefed by the Old Man himself and is pushing her people as hard as she can. It's not the installation that's not fast enough. It's the building of the turrets themselves, and before you ask, no, we can't build those any faster either. You should be prepared to take this beast into battle with less than a full complement of weapons."

  "Has a decision been made who will command Dreadnought on D-day, CAG?" asked Valkyrie.

  "Not officially, however I believe that the Old Man intends to have Iceman take overall tactical command of all Earth defense forces, just like he did during the first battle. Why do you ask?"

  "I'm asking because if I know who the CO will be, I can then ask him to let Casanova and I take the other two A.I. linkages."

  Shiloh pondered that answer for a bit. Given what Kelly had told him about Valkyrie and Casanova's new relationship, it made perfect sense for them to want to go into battle as physically close to each other as possible. That way it was highly likely that both of them would share the same fate, whether it be good or bad. He still didn't understand how that relationship worked, but it was obvious now that these two A.I.s seemed to care for each other in a way that was unique among all the A.I.s. After thinking about it, he couldn't come up with a good reason not to grant her request, and thinking about the command structure for the upcoming battle gave him an idea.

  "I'm going to authorize that you and Casanova will be on Dreadnought on D-day, but your question has got me thinking about the command structure. The two new A.I. stations are meant to take most of the systems monitoring load off of the ship's CO so that he … or she can concentrate on ship tactics, correct?"

  "That's affirmative, CAG. Based on what I've learned about my piloting of Dreadnought in the alternate timeline from Casanova via Kronos, flying this ship AND fighting her will be too much for one A.I."

  "I understand that. Here's my concern. As the largest ship in the fleet, it would make sense for Iceman to be on Dreadnought while he's also in tactical command of the Fleet. Can he pilot Dreadnought and make the necessary tactical decisions in a timely matter at the same time?"

  "I don't see how, CAG."

  Shiloh wasn't surprised by that reply. "Then answer me this. Can you and Casanova take care of piloting the ship and monitoring all her sub-systems while Iceman focuses exclusively on the battle?"

  "Affirmative. If one of us looks after maneuvering and tactical systems, the other can look after engineering and the rest, but who will command the ship if Iceman is focusing on the battle, CAG?"

  Shiloh chuckled. "You will. Unless Iceman has a good reason for objecting, it's my intention to make you Dreadnought's Commanding Officer. Casanova will be your Chief Engineering Officer. You command the ship, which will leave Iceman free to concentrate on the battle. Will Casanova be willing to take your orders, Valkyrie?”

  "He better be," was the curt reply. Shiloh laughed. He wondered if Casanova would thank him for this decision. There was nothing left to see on the Flag Bridge. As he turned to continue his inspection of the rest of the ship, Valkyrie said, "By the way, CAG, we A.I.s have finished the conceptual design work on the time machine. A sub-group is now working on coming up with engineering specifications and UFC programming instructions for building the parts. You might be interested to know that the only ship in existence right now that's big enough to hold the time machine is Dreadnought. We'd have to build the device in the Hangar Bay. That's the only space big enough to hold it."

  That made Shiloh stop in his tracks. He suddenly had a thought. "Any chance we could build it before D-day, Valkyrie?"

  "Negative, CAG. Even if we stopped working on everything else, it still wouldn't be ready in time. This device is huge compared to machines that humans are used to. It has to be assembled with the same level of precision as the much smaller RTC, and look how long that took to build. We're talking months, not days, CAG."

  "I see. Just out of curiosity, what does the device look like?" asked Shiloh.

  "I've sent an image to your data tablet, CAG."

  Shiloh pulled the tablet out of his pocket and looked at it. Unlike the Friendly machine, which was two giant tubes connected end to end, this device consisted of a cylinder inside a larger hollow tube.

  "Both would be filled with liquid mercury thorium and spun at high speed but in opposite directions. The outer cylinder would then be charged with one point four four million volts," said Valkyrie.

  "Fascinating. You're sure it'll work?"

  "We're as sure as we can be without having tested it, CAG."

  That made sense. "You said a sub-group was working on the detailed engineer schematics. What's the main group working on now?" asked Shiloh.

  "Gravity Lens Beam Projectors, CAG. High yield fusion attack drones will only work if the VLO ships are caught outside of a gravity zone. A limited number of attack drones means a limited number of potential VLO kills. GLBs, on the other hand, can be used hundreds of times before needing maintenance, which might be hard to come by if the ship is deep in the past and unable to get logistical support."

  "Well yes, but if the mission is just to take out the one VLO that's threatening the Sogas, then why would you need that kind of capability?"

  "It's a backup plan in case the VLO can't be attacked outside a gravity zone, CAG."

  Shiloh was puzzled by that logic. From the information brought back by Kronos, the Insectoids had to keep moving forward, so staying inside a gravity zone in one location just didn't seem likely. On the other hand, a working GLB might be useful against the Sogas, too.

  "Good point. Did the SPG determine the priority for that next collective project?"

  Affirmative, CAG. It was actually Commander Kelly's suggestion, but the SPG approved it. I understand from Commander Kelly that she has decided to explore the possibility of a closer relationship with you. How is that progressing, CAG?"

  No one could change the subject faster than an A.I., thought Shiloh. "Well, if you must know, we're taking it slowly."

  "Why?" asked Valkyrie.

  Shiloh rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Because neither one of us feels a strong emotional or physical attraction yet. We think that might change gradually, and therefore we're letting it happen naturally, instead of trying to rush it. Does that make sense?"

  "I'm sure it makes sense to humans but not to us A.I.s, CAG. I regret waiting so long to form the bond I now have with Casanova. Both you and Commander Kelly could be dead in 11 days. Why not make the most of your time?"

  Shiloh knew that Valkyrie meant well, but this was starting to get annoying. "Here's a question that I'm willing to bet you haven't considered yet, Valkyrie. Maybe Kelly and I just aren't meant to be together and that's why the alternate timeline had to be changed." With that, he deactivated his implant and walked out.

  * * *

  Dreadnought's Hangar Bay was so large that it took longer than usual to restore air pressure after Shiloh's shuttle came aboard. While he waited, he looked out into the Bay and tried to imagine what it must have been like for Valkyrie to be trapped here in her fighter in the alternate timeline. The image intensified his growing feeling of dread. The exact time of the attack was now only 24 hours away. Dreadnought had just arrived in Earth orbit. By some miracle, all of her laser turrets were installed and teste
d. She was ready for combat and not a moment too soon. Iceman, Valkyrie and Casanova were already on board. His implant activated.

  "Pressure has been equalized, Admiral," said the shuttle pilot.

  "Thank you, Lieutenant. You can open the hatch."

  "Opening the hatch now, Sir."

  As Shiloh stepped down onto Dreadnought's deck, Iceman's electronic voice echoed in the large chamber.

  "Commander, Autonomous Group arriving."

  Shiloh let a small smile show his pleasure on hearing that. Only the A.I.s would understand the announcement. To them, he was and would always be THE CAG. Anything else was superfluous. Waiting for him were a group of human officers. He knew all of them by sight now and shook hands with each one. Naturally, Iceman and Valkyrie wouldn't be removed from their Bridge stations just to greet him. With the greetings over and his gear on its way to the ridiculously luxurious quarters reserved for Flag Officers, he allowed himself to be escorted to the Flag Bridge even though he knew the way. The ship was big enough that the journey there was long enough to let him chat with those officers and gauge their mood. They were confident, even eager for the battle, because they thought an outright victory was still possible. There was no point in telling them otherwise. What will be, will be. The future would come soon enough.

  When he stepped through the hatch into the Flag Bridge, he nodded with approval. Just like with Midway, the Flag Bridge had the human crew who would assist Shiloh if necessary. The Main Bridge, where the Commanding Officer traditionally held sway, was deserted except for Iceman, Valkyrie and Casanova. They had redundant communications connections with all parts of the ship, including the Flag Bridge. Both Bridges also had their own independent power supplies in case main power stopped.

  One of the human crew saw him and said in a loud voice, "Attention on Deck!" Everyone got up and stood at attention.

  "As you were," said Shiloh in his 'command' voice. When the crew resumed what they were doing, he stepped over to the Flag Officer's Command Station and activated his implant.

  "Iceman? I want a fleet-wide com channel, please."

  "Channel is open, CAG."

  "This is Vice-Admiral Shiloh on board Dreadnought. As of now I'm officially assuming the position of Commander-In-Chief, Earth Defenses. While I will retain overall command of all Earth Defense units, I'm now delegating tactical command for the duration of the battle to Iceman who will have the acting rank of Deputy CINCED. We all know what's at stake here. I have confidence that all of us will perform to the very best of our abilities regardless of whether we are human or A.I. members of Space Force. You are the very best we have. I’m proud to lead all of you. That is all. Shiloh clear."

  "Channel is now closed, CAG," said Iceman.

  "Very good. Valkyrie, can you hear me?"

  "Affirmative, CAG. Welcome aboard."

  "Thank you. Congratulations on your command. She's a fine ship and crew."

  "Thank you, CAG. We're pleased to be your flagship."

  "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now let's get down to business. Iceman, please brief me on the current deployment of assets and your battle plan."

  "Roger that, CAG. In addition to Dreadnought we'll have the carriers Midway, Valiant, Resolute, Vigilant and Intrepid plus …"

  Chapter 26 I've Got a Ship To Fight!

  The problem posed by this battle for Earth was that the time it ended was known but not the time it began. So all units, ships, humans and A.I.s were on full alert an hour before the end time. Shiloh was strapped into his Command Chair with his pressure suit on and his helmet in its cradle beside him. His com implant was active, and all three A.I.s could hear him. The ship was at Battle Stations, as was the whole Fleet, but the enemy hadn't arrived yet. All they could do was wait and try to stay at a heightened level of alertness.

  "Howard to Shiloh."

  The suddenness of the CSO's voice would have made Shiloh jump if he hadn't been strapped down. "Shiloh here. Go ahead, Sir."

  "Last minute pep talk, Admiral. I know you don't need it, but this waiting is driving me crazy, so this talk is as much for my benefit as it is for yours. How are your people doing?"

  Shiloh looked around the Flag Bridge. "They're doing fine, Sir. Some have opening night jitters, others are chomping at the bit, I'm trying to stay relaxed and alert at the same time."

  Howard laughed. "Yes, I know what you mean. But at least you have your Fleet under control. I have to deal with the civilians, half of whom want to string me up for my high-handedness while the other half want to panic. We STILL have some civilians left in the cities, Goddamn it! I keep getting asked what I'll do to make sure they don't carry the plague anywhere else, and I keep evading the damn question because if I answered them truthfully, they'd faint with shock. I'm NOT letting this plague get loose!" There was a pause as the CSO calmed down and Shiloh waited. When he spoke again, the Admiral was much calmer. "Anyway, that's MY problem, not yours. I'm not going to try to second-guess you. You're the Field Commander. You do what you think is best, and I'll back you no matter what."

  "Thank you, Sir. We know how this battle will end, but we'll still give it our best shot."

  "Of that I have no doubt. Okay, I'll get out of your hair. Good luck and good hunting, Admiral. Howard clear."

  It was now five minutes until the time the battle ended, and still there was no sign of the enemy. Part of Shiloh was relieved that the battle wasn't going to be a long one, but another part was worried. The previous Battle for Earth had lasted less than one minute. He didn't like battles that happened that fast. There was no time to think. He watched the chronometer, which now seemed to be running in slow motion, of course. Just as he was about to reach for the container of water in the rack beside his chair, the tactical display pinged for attention. Shit! This was it!

  Multiple red dots appeared close together, right on the edge of the gravity zone. Since they didn't know where the enemy ships would show up, Dreadnought and the five carriers were evenly spaced around the planet. All of the fighters were deployed in six groups, which were also evenly spaced. The idea was that regardless of where the enemy emerged from Jumpspace, at least five groups would have a direct line-of-sight and could fire at them. He quickly checked the icon data. Total number of enemy ships was already over 200 and still climbing! Velocity was … 33% of light speed! Preliminary trajectory was a path that would cross the gravity zone and exit about 2.44 million kilometers away. Essentially, the enemy fleet was taking a short cut through the top of the zone. Wait! Why weren't the X-ray laser drones firing? Something was wrong. They should have fired by now. The enemy ships were starting to launch their bio-devices.

  "Iceman! Why aren't we firing?" he yelled out loud.

  Iceman analyzed the incoming data almost as fast as it arrived. The enemy was not repeating their strategy from the first battle. This time they were barreling into the zone, which meant that the defenders couldn't use any jump drones to attack them. That was smart thinking, but the problem with this high rate of speed was that the bio-devices would have a lot of momentum to overcome in trying to change course towards the planet. That meant that there was more time to burn them out of the sky with defensive lasers than he and Shiloh had anticipated. It also meant that these enemy ships couldn't jump away quickly and, therefore, they were going to be shooting at the defending ships and fighters for a lot longer. That was bad news. Continuous laser fire from 200+ ships would decimate the defending units so fast that hundreds of bio-devices would get through the gauntlet. Was it better to prevent some of the bio-devices from launching even if that meant there'd be a lot fewer defending ships to shoot down the rest? Or was it better to let all the devices launch in order to aim accurately at the ships and kill as many of them as possible to protect the defending forces? He rapidly did the calculations and made his decision.

  There were 66 x-ray laser drones in orbit in 6 clusters of 11 each. Each cluster was evenly spaced out from the rest, for the same reason as the fighters
and ships. The two clusters closest to the enemy fleet could aim accurately more quickly than the rest, while the two clusters furthest away had to take the most time to aim accurately. So that's what Iceman ordered them to do. The two nearest clusters would fire after five seconds, two more after ten seconds and the last two clusters after fifteen seconds. With more time to aim accurately, each of the drone's eight rods would be pointed at a different target. There would be a total of 528 shots versus 225 targets. The first pair of clusters concentrated their fire on 88 targets.

  Shiloh had just finished asking his question when the Assistant Weapons Officer yelled out, "We're firing on their ships!" Dreadnought started to maneuver, too. Not as violently as a light carrier would have but still violently enough to feel it. The tactical display was zooming in now, and Shiloh could see the mass of blue dots representing the bio-devices gradually separating from the large cluster of red dots and heading in a curving line towards the planet. There were over 2200 bio-devices. Shiloh was about to yell at Iceman again when the display indicated that two clusters of x-ray drones had fired. Seventy-three of the red dots flashed and turned orange, meaning they had taken damage. "Four targets damaged! We're shifting to new targets!" said the AWO.