by Chris Hechtl
“Like trying to grab oil or water,” Doctor Bullettine stated.
“Exactly. What gets me is the industrialists involved. They got in bed with him because of his mother and because they made so much credits building up the fleet and the infrastructure. They are running scared, and they are getting their bottom lines hammered. For the past what, three years there have been no new ship contracts. Repairs are a bare trickle. Upgrades are nonexistent. Yet, here they are, still lined up behind him.”
“Not for much longer. I think a few will start to break soon,” Doctor Bullettine stated.
“They are worried about a corporate war. Hell, a lot of people are worried about a civil war. We're already on the cusp of that and a constitutional crisis. A military coup could happen at any time …,” Benny shook his head.
“Like playing with fire.”
“Exactly. What gets me is, they've got the base and they've got the infrastructure to make the leap into the future and the galactic stage. Why did they side with Childress at all?” Horatio demanded intently. “I get that they have some fears and concerns.”
“It's partially due to the ban on nanotech, A.I., and others. Some are pretty conservative,” Commander Chedwiggen stated slowly. “The prosecution brought that up. The ban is pretty seared into all of us,” he said.
Horatio looked around to see the other Bekians nod.
“This far from that time period and it still hits you?”
“Remember the First A.I. War, Admiral?” Doctor Bullettine asked. “It's like that all over again. What happened at Tesla and Marconi was a reaffirment to never tamper with powers you can't control.”
“That's just it. That is bullshit,” Horatio stated. “You've been using nanotech for this entire time in different forms, just not viral nanotech or robotic nanotech.”
“Different forms?” Theresa asked, clearly interested.
“Look up oil additives. They bond on a molecular level with metal, seeping into it,” Horatio stated.
Her fingers flicked as she made a note.
“Viral nanotech is dangerous; I will admit that. But robotic nanotech is controlled. Look up how a replicator works. Our ancestors learned from the mistakes of the past. If we shied away from tech, we'd still be in the Stone Age. The first time you got burned by fire, did you stop using it ever again?” he shook his head. “No, we learn safe guards and move on.”
The group stared at him. “Admiral, you've got presence; I have to admit that,” Doctor Bullettine said.
“Thanks,” Horatio said gruffly.
“I don't think it'll wash though,” the doctor replied with a shake of his head. “Besides, it's not relevant. We'd never get it in.”
“Oh, we could use it as a rebuttal for their case … or could have when they'd brought up Tesla in the first place,” Commander Chedwiggen said thoughtfully. “We can explore ways to sneak some of that in.”
“Okay, what next?” Benny asked.
Chapter 39
Bek B:
Commodore Brunswick looked at the latest situation report with a mix of satisfaction and exasperation. He had to admit, having Commander Walengrad working on the ships was an incredible experience. He was thoroughly impressed with her. When it was his turn to make his presentation, he did so and didn't spare any kudos for the commander. “Now, if we had a hundred more just like her, we'd be able to build a fleet double our size from scratch and really kick ass.”
“Unfortunately, the commander is just one person and can only be in one place at a time,” Commodore Fournier stated. She was minding the BUPERS slot for them.
“But she's done a good job training some of our personnel on making changes on their own. She's also provided some of her blueprints to help with the upgrade. We've got all the machine shops turning out parts.”
“Our people can pull the components easily enough; it's the repair team's ability to get the new parts installed that makes a difference. Fortunately, she's trained the yard dogs on how to install as well as modify existing hardware.”
“So, it is starting to feel like we are making headway in the upgrades. We've even gotten a few engineers who have been hoarding their own mods to give them up. But logistics is our biggest headache by far. The commander can't do much there.”
“You mean the replicators. They are our bottleneck since we can't get ahead in production. The ships suck up the components faster than they can churn them out,” Admiral Nilsson stated.
“Exactly. We've got too many ships to upgrade and repair for one small repair yard and two food replicators to handle,” Commodore Brunswick stated.
By careful scheduling and a bit of Lady Luck's blessing, they had managed to work their way through every destroyer and cruiser in the fleet over the past four months since the mutiny had started. They had just started in on their first battle cruiser squadron.
More importantly, some of the changes had been taken apart by the small but steadily growing industrial complex. They now had enough superconductive cable, ODN conduit, and low voltage cables and fixtures to keep up with demand. Some of the material was being shipped out to ships and orbital fortresses for their crews to make changes on their own.
The ships that had been upgraded shared 95 percent of their parts in common with their mutinous brethren. But, sometimes just a little more performance squeezed out here and there could make the difference. At least, that was the theory.
Every system in each ship was being changed. The alterations were making some headway in squeezing more efficiency out of everything. Some of it was minor, like using molecular electronics that reduced the power consumption and thermal output. But those same molecular electronics were an order of magnitude faster than the older hardware and much smaller to boot.
They were seeing sharper sensors, longer range sensors, more efficient sublight drive, better fuel economy, faster computers; even systems that hadn't been directly upgraded and changed had been affected, such as life support.
And that was just the hardware swap out. The software changes squeezed another percentage point or more out of some systems, such as in plotting, maneuvering, the computers, fire control, and sensors. There were still teething issues getting things integrated, but Alice's time studying Albacore and the other ships she had worked on prior had given her a solid foundation.
It remained to be seen how they'd stack up in actual combat against the mutiny ships. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, but if they did, the simulations and early exercises were promising.
Once they were done with the first round of upgrades, maybe they'd be able to move on to next project or hell, start building up a stockpile of components. He'd really like to see them build a small construction yard. That project had been put on hold until the upgrades were completed.
“Commander Walengrad has figured out a minor improvement in replicator speed. We hooked up the database that they brought with her on Caroline, plus some additional storage and processing capacity. She's used the extra space to pre-slice the files to cut down on the pre-processing time. If we can keep the quality of material up, we should see an improvement in speed,” the commodore stated.
“Pre-slice files?” Admiral Nilsson asked carefully.
“Okay, a replicator uses a molecular slicing program to slice a file, much like a 3D printer. But as I said, it does it on a molecular or even atomic level. With me so far?” the bear asked. The woman nodded.
“Okay, the files are usually updated CAD drawings. They are three-dimensional electronic files, but with a couple of twists. The replicator files have to know what material to make each section out of. If it is a solid part, they don't need all the detail in the file. Now, the component might be simple, like a cover. By the way, we're using regular industry as much as possible and just making core components with the replicators. Parts like the molecular electronics.”
“Okay.”
“Now, some of the CAD programs, especially the electronic ones come with a wiring diagram. The
more complex the piece, the longer it takes to process and make. Also, size is a limiting factor.”
“Gotcha.”
“So, the files are just CAD drawings initially. We were trying to do runs of parts. Let's say a radar processing module. We'd make an entire run of them. If possible, we'd squeeze smaller parts on the tray as well. But then when we were finished, we, excuse me, the commander, would have to dump that tray file and start a new one.”
“Ah.”
“So, what she's done now that we've got extra computer support for her is save the tray file before dumping it from the replicator's buffer. It's already pre-sliced by the replicator's computer. That takes time to do. So, now she can load a tray, use her keys to unlock the replicator, and then select the number of trays she wants to print and presses print.”
“So, streamlined.”
“Yes. Damn, I so wish we could make more of them! Or get our hands on an industrial replicator!” the bear growled, clenching and unclenching his hands. His long claws made grinding sounds on the desk top, making a few people around the table who were physically present wince.
“I am also envious of her implants. She hasn't had a day off since this whole mess started. She's working twenty hours a day and is holding up like a trooper. I'm definitely putting a good word in on her Officer Review.”
“Good,” Admiral Sharp Reflexes stated, taking control of the meeting. He turned to Commodore Yashido.
“I do have a bit of good news to share as well, and it is for you Brunswick,” she said with a nod to the bear as all eyes turned to her. The bear's left eyebrow lifted in surprise. She had been stuck on the sidelines since her BC squadron was being refitted. That hadn't stopped her from doing what she could where she could however, they all knew. “Vice President Nibs has managed to land us a contract with the civilian salvage ship,” Commodore Yashido stated with a brief smile. She was turning into their equivalent of the head of ONI while also minding her own task force.
“So?” Commodore Fournier asked dubiously.
“So, Pioneering Spirit has tons of machine shops and other equipment. She's the largest civilian salvage ship and repair ship in the component, even bigger than the mobile dock and repair ships we've got. She's damn good. How long do we have her?”
“Three months initially. Then she's got a job on the Delta mining site and then another in the rubble belt.”
“Ah.”
“You said you wanted her,” she said.
“I do. I definitely do. I want her to work on refitting the forts but she'd burn too much transit time up going from point A to point B. No, get her to the yard,” he said as he rubbed his jaw.
“The yard?”
“Yes. I'll hook her in to the yard and bring her people up to speed. They can use their machine shops to give our own people a boost.”
“Does that mean I might get my squadron back a tad early?” the commodore asked hopefully.
“Maybe. It depends on when I can get my hands on her and how efficient she is,” her fellow commodore said gruffly.
“You reported you are saturated with what work you have, correct, Commodore?” Admiral Sharp Reflexes asked. Commodore Brunswick nodded warily. “Will the introduction of that ship allow you to work on side projects?”
“I'm not sure which you'd like. I don't see her being useful in upgrading anymore warships. Not in that short a window. The best her crew can do is lay cable and swap components, maybe re-machine some parts, at least until they are up to speed. That takes time. They might be able to take on refitting an oiler or other support ship on their own after they've been trained.”
“Might?”
“Oiler?” Commodore Fournier asked.
“Might, as in I don't know enough about them to judge yet. Oiler,” Commodore Brunswick said, turning to the confused woman. “An oiler is a tanker. It's an ancient traditional name they call a tanker. The crews call it that.”
She blinked and then her lips formed a pucker. “Oh,” was all she said.
“Moving on,” Admiral Nilsson said firmly before they could be bogged down any further.
“We do have one other matter,” Commodore Yashido stated, her voice cooling ever so slightly. “I was looking into a few things, and one of the government investigators came to me with a heads-up. Apparently, several sailors have been grumbling a bit about our defection. They want to go home and are not happy with not being able to do so.”
“So? Idle chatter, right?”
“I don't know. Sokar gave me a list of names his people identified. Most of them are coming from three ships, Karambit, Khanda, and Akrafena. And some of the chatter didn't come from the enlisted either. Some from the junior officers.”
“That's not good,” Admiral Nilsson murmured. “We need to get a handle on this.”
“Agreed, considering all three ships are from the same destroyer squadron. In fact, they were the last ones refitted,” Admiral Fournier murmured, checking the tablet in front of her. She looked up with a nod.
“I think I remember them. Some of the crew didn't want to pitch in and resented helping out with the refit,” Commodore Brunswick murmured. “It slowed them down by a day, which ticked me off enough to write them up.”
“I know, I saw the report,” Admiral Sharp Reflexes stated. “Where are they now?”
“Headed out north to relieve TF 3.4.5.”
“I think we need to have a chat with their commander. It is Captain Ace?”
“Yes.”
“I'll put a call in and have his people do a little digging.”
@
Captain Ace received the order and stated he would comply. But within an hour of his acknowledgment, he came back with a sharp statement. “Karambit, Khanda, and Akrafena have all gone dark and have broken formation. We're trying to get them back, but I don't know what is going on there,” the Neodoberman admitted.
Admiral Sharp Reflexes was out inspecting a carrier group when he got the news. Every second was precious. He called in to the ships, but there was no response. He ordered fighters and bombers to launch from the nearest fortress to pass the errant ships and to force them to stand-down. Instead, the ships turned and fled into the depth of space, using the thick asteroids in the rubble belt as cover. “Where do they think they are going?”
“Somewhere else apparently,” Commodore Yashido said. She had managed to get to the admiral's flagship to hear the news first hand.
“Obviously. I mean, they can't go into hyperspace though. On that course, they won't get back to Bek A either,” Admiral Nilsson stated.
“I know. Someone check to see what stores they've got and how far they'll get on that heading,” the commodore said, pitching her voice to the Admiral's chief of staff. The Veraxin signaled assent. “What bothers me is they could prey on civilian traffic. They can stop them and vampire their resources.” she said with a shake of her head. “Or hit the mines in that area,” she said, pointing to the blinking cone of space where they had lost sight of the ships.
“Not a happy thought. Our own nest of pirates with our own tech,” Admiral Nilsson said. “Complete with our latest orders and plans to boot,” she sighed.
“I know. Which means we need to stop them. Somehow,” the commodore stated.
“Yeah,” Admiral Nilsson sighed.
“Unfortunately, they've got a head start, so I'm damned if I know how,” the commodore mused.
“Yeah, that is a problem. We'll have to send fighter patrols out to try to narrow them down, but they could just go dark in the rubble belt for all we know. If they dock with an asteroid, we could very well miss them.”
“Now there is a cheerful thought. I'm going to yell at some people and see if we can get started on changing IFF and encryption keys,” the commodore stated.
“Good idea. And I'll see which plans we need to rip up. Damn it!” the rear admiral snarled. The commodore gave her a sympathetic look and then nodded as she turned away.
@
“Yes. Deserted. Why or what they hope to accomplish I don't know. We're trying to figure that out.”
“Can they get back to Bek A?”
“Possibly, if they go ballistic for most of the trip. It will be tight. We know of course that it can be done. They used up a fair bit of fuel avoiding their own squadron mates and the fighters I sent in after them. My people crunched the numbers. We think they might need to refuel.”
“Which begs the question where. I'm guessing you are thinking civilian traffic?”
“Exactly. They might vampire a civilian ship, station, or mining site. They'll know we'll have to respond with a rescue of course.”
“Will they do it? Put civilian lives in danger to forward their own goals?” the Neocat asked ears back.
“I can't put anything past them at this point. I've issued a warning to my ships. I wanted to check in with you, ma'am, before I broadcast a warning to civilians.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that. Please do. My office will back it up. If you could provide them any additional information, that would be appreciated.”
“Yes, ma'am. Unfortunately, this isn't going to look good with the press or morale.”
“We'll take it on the ear, but we'll keep moving forward.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
@
“Sir, the outer perimeter has picked up incoming ships—battle cruisers, cruisers, and destroyers—at least a squadron of each class,” Admiral Nilsson stated.
“Location?”
“Least time course from Bek A. I'm betting they are Commodore Yashido's force.”
“Perhaps, but we're not taking any chances. Besides, our people could use the extra time. Have them run tracking on them. I want to see just how effective the new changes to our hardware and software are.”