Cadets

by Edward Miller

  “I’m sure he wasn’t happy at all. He gave me the same treatment. Needless to say, he didn’t believe me either.”

  “You talked to him already?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You didn’t ask me. Seriously, I thought you might have better luck as the official engineer.”

  Paul laughed, ignoring her comment. “Well I can’t understand why he wouldn’t believe you. I mean, all you want to do is purposely overload a perfectly good light-speed generator, which in turn will cause a catastrophic engine failure, which will lead to an implosion of the matter-antimatter stream, which could blow this entire building into tiny little pieces. Does that pretty much sum it up? Because I have to admit, even I think you just might have gone off the deep end here.”

  Amanda smiled. “Thanks for the compliment, Paul. You really want to know?”

  “Uh, yeah?!”

  “Back when I was taking engineering classes, they asked us to write a thesis on a project. We had a couple of ideas to choose from. One of the assignments was to come up with a way to use the power from the engines to manufacture a weapon using natural resources. I knew how much havoc solar flares caused on our ships and figured a way—theoretically, of course—to reproduce the core elements of solar flares. I figured if I’m going to be forced into making a weapon, at least it’ll be one that’s not destructive. At best, it would just fry all the computer systems and shut down communications. I mean—”

  She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind.

  “Doctor Frankenstein and Igor, how goes the doomsday machine?” It was Tanner.

  “Holy Jesus!” she said. “Where did you come from?”

  He looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. “I had Scotty beam me up,” said Tanner, “but I must have given him the wrong coordinates. He was supposed to beam me into the Victoria’s Secret dressing room.”

  “Your loss I guess,” said Amanda. “Anyway, we’re almost ready to run the first test. How are you coming with a way to deliver the dispersion of the electromagnetic particles, gamma rays, and solar gases? Did you measure the isotopic composition of the SEPs and the ionization potential?”

  “I’m glad you asked that question. Although I didn’t understand half of what you said, I believe if we use the torpedo launchers and good old fashioned CO2 cartridges as we dump the power buildup from the overload, it just might work.”

  “Forget it. I’ll measure it myself. We need an exact probabilistic model if this is going to work.”

  “Relax, Amanda,” he said. “I’m kidding. I mean about not understanding. Sort of. But I did look up the stuff you told me and ran the measures. We’re cool. And as for how to deliver your sunshine payload, what I just said will do the trick.” He paused for a second. “Wait a minute,” he added. “What the hell is an exact probabilistic model? It’s either exact or it isn’t. That’s an oxymoron.”

  She shook her head and smiled. Tanner was a pain in the ass, but he was no dummy.

  “You know what I meant,” she said. “Anyway, about your idea—C02 cartridges. Actually, that sounds like it might work.”

  “You sound surprised,” he said.

  “We’re about to run the first test of the engine overload,” she said. “Care to come watch? Quietly?”

  Tanner shook his head. “No, thanks. I think I’ll mosey on over to the other side of the base. If I don’t hear an explosion and the world as we know it doesn’t end, I’ll be back in an hour to check up on you guys.”

  After Tanner had gone, Amanda and Paul powered the light-speed generator and waited for it to overload. “In all honesty,” she said, “I’m hoping we never have to use this.”

  “But isn’t that why we’re doing it?” said Paul.

  “Well, yes, but what I’m really hoping is that we can try and talk to the Altarrans first. If we actually get this to work, maybe I can try to contact them first about the amulet. Maybe start some type of communication with them so we can end this peacefully.”

  Amanda watched the monitor as the meter rose.

  “Amanda, I’m just saying . . . what if they see your amulet, and then it really pisses them off? What if they see it as proof we killed their people? Then they kill you and everyone before we even get a chance to use this thing.”

  “I don’t think they’d do that. I think they’d look at it as proof we can help find their people. Don’t you see? It’s a show of faith that we’re making progress.”

  “Yeah but find them where? Nobody’s seen them in our entire lifetime, so what chance could we possibly have? Where do we look—under our beds? Our cabinets? All it would do is buy us a little time at best, and more likely get us all killed faster.”

  “Paul, listen to me,” she said. “If I thought for one second that would happen, I wouldn’t have suggested it. I just think we owe it to them to try to help. After all, we did capture their people. And if it doesn’t work, then we can use this weapon and fight back.”

  “Amanda, honestly, I admire your compassion,” said Paul. “But we may not get that chance. And besides, the whole ‘who’s right and who’s wrong’ idea doesn’t matter at this point. Earth is nine days away from total disaster. That’s all that matters. Think about it. We can’t afford them thinking it’s a stall tactic and going ballistic on us. At least now we have a chance of maybe finding something.”

  Amanda nodded. “I guess so,” she said. “But let’s keep it in the back of our mind as a last resort.”

  “Fair enough,” said Paul.

  She knew that Paul was right, but she didn’t want to admit it, especially to herself. She’d always thought about how wasteful the wars of old were, and how they could have been avoided. Now they had an object that could possibly head off any further destruction, and it seemed a tragedy not to use it.

  Paul brought her back into the moment. “Okay, we’re ready,” he said. “I’m powering up the engines.”

  “Got it,” said Amanda. “All equipment up and running. Pushing the generator to maximum output.”

  They watched via the monitors at the engine, which was in a double-shielded room a quarter mile away. Between the high radiation levels and the possibility of an explosion, this was the only reasonable way to run the test.

  About an hour into the test, the engine passed its maximum power limits. In another ten minutes, the engine would explode. Amanda and Paul waited for what seemed like a lifetime, until finally they were approaching the sixty-second countdown.

  “Okay,” said Amanda. “When we get to the one-second mark, shut down the engine. The power dump will be automatically ejected and we can measure the effects.”

  When the countdown made it to the one-second mark, Paul shut down the engine. Amanda watched as the energy buildup was automatically ejected into a containment area, where the particles could be broken down and the data would show whether the effect was the same as that of a massive solar flare.

  She brought up the data on the computer and studied it intently.

  “Damn it!” she said.

  “What?” asked Paul.

  She sighed. “I guess my professor was right.”

  “About . . .”

  “She said that my idea could conceivably work, but the engine would have to explode. I disagreed.”

  “Explode? Did you say explode? And when were you going to let me in on this?” Paul said. “I mean, that’s not a small detail.”

  “It’s not that bad,” said Amanda. An idea popped into her head.

  “Not that bad? Exploding, bad; living, good. I’m not sure there’s an in-between, Amanda. That’s like saying ‘Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play.’”

  “No, I have an idea. I know it may sound crazy and a little dangerous, but I think it could work.”

  “You think? You thought this would work too.”

  “Trust me,” she said, smiling. As Paul stood there looking like a deer in the headlights, Amanda thought more about he
r idea. That, and how to convince everyone it could work.

  Chapter 21

  Permission Requested

  Ryan was gathering his thoughts as he waited to see Admiral Williamson. He was hoping he’d be able to convince him to authorize his crew to use nuclear weapons. Obviously somebody had to do something and the cadets just might be the only option left. Of course, it all depended on whether Amanda could come through with her plan to replicate a solar flare.

  Ryan could see that the admiral was immersed in a sea of holographic images all over his desk. Peeking at a few of them, he could see that they appeared to pertain to the ships in the UEDF. “Is that the casualty list?” he asked.

  “Yes, it is,” said the admiral, shutting them all down with one touch.

  Ryan didn’t want to ask, but he couldn’t help himself. “How many?”

  “Twenty-two hundred and forty-one confirmed dead. Three hundred and fifty-nine missing. Eight hundred and eighty-three injured. Thirty-one ships destroyed, fifteen damaged.” The admiral paused and took a breath, then continued. “Only nine ships left without damage in the fleet.”

  Williamson threw the files back down onto his desk. “We had fifty-five battleships and we couldn’t stop them. Hell, we barely slowed them down.” He stood up. “As you can see, Ryan, I have my hands full. What can I do for you?”

  “I can see that, sir. Sorry to interrupt, but I’d like to discuss an idea I have. An idea that could make the sacrifice of all those men and women not be in vain.”

  “Listen, Ryan. I know where you’re going with this. You know damn well that I cannot allow you or any of the cadets at the academy to go into battle. It’s not even a decision I can make. It’s not only against regulations, it’s illegal.”

  “I’m well aware of regulations, sir, and I am in no way asking you to break the rules.”

  “Well that’s good to hear.”

  “Right, sir. I’m quite prepared to do that all by myself.”

  “Ryan—”

  “Of course, all of this depends on whether or not Amanda and Paul can make her idea work. But if they can pull it off, we’d really like your consent.”

  “We? What do you mean we, Thompson? Consent for what?”

  Almost as if on cue, Lieutenant Rhimes’s voice came across the speaker. “Admiral Williamson, your daughter is here to see you.”

  The admiral gave Ryan a strange look. “Now I know this must be a dream. You and my daughter teaming up together against me? This I have got to hear.” He pressed the intercom. “Send her in, Lieutenant.”

  Amanda burst into the room. She was obviously out of breath.

  “How did the test go?” said Ryan, before she could utter a word.

  “I’m going to have to run it again tomorrow,” she said. “I need to make some more adjustments.”

  “When my daughter says she needs to make adjustments,” said the admiral, “that means there’s a problem—usually a big problem.”

  “Not funny, Dad.” Looking at Ryan, Amanda asked, “Did you tell my father yet?”

  “I was trying to when you walked in,” Ryan said.

  “Tell me what?” said Williamson.

  “Sir,” said Ryan, “as I was trying to say, if Amanda can get this theory of hers to become a reality, we intend to take the ships we overhauled and outfit each of them with the weapon we’re working on. Then we’re hoping to catch the Altarrans by surprise and stop them, sir.”

  “And what makes you think you can stop them when our entire fleet couldn’t?”

  “They wouldn’t be expecting us, sir. By the time they’d spot us, we can have their shields down and blast away. All their focus will be on the ground or on the defense fleet ships.”

  “You’re not ready for that kind of work, Thompson, and neither is my daughter.”

  “The point is, sir, there is nobody else. If not us, then who? These aren’t normal times.”

  “He’s right, Dad,” said Amanda.

  The admiral looked sternly at her. “And you agree with this foolish idea?”

  “Yes, Father. I do,” said Amanda.”

  “It’s something we have to do, sir,” added Ryan. “We’d like your blessing, but we’ll do it without it if need be. That’s how sure we are of this.”

  Williamson sat close-lipped as his face got redder and redder. After an awkward thirty seconds or so, during which Ryan wasn’t sure if he was contemplating locking them up, the admiral pounded his fist on the table.

  “Well, that settles it,” said Williamson. “If you’re going, I’m going with you.”

  Amanda had an ear-to-ear smile on her face.

  Ryan didn’t.

  “Sorry, sir,” said Ryan, “but you can’t.”

  Williamson laughed. “I’m sorry, I must have had something in my ears, because I thought I heard you say I can’t. Now I know that’s not what you said.”

  “Sir, begging your pardon, that is exactly what I said.”

  “Thompson, you do realize that I am the only real officer with ship’s captain experience on this planet, correct? When in a combat situation, there are no do-overs. No mulligans. No checking the guidebook as I know my daughter is prone to do. And no loose cannon hunches. You either make the right call, or you die. End of story. So what, pray tell, is your reason for not wanting me on that ship that my precious daughter is on? My ship, I might add.”

  Ryan knew he had to frame his response carefully. He remembered something his father had told him when he was thirteen and wanted to go to the academy to be a ship’s captain. He said that to be a good leader, you had to be able to get people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Strange that at a time like this, with all the marbles on the line, his father’s words were the ones guiding him.

  “Sir,” he began, “I know we don’t have the experience you do. Not many people do. But I’ve seen our crew, and I’ve seen what your daughter can do in engineering. We believe in each other, sir. You taught us that. You told us we were better together than apart, and you were right. Until six days ago, no officer had ever died in space fighting a war. We’re all in new territory here, sir. But the fact is, if we don’t do something, tons of people are going to die. Innocent people, children younger than us. Millions of entire families wiped out. But here’s why you can’t join us, sir.”

  Williamson was quietly listening, hands folded. Ryan continued.

  “If we fail . . . if we don’t make it, you’re the only command officer left. The sophomores and the juniors are going to need someone to lead them and keep things together. This planet could be the last hope for the human race. You would need to stay here and keep everyone safe, sir. Because you’re the best qualified . . . and the most experienced to do it.”

  Ryan watched as the admiral thought for a moment. Amanda took Ryan’s arm. For a split second, he thought he even saw the admirals’ eyes getting watery, but then the admiral’s usual controlled demeanor returned.

  “Well,” said Williamson, “that was a well thought-out response, I’ll give you that. And I’m glad my words meant something, I really am. But the fact is, I cannot legally give you the order to go into a combat situation. If I don’t go with you—and you’ve just made an excellent case why I can’t—then I’m afraid I can’t give you the order to go on your own. The fact is, if you leave against orders, I would be under obligation to file disciplinary action, leading to court martial and expulsion from the academy. I can’t play favorites, son. That goes for you too, Amanda.”

  “So you’re saying you’re ordering us not to go, sir?”

  Ryan wanted Williamson to really think this through and take responsibility for his decision, even though he had every intention of breaking the order if need be.

  “What I’m saying,” said the admiral, “and I want you both to listen very carefully . . .” He stared at the two of them, “is that this conversation never happened. Is that understood?”

  Ryan read the admiral loud and clear. He stoo
d tall and straight-faced and gave Williamson a crisp salute. “Understood, sir,” he said. Then he turned to leave the office, Amanda in tow.

  “Well that was interesting,” he said quietly to Amanda, once they were in the hallway.

  Amanda’s mind seemed elsewhere, though. “Yeah,” she said, half-heartedly. “By the way,” she added, “about those adjustments . . .”

  Chapter 22

  Amanda’s Crazy Idea

  Amanda had spent most of the night running and rerunning the data. This time, she had it right. Now came the problem of explaining her idea to Ryan and Paul. She started to tell Ryan as they left her father’s office, but had quickly thought the better of it and changed the subject. After all, it was an extremely dangerous proposition, but it was the only way to make it work.

  When she arrived at the engineering compound, Paul and Ryan were talking. “I’m telling you,” said Ryan, “you should have seen her. She basically told her father that she agreed with me. I’m glad she showed up.”

  “I’ll bet you were,” said Amanda grinning from ear to ear.

  “You know, I rarely agree with Tanner,” said Paul. “The reason being, well, he’s Tanner. But it sure is strange watching the two of you guys lately.”

  Amanda just smiled. “Well, you know that old saying. Stranger things have happened.”

  Just then, Tanner popped up from behind one of the consoles.

  “Speaking of stranger things,” said Paul.

  “Hey, lighten up, folks,” said Tanner. “You gotta have fun out here or you’ll lose your mind.”

  Ryan interjected. “Tanner, in your case, it’s already hopelessly lost.”

  “Be that as it may,” said Tanner, “I’m here with news for Red Riding Hood.”

  Amanda rolled her eyes. She hated when he called her that. Tanner continued.

  “I’ve run some tests on my idea for delivering the dispersion of all that mumbo jumbo of particles you talked about. And you’ll be glad to know that in a computer simulation, it worked like a charm. Please . . . no applause, everyone. Just throw liquor and women.”