“Al,” I said, “try and manipulate the membrane to direct those whatever-energy beams back at them. Make the membrane spherical around us.”
“Aye.” A moment later, Al said, “Way cool! I've hit a few enemy vessels with their own beams.”
Did Al just say way cool? What was the universe coming to?
“For what it's worth,” said Manly, “they have little luck deflecting their own beams. Odd.”
“How so?”
“They appear not to have prepared a defense against their own weapons.”
That was odd. I guessed they could be stupid enough to assume they were the only one capable of such tech. In war, you never assumed you were stronger, faster, smarter, luckier, or better equipped than your opponent. Not if you planned on surviving. I filed that factoid away. Berrillians were arrogant sons of bitches.
A series of major gravity waves hit us. Again, no real damage, but the waves were no joke either.
“Captain, a thermonuclear device has just impacted the membrane.”
So they were throwing everything at us, hoping to find a weakness. I hoped they were sweating really good.
“A large number of projectiles,” Al went on, “have been fired also. No effect on the membrane, and none penetrated it.”
If they were down to throwing sticks and stones. Maybe we'd seen the worst of their arsenal. That would have been nice. Yeah. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, right?
“Form, several enemy ships are firing lasers at us in the ultraviolet and wavelengths visible to humans.”
“Any speculation as to why?”
“They seem to have realized that those frequencies pass through the membrane. I should mention, Berrillian visual perception is geared more toward the high-frequency microwave end of the spectrum.”
“Al,” I asked, “would high-end microwaves pass the membrane?”
“Negative.”
They were figuring things out. Clever assholes!
“What's the range of Deavoriath vision?”
“Ah!” replied Manly. “I take your meaning. The Berrillians would recall that being ultraviolet. It is currently much wider, but they couldn't know that.”
Al cut in. “I don't take your meaning. What significance—”
“They have to be stressing about why the Deavoriath would make a membrane that allowed frequencies they couldn't see through.”
“The intensity of the micron lasers is increasing rapidly,” Manly said.
“Do they pose a threat to your hull integrity?”
“No. But they would wreak havoc with your people on Azsuram.”
“Al, send out a three-hundred-sixty-degree message. Let Sapale know everybody’s going to need mirrors.” She was going to think I’d cracked, but I knew she’d do it. Not that mirrors would do much, but any port in a storm, right?
“Wrath, what's the progress of your laser attacks?”
“Limited, but not insignificant.”
“And you, Al?”
“They have almost stopped firing those new energy beams. But when they do, I'm cramming them right down their stinking throats.”
Did he just say that? He sounded like a bad actor in a cheap Italian western. Still, beam deflection seemed to be our best defense so far.
“Wrath,” I said, “explain. How can the gravity waves shake the ship? Shouldn't they simply stretch and contract us?”
“Good question. They are aiming different waves, converging them at a desired target. That causes the disruption.
“Assuming the battle remains as is,” I asked Manly, “can you sustain your energy level long enough to destroy the fleet?”
“Assuming static combat, it would take us several months to destroy all these ships. My energy supplies are equal to the task, but I doubt the enemy would sit still and allow that. I estimate that if they cannot damage this ship shortly, they will retreat.”
No sooner had he said it, then that's exactly what happened. They broke off, assumed their previous formation, and slammed it into reverse. That means they popped into warp space and were gone.
Back on Azsuram, I sat at a table with Toño, Sapale, JJ, and a couple of our generals. Al was linked in, but I let Wrath go dark. His input could be unreliable, and I didn't need that. I had just returned from an info-dump run to the worldship fleet, updating them on the initial contact. Maybe Carlos and his boys could figure out what they'd hit us with.
“So,” I said, “we didn't win, but we didn't get our asses kicked either.”
“That's some consolation,” muttered Toño, “I suppose.”
“Ya think?” I gasped. “I'm kind of fond of my hide. Like to keep it a while longer, if it's okay by you, Doc.”
Sapale rolled all four eyes. Staring disaster squarely in the face, I was still capable of being Mr. Funny-Haha.
“I've analyzed the data you brought back,” said Toño. “I think those beams were some type of plasma projected at high speed.”
“What, like ginormous flamethrowers?”
He rolled his head back and forth. “I suppose you could compare them to that.”
“That's so cool,” I said, smiling like a kid at Christmas. “Cosmic flamethrowers! I want one.”
“I'll get to work on it as soon as I'm not killed,” responded Toño. Humor? First Al, now Toño. Man, my world was changing.
“We're tracking the Berrillians,” I said, back on task. “They're not headed our way, but they're not heading back the way they came either.”
“Meaning?” asked Sapale.
“Meaning they're not going home; they're just thinking. They'll develop a new strategy based on our skirmish, then they'll be back.”
“But, Dad,” said JJ, “now that we know who they are, why not attack them in warp space like Wrath talked about before?” He threw his hands in front of himself. “They'd be sitting ducks.”
I shook the idea off. “Nah, they'd drop out of warp. That trick would only work once. Plus, we’d force them into doing whatever it was they were going to do that much sooner.”
General Divisinar Tao, an immigrant from Kaljax where he was one serious military man, spoke. “I would rather force them into action rather than allow them time to improve their next attack.” He punched his fist into his palm. “Hit them hard, even the odds a little more in our favor. Let's get this done!”
“I suppose you're right,” I replied. That, of course, brought the biggest smile to JJ's face I'd ever seen. Validation over his dad. “How are we coming with putting reflective surfaces on everything in sight?”
Sapale waved her hands in the air. “Okay. I can't imagine we'll ever coat the entire colony. Key positions are covered. More will be soon.” She literally tossed her hands into the air. “Who knows how much is enough?”
“All right, here's the plan. I'll alert Amanda, then I'll attack the Berrillians in warp space. Wrath says they're circling us at about ten million kilometers. If we're destroyed, they'll logically scan the area for targets. They'll find Azsuram quickly, unless they're total lame-o’s. So they could be here in as little as a week, depending on their conventional drives.”
“It's always possible,” said Tao stroking his chin, “they'll not see the need to attack us. If they detect no signs of the Deavoriath, they might leave us alone for the time being.”
“Let's pray that's the case,” said Sapale.
“Old Earth saying, hope for the best, plan for the worst,” I qualified.
“If you and Wrath,” added Tao, “are removed as assets, we are facing rather lopsided odds that aren’t in our favor. Reasonably, ships of the size they possess could contain upward of five thousand soldiers each. I'd assume no less of a war-like race on a voyage of revenge. Once our paltry space-based defenses are neutralized, we're looking at an unwinnable ground campaign. Likely also quite short. Even if they never learn how to penetrate our membranes, they can shake us to pieces with those gravity waves.”
“We don't know exactly what their tech can do,” JJ r
emarked. “Maybe they create a lot of earthquakes but can't actually open our defenses.”
Tao nodded silently. “Let us hope that is the case. But with their high-speed plasma sprays, we could never drop our shields. Eventually, they'll find a way to get through, or they'll starve us out.” Tao looked at me. “With Wrath gone, there would be no possibility of resupply. Kaljax and the worldship fleet are much too far away to offer aid of any kind.”
“We have perhaps a year's worth of supplies in secure areas,” Sapale said, “assuming we face a siege.”
“That would be a year of misery ending in one of several unpleasant modes of our deaths. Hardly a desirable endgame to aim for,” Tao said with military coolness.
“With no better alternatives leaping onto the table,” she responded, “I'll take what little I can get.”
“Naturally,” Tao replied. “As our undisputed commander, it would be your only real choice. A man such as myself,” he pointed to me again, “or Jon, would prefer going out in a blaze of glory. Such an option is not the choice for a leader of her people.”
“Men and their flair for the dramatic. You know,” she said to Tao more as an accusation than a question, “it hurts when you're mortally wounded? No glory, no singing spirits of the Ancients, just searing pain before death.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not certain whether to respond or let the confrontation pass. He settled for a bow of his head and a folding of his hands on his lap.
“I'm outta here,” I said as I stood. “Sapale, I'll see you at home when I'm back from updating Amanda.”
As I walked to the vortex, Toño came up alongside me. “Might I join you?” he asked, pointing to the cube.
I raised an eyebrow. “Sure. It'll be a quick trip, but company is always a good thing.”
Inside, he asked if we might land on the command worldship so he could speak with Carlos. I told him that would be fine, if he was quick. He reassured me his visit would be brief, so I had Manly set us on our designated landing pad. With tensions being so high generally, our materialization set off a minor explosion of activity. Techs ran around like blind mice, and lights flashed everywhere. We hadn't made it to the hangar door when Amanda rushed in, breathing like a long-distance runner.
“What?” leapt from her mouth. “What now?”
I patted her shoulder. “Not to worry. Toño here,” I gestured to him, “just wants to touch base with Carlos.”
The relief was visible on her face. I felt her shoulder muscles relax like they'd melted. “Oh, fine. Welcome,” she said between breaths.
“Welcome?” I teased. “What, are we visiting royalty now?”
“Sorry,” she half-smiled, “I'm still not used to all this tension.” She leaned over and bear-hugged me. “It's great to see you.”
Wow, I had no idea she'd be that glad to see me. “Thanks,” I said uncertainly. “Nice to see you.” I looked behind her. “Where's Heath?”
She pursed her lips, glanced to one side, then replied, “Don't know. Maybe at home.”
Hmm. “Whose home?”
She stared into the distance. “You know, silly. His home. His and Piper's.”
Oh my! “So what? They reconciled or something?”
She shrugged. “Maybe you should ask him, all right?” She took hold of my elbow and began to lead me toward a lift. “We have more important things to discuss.”
“We do?” I didn’t know of any, aside from the report Al had already transmitted.
She pulled me to a stop and turned me toward her. “We have to have something more important to discuss. There must be a million matters more important at a time like this than a pathetic, failed love affair.”
“Failed, what? Nobody told me.”
“Maybe he mailed you a letter,” she said with obvious bitterness. “Me, I never see you enough. You live kind of far away, remember?”
What the hell? What form of bizarre conversation was I participating in? I guess she didn’t put that four-one-one in the messages she sent me on my lightning appearances, but why wouldn’t she? They were both extremely important to me—family. He was kin, and she was about to give birth to the next generation of my wacky lineage.
“You want to talk about it?” I asked as we began walking again.
She held my elbow like it was a lifeline and she had fallen into high seas. “No.”
“May I ask what happened?”
“You mean who dumped whom?”
“Err, well, yeah. Kind of.” What? Sue me. I was curious.
“Really?” she said, continuing to direct her eyes forward. “Humanity is on the brink of destruction, and you want to know the dirty details?” The lack of denial on my part indicated she should continue. She hugged the arm she was already clinging to. “You're impossible.”
“So I've been told. Repeatedly.”
“It wasn't working for me. There, I said it.”
“What?” I meshed my fingers together awkwardly. “Was it the boy-girl thingy?”
She slapped my arm. “What comes after impossible?” I shrugged. “Well, whatever it is, you're that. No, it wasn't the,” she intertwined her fingers, “the boy-girl thing.” She was quiet a second. “We lived in a pressure cooker. I was lonely, and he had wandering inclinations. It's a stupidly old and common tale.” She shivered. “I wanted to end it before the baby came. Closure, you know?”
“Makes sense.” I guess it did, but I wasn't really interested in clarifying the point. Women were impossible to figure out, and pregnant ones even more unfathomable. I might have ended up losing an eye.
“And Piper took him back? Just like that?”
The look she gave me. It was meaner than a junk-yard dog and more deadly than one of Manly’s laser bursts. It said, he’ll get what he deserves. I could give a shit, and, you didn’t just ask that, all rolled together in one angry blast. Memo to self: never piss this woman off. I was beginning to feel fortunate that I was facing an almost certain death right around the corner.
We'd arrived at the Noval Office. She swiped her ID over a screen and went in first.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked. Her voice was all calmed down. Whew!
“No. Look, I'm not staying that long. I don't know why Toño insisted on meeting with Carlos, but I'm about to buzz them both and tell them to stick a fork in it.”
“I asked him to do so,” she said without emotion.
“Huh? No way. How could you know we were coming?”
She flopped her head around, then said, “I asked it as a contingency. When it looked like you were leaving for maybe the last time, I wanted to speak with you.”
“Why didn't you just say so?” I tossed my hands up. “Pretty simple words. You know I'd come.”
“You pop up, upload a ton of data, and are gone in an instant. I didn't want to risk losing the opportunity. You might not have come back.”
“Come back? When?”
“By the time you went through our upload and saw my request, you might not have come back.” She dropped her face into her palms.
“Mandy,” I said pointing over my shoulder, “I gotta go get myself killed pretty quick here. I'm a little lost. Are we speaking in code?”
“Yes, of course. At least I must be.” She started crying.
WTF? Had I developed nauseating bad breath or volcanic facial pustules?
“Here's the thing,” I said leaning toward her. “I don't have much time. No time, really. If, maybe—”
“I couldn't let you go without telling you how I feel about you.” She swiped angrily at her tears.
WTF2 ? I started scanning the room for hidden cameras. This had to be some kind of practical joke.
“Okay, nice to know.” I started to stand. “I wish everyone felt the same—”
“I love you.”
WTF∞ ? “Uh, thanks?” Wow, lame response by any standard, even mine.
She covered her face. “Sorry. Leave. Go!”
“Mandy, you kind of
blindsided me here. I clearly don't know what to say.”
“Just go. I'm fine.”
“My opinion? You're unfine. Please talk to me.”
She blew her nose and shook her shoulders. “In the brief time we've worked together I've come to value your company more than that of anyone I've ever met. Look, I'm not a homewrecker.” She stopped and stared at the ceiling. “Well, technically, yes, I am, but I'm not, you know, like that. I mean, it's not my general intent.”
“Sapale will be glad to hear that.”
“Jon Ryan, I'm being serious and baring my soul. Don't you be…you!”
“Totally at a loss for words here, Mandy,” I replied, raising my hands in surrender.
She took a couple breaths and composed herself. “It's selfish of me, yes. But I needed to let you know how I felt about you. I know you're happily married and have no intention of changing that.”
“Did you know that when enraged, Kaljaxian women will suck your eyes out of their sockets?” I tilted my head. “Not cheating on that girl. I can tell ya that for certain.”
“I don't expect you to. In telling you how I feel, I didn't hope for anything other than to say it. I'd think less of you, in fact, if you did try and use my love as an advantage over my better judgment.”
What? I wasn't the one confessing my passionate love, she was! If I used her weakness to my advantage? OMG! I needed to go and definitely get killed. No desire to return to this kind of insanity.
“Mandy, your wife was assassinated, you fell in with Heath, and we face an impossible war. Rebounding to me—”
“I'm not on the rebound, bucko! I thought Faith was my only love. Heath was definitely a rebound. But, however childish I'm being in talking to you, it's not the same.” She snapped her head to one side and covered her eyes. “I think you'd better leave.”
If I stayed, I was a fool. If I left, I was an idiot. If I asked her to come with me, I was both. How did I always end up in situations like this? Seriously? I did nothing to encourage her. I never hit on her, or even flirted with her. She was my great-grandson's girl. Wow, that sounded bad. Creepy bad. When in doubt and in a pinch like this, I've found it was best to recall my extensive PR training at NASA from years back. Smile, speak in a confident and reassuring manner, and avoid specifics. Dwell on the obvious and stick to platitudes.
The Forever Fight: The Forever Series Book 3 Page 17