“What about detection? If they have such abilities, surely they’ll get detected and we’ll lose some of, if not all, their strategic value.”
“Yeah, I also have an idea about that…” Chase replied with a smirk.
Chase arrived in the main engineering room. He quickly scanned the place, trying to find Yanis, and heard his voice resonating from somewhere past the quadrinium chambers. A moment later, he popped in front of him and saw his friend’s instant dismay.
“No, no, your presence here means trouble! Go away!”
“When did I ever make any trouble for you?”
“Okay, trouble isn’t the problem. But every time you show up, I must stop whatever I’m doing and do some ludicrous thing in an even more ludicrously short amount of time, and then I’m backed up for days catching up on my to-do list. So, nice to see you and all that, but we’re closed. See you another time, if you don’t mind.”
Chase grinned. “Well, sorry friend, but I’m here on orders of Captain Saroudis.”
“Of course you are…” Yanis let out a sigh of discontent. “Well, step right up then. How did my modified torpedo do on the battlefield? People come and go asking for favors, but they never report anything to me unless it blows up in their face. Well, not literally…”
“It saved both my ass and the planet’s. So good job!”
“Thanks, glad I could be of some assistance. Maybe I should mention that to the next Earthling woman I try hitting on. My torpedo saved the day. That’s a nice opener, right?”
“Good luck with that. But as for the torpedo, it indeed worked as planned, which explains my presence here yet again.”
“You want more of them?”
“Actually yes, it would be nice to have a few in reserve; but I’m here so you can help me build another contraption.”
“…I’m afraid to ask.”
“Basically, I need you to add an engine, including short-range jump, to a mine. Then I’d like you to shield it and mask its signature.”
“Why would you want…?” Yanis stopped mid-sentence and smiled. “Of course, so it doesn’t register as a mine.”
“Exactly.”
“You know, I always wondered why you’re a space pilot. Clearly your vocation is to think, design, and build stuff. You know that, right?”
“Yeah well, I love flying and blowing things to pieces just as much. Why not both create and destroy? For the former, I always have you anyway.”
“How convenient! But it makes sense. After all, I couldn’t fly a ship if my life depended on it so I won’t argue with you there. If I could, I’d probably come with you guys.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“Please tell me you don’t need this ready today.”
“No. We probably have a few days, but the sooner the better. And you’ll have to get in touch with Earth to obtain the nuclear warheads that will act as the mines.”
“Hello! Did you just say nuclear?”
“Yes. That’s why they need to be disguised as fighters.”
“And Captain Saroudis agreed to this? Do you have him under hypnosis?”
Chase rolled his eyes. “He didn’t agree at first, but I think he realizes that we don’t really have a choice. Plus, I made a compelling argument that it would be safer for the people of Earth if these things blew up in space rather than on their planet’s surface.”
“Can’t argue with that logic.”
Chase didn’t even try to hide his smile. It was like a kid announcing a perfect grade to his parents.
“Okay, Chase, but there is one problem. A technical one.”
“Which is?”
“Well, shielding a fighter or a torpedo is one thing, shielding a nuclear warhead and giving it an engine is another.”
“I sense some impending techno-babble I don’t really want to deal with, so let’s jump directly to the solution.”
“Basically, it requires much more energy to shield and disguise it as a simple fighter. That means more quadrinium and, last I checked, we were already running low.”
Chase sighed. “I know, it’s a gamble but we need to win the next fight, even if that means we won’t be able to jump the fleet or use the ships at peak performance. Both our and Earth’s survival depends on it. What good will our quadrinium be if we all die here in the next few days?”
“See, that’s exactly why I hate it when you come here. It’s always a do-or-die type situation.”
“Not really my fault.”
“I know, it’s just… It’s frustrating to do all these things that go against common sense. I mean, we learned so long ago to leave nuclear ordnance alone, and here we are using them the first time we’re backed against a corner?”
“I hear you; I don’t like this one bit. But I don’t see any alternative, do you?”
“No…I guess not. Anyway, back to the technical issue. I can maybe give you ten of these, but I don’t think we can do more. And they will have a short range. The maximum will be to the confines of this solar system.”
“That’s fine, totally in line with my plan anyway.”
“Also, the jump will be a one-off. Once the mine has jumped, it will have to detonate or stay there and look really mean at whatever’s coming.”
“Can you at least make it work as a mine in that case?”
“To blow up based on the distance of a foreign object? Yes, of course. It will be its primary function anyway.”
“Yeah, but I would love it if it could not detonate based on a list of signatures I will provide…”
“I see, a smart mine.”
“Exactly. It will blow up for anything but Earth and Alliance signatures.”
“Alright, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“Great, I’ll leave you to it. I have to prepare for another mission.”
“Do I even wanna know?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Alright, good luck then.”
“Thanks, Yanis. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“I’d sleep,” he answered brightly. “I’d sleep without you. Think about it all the time.”
“We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”
“Yeah…”
Unfortunately, that seemed like sooner rather than later. Chase clapped him on the shoulder and returned to his quarters. With so much that was uncertain, and so little resources to accomplish much of anything, Chase could be thankful of only one thing.
There was a plan brewing in his head. And on that…he could be certain.
16
Chase crashed into his bunk bed, almost smashing his skull against the gray wall. Another eventful day, he thought. But he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was still racing almost obsessively about how fast things were about to hit the fan. In a matter of days there would be another, much bigger attack on Earth. Fortunately the mine ships, if used properly, should inflict a considerable amount of surprise damage early in the fight, but he still needed to find a few more aces in the hole—something to turn the tide of battle, should the mines, ships, and orbital defense satellites prove insufficient. After all, they would be lucky if three of the satellites were even ready in time. It would be another two days before they could test the first one, and that would be without shields.
For the next two hours he couldn’t think of anything except combat and strategy. Time continued to slip by at an alarming rate, until he finally said aloud, “I need something to distract myself so I can fall asleep.”
As if on cue, his personal communicator started to beep. He threw the video to the wall in his quarters. It was Commander Kepler.
“Hi, Chase. I wanted to call you earlier, but it was a long debrief.”
“Same here. I’ll have to tell you about it. We thought of a new weapon.”
“Really? Cool. Something I can fly as well?”
Chase couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. And I’m afrai
d it’s not flyable, unless you want to blow up.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Where indeed? I’m glad you called. I can’t sleep; my mind is racing.”
“Mine too. I’m afraid. I know I shouldn’t be. I’m a seasoned pilot; been in battles my whole life. But the fate of the planet is on my shoulders now.”
“Our shoulders.”
“Yeah, you know what I mean though.”
“Why do you think I can’t sleep?” he chuckled. “And technically, it isn’t even my planet, so I totally understand how you feel.”
“We should do something about that. Feel like taking a trip down here?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I thought, since we can’t sleep anyway, maybe we could watch a movie.”
“A movie? Oh—those recreation things you told me about. Any one in particular?”
She grinned. “I’m sure I have something that fits. So what do you say?”
Chase considered it. While his mind rejected the idea of wasting precious time with something as trivial as a movie, he wasn’t coming up with any good ideas anyway. Maybe he needed a break, and the thought of spending time with Sarah was a very pleasant one.
“Yeah okay, sounds like fun. Should I bring anything?”
“Nope, I have everything needed in my flat. Just get down here. I’m sending you my building’s coordinates. Just land on the top and I’ll wait for you there.”
“Sounds good. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have anything to eat, would you? I just realized I didn’t eat anything all day.”
“Same here. I just ordered some food. It will be here soon.”
“Good. See you soon, Sarah, and thanks for the invite.”
“No problem. You let me fly a ship in space today, well, technically yesterday, so it’s the least I can do.”
“Chase out.”
He jumped out of bed, took a quick sonic shower, and changed clothes. Before he really thought about what was happening, his fighter was about to enter Earth’s atmosphere.
The sight of Washington at night was breathtaking; all those tiny lights, signs of life in the middle of the night…It reminded him of his own planet. At least, the planet he grew up on. Because if Aphroditis was right, he didn’t know his real planet, Furya. The second he’d found out, he’d looked it up in the ship’s computer, eager for a visit, but apparently, it had been destroyed a long time ago.
A signal alerted him that he was about to land on the building, and he slapped his face to wake up. No time to think about that now. He had to save this world.
The second he turned off the systems and opened the hatch, he saw Sarah waiting for him on the roof. She was wearing very different clothes—a snug black dress that revealed the shape of her body. He felt silly in his training uniform, but they hadn’t really had time to pack before all hell broke loose in his part of the universe. He made a mental note to acquire new, less formal clothing the first chance he got.
“Hey there,” she greeted him cheerfully.
“Hello, Commander.”
“I thought we agreed on Sarah.”
“Yes, of course. Sarah.”
He smiled at her and noticed she was looking at the box he’d tucked under his arm.
“What’s that?” she asked as he extended it.
“We talked about food, and I thought I’d bring you this from the ship.”
“That doesn’t answer my question now does it?”
“Sorry.” He laughed nervously. “It’s a food synthesizer. It basically creates food.”
“But I thought I told you I had taken care of that.”
“Yeah I know. It’s just in case we run out of food, or for you to use another day.”
Her face brightened. “I see…a gift then? You brought me a replicator. That’s so cool.”
“What’s a replicator?”
She then went on about yet another movie in which there was similar technology to what he’d brought.
“You didn’t have to offer me a gift, but that’s very sweet of you. Now come on, let’s get down to my flat and watch some good old-fashioned Hollywood cinema.”
“What’s Hollywood?”
She chuckled and gave him a brief background on the entertainment industry on Earth. Movies, television, theater…the works. It was fascinating to Chase how prolific Earth was in these matters, inventing stories to transport their minds to other places and feel good about forgetting their day-to-day life. It was very different from what life meant where he came from. Sure they had recollections of old tales in their society too, but they were mostly of a historical nature. They had books and music as well, but this cinema thing was something he didn’t know about. Maybe it was something his civilization once had. But the last few generations had been so difficult with the war, that it most likely had become a lost luxury.
They quickly arrived at her flat. The place was huge compared to his quarters; it seemed to have far more space than one would need just to sleep. She gave him a tour, showing him all the different rooms. The kitchen, for example, was a room where food was prepared. This concept was too strange for him and made him laugh. Food was dispensed via the synthesizers; there was no need to pick up different elements and mix them together. It seemed like an inefficient use of time.
They ended up in the room she called the living room, and sat around a table with multiple white containers with red temples printed on them. As if he couldn’t get more confused, Sarah handed him some wooden sticks. Bewildering, yes. But there was a very pleasant aroma in the room, something he had never smelled.
“What are these sticks for, and what’s smelling so good?”
She laughed. “Our food, silly. This is Chinese.”
His mind raced. “Isn’t China one of the countries on this planet?”
“Yes, yes it is. And they make a typical food from their region. You see, on Earth we like to share each region’s food. Recipes have evolved over the centuries and globalization opened up all sorts of foods from different parts of the world.”
“That’s very interesting. And this is Chinese food then?”
“Exactly! It’s one of my favorites, so I thought we could share a meal and you could discover it as well.”
“That’s very thoughtful…” Chase eyed it warily. “I’m not used to food that releases such a strong smell. Our food plans are mostly about providing exactly what the body needs, with subtle flavors added for personal taste.”
“And that gift you brought me…is that what it makes?”
Chase nodded. “Yes. It will prepare food almost instantly, and it will have all the elements the body needs.”
She looked skeptical. “Hmm, the technology seems interesting, but I wonder if it takes away the pleasure of eating different flavors like we have on this planet. Here, let me show you—try something I ordered.”
“Ordered?”
“Well, since we banished the monetary system we can technically acquire food more easily, but it’s had some adverse effects on our way of life.”
Chase frowned. “How so?”
“Well, many things like restaurants were transformed so people could get food. But if people want particular types of food cooked for them, it isn’t so easy.”
“Interesting. Can you cook?”
“It’s not one of my best skills, I’m afraid, but I’m very good friends with the owner of the Chinese restaurant and he still lets me have some of my favorites now and then.”
Chase’s stomach made a churning noise and they both laughed.
“Looks like all this talk of food made you hungry; let’s dig in.”
Chase looked back and forth between the containers and the sticks. “Are you trying to torture me? Because my training might kick in and then who knows what I’ll do.”
She giggled. “I see you don’t know how to use chopsticks. I should have known. I’m sorry. I take these things for granted.”
She tried to show him ho
w to use the sticks, but some skill was involved and it wasn’t going very well. Eventually she took them from his hand and went to the kitchen.
“I’m going to get you a fork for tonight; it’s much easier to master.”
He flushed. “Thank you.”
Now that the containers were open, the smell was almost intoxicating. When Sarah came back with a fork, he dug in. His first bite was something he didn’t expect; it was a small explosion of taste in his mouth. He chewed slowly and swallowed.
“So,” she asked tentatively, “how is it?”
“This is incredible!” He could barely contain his excitement. “What is it?”
“I believe you tried the chicken with cashew.”
“What’s chicken?”
“It’s an animal from this planet.”
An animal? Chase gulped. This beautiful woman had fed him exotic flesh. While he’d heard of the concept before, he’d always found the idea repugnant. But now that he’d tasted it for himself…
“I…I feel a little strange about eating an animal.”
“I’m so sorry! Are you a vegetarian?”
“What’s a vegetarian?”
“It’s a person who doesn’t eat meat.”
“Well, I guess we’re all vegetarians in the Alliance.” Then he said cheerfully, “But I must admit this food has an incredible taste; I’ve never had anything so good in my life.”
“I’m glad. Try not to think about where it comes from; it’s completely natural here to eat flesh.”
“I see. And what is it you are eating…?”
“Sweet and sour pork. Wanna try?”
“Yes, please.”
The flavor of the pork was completely different but equally delicious. It was coated in a sauce that felt both sweet and sour to the tongue. It made him salivate even more and he wanted to try everything that was on the table. The Cantonese rice was also very good; it contained only little bits of flesh. Before he realized it, he was tasting from each container, be it chicken, rice, duck or pork. It was all delicious.
“Should I put on the movie?”
“Yes, sure.”
She grabbed a plastic device on the table and pushed a few buttons. The next second, a nearby monitor sprang to life and what she called the “movie” started.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 22