by Ken Pence
He would have to see the exact spread of the disruptor. The weapon’s field was not the proper tool to disconnect an explosive collar. He could not do extensive testing since this small a weapon would only have a limited number of shots. He finally had gone into the disposal room, stood before the small mirror and lined up the disruptor on an interior wall and, hopefully, his collar – where the explosive was located. He took a breath and squeezed the actuator. His collar came loose. He sighed and sat down. The ES base was 125 light years away. That was 59 days at this velocity. He had water and no food. He did not plan to eat Phlemm. He didn’t like them when they were alive…
There was a habitable planet nearby if he remembered. He directed the shuttle at that. He could reach that in a day. The dry planet was cold and dry. He landed and dragged out the bodies. He went to the drive unit and opened the compartment. Reaching deep into his mouth and pulled out two lamlee, he was going to use them as a bribe if needed. This would be better. He pressed the lamlee into the drive unit while thinking of going faster. He then carefully disassembled the large grid at the bow, took half of the mesh and placed it at the rear of the shuttle. He had purposefully made the grid cover twice the area it needed to be when he had devised this escape. He had had the Phlemm make the grid so it could be hand assembled so it could be adjusted easily for the tests. They had been very accommodating. It took a day and a half and, by then, he was faint and not thinking as clearly. The extra cabling he had was barely long enough.
The hatch had hardly shut when he collapsed into the awkward pilot’s seat. He lifted the craft smoothly off the planet and paused when clear. He could not determine his exact velocity so didn’t know how damaging the jump would be. He knew the higher velocity, over 698 lights, he could get – the smoother it would be. He decided to aim in the general direction of Bellatrix (ish). He knew it would not be exact so he would try it in shortest active period as he could use the first time. Hitting the drive after cutting on the field felt like he had rammed another vehicle.
Breathing felt good. His head hurt from the jolt but the vehicle seemed sound. The navigation system was having trouble with his location fix. It took a div before declaring a fix…nearly 1,000 light years. Way past where he thought, he would go. One more day to 68 Eridani seemed like an eternity. He was so hungry he even regretted throwing out the Phlemm bodies…
***
The political climate on 68 Eridani was much more favorable this time than the last time Rett had been here. The food proprietor well remembered the Earthers and had profited from an investment in trading with them. He had become wealthy. He treated Rett like royalty in spite of his lack of funds and disheveled appearance. He put him up in a tavern. He even had one bottle of grape juice that he sent him as a special treat. Rett was surprised at how the inhabitants had taken to the Earthers and how a legend was growing up around them. It was even claimed that they were working with the Exploration Service now but no one knew any details.
Three days later, Rett was awakened with some raucous yelling in the street. Rett regretted any interruptions even when he had nothing to do. There seemed to be an impromptu celebration.
“What is this about?” he asked an inhabitant.
“Have you not heard? There was a major battle at Gralon 3 between the Exploration Service and Earthers against the Allung Brotherhood. The Brotherhood was totally wiped out in the battle. Actually – this was supposed to be the second battle…the Allung lost both,” said the being.
“Where did you hear this? When?” Rett asked.
“I understand someone landed at the port and told the story. He even had video of some of the battle and all kinds of information about the Brotherhood. Lots of photos of captured and killed Phlemm. The individual had interviews with freed slaves. The Earthers went onto Brotherhood ships and freed slaves,” said the inhabitant who ran off yelling.
Rett paused but a moment and then started walking the long distance to the port.
***
The guards at the port were reluctant to let Rett enter – especially when he told them he wanted to see the courier who had arrived with the news about the Allung. A supervisor heard the commotion and came over.
“You are Tros are you not?” said the supervisor.
“Yes,” Rett said. “I would like to talk with the courier before he leaves. I have news for him to give to the Exploration Service.”
“Let him in,” said the supervisor. “The courier is in the Exploration Service and he is Tros also.”
Rett was surprised but grateful as he hurried to the area indicated.
He saw the Tros officer and approached him.
“I just escaped from an Allung Brotherhood planet. I used a modification of instantaneous transit technology. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
The courier took the information in stride and went over to small adjacent room.
“I worked with the humans on their first trip to Gralon 3,” Rett said when they were off to themselves.
“I know of you. Tell me about your experience with the Allung,” the courier said.
Rett explained about his capture and the secret vault of technology. He explained about the stealth approach he designed and its strengths and weaknesses. The courier listened intently.
“We need to go to Gralon, tell them and then I have to come back. They can spread the information,” the courier said.
“That is a long trip,” Rett said.
“Not any more…come with me. We will tell the locals. They will have no defense while I am gone.”
***
Rett looked at the ship with interest. He asked what velocity he transitioned to travel the 164 light years to Gralon.
“We transition at 978 lights. How far did you travel?” asked the courier.
“I traveled almost 1,020 light years,” Rett stated.
“In a shuttle? You would transition at 790 lights unless you stayed at that velocity for any time. Did you improve the drive?” the courier asked.
“I had two lamlee and killed two Phlemm guards,” Rett said.
“That is good,” the courier said in a typical Tros understatement as they jumped to Gralon 3. There was hardly a bump – a big improvement over the transition effect at lower speed Rett had experienced.
They approached the planet and landed rapidly. Rett was escorted to see Commander Castellano who happened to be on the surface.
“Well Rett…sorry about using names. I am happy to see you. Where have you been? What has happened? I will be quiet and let you talk,” Commander Castellano said.
…about time…humans prattle so, thought Rett. “The Brotherhood is preparing a large scale attack on this sector – especially here and Earth. I developed a method for them to approach you without being seen but I included flaws in its implementation to allow you to counter their approach. You will need your observers out of line with the planet. I suggest a minimum of two observer ships with communication to forces on each planet,” Rett explained. He went on to explain the modifications to their hidden weapon system and where the Phlemm got their information in the first place. Castellano stopped him when he came to the part where he learned about multidimensional translation.
“That was a Ylee. They look like a cephalopod from Earth. It used a translation box to speak Trade. Do you know where they captured it?”
“It was captured hundreds of years ago in a distant cluster. I have the general coordinates. It explained the multidimensional universe in a way I had never considered. I destroyed all the records and backup I could find because the Phlemm had all the background information to perform instantaneous translation across space. I made them think you were using stealth technology to approach. They think you have massive fleets here and on Earth and plan, I think, to approach behind a wall screen I invented. If they accidentally translate it will be at 698 to 700 lights, which may tear their ships apart. To return to where they jumped, they will have to do it again or use many smaller jumps,” Rett s
aid. “I damaged one of their frigates in my escape.”
Castellano turned to the ES courier. “Would you send a recording of all conversations to the frigate Captain leaving for your base? You have a general idea how you need to align, off planet, to be able to see an Allung approach? Good luck,” he said as the courier sped off. Castellano turned back to Rett. “You need to go back to Earth if you are willing. Are you willing to do that?”
“Yes. We need to go now. How will I go?” he asked.
“I will send the Osprey. My converted Allung battleship is ready for field-testing and it can stay here. I intend to use it as my flagship. It has taken three days to repair,” he said grinning.
“Ah…you built a time distortion enclosure…you have worked on reports for months then…” Rett said.
“Captain Andrew Williams will be pleased to see you,” Castellano said realizing once again, that Rett knew humans better than Rett knew any other aliens he had dealt with in the past.
“Yes,” Rett said, “He will.”
Rett Returns
Rett’s return was heralded with much grape juice and favorite foods. The Earth Regulatory Force took his recordings made from the new ES MemDexs and sent them to be analyzed while Admiral Kyger, Captain Williams, Tod Schroeder and several intelligence officers joined them. Steve was there with Shiv and Lee Post.
Rett explained the coiled space theory presented in the recordings of the Ylee captive. Lee Post became visibly agitated, like a nervous human, but Andrew got him to calm down. Rett explained the shortcomings of the stealth phenomenon he had given the Allung.
“You can approach and you cannot be seen unless the transition grid is not aligned with you. It is like you are walking forward with a shield held in front of you. You cannot see the ship behind the shield unless you are at an angle. You will have to be at a great angle if they decide to curve the grid frame more around the sides. The grid does not hide you unless you are moving. I told them they had to be going 698 to 700 lights in case they transition. A transition at that velocity is turbulent. It might tear apart a ship and they would travel about 2,500 light years, if your information were correct. Further distances, if they hold that velocity for any length of time. Their problem is they also cannot see you as they approach – until they stop.”
Andrew turned to Tod…”Yes – they will improve it unless we eliminate them. Ling was right. We cannot just stop them here or they will always be a threat. We need ships lying inactive throughout the system and we need to attack the Allung on their own ground. Lee – I think you have a few questions for our returnee. Go ahead but do not let him get too tired.”
Tod, Steve and the intelligence officers questioned Rett for hours with breaks to stretch and eat. They teased out important information on personnel and ship disposition that they recorded to arrange into a training disc for all ERF and ES personnel. They were cooperating fully with the ES in hopes that the ES would aid them when Earth was attacked. It appeared that the Allung would be a threat anywhere in the spiral arm. Defense of Earth would not be the answer – it had to be something radically different. They must find a way to stop the Allung everywhere. Andrew went to see Xilatoi.
***
“Thank you for seeing me, Xilatoi. I have some questions for you,” Captain Andrew Williams said.
“How can I help you, Captain?”
“You were with the Allung for a long time. You have told us much about their ranks and hierarchal structure. Are they based out of particular planets or sectors? You said their home planet was destroyed hundreds of years ago. Are there places we can meet their assembled ships?” Andrew asked.
“Ah. You intend to attack them on their home ground. That has never happened before in my memory. I anticipated that you might want to do that very thing,” he said.
Andrew grinned at the surprise announcement. “…and?”
“I just finished translating my notes on my new MemDex to your star charts. I have four locations where most of the Allung are sheltered. They have docks and barracks for their personnel at these bases. One base, described by Rett, is their main headquarters. They have hundreds of ships though and strong planetary defenses. They will also have many harvested personnel that will be flying suicide missions against you. These bases are impregnable,” Xilatoi said and transferred the information to Andrew.
“Thank you. Your information may be the most potent weapon in this campaign,” Andrew said.
Xilatoi bowed deeply and Andrew went to meet Admiral Kyger and his team.
***
“It would have to be a simultaneous attack or near so,” Brad said.
“It need not,” Andrew said. “We can attack the larger base and take the survivors to attack the next base if we have to. We would be weaker with each successive attack but we should attack the strongest first and then progressively weaker targets as our force is degraded.”
“Degraded…you mean when hundreds in our force have been killed,” Brad yelled.
“Yes…however you want to say it. If we split our forces to attack all the targets simultaneously, we won’t command of the situation. We have to attack each force with an overwhelming force of our own,” Andrew said. “We have to rely on the distance between bases to keep them ignorant.
Brad poured a couple of fingers of Jack Black and sipped a bit. “I agree but it all depends on LeiLei’s devices. If the Allung turn their slaves on us, we will have to face suicidal attacks on our fleet. Do you think we can liberate them from a distance – everything hinges on it? Our new weapons give us an advantage but their many slaves could offset that. They will throw innocents at us and we can never forget that.”
“We cannot let that slow us down either. They will not give quarter,” Tod said.
***
It has been five months and a week since the Sesstra had been captured. Years of preparation had been undertaken in Enclosures across Earth. The ERF kept its name but became a true fleet. ES and ERF forces trained together on several exercises and entangled communications equipment was distributed so that every squadron had some distant communications with their counterparts. There had been grumbling and demonstrations but Ling’s broadcasts showing the Allung had blunted much of the criticism. The population of the Earth was cooperating more than they had – ever.
The fleet now consisted of almost 600 ships. Two hundred of the ships were cruisers. They had performed battle simulation after simulation and computers hit a wall on predictions. There were too many unknowns. LeiLei and Steve had developed a broadcast system that seemed to disarm the explosive slave collars but it had a short range and different groups of slaves probably had different frequencies and unlocking codes. They might never know if it worked or not. It took about fifteen seconds with the collars they tried it on. There were some spectacular failures too. There seemed to be about a 25% chance that their attempt to unlock the collars would set them all off…not good.
***
The four principal Allung bases had been plotted as well as rendezvous points for fallback and go-to-hell plans. They couldn’t assume every plan would work out. The principle tenet of military plans is that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. They were going to hit the largest base first and subsequently, the smaller ones. The Exploration Service appeared anxious to destroy the Allung and it was increasingly hard to hold them in check. The liaison between the two services was continuing but tenuous. The ES commanders felt they had more experience and should control the battle plan. It might have fallen apart if it had not been for their new admiral, Umma.
Umma kept reminding his ES superiors that there had been no progress against the Allung until the Earthers – no offense – had come along. He threw the new weapons in their faces as well as the improvements to communications and defense. The few commanders that still grumbled were shown the Allung propaganda displays that the ERF was still producing. The Earthers had done more about the Allung in the last few months than the ES had done against them i
n their entire history. This Earthers success against the Allung brought about some envy and resentment but everyone conceded that nothing had been accomplished before.
The fleet was to approach from two different vectors with reserves lagging a light year behind. Small reconnaissance ships were to jump in to the target areas and go dark. They would use the entangled communication gear to transmit positions and disposition of the Allung ships.
***
The reconnaissance ship, Pathfinder, arrived at Saiph (650 ly) as the other stealth ships arrived at Mintaka (900 ly), Sheliak (960 ly), and Zeta Persei (750 ly) systems. All the identified bases for the Brotherhood were massive B class stars. The ships jumped into the systems and went dark except for their entangled communications that was relayed to the rest of the fleet. It would take some time to record the disposition of the ships and a battle plan could not be determined until those positions had been plotted. Lieutenant Itichero turned to his two crewmen and said, “Kuso…Hoberiba. There must be hundreds.”
“Still counting Lieutenant…computer says 635 and more coming in. I see 40 battleships, 120 cruiser class like the Sesstra, 240 destroyer and the rest transports and frigates. What are those three!” he exclaimed as three huge planetoids were at the center of their fleet.
“Well, I hope this is the largest collection of ships because we don’t stand a chance if all the bases have this many. Let’s get the word back. I don’t want to give our position away with another jump. Relay what you have…Kuso…Muzui,” Lieutenant Itichero said.