Meeting in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 3)
Page 20
Using his throat mic to speak and earpiece to hear, Lawrence Gregor spoke of this massive, artificial cavern and its purpose.
“This will be our safe haven. With the hundred-foot ceiling, we envision ten levels of living space, with the ground levels holding supplies and foodstuffs.”
“Water?”
“Subterranean aqueduct. Running from here to the river. Completely concealed. As long as the river flows, we have water.”
“Tight quarters. How many people do you see this cavern holding?”
“Right now, only about a hundred, fifty thousand. But we’re not finished. We plan on pushing back into the mountain, doubling the size of the current cavern. That should get us up to three hundred thousand non-combat personnel.”
“What about the combat personnel?’
“That’s a hard one. As we build up Trotzig, we are digging a network of catacombs. With hidden exits outside the walls. If they are forced to retreat, they will flee underground. From there, into the mountains.”
“That will leave the civilians defenseless.”
“Yes. But that is worse-case scenario. As you can see, we have foot-thick blast doors. Reidite. It would take days, if not weeks to cut through. Once sealed, the only way to open them from the outside is with massive amounts of explosives.”
“Then you are building a giant coffin.”
“Negatively put, Governor. Would you have us leave the Tolimarian people in the open? Ready to be rounded up for food? Slaves, starved and worked to death? I would rather die a quick death with my loved ones.”
“Each person must make his or her own choice.”
“Of course, Governor. We are installing giant hologram projectors. Concealing the doors. Retaining the image of the mountain face before we began digging.”
“That won’t hold the bugs long.”
“No. just more time. Time is what we are planning for. That, and, as we discussed, bleeding the aliens hard enough so that they will see us as a loss point.”
“Time frame?”
“We’ve hit a lot of granite. The digging is going slower than expected. It took us thirty days to get this far. That, on top of the fact that we couldn’t start until the walls were completed. So we’re behind. And we’re wearing out equipment. So, six weeks, two months for the expansion. We begin building the housing and storage this week in the front section. We should have livable quarters within a month.”
“Impressive, Lawrence.”
“Thank you, Mz. Brandt. But none of this could be done without your miners and equipment. Or your engineers. Without them, none of this would be possible. And Mr. Roth’s well diggers. Or Mr. Burkhart’s loggers. This is a team effort.”
“Be that as it may, you rode herd on all this, Lawrence. Got it going. Kept pushing.”
“Just copying you, Kevin.”
“’Bout time you city slickers learned something.”
Chapter 11
Onboard Griffin
“Well, Lassie. I’ve got a pickle. The executive suite is for Princess Analyn. The cabin directly beside hers is for Sir Mahajani. Across the way is for Master Varrini. That one there is the Faraday cage. This one here is yours. That means I bunk in the cage.”
“But, you are even more cluttery than my son. Every time we want a private meeting, you’d need to clean up your mess.”
“That’s my pickle. I was thinking. We make a good team, Lassie.”
“Yes,” Sue drew out the single word, guessing at where this was going.
“And, well, I think, we kind of like each other, you know.”
“And?”
“Well, I was kind of thinking, since we are getting to be good friends and all, well I thought that we could, you know, room together.”
“That’s how you pick up girls? Come up with some lame excuse?”
“Well, oh, you’re kind of special, being real smart, and good looking. And, well, I thought, that, well, we’d be a good pair.”
“Is that your idea of romancing? A good pair? Jeeze, Wrenchy. What a wuss! I was married. I have a kid. I’m not some blushing teenager. Gods, you’re such a tool!”
Mack gave Sue his best leer. “Well, Lassie, a tool doesn’t do any good just laying around. So, get to using it, girl.”
“Don’t you go all lecher on me, Wrenchy. Yeah, we’re friends.”
Sue chewed her lip and thought. “Two bunks. Opposite sides. One half of the room yours, one half mine. We’ll see how it goes from there. And privacy. I don’t want you walking into the refresher while I’m in there. Can you live with that?”
“Absolutely, Lassie!”
“And quit being such a junker. Keep all your mess down on your work bench.”
“Will do, Lassie.”
“And no wandering around in your undies, or less.”
Mack placed his hand over his heart and proclaimed in his most shocked voice, “Never!”
“And make your bed every morning.”
“You’re the boss.”
“Ok. We’ll try it. No funny business.”
“None, Space Scout’s honor.”
“I’ll move my stuff. You, get another locker for your stuff.”
Mack dashed to the cargo bay, mentally whistling a happy tune. Upon entering, he saw Krag, Keiko, Vidhee and Buster conversing with Master Varrini and Master Muknai. Walking up, he stood beside the silent Gopai and listened in.
“So, Vidhee, you’re all squared away with Wisdom Seeker?”
“Yes, Captain Marston. The Counsel for Synthetic Administration approved the creation of my third-level counterpart. It’s been installed and tested. And Captain Kakkarna has approved my stand-in. So, I am squared away, as you say.”
Mack noticed Vidhee, Buster and Keiko holding back, letting Griffin’s Captain lead the meeting. He mimicked his crewmates.
“One problem solved. Master Muknai, supplies?”
“Filled to the maximum, Captain Marston. We had trouble creating the right protein paste for your food replicator, but we managed. It might taste a little different. And you are going to need supplements. But everything should work fine.”
“Fuel?”
“We couldn’t do anything about your deuterium/tritium slurry. Sorry, Captain Marston. However, with more than three-quarters full, you should be alright. The Xenon gas tanks are all topped off. So you are ready, there.”
“Supplies, fuel. I know you can do nothing for our medical supplies. Elonian supplies?”
“In those lockers.” Master Muknai pointed to a newly installed bank of lockers next to the newly finished dwellings for the eight Royal Guardsmen and two personal maids.
“Do your people have everything they need?”
“Since your original plan is to rendezvous with Wisdom Seeker, whatever we missed will be there. So, yes, the guardsmen and maids are well supplied.”
“We’ve left Princess Analyn and Sir Mahajani to fend for themselves?”
“Sir Mahajani has been looking after the Princess since she was first getting herself into trouble. He will insure that she is properly cared for.”
“Did I forget anything?”
“No. that about covers my responsibilities.”
“Second problem down. Thank you, Master Muknai.”
“Now that I am done here, I have a yard to run. May Bashia light your way.”
“And to you, sir.”
Krag, Mack, Vidhee and Master Varrini watched the Yard Master walk down the ramp and into his domain.
“Master Varrini, are you ready? All packed?”
“If my bond-mate had her way, your ship wouldn’t be able to lift off. But, yes, I am packed and ready.”
“Munitions?”
“You have a five hundred rounds of gravity rockets, all assembled and stored in their load racks. We never got around to automating the loading, but it’s just a matter of swapping out the empty rack with a new one.”
“That will do, Master, Varrini. I think you.”
“And the chameleon suits. Everyone has one. Per Sir Mack’s request, he has possession of them.
“Great idea on the suits. I just hope we don’t need them. So, Mack, Master Varrini, is Griffin ready to go?”
“Right and raring to go, Cap. After our test jump, not a hair was out of place. My girl performed to perfection.”
“It is true, Sir Mack’s assessment is correct.”
“Buster? Vidhee?”
Buster and Vidhee froze and unfroze. In that blink of an eye, the two carried on their silent conversation at the speed of electricity.
Buster responded for the two of them. “We had spent seven minutes completely checking every electronic component and circuit in Griffin, Captain. Everything is optimal. We agree with Mack’s assessment. Griffin is ready and raring to go, Cap.”
“Wow. Seven whole minutes. Definitely a deep dive, Tinman. That means everything is hunky-dory, Cap.”
“Then we’re set. All we need is Princess Analyn and her entourage.”
Sometimes words spoken meet actions. The three Humans, two synthetics and one Elonian first heard, then saw, a military vehicle and a royal limo charge towards Griffin’s ramp, drop spikes and come to ice-shattering halts. Without waiting, the passenger door to the limo burst open and Princess Analyn jumped out, closely followed by Sir Mahajani.
The military vehicle hemorrhaged eight Royal Guardsmen who, in turn, raced behind their princess. All ten rushed towards and up the ramp.
“Take off!” Princess Analyn yelled, as her foot claws clattered on the ramp.
“Mack, Keiko, Move!”
The two raced to the bridge.
“What’s going on?”
“My beastly brother has succeeded in getting the Senate to vote for activating the Extreme Circumstances Clause. There are sixty-four Senate Guardsmen right behind us, tasked with taking your ship and arresting you.”
As she spoke, eight more military vehicles raced over the ice, dropped spikes and came to combat stops. As she described, sixty-four Senate Guardsmen poured out, formed up and began marching on Griffin. One carried a gravity gun.
Princess Analyn stopped at the head of the ramp, turned and glared at the advancing troops.
“Stop in the name of the Crown!”
One guardsman, more ornately dressed than all of the others, stepped forward. Holding his paw up, the other sixty-three halted.
“My Princess. By decree of the Senate, I have been charged with impounding this ship and taking its crew into custody.”
“Let me guess. Senator Sanjinan.”
“And five others. I have been decreed by the Senate to use force if the Humans do not comply.”
By this time, the eight Royal Guardsmen had taken up firing positions around Griffin’s bay door, their lances pointing at the sixty-four Senate Guardsmen.
“You would fire upon your Princess?”
“I have my orders. Stand down, so that we may enter!”
“Captain Marston?”
“Your Highness. I will not be the cause of hurt and death today.”
“Don’t worry, Cap. I’ve got this.”
“Buster? No one dies today.”
“Understood, Cap.”
Krag quarter turned just in time to see a fully armoured and fully armed battle android march towards the ramp. Stomping hard, Buster clanged the deck with every step. The sixty-four Senate Guardsmen froze in surprise. The morning sun reflected gold off of the pure white reidite of his diamond-hard armor. The guardsmen saw a golden mechanical child of Bashia descend the ramp.
Buster roared the roar of an African lion, only twenty times louder. All of the Elonian Guardsmen, Royal and Senate alike, shrank, hunkered down. At the same time, Buster raised his left hand and fired an entrapment net. It started as a ball, expanded and enveloped the guardsman holding the gravity gun. As the weighted ends boloed around the unfortunate Elonian’s body, pinning arms, legs and gun into uselessness, the self-adhesive net bonded to itself. The now incapacitated Guardsman teetered for a moment then fell like a chopped tree, crashing on the ice.
To finish his demonstration, Buster raised his right arm and fired his five-barrelled Gatling gun, spitting out two hundred rounds a second, digging a trench deep into the ice, in front of the Senate Guardsmen.
“You shall not pass!” Buster bellowed, again cranking his volume up to maximum.
No one moved.
“Captain, we are ready for lift off,” Krag heard through his cranial net.
“Thank you, Vidhee.”
“Mack, get us out of here!” Krag shouted to the cargo bay.
“On it, Cap.”
Buster backed up, guns still pointed, as the ramp closed. With a clang, and with everyone sealed in, Griffin lifted.
“Not the send off I was expecting, Your Highness.”
“No, Captain Marston. Nor I. Thanks to that brother of mine.”
“Every family has its squabbles”
“That is very true”
“So, now what, Cap?” everyone heard the worry in Mack’s voice.
“I’m not sure. Princess Analyn?”
“Wisdom Seeker. I need to sort this out.”
“Keiko?”
“I heard, Captain. On our way.”
“Really, Buster?”“A roar?”
“Did you like it? I thought it added style. And it did scare the stuffing out of those guardsmen.”
“That it did, Legate Buster.”
“And a line from an old fantasy vid?”
“Style, Cap. Style.”
“Vidhee, you need to straighten this guy out.” Krag jerked a thumb at Buster. “Mack has way too much influence.”
“Were my actions alright, Your Highness? It was the only thing I could think of.”
“Yes, Legate Buster. Your actions were, not only correct, but exemplary. Also illegal. That will need answering for. Vidhee, a ruling?”
“Legate Buster did break Elonian law on Elonian ice. However, his actions were in reaction to your royal order to take flight. Also, his actions were for the protection of his Den. Under human law, this might be legal.”
“That is correct, Honorable Vidhee. Human law allows for self-defence.”
“Thank you, Ambassador Suzume.
“And, no one was harmed.”
“That will go well in Legate Buster’s defense.”
“And now we are on our way to Wisdom Seeker.
Princess Analyn’s tail flicked high and continuously, an obvious show of controlled anger. “When we get there, I am going to have a good talk with Father and fix this.”
Onboard Heimdallr
For the first time in months, the crew of Heimdallr stuffed themselves with dreadnaught-quality food, drank cold beer and slept in bigger beds with clean linen. This morning found them again back in the galley, drinking fresh coffee and eating full breakfasts.
“What’s happening with Cencore?”
“No telling, Brooksy. Number Two seemed pretty high on this X-cannon. The bugs have the numbers. Maybe we can out-science them.”
“They better.”
“Hold.” Captain Scott listened through his cranial net and mumbled through his implanted throat mic.
“We’re wanted on Heimdallr. Company’s coming.”
The three bussed their table and headed back to their ship. As they arrived, they saw two men and a boy waiting. Brooks and Torres held back. Captain Scott stepped forward.
The one in uniform braced to attention and saluted. “First Lieutenant Hartman reporting to inspect Heimdallr, Sir.”
Scott returned the salute. “At ease, Lieutenant. You’re the engineer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And these two?”
“Civilians, sir. Doctor Henry McCauley and his assistant. Doctor McCauley is the Chief Operations Officer and Lead Engineer of the Gregor Shipyard. Dean Benton is his assistant.”
“Then you are here to find a way to pack ten pounds of flop into a five pound can.”
“Well, let’s get started. Lieutenant Brooks, please take these gentlemen on tour. Record everything.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Away from their private world of espionage, the three returned to formality and discipline. Captain Scott, Lieutenants Brooks and Torres entered Heimdallr.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain Scott.”
“Permission granted, Lieutenant Hartman.”
The tour and analysis took the better part of two hours. Captain Scott watched and listened as the two Master Engineers walked, measured, planned, argued and planned some more. A disinterested Torres just sat in her pod, fiddling with her control board, electronically wandering around.
“It won’t fit, Captain.”
“Why not, Lieutenant?”
“No place to put the fission generator.”
“You planned on installing a dirty bomb in Heimdallr?”
“That was the plan, Cap. But you don’t have the room.”
“Good.”
“Doctor McCauley?” Sue’s son picked up on the formality.
“Yes, Dean?”
“Mount the generator externally. On the hull, between the two engines.”
“Wait, what? Changing the aerodynamics?”
“Just a thought.”
“We wouldn’t be able to land in anything with an atmosphere.”
“No. With the X-cannon, the idea is that Heimdallr would be permanently stationed in space.”
“And we lose all or our stealth capabilities.”
“It is a good thought, dean. Let’s work on it.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I understand, Captain. Let me and the boy see if we can come up with something you’d approve.”
“No promises.”
“Understood, Captain. Thank you for your time.”
“Not at all, Lieutenant.”
“It sounds like the Doctor, I, and, of course, Dean have some designing to do. With your leave?”
“Dismissed.”
After the three engineers left, the three Heimdallr crewmates looked at each other.