“Well, what do you say, Latt?” Terry asked with interest. “Will this thing ever fly?”
Latt sat down on the seat that Leroy had just vacated. “Structurally, I’m sure the engineers have got it right,” he began, running his hand over the partly equipped instrument panel absently. “And they have built the shape I recommended to simplify the tuning of the Inducers. But they just don’t understand what we are trying to achieve here.” He shook his head as he looked down at the floor, noticing a hunk of fur that had been missed by the clean-up crew. “They want to work on phasing each unit according to a variable sstress formula. That way, it could take years. We must complete the development of this prototype, so that we can move on to mass-production. I understand there are some very suitable fassilities, currently used to produce automobiles. They have a history of being converted to turn out thousands of ‘warbirds.’” Latt had watched some historical videos on the Second World War, and had been heartened by what had been done, so many years earlier. “We will need that many of these basic craft to defeat the Warrnam that are coming.”
“Don’t worry, turning them out by the hundred will not be a problem. But we have to solve the initial design and fabrication challenges first. I’d get you back on this, if I felt it would do any good, but our chief scientist assures me that the calculations are almost out of their capacity to formulate. He’s using one of the best computers in the country to help cut down the response time, but even with that advantage, each interrogation takes several hours to process. I don’t see what more they can be expected to do. As you are more of a technician, I have decided to go with the team leader’s latest recommendation,” Ed said regretfully.
“What’s that?” Latt turned his brilliant blue eyes on the co-ordinator of their efforts.
“He wants to analyse the field strength as the power is increased, using just one unit.”
Latt slammed his fist down on his thigh. “No! This is effectively what I did with Judy two months ago! There’s already enough experimental data to sset up the network.” He jumped to his feet and stomped over to Ed. “I was wrong to back out of this. I may not be qualified to calculate the obscure equations to generate the theoretical understanding those scientists want, but there isn’t time to go that route in any casse. They’ve proved that. They’ll never get around to tuning these Inducers that way, but I can do it by empirical methods using the exsperience I gained working on these things for four years, which is more than these Earth-bound university clowns will ever admit!”
“Hey, Latt! Isaac picked some of the brightest minds in North America.” Ed tried to pacify him. “They are just following standard scientific procedures. It takes time! It’s safer that way.”
“Safer? For whom? Maybe for them, in the short term. But not once the Narlavs arrive. You think my people on Rhaal will appreciate that? They are dying, and for what? So ssome traditionalist humans from Earth can feel proud that they followed correct scientific proscedure!”
“One scientist tried to cut corners,” Ed reminded him. “And his pet cat turned to jelly and smeared out on the walls. I can’t afford to have anything like that happen with our personnel. Funding would be cut, and there would be an inquiry.”
“Then I will–”
“Latt!” The shout from the entrance caught the fuming ‘man from Rhaal’ off-guard, and he stopped. There, ducking down so he could look in, one foot on the inner airlock frame lip, was Isaac Hardy. “Ed! Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”
Baynes nodded and left the others standing uneasily around in the interior of the egg-shaped prototype. There was silence for a while, then Terry walked closer to the front and looked out of the multi-panelled curved array of ‘portholes’ mounted there. He watched as Isaac and Ed paced towards the far end of the hangar. “I should’ve guessed Isaac would arrive in time to solve this one,” he muttered in admiration.
Latt stepped stiffly out of the experimental craft and walked over to the stripped-down remains of the Railcar. He disappeared inside.
“I’ve never seen Latt so animated, so demanding.” Leroy observed him leave, then joined Terry, watching through the adjacent pane.
“He’s changed a bit since I first met him,” Terry replied in terms of classic understatement. “He would never have tried anything like this then.”
Harold walked up behind them. “Just how soon does he think those aliens will get here, anyway?” He ran his hands through his hair, fluffing up this short curly head covering after it had been squashed by the helmet.
“From what he told me on Mars, I think we are fortunate to have had this much time to prepare.” Terry said gravely. “Of course, the variables allow for a wide band of possibilities.”
“See, I was right, Leroy,” Morton continued, trying to lighten the tone of their conversation a little. “You had better go on that date with Violet, before it’s too late!”
Stadt looked from one friend to the other, baffled for a moment. Then he broke into a grin, realising that Harold seemed to have the same hobby that he had been on the receiving end of from Ruth. He guessed how well it was received by the big guy, who, according to what Terry had heard from his usual source – the unstoppable Ruth, again – acted more as though he really wanted just to be adopted into the Morton family, as an uncle, a second dad, or even as one of the children!
Fraser shook his head ruefully as his Canadian friend passed him a small photo. He looked at it, and then at Harold, his eyes widening. Terry walked casually over and surreptitiously stole a glance, but Leroy noticed and looked around at him.
“Do you think I should, you know…?”
Stadt took the question as an invitation, and looked more closely at the snapshot. “If you don’t, I think I will!”
Fraser pushed him away as both his friends broke out laughing.
Finally, after several minutes, Baynes and Hardy started to walk back. As they climbed inside, they looked around for Latt. Before they could ask Terry, Leroy or Harold where he had gone, he returned, entering silently, quite close behind them.
Ed looked at Latt’s stubborn expression without revealing his own feelings. “Latt, Isaac has decided to move his team of scientists on to theoretical work on inter-dimensional travel. I have agreed that you would be the person best suited to getting this ‘Inducer’ aspect of the project back on track. Whatever facilities you need, just say.”
Latt nodded, his jaw muscles relaxing as he realised what was happening. “I’ll need fourteen thousand stress gauges,” he stated blandly, as if he were asking for a box of matches. “And I want Judy Brisson assigned as my assistant again. Oh, and one other thing; I can’t get the work done if there are any interruptions. No one else comes inside the hangar for a week. No one.”
Ed’s eyes widened, but he agreed readily enough to Latt’s demands. “You’ll have the supplies tomorrow,” he promised a little rashly.
Isaac gestured to the others to leave, which they did very quickly. Once he was left alone with Latt, he made himself comfortable in one of the pilots’ chairs and got the ‘man from Rhaal’ to sit beside him. “I’ve decided to accelerate the testing of our prototype Eliminator reactor; I believe we must take some risks, if we are to make any real progress. Tomorrow, I will increase power by three percent every half hour until we reach sixty. Then, if it looks good in the morning, I’ll ramp up to full power on Wednesday. It would only take a couple of days to arrange to get it shipped up here for installation, once the test is completed.” He stared out at the hangar, giving Latt time to comment; when he did not, Isaac cleared his throat and continued. “Remember that Ed hasn’t been through what we went through on Mars. Heck, I can’t really imagine how bad the Narlavs are; I didn’t escape what you lived through on Rhaal. I’m so sorry about my post-grads; I should have realised that they were way too theoretical for this.” He looked at Latt’s face. “What do you think?”
Latt turned and fixed his brilliant blue eyes on Isaac’s. “For a moment I th
ought that all was lost,” he admitted. “Then you arrived, like the cavalry.” He used Judy’s simile without conscious thought. “I still have an awful fear that we will be too late, but I will remember Terry’s example, when last I felt like this. This craft will fly! I guarantee it! Then, within a few weeks, we will start to make thousands of them!”
“Good man!” Isaac slapped him on the back, thinking that the ‘few weeks’ was a bit optimistic, wisely refraining from any criticism of the blinkered vision his brilliant friend adhered to. “But I think you did a disservice to us all with your modesty about your qualifications; the more I study your computerised data and gravity theory notes, the more I realise that you are more educated than any of us, me included.”
Latt’s expression finally changed to one of disbelief.
“No, I mean it! I want you to take a little time each day and go through the e-reports I’ll be sending you from Nevada. If you see anything that might lead to reactor problems, let me know immediately. I think that even Ed will learn that you are the real brains behind this venture, in a few weeks.” Technician! Isaac was amazed – and disappointed – at the lack of imagination showed in that mis-classification by Baynes.
Latt did not respond verbally to this assessment. “I am glad you came back today,” he said, his voice sounding unusually emotional. “I can’t sstop thinking about my people back on Rhaal. It is not enough to defend Earth, I musst return and save my people before it is too late! Everything else musst be put aside until this is achieved.”
Isaac nodded awkwardly, and with considerable admiration, for he was aware that, notwithstanding Latt’s emotional attachment to Judy, it was his decision to postpone formalising his own future with her until the coming battle had been fought.
“I understand – but as you have found out, we are still so technologically backward here compared to the Narlavs that just getting a defence fleet into space has already taken much longer than either of us would have liked. As for this inter-dimensional travel, and the Multi-Dimensional Distortion Mechanics that define it, well, they still elude me entirely.”
“We don’t need to figure that out before we face the attack, but afterwards, we’ll need to develop it, quickly, to go back to Rhaal. We won’t need it to be installed in the EDEM fleet, for the kind of battle that’ss coming – we’ll be fighting them in near space, overwhelming them by sheer numbers.”
“I hope not too near.” The Professor pictured the massive Warrnam, closing in on his treasured Earth, little EDEM craft buzzing around them, being blasted out of existence as ‘the flies’ attempted to penetrate their Shell fields. His attitude towards his entire home planet had become front and centre of his life goals, the contrast with his previous, almost subconscious dedication to the familiar portions of the world being dramatic in the extreme.
“We musst get near them. We musst sswarm around them – yes – just like flies.” The imagery was one the two scientists had shared previously, as they had discussed the defence of Earth many times before. “We musst destroy them all, as we won’t be able to follow them back if they decide to make a strategic withdrawal.” Latt did not mention that he had a wild idea about capturing one of the mighty Space Hammers, so he could go back immediately, find the survivors of his people on Rhaal, and rescue them all. If that is not possible, I will have to figure out the science of inter-dimensional travel, with Judy – and Isaac – to help me, once we’ve defeated them!
“You said they never do that – never retreat.”
“They are fighting for their very ssurvival. They may break their own warrior code. Remember, they were planning on using that secret weapon – whatever it is – to ssubdue most of the inhabitants of Earth, and that is not their traditional, bold kind of attack.”
“Perhaps they will not rush into the attack, then. Perhaps we still have enough time?”
“They must leave Rhaal before it kills them, too. They will not wasste any time. Every day, every week, of delay…” Latt stared at him despondently. “I hope we will not be too late.”
“We must act – and show confidence – as if we will not be,” Isaac reminded him. “Or we are already lost!”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Disaster catalyses: impulsive decisions reveal true character – Idahnian
Strangely reluctant to order their departure from the Arshonnan system, despite the number of hours that had passed since the destruction of the last Narlav ship and the lack of any real reason for remaining, Richard looked up from the studies he had been performing, at the dim orange star and the blue-green sphere floating, seemingly alongside it, and contemplated the startling revelations of the past few hours. Before their return to normal space, he had thought that their wanderings were about to be over. Now, with the news about the crushing defeat and wholesale slaughtering of the Arshonnans, and the destruction of their home planet, he was wondering if they would ever find any of Kirrina’s people.
Paranak had worked with great efficiency and dedication on the Shell Fields, not stopping for a moment until their full capacity had been restored. He had pointed out, when the others seemed unconvinced of the urgency of his actions, that they were unprepared for any further engagements, and that the incredible good fortune that had provided them with an advantage over the eight Narlav ships would in turn now belong to any new arrivals in the system. He insisted that the experiences they had been through proved that further contact with both Pakak and Warrnam was inevitable if they continued to travel around in the vicinity, searching for Arshonnans, for it was clear, at least to him, that his race controlled this sector of the Galaxy completely.
Richard had helped a little, but mostly he had alternated between watching the Narlav’s incredibly articulated arms in action, and monitoring Kirrina’s state of mind as she piloted the ship gradually out from the neighbourhood of the blue-green gas giant. She had moved them away until that sizable planet had shrunk to an apparent size equal to the now-decimated star.
Somehow his fiancée had progressed through her desperate depression, brought on by the discovery of Arshonna’s destruction, past her ruthless rage, brought on by the discovery of the savage senselessness of the Narlav attack on Arshonna, and finally, after their stupendously effective – and extraordinarily fortunate – elimination of the patrolling ships, she had settled into a state where her extremes had cancelled each other out, and she had been left drained of such intense feelings, but still in a fairly deeply desolate condition.
Richard sighed, his thoughts influenced no doubt by Kirrina’s intense sadness for her forever-lost home. He finally directed her to engage the Star Drive, and the poignantly familiar stars disappeared from his view, perhaps forever.
“I wonder, will we return here someday?” Kirrina murmured, aware of her effect on her fiancé, but unable to prevent it. She shrugged. “Why would we ever want to?”
Richard did not respond to her rhetorical questions, he just stood up and stretched. “Paranak, do you think we will find anything in these far reaches of the Galaxy, or will this Frontier Post Nine be as deserted as everything else we have discovered?”
“I do not understand you humans,” he responded obliquely. “Some must have withdrawn, to prepare for the inevitable revenge against my people which would be required in order to maintain their own honour.”
Richard considered this for a moment, pacing idly from one side of the Control Centre to the other. “You’re right, about not understanding humans that is, not about their reasons for withdrawing. Or at least about not understanding Arshonnans – the ones from Earth would probably have done just as you say, much as we did – but I don’t think these people, if they are like the ones on the record disk, would consider that revenge was justified in any circumstances.”
“The pilot seemed well-motivated by it,” Paranak responded.
“Yes, there was that one circumstance, but only because she had no alternative; she knew they would all die anyway, so she determined to take at
least some of the enemy with her.”
“Good warrior attitude, that.”
“Yes,” Kirrina emphasised. “Another female warrior for you.”
Paranak mimed hitting her on the side of her head, an indication that he now appreciated her for her very feminine self, not as a poor imitation of a male.
“Maybe,” Richard continued, heartened by this indication of improving spirits. “She wouldn’t have done it if she had found an opportunity to escape, that’s all I’m saying. I think she valued life too highly to throw it away on revenge.”
The Narlav struggled to capture the reasoning behind this, then gave up. “Don’t call it revenge then, call it protection. If they did escape to this Frontier Post, the Narlavs would eventually track them down. My people’s method of attack using asteroids shows that it is difficult, if not impossible, to defend a planet against an offensive carried out by beings unconcerned with the effects of their weapons. If your Arshonnans did not organise and prepare to put their enemies out of commission, and then initiate such an attack, the Narlavs would have rebuilt to a state where they had more than compensated for their losses, and fallen on them in such numbers as to complete their destruction.”
Richard nodded, understanding the logic behind the alien’s argument clearly now, but concerned about its effect on Kirrina. He leaned on the back of her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. “But ‘there are no significant asteroids in that system’; that’s what that pilot, Stuona, said. So they should be safe there.”
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