“No, he only had time to feed me the data,” Don answered.
“What about the other formation?”
“There’re two of them. One’s taken up a position around the incomplete AGC…”
“Yes, that we knew. But you said there’s another?” Jack asked impatiently.
“The other,” Don continued, “is bombarding Alpha’s colony in this system. It’s on the Earth-like planet near the AGC and has been completely wiped out; there are no survivors.”
“Shit!” Jack said as he looked straight ahead, staring at nothing in particular.
“Captain.” It was Beta’s voice.
With forced calmness, Jack answered, “Yes, go ahead.”
“We’ve come to a decision,” Beta said.
“Good, we need to discuss what can be done.”
“Captain, there will be no discussion. There are no choices.”
“I don’t understand,” Don blurted out.
“You need to understand the situation,” Beta said with a hint of condescension. “Our colony has been destroyed and there is a small but deadly contingent of ships in this system waiting to attack us. Our only option is to try to escape. But, please do not worry, we will take you with us.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Don nearly screamed.
“We have a major population center in a system one-hundred-seventy light years from here. It’s listed as star HD 10180 in your catalogue; you will be welcome there.”
“We have to get to Earth first!” Don pressed. “After that you can go wherever the hell you want.”
“Beta, we need you to explain,” Jack added.
“We can’t take you there,” Beta replied tersely.
“I’m sure your ship can travel faster than theirs,” Jack shot back. “It should be possible for you to take us home.”
“As you are well aware,” Beta said, “they will be traveling along the same trajectory that we would follow. There’s nothing to stop them from simply attacking us when we try to pass them. Plus, in the unlikely event that we did get you safely to Earth, it’s a certainty that they would then follow us to our final destination. We’d arrive only a matter of days ahead of them. However, if we go directly to our planet, we’ll be travelling a hundred-seventy light years. Their fleet, however, by going to Earth first will end up travelling a total of two-hundred-forty-one light years. In terms of arrival time, we’ll get to our planet seventy-one years ahead of them. That will give us enough time to prepare.”
“Prepare for what – an evacuation?” Don said; his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“If that is what’s required, then yes,” Beta replied firmly.
“Wait,” Jack said firmly. “What about those ships you originally offered us? We could still use them to get home on our own.”
“That is correct,” the alien replied. “However, even with those engines, you would be travelling somewhat slower than them. In other words, you would arrive at Earth after their attack.”
“How long?” Jack asked.
“One to two weeks.”
The bridge was silent. Kate had long since given up working at her terminal and joined Don in staring at Jack. He knew they needed him to come up something. But his mind was empty. The silence lasted long enough for Beta to speak again, “Captain, we will of course, help you however we can. If that means you want the equipment to go back to Earth, we will give it to you. However, please understand that your crew’s chances of survival are vastly better if you come with us. It would be a shame if your species went extinct.”
Jack just sat there speechless. It wasn’t anger so much as disbelief that filled his mind. The alien was speaking about the end of humanity as if it had already happened – something he simply couldn’t accept. He took a deep breath and replied, “I don’t see much of a choice, Beta. We have to go back. At very least, we’ll be able to help them rebuild.”
“I understand your loyalty. But remember what you observed on G3-Alpha. There will be nothing to rebuild.”
Desperate to change the subject, Jack quickly asked “What is your ship doing right now?”
“For the time being we are still accelerating toward the outer reaches of this star system. It appears their ships have stopped pursuing us and are joining the others near the AGCs and our destroyed colony. They likely believe that we need to use the device.”
“Won’t they just follow you when you run for your other colony?” Don asked. He took a breath before adding with an edge, “You won’t have your sixty-four year advantage.”
“There are only about twenty ships left here. Their past attacks tell us that they won’t go after as big a target as our planet without their full fleet. As a result, we believe this contingent will reunite with the main group near Earth before coming after us.”
“Damn you!” Don shouted.
“Captain, please consider your options,” Beta said, completely ignoring Don. “We will need your decision within an hour. I will contact you then.”
The bridge was silent. Don and Kate just stood there in shock. Jack turned away to try to think, but instead found Kurt and Nadya standing at the bridge’s entrance.
“How much did you hear?” he asked.
“All of it,” Nadya replied.
“What do we do?” Kurt asked.
“We need to go back to Earth,” Jack said softly, “but…” His voice trailed off as he thought about the possibility of finding their home incinerated. Anger grew within him as if the Earth had already been destroyed, then ebbed as years of training took over and pushed the thought aside. There had to be an answer; there always was.
“But what?” Don finally asked.
Jack looked at him. The enemy’s strategy was obvious; it was something he would do if he were laying a trap. “It’s likely they’ll leave a small contingent behind, near Earth waiting for us. If we go back, we’ll be killed before we ever see them,” he finally said.
“What are you saying?” Nadya asked.
“I don’t know,” Jack answered as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I need time to think this through.”
“Time? Are you actually thinking about running with them?” She said loudly.
“No Goddammit!” Jack shouted. “There’s no way in hell I want to live like some sort of specimen or pet of theirs. I’d rather die back home! But…” Jack let his words drift away again. There was no ‘but.’ There were no other options. He took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone, “But I can’t consign this entire crew to certain death. If nothing else, someone has to survive.”
“We’d be the last bit of humanity,” Don said softly.
“Shut the hell up!” Nadya shouted at him. “Just shut up. Nothing’s happened yet!”
“Jack,” Kurt said softly, “there’s got to be something we can do.”
Jack just looked at each of them. They were his friends; even Don. He didn’t want to see them die. But would they really be alive if they went with Beta? Their lives would have no meaning. Either way they didn’t have a future. He simply said, “Just give me a few minutes.” He walked to the exit and was thankful that Kurt and Nadya let him pass without saying anything. The frustration building within him transformed to physical pain as he made his way down the hall. His stomach felt like it was splitting open. He got to his office and closed the door quickly before finally releasing his anger by pounding the wall. It didn’t do anything but move the pain from his gut to his hands. Somehow, though, it helped and he punched it again. He couldn’t believe there was nothing they could do.
Jack sat on the edge of his desk and stared at the wall. He’d managed to dent the sheet metal in several places. His mind, though automatically fell back on an old habit: looking for patterns. His fist marks made a tight semi-circle, but the dents weren’t evenly spaced. It wasn’t the shape that caught his attention though. It was an act of simple analysis. He realized what he always knew: anger and frustration served no purpose. Despite their
desperation, they needed to step back and approach this as any other puzzle. It was the only way they’d find the solution.
He got up and rushed back to the bridge. The four of them were still there, and looked quietly at him as he entered. They could have been talking and stopped because of his arrival, but it didn’t matter. “Don,” he said.
Don looked to him without saying anything.
“You said Alpha sent you all of his data on the enemy ships.”
“Uh, yes.”
“Good, is it in our computer system?”
“Yeah, I finished loading it earlier.”
“Computer,” Jack said, “give me a tactical display of the enemy formations. I want a wide field view showing their course starting from when they first entered the system.”
The screen displayed a diagram with several white concentric circles surrounding the system’s primary star. Each was marked with increasing distance from the star in increments of twenty Astronomical Units. Three closely spaced, green lines dove in from the right. Near the two-hundred AU mark, one gently pulled away and followed a path directly into their earlier ambush: it was the wave of ships they’d successfully engaged. The other two continued together for another forty AU until the they diverged. One swung past the central star before heading off to his left. The other, however, swept in to attack Alpha’s colony.
Jack just pointed to the screen and said, “There. They stayed close together until they were well into the system. It wasn’t until a hundred fifty to two hundred AU that they spread out. It’s the same thing they did before. That’s where we’ll have to attack.”
“When they’re a couple hundred AU out…” Don said thoughtfully.
“But how?” Kurt asked.
“It’s outside the main part of our sun’s Kuiper belt. We won’t have anything to use for shrapnel,” Nadya said.
“We’d need something way more powerful than last time,” a voice said.
Jack spun around to see Palmer standing just behind him. His first officer didn’t look near a hundred percent, but that didn’t matter right now: the man had a good mind for tactical situations. “Yes, but what?” Jack asked in response.
“Wait, I might have…” Don started, but was cut off by Alpha’s voice saying, “Captain.”
“Alpha!” Jack said with obvious relief. “What happened to…”
“Simply put, the others did not approve of my actions and do not want me making decisions that affect others again. They don’t know I’m speaking with you right now, so we don’t have much time to talk before our communications will be terminated. It has been decided that we should leave now.”
“Wait,” Don said.
“There is no time,” Alpha said tersely. “The enemy fleet near the AGC appears to be changing position. They’re coming after us.”
“No, Alpha. You need to listen!” Don shouted. “What would happen if you activated the incomplete AGC?”
“I’m sorry but there isn’t any time for questions like this right now. We can discuss the nature of our devices some other time.”
“Alpha, please,” Don begged. “This isn’t what you think.”
There must have been something in Don’s voice that caught the alien’s attention because he suddenly said, “Without another AGC on the other side, we won’t be able to anchor the space-time folds in place. The connection will be unstable. Simply put, the two folds will touch and then immediately snap back to their original positions.”
“And that ‘snap’ you’re talking about,” Don continued, “will release an immense amount of energy, right?”
“That is correct,” Alpha replied with what Jack swore was a hint of curiosity.
“What’re you talking about?” Palmer asked.
“An explosion,” Don answered. “But, if I’m right, it’ll be unlike anything we’ve ever imagined.” He paused for a second, and then said, “Alpha, will that energy release be on both sides? I mean here and wherever the AGC managed to connect us to?”
This time there was a noticeable pause before Alpha answered, “Yes, that is correct.”
“How powerful are we talking here?” Jack asked quickly.
“Anything within five AU will be destroyed,” Alpha answered solemnly.
“That’s over seven-hundred million kilometers,” Don said in awe.
“To be clear, there will be an explosion,” Alpha continued, “but the greater devastation will come from a short, high amplitude gravitational wave pulse. Its high frequency components will disrupt the physical structure of anything in its path. In the case of ships, it will cause their hulls to break apart.”
They quietly stared at the map. Kurt broke the short silence, saying, “Alpha, what would that do to the planet with your colony here?”
“It’s not very relevant. All of our people in this system have been killed.”
“But what about...” Kurt started, but Jack cut him saying, “Alpha, can you trigger the AGC?”
“The only way would be to try to go through it.”
“Is that possible?” Don asked. “I mean; would it be stable enough to actually go through and get somewhere?”
Again there was another pause before Alpha replied, “Yes. But in order to survive, you would need to be moving very fast. The connection will only last for a matter of milliseconds. And even then, one would have to be moving fast enough to avoid the energy pulse on the other side.”
Jack just smiled at Don: they had their answer. “Alpha,” Jack said calmly, “I think we have an idea that will help both of us. First, am I correct in assuming that this AGC will move us forward in time; from our perspective?”
“Yes,” Alpha said.
“Then, the question is, can we make sure we come out near the enemy fleet’s future location?”
“I can already see what you’re proposing. I will do what I can from my side to program the device. When Beta contacts you, tell him you’ve decided to return to Earth anyway. Ask him specifically for two more of the engines that we attached to your IPV. Their extra power will give you a chance. Go straight for the AGC and do not try to contact me – that will tip the others off to what I’m doing. I will call you when I can.”
“Thank you,” Jack said.
There was no response from Alpha.
“What exactly are you proposing?” Kurt asked.
Jack smiled as he answered, “If they can control the point in space where this AGC connects, then it’s possible we can defeat them.”
“How?” Nadya asked.
“Remember that in this direction, the AGC’s are moving us forward in time. Earth is one-hundred-fourteen light years from here. It should be able to connect us to a location near the fleet, at a point in time a hundred-fourteen years from now – just before they enter our solar system. There’ll be no way for them to expect this; plus, they’ll still be close together…”
“And the explosion from the unstable connection will destroy them,” Don said, finishing Jack’s thought.
“Exactly,” Jack replied. Turning around, he said, “Palmer, I need you to...” but stopped as he realized the man was gone.
Don continued, “We’ll have to be careful where we come out.”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked.
“If the explosion is as big as Alpha says, then it’ll disturb the orbits of any nearby Kuiper belt objects. We can’t have them randomly tumbling into the inner solar system.”
“You’re talking about potential comet impacts with Earth, aren’t you,” Jack said.
“Yes. Earth, Mars or any of the mining colonies.”
“But we have defenses for that,” Nadya said.
“For one or two, yes. But here we could be talking about hundreds of fragments,” Don answered.
“OK, then I need you to review our solar system’s charts,” Jack said. “Find me a spot along their inbound path that minimizes risk. Take whoever you need and get this done immediately. You probably don’t have much time.”
/>
“Got it. I’ll get back to you in a few minutes,” Don replied as he left the bridge.
Jack looked back at the map, but the ship shuddered before he could put his thoughts together.
“Captain,” Alpha said.
“Yes?”
“Nearly all of the enemy fighters have positioned themselves directly between us and the AGC. I don’t see how you can get through anymore.”
“That could complicate things,” Jack answered.
“Jack,” Nadya called out.
“Just a second,” he replied curtly.
“You should consider Beta’s offer to join us,” Alpha said.
“There still may be a chance,” Jack said. “Alpha, you said they’ve taken up that position expecting your sphere to go for the AGC, correct?”
“That seems likely.”
“Then most of them will break formation when you leave. They’ll try to pursue you. That’ll improve our chances.”
“Jack!” Don called over the comm.
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve found a region that might work. There’s a gap just beyond the outer edge of the Kuiper belt, but before a cluster of sub-Pluto sized scattered disk objects. It’s relatively clean and about two-hundred AU out from the sun.”
“Good work. Send the data to the screen here.”
“It’s on its way,” Don answered.
The ship shuddered as Alpha said, “Something’s come up here. I’ve recorded Don’s data. I will try to contact you again later.”
“Jack listen!” Nadya shouted.
“What?” he answered with exasperation.
“The shuttle bay door is open.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Here look,” she said, pointing at a terminal near her. “The IPV’s shuttle bay door is showing as open.”
“Is it an error? It was damaged earlier.”
“Beta said they’d fix it.”
“Kurt,” Jack called out. “Get down there and confirm this.”
Kurt gave him a quick nod and headed off the bridge. Jack looked back at Nadya and said, “Do a quick systems check. Find out what’s really going on.”
Prelude to Extinction Page 44
