by S. H. Jucha
“Well, that’s why we’re not safe,” the Deloy stated triumphantly.
The AI recorded every Elvian’s response to the count and connected to the core’s reps.
“The Deloy!” Famgore exclaimed in disgust.
“Can you give us more details?” Yemerth inquired.
“Vyztram, you realize that doesn’t answer my question,” Yemerth said with pique.
“Did the Deloy give you a time when the count can be released?” Dafine asked.
“Ah!” Famgore said excitedly. “The Omnians and you will soon meet the condition the Deloy set.”
The hour aboard the city-ship was late, and Cordelia passed the AI to Julien.
Vyztram described the shift in attendant family sentiments, the request for a count by the core’s reps, and the admonition by the Deloy not to share the results.
Julien sent.
Vyztram replied, and Julien detected an emotional undercurrent in the pace of the reply, which he associated with pride.
24: Two Waves
After morning meal, Alex and Renée received Julien’s news and a request to attend a meeting on the bridge.
“That sounds ominous,” Renée quipped to Alex, who was frowning.
“I’m suspecting an intervention,” Alex replied, as he slipped on a jacket.
“How is that possible?” Renée retorted. “I’m the one who usually organizes those with Tatia, and I know nothing about this one.”
As Alex sealed his jacket, he kissed Renée on the forehead, and said, “It’s because of your greater role as co-leader. Now you’ll get a taste of the treatment that I’ve enjoyed.”
Renée finished dressing. Then as she passed Alex at the suite’s open doorway, she griped, “I can’t wait.”
When Alex stepped onto the bridge with Renée, he politely greeted the assembled group and settled into a command chair. Renée emulated Alex’s style, sitting next to him.
“Tatia, are you ready to initiate the fleet’s action?” Alex requested. He could tell by Tatia’s hesitation that this wasn’t the subject that she thought would dominate the moment.
“Cordelia has programmed the entire fleet’s controllers, except for Descartes’s command,” Tatia replied.
“Vyztram has confirmed that conditions aboard the Arcus are optimal for the withdrawal of the travelers. Please standby. We’ll initiate that action after I speak to the AI,” Alex said.
Alex turned to Descartes next. “Commodore, are your Tridents ready?” he inquired.
“They’re in position, Alex,” Descartes confirmed.
Finally, Alex turned to Julien and regarded his friend with a lifted eyebrow.
“The admirals have a request,” Julien replied simply.
Alex focused his attention on Tatia.
“Alex, you’ve encouraged Vyztram to focus the drone attack on the Freedom,” Tatia explained. “We, meaning the admirals, understand you did that to cluster the drones on a single target. However, we can’t guarantee that the six EMP weapons will disable every drone. It would take only a few of them to impact this ship and start a cascade that tears it apart.”
“I understand the risks, Tatia,” Alex said, eyeing the other admirals. Except for Cordelia, they looked decidedly uncomfortable.
“It’s our collective opinion that Renée, Julien, and you should take a traveler to Descartes’s Trident,” Tatia continued. “When the fleet pretends to retreat, the commodore will sail his ship to join Guamata’s command. That will provide the maximum protection for the three of you.”
Alex noticed that Tatia had assumed a parade rest stance as she spoke. It had the appearance of delivering bad news to a junior officer.
“How do you feel about that, Cordelia?” asked Renée, which caught the audience off guard.
Julien sent an image of an ancient attacking force carrying long rifles made of iron and wood. Tiny spears were attached to the barrels. The warriors marched side by side in a long line across a grassy knoll. Behind them, Renée advanced quietly. She carried her own pointed weapon, and she judiciously poked it into the buttock of the officer who led the advance.
Alex covered the grin that threatened to spread across his face.
“Could you clarify your question, Ser?” Cordelia asked politely.
“Julien is being asked to board a Trident to take him to safety. You’re his partner. How do you feel about being separated?” Renée asked.
Alex partially turned his head enough to see Renée out of the corner of his eye. He’d thought of several rebuttals to Tatia’s suggestion. Most, if not all, of them would have resulted in a head-on confrontation with the admiral. In contrast, Renée’s approach was roundabout. It addressed the issue from the heart. It was what he loved about her.
“The drones represent a danger that requires a logical solution to protect the continuation of the Omnian leadership,” Cordelia intoned.
“Well presented, Cordelia,” Renée said, nodding her head in appreciation of the performance. “It’s the type of response I would have expected from an artist of your skill. The choice of words, phrasing, and the delivery were exquisite. Only one little problem, Cordelia. You evaded my question.”
This time, Alex turned his head to stare at Renée. Had he looked at the admirals, he would have seen them doing the same thing. All the while, Renée’s soft eyes never left Cordelia’s face.
Cordelia held Renée’s gaze until she turned to regard Julien, who had become the center of her life.
“I want Julien to be safe,” Cordelia said with finality. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
“How about you, Julien?” Renée inquired.
Julien’s holo-vid capable synth skin projected a hat on his head. Its crown was tall, with a deep furrow in the peak. Its rim was broad, and the front tipped down to shade his eyes. “Why, ma’am,” he drawled, “that ain’t my way. I’ll be staying here with the missus.”
Renée silently applauded the performance. Then she regarded Tatia just as quietly.
“Fine,” Tatia grumped loudly, resignedly slapping her hands to her thighs. “Commodore, you can board your Trident and join the fleet. We might as well make the Freedom look as de
fenseless as we can.”
“May the stars protect all of you,” Descartes remarked before he left the bridge.
“Alex, you know that our rail guns might be useless against the drones,” Tatia pointed out. “When they get close, we could hit them. Unfortunately, at their velocities, their debris, including their unrestrained power plants, will impact this ship.”
Alex eyed the admirals. “You requested the leaders escape aboard a Trident,” he said gently. “However, all of us are aware that a SADE could execute the fleet’s actions from a Trident. That means there’s no reason for any of you to remain aboard, but you didn’t suggest that you leave.”
“Our jobs are to lead the fleet’s fight, Alex,” Franz said. “The Freedom’s bridge is where we belong.”
“Now isn’t that strange?” Renée returned. “We feel the same way.” She reached a hand toward Alex, and he took it and squeezed softly.
Julien replied, and Cordelia responded with a single chime.
“I’ve a request,” Alex said. “Well, it’s more a requirement, which I believe my partner will support. After the charade begins, there’s nothing the parties on this bridge can do to provide additional protection for this ship. The rail guns can respond automatically to anything within range, if they can target a drone quickly enough. Therefore, all sentients aboard will retire to the far side of the ship. SADEs will locate travelers on the far side, climb aboard, and power down the ships. Am I understood?”
Alex regarded several individuals — Julien, as the SADEs’ leader, Cordelia as the ship’s captain, and Tatia as the military leader. One by one he received their assent.
“In case any of you are wondering,” Renée interjected, “I’ll ensure that Alex and I join you.”
“Standby,” Alex said to his audience. Then he connected through Julien to Vyztram, and Cordelia linked the bridge audience.
Every individual on the conference and every SADE in the fleet set their chronometers to Alex’s countdown.
Alex ended his link. “Let’s get every individual moving,” he said, rising and extending a hand to Renée.
The couple led the bridge audience belowdecks and toward the side of the ship dictated by Cordelia, who’d determined the portion most likely to be farthest away from impact.
Cordelia communicated Alex’s directive to the ship’s inhabitants, and the corridors and lifts were full of silent individuals streaming in the same direction. While faces were grim, they also appeared resolute.
The SADEs pinged every human bio ID to ensure they had made their way to the safety zone.
While Cordelia walked below, she opened the bay doors that ringed the city-ship and rolled out the twin beam rail guns that were nested within them. In addition, she built a specific program for the controller. The moment Cordelia completed her coding, the controller prepared to execute Cordelia’s directives.
Behind Alex and Renée walked Z and Miranda. They’d returned to their Cedric and Frederica avatars.
SADEs entered bays to board travelers.
Humans, men, women, and children, also filled travelers, but there weren’t enough ships within the safety zone, which Cordelia had defined, to accommodate every person.
Alex turned toward the engineering offices, choosing that location to sit out the drone attack, but Miranda blocked his way.
“There’s room aboard a traveler for you and the others, Alex,” Miranda said, nodding toward the bridge audience, who had followed Alex.
“Give the seats to women and children,” Alex objected.
“All of them have boarded ships,” Miranda replied.
“Then give them to other personnel,” Alex retorted.
“None will take them,” Miranda riposted.
Alex saw a chief and his crew standing in the corridor. He was about to connect with them, when he received the chief’s terse private message, which was,
Alex turned and saw Z standing at the rear of the bridge group. He extended a hand toward a bay’s access hatch.
The admirals joined Alex in objecting to having their wishes overridden, but Z and Miranda had the personalities and wherewithal to insist on their request.
Alex finally relented, and he led Renée, Julien, and the admirals into a bay and a shuttle traveler. The ramp was down. He eyed Miranda, who had gestured toward the shuttle’s rear with a powerful arm, and said, “Do you treat all the males in your life this way?”
“I take pleasure where I find it, dear man,” Miranda retorted.
* * * * *
“Where are they?” the Deloy asked excitedly, as she raced to a monitor.
“Show me,” the Deloy said, staring expectantly at the monitor.
Vyztram provided the Deloy with a close view of the fighters racing toward the fleet. Trident bay doors were open, and the bays’ interior lights highlighted the ships.
“Are we safe?” the Deloy asked with concern.
“They’re leaving,” the Deloy rejoiced, when she saw the lights of the Tridents’ bays wink out and the warships accelerate toward the beyond.
“Vyztram, the leaders’ ship is trailing,” the Deloy added. Her tone had turned hostile, and she stared with hatred at the Freedom. “Execute a launch and target that ship,” she ordered.
“Launch every drone, Vyztram,” the Deloy demanded. “I want that ship’s total destruction.”
“So?” the Deloy queried with annoyance.
“Do whatever is necessary, as long as you destroy the Omnian ship,” the Deloy replied.
Vyztram opened sixty-two bays. Half of the drones in the bays were activated, sent out of the Arcus, and pooled away from the Elvian ship. Then the AI repeated the steps to launch and organize the remaining half. The two pools of drones were programmed to target the Freedom.
An exception was made to some of the drones’ programming. Sixteen were assigned to take up stations over the harvesting equipment. They were assigned protective roles.
The Deloy watched with intense fascination as the two waves of drones disappeared into the dark and headed for the Freedom. “Destroy it,” she whispered with glee.
* * * * *
The squadrons of Étienne and Alain de Long sat above and below the ecliptic. The six captains were alerted by Descartes, and they and the bridge crews waited anxiously for the drones.
First, one pool of drones coalesced and then the other formed. Then two drone waves headed for the retreating Freedom.
.
The Tridents’ controllers followed the waves, and they adjusted the attack runs to account for the positions of the drone waves.
At the sighting of the first drones, the captains had signaled their chiefs. The chiefs had double checked their crews to ensure environment suits were sealed. Then they’d opened the bay doors.
There was always the crews’ brief freeze. It was unavoidable. They were biologicals, humans and Dischnya. The view of the void — the awe-inspiring darkness and distant shining stars — demanded attention.
Teddy directed his crew to attach the tethering beams to their weapon and ease it out of the bay. When it was in position, he communicated to Captain Draken.
The drones targeted the huge receding orb that conformed to their programming. Without instructions to adopt any other formation, they remained in their two clusters.
Six captains sat in their command chairs, projecting as much calm as they could muster. With the weapons sitting outside the ships, there was nothing more for the captains to do. Everything was in the controllers’ virtual hands and the SADEs’ programming.
The distance for each warship to its target, a section of a cluster, was different. The goal of the controllers was to ensure simultaneous detonation of the weapons.
At the appropriate time, a Trident accelerated. The difference between the launch of the first warship and the last could be measured in seconds.
The six Tridents dove toward their assigned portions of the clusters. The NNEMPs were released to sail toward the drones, and the warships’ trajectories bent in steep curves to escape the coming blasts.
Everything progressed as expected. However, SADEs can design and construct to near perfection, but manufactured materials might not respond according to specifications.
Six devices sailed toward their respective destinations. Five detonated; one did not. The weapon targeting a third of the front wave never triggered. It sailed on into the dark.
