by Don Koch
"Outstanding Vassim, well done."
Ben Pine noted, "It's a bit early for the report on enhancements but I did have another thought that could prove useful. We have always met as a group when entering a T-Raptor group. If the mind-to-mind works as advertised, why could we not enter into rapport without all being in the same location. Since we now know that we can protect each individual body wherever located, we could enter a single rapport from multiple locations. This enhances the speed with which the T-Raptor unit could be formed. It has a dramatic impact on response time. I can think of several instances when formation was slightly delayed while the group came together."
"You are absolutely correct Ben. Good observation. Excellent application and, no doubt, more to follow."
"One major enhancement that we are going to explore is whether we can achieve the rapport kind of state on an individual basis. If so, that would give us cloaking ability because we can be invisible. It would give us bodies impervious to harm and a variety of other advantages while in that state. The one issue there is that Barana currently provides us with power boost when in rapport. The question will be how we power an individual effort. The ideas are flowing. We are looking for the ones that we can do soonest. We are also exploring long-term applications. There is some exciting stuff in there."
"Thanks Ben. Anyone else. Ah Sass. You wanted to say something."
"Indeed. When Fador said that the list of was massive it was like saying a Station is big. You have no frame of reference until you actually see it. The list is going to take a while. I have already requested a couple of the items from Tau Ceti for testing. Establishing a priority for things on this list will not be easy. We do want to be able to understand what we are using. The users should not fall into the trap of thinking that the devices they use are magic. That could prove dangerous. Those that do appear to be too magical will remain where they are for the time being. We will be encouraging a lot of additional learning by those that intend to use what we select because we want them to understand what they use. It is hard to imagine that there are prototypes for everything we see on that list, but I am told that is a fact."
Sass continued, "A number of the things we see on the list appear to be built into Barana. When she uses a feature, she reports the result. Some of the things we are seeing are portable versions of some of her functions. One example is that on occasion you ask her to tag some one for one reason or another. Tau Ceti has a machine that does this. It can program the conditions and effect desired. The machine then delivers a tag that is biologic and resides in the brain. It can't be removed surgically. The tag can only be removed by a Station or another specialized machine. The tag machine is relatively small and is secured by linking its use to an individual who cannot be under duress when it is used. This is one of the machines we have asked be sent for testing. We will not be requesting the tag removing machine. We prefer to leave that function with at AI. We may not even want to have the tag machine here in the long run, but it should be understood. We should understand how it does what it does before we utilize it. As we determine that more machines or devices are relevant, we will alert you."
"Well folks , that sounds like a pretty good start. I think that the best way to proceed from here is to call for biweekly reports and special reports when a situation warrants it. This way you can work on these things as you can. This is a good group off to a great start. As you proceed, you should determine if there are things that we would like to be able to do but the technology has not yet been applied in that way. Build a wish list and not only can we try to build what you want, we may see a workable alternative. Let me know when you meet, Sam or I may want to throw in our two cents. "
"Before we breakup, would Josh, Rose, Joe, June, Sass, Kaxas, Fador, Vassim, Villa, Trilix and Gara please meet with Sam and me at the lodge in an hour. Thanks everyone."
# An hour later #
Everyone requested was at the lodge meeting place when Hank and Sam arrived. Barana had already briefed those not in attendance at the meeting a week prior, about what was going on.
"You all know that we have a very formidable force at our call. Those of you with military experience know that one of the tenets of military operation is to avoid concentrations of forces. The idea is to avoid a catastrophe that eliminates or severely impacts your forces. As you also know, we have such concentrations throughout the fleet. Our Stations are essentially worldlets and while they may seem invulnerable, I am increasingly nervous about the population concentrations they represent and thus the potential for catastrophe particularly as we enter into conflict situations. This can be very stressful and I am concerned that it may affect our decision paths. We have our warships manned by a crew of 24 to 27 persons or we have our Stations with literally millions of lives exposed to harm. There is nothing in between. So far, we have had superior weaponry and technology, so we have been able to take a winning position. We do not know what is out there or who may represent a real threat to not only those we protect but also ourselves. I think it is time we reduce the potential due to concentration and consider what kind of restructuring we may need to become the kind of force we should be. I understand that I am not the only one with these concerns and that some of you have been working on possible resolutions to the risk. I see each Station becoming a base of operations that require auxiliary vessels. One vessel I believe we will need is a special operations platform that will be about 5 miles in length and about 4,800 feet in diameter. A ship this size will fit in the existing warship bays. My research suggests that Tau Ceti may already have a suitable prototype that would not require any modification. This vessel would crew at about 2,000 to 2,500 persons and would be our primary special operations platform vessel. I view this as kind of our light cruiser class vessel. It also has a considerable number of uses besides being a special operations platform. It could be our standard workhorse."
"We also need a battleship/carrier class of ship. I am thinking of something in the range of 2 miles in diameter and 10 miles in length with a crew of about 10,000. With those dimensions we can put 8 of them in either end of a Station core and still leave plenty of room for other uses. I would see this vessel carrying 200 warships itself and be a self-sustaining vessel able to produce its own food. There is more in the details that I would like to discuss but that is the start of the need that I see."
"Fador, what has your group been working on and does it look anything like what is rattling around in my head."
"Henry, again you surprise me. I feel like you have been looking over my shoulder. Barana, have you said . . ."
"Remarkable, Henry, your draft proposal looks very much like our own proposal. It is so close to the same as to make little difference. We have in fact proposals and information from Tau Ceti addressing the timing of production. The big difference is in quantity. I am not sure that you appreciate the increase in exposure we have been accumulating and we need to close the gap between what we need, what we expect to need and what we can produce in a timely fashion. Tau Ceti has been aware of this and was about to bring it to your attention but you figured it out for yourself. "
"So our recap is the following:
The fleet is growing and that needs to increase at an accelerated pace;
There is need for a new light cruiser class of vessel for general and special operations activities and to expose fewer personnel in a given situation;
There is need for a new battleship class of vessel to support Station activities.
We are proposing that:
The number of Divisions be increased from 20 Divisions to 25 Divisions;
The number of Stations in a Division be increased to one type 1 Station, four type 2A Stations and five Type 2B Stations;
Each Station be equipped with 16 battleship class vessels to be housed in the Station
's core;
Each Station be equipped with 160 Cruiser class vessels to be housed in bays currently used for warships, specifically those on Deck 13;
Warships currently allotted to each station be reassigned to the new auxiliary vessels to bring those added ships to its allotted number of warships;
In addition to the warships assigned to the new classes of vessel, the Station allotment of warships be changed to 10,000 (this means a total of 21,200 warships per Station;
The new auxiliary vessels become standard allotments for each Station."
Hank was stunned. After a moment he said, "Wow, you guys don't mess around. When you told me way back when that you could produce additional equipment without fuss, I did not fully internalize that information. But this! You do realize the quantity of ships we are discussing here is huge?"
"Yes we do. The additional five Divisions will be ready for duty on March 15. They will be formed initially with one Type 1B Station and four 2A Stations. That has been the usual allotment for a battle ready Division. The usual Division allotment of Type 2B Stations will be on a similar rotation to that the rest of the Divisions are experiencing. In about a month our fabricators for the cruiser will be ready for operation and will be producing the smaller light cruiser vessel at the rate of 3,750 per month. The fabricators for the battleship class will be ready for production at about the same time and will have a rate of production that is about 432 per month. That means that we can be at full complement on both classes of ship in less than a year, slightly over eleven months for the cruisers and nine and a half for the battleship class. My recommendation and that of Barana is that you approve the change. We also intend to build a reasonable reserve of vessels equal to five full Divisions."
Everyone else at the meeting was grinning from ear to ear.
"I like this idea and from the looks of the rest of these grinning Cheshire Cats, so do all of you. It goes a long way towards resolving my biggest concern and enhances our response capability in a quantum leap. I will leave the details on the larger vessel to you. I am approving the entire proposal. Please let me know what you come up with on the final design and keep me apprised of other revisions as needed. I would also like you to consider the building of a stasis escape vessel should it ever become necessary to evacuate a Station. It should be capable of very high velocity, very good shielding and the best stealth we can come up with. It should be able to fully load and launch within 5 minutes of an evacuation order and include room for the AI. We owe that kind of security to the people that enable us to do what we do."
Chapter 10: Trouble for Rotagilla
Aboard Malone Cruiser Destiny
March 7 – C Day 555
The cloaking device had been installed and was operating as designed. The Briarpatch departed for home. The Briarpatch also provided the Destiny with a large supply of the new delayed deployment missiles, so everything was ready. They departed on the way to the Rotagillan system. Billy Raven asked for a couple of the new missiles to "play with." He had an idea that he could rig the tracking and targeting mechanism on the missile to act as a limpet mine. He also felt that it would be a waste to destroy the ships so he had incorporated a field that would completely disable the drive, the weapons and all electronics aboard the vessel. This would only be repairable at a shipyard so the vessel it hit would be inoperable and useless but intact. The missile would quietly attach itself to the targeted vessel and activate when a signal was sent or the missile was tampered with. A day later, when Billy indicated that he had a working model, James whistled and asked how long it would take to prepare 100 more. The response was several days.
# March 13 – C Day 561 #
By the time they entered the Rotagilla system. All 350 missiles had been modified and were ready. As they entered the system, they detected 20 Rotagillan warships on picket duty including three dreadnaughts and each was targeted with a missile, each of which was released. Each operated as expected and attached itself to the target ship. The exercise was underway. As they continued their approach, 42 more vessels were targeted and missiles released, four of which were dreadnaughts. By the time they had reached their observation point, a total of 170 missiles had been released and had attached to the target vessel. There was no evidence that any had been detected. On arrival at the base, they noted considerable activity. They were also able through scans, to identify the two ships carrying the planet buster weapon. Both were currently undermanned with skeleton crews of about 50 individuals per ship. As they found other ships leaving the base, more missiles were sent.
At the final staff meeting before the start of the operation, the Captain commented that it was hard to believe that none of these missiles had yet been detected. James Raven responded, "We certainly would have spotted the missiles had we been the target. We would have detected the approach of the missile. These creeps do not seem to notice such things. Their ships are extraordinarily noisy to ride in. I suspect that one of the missiles could crash land on their hull and they would care less as long as the hull was not breached. At any rate they are in for a bit of a surprise shortly. We are now sitting 20,000 miles from our targets. We each know our objectives. You all know the timetable. If anything is tripping us up or slowing down the process keep us apprised. Billy will be staying aboard to keep the staff here apprised of progress. Keep it simple guys and gals. Lets go do this."
A few minutes later, five Rangers left the airlock fully cloaked with shields up so they were spaced far enough apart and in a random pattern so they anticipated no issues with detection. They arrived on target about 30 minutes later and proceeded to remove sections of the wiring to the antennas since destruction of the antennas would be too easily detected. They then proceeded to the interior where technicians working on the planet buster weapon were dispatched. Remote detonators were then placed in the weapons and hidden. Next, they disabled the drives on the two ships. Henry took a peek inside one of the large warehouse type buildings adjacent to the last ship. He was appalled to see five more weapons under construction. With that they exited the ships and started their run back to the Destiny. When all were back on board, the Captain started moving the ship away from the base. Billy alerted everyone that the damage to the drive in the first ship had been detected. When the Destiny had reached 150,000 miles from the base, Billy announced that the Rotans had discovered the damage to the second ship and that they were bringing in tugs to move the ships off base. Recorders were brought on line. At 300,000 miles, James said, "OK when we hit 1,000,000 miles, we fire the planet busters. 600….700…. 800…. 900…1,000,000, time is up, lets blow that rock. Fire." Eleven seconds later, The destiny saw the results. The satellite circling the fourth planet essentially disappeared and was blasted into the fourth planet. The base and all in it were gone.
James went on, "Phew, that was impressive, OK, now lets finish this, detonate all deployed missiles. Fire."
Rotagillan ship after ship went dead. After watching for a few minutes, James said, "Captain, please open a hail to the Command Center on Rotagilla 2 and ask for the Rotagillan Commander of all forces. Please be sure to record this exchange."
"Aye, Aye sir." A few moments later, "Their Supreme Commander Tangx is on screen now."
"Commander Tangx, my name is Ranger James Raven from the Republic of Malone and I am asking for your unconditional surrender. We have just destroyed your base at Rotagilla 4 and all ships and personnel posted there. We have also disabled another 190 ships in this system in the last few minutes. Fifteen days ago we destroyed the dreadnaught carrying a planet buster weapon to our system. We have destroyed numerous other of your vessels invading our system. This has been done without the loss of a single life of my compatriots. At this point, this conflict has become a one sided slaughter. If this does not stop now, your planet will receive the next planet buster weapon. We will continue to disable your ships in this system until all of your ships have been disabled or you surrender them to us. You may return your crews to your
planet but the ships are to remain in orbit and will be deactivated. All ships must be recalled immediately. Any not responding will be destroyed. We also want to know the construction source of these ships as they were obviously not built by you. Do you have any questions."
"Why can we not see your ships?"
With a toothy grin he replied, "Correction, not ships, ship. One ship and you can not see us because we are invisible. You have 10 minutes to respond." And he broke the connection.
In exactly 10 minutes, James Raven reopened the hail, "your response please."
Commander Tangx, with a bit of belligerence in his voice said, "We surrender. We have transmitted a recall to all ships to return here as quickly as possible. Our ships were built by the people in the Alaok system and our people there have been issued a recall. That is the only other system in which we have people. What do you intend to do to or with us."
"Actually, very little. We would like to understand why you attacked us. We intend to limit you to your planet until you learn to play well with others. You will not be allowed in space for some time and you will be quarantined. There will be a supervisory presence here for some time. You will not be permitted to have war making capability in space. Most of our people have peaceful intent. Some are more militaristic. When a group threatens us we generally react as you have seen here. If you awaken that thing in us that is capable of doing the things done today, woe be unto you because your time will be short. We will be in your system to supervise that to which you have agreed. My caution to you is do not take our demands lightly. You have pushed us pretty hard and now we are awake. You will not again be able to push without expecting to lose all. You may retrieve the crews on the disabled ships but you must do that with unarmed vessels. Armed vessels moving in any direction but toward your planet will be destroyed. I would suggest that you get busy if you intend to save those crews because their life support systems are down and they will be running out of breathable atmosphere before long." The communication was ended.
