Napoleon

by Stephen Arseneault

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “Iron ships. Steam power. Rifled cannons. There are a number of advances that could be made on those fronts. During the American Civil War there were iron ships that were devastatingly deadly to the standard warship of the day. The Monitor and the Merrimac I believe they were called. A fleet of a half dozen in the channel would give Napoleon superiority of the seas.”

  “So you believe it to be worthwhile to go back to this war?”

  “We want big change. And you would have to agree, you never had the chance to influence Napoleon's decisions while emperor. Perhaps he could make great progress with a knowledgeable minster of science?”

  Naffi tilted his head. “Are we talking other inventions? Such as automobiles and aircraft?”

  “Electricity. Nuclear energy. And perhaps lasers powerful enough to damage invading alien warships.”

  “Hmm. I see where you are going. And I also see that as a mission to best be completed by you. These are areas of knowledge where you would excel because you already have an understanding of the underlying physics. My business skills are better suited to... well, business. And perhaps government or fighting wars. Invention and technological advancement is more your forte.”

  “Do you not wish to go back to the fight?”

  “The adventurous part of me does, yes. But I cannot return as Daimon Lamonde.” Naffi paced the room for most of a minute in thought. “I will offer this... if you design and build the iron warships, I will take command of those and defeat the British at sea. We can load my clone with the knowledge of tactical naval warfare. The British won't have a chance. After that perhaps I can lead the invasion of Britain. Yes. I believe we have our paths set.”

  “You are feeling mentally well enough to continue?”

  Naffi smiled. “I believe I am. Perhaps distraction is the cure for the prolonged mental torture I endured. I was not enthusiastic about rejoining Napoleon directly, knowing how successful he would be with the weapons we had given him. And all those later victories came without my assistance.”

  “I see. So you are struggling with how much of an actual contribution you made?”

  Naffi rubbed his forehead for several seconds. “I wasn't... until now. Perhaps it best we move on to planning our next moves.”

  “Have you heard from Vara recently?”

  “She has been given the task of locating Mentox-II. Since I have heard nothing in days, I would have to assume the search continues.”

  Reno leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Do you find it interesting that the empire has not flooded the stars with ships that are looking for us?”

  “I have contemplated that exact thought, yes. I can only reason that Nunol has kept knowledge of this... adventure... to being only known by a close group. I know warrants were issued and such, but those often get lost in the larger happenings of the empire. Local investigators will do their scans and question the usual suspects, but without solid leads they will file it away in the forgotten pile. I suspect Marwal demanded knowledge of this and full government involvement be kept to a minimum as to not impede his investigation.”

  “Politics?”

  “This has gone on long enough now that it might be damaging to Marwal's reputation that he has yet to capture us. And Nunol of course will not benefit from our capture in any way other than being forced into retirement, which is not something he seeks nor desires.”

  Reno tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. “If any of this is true, it works in our favor. If for instance we take action against their station in an effort to shut it down, the less visible they are to the empire, the less ability they will have to effect repairs.”

  “Perhaps I should contact Vara and have her redouble her efforts. I can't believe she has been as loyal to me as she has been through all this. I wish there was some better way I could reward her. I'm certain she has millions of credits to her name already.”

  Reno gestured toward the console. “Perhaps an adventure? We do have female clones we have yet to make use of.”

  “Are you suggesting we bring her in and make her part of our missions?”

  “I wasn't, but that may not be a bad suggestion. Would we lose a valuable ally who can move freely about the empire?”

  “There are others. And an adventure or two would not preclude her from returning to those duties.”

  “I suppose not. What of our missions to defeat Britain?”

  Naffi smirked. “I have the same feeling of urgency, and then I once again realize our time here does not translate into lost time there. We can jump to that period at any time.”

  The two Opamari sat in silence for most of a minute before Reno stood.

  “Where are you going?” Naffi asked.

  “To ready another clone. Our conversation has gone stale. Our purpose here is to effect change in the past. That does not happen if we are just sitting here gabbing.”

  Naffi chuckled.

  Reno tilted his head. “What?”

  “Gabbing. It's just a very Human word.”

  “I thought it to be perfectly descriptive of our actions.”

  “Yes. Indeed it is. I was just contemplating the issues we might have if we engaged in normal conversation with other citizens now. We would be using words they did not understand.”

  Reno turned for the door. “I had little use getting in a conversation with a citizen before. And I don't see it as a future need now.”

  An hour later the Opamari scientist returned with a readied clone riding on a gurney. “His memories have been preloaded with naval mechanics and architectures of the Humans. And I have to say, I am particularly fond of the simplicity of both the Merrimac and the Monitor. I'll be using bits from each in my designs.”

  “I only ask for three things. Comfortable, fast, and deadly. Give me those and I will rule the seas. Oh. I did come across some interesting information in the archives while you were gone. It seems Napoleon's army lost control of a few of the rifles you made. The war effort began to stall during the Middle Eastern campaigns after copied weapons began showing up en masse. It took fewer than three years for his secret to get out and to be exploited. So our British campaign will need to take place sometime before that development or we will end up fighting heavily armed Brits when we cross the channel.”

  The bio-link was embedded in each, followed by the clone taking its position in the pod as Reno laid back on the table. A minute later, he was standing in a field, thirty kilometers from the city of La Rochelle on the French coast.

  Reno awoke and sat up with a smile. “Excellent.”

  “What is it?”

  “During my last journey, the one where I built the rifle factory, I placed my substantial fortune into an account at a Rouen bank. It was still there and available and I was able to draw on it at will. When you travel back, you will find six ironclad warships that can be crewed by five individuals each. Two to operate the cannon. Two to feed the boiler. And one to captain and navigate.”

  “Boiler?”

  “Each has a steam system that will propel the ship at as much as seven knots. And enough fuel can be taken aboard to journey completely around Britain, which is far more than you will need to control the channel. The cannon, which utilizes a canister shell, will be backed by a magazine of one hundred twenty rounds.”

  “A magazine, as in automated like the rifles?”

  Reno chuckled. “No. We will have to save that for a future version. The magazine is merely the terminology for the ammunition storage area.”

  “So I take this ship—”

  “Or ships.”

  “So I take these ships out and engage the enemy. Do I just fire the cannon and they sink?”

  “You will receive that information when you are linked to the next clone. But to answer your question, yes. The shells I designed are incendiary. In naval warfare with wooden ships, it was typically not the goal to sink the ship but rather to capture it. Ships were a valuable
commodity. And in order to sink it you would typically need to register multiple hits below the waterline, which is quite difficult. So we will instead be burning them as there really is no need of capturing them.”

  “It sounds like a horrid death.”

  “It is. And the choice will be to burn or jump overboard. Overboard in the channel is almost certain death, especially when considering that many of these sailors cannot swim.”

  Naffi looked at the display. “It says here you only lived three and a half years. You were able to build those boats in that time?”

  “It was indeed a feat. Building the furnaces for my plate steel was the biggest effort. And my early departure was of my own doing, to get back here and to let you get to work.”

  “Steel? I thought these would just be iron.”

  “I have the knowledge. I simply made use of it. And the result is a stronger vessel, including the cannon. I believe you will be quite happy with your ships. The task now falls to you to take possession of them and gain the confidence of Emperor Napoleon. He will be hesitant to leave the battlefield with his new weapons, but I'll wager he is willing to let you fly the French flag in battle with the Brits, given the fact you are providing the ships yourself.”

  “You will wager?” Naffi laughed. “You are definitely becoming Human. Did you leave me with crews?”

  “I'm afraid not. And while the ships were constructed in La Rochelle, you will find them concealed at the docks at Royan. I would advise you enlist a crew and keep them isolated until victory is secure. You will also want to leave in and out of the docks during the night. I took the liberty of building floating concealment boxes for each ship. Take them out, leave the box behind and move out into the channel for warfare.”

  Naffi smiled. “I am actually getting excited about this.”

  “We will see how excited you are when a cannonball careens off your hull. Should you lose your water-tightness, your ship will sink in a hurry. And as I alluded to earlier, being out in the channel water is not a place you will want to be.”

  A new clone was readied, embedded, linked, and sent back in time. Using the bank account provided by Reno's clone, a residence was established in Royan, crewmen were selected, and training missions were run.

  Naffi pointed at the display as a training mission was ending. “The crew is now ready. I would assume you have no interest in my conversation with Napoleon before beginning my efforts?”

  “I have to assume he approved.”

  “And wholeheartedly so. The British had been a thorn in his side for some time. I approached as an envoy for Jacques Lamonde, revealed my plans, and was given a written order to make it happen. And I know I keep referring to him as Emperor, even though that actual event is years away.”

  “We have the same understanding.”

  The playback of the recording was forwarded. “On the night of August 8th, 1798, we departed the docks at Royan and made our way out and up into the Channel between Britain and France.”

  The recording was stopped. “It was there, across from La Havre, where we encountered three British warships. It was the night of the 9th and we maneuvered almost up underneath them. I have to wonder if terrified lookouts spotted our dark hulls in the water and thought we were some type of enormous sea creatures.”

  “Perhaps a Kraken?”

  Naffi chuckled. “Yes. That would have been appropriate. After positively identifying them as British warships, we backed away and opened fire. And before I continue, I must say thank you for the low smoke furnaces. They indeed make us difficult to see.”

  “You are welcome.”

  “Let's just watch.”

  The display flashed as the first cannon round was released, while the Naffi clone, this time named Roger Dumas, watched through a portal in a gun turret. The Vara, as did the other ships of the squadron, had a single, low-profile turret centered on top of her flat deck. A shell screamed out of her gun and into the side of the HMS Warspite. Debris from an explosion could be seen blasting up above her deck.

  A second and then a third round from the L'Bunte sealed the British ship's fate. A similar exchange was taking place with the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS St. George. Stunned crews were seen diving from the flaming decks, taking hold of whatever debris they could find.

  The short fight lasted all of two minutes while the burning ships took more than an hour before they sank. The six new ships of Napoleon's fleet turned and quietly steamed away.

  Naffi had a grin on his face. “Spectacular and decisive. I cannot say I will ever tire of such battles. And they got off not a single shot from any of those ships.”

  “Impressive indeed.” Reno countered.

  “I was so excited by this outcome that we steamed back to port, bypassing several other ships on the way. It took more than a week on horseback to reach Napoleon. But the gleam in his eye when I gave the news was both telling and powerful. He sent an envoy back with me to begin the process of training a force for the invasion of England proper. I, of course, returned to my ships and again set out to tame the British fleet.”

  The playback was forwarded. “Here. This was our second encounter. The Formidable, the Fame, the Hero, and the Defence, all sent to the bottom of the Channel after being surprised during the night when their sales were not flush with wind. The gunners of the Formidable did manage a half dozen shots, but none made contact. We again steamed away free and clear.”

  “And the British had no idea what was happening to their ships?”

  Reno replied, “According to the archives, several hardy sailors from each incident did somehow make it ashore. So the Admiralty was aware of the demise of seven ships, but had no idea who or what exactly had fired upon them. On this next raid we decided to fly our French flags.”

  The image on the display was again through a small, slotted, viewing porthole. Roger Dumas commanded his gunners as he navigated into position. This time, the banners of the French Republic were flying, drawing shot from the British cannons.

  Again the fight was unfair. The incendiary rounds from the steel ships soon had the HMS Blenheim and the HMS Barfleur in flames. More than a thousand crewmen and passengers went into the cold waters of the Channel. It was the first time Naffi had felt any regret. The playback was paused.

  Reno said, “You don't seem quite as excited about your success.”

  “I'm uncertain as to why, but as I looked at those men in the water, some splashing around in panic, I suddenly felt sorry for them. They are the enemy and this is war, but for some reason I felt compassion. I wanted to steam over and give them a ride to the shore on our decks. Preposterous, I know. They would only be used to fight against us another day. But still...”

  “It is your Human emotions.”

  “I agree. And they are under control. It was just a unique experience.”

  “Are there more battles?”

  “Many more.”

  Chapter 6

  _______________________

  The recording was forwarded through and another fifteen ships of the Royal Navy were encountered, set ablaze, and sunk. When the fleet of steel ships slipped back into their docks to resupply after a night of battle, a note from Napoleon was waiting.

  Masseur Dumas. I hope this finds you well. I just received the wonderful news. It seems the French may once again rule the seas. You will find an enclosed paper with a seal that promotes you to the rank of Admiral, a position well earned.

  The people of France are in your debt and the debt of Masseur Lamonde.

  Reno nodded. “That must have been gratifying.”

  “It was. And I just remembered, are we in transit to another location?”

  “We are. As soon as you awoke I set us in motion. I expect us to reach our destination in eleven hours.”

  “And the archives?”

  “Downloaded before departure. And if you were curious, we left sensor range of our prior location approximately twelve minutes ago. So we are secure.”


  “Excellent. Now, let me forward through a few of these lesser battles and bring you to our biggest fight yet. It seems the British King and Parliament decided to mass a fleet to hunt us down. This next battle was both thrilling and terrifying.”

  The recording was set to play as Roger Dumas was again looking through the slender portal at the masts of the British fleet.

  Reno said, “There must be thirty ships there.”

  “Thirty-eight,” Naffi replied. “And a number of them were triple-deckers. Imagine sixty cannons from a single ship firing upon you at once. This is where it would have been to our benefit to not be flying our colors.”

  “Your cannons have a much longer range. Why not just sit back and pick them off?”

  “I contemplated that same move, and in retrospect it would probably have been the wiser one, but I decided this was our best opportunity to deal a decisive blow.”

  Roger Dumas asked, “How is your targeting? These seas are a bit rough today.”

  The cannoneer replied, “It is a challenge, sir. Each shot will have to be precisely timed to coincide with the wave motions.”

  “I will turn us into the waves. That should give you a more stable base from which to make your shot.”

  “Actually sir, away from the waves would offer longer troughs, allowing more time for a shot.”

  “Excellent thought, Mr. Peeves. Turning away now. Mr. Romere! Please come up and hoist the signal flags for the others to follow my lead. We will all want to make this maneuver.”

  Two minutes passed before the first cannon was fired. The shot passed over the bow of the target vessel. A string of signal flags were hoisted moments later. The other steel ships began to turn.

  Roger Dumas frowned. “I do not like this angle, we are coming almost directly at them. Several of those ships will be able to fire upon us at the same time.”

  A second cannon round left the chamber. The shell impacted a wave, setting off the incendiary warhead, leaving a burst of flame streaking just across the tops of the waves, with no damage done to the target.

  “Mr. Peeves, we need those to count!”