by David Hardy
“No, they’re not. But they are different enough that distinguishing which way they’re being used is possible. If the UN were only sending things through, all the fluxes would be pretty much the same. They’re not. We’ve detected both kinds of fluxes. We think they’ve carried the components through and built a gate they can use to return, just like the US did when we were establishing the Colonies.”
Marshall rubbed his chin, a habit he had when thinking.
“Do we have any intelligence that indicates the UN has gotten things enough under control they can develop this?”
“It’s hard to say. We’ve got some spy microsatellites in the Sol system monitoring, but their transmissions are limited by light speed. All the information we’ve received so far is years out of date.”
Nolan touched a sensor on his desk. A screen on the wall lit up in response. It showed a chart showing probabilities of events.
“The last we heard, there had been another rebellion in the US. It was being put down pretty harshly. But that was over a decade ago. A lot can happen in that period of time. Our analysts expect there to be some type of strongman to come to power. Depending on the initial parameters and which model they use, they predict a 78-93% chance that whoever this person is, he or she will begin to focus out into the galaxy.”
“To implement their Manifest Destiny philosophy.”
Nolan made a sour face. Marshall didn’t think it was an improvement on the man’s craggy looks.
“Their idea of Manifest Destiny is that the colonies come back under their collectivist rule. We’re viewed as rogue colonies who need to be put in our places. It’s their ‘Manifest Destiny’ to see that that happens.” Nolan looked like he wanted to spit as he spoke.
“I like our version better.”
“Hmmph. So do I. Rather than live under a repressive regime, it’s the Manifest Destiny of humanity to use its ingenuity to spread among the stars. Or to put it another way, not to have all our eggs in one basket.”
“The Heinlein Principle.”
“Exactly.” Nolan nodded approvingly. “As I was saying, all of the fluxes have come from the same few seconds of arc. We’ve been watching that area of the sky closely. There appears to be a small, dark asteroid in that direction, and as best we can tell, it’s near the origin of the particles. It’s hard to be certain, so we need you to put together a small team to go and check it out.”
“How small a team, sir?”
“No more than four. I’d suggest Montoya, Romanova, and Butler. Of course, the final choice will be up to you.”
“Those three would have been my first choices, sir.” Marshall knew his sister wouldn’t be happy. She and Butler had gotten engaged less than a month ago.
“Good. We’re not sure what exactly the UN, or whatever has replaced it, is up to out there, but it can’t be good. We’re not sure if our system is the only one where a jump gate other than one of ours appears to be active. ColSec is monitoring the other colonial systems, but so far hasn’t found anything.”
Nolan paused again. For a moment Marshall thought he saw compassion in his commander’s eyes.
“Captain Tolliver, I’m not going to lie to you or try to sugarcoat this matter. This is a risky assignment. You’re to assemble your team and leave at once; head for the L2 jump gate. It will put you out near the asteroid. We’ve already plotted a course for you to fly. You’ll approach the asteroid by coming directly out of the sun in the hopes that you can get relatively close before you’re spotted. Your first objective, which we expect you’ll be able to accomplish without difficulty, is to confirm there’s a jump gate in operation. If there is, you’re to destroy it.”
“Of course, sir.”
“That’s not all. We suspect the UN is establishing a base on that asteroid to gather real time information on this system in preparation for some type of military maneuver. And to use the asteroid as a staging area when that maneuver happens. We’re not sure how well defended it will be if there is a base. Probably only moderately defended, or we’d have detected some of sort of radiation from heavy energy weaponry. Your final, and most dangerous, objective will be to shut it down.”
“I see. And that’s where the potential suicide aspect of the mission comes in?”
“Exactly. There’s a high probability that you’ll have to land on the asteroid and breach the facility. We’d like to send a larger task force, but we can’t take a chance on them being spotted. If that happens, then the UN personnel could exit through the jump gate before we get there. As soon as we see the jump gate destroyed, we’ll be sending plenty of backup to you. You’ll just have to hold out until they get there.
“We’d like to keep some of the personnel alive, but given the way the base has been established, the Colonial Council is viewing this as an act of war. If you can destroy the jump gate, it will buy some time, but not much. The UN can still come through from the gate in the Sol system. We need to capture and interrogate the people on that base, or failing that, treat them as enemy combatants.”
“In other words, kill them.”
In that moment Nolan looked as old and tired as Marshall had ever seen him look. “I’m afraid so. Unless and until we have reason to believe otherwise, we have to assume we are at war.”
○●○
The asteroid was growing large in the screen. Beyond it, the computer enhanced the image to show a rectangle with a large sphere in one corner.
The jump gate.
They were almost in range.
“Zoom in on that asteroid,” said Marshall.
“Zooming in,” came Butler’s reply.
During their approach, they had watched the ship that had come through the jump gate disappear behind the asteroid. Four different images appeared on the screen, each showing a different wavelength range. The images showed the tops of a couple of domes. Marshall suspected they connected via tubes on or just below the surface. There may have been more behind the asteroid’s horizon. The ship that had landed wasn’t visible, but infrared detectors showed several objects just below the horizon, with one of them hotter than all the others. That had to have been the ship that landed earlier.
“Any sign that they’ve seen us?”
“Nothing is taking off, and I’m not getting any readings of energy weapons powering up.” Romanova was actively monitoring her board. “It looks like we’re undetected so far.”
“Good. Maybe we can take this gate out before the people on that asteroid realize we’re here.”
The distance between the Pershing and the jump gate narrowed.
“The gate should enter the range of our maser cannon in about three minutes,” said Butler.
“How likely will be we able to hit that node on the jump gate and destroy it on the first shot, Sergeant Butler?” asked Marshall.
“I would say less than 50% at this distance. We don’t have any idea how well it’s shielded. We have to assume the shielding is pretty thick to avoid detection. There’s no way they can shield the radiation when they use the gate, but those nodes put out a low level of radiation even when they aren’t opening the gate. I’m sure they’ve shielded it the best they can.”
Marshall thought for a moment.
“How long until we’re in missile range?”
“Another ten minutes after we enter maser range. By that time, they’ll have seen us. We’ll have come out from in front of the sun and be on the same side of the asteroid as the base.”
“Lock our starboard side missiles and maser cannon on the jump gate node. Begin firing the maser cannon as soon as we’re in range. Likewise the missiles. Lock the port side missiles on the tops of the domes. As soon as a ship comes into view, lock on it. Ditto for any weapons you see.”
“Aye, Captain.”
No one said anything for a few minutes.
“Captain, we’re in maser cannon range. Commencing firing,” said Butler.
On the screen the jump gate node grew bigger. There was no visi
ble effect from the maser.
“Nothing. It’s shielded too well.”
“Continue firing, Sergeant. And let me know when that ship that just came through is in range.”
“Aye, sir.”
Two minutes passed, then three. There was no indication the beam was having any affect on the node.
“Captain, we’ve got that ship that just arrived in view. There’s a second ship on the other side. They’re both parked on the surface. It’s hard to be sure from this angle, but it doesn’t look like the base has any hangers. Those ships are just parked out in the open.”
“Put a view of the base up on the main screen, Lieutenant Romanova.”
Romanova didn’t say anything as she complied with Marshall’s order.
The asteroid’s surface was a dark grey material. The ships were a lighter shade. Marshall wasn’t surprised. If the UN ships were too bright, they might be seen, even if the transit time from the jump gate and the asteroid was only a few minutes. On the other hand, a completely black ship would tend to absorb too much solar radiation, making cooling a problem.
The ship on the far side was smaller than the ship that had recently transited the jump gate. Infrared sensors showed its engines to be cold.
There were two domes, with a third under construction. Three small objects that looked to be hoppers of some type were clustered near the airlock of one of the domes. A small spacesuited figure was bouncing across the surface of the asteroid towards the domes.
“How long until the node is in missile range?”
“About three and a half minutes, sir.”
“Very good. And the base?”
“Another five, but we’re on a heading that will take us past the base.”
Marshall stared at the screen. Their greatest danger at the moment was the recent arrival coming after them. The engines were still warm and could cycle up quickly. It could be anywhere from a few seconds to minutes before the ship could respond and lift off. It would all depend on how many of the crew were still on board. The likelihood was high.
The Pershing was a light attack craft designed for hit and run missions and inserting a small strike force into a hot zone. It was presently outfitted with a dozen missiles in each missile launcher, one on each side of the ship. Each side also boasted two maser cannons, with a single maser cannon mounted in the rear. The ship was able to carry two dozen troops plus the flight crew of four. At the moment the troop section contained modified pressure suits in case the mission brought back any prisoners. The shielding had been upgraded for this mission. Marshall hoped they wouldn’t need it. He expected for his hopes in this matter to be dashed.
“Lieutenant Montoya, as soon as that node is destroyed, commence bringing us around so that we have a better line of fire on that ship.”
“Aye, Captain.”
On the surface of the asteroid, four figures hurried from the dome on the left to the larger ship. Three more soon followed heading for the second ship.
No one said anything. The chronometer’s display seemed to change more slowly than usual. Marshall thought about all the ways the situation could play out. If they didn’t destroy that jump node soon, they were going to have their hands full.
“We’re in missile range,” said Butler. “Firing missiles now.”
Three small thin silver objects shot out the front of the Pershing’s starboard side. Laser guided, they sped towards their target much more quickly than the larger ship could manage. Seconds later, the node exploded.
The entire crew cheered.
“That should upset their plans. Let’s see if we can convince these jokers it’s in their best interests to surrender.”
Marshall felt the pressure of the ship coming about as the retro-rockets fired, slowing and turning the ship to face the back of the asteroid. The crew were pressed into their seats from the acceleration.
“Send out the demand for surrender.”
Romanova began broadcasting the prerecorded demand for surrender on multiple frequencies. It wasn’t long before they received a reply.
“Unknown ship, this is the United Earth Base Van Buren One. Stop your attack immediately and surrender. You are firing on a lawfully established base of the United Earth People’s Militia. If you continue your attack, we will consider this an act of war. Stand down and surrender.”
“Patch me through,” said Marshall.
Romanova did so.
“Negative, unknown base. This is the BWS Pershing. You are illegally occupying an asteroid in the Baldwin’s World system. By order of the Colonial Security Council of the Confederated Colonies, you are the ones who will surrender.”
“Captain,” said Butler, “the larger ship is lifting off.”
Marshall looked at the display. The larger ship was indeed lifting off. Its design was different from that of any of the ships from the respective colonies, but there were enough similarities he could guess its function. It appeared to be a transport ship, most likely a freighter, rather than a combat craft. It also didn’t appear to be designed for long range or deep space travel. That made sense if its purpose was to supply the base by means of hops through the jump gates. Even though it traveled from one star system to another, its actual transit distance would be measured in AUs rather than parsecs or light years.
That didn’t mean it wouldn’t have armament. It certainly would if it were a military ship. They were in for a fight.
The response to Marshall’s message was swift and along the lines of what he expected.
“The Baldwin’s World colony along with all other colonies are not sovereign states. They are rogue colonies still under the authority of Earth, specifically the United Earth Peoples government. They have misappropriated property belonging to the Earth people.”
Marshall tried one more time, just so he could say he did.
“Earth base, this is Captain Marshall Tolliver. To whom am I speaking?”
“This is People’s Space Commodore Bao-An Zhang. Would you be descended from the traitor Lance Tolliver?”
Marshall tried not to bristle at the appellation of “traitor” to his ancestor.
“As a matter of fact, I am. What’s that got to do with your surrender?”
“We are not going to surrender.”
Marshall watched as the larger ship on the screen began moving towards them. They could always be trying to run, but it was highly unlikely. The ship had nowhere to run to now that the only way back to Earth was gone. They were going to fight.
He typed a message to Butler. How long until they are in range?
About five minutes if they hold to their present heading.
Zhang kept talking. “The traitor Lance Tolliver destroyed the original jump gate. This was an incalculable loss to the people of Earth. As his descendant, you are responsible for his crime as you have benefitted directly from it. You must pay reparations once you have been tried, found guilty, and sentenced.”
“Commodore, bite my ass.”
Marshall cut the connection.
“Sergeant Butler, fire on that ship as soon as it’s in range.”
“Aye, sir.”
Marshall looked at the screen. The second, and smaller, ship was still on the asteroid’s surface. So far it hadn’t moved, but he had no doubt that it was powering up its systems and preparing to join the fight. Unlike its larger companion, this one was a fighting ship. It looked to be of comparable size and armament as the Pershing. All of which meant that the Pershing was about to be outgunned once that ship got off the asteroid.
Unless they could take out the larger ship.
Marshall put his head on the headrest while they waited. The Pershing was undergoing acceleration greater than one standard gravity as it swung about to engage the base and the other two ships. The jump gate attack allowed them to approach the asteroid and Earth jump gate at a low enough velocity they could turn and come back to engage the base and the ships there. That didn’t mean the process was comfortable.
The cockpit was warm, and sweat dampened his brow. Each breath was something he was consciously aware of, sitting there in his chair. Marshall closed his eyes and took a mental walk through his sister’s tiger rose garden back on Baldwin’s World. Tiger roses weren’t true Terran roses, being native to Baldwin’s World, but had a number of similarities to Earth roses, not the least of which was the thorns. All varieties had solid petals with black stripes, giving them their name.
“Engaging enemy ship in thirty seconds.” Marshall could hear the strain from the acceleration in Butler’s voice.
“You may fire at will, Sgt Butler.”
“With pleasure and extreme prejudice, sir.”
Lights on the board in front of Butler changed colors as the masers fired. Butler targeted the front end of the enemy ship. The other ship changed course slightly, trying to avoid the masers. Dark lines appeared along the front of the ship. Butler had hit his target.
Several indicators turned yellow and a couple went straight to red.
“We’re being hit with a laser.”
“Evasive maneuvers, Lieutenant Romanova.”
She didn’t respond. Her fingers were flying across her controls. Steering rockets flared, and the Pershing experienced a sideways jerk at the sudden acceleration.
A flash along the side of the other ship indicated missiles had been launched. Butler changed the targeting of the masers, and the missiles disintegrated long before reaching the Pershing.
“Are we in missile range yet, Sergeant Butler?” Marshall hoped they weren’t facing a superior missile system, or the odds against them just got a lot worse.
“Not yet, but then neither are they. The commander of that ship is jumpy. He fired too soon. We had more than ample time to take those birds out.”
“So how much longer until we can return the favor?”
“We’ll be in range in a few more minutes, but I’d say if we want to maximize the damage we can do, and conserve our missiles, we wait at least six minutes. At our present speed and heading, we’ll pass along the underside of that ship. If we rake it with maser fire on our way in, we can soften her up and then take her out with a missile strike.”
