by E. D. Cask
“Why can’t we just go back home?”
Josh shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ve been focusing so much on the threat from this Svarmo, we haven’t been able to spent any time on that. I promise we’ll work on that when the threat has been neutralized.”
A boy in the back stood up and shouted, “That isn’t good enough. If you send us back, we won’t have to face the Svarmo. We would be safe. We just want to go home.” He sank down and dropped his head into his hands.
“Listen, we don’t have enough time to do everything at once.” He stopped and looked at Sergei whose eyes widened. Sergei jumped up and raced out of the room. Everyone watched him go, puzzled.
“We’ll have to get back to you guys. If you could start on those parameters, I’m sure Duumai can reconfigure your pods for exploration. I’ll talk to you later.” Josh rushed out of the room and made his way to the holo room.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Timebomb
When Josh got there Sergei was already querying Duumai.
Yes, the time beacon also has a spacial component to it. Space and time are linked.
Sergei grinned at Josh and asked, “So could you move something in space with this time beacon?”
Yes.
Josh asked, “How big of an area can you affect?”
Currently they are made for single humans, so the area is small.
“Can the area be increased?” they both asked at the same time. They laughed giddily.
Unknown.
“Who would know?”
The engineering specs of the time beacons are classified.
Sergei and Josh looked at each other. Master Ku.
“Duumai, can you contact Master Ku and ask for permission?”
Master Ku entered the room a while later. “Why do you wish to open the archives?”
Sergei explained his big idea and then their idea for beaming the rocks into the sun. “It’s like a portal into the sun.”
Master Ku thought for a while. “Duumai, what would the consequences be of inserting that mass into sol?”
Unknown.
Josh asked, “How precise is your beacon? Could we send them to another star or inside the middle of another planet?”
Unknown.
Josh and Sergei looked at Master Ku.
He nodded, “You may explore these thoughts. Please limit your research to spacial dimensions at this time. We do not want to add other complexities to our calculations.”
Sergei added, “And anyway, sending these things to a different time would just place burden on a different age.”
Master Ku nodded, “I am glad you understand.” He left.
Sergei clapped his hands together, “This is going to be fun. I always enjoyed programming.”
“What did you program?”
“A couple of small games, mods and web pages. Nothing big, yet,” he said, grinning.
“Oh, so this programming of a physicist’s nightmare time beacon that we have never studied should be a breeze,” Josh said sarcastically.
“Well, this is future. I expect Duumai will do hard work. My job will be manager.”
Here are the time beacon parameters.
A list filled one wall of the room with tiny words. It was impossible to read.
Josh laughed, “Have fun, Sergei.”
Sergei looked at the list blankly, “Funny, Duumai. Only show me parameters for spacial inputs.”
This is the list for the primary spacial parameters. I already filtered out parameters that were unimportant.
“Can you show me what we need to see to make the bubble bigger?” Sergei said desperately.
That is merely a function of power input and size constraints. I have calculated that the largest sphere the current design could sustain would be 23.7 meter radius.
“What would happen if we swapped in a power plant from a fighter ship?” Josh asked.
Sergei looked at him with raised eyebrows, “I did not think you were a rocket scientist.”
Josh shrugged, “This is kind of like building a weapon in a game. We just swap out parts to find out the outputs and find the right combination. Maybe.”
That would increase the radius to 8.91 kilometers, but the power plant would not currently fit and the power may too much for the beacon.
Sergei snapped his fingers. “Aha, we are thinking the wrong way. Why don’t we install the time beacon in a ship?”
Possible. With power draw from other ship needs, the radius would be half.
“Can the fighter take a second power plant? We wouldn’t want to divert any power from shields.”
Yes, possible if you don’t wish to connect it to vital ship systems.
Sergei clapped his hands together. “Okay, next is the targeting function. How can we move that bubble to middle of a star?”
Josh added, “And how accurate can we be? What I mean is, can we target a star that is light years away?”
No, the complexities and distance would be too much to do in one step.
“So it could work in several step?”
Possible. It would require multiple recalibration steps along the way.
Sergei asked, “How long would that take?”
Several minutes, depending on many parameters.
Josh frowned, “Will the bubble keep the Svarmo inside during that time? I don’t remember anything from the experience.”
The bubble should be able to contain the enemy ships. They will not experience the time equally. Your trip took 5.36 hours to complete. The calculations and the distance involved were large.
Sergei looked puzzled. “But he was on Earth the whole time, wasn’t he?”
The speed of the Sol system moving through known space is 7.9 x 10^9 kilometers per year.
Josh laughed. “I guess we aren’t such rocket scientists after all, are we?”
Sergei raised his eyebrows. “How did they compute this all out?”
“Duumai, can you start the manufacturing process for this?”
Sergei jumped in. “Can you install one of these beacons on my ship for testing? I can test jump capabilities. This might even be useful for battle or exploration.”
“I don’t know about that, Sergei. It might be d—“
“Dangerous? I have already fought battle. I have already been in time beacon.”
“Okay, calm down. We can ask Master Ku. We need to ask about this plan anyway.”
Master Ku has already approved the change.
Sergei’s eye lit up. “What about my request?”
No. Master Ku also requires that you not share details of this device with anyone else. You may only say that it is a space transport device. This tech has been closely guarded by scientists and then the Lytix for thousands of years.
Josh jumped up. “You mean that this tech was around in our time?”
That is beyond your current classification.
“I haven’t heard that in a while.”
Sergei asked, “How long will it take to re-manufacture the ships?”
It will take several days, using the ships from the previous battle. To build new ships from parts will take several weeks.
“How many will we need?”
Unknown. An estimate based on known parameters would mean that we require 372 ships. That assumes current known numbers and battle formations.
“Can we use battle bots also?”
That would decrease the power availability with no room for additional power sources. I would estimate a 7.4 kilometer radius.
“How long does it take to build a battle bot?”
It takes 3.21 hours at current capacity.
“Can we increase capacity?”
No.
Josh asked, “Can we ask the Natix for help with some of their ships?”
Master Ku forbids the sharing of this technology with the Natix.
Josh was disgusted. “We are up against a threat to the known universe and the Lytix don’t want to share some tech.
You keep at it, Sergei. You are a real rocket scientist.” He left to find Ab.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Diplomacy
When Josh knocked on Ab’s door, she opened it quickly.
“Back so soon,” she teased.
“We may have found some tech that will solve our problems.”
“What? Already? Did you decipher the messages?”
“No, not yet. The Lytix developed some tech that I can’t really talk about, but it will allow us to move anything in a large bubble in space to somewhere else. Sergei is working with Duumai on it now.”
“But this is wonderful. How does it work?”
“I can’t tell you.”
She turned and walked away angrily.
“Listen, I would tell you if I could, but the Lytix won’t allow it. Isn’t it enough that we might have a solution that could keep everyone from dying?”
“If it means hiding fearfully behind the Lytix, then it is shameful. We will not accept it.”
Josh flopped down on one of the chairs. “Who knew that fighting in the future would involve so much diplomacy?” He sighed. “Can’t you convince your people that this will allow them to survive and continue their culture? They can find a place on Earth or fly back out into the unknown.”
Ab considered this. “I will try, but we must think of a better way to say it. As you say, we must be more diplomatic. I learned from my father and over the last seven years that the life of a ship’s captain, and particularly the Stargazer, requires more diplomacy than anything else.”
“Where is the rest of your fleet? Are they in orbit yet?”
She answered, “They are waiting to see what happens here first. The Galaknovo is here, of course. You are welcome to join your ship at any time.”
Josh stared at her. “Are you kidding?”
“No, of course not. You fought and vanquished the rightful owner of the ship, so she is yours.”
“But I don’t want it.”
“It doesn’t matter what you wish. It is yours.”
“Doesn’t he have family…” he swallowed hard. “Family who could take it?”
“No, and that isn’t how property is divided after a Mortbatalo.”
Josh put his head into his hands.
Ab smiled. “You are a wealthy man now. I knew that there was something special about you when I first saw you.”
She added, “Although this also means that you must obey me.”
He looked at her, “Really?”
She laughed, “No, Stargazer is an advisory role. I am like a wise counselor that everyone ignores.”
“Well, you got them to come here.”
“It was difficult. It took many days. They all wanted to go different ways.”
“Like herding cats.”
“Cats? What are cats? Are they a delicacy?”
Josh laughed. “No, cats are pets that ignore their owners and sit in the sun and clean themselves.”
“Why would anyone want such a pet?”
“Because they are soft and sometimes they will deign to cuddle up on your lap to be stroked.”
She smiled wickedly and sat on his lap. “Like so?”
“Yes,” he said huskily. He put his hand on her neck and rubbed it. “Except they are very hairy. It gets everywhere.”
She shuddered. “Hair. Disgusting. We eliminated that many years ago. It is unnecessary in space. Don’t you think so?” She stroked his hair. “But it is soft. Why do you keep it?”
“Would you rather I be bald?”
“If we mated, would our children be bald or would they have hair all over their bodies?” she shuddered again.
“Do I disgust you?” he asked, smiling.
She nuzzled her nose into his neck and showed him her answer. There was a sound at the door. Josh tried to move, but Ab had her AI open the door. Her steward entered. His eyes flickered toward Josh, who was trying not to blush.
“Your committee has arrived. Shall I send them in?”
“Yes, of course,” she said lazily. Josh shot up, dumped her in the other chair and then sat back down immediately. His face was bright red.
“I better leave,” he said as he sat there.
“No, you should get to know your fellow captains. They will be interested to meet you. But let me tell them about the Lytix tech.”
Josh nodded and tried to look cool and in control.
Six short men and three women in wildly different outfits came into the room and bowed briefly to Ab. She stood and gave a deep nod to each. They looked warily at Josh, then ignored him. They were clothes in different colors and styles, from elegant to outlandish. Several of them had tattoos on their visible skin. One looked like a pirate, with tattoos and earrings and ruffled clothes. Another had shoes that curved up at the toes and bangles on his arms. One of the women had eyebrows and hair tattooed on her head. Although they moved with grace and skill, each of them had a studied air of having killed and being willing to kill again.
Josh tried not to stare. He looked down at his hands as the attendant scurried around setting up chairs. There seemed to be subtle power plays going on as each tried to get the closest chairs to Ab. She watched it all calmly and only flicked glances at Josh a couple of times to see how he was doing. When everyone had been seated, Ab welcomed them each individually and introduced Josh. He lost track of the names, but didn’t miss that all of their titles were the same, Stelokap.
Then Ab introduced him, “Please make the acquaintance of Stelokap Josh Soanes.” They each nodded at him and he nodded back, his eyes wide with disbelief. He didn’t want to make a mistake that would cause another insult. He felt as though he was a mouse in a room of feral cats. They were now eying him carefully.
One of the women asked, “What is the meaning of your name, Stelokap Soanes.”
Josh shrugged, “I don’t know. I just inherited it from my father.” Seeing their confusion, he added, “That is our custom, we take the last name of our parents.”
“And you have no knowledge of its meaning, its power?”
Josh squinted his eyes and looked at Ab.
Ab continued, “We found out some good news about the defenses. Stelokap Soanes and his team have possibly found a way to … teleport the Svarmo to the middle of a star.”
The Stelokapo looked at Ab in confusion.
One of the men asked, “Stargazer Teranovo, how is this possible? What manner of tech makes this feasible? We have never heard of such a thing.”
Ab responded, “It is something new that has been discovered by the AI construct here.” She avoided looking at Josh and he tried to keep an incredulous look off his face, but he forgot about his internal thoughts.
One of the women turned to look at Josh closely. “You disagree? You think she…” She turned her gaze to Ab.
Josh struggled to mask his emotions. He tried the same thing as he had with Duumai and started singing a song in his head. It turned out to be the right choice in masking his disbelief, but he turned red when he realized that the words of a love song were running through his mind.
The woman looked back at him. “Ah, you are conflicted. You feel strong emotion for Stargazer Teranovo.” She frowned.
Ab smiled brightly at Josh. “We have yet to come to an understanding, but there is still time.”
They all looked at Josh in a different light now, seeing him as even more of a rival for power than they had thought before. One of the men glared at Josh. He then looked at Ab and said, “I find your willingness to entertain such a youngling and someone not even of our kind troubling. There are much better prospects among us.” He gestured to them all.
Ab smiled. “I thank you for your concern, but matters of the heart have no place here. We need to be discussing strategy for when the Svarmo shows up. They will be here soon.”
That focused their attention back on Ab.
“How does this tech work?” one of the captains demanded.
“We do not know yet, but they wil
l be testing it soon. In the meantime, we need to make contingency plans for their arrival.”
Josh added, “I already asked some of our teams to find caves or underground structures where we can hide, if needed.”
Another captain sneered. “You wish us to hide, like cowards?”
“I was thinking that we could have non-combatants in those places with supplies. If we could mask their presence, they would survive even the worst outcome.”
Several of the captains nodded. Two put their heads together and whispered to each other.
Ab asked them, “What else can we do to eliminate this threat? We have been running and fighting them for years. They seem attracted to tech, so, even if we fail, our descendants could possibly survive.”
There seemed to be reluctant agreement to this.
But the same captain repeated, “When do we get this tech?”
“As I said, it is still in testing and…”
“But it will be delivered to us when it is ready?”
Josh answered him, carefully masking his emotions. “As far as we can tell right now, this tech will only work with inanimate objects. It would be too dangerous to test on humans, at this point.”
Ab concluded, “I think the best course, for now, is to offload all non-combatants to a safe location and form battle groups as normal. Whether this new tech works or not, we will most likely be doing battle with the Svarmo within seven days. We have much to prepare for.” She stood. The others followed. “I am sorry for such a short meeting, but you should communicate this to the rest of the fleet and prepare them. Once they are all in orbit, we can meet again for more detailed plans.”
The attendant came in and ushered them out. Josh waited until the door closed and then let out relieved sigh. Ab held up two fingers to quiet him. She closed her eyes for a moment and waited. He tried to think of a field of flowers.
She smiled, “You are learning. We had to wait until their attention had left us.” She sat and gestured for him to sit also.
“You did well, Josh, “ she smiled. “Now back to us.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Team
