“Thirty minutes max. Frank, then you’ll all be ready to go. That’s assuming Andromeda and Susanna have completed the activation sequence and set the firing rules.”
“OK, Thanks for reminding me of that Hector. Out.”
“Just finalising the upload Frank,” came Andromeda’s voice.
“Good. You’re unusually quiet. Why?”
“Number crunching on this scale does that to me.”
He tapped to speak to Tim. “Well, Tim?”
“What Frank?”
“The route?”
“Yes! It’s ready to upload to Andromeda.”
“Please do it now Tim. Hopefully, we’ll be leaving in an hour’s time.”
“OK. It’s done.”
“Good. That’s one less thing to worry about,” Frank replied. Then tapped Susanna’s icon.
“Yes, Frank?”
“What’s the situation with the activation and firing sequences?”
“Come on Frank, Andromeda’s already told you. We'll be uploading to the modified drones in about four minutes. Then they’ll be uploaded to the rest as they come online.”
“Excellent Sues.” He tapped her icon off and sat back thinking about her.
He had to admit that he was feeling a bit lonely this trip. He missed his son Alex and desperately wanted to share the same cabin as Susanna. But, it was an unwritten law that when on board, whether you were married or not made no difference, everyone slept in separate cabins.
Then, pulling himself together, decided that he’d better set up the final meeting before they left.
“Andromeda set it up for 30 minute's time. Tight ship-to-ship link, none physical.”
“I’ll do it now. I’ll inform you if someone can’t make it.”
“No. This is a mandatory meeting. No, exceptions.”
“Understood, Frank.”
He sat back studying the continuous data traffic flow on his tactical pad, switching to the main screen whenever he needed a larger view.
He looked at Tim’s planned route for their revised detour to Delta Pavonis. And noted that it was a bit further out than he had hoped, and the first jump was a lot shorter than the second.
But he would go with the plan, as it was exactly as he had requested, illogical. It would indeed prove whether the Solverons could follow once a ship had entered a wormhole.
After juggling the various options, he finally decided how the ships would be arranged for the jumps, and how the modified drones would be employed on exit.
Thirty minutes later, Andromeda informed him that the last two drones had been modified, and their activation sequence and firing rules were being uploaded.
He knew that all the ships were on full sensor alert. With most of the drones already in place outside and each drone touching the hull of their own ship.
There was nothing else to be done now, except to start the meeting he had ordered.
“Commence meeting,” he signalled and their icons gradually lit up on his screen as they logged on.
Immediately the screen split into segments. Each showing a live image of one of the five Captains. The sixth, showing his own image.
“Welcome everyone. Right, as usual, I’ll take your comments, and suggestions afterwards,” Frank said, taking a long breath.
“Well. We’ve arrived at a game plan that you’ve all contributed to in one way or another.
The route that Tim has chosen, together with the drone arrangement and general planning, seems to give us the best chance to protect ourselves while, hopefully, wiping out a few of these Solverons.”
He paused. ‘It felt strange,’ he thought. ‘Seeing six pairs of eyes staring out of the screen, including his own eyes.’
“You all have the jump and exit configuration data in front of you and, as you can see, the exit configuration will form a square. With Illustrious and Repulse, in the top corners, Derringer and Turpin in the lower corners, and Argonaut and Andromeda protecting the centre.
Each ship will deploy their modified drones, immediately on exit. This will be crucial to our plan. You must also keep your two drones within a light-second from your own ship.
If the Solverons are going to come after us, then we think that they’ll be on us, within two to three minutes. So, for safety, we need to keep the ships in their formation on exit and three kilometres apart from each other.
If there’s no engagement with the enemy during the warp-charge time, we’ll jump to the next point on Tim’s planned route. Then on again, and finally, make the last jump to Delta Pavonis.
But if the Solverons do turn up, remember that your Skippa drive will get you out of their range, fast. It might also be wise to allow your computers to set a distance threshold, so the ship will skip automatically if the Solveron’s get too close for safety.
But be warned, if a Solveron ship touches yours, it’s too late, and you’re gone. Any questions?”
“Yes,” Harry said. “Are we syncing with Andromeda?”
“Yes, of course. Andromeda’s the Flagship.”
“Your strategy seems right Frank,” Hector said. “But the front and back aren’t covered very well, are they?”
“I disagree. There are enough drones to cover the front and back, Hector. Don’t forget, the drones will only be 400 metres from your ships, so there should be plenty of time for a drone to acquire a target, create the wormhole and launch the Nuke.”
“The formation will have four drones and eight Nukes in the centre and eight drones and sixteen Nukes on the outside,” Andromeda added.
“And don’t forget that the firing protocols, for all our ships, and for the drones, are very strict. We don’t want to be shooting at each other,” Susanna cautioned.
“No. One enemy is enough,” Derrick said jokingly.
“Do we know, or can we guess, how many Solveron ships there might be?” asked Barry.
“No, we have no idea. But we’re sure the Crillon’s would still be frightened, even if it were only a single Solveron ship,” Andromeda commented.
“Anything else?”
“Not for me Frank.” Hector voiced.
“Frank?”
“Yes, Tony?”
“I think that I can say this for everyone, captains and crews alike. You know that we’ll do whatever it takes, and we’ll follow you anywhere, to Kingdom come if needed.”
Well. I thank all of you for that,” replied a pleased, but slightly embarrassed Frank.
“That’s not all, Frank,” Tony added. “It’s just something that we all want to know. Are we going to Kepler?”
They all waited eagerly for his reply.
“It depends on what happens between here and Zeta Reticuli,” Frank calmly replied.
“Well, we could get to Kepler in two weeks if we were able to use the natural wormhole,” Hector pointed out.
“True. It’s quicker than an artificial wormhole, and it would be a straight run,” Andromeda remarked.
“But it would be a lot slower without the natural wormhole. I reckon it would take about two months, and up to four jumps,” Derrick added.
“Plus a hell of a lot of crystals. Say eight per ship, so forty-two all told,” Barry pointed out. “Then you’d need another sixteen, just for safety.”
“Yes! All of you are right. But we’ll worry about that when we stop off at Delta Pavonis,” Frank affirmed, sounding irritated.
“They already have seventy-three crystals on Pavonis, and they’re all chambered up as per their supply log,” continued Andromeda.
“Right!” exclaimed Frank, wanting to conclude this discussion.
“If you really want to go on to Kepler, and from the sound of it, I think you probably do.
You need to realise that this could end up being a two-year journey, especially if the natural wormhole isn’t available.
So, anyone who does not want to go on with what might now be a two-year trip can opt to stay at Delta Pavonis,” he said. Knowing he was taking a gamble,
and inwardly hoping no one would take up the offer.
“Then later, you would be able to get a transport ship back to Earth. But I don’t know how long you would have to wait at Pavonis,” Frank added.
“If you go on to Zeta Reticuli, you’re committed to the whole expedition. So, who wants to stay at Pavonis?”
They all were silent, with a no way we’re going back now expression showing on their faces.
“OK. I assume that’s a big fat no, to that option. Agreed?”
All of the captains nodded their agreement.
“Ok, that’s good. Thank you,” Frank said looking at the screen and seeing everyone, including himself, smiling with relief.
“Right. The jump will be in fifteen minutes. All ships sync with Andromeda.
Lastly. Everyone needs to carry out a sweep for our little orange bugs. But do the sweep as close to the Jump command time as possible, making sure you leave enough time to abort the jump.
Good luck. We’ll see you all at the first exit. Be ready for battle.”
All six ships synced with the Andromeda and ‘pulsed’ their warp core crystals causing a deep depression in front of each of them, like giant folds in the fabric of space. Their wormholes formed, and once established the Earth ships slid swiftly into them.
During the transit through their wormholes, there was plenty of time to reflect on the coming battle as the first jump-exit would be in 20 hours. Some six light years out from Earth.
During this time, however, they established that the test emitters that had been fitted on all the ships were in effect, useless. So, work continued on the Argonaut, to try to find a way to neutralise the Solverons anti-cohesion field.
Frank had been enjoying this transit period more than most as he had been able to spend a few intimate hours with Susanna in her cabin. Today, however, he was feeling very irritable.
This irritability had been building up in him over time, as, during his almost daily walks around the ship, he had become aware of a shadowy figure, always nearby. Today, finally realising what it was, he’d had enough.
“Can’t you follow someone else?” He growled in anger.
“But, I’m your emergency battle armour, sir,” came a voice in his transceiver, “Protection is my middle name.”
“Yes. I know what you are. You just give me the creeps, and why do you keep repeating yourself?”
“I’m your emergency battle armour, sir,” the voice repeated in his transceiver. “Protection is my middle name.”
“Geeze!” exclaimed Frank. Then, feeling better for his outburst, he hurried back to the control room.
On the way, finding himself visualising again what Jenny would look like in that emergency battle armour. Virtually naked inside, and with sixty or so sensors linking her body to the armour.
He then thought of himself being in the armour; all wired up. ‘Ugh, not a pleasant sensation,’ he thought.
He reached the control room and slumped into his seat in front of the main screen, cursing under his breath as the armour clanked in and settled itself in its designated spot.
Having calmed down again, Frank watched the ship’s readiness indicators and data traffic on his main screen. ‘Five minutes to zero,’ he thought. His gaze drifting to the three curved atom glass windows at the front of the control room, their shape blending into the wall.
‘It’s not like being in Hector’s control room. I’m on my own, and that greyish mist outside does nothing but depress me.’
“You’re, not alone Frank, you have me,” Andromeda said, trying to cheer him up.
“I understand. But it's nerve-racking being unable to talk to our other ships until we exit.”
“Well, we all have the same frustrations.”
“I know, but being in transit is sometimes like being stuck in an underground metro train, with no way out.”
“Oh dear, Are you not well? That’s strange, my sensors show that you are.”
“It’s all right Andromeda, I'm all right,” he sighed.
“Do an overlay sweep for these orange-bugs,” he ordered. “I can’t see the Solverons getting one on board, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“Sweeping now,” Andromeda confirmed.
The chronometer showed just three minutes to exit.
A few moments later Andromeda reported. “All clear Frank.”
The two-minute exit warning sounded.
His hands began to feel sweaty as the adrenalin kicked in. This was unusual for him. But he knew that, during the first few seconds of their jump-exit, all their lives were entirely dependent on Andromeda’s ability.
The two-second warning sounded.
Then the ship seemed to drop like a stone, but that was just one of the effects everyone felt when dropping into normal space, along with the general giddiness.
Suddenly, contact alarms sounded as the ship’s detectors found something to shoot at.
Frank propelled himself into action. His screen showed that all his ships had arrived just three seconds after the Andromeda7.
Then he saw about fifty small blue globes trying to get through Andromeda’s force-field. While Andromeda’s particle beams crisscrossed the globes, searching for and finding the odd target. With the target, only vapourising when two particle-beams simultaneously made contact with it.
He watched the escalating battle as his other ships joined the fight. He could see that the small globes would undoubtedly have been devastating if they had been able to make contact with his ships. But the Globes hadn’t enough power to survive a double high-density particle beam hit.
The ships continued firing the particle beams at the small globes, with the particle beam flashes appearing more like a giant firework display. Within a minute or so they were all destroyed.
Then Frank saw three large blue Solveron ships, moving slowly and relentlessly towards the Earth ships. The blue globe-ships were swirling and crackling as they swelled before his eyes.
‘I hope you’re right Frankie boy,’ Frank thought.
Chapter 10
We were there.
It had been more than a month since the Solverons attacked the Crillon’s home planet Crilla.
‘The only positive thing to come out of it all was the meeting with the Navy,’ Tripicac thought as he sat waiting for their meeting to begin.
Next to him were Commander Arans and Commander Tarcan, and sitting facing them were three of the Crillon Navy’s high command, dressed in their usual grey uniforms.
He noticed that Space Marshall Trendor was no different looking than any of the naval personnel sitting with him or even anyone he might have met on the street. Like everyone else he was tall and had similar features.
Thinking back, Tripicac realised that all of the senators had looked alike. In fact, he had found it difficult separating them. ‘Such small differences,’ he thought. ‘My word, it’s almost as if we are clones.’
“Well, Commander Tripicac?” Marshal Trendor said. “We understand from the Senate that all three of you are to be given our full cooperation.”
“That’s correct sir,” Tripicac answered considering his next words carefully.
“First. We need to know how many ships are left, and their approximate locations?”
“Not possible, Tripicac,” A Navy general replied.
‘Here we go again,’ Tripicac thought, starting to get annoyed.
‘The only difference between Marshal Trendor and this clown are the three pips on his epaulettes. Come to that, what can you say about the third one? Just the diamond shaped badge on his sleeve defined him from the others.’
“Why do you need to know?” The general asked then stopped as Trendor interrupted.
“General Tendor and I are not related Tripicac,” Trendor said, having seen Tripicac eyeing the three up. “And everything you appear to need is classified.”
“Then declassify the information. We need to know, now!”
“No. Tripicac,” Tendor sai
d, raising his voice.
“I say yes. The Senate says yes. Our ships overhead say yes.
You will do it now General Tendor.”
Tendor glanced at Trendor, who nodded at him.
“Very well Tripicac. You will have the information on your pads when you activate them to receive the information.”
All three quickly opened their pads, relieved to see that the information on the strength and location of most of the Crillon ships was now at their fingertips.
“Thank you,” Commander Tarcan said, pausing as he flipped through the data.
“Right. Second. What do you know about the fork in the natural wormhole? Third. Where does it, or rather did it go?”
“I am science officer Vostor,” announced the naval officer, with a red diamond-shaped badge on his sleeve.
“No one knows for sure where the fork went. Most of our trackers and scientists believe that it led to the Solveron’s home star system. But if so, the Solveron’s didn’t seem to use it,” he ended and paused for a moment.
Then said. “And, we don’t know why they are so active here.”
“We’ve probably walked over their planet sometime in the past,” Arans replied, in a bitter sounding voice.
“Ah yes, Commander Arans. We know all about your exploits with the Humans. And of you and all your crew's change of heart. Very touching I’m sure,” Trendor remarked.
“Trendor, you may rue the day you said that. The Humans may be our only saviours.” Arans snapped back.
“OK. What about our third question, have you checked the timeline back to when the attacks by the Solverons first started? You must surely have done that,” he added. “Oh, and where do you think the Solveron’s star system is most likely to be located?”
Vostor picked up a small tech pad on the table in front of him, aiming one end of the pad at the screen on the side wall.
“This video was taken by a mapping ship, which had been returning from what your human friends call Zeta Reticuli before the wormhole collapsed,” he said.
The Definitive SpaceFed Trilogy (SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy).: A thrilling, action-packed Sci-fi space adventure. (SpaceFed StarShips Series Book 8) Page 49
