by Ryk Brown
“We’re not going to do much damage with a few rail guns,” Jessica commented. “It would be better if we had torpedoes… preferably nukes.”
“If we show him our topside we could get all our rail guns on him. That would do some damage.”
Jessica thought about it. “It might at that,” she admitted. “At that angle, sir, I suggest we target his main propulsion ports. We’re not going to get a shot at much else and we might get lucky and take out his main drive before he gets his shields up.”
“Agreed,” Nathan said.
“One minute until we enter Cleo’s shadow, sir,” Loki reported.
“All right then,” Nathan announced. “Abby, get that jump plot ready…”
“Contact!” Ensign Yosef announced. “Dead ahead, transferring track to tactical.”
“Got it!” Jessica announced. “Another frigate, coming out from the back side of Cleo… She’s firing!”
“Multiple contacts!” Ensign Yosef called out. “Three, four contacts, high-speed. They look like missiles, Captain! Transferring tracks to tactical.”
“Helm, pitch down ninety, bring the mains up to full power. We’ve got to force those missiles to turn and burn out their fuel faster.”
“Aye, Captain. Pitching down,” Josh answered.
“Jess, all rail guns, point-defense mode.”
“All we have are dumb slugs, Captain,” Jessica reminded him.
“Damn. Then target the missiles as best you can. Put an equal number of guns on each inbound missile.”
“Mains coming up to full power,” Josh reported.
“Abby, get me an escape plot,” Nathan ordered.
“Captain, the tracks aren’t accurate!” Ensign Yosef warned.
“What?” Nathan asked.
Again, the chief of the boat grumbled and took notes.
“They’re delayed. It takes nearly ten seconds for the track to reach Karuzara behind us, and then a few more seconds for them to relay the data forward to us. The targets are maybe fifteen seconds closer than they appear.”
“Drop the feed and go active,” Nathan ordered Ensign Yosef. “Time to impact?” Nathan asked Jessica.
“Twenty-two seconds, adjusted,” she reported. “One missile down, three to go.”
“Mains are at full power, sir,” Josh reported.
“Abby?” Nathan called.
“Thirty seconds to a plot, Captain.”
“Missiles are turning, sir,” Jessica reported. “They’re trying to stay with us as we change course.”
“Tracks are live through active sensors, Captain,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Two down!” Jessica reported, trying to control her excitement. “Two to go! Twenty seconds to impact!”
“Keep firing,” Nathan urged. It was an unnecessary statement, as there was no way Jessica would stop firing until all four missiles were destroyed.
“Three down! One to go! Ten seconds!”
“Cease fire! Helm, snap roll one-eighty! Brace for impact!”
“Rolling one-eighty!” Josh answered, yanking his joystick hard to the left.
“All rail guns are cold! Five seconds!” Jessica reported.
“All hands, brace for impact!” Naralena called over the ship-wide call system, sounding the impact siren immediately afterward.
“Roll complete!” Josh reported.
“Two seconds……one……impact!”
The bridge vibrated and rumbled as the last remaining missile struck their reinforced underside.
“Damage report!” Nathan ordered.
“Stand by,” Jessica answered.
“Ready to jump, Captain,” Abby announced.
“Do it!” Nathan ordered.
“Jumping!”
The view screen dimmed as the blue-white flash of the jump drive filled the screen and lit the inside of the bridge for the split second it took for the jump to complete.
“Jump complete!” Abby reported.
“Position?” Nathan asked.
“Five light minutes down course,” Abby reported.
“We’re about four light minutes past Cleo,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Minor hull damage, Captain,” Jessica reported. “If you hadn’t rolled to show them our belly, it would’ve been worse. We’re lucky they didn’t use nukes,” she added.
“I’m pretty sure they want us intact,” Nathan observed. “Which ship is closer to Corinair?”
“Stand by,” Jessica responded. “Damn it.”
“What is it?” Nathan asked.
“I have to recalculate the positions of both contacts based on their last known positions. Give me a moment… Okay, got it. If the frigate by Cleo—the one that fired on us—if she changes course, she’ll get there about ten minutes earlier than the first frigate.”
“Not much of a difference,” Nathan thought. “There’s a chance that the first frigate still doesn’t know about us or that the second frigate has fired on us. She may not even be at battle stations yet. What’s the signal time between them?”
“About ten minutes,” Jessica answered.
“Helm, new intercept course, on the first contact.”
“Plotting,” Loki answered.
“Coming about,” Josh stated, starting his turn while waiting for Loki to give him an accurate heading.
“Same plan as before, Abby; we match his speed and jump in behind him. About five hundred meters, if you please.”
“Yes, sir,” Abby answered.
“New intercept course plotted and locked, Captain.”
“Coming to new intercept heading,” Josh answered.
“Match the speed of the target, Mister Hayes,” Nathan ordered.
“Aye, sir. Decelerating to match target’s speed.”
“Be ready to pitch down to bring all guns to bear, Mister Hayes,” Nathan reminded him, “just as soon as we come out of the jump.”
“Yes, sir.”
“All rail guns are pointed up and ready to fire, Captain,” Jessica reported.
“Very well.”
“Jump plotted, Captain.”
“Whenever you’re ready,” Nathan granted.
“All hands, prepare to jump,” Abby announced ship-wide, “in three……two……one……jump.”
“Wait!” Jessica cried out as the blue-white flash filled the room.
“Jump complete,” Abby announced, suddenly becoming aware of Jessica’s last second warning. “Oh God.”
Nathan looked up at the main view screen. Behind the rectangular display floating in the middle of the screen that showed the tactical plots, the view of space outside the ship was filled with the image of the tail end of the Ta’Akar frigate, coming at them fast.
“Helm! Full reverse!” Nathan ordered.
“Full reverse, aye!” Josh answered as he brought the deceleration thrusters up to full power.
“Ten seconds to impact!” Jessica announced.
“Captain, I can flip her over and use the mains!”
“No time!” Nathan cried. “Sound collision alert!”
“Collision Alert! Collision Alert!” Naralena announced ship-wide. “All hands brace for impact!”
The main view screen was now filled with the view of the frigate’s stern as it rushed toward them. Nathan noticed that, oddly enough, the tactical plot in the display in the middle of the view screen still showed them about five hundred meters astern of the frigate.
“Jesus!” Nathan swore, clutching the armrests on his command chair.
Josh and Loki grabbed the rails on the sides of their consoles, as did everyone else on the bridge, as they braced for the impact that was about to occur.
Suddenly, the main view screen went black for a moment. Then, the red-tinged lighting in the bridge switched back to its usual amber-white, and the image on the view screen switched back to the standard outside view facing forward, which was now the cavern wall inside the Karuzara asteroid base.
“End simulation,” Deliza stated over the comm-system.
“Saw that one coming,” the master chief mumbled.
“And we just finished fixing the bow, too,” Josh joked.
“What the hell happened?” Nathan asked as he turned toward Abby.
“I don’t know, Captain. We jumped to the correct position…”
“Our closure rate was too high,” Jessica interrupted.
“I think that was my fault, sir,” Josh admitted. “I was trying to match the target speed indicated from real-time tracking.”
“Karuzara’s position was closer than our position after we jumped away from the second contact,” Jessica explained. “Abby and I did our calculations based on that data, since it was more up to date. I guess our revised data never got pushed to the helm displays.”
“So, you’re saying it was a software glitch?” Nathan asked, somewhat surprised, as the Aurora’s software was probably the most thoroughly tested software in existence—at least back home in the Sol system.
“Not a glitch, really,” Abby explained. “The software was not written with jump drive tactics in mind, Captain. We have been manually compensating for such variations as we go.”
“Well, that’s obviously not going to work,” Jessica surmised.
“Better we find that out now in a drill,” Chief Montrose insisted.
“Captain,” Deliza began as she came out of the captain’s ready room and entered the bridge, her data pad in hand, “I believe we will need to develop a set of algorithms that will track both live sensor data, as well as data that was taken earlier from less distant locations, and then decide which one is more accurate and, thus, should be utilized.”
“Sounds complicated,” Nathan said, stating the obvious.
“Yes, considerably,” Deliza agreed, “but not impossible. However, we will require assistance.”
“Chief, contact the Corinairans,” Nathan ordered. “I’m sure there are a few more programmers available on Corinair.”
“Right away, sir,” the chief promised.
“Nice job on the simulation, by the way,” Nathan congratulated Deliza.
“Thank you, Captain,” Deliza answered. “I try to make them as real as possible.”
“Well, the vibrations from the main drive were a nice touch—oh, and the missile impact as well. How did you do that?”
“Sinusoidal waves through the gravity plating under the deck,” she bragged. “Quite easy, really. In time, I can probably simulate the feeling of acceleration as well.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Nathan insisted.
“Captain,” Abby said, “what Deliza is suggesting is no small task. In fact, it may require the redesign of several interfaces.”
“Well, we can’t run the risk of slamming into the back of targets, now can we?” Nathan stated.
“Of course not,” Abby agreed. “However, I would like to suggest that we take this opportunity to consider working the jump drive operations into the primary flight consoles instead of having them run by a separate operator.”
“But I thought the jump plots where too complicated.”
“They were,” Abby agreed, “but ever since we installed the computer cores from that old mining shuttle from Haven, we have been able to refine the plotting process. Soon we will be upgrading those cores to ones provided by the Corinairans. We should be able to integrate the entire operation of the jump drive into the helm rather easily. And we are already working on such integration for use in Tug’s interceptor, so we will have a prototype to work from and test prior to installing it in the Aurora.”
“Then why bring it up now?” Nathan wondered.
“If Deliza’s team is going to be upgrading the sensory data management and plotting algorithm, it might be easier for her to do so with the idea that the jump drive operations will eventually be integrated into the helm.”
“I don’t know, Doctor,” Nathan said. “I have to admit, I feel better knowing you’re plotting the jumps. That system is your baby, after all.”
“And should something happen to me?” she pointed out.
“Good point,” Nathan admitted.
“Besides, I suspect the integration will not only decrease the potential for errors, but it will improve your overall flexibility of use, at least in combat situations.”
“Then where will you be?”
“I will be down in the jump drive field generator control room, where I can keep a better eye on things. After all, I do not really belong on the bridge of a warship.”
“Very well,” Nathan agreed. “However, I would like you to remain on the bridge and monitor the jump plots for a while after the system is integrated, just to be sure.”
“Of course.”
“Would you like me to load up another simulation, Captain?” Deliza asked.
“Yes, please.”
“Captain?” Naralena called from the comms station.
“Yes?”
“Lieutenant Commander Kamenetskiy is requesting you meet him down on the main deck, at the center hatch through the primary forward bulkhead, sir. They are about to crack open the forward section and he thought you might like to be present.”
“Yes, of course. Tell him I’m on my way,” Nathan told her. “Jess, break everyone for one hour. I should be back by then and we can pick it up again.”
“Yes, sir,” Jessica answered as Nathan exited the bridge.
* * *
“Wow,” Nathan commented as he approached the main hatch that led through the primary forward bulkhead into the bow of the ship. Vladimir and three of his repair teams were standing nearby, waiting for clearance to enter the forward compartment. “It’s been awhile since that light was green,” Nathan added, pointing to the pressure status light above the hatch. For more than a month, ever since they had first rammed the Ta’Akar battleship Campaglia and tore a hole in the Aurora’s bow, that light had been red, indicating that the compartment on the other side of the hatch was unpressurized. For most of that time, there had been a temporary airlock setup around the hatch, allowing them to go into the compartment and conduct search and rescue operations, as well as to salvage needed equipment and supplies from the depressurized areas. “I see you removed the temporary airlock,” Nathan commented.
“The forward compartment has been pressurized for nearly an hour now,” Vladimir explained. “The Corinairan technicians outside are finishing their inspection, checking for leaks. We have also been watching the pressure inside the compartment. There have been no changes.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Nathan asked. “Let’s go in and take a look around.”
“It is still very cold in there,” Vladimir warned, “maybe five degrees.”
“I’ll be fine,” Nathan insisted. “You’re not the only one who grew up with snow. Vancouver, remember?”
“Bah, that is the tropics compared to my village,” Vladimir insisted.
“Cheng, Comms,” Naralena’s voice called over the comm-set.
“Cheng. Go ahead,” Vladimir answered.
“Sir, Mister Tonken reports they have confirmed a good seal. You are cleared to enter.”
“Copy,” Vladimir answered. “We are opening the hatch now.” Vladimir tapped his comm-set to kill the connection and signaled to the first repair team. “Open it.”
The four-man repair team removed the metallic tape that had covered the hatch seal. The tape was designed to change color if the hatch seal was leaking, which it had not. They also removed the yellow caution strips that had been crisscrossed over the hatch, warning anyone who might have considered opening the hatch when the forward section had been sealed off. Although Nathan had seen pictures and video footage from the search and rescue teams, as well as the team that had gone in to salvage equipment and supplies, this would be the first live inspection that Nathan would be making of the damage that was caused when he rammed the Campaglia more than a month ago.
The technician pulled the locking lever open, breaking the seal on the hatch. There was a sl
ight hiss of air, as the minor difference in pressure between the two compartments equalized.
“Check the mechanism and make sure the auto-close works properly before re-engaging the system,” Vladimir instructed the repair team.
“Smells strange,” Nathan commented. “Like burnt circuits and metal.”
“Da,” Vladimir agreed. “There were several fires in there. They were extinguished when you backed out and the entire section vented to space. The smell will go away once everything is cleaned and repaired and the section has chance to ventilate properly.”
“Is it going to stink up the rest of the ship?” Nathan asked.
“Nyet. Each main compartment has its own environmental system. They are all interconnected, in case one fails, but normally they do not mix the same air. This prevents contaminated air from spreading throughout the ship.”
“Like the bridge?”
“Da. The entire command deck has its own system, as does the flight deck, main deck, lower deck, and engineering.”
“Shall we?” Nathan asked.
“After you, Captain,” Vladimir answered.
Nathan stepped through the hatchway into the forward compartment. The inside was unevenly lit, with a few of the lighting panels flickering off and on. The corridor stretched out in front of him, running forward all the way to the bow. However, the lights at the forward end were all off, having been damaged during the collision.
“Light?” Nathan asked the technician behind him.
“Most of this end has already been looked over by the SAR teams when we were still hiding in the Korak system,” Vladimir reminded him.
“Yeah, I remember the videos,” Nathan said as he took the flashlight being handed to him. He shined it down the corridor, lighting it up all the way to the end. “It doesn’t look too bad down there.”
“Most of the damage was on the port side,” Vladimir commented as they moved forward.
They turned down a side corridor and headed to port until they reached the end, where it joined up with the perimeter corridor that curved inward as it led forward. As they passed the first escape pod hatch, he noticed some writing on the wall next to the hatch. “What’s this?”
“When Commander Taylor had some people in pressure suits raid the food stores of the escape pods, she had them write down what they took from each pod on the wall.”
