by Saxon Andrew
“So where does that leave us?”
“Far behind their current numbers of warships.”
“That’s not good.”
“I know, but have you taken a look at what the new DE Missiles did to their warships?” Gabby nodded. “That missile is going to change everything.”
Gabby’s brow furrowed and she closed her eyes. Gabe smiled, she still focused with her eyes closed. He gave her time to think it through and when she opened her eyes, he knew she saw the answer, “We don’t need to build giant warships anymore.”
“Have you looked at all the permutations of our current situation?”
Gabby rolled her eyes, “What am I not seeing?”
“How many threats do we have to face?” Gabby’s eyes narrowed and then they went wide. She immediately closed them and after a minute opened them, “We have to see the threat facing the Flashers before we commit to another ship design.”
“Now you have it. We have to send the Eyes out to find it. Once we see what the Flashers are up against, we’ll know what direction we need to take.” Gabe smiled, “I need to get together with you more often. George Luge Senior has told me that the engineers have developed a DE Containment Vessel that can hold double the current pressures we’re using.”
Gabby smiled, “Then one new class of warship is immediately called for.”
Gabe shook his head, “You didn’t even have to focus to come up with that answer.”
“The new ship will pretty much be a Missile Frigate and the Missiles will have a computer in them to control it. I suspect the small computer Ali developed would be the perfect size for it. Why build giant warships when a small warship can destroy the Giant Flasher Warships?”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed, “I missed that part about Ali’s computer.”
“Remember that it is superior in celestial mechanics. It can direct the new missile on the fly. All it will need is a designated target.”
“Why would it have to have a designated target?”
“Because with hundreds of thousands of warships flying around in a giant space battle, you don’t want more than one of them hitting a single target,” Gabby said as if she were talking to a child.
Gabe chuckled. Gabby never was sensitive about how her words came across, “You’ve been around Ali too long. You’re starting to think like an engineer.”
“That’s the benefit of having a brilliant husband.”
“I’ve missed you, Gabby.”
Gabby frowned and held up her hands between her and Gabe, “Hey, back off, I’m a married woman!”
Gabe laughed, “I love you like a sister I never had, Gabby. Besides, I have Janell.”
Gabby smiled, leaned over, and hugged Gabe, “I love you too, Gabe.” Gabby released Gabe, closed her eyes, and then sat up straight as she said, “The new Missile Frigate will need to be about a mile long and have fifty launch tubes. The DE Missiles it carries will be on rails to facilitate rapid firing. The missiles will be about half the size of the old Hawk Fighters and with good optimization of the ship’s interior space, that vessel should be able to carry five hundred, or possibly seven hundred of the new missiles; more if they can be made smaller.” Gabe could only shake his head as Gabby continued, “And think about it Gabe. We can probably build a thousand Frigates for each of the Flasher Warships.”
“I suspect that once the systems are automated, the rate will be much higher than that, Gabby.”
“That means we’ll catch up to them much faster than the two hundred years I’ve estimated if we had to continue building the Carriers and Hart Battleships.”
“We’re going to need the Carriers, Gabby.”
“Why?”
“The Frigates will be manned by a crew of a hundred or more. How much space will be needed to carry the stores needed to feed and support the crews, not to mention the missiles? If the Frigates have to carry their stores for a long mission, they’ll lose missile capacity. The Carriers will remain a standalone defensive platform built to take on any attack. It will be the Frigates that will impose our will on our enemies.”
“How will you provision the Frigates? Will the Carriers have to carry hundreds of transports?”
“Gabby, have you seen the landing bay on a Carrier?”
“No.”
“It’s more than four miles across and four miles wide. The Frigates will just land in the Carriers and be provisioned there.”
“Are they really that large?” Gabby asked with her eyes wide.
“The new ones will be even larger than that, and will have two landing bays the Frigates can land and be provisioned. The Carriers will have twenty batteries of DE Missile tubes and more than a thousand DE Blasters on its hull.”
“How do you know this?”
“I’ve discussed it with Admiral Connor and the Carriers under construction are now being modified. I haven’t discussed this new idea about the Frigates with him but it will fit seamlessly into the new design.”
“What about the Hart Battleships?”
“We’ve struggled with how to impose our will on inhabited planets. Right now the only answer is to blast them into rubble. Admiral Connor and I see the Harts being used to deliver ground forces to a planet’s surface.”
“Where are we going to get the troops, Gabe?”
“About twenty four years ago we moved more than six billion inhabitants from Earth to the new colonies. One of the main reasons they chose to leave Earth was the enforced birthrate of only one child for each family. The most recent census says that the average family size in the Colonies is about seven.” Gabby’s eyes widened. “There are more than two billion colonists between the ages of eighteen and twenty three.”
“Do you think they’ll want to fight?”
“There are more than a billion on the waiting list to join the Navy. I guess the old adage about being under constant threat of being eradicated by Advanced Aggressive Civilizations increases a species birthrate is true. I don’t think it will be hard to find enough warriors to enlist.”
“What about remaining an Unknown Enemy? If we don’t totally destroy the civilizations we have to fight, they’ll know our capabilities.”
“If we land our troops on a planet, we are not going down to take control. We’re going down to completely eliminate the aggressor without rendering the planet uninhabitable. It’s also not the right thing to kill every species on a planet because of the actions of one. I suspect that if we eventually win this war, there will be times where we have to land on planets to head off their becoming a future enemy. Sometimes having a blaster shoved in your face can change one’s way of thinking rather effectively.”
Amy stepped outside the door and nodded to them to come, Gabe stood up and offered Gabby his hand. He pulled her up and smiled, “Let’s go say hello to Timmy. We’ll get together afterwards.” Gabby nodded and preceded him into the room.
Chapter Eight
It took six weeks for the Prophet’s Eyes to have the old Dark Matter Containment Vessels switched out with the new more powerful Dark Energy units. During that time, the Colonies rejected Admiral Conner’s resignation and new training camps were under construction to start training ground forces. The application lists for the twenty six camps were filled in a week and then doubled within a month, after the announcement of the new fighting force being formed.
The Construction Yards above the thirteen colonies began building new facilities to start building the new Missile Frigate. The new class of warship would start construction at the same time the Forts starting training the Drop Marines. Armor for the new drop troops would be a modification of the one currently being used on board the Navy’s Warships. The facility building the new DE Hand Blasters and shoulder rifles would be on line two months after the first Drop Marines started training. The Colonies were moving toward war but before the Colonies continued construction of the giant Prophet and Hart Cass Warships an answer was needed quickly on the nature of the enemy pressuring the Flasher
Civilization. The Prophet’s Eyes was now leaving to provide that answer.
• • •
Steve hugged Essay and then Erica, “I expect the two of you back quickly, don’t take any foolish risks.”
“We’ll be careful, Dad. Hold the fort here and don’t let them take the north wall,” Essay said with a smile.
Steve chuckled, “An old Roman saying during the time of Attila the Hun.” Essay’s head went back and Steve laughed, “Didn’t think the old man knew any history, did you?”
“I have to admit you constantly surprise me. If we discover anything of immediate importance, we’ll contact you via the Other Space Communicator.” Steve nodded as they turned and walked up the ramp into the Prophet’s Eyes.
Essay arrived on the bridge and saw Kamela staring at the monitor on her console, “Hi, Kamela, what’s up?”
“I’m discussing the course we’re going to take with Poul.”
Erica sat down at her station and looked up, “What’s the issue? Won’t we just go through the black hole in Andromeda and then through the one that goes to the Ritual Galaxy?”
“Poul is concerned that the Flashers might have a means of detecting our passage through the black holes.”
“I thought we’re not detectable with the use of the DE Force Fields?” Essay quickly remarked.
“Essay, the Flashers have been observing the Carand Galaxy and they may have learned about the field used there that detects mass. That field has detected our ships in the past.”
Essay sat down in his chair and glanced toward the wall speaker, “Poul, we need to gather information as quickly as possible. Even if the Flashers did see that field being used, they would still need time to build, trial, and install the units around the black holes. And if they have somehow managed to do it, we’re fast enough to outrun them, aren’t we?”
“We are, however, do you want them to know our maximum speed?” Essay heard from the wall speaker.
“How long will it take us to get there without using the black holes?”
“About three weeks.”
“We’ll avoid the black holes coming back but we need to get there and investigate what’s going on as quickly as possible. The colonies need an answer before continuing construction of the major battleships.” Essay paused, “Poul, you’re able to detect that field, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Then let’s do this. Go through the black hole in Andromeda and don’t move a long way out from the event horizon. You’ll scan for the field and if it’s not there, we’ll go to the other galaxy and repeat the procedure. We might be able to avoid them.”
“And if there’s Flasher Warships close to the event horizon?” Poul asked.
“Your new force field can handle ten hits without a problem. You’ll see them before they see you.”
“Kamela, do you agree with this?”
“Why are you asking me, Poul?”
“Because you’re the owner of the ship.”
Kamela shrugged, “Let’s do it like Essay suggests; the Colonies need this information.”
“Poul, we probably need to do this anyway?”
“Why is that, Erica?”
“We need to see if mass can be detected inside a Dark Energy Force Field. I’m not at all certain it can be.”
“You make a good point. Strap in, we’re leaving for Andromeda.”
Essay activated his armor and saw Kamela and Erica don theirs a moment later. He listened for it and heard the stardrive activate as soon as they moved out of the Ghost Colony’s upper atmosphere. The tone started low and went to a higher frequency quickly until it could no longer be heard. The Prophet’s Eyes left the galaxy at an unbelievable velocity and was inside the Andromeda Galaxy in twenty minutes. The other human warships used the same system as the one on the Eyes, but none of them could match its speed. The difference was the ship’s computer and Poul was a master at manipulating the stardrive.
They approached the black hole in Andromeda and were through it in a few seconds. Poul managed to stop the ship before it had moved a light hour into the Builder’s former galaxy. “I’m not detecting any Flasher Warships or the Carand Detection Field.”
“Thanks, Erica. I suspected that they probably wouldn’t have any forces here but would reinforce the Ritual Galaxy. Poul, let’s do it again, The Prophet’s Eyes went to full speed and the distant galaxy appeared as a small point of light but it was growing by the minute. Essay looked up, “Poul, what direction are you going to exit the next black hole?”
“Essay, I think that coming out the bottom of it would be a safer option.”
“I agree. That route is not often taken in transiting a black hole.”
“We’ll arrive at the next black hole in thirty minutes.”
Essay looked out of the portside viewport and saw the pitch black of intergalactic space. It was almost impossible to judge how fast they were moving with nothing around them to give a sense of speed. The only indicator was the distant galaxy that was growing larger with each passing moment. The ship began passing stars on the outer edge of the galaxy and they flew by at a speed that was hard to see. The central black hole was clearly visible in two minutes. Kamela, keep your ears out.”
“I will Essay.” Essay lifted the clear cover and pressed the red button under it. He heard a recorded voice, “Weapons are active!”
“I thought we weren’t going to use our weapons?”
“We aren’t, Erica, but I will not just standby and allow us to enter an unknown situation without at least having them available in the event something goes wrong.”
Erica nodded and turned back to her console, “Shutting down active scanners.” All three watched the black hole come toward them at incredible speed and then…they were through it and coming to a stop.
Kamela’s eyes opened, “I’m hearing the thoughts of Flasher Warships!”
“The Carand Detection Field is not being used. However, there are numerous Flasher Warships setting up large devices in a pattern around the black hole. It does appear they are installing the Carand field around the black hole.”
“Get us out of here, Poul!” The Prophet’s Eyes flew directly away from the black hole and arrived high above the galaxy. “Kamela, can you listen to those Flashers and see if you can determine where their main galaxy or the threat they’re facing is located?”
“That’s not going to be easily done. Hearing the Flasher that is thinking about them at the exact moment is nearly impossible.”
“Focus on the ones directing the placement of the large units. They have to be looking at a stellar map to do that and another map might be on their panel,” she heard from overhead.
Kamela smiled, “Good idea, Poul.” Essay stared at the galaxy below them and saw that it was irregular shaped. It wasn’t a spiral or ball galaxy; it was something between the two. Regardless, it was still beautiful with the billions of colored stars shining in it. “I didn’t get a line on the main galaxy but I did get a line on the communications being sent to the Command Facility for this galaxy,” Erica said as she looked up from her panel.
Poul announced, “I’ve got it as well.”
“Erica, put the line on the tactical monitor and Poul, start moving us there. Stop when Kamela can hear the thoughts of those manning the facility,” Essay ordered as he sat back in his chair.
“Essay, if we draw a direct line from the black hole to that facility and then extend it out into space, it intersects another galaxy seven hundred million light years away,” Erica said as she stared at her console.
Essay nodded, “If we don’t get any information to confirm that location, we’ll go and check it out. Why do you think that might be the Flasher’s Main Galaxy, Erica?”
“That facility is on the edge of this galaxy and if I were building a command facility, I’d build it on the shortest route possible from another galaxy.”
“You make a good point. Poul, see if you can track any communications going
in or out of that facility when we get in range.”
“We’ll be in range in four minutes. I’m taking it slow going in.”
• • •
Essay sat in his chair and stared at the main monitor showing a facility hanging motionless in intergalactic space just outside the edge of the Ritual Galaxy. He was shocked at the size of it and heard Poul announce, “That thing is large enough to do repairs on their main battleships. I also suspect it has enough storage to provision them if they run low on supplies.”
“The threat facing the Flashers is nowhere near this galaxy,” Erica sighed.
Essay nodded in agreement, “There aren’t enough of their warships around that facility.”
“Exactly. Ten warships is only three thousandths of one percent of the ships they sent to attack Earth. The vast majority of their warships must be somewhere else close to the threat they’re facing.”
“I’ve just detected a line on one of their communications. It’s like Erica suggested; it’s directly toward that galaxy she targeted. And by the way, the Flashers are now encrypting their communications,” Poul announced.
“Will you be able to break the encryption?”
“Give me some time. I’m recording all the communications going on around that facility and will continue collecting them when we arrive at that galaxy. This encryption is pretty advanced.”
“Let me know when you break it, Poul.”
“If I break it?”
“I have confidence you can do it. I’ve got the ship, while you’re working on it.” Essay turned the Eyes and oriented it toward the distant speck of light. He activated the stardrive, moved the thruster handle forward, and the small warship disappeared.
• • •
The Tech Council Grengen looked at the scientist on his wall monitor, “I don’t want to hear excuses! Our current force field does not protect our warships and you will develop one that’s stronger than the one currently in use!”
The Scientist’s ears moved close to its head showing his frustration, “Grengen, our current force field is the strongest we’ve ever created and you can’t use something that hasn’t been discovered or developed. Technological breakthroughs don’t just happen on demand.”
