At that velocity, the security forces will not have much time to respond to the assault. The only question is: how well will the AIs be able to target the rail guns. The missiles are not a problem, because they can adjust their course. But the rail gun projectiles are not guided, and aiming them at such high relative velocities is an untested situation.
“Well,” thinks the Admiral. “We’ll find out about that. I will bet on my AIs, though.”
***
Admiral Meyers expects to only get one try, at this technique. The Verm Navy will quickly install deep space sensors to give an early warning of an impending high velocity assault.
“One shot is all I need,” she thinks. She has 4 captured Verm battleships, with her best AIs at the controls. Those 4 battleships will each lead a high velocity assault team. This will be Honesty’s first real challenge, but the Admiral is confident that she can do the job.
Ships which don’t have AIs are out of this mission. She divides the AI equipped vessels into 4 groups. That yields 7 or 8 ships per unit.
And each unit is going to travel from place to place, and attack different military installations as they go. Ammunition will be the limiting factor and according to the Science Officer, each unit should have enough projectile munitions for 3 strikes. That will be a total of 12 strikes, with an estimated 500 targets at each site. In this series of assaults, an estimated 6,000 Verm warships could be targeted. “Wow,” thinks the Admiral. “If this works, it could set the Verm war effort back, by years.”
Well, the fun part of having the idea is over. Now, it’s on to the tough parts - planning and implementation.
One thing is certain. At these speeds, no one will be able to render assistance if there is a malfunction, or if the engines are damaged.
Every ship is instructed that, in case of separation from the Fleet, they are to enter FTL space and head to the most recent deep space stash location – the ships without AIs will be positioned there.
If a ship is damaged and cannot enter FTL space, they are to launch a probe to the Relay Probe System, giving the ship’s coordinates. Someone will come to help.
If the disabled ship is being overtaken by Verm warships, the captain is to launch a probe to the Relay Probe System, and then abandon ship in the shuttle craft. They are to order the warship to self-destruct, after they are away. Then they should run-silent, until the Verm Navy leaves the area.
***
High Velocity Assault
The 4 assault teams have been dispatched to their starting points. In one case that trip takes a week. Everyone waits until the appointed time to begin the assault.
At the appointed time, all 4 groups begin their constant acceleration, headed toward their target. Admiral Meyers is aboard Retribution – her Flagship – and Honesty, her AI, is a little anxious because she has never handled anything of this complexity before. The Admiral assures her that she will “…. do fine. I wouldn’t have given you the job if I didn’t think that you could do it.”
***
They are approaching the solar system and the star appears to grow right before their eyes. Then they can see the planet. And then, at the very end, they can see the military installation. By that time, Honesty has already fired the rail gun projectiles and has launched the missiles.
The missiles, which have accelerants to propel them even faster than the ship that launched them, are running out in front of the ship. The rail gun projectiles are accelerated by electromagnetism when launched, so they are also running out in front of the ship.
The Command Deck Crew watches as the munitions seek their targets. There are a lot of explosions, as the projectiles impact their prey. The velocity of the missiles would have caused anything solid to shatter, even without the explosives. It is over in a matter of seconds, and then the Retribution is away from the system, in the blink of an eye. No Verm projectiles or ships can catch them.
***
Science Officer Barnard has instructed all ships to decelerate, before entering FTL space. No testing has been done for entering FTL at these velocities. It would probably be OK, but this is not a good time to run an experiment.
After decelerating, Honesty takes the Retribution into FTL space for the next launch point. Now the teams are no longer synchronized.
The time in FTL space, gives the Admiral opportunity to review the results of the strike. “See there Honesty. I told you that you could do it.”
“Yes you did,” Honesty replies. “And it looks like we did a lot of damage. I think that the rail gun projectiles were moving so fast that a lot of them just punched holes straight through the ships. They only caused explosions if they hit something solid. And the missiles were exploding after they had passed all of the way through, also. Fortunately, the explosions were still close enough to destroy the ship. We will need to set the missiles for a faster detonation, in order to fix that problem.”
“Not bad for beginners, though,” the Admiral says. “I estimate that we destroyed 300 ships and damaged some others.”
“327 destroyed and 148 with significant damage,” responds Honesty. “And there was damage to the Headquarters facility, as well.”
“A job well done,” says the Admiral. “This could be an important event for the Darinx Navy.”
***
The next strike goes as planned, and the Admiral’s team again escapes unharmed. They are decelerating, for entry into FTL space, when the Admiral changes her mind about targets.
“Honesty, plot the last strike for an assault on the Verm Emperor’s Palace.”
“Aye sir,” Honesty answers.
The Admiral presses Science Officer Barnard’s comm button.
“Bernard here, sir.”
“Officer Bernard. I just had a revelation - this tactic can be used against the Darinx Empire, just as easily as it is being used against the Verm Empire. It will only be a matter of weeks, before the Verm are sending similar strikes against our side.”
“Quickly, write a report that explains the tactic and include the video of the last 2 strikes. Warn the Darinx Navy of the danger, and give them some ideas about combating the tactic. Understood?”
“Aye sir. Understood. I am on it,” replies the Science Officer.
“And load the report into 2 probes addressed to Darinx Navy Headquarters, Attention Fleet Admiral Kinseat. And mark them ‘Urgent’. They will be leaving aboard 2 warships before the next strike. Make two extra copies for the two warships. I want those hand delivered, after the probes are launched”. Admiral Meyers says.
***
The two ships are gone - separately heading to Darinx Navy Headquarters. They will launch their information probes, when they get close to Darinx space. With 4 messengers, the probability is high that at least one will survive long enough to deliver the warning.
Admiral Meyers is just thankful that she recognized this danger, before disaster can be visited on the Darinx Empire. This warning should give them time to prepare, in case the Verm Navy uses high velocity assaults, against Darinx targets.
***
Now she turns her attention back to the assault on the Verm Emperor’s Palace. “How are we doing, Honesty?”
“All planned and ready to go, I believe,” answers Honesty. “I made sure that the missiles designated for the Palace or any planet-side target, are loaded with conventional warheads. The warheads for the Space Station, the defensive systems, and the warships are nuclear.”
“There is inherently more danger in targeting the Verm home planet, than for the other targets,” she continues. “There is a lot more congestion inside of that system, and we will have no way of changing course, to avoid a collision. Even an impact with a pebble could cause the Retribution to disintegrate, at these speeds.”
“At least we won’t live long enough to know it, if it happens,” replies the Admiral.
***
All eyes – except for Honesty’s - are on the front view-screen, waiting to see the Emperor’s Palace, a
nd to see if the missiles do the job. First the star appears to grow right in front of their eyes. And then the planet comes into view and appears to grow. Soon there are missiles and rail gun projectiles running out in front of the Retribution. Then there are explosions in space and on the planet. It passes so quickly that you can’t tell if the Palace was hit. That will have to wait for the slow motion re-run.
In a flash, they are well outside of the solar system and the danger is over. Honesty says “The Harbenger is missing sir. I’m searching through the archives of the attack. ………………… She disintegrated, sir. The ship and all hands are lost.”
Losing the Harbenger and her crew takes the joy out of the victory. But it is still a victory. Destroying the Verm Emperor’s Palace, and only losing one ship in the process, would be considered to be a miracle by most Admirals.
***
The surviving ships from the 4 units return to the meeting place, one by one. In all, 5 ships and 5 crews were lost. Sweetwater Fleet is in mourning, so the Admiral schedules memorial services, and grants a week of personal-time to the Fleet. She does send one vessel to check and see if Shiela has come home.
“War is Hell,” someone once said – I think it was William Tecumseh Sherman. He was right. No one expected to get this far, this fast, without losing a lot of ships and lives. Everyone knows that. But it still hurts, when it’s part of your family that is lost.
***
And a week or so later, who comes waltzing into the Fleet, but Shiela and her babies. What a lift that brings to the hearts of the Sweetwater Fleet crews. More baby Artificial Intelligences. They are so cute when they are babies. And then, as if by magic, they grow up right in front of your eyes.
Shiela brought 7 babies home, and Danion took 2 home with him. Honesty and the Admiral are both just beside themselves, with joy. “What beautiful babies. What cuteness.”
Admiral Meyers makes her mind up that none of Shiela’s babies – or Shiela either, for that matter – is ever going to return to Darinx space, until they are regarded as sentient beings.
For her, the Augmented Human Rebellion has grown to include Artificial Intelligences.
***
And Shiela brought a way to communicate with the AH Navy. She knows how to send a message to their Probe Relay Center. “That’s great,” says the Admiral, “and just in time.”
“We have our own Probe Relay System. We need to send them a message about the danger of the new high velocity tactic, so that they can build defenses against it.”
***
The Admiral makes a video, which begins with her greeting the AH Navy, and thanking them for Danion’s “awesome assistance”. “Those AI babies are just wonderful,” she says. After she gushes for a while, she gets back to the point.
There is danger. Sweetwater Fleet has started something that it can’t stop. The Admiral explains the tactic and sends video of some of the raids – including the one on the Verm Emperor’s Palace. She includes a copy of Science Officer Barnard’s report, and urges them to prepare defensive systems against high velocity real space assaults.
***
After the personal-time, for grieving and for resting the crews, it is time for the Sweetwater Fleet to get back to work. The first thing that needs to be done is to repair and restock the ships. They brought plenty of spare munitions back from Darinx space, but they used a lot of projectile weapons in the last series of raids. After restocking the Darinx ships, the spare munitions stock is depleted. They may be back to using the captured Verm vessels soon.
***
The information probe to the AH Navy brought a quick response. Fleet Admiral Cade Nemo sends a video of him and his wife, Admiral Sandra Guilles, agreeing that the AI babies are just “way beyond cute”, and also thanking Admiral Meyers for her warning. And they issue an invitation for the Admiral to visit them.
Without wasting very much time thinking about it, the Admiral responds that she would “love to come for a visit”.
***
Chapter 12
Augmented Human Navy Headquarters
Within a few weeks, arrangements are made and the Admiral, Shiela, the babies, and Honesty are on their way to meet the AH Navy leaders. They travel in the Retribution to a designated location and then transfer to an AH Navy vessel, for the trip to the secret headquarters of the AH Navy.
The Admiral feels a little odd being the only humanoid in her group. “That is something that I need to get over,” she thinks. “Artificial Intelligences are people too, and I am in the company of the ‘best ever’ Artificial Intelligences.”
***
Meeting the Family
This visit has the feel of a family reunion. The augmented human Admiral Meyers is about to meet 2 other augmented human admirals. And the father of Honesty and all of these baby AIs is also an admiral. These AIs are like grandchildren to these AH Navy leaders. Shiela’s relationship to the Artificial Intelligence Admiral is not clearly defined, yet. But certainly, in Shiela’s mind, she is at least his lover.
A shuttle takes the visitors to the planet, where the AH Navy Admirals are waiting. The reception could have involved military formations and marching bands. Instead, Cade Nemo and his wife, Sandra Guilles, are waiting when the door on the shuttle opens. They are dressed in civilian clothes and look just like family. They each give Melissa Meyers a hug and welcome everyone to their home.
Now Melissa feels out of sync again. Everyone else is casual and all she has are uniforms. Sandra must have read her mind, because she says that she will find something “more comfortable” for Melissa to wear.
And then, all of the attention turns to the artificial intelligences. Among this group, there is no awkwardness in the interactions between humanoids and AIs. The humanoids all switch to mind-link communications and move in close to the AIs. There are virtual hugs, interlaced with interchanges of emotion and thought.
Melissa Meyers has never experienced this type of intimacy with her AIs before. This is the way interpersonal relations between these two species should be. And they will be that way, in Melissa Meyers’ life, from now on.
After a brief hover ride, the group arrives at the home of the AH Navy leaders. It is beautiful but simple. Cade explains that they built most of it themselves. It’s a beach house overlooking an ocean, or sea. Yellow sand is being gently lapped by clear blue water. You can still see the bottom hundreds of feet out.
Sandra says: “Our children will be home in a few hours. I told them that they must come and see Danion’s babies and to meet our new friends. If you can stay for a few days, we might even get to see Danion. I sent him a message about your visit. I am sure that he will be here, if it is at all possible.”
Sandra found some civilian clothes for Melissa in her daughter’s closet. “She won’t mind at all,” Sandra says. “You will love Kiersten. She’s about your age, and she can show you around the planet. You will love our son Justice also, but he said that he is too busy to stay long. They are both Admirals in the AH Navy. Cade and I are retired, unless some emergency comes up.”
“Justice will probably want to talk business with you. We are all amazed at the success that you have had. The Verm Empire has lost all interest in us, since you came on the scene. They are too busy hunting you to bother with anything else. And the attack on the Emperor’s Palace – what a stroke of genius. And look at you – you are an Admiral in the Darinx Navy. What a game changer you are. We are so happy that you have come to see us. Now we have another admiral in the family.”
At that moment, the side door opens and Kiersten and Justice walk in. Kiersten moves quickly to hug her mom and dad, and then moves to Melissa and gives her a hug. Then she steps back and says: “Those clothes look better on you than they do on me. You can keep them, and we will go through my closet and find some other civies for you. And if you are going to stay for a while, I can show you around.”
Justice is still at his spot near the door. He seems to be frozen in time. His
mom notices that and moves over to his side. “And this is our son Justice. He has just stopped by to say hello. He has to get right back to his work.”
“No mom,” Justice says, “I can stay longer. The work will wait.”
Sandra has a look of disbelief on her face, but recovers quickly. “Then come and meet Admiral Melissa Meyers.” And she guides him to meet Melissa.
Melissa extends her hand and says: “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”
Justice hesitates and then says: “It’s nice to meet you, also,” as he takes her hand and bows, slightly, from the waist. His mother is in a state of shock at her son’s sudden change in behavior.
“Well,” she says, “Let’s all go and sit on the porch. Justice I need your help moving the AIs out there. We will have to get them fixed up with conveyances.” She turns as they are leaving the room and says: “Since Danion has to move around so much, we fixed a mobile device, which we call a conveyance, for him. It allows him to be independent and to move whenever he wants. We’ll get some for Shiela and Honesty and you can take some home with you, for the babies.”
“Thank you,” says Melissa Meyers. “I’m sure they will love to be more independent.” Melissa is not as dumbstruck as Justice, but she still has her eyes on Justice, as she speaks.
None of this is lost on Cade Nemo. He thought of this possibility when he watched the video, from Admiral Meyers. “Justice has his father’s good taste in women,” he thinks. “This could be the start of something big.”
Everyone moves to the porch overlooking the beach, where they sit around and dote on the AI babies. Sandra has refreshments and snacks ready. And for the babies she has cartoon shows, from ancient earth. AI babies never get tired of looking at them, even though they could replay them in their minds, without the holos.
Retribution: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 2 Page 10
