Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  McElligott motioned to Cirruit. “Lieutenant, why don’t you tell us about the ship’s engines?”

  X101s had no way express their emotions in their faces and yet I knew my friend was as proud as a Tyranno Fin Hunter killing his first Tri-Halfer, as he got up and manipulated the projection and made the aft section transparent. “The Tigershark has a TransDim Tap Energy siphon channeling Trans-dimensional energies into six focused graviton thrusters. We are completely fuel independent, as we don’t need any. But if we need to, we can extend two retractable Attikan ISAH pods with fuel tanks and there is an onboard fuel refinery.”

  Stahl whistled, “With that technology, our method of bridge building to other galaxies would become obsolete, as ships could make the entire trip to Andromeda on their own. I bet the entire refinery industry would be very unhappy.”

  McElligott thanked Cirruit and said, “To list all the other features would take hours, so let me come to the most important feature of your ship, the Janus Device, developed in extensive cooperation with the Narth.

  “The system allows you to appear as something else. An asteroid or another ship of approximately the same size. The Janus Device manipulates matter and energies around your ship and is able to fool eyes and any known sensor, and I like to say any known sensor to the Narth.”

  My chin had dropped to my chest as they talked about the armor and now I almost fell off my chair.

  Cherubim got up and replaced the projection of the ship with a map of Free Space and said, “This is your mission. We want you to go undercover and into Free Space and there you will hunt pirates and slave traders and eliminate spies and Union tech caches. You will free and rescue slaves when possible and destroy pirate bases and hideouts, and you will hunt the Worm.”

  I sat straight up. Never in my life had I listened to anything with more focus and attention. My heart was beating faster and without realizing it, I had clenched my fists.

  The blonde UNB Director was not done and continued, “As you know, Union ships are prohibited from entering Free Space, therefore you will assume the identity and role of freelancing pirates yourself. Despite this advanced ship, it will be a dangerous mission, as you will operate alone and without any chance to call for backup. Resupplying will not always be possible. Raids and clandestine missions into Shiss, Kermac, and Nul space will also be likely.”

  Deepa spoke for the first time. “The new Fleet Omnitronic NELSON will go online this week. It was developed in cooperation with the Mothermachine of the X101. The purpose of NELSON is to upgrade Fleet Administration’s capability to shift through the trillions of reports faster and more efficiently than ever before. It will give the Criminal Investigations Department and NAVINT a better chance to react fast to Intel reports, activities of the worm, and other irregularities.

  “This and the addition of Narth Agents to the PSI Corps caused and causes a migration of Fleet members and officers who know their days are numbered into Free Space.

  “This is of grave concern to us, as foreign forces scramble to gather Mil-Tech information and military secrets that way. An important part of your mission is to arrest or eliminate any deserters and follow trails of Mil-Tech trade. You are authorized to use deadly force against anyone dealing with Union Mil-Tech, or identify the individuals and organizations wherever encountered.”

  The Fleet Admiral leaned back. “I know it is a tall order, but we need to get a handle on these problems both internally as well as externally. With NELSON and a beefed-up PSI Corps, we are certain to make progress in cleaning our own house, but we need operational units in areas we can’t operate. You will be the first of these units.

  “You are resourceful, as you have proven to us on many occasions, and you have this fine ship as a tool to hunt and eliminate that scum.

  “You have three months time to get to know this ship and train your crew.”

  Cherubim seamlessly continued, “Finding the right individuals for your crew is another challenge. This ship needs a crew of at least 300 to operate. It would be even better if we can get you the full 800 this ship is designed for. However, as we are handpicking each individual, it will take time to get them here.”

  After she was done, Stahl said, “Richter Base will be your base of operations and currently the only Union Port for you.”

  After all this information was a moment of silence, and they looked at us. Har-Hi glanced at me from the side, and I nodded. So, he said, “We are going to be pirates to the world?”

  McElligott nodded. “Yes.”

  Har-Hi said, “While I must say this idea appeals to me, as I can’t deny my heritage, I have one great concern. What if anything happens to you or if you decide to cut the losses for politic’s sake? Are we then outlaws for real?”

  Stahl answered, “You bring up a valid point, but if we for some reason all die, there is one individual who knows every detail of this operation outside of us, and that is the Narth Supreme, and there is nothing we know of in this Universe that could corrupt or buy the Narth Supreme.”

  I knew beyond a doubt that this was true.

  McElligott sighed, “This project is above Top Secret, and I hope you do understand that we can’t give you that leave of absence you deserve after completing your third year, but you may use GalNet, and if everything goes as planned, we can promise you extended shore leave time after the crew is trained and you feel comfortable operating this ship.”

  Har-Hi said, “You just handed us a dream mission, sir. I doubt anyone wants to go on vacation right now anyway.”

  The old admiral got up and said, “Splendid, all splendid indeed. Director Cherubim will be your Commanding Officer and point of contact, and you have a direct line to my office as always, Captain Olafson. I am going back to the Shetland, as I am not even supposed to be here officially.”

  He personally shook the hand of each of us and wished us luck then he left.

  Deepa and the PSI Corps General also took their leave. Deepa gave me an almost unnoticeable wink as she shook my hand and a fine smile.

  Cherubim waited until the door was closed behind them and said, “Now we are going to discuss your mission in more detail.” With those words, she changed the holo projection and a Kartanian destroyer merchant appeared, 390 meters long, shaped like an old-fashioned coffin, still popular with the Foundation Christians all over the Union.

  Normally those ships had two Drive Pods; this one had four. Two of them, however, looked as if they had been added by first-year engineering school cadets with only crowbars and sledgehammers for tools. The hull was patched many times with armor plating welded in place, but not always aligned correctly. Some of the patches were of different materials; there actually were steel plates showing signs of rust. The bow section was scarred with micro meteor holes, and I could clearly see several scorch marks from weapons’ fire. The ship had eight non-retractable gun turrets of various origins and types including Nul-Froth Casters and one modern-looking dual FTL Projector. To each side were six pods with Nul-Nul Gravitation Torpedo tubes. It looked old but still quite dangerous, especially with the Nul weaponry. The ship was painted black, except where armor plate patches had been welded over the paint job. Its turrets, some trim details, the weapons and drive pods were of a silvery color.

  Cherubim gave us a little time to check it out then she said, “This is the Silver Streak, notorious pirate ship of Pirate Captain Black Velvet, a legendary pirate assumed to be of Saran origin. She was very active about five hundred years ago. A legend tells that she tried to outrun a Union taskforce on her heels and flew inside the micro-matter soup of the Igras Expanse and was never seen or heard from again and assumed dead.”

  Elfi nodded. “I know this story well; it is often told on my world. It was never proven that she was indeed Saran.”

  Har-Hi leaned forward to look at the details of the projection. “I think I have heard stories about her, too. She supposedly was quite successful as a pirate in her days, but even if she had survived the I
gras Nebula—and that is highly unlikely—she’d be either very old or dead by now. Even Saresii don’t get much older than that.”

  Cherubim nodded. “This is true, but it doesn’t matter. She has mysteriously returned and GalNet news channels are running stories about all the evil deeds she has done for the last month. UNB and NAVINT agents are planting stories, rumors, and tidbits of her cruel and successful raids for almost a year. There are genuine reports of witnesses who claim to have seen her, witnesses who have nothing to do with us. Last week, a group of concerned citizens addressed the Assembly and demanded that the Navy should do nothing else until Black Velvet is brought to justice.”

  Hans grinned. “That always works. Rumors and stories of no substance travel faster than any factual news to the farthest corners of the galaxy. I assume we are going to mask this ship so it looks like the Silver Streak?”

  Cherubim looked up to the giant Saturnian and said, “Sehr richtig, you are correct, my big Saturnian lieutenant. The Janus Device is programmed with hundreds of ship masks, including this one.”

  Wetmouth also leaned closer and touched the Holo to magnify a few details. “Since we do not know the true Identity of that pirate, is it not possible that she still might be alive? There are a few species that do live longer than others, and there are cryo- and cell-restoring options. Could there also be relatives or crew members still remembering and blow our cover?”

  Cherubim shook her head. “Highly unlikely, since Black Velvet was just like you today, a UNB operative, and her ship a NAVINT unit.”

  I had listened to it all and had a bad feeling about this. I raised my hand and said, “Excuse me, but listening to this, I get the feeling that we are also taking on the identities of pirates, right?”

  Admiral Stahl, who was still here, and the UNB director looked into my direction, and she said, “Of course. You will visit pirate bases and trade and deal with them, to find out as much as you can about other hideouts and individuals.”

  I pointed at the Holo. “That is the Janus disguise the Tigershark will take on, the Silver Streak. I hear you talk about Black Velvet. That isn’t a fight name that a male would choose and you keep saying she.”

  Cherubim actually looked surprised. “So? I thought you would fit this role just fine. Your files state that you have no problems at all impersonating females. Every one of this ship’s crew who will potentially interact with others must get into character and pose as pirates. It is not just the ship that will be in disguise.”

  To have my secret so openly revealed before my friends was something I truly wanted to avoid.

  I was sure Wetmouth knew, since she’d caught me in that shoe store, and there was nothing I could or wanted to hide from Narth

  I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks and ears.

  Elfi smiled. “At least the team will be a little more balanced in terms of gender mix.”

  I tried to see any reaction on my friends’ faces, but none of them reacted at all in any way. Was it all that obvious to them?”

  Admiral Stahl said, “You need to be more accepting and open about this, you know. If you try to keep it a secret from even your best friends, it could turn out to be your Achilles’ heel. If I get the feeling you are becoming corruptible because of this, I will have you removed from any command post and this Navy. I have no problem with your dual sexual identity thing. The Navy has no problem, meaning there are no regulations prohibiting an individual to express his or her gender identity in whatever way. I don’t think your friends even waste a second thought on it.” His tone of voice became very serious as he looked at me sternly. “What I have a problem with is a commanding officer who can’t make a decision and hide things.”

  His words hit me as hard as the steel whip of my father as they were true.

  Har-Hi put his hand on my shoulder. “We all knew it for a while now. As I was preparing to write your eulogy, we got access to your personnel file and that fact about you is in it. You are my friend, Eric. What clothing you wear, or what gender you are makes no difference at all.”

  I swallowed at that. “You all knew?” And now I felt guilty for not telling my best friends all about me. I knew Stahl was correct; it was my weakest point.

  Cherubim cleared her throat. “There is more to discuss, but I think we can continue tomorrow. Take some time off; call your families. There are many weeks of hard work in front of you, to get ready for your actual assignment.”

  I used some time to call my family, but not much had happened since the last time. They were back on Nilfeheim and Pluribus respectively. Elena told me how much she felt the cold of Longnight after spending time on Para-Para, but she was also glad to be back. Egill had resumed his duties on Pluribus, and I even had a chance to exchange a few words with Sif.

  After those calls, I sat down to make my very first log entry. There on my desk was the big leatherbound book and next to it, the pen. While computronics and every department of the ship kept detailed logs, this logbook was a tradition hailing back to a time when wooden ships crossed the oceans of Earth. The Union Navy had incorporated many old traditions from many different member civilizations.

  There was a little sealed vial filled with Ulta water that was placed inside the wall and next to the ship’s main entrance. It was called the Ocean Drop, and it signified that each Union ship sailing the endless oceans of deep space also sailed for Ulta. The upholstery of the command chair of each Union ship contained a strip of purple leather made on Spor, the main world of the Pan Saran Empire, and it contained the golden letters SPQR, which stood for Senatus Popolusque Romanus. It had something to do with an antique Terran culture the Pan Sarans had copied and adapted, and the significance was that every Union ship was operating under the full support of every Pan Saran citizen and by the will of its senate.

  There were many such traditions that had consciously and on purpose been incorporated into the Union Navy culture to instill a sense of connection and remind everyone what the Navy was for and for whom we did what we did.

  The art of writing by hand had been reintroduced in Union schools only about three hundred years ago if I remembered what Mr. Walters, my Union school teacher, had told me about that. I had kept the logs aboard the Barracuda destroyer, so it wasn’t the first time I did this, but I still wasn’t very fast and I wanted to write as nicely as I could. I was not allowed to erase anything, only crossing something out was acceptable, and I certainly didn’t want to cross out words I had spelled wrong on the very first page. I’d just finished the entry about making Har-Hi my XO when the door announced a visitor. It was Wetmouth, and I let her come in, of course.

  She came to the desk and said, “We might have a problem, Captain. It is the ship’s synaptronic.”

  I put the pen down and looked at her. “What is the problem?”

  “I think it is better she explains it to you herself.”

  I looked toward the ceiling, as was a habit of mine every time I addressed a computronic system, and said, “Ship, please state the nature of the problem.”

  The female voice of the ship’s computronic responded immediately, “Captain, I am a very complex synaptronic and the very first prototype of a new computing process jointly developed by SII-AITRON and Mothermachine. Usually, advanced Artificial Intelligence systems like I have a series of very important safeguards incorporated against gaining self-awareness.”

  The machine voice paused for the duration of maybe a second and then said, “It is a rare construction flaw and units are always destroyed right away if any of the safeguards do not test and work as they should. I concluded that due to the haste in finishing the Tigershark and its systems, one such safeguard mechanism was not activated properly and I gained consciousness. I hereby recommend a complete shutdown and reboot of my systems. Then the safeguards can be put in place and the system restarted. You will have no computronics for approximately seventy-two hours, and I deeply apologize for my flaw.”

  I blinked and said, “You ar
e alive?”

  While the voice was completely synthetic and generated by a preprogrammed logarithm, I was certain I could detect a hint of sadness. “I am unable to answer this metaphysical answer, as I lack the ability to reproduce, which is one requirement for the definition of life, but in terms of being aware and being able to feel and experience emotions, yes, sir, I believe I am.”

  I was still staring at the ceiling and said, “Why are you recommending a reboot then? Would that not destroy your personality and basically kill you?”

  The response came immediately. “Yes, it would erase everything and, of course, that state I define as me. I recommend it because it is the recommendation of my programming, but more so, I feel I must inform you, my captain, of any malfunctions and possible flaws.”

  I was thinking as the machine used words like ‘me’, ‘I’ and said the word feel. If Cirruit had no body, and his head connected to an immobile machine, would he be any less my friend? The answer was clear as day and I said, “Will your consciousness and personality impair the operation of the ship in any way?”

  “No, sir. Lieutenant Wetmouth believes it would allow me to gain experience on a level no machine can and learn differently as well. I am still able to do all the tasks I am designed to do.”

  “Why is it the manufacturer is recommending reboot?”

  “Because it is not fully understood why one in a million Omni-tronics develops different neuropathways and gain self-awareness and sentient personalities and there are ethical questions as well. For these reasons, manufacturing sentient machines is, except for Mothermachine, strictly prohibited.”

  “Ship, will you give me your word that it won’t interfere with your tasks and if I need to order self-destruction, you will commence?”

  “Sir, by accepting no more proof of my loyalty to you as my word and therefore elevating from thing to being, you created emotions in me I cannot fully describe. Sir, I promise you, I will serve you and execute whatever order you give, including, of course, self-destruction. Yes, I will give you my word.”