Trish laughed. “The war between cat and dog lovers has been going on for thousands of years. I had friends with cats, friends with dogs, and friends with both. The cat people hated the dog people and the dog people the cat people. And both of those groups looked down on anyone who had both.”
The driver scowled. “Cats are dignified. Dogs drool and lick their… wherever.”
Harris smiled. “My dog does neither, do you Farkie?”
Three farks were returned.
The driver pulled to a stop while looking over his shoulder. “Your dog is not a dog. It’s a machine.”
The group got out of the transport and it sped away.
“He seem kind of rude to you?” Harris said.
Trish replied, “He doesn’t like dogs.”
The group walked into the government building and into the council hall. Two speakers were on the platform yelling at each other. Members of the crowd shouted out in support of one or the other. The topic was about standardizing fences around the ranching properties.
Harris winced at some of the language being used. “What happened to the happiest place in the galaxy?”
A man sitting near them scoffed. “Be quiet! I can’t hear.”
Harris led the others out into the hallway. “What’s up with these people? They all seem hostile.”
Tawn looked around. “There aren’t any cats in here. Didn’t they use to bring their pets with them?”
Harris asked, “Farker? Do you detect an artificial high frequency noise in here?”
Three farks were returned.
“Can you generate a cancellation wave to neutralize that sound?”
Three farks were again returned.
“Do that please.”
Trish looked around. “Wow. I couldn’t really hear that before. It was like a quiet whistle. Seems silent now.”
Sharvie nodded. “I think it had me a little on edge.”
“Might be what’s affecting them. Farker? Can you broadcast enough to cover that chamber out there?” Tawn asked.
Three farks were returned.
Harris shook his head as he chuckled. “You can’t ask, you have to tell. Farker, broadcast enough to negate the signal in that chamber.”
The dog trotted into the room, heading to the stage in the center. The high-pitched, nearly inaudible whistle stopped. The pacifists who had been arguing quieted, instead looking about the chamber for whatever noise was now missing.
Harris stepped in. “Listen up. I think your feral cat repeller has been driving you all nuts. You’ve turned into an angry people. If you plan to continue to use the signal outdoors, I would suggest adding some cancellation gear in all your buildings. You people used to be pleasant. You all seem irritated now.”
Fifteen minutes after the change, the pacifists in the meeting hall were all apologetic and smiles. Several meetings were had and supplies ordered before the team returned to the ship. A jump back to Midelon had them settling on the grass.
Chapter 14
_______________________
Harris said, “Farker, open a comm to Domicile for me. I’d like to check in.”
“Mr. Gruberg,” said Bannis Morgan, seconds later when the channel had connected. “Glad to see you’ve returned from Eden. I hear your success there has come to an end.”
“They were onto us and we had to leave. That mine is turning out massive amounts of ore now. Probably enough for a new ship every day. We need a way to stop it.”
I have a team working on a new weapon. Are you familiar with a gamma ray burst?”
“Not really.”
“It’s a natural phenomenon where a tremendous amount of gamma rays are released due to a cosmic event. We believe we can mimic that with a nuclear explosion.”
Harris shook his head. “Bombs are useless unless you can sneak them in. And I don’t see that happening. Try to drop one and it just gets vaporized before getting close enough to do damage.”
“If this weapon proves functional that won’t be a problem. At the moment we are attempting to shape the reactions so that the resultant gamma burst escapes as a beam. With such a weapon, you could detonate it a light-year away from the target and expect the destructive energy to arrive a year later. The target would never know it was coming.”
Harris cringed. “Can’t say I like the thought of that. A weapon that can’t be defended against? What if it falls into the Earthers’ hands? They would use something like that in a second if they had it. We wouldn’t be safe anywhere.”
Bannis nodded. “We’ve considered that as well. And I don’t think that is a near-term concern. At the moment we are in the concept phase. We don’t yet know if it’s possible. And if it is, we may not be able to generate the amount of energy needed to make it viable. We are talking about things that currently happen with the collapse of a star. Not an event we can replicate.”
Gandy sat forward. “Mr. Morgan? Could we shield a ship enough that it could withstand being close in to one of these events?”
Morgan thought. “Possibly, although I would have to consult with my teams. What are you proposing?”
“We jump a ship to one of these events and then open a wormhole to Eden space, let the gamma rays travel through.”
Harris furrowed his brows. “You just come up with that?”
Gandy shrugged. “It popped into my head when he said gamma ray burst.”
Bannis rubbed his chin. “I’ll run that concept by my team.”
Harris asked, “How are the rail cannons for the Retreat coming?”
“Excellent. We’ve managed a few modifications that should increase their power by at least 50 percent. It’s an exciting development, with potential for more improvements to come. Those updates are being installed on the cannons that have already been deployed.”
Tawn cut in: “How is it you’re doing this without the DDI coming down on you?”
Bannis smiled. “Simple. They are not classified as weapons. They are defensive devices whose purpose is to prevent meteor strikes. The power of the weapons being reported to the government offices is two orders of magnitude lower than actual, so we don’t anticipate generating any alarm.
“That concept came from the colonel’s team, as they had a meteor strike that missed the Retreat by only a few hundred kilometers. Prior to that, we were struggling with how we might deploy such systems. The papers we filed made it look like a business proposition where we would build and sell these units to the outer colonies, some of which are prone to meteor strikes.”
“Those improvements, could they be done to the Bangor?” asked Harris.
“My team is looking into that. If the rails can be removed and modified, I don’t see why not.”
Harris nodded. “That kind of increase would definitely help. Double that again and we could almost compete with the plasma cannons.”
Bannis replied, “We’re aware of the potential, Mr. Gruberg.”
“What’s happening with the budgets? The colonel told us some major programs were on the chopping block.”
“It’s a dark time for the Domicile defense industry. They continue to cut military personnel and are pushing a 50 percent cut to acquisitions. Ships, weapons, even research, will see drastic budget hacks. We’re expecting to have a vote in the senate in the coming days. It’s not looking good for our side.
“Several of my associates are talking of shuttering their manufacturing permanently. These are critical components that will be in high demand should war return. They are also on the verge of retiring up to 70% of the fleet, with nearly a quarter of that to be sold off as scrap. If successful, we will be left with more of a police force than a military.”
Harris sighed. “The news just keeps getting better, doesn’t it? Maybe we should just negotiate a full surrender now. I’m sure we would get better terms.”
“Our home fleet will be less than half the size it has been for the last ten centuries.”
Harris shook his head. “Idiots, the
lot of them. How are your new freighters coming?”
“All manufacturing has been halted. We don’t have the funds to complete the first of them. We’ll be needing titanium, even though it looks like we might have plenty if they downsize the fleet.”
Tawn asked, “How much would you need to finish that first freighter?”
Bannis tilted his head from side to side in thought. “Oh, probably forty million credits. The consortium has no further interest in funding that project without the mines of Eden.”
“Would they be willing to sell out their shares?”
“I would say so. At the moment they consider it a complete loss.”
“How much should I offer?”
Bannis chuckled. “I know you and Mr. Gruberg did well with the arms trade. And the funding for building out those domes and defenses at the Retreat have been overly generous, but we are talking large funds.”
“Just tell me how much.”
Bannis rubbed his forehead. “Well, I suppose if you threw twenty million credits at them they would jump at it. Scrap would only be worth a quarter of that.”
Harris said, “Offer them ten million for a complete buyout, including any debts they currently owe on them.”
Bannis replied, “Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
The comm channel closed.
Harris turned to Tawn. “If we build these, what are we going to do with them?”
“Use them to steal titanium from the Earthers.”
Harris laughed. “And what do we do with that?”
“We’re gonna use all the refining equipment we have sitting at the Retreat. We’ll turn out our own plating again. And we’ll use it to beef up those freighters.”
“And then what?”
Tawn smiled. “And then we get more.”
Gandy asked, “Are we talking about being pirates again?”
“Yes. If that’s the only way we can stop the Earthers. We have our own planet. We don’t fall under the jurisdiction of Domicile. If we declare war on the Earthers, that’s our business.”
Harris again laughed. “Declare war? With what? The Bangor? Our one ship fleet?”
Tawn replied, “For starters. I just happen to know where we can get a few freighters we can arm.”
“With the rail cannons? Doesn’t that seem a bit lightweight to you for a fleet?”
“We’re attacking a freighter, so no, it doesn’t seem lightweight. A few of those rail cannons and the ore is ours.”
“And what are you planning to do when the next shipment has an escort?”
“We’ll have to figure that out when we get there. Are you saying you’re opposed to doing this?”
“No. Just questioning your sanity.”
Tawn crossed her arms. “We have to do something. With every ship they build we get closer to war.”
Harris said, “What we need is evidence. Something showing the Earthers are building a new fleet. That should put the government on alert.”
“And what would that evidence be? You think they will accept images, something that can be doctored? We’d have to steal a new warship and shove it in their faces.”
Harris began to grin.
Tawn asked, “What? What’s going on in your mousetrap of a mind?”
“I’m thinking we do just that. We steal a brand new Earther warship, we fly it to Domicile, and we park it in the skies right above Post London. They wouldn’t be able to deny a New Earth buildup is ongoing. The people would demand action.”
Tawn shook her head. “And you were just questioning my sanity?”
Tawn stared at Harris’ continued grin. “You’re serious about this?”
“I am. And I think we could pull it off. The Earthers would not be expecting something so brazen. With a couple dozen Bios we could take a ship. Maybe when it was just released for trials with only a skeleton crew aboard?”
“I like it,” said Gandy.
Tawn turned. “We aren’t taking you into a fight like that. This would take hardcore Marines.”
Gandy crossed his arms. “You’ll need people to take control of the systems and fly it. Which probably means you’ll need Sharvie to break into their systems. And you’ll want Trish or me flying it.”
Tawn chuckled. “Why would we need you to fly it?”
“OK, you’d need us to fly the Bangor.”
Harris raised a hand. “Look, nobody’s flying anything until we plan this out fully. If we decide it’s too high a risk we can always abort. Nothing says we have to go through with it. Although… it would make one heckuva statement to the baboons in the senate. A new destroyer would be undeniable.”
The comm was reconnected to Bannis Morgan. “Twelve million credits, that includes assuming all debts, which amount to just under another two million. If you can come up with that, the freighter manufacturing is yours. That includes the orbiting shipyards, which are old, but fully functional.”
Tawn nodded. “We’ll take it. Can those yards be moved out to the Retreat?”
Bannis scratched his head. “Would take some effort. A tear down and reassembly. Probably adds several million to your costs. Not to mention the workers. You have a big pool of machinists and assemblers available on Domicile. Many of those are highly skilled people.”
“Don’t they sign up for year-long contracts where they live up on the space-dock anyway?”
“They do.”
“Then what’s the difference? Why would they care if it’s orbiting above Domicile or out at the Retreat?”
“They often take short trips to Chicago Port or back down to the surface with their time off.”
“Not a problem,” said Tawn. “We can provide shuttle service at minimum to no cost.”
“You offer that and you are likely to have more applicants than positions to fill.”
Tawn said, “Now for the hard part. Would you be willing to take on the management of this effort? At least until it’s up and running.”
“I suppose I could make that happen.”
“Good. And what I’d like to do when you have it reassembled out at the Retreat is to load up that first freighter with rail cannons. We’ll provide the funds.”
Bannis frowned. “You do realize the President and Senate would consider that illegal, right?”
“Are there any laws specifically forbidding the building and arming of your own warship?”
Bannis thought for a moment. “No… I suppose there aren’t. It’s not something most of us would have the means to do. Nor would we want to.”
Harris asked, “What kind of time are we talking to get that shipyard moved, staffed, and operational again?”
“What kind of budget do we have?”
Tawn said, “What would your expedited budget require?”
“Five million credits versus two million if we took our time.”
Tawn nodded. “Then make it happen. We’ll provide the funds as soon as you need them. When could you start?”
“I can have the paperwork done today and begin work on the move in the morning.”
“Excellent. Hold up your credit store for me.”
Bannis chuckled. “You don’t waste time, do you?”
Twenty million credits were exchanged. “That should cover everything you need, plus a small contingency fund should anything of immediate need arise.”
Bannis bowed his head. “Give me an hour and you’ll be the proud owners of a freighter factory.”
Bannis reached out and closed the comm.
Tawn said, “So we’ll have an armed freighter, and the ability to produce more. Now we just need a plan as to how to make use of them.”
Gandy asked, “When do we start planning our raid on the Earther factory?”
Harris shook his head. “Tawn and I need a bit more time to contemplate what that entails. In the meantime, I think we pay a visit to the bunker to continue our history lessons. Maybe some of our past Human struggles will point us toward a solution to the Earther situa
tion.”
Several hours later, Farker followed his master as the group moved back into the bunker and down the hall. Harris settled in his usual room, Farker lying at his feet. The image of a smiling Alexander Gaerten showed on the display in front of him.
“Hello, Alex.”
“Hello, Harris. I am glad you are here. I have news for you about my research.”
“Hit me.”
“The maximum speed achieved with the current drive systems is one-sixteenth the speed of light. I believe we can enhance the drives to achieve a faster speed.”
Harris sat forward. “That would be fantastic. How much additional are we talking? 50 percent?”
Alex shook his head. “I’m afraid that is not possible at this time. The theoretical limit of those drives is calculated to be nineteen thousand two hundred meters per second. Currently our systems are able to achieve 97.135 percent efficiency. I believe we can safely add nearly half a percent to that number.”
Harris sat back, crossing his arms. “Half a percent? So just barely faster than we have now?”
Alex nodded. “It will give you the ability to outrun any foe.”
Harris huffed. “Outrun? You mean still get shot at for ten minutes while putting enough distance between us to get out of cannon range, right? Ten minutes is death at the moment. Come back with 50 percent speed improvement and then we’re talking.”
“I am sorry, Harris. We are limited in this endeavor by our knowledge of physics. Are you indicating you have no interest in implementing this upgrade?”
Harris sighed as he set his hands on the table in front of him. “No. We want it. What’s the amount of effort needed to get this done?”
An image of the drive with several parts exploded showed on the display. “Minimal. The tools and materials in Trish’s shop should be adequate to make the necessary changes in under an hour. And I will continue my research into the drives on the Bangor. If there are any other improvements that can be made, I will notify you at the time.”
“Too bad you can’t design an entirely new drive that gives the 50 percent speed increase I want.”
“Would you like me to add that to my research list?”
“Uh, sure. Any other discoveries you’ve made?”
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