Skybound

by S. W. Gunn

  The moment he entered the quarters Mark said, “I heard what Rosemary said. What is your plan?”

  Johnathan chuckled because Mark knew him well.

  “We’re going to take the technology used in the air skates to increase the power of the deflector shields.”

  “A quick estimate leads me to believe that the eco-ship could not handle the power requirements to run something of that level for long periods of time Johnathan.”

  “We’ll turn them on right before the attack; it should provide a significant defense for the period of a possible battle.”

  “I suppose that could work.”

  Thinking about his conversation with Rose last night Johnathan decided to talk to Mark about it, “Last night before we went to bed Rose brought up an old Earth tradition called marriage. I guess she wants to bring back the culture of Earth before the second American Civil War.”

  “Well it makes sense that Rosemary would need to lead by example. She could not expect others to go where she was not willing to go. I wonder what other ideas she has in mind.”

  “No idea. With this alien thing she has kind of clammed up.”

  “The situation is quite a challenge. I wager her mind is filled with the vast possible scenarios available.”

  “That’s what I was thinking too.”

  Johnathan pulled out his datapad and searched out the schematics for the current deflector shields. As he examined them he noted that they were indeed efficient for the task of knocking away simple space debris. The entire exterior of the eco-ship was double lined with a three layer coating that was designed to block the different types of radiation. The deflector shields themselves were purposely designed to allow radiation to pass through it so that it could be absorbed by the energy collectors that studded the exterior of the eco-ship. He wondered if there was any other type of radiation that was passing through the ship and slowly irradiating the crew. He guessed probably not since there had been nothing of note since the Skybound’s launch. Johnathan continued to tweak the shields. He was coming up with a stumbling block so he pulled up the schematics for the air skates. The skates seemed to utilize a gravitational shift that allowed the skates to work. It was a creative way to make them work and Johnathan had to admire their design. He now could see why Mark felt they would be too much for the current energy systems to handle for a long period of time. While it would work great against projectile weapons fired at the eco-ship, it would be useless against any sort of laser type weapons. He frowned. While there was no guarantee these aliens would attack but Johnathan knew that they had to be prepared for the worst possible scenario.

  “Mark, what is the best way to protect the eco-ship from laser weapons?”

  “You would need to add a diffusive surface onto the outer layer of the vessel’s exterior.”

  Johnathan nodded before he pulled up the different types of diffusive surfaces. He would have to estimate the types of wavelengths that could be used and then work from there. Most likely the ones that would emit the most powerful light waves for lasers would be the best place to start.

  “Could you get me a wavelength range that would make for the best laser weapons?

  “Of course. The best range is between 1380 and 3800 nanometers.”

  “Okay. We’ll need to design a diffusion material that can diffuse that range of wavelengths.”

  “Currently no such material exists. You will probably have to design one.”

  Scratching his chin softly Johnathan nodded as he tweaked his slowly forming design for the shields. This was going to be a significant challenge to make the shields work the way he wanted them to but he had fully intended to succeed in this task, especially since it could be vital to the survival of the eco-ship. He spent hours tweaking and manipulating his plans which first blended the original shields with the repulsor shields. He could not just replace the old shields as they would be needed for normal use so he would need to install these special shields nearby and would turn it on in place of the old shields at the key point. He estimated that the ship could get an hour or so from them before they would have to be shut down or overwhelm the energy generators. If he had time Johnathan could have redone the energy systems and could permanently install the new shields but he just had to set up something for this one future upcoming moment. If they survived this whole thing he would go back and redo the energy systems to allow these new shields to be permanent. His watch beeped, which he glanced to see a message from Rose requesting that he meet her for lunch at the primary cafeteria. It was almost time for lunch so he set down his datapad and washed his hands. The walk was brisk and once he arrived in the primary cafeteria he spotted Rose with the Command staff. She gave him a slight smile once their eyes caught. He could tell that she was still quite distracted by the potential upcoming attack from these aliens. Johnathan took a moment to look at the First Officer and Lead Navigator. Both looked quite grim as they picked at their plates. None of them appeared to be overly excited about the meal. Open faced sandwiches, a salad, and a piece of fruit were the meal and Johnathan had to admit he did not feel overly enthused about eating either. This whole situation was quite grim.

  As he took a seat Rose softly asked, “How goes your project?”

  Johnathan took a bite of his salad and after swallowing he answered, “I’ve made excellent progress on the planning for the repulsor shields and I’ve started a design for a diffusion shield.”

  “A diffusion shield?” The First Officer asked.

  “There is a chance they might have laser type weapons so I’ve estimated the most likely wavelength ranges and started the design on a metal plating that we can place on the exterior of the eco-ship that will diffuse most of the weapon’s power. It would allow us a more likely chance to survive the encounter.”

  The lead navigator interjected with a question, “What about some sort of weapon to fight back?”

  Johnathan paused because he had not thought of any sort of offensive weapon. Really the only thing he could think to do would be to install a laser style weapon. It would be easy to construct and much more effective against mobile targets as long as the person firing the weapon was skilled at their use.

  “Well we could install a series of laser weapons that would allow us to fire at them but honestly my hands are tied down with installing the shields after I finish their designs.”

  “Can any of our engineers install the shields once you design them?” Rose interrupted to ask.

  “Yes.”

  “Once you have completed and tested your designs I want you to forward them to the Lead Engineer. He’ll ensure that they are installed in time.”

  “Yes Commander.” He told her.

  Rose stood and grabbed her tray. Johnathan notice that she barely ate any of her lunch.

  Leaning closer to him Rose gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before announcing, “I’ll see you at 1600 for our workout.”

  “Alright.”

  The First Officer and Lead Navigator both stood before collecting their trays. As Rose walked away they followed her to deposit their trays and then leave the cafeteria. Johnathan sighed. He knew very little about lasers so he would have to spend a good amount of time researching them. He had once seen the schematics for the paltry lasers embedded on the vessel that dealt with small debris but what made them work efficiently were the computers that calculated the exact path of the debris that could not be avoided. The computers did all of the work when it came to dealing with these lasers. Since the launching of the eco-ship the lasers had never needed to have maintenance performed on them. The original engineers of the ‘Skybound’ designed it specifically to last as long as possible without maintenance. Since the crew performed constant maintenance most of the eco-ship was designed to last a millennium or longer without replacement. Other than unpredictable items like the humidity issues in farming bays the eco-ship has performed exactly as it was designed. Johnathan left the cafeteria once he choked down as much food as he co
uld. Once back in the room he finalized the design and decided to begin to build a prototype for testing purposes.

  “Mark take a look at my design before we program the reprocessor to build it.”

  “Alright.”

  Mark went silent for a half minute before announcing, “I’ve marked a few notes of some minor changes but otherwise it looks like it will work.”

  Johnathan looked at his datapad and examined Mark’s notes. They all seemed solid and the most important one was a specialized feedback design that would keep the shields from overloading the eco-ship’s power system in case the shields failed. It was a wise idea and Johnathan whipped up a quick design that would work perfectly. He melded it into his design. Once he was done he began to program his personal reprocessor to make the smaller and more delicate details of the shield’s internal hardware. The normal reprocessor could do it but honestly Johnathan just felt his more finely tuned one would do the job more effectively.

  Once he was done he stood up and said, “Let’s go get the main framework started on the primary reprocessor.”

  The wheels of Mark’s podium began to move as he followed Johnathan out the door. The walked in silence as they moved down the hallway and onto the elevator. As they got on the elevator several other people there gave Mark’s podium an odd look, as though they were unsure what it was, before glancing at Johnathan. He noted several had recognized who he was, most likely due to his relationship with Rose, before turning away from him. The curious look they gave Mark’s podium was a common one since Johnathan had built it. He could only guess that they just assumed it was a piece of equipment because no one ever took the time to even ask him. The elevator stopped on the main engineering deck and Johnathan got out. Mark followed closely behind him.

  As they got enough distance between themselves and anyone else Mark commented, “The members of the eco-ship are quite curious about my podium but it seems as though they do not have a way to approach you about the subject.”

  It was funny to Johnathan how he and Mark many times thought alike, he chuckled at Mark. They entered the reprocessor room and Johnathan was surprised how eager the staff seemed to be to provide him what he needed. No doubt Rose had given instructions to help in any way that they could. Johnathan gave them the instructions for the new shields and once they started he left. He quickly went back to his workroom in Rose’s quarters and started working on the design for the lasers. The refractive shields were experimental so first he would have to design these lasers so he could test them before handing them over to the Lead Engineer.

  After taking a seat Mark wheeled in behind him and said, “I was looking into previous designs of lasers and I found a few that might work for the eco-ship. Also I was thinking you could tie the controls of the lasers directly into the main computer and let me fire them. While we do have some very skilled pilots aboard I do not think any of them could control the lasers with the accuracy that I could.”

  Johnathan paused for a moment because Mark was right. No one on the eco-ship could control them better than he could.

  “Mark would you be able to kill using them because that’s what is going to take in order to use them.”

  “My primary function is the defense of this vessel and its inhabitants. I will do anything I can to protect everyone aboard, especially you.”

  Glancing over at his podium Johnathan give him a grim nod before saying, “Alright, let me take a peek at your suggestions.”

  Johnathan examined the designs. Each one had strong points but he found them all lacking minor issues that he was worried could affect their use. One would have power issues, which would be a huge concern with the shields they just installed. Another one had accuracy issues and the last had mobility issues, they could not rotate at all. Johnathan decided to merge all of them into his own design that he knew would cut down on their overall power but would be able to rotate to fire and would not drain too much energy from the ship. He also looked at adjusting the laser controls to allow computer access but have overrides that would allow someone on the vessel to control them as well. He really struggled with the programming adjustments that would allow Mark to control the lasers. Software was definitely not his strongest suit. After several hours he finally got the laser base design down and the programming necessary for them. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time for his second workout session with Rose. Grumbling to no one in particular he set aside his data pad and stood. He could hear Rose enter from the front door as he began walking. Johnathan moved briskly and as he stepped into the bedroom he spotted Rose already changing. He still quite enjoyed watching her undress but now was not the time to worry about seducing her, especially since he doubted that she was interested in that right then. He strolled up to his dresser and pulled out his workout clothes. They again worked out in silence and showered before heading off to the evening meal. After they ate Rose again excused herself for another meeting. Johnathan collected Mark and they headed off to inspect the shields that were completed from the reprocessor. Johnathan then programmed the machine to build his prototype laser. He would test the shields tonight and then forward them to the lead engineer. Tomorrow he would then work on the lasers. He doubted the engineering team would be available to help him with the lasers so he was probably on his own with them. The shields were much more important so that was perfectly fine.

  Realizing he would not have time to install lasers enough to cover every inch of the vessel Johnathan turned to Mark and said, “Mark could you calculate the number of lasers I will be able to build and install by myself over the next few days and then design an installation plan that would maximize their coverage of the eco-ship?”

  Mark paused for a moment, no doubt thinking about Johnathan’s request, before answering, “Of course Johnathan. I will have something in the next hour.”

  Johnathan took the newly designed shield to the empty hangar bay along the bottom of the eco-ship in order to test it. He set it up along the back wall and activated it. The power readings pulled exactly as he thought it would. His watch beeped with an incoming contact from the Lead Engineer. Johnathan activated his watch.

  “Technician are you utilizing a device draining heavy power?” The Lead Engineer asked through his watch.

  “Yes sorry. I am testing the emergency shields.”

  “Very well.” The Lead Engineer replied.

  His watch beeped as the Lead Engineer ended the contact. Johnathan nodded before going back to the readings on his terminal. Everything he could see from the readings showed that his new shield was working perfectly. It was draining .01% less energy than he thought it would but otherwise worked exactly as he had calculated. Grabbing a small metal rod sitting nearby Johnathan threw it at the energy field that was projecting around the generator. It ricocheted off of the shield and the readings had no marked change at all. Johnathan grinned before disabling the power to the shield. It worked perfectly. He sent a message to the Lead Engineer with the specifications for the shields along with all of the testing from shield he just built. Glancing again at his watch he noted that the setup and testing of the shield had taken just over three hours. Johnathan detached the shield from the eco-ship before heading off to Rose’s quarters. It was time to get some sleep before having to get back to work the next morning. Walking into her quarters he noted that she was not there. He frowned. Since the discovery of these aliens she had become instantly aloof with him. She rarely spoke and even more so she barely even touched him. He knew that she was distracted but it was very concerning and he had absolutely no idea how to even talk to her about it least yet help resolve her obvious issues. Honestly he could not blame her as the thought of having to fight for his life against an unknown alien was frightful. He took a quick shower and climbed into the big bed.

  * * * * *

  Rose’s alarm buzzed and as Johnathan opened his eyes he saw Rose stand up quickly without saying a word before walking into the bathroom. He frowned. She had not ev
en woke him up when she came to bed last night. He stood up and changed into his workout clothes. Like the last day Rose said virtually nothing throughout their workout and as they stood there with the warm water of the shower splashing against him.

  Finally he could not take it anymore so he said, "Rose?"

  She turned her head slightly to look at him before replying, "Yes?"

  "Are you mad at me?"

  Her face shifted from a neutral position to one of confusion and after a few moments she said, "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

  "You’ve been so aloof towards me that I thought I made you mad."

  Her face soften before she moved closely up against him and wrapped her arms around his midsection.

  "I’m so sorry. I was totally distracted by what’s going on that I’ve forgotten what’s most important to me."

  Johnathan wrapped his arms around her shoulders tightly.

  She continued, "I also did not want to distract you from your work. What you’re doing literally could mean life or death for all of us."

  His kissed her on the top of head before saying, "Not having your affection has been more distracting than anything else."

  Her arms tightened around his midsection. After a brief firm hug she released her hold, which he let her go in response. She looked deeply into his eyes and smiled broadly before attacking him with a passionate kiss. They made love in the shower before finishing their shower and getting dressed.

  As Rose slipped her tunic over her head she said, "I’ve got a long day with combat drills and mapping of our defense plans. I’ll meet you for lunch at the primary cafeteria alright?"

  "Of course."

  She gave him a quick grin before extending her hand out. He held her hand softly and followed her out of the bedroom and after slipping on his boots they left for breakfast. She gave him a light kiss once they finished breakfast and parted ways.