“Sometimes I get tired of being right,” Hanlon said to herself, irony thick in her tone. “Tolon, you tell Leader it can take that option and stuff it.”
“Stuff it where, Captain?” Tolon asked.
“Nevermind. Just tell Leader I say no.”
“Leader has once again told me to murder you. Your insight to remove the high honor has allowed me to ignore Leader’s orders.”
“You people must have a pretty oddball idea if independence. If gaining it allows you to be summarily ordered to do anything Leader wants done.”
Tolon bounced a few times and then said, “Independence is having the option to share your thoughts or not.”
“You have a point there, Tolon. What do we do next? I presume you don’t want Leader’s plan to succeed.”
“You presume correctly, Captain,” Tolon responded.
“Captain,” Dawn said into the pause.
“What is it, Dawn?”
“I am receiving a signal from the control key. It is an invasive program intended to subvert control of the internal systems from the primary computer core.”
“I hope you can avoid it actually doing anything,” Hanlon said.
“The signal is ingeniously designed. I believe the Woduur may have had a hand in the coding. It is adaptive. Given enough time, the program may be able to complete its task.”
Alarm flushed through Hanlon. “That’s not good, Dawn. How long can you prevent the program from taking over?”
“It is uncertain at this time. I am currently shunting all command requests into the tertiary processor and allowing my primary core override to block any control attempts.”
Hanlon wasn’t certain of the exact implications. She turned to Tolon. “We have to find a way to stop Leader. Do you have any ideas?”
Tolon responded after a short silence. “There is a way, Captain, but it involves risk.”
“Less risk than being summarily executed for not going along with Leader’s plans? Sooner or later, the program will gain control of the New Dawn. Once that happens, we won’t have any options. What is it you have in mind?”
“I propose we proceed to the presence chamber and I will make a challenge for leadership of the Ulef people.”
Hanlon waited for a few seconds after Tolon stopped speaking to see if it had anything else to say. When it remained silent, she asked, “That’s it? Just go to the throne room and make a challenge? Surely it’s more complicated than that.”
“It is far more complicated. The challenge involves convincing the Ulef in range of the deciding my abilities as a leader for them are superior. Everyone will join in the consciousness, and Leader and I will make our cases to them. What follows is a decision that all join in.”
Hanlon really didn’t understand the mechanics of it, but the overall idea was pretty clear. “What can I do to help?”
“I must have your word the Ulef will be allowed to follow New Dawn to Lashmere and make their home there. It will also help if I can tell the people that Lashmere will return the materials provided to New Dawn.”
Alarm bells started ringing in Hanlon’s head. The things Tolon asked for were the exact things Leader had been pushing for. “Tolon, why are you requesting the same things Leader wanted?”
“The materials are important to the Ulef. They represent the sum gain of the collective efforts of all. That they were given to you represents one of the greatest advantages I may have over Leader. If I can secure even a partial return of these resources, it will greatly strengthen my position.”
“Okay, Tolon. You’ve made your case. I give you my word as an officer of the Lashmere Navy that I will do everything in my power to secure a return of as many of the resources given over to repair New Dawn as possible. I also give you my word the Ulef people will be allowed to settle on one of the moons of Oculus, the gas giant, to consume in your way. There are several, and your people can choose from one of them. As for planets, I cannot provide one.”
Tolon bounced in place for several seconds before saying, “Thank you, Captain. That should help greatly.”
Hanlon nodded. “How do you make the challenge?”
“We must leave New Dawn and go to the chamber Leader inhabits while it is conducting its duties.”
“Is that the room I went to when Leader decided to release the other members of the expeditionary force?”
“Correct, Captain,” Tolon said. “We must go there as soon as possible. If Leader’s plan starts having any degree of success, it will convince others that Leader’s course of action is the correct one.”
“It sounds to me like that will be the central issue.”
“I believe you are correct, Captain. We should hurry.”
“Dawn, what is the best way to work around the Woduur invaders?”
“There is no safe workaround. You will have to proceed to the lower shuttle bay. I will guide you to a pressure suit, and one of the maintenance robots will carry you through the open area at the center of the ship. One of the small craft is being brought to full functionality as we speak.”
“Good, very good, Dawn. How long can you hold out against the Woduur program?”
“I believe I can continue my resistance for several more days, but my functions will become increasingly compromised. The sooner you obtain the control key, the better my chances. I have prepared a contingency plan if I am completely subverted, but I hope I don’t have to experience it. It would involve me losing all of my stored experiences and restoring my systems from the original program backups.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Hanlon said. She turned to Tolon. “Let’s get moving.”
“There is just one more thing, Captain.”
“What is it, Tolon?”
“You must remove my restraints.”
Hanlon’s stomach clenched at the idea. “You’re sure you don’t plan to try to kill me, right?”
“It is certain, Captain. I believe your life continuing is integral to the continuance of my people.”
“I suppose I have to trust a statement like that,” Hanlon said. She walked behind the hulking Ulef and examined the wide strap that held its arms down. There was a long rod thrust through a series of loops in the strap. She grasped it and pulled firmly. The rod pulled free, and the strap dropped away.
Hanlon stepped back quickly and watched while Tolon slowly flexed its arms and then its tentacles. “Thank you, Captain. It would have been difficult to convince anyone if I was restrained by you.”
“I understand.” Her heart rate slowly came down to the normal range. No matter how much she had to trust the Ulef, they still frightened her. “Dawn, get us to this shuttle. We have to get to the presence chamber as soon as possible.”
“I am illuminating a navigation path to the passageway that is currently functioning as an airlock. You will be met there by two maintenance robots. One will carry you through the weightless section of the ship, and the other will have a pressure suit that will protect you from the vacuum in the area.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get moving, Tolon.”
A path appeared along the floor in front of them. Hanlon and Tolon started moving along it. Tolon surged along at a pace far in excess of what Hanlon could match over any long distance. “Tolon, you have to slow down. I can’t keep running for much longer.”
Tolon slowed to a brisk walk and said, “We must not waste any time.”
“I understand, but I can’t keep at it.”
They walked for quite a long time. The path wandered through a crazy course of passageways and stairs always going down. That, at least, made Hanlon grateful. Climbing a ton of stairs would have made the journey even more difficult. Tolon continuously urged her to go faster.
Hanlon was breathing hard after another short jog at the relentless Ulef’s behest. “Warning, Captain Hanon. The Woduur invasion force has made it into the command center. They have begun to take local control of the computer system. I am isolating the control runs
and blocking them by physically separating the network connections. With luck, I will be able to prevent them from gaining core access.”
Hanlon started to trot despite her exhaustion. “Don’t let them in, Dawn. Do whatever you have to do to keep yourself safe as well.”
“I will make every effort, Captain,” Dawn said. “Warning voice comms failure.”
“Dawn?” There was no response. “Dawn?” Hanlon sighed. “Looks like we’re on our own, Tolon.” Her breath was coming in labored gasps. Her legs were burning from the effort of running for so long.
“Captain, I, too, am struggling with the effort to reach the ship as quickly as possible. If Leader gains control of New Dawn before we arrive, it may be impossible for me to supplant it.”
They continued grimly. The navigational path continued for another ten or so minutes. The illuminated path ended at a door with two maintenance robots flanking it. One held a thin pressure suit. It was clearly meant for emergency use. Hanlon took the suit and pulled it over her uniform. The fit was bulky. She looked at Tolon and said, “Looks like Dawn is still in control of some of her systems. We better move fast. I don’t want to be dependent on a maintenance robot if I’m in some large open area with no gravity, air or idea how to get back to safety.”
“Agreed, Captain.”
“Can you deal with the vacuum?”
“My kind are not greatly affected by vacuum. I am capable of holding my breath for several hours if need be. The cold will become unpleasant if the area is not temperature controlled.”
“I bet it isn’t.” she pulled the clear spherical helmet over her head and locked it onto the rigid collar. The suit immediately pressurized and inflated around her body, making her movements imprecise and awkward. She lurched towards the door, which opened almost immediately. The robot moved in behind her and thrust a pair of armatures under her armpits. Her feet were lifted from the deck plates, and the robot moved through the door. Hanlon immediately felt weightlessness wash over her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Tolon moving behind her. The door shut and the air was pumped out of the space. A few seconds later, the door in front of her slid open silently. The robot moved off the edge, and Hanlon felt an immediate sense of vertigo. The space was shockingly massive. This much open space was unheard of in spacecraft.
The robot lurched as Tolon grabbed it from behind with several of its tentacles. As soon as the Ulef had a good grip, the robot began to accelerate, pressing Hanlon uncomfortably against its uneven structure. After what seemed like a relatively short flight, Hanlon started to be able to make out details in front of her. There was an illuminated doorway that was surrounded by strobing red lights. She looked at the oddly shaped writing printed on it, but she couldn’t decipher it.
The robot started to decelerate a moment after the door became distinctly visible. It came to a smooth stop about a meter from the control panel and let Hanlon go. She pushed off gently and caught herself on the grab bar by the panel. She cycled the outer door and moved inside, followed by Tolon and the maintenance robot. Hanlon’s stomach threatened to rebel as a gravity field once again took hold of her.
The inner door opened a few seconds later, and another maintenance robot was standing in the passageway. There was a large metallic module that appeared to have been hastily strapped to its frame. It turned and began to move away from Hanlon and Tolon.
Hanlon unlocked and removed her helmet. “I think it wants us to follow.”
“I agree,” Tolon said.
The pair followed the robot for another short walk. A large door opened in front of them onto a wide gallery overlooking a massive docking bay. Several ships were docked inside. They were similar in design to the ships Hanlon saw in the command level docking bay.
The robot approached a door, and it opened. On the other side was a short passage that ended at another airlock. Hanlon and Tolon followed the robot through the airlock and into a small shuttlecraft barely large enough to accommodate them. She glanced curiously at the robot as it scooted all the way to the back of the passenger compartment.
Hanlon shrugged and got herself settled into the pilot chair. The instructions were written in the dialect she understood, and the startup sequence consisted of only six steps. A quick diagnostic and warmup and the tiny ship was ready to embark.
She turned to face Tolon and said, “Are you ready to do this, Tolon?”
“Let us proceed, Captain.”
Chapter 26
Stokes watched as the drone net relayed data from the sensors scattered around the periphery of the system. The fleet was in orbit around a small planetoid. One of the destroyers sat at the center of the salvage ship, undergoing repair and refit. Six days ago, Stokes left Patho behind to face the Woduur ships. Captain Charis had a full sensor net in place, watching a two hundred lightyear radius in every direction for any signs of their approach.
The progress was rapid. He checked the status display, and the overall progress meter for the destroyer changed from eighty to eighty-one percent while he was looking. He shifted in his command chair. The quiet was starting to wear on him. “Any sign of the Griffon?”
“Not yet, sir, but it isn’t due back for another few minutes,” Bendel replied.
Stokes leaned back in his chair and tried to keep his face smooth. Everyone was just as worried about Patho and his crew as he was. He waited patiently until Woodard reported, “I have an arrival. Looks like the Griffon.”
“Nothing else?”
“No, sir.”
“Very well. Send a message requesting a report on their observations.”
“Aye, sir,” Woodard said.
Stokes sighed. He couldn’t see any way around proceeding to the Ulef system. Once his small fleet made it to the ostensible safety of that location, he could start making scouting runs to look for Patho.
“Sir, I have a report from the Griffon. They didn’t see anything in the system we left them in. Nothing showed up on their passives, either.”
“Very well,” Stokes said. “Get Griffon into the queue for refit. How much longer do we have until all ships are completely done?”
“Another eleven days, sir,” Bendel said. “Right now, Lachesis and Victorious are the only two ships fully upgraded with railguns. Repairs are complete on all ships.”
“Good,” Stokes replied. Keep me informed of our progress.”
“Aye, sir,” Bendel said.
Stokes got up and headed to his office just off the bridge. He settled into one of the comfortable red chairs and pulled a data tablet from his pocket. The book he was reading, the same he’d been trying to read for the last several months, was about the treaty process that had taken place after the end of the Ebrim-Karn war. He hoped the historical account would give him some insight into how to negotiate with the Ulef once they got there.
The intervening days passed routinely. Stokes kept his crews at port and starboard watch stations while their ships slowly made their way through the refit queue. A couple of days before the refit was scheduled to be completed, Stokes was sitting on the bridge, watching over the last few stealth corvettes as they ran through the small one kilometer ring ship.
“Sir” Bendel said from behind his left shoulder.
Stokes turned to look at his executive officer. “What is it, Exec? Aren’t you supposed to be in the rack?”
“Sir, Miss Woodard and I have been working on something.” Bendel motioned at the science officer, standing beside him.
“Alright, Exec. What have you got?”
“We think we have a defense against the Woduur weapon. We’ve run extensive computer simulations, trying to accurately model its effects. We still don’t know exactly how it works, but we do have a good idea on how to slow down the impact it has on the hull.”
“That is good news, Exec. Let’s take a look.” Stokes turned to the ensign sitting at the ops station. “I’m headed to my office for a few minutes, Miss Reedy. You have the bridge until I get back.”
“Aye, sir,” the young ensign responded.
Stokes led Bendel and Woodard to his office and activated the large presentation screen on one bulkhead. He nodded at Bendel and said, “Take me through it.”
Bendel shared a look with Woodard before turning his attention to a datapad he held in his hand. A few taps brought the presentation screen to life. It displayed a data model. One ship, obviously meant to simulate one of the Woduur ring ships was on one side, and a ship that looked similar to Victorious was displayed on the other.
“This is the most accurate model of the molecular disruption effect we have so far, sir. It matches the sensor readings in every way from what we saw during the battle over Lashmere.”
A table with various parameters appeared on one side of the screen. Bendel tapped at his pad for a few more seconds. The simulation started to run. “This is an example of what happens to a ship with no protection. This is completely from the simulated data. There is no outside data input here, sir.”
The simulation moved forward swiftly, slowing as the Woduur weapon fired. The simulated human ship disintegrated before Stokes’ eyes.
“That looks pretty consistent with what we saw during the battle, Exec.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied. He tapped at his datapad for a moment longer, causing a new simulation to appear. “This is the simulation with the new defensive technology we’re working on, sir. Keep an eye on the power readings highlighted in green.”
Stokes watched the simulation run. The human ship entered range of the Woduur weapon, which fired. The green power reading spiked at the moment of interaction and then started to drop off sharply. A few seconds later, the Woduur weapon fired again with similar results. The outer hull of the human ship was degraded, but it didn’t just fall apart the way it had in previous simulations.
“This sure looks like progress, Exec. Well done. What kind of system upgrade are we talking about, here?”
“It’s complicated, Admiral. The power requirement for the defensive technology is extreme. We think the power accumulators for the point to point drive can be adapted to provide the energy we need. So far, can’t find any other way to generate sufficient power.”
The Battle for Lashmere Page 21
