by C. R. Daems
"I understand." He turned towards Corbitt. "Although I will officially be the senior station officer on Freeland, I expect you, Captain Corbitt, to be responsible for incoming and outgoing security, and Captain Alena to be responsible for the activities on Freeland. Any questions?"
There were none. For the rest of the evening there was no talk about the mission, and the discussion turned to life on Freeland and the Riss. I decided I liked Wattson and got a glimpse into his brilliant mind.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Alien scout at Kamboja
"Well, Nadya, what do you suggest," Pavao asked over a tight-beam connection, as we approached the entrance to the Wave.
"Let me go in first, you follow thirty minutes later. The Mnemosyne is far stealthier than the Bobcat, and it will give me time to assess the situation before you arrive."
"Good luck. See you at Kamboja."
The trip took three days but felt like a month, as my imagination ran wild. I visited each section at least once. Everyone seemed to be having the same feelings, except Thalia.
We slipped into Fools Landing with four engines at half power, the minimum power necessary to leave the Wave, and all detection systems passive.
By the time the Bobcat exited the wave, we still hadn't detected anything suspicious. One merchant ship had entered the space but no one had been tailing it. But what was suspicious? We didn't really know what the enemy looked like or what kind of technology they had—or whether it really was an invasion. I had a raging headache.
Jaelle sent, somewhat nervously. She had been co-XO under Pavao for several months, which of course was precious little experience. Hopefully, she would grow into the position in time to assume command of the Minerva. But who would be her XO and who would be mine? Elissa was already training under Alena. Petar might be all right, with training, but I doubted Damion would ever be suitable for command. And a fourth Riss cruiser would eventually—within two years or less—be commissioned. My raging headache doubled, until Thalia took pity on me, and it began to ease.
I made my way down the extra-large steps, which turned out to be an advantage when a person, human or Riss, was in a hurry, and I turned in the direction of the Sharks area. There were five in each bay. I had received a replacement from the Golden Eagle for the one in R&D. When I reached Byer's office, the door was open. He began to rise until I waved for him to remain seated.
"Good morning, Commander, how do you like your new area?"
"Good morning, Captain … or should it be leader?"
"Commander, life is complicated enough without changing the rules. Consider me an SAS officer and all the normal rules and traditions apply."
"I can't really complain since I helped design them." He grinned. "They are more than adequate. Come with me. Knowing you, you'll want to visit with the men and women, and I like the idea of them getting to know you." He rose and I followed him out the office and into the Bay designated S2. I spend an enjoyable several hours talking with the pilots and mechanics, which I have an affinity, having been the Shuttle Maintenance officer on the Peregrine. We spent time discussing the current mission and the new features of the Sharks, which were an upgrade to the older Strikers the Light cruisers currently carried.
Afterward, I made my way down to the Scorpions area. There I found Seng and Terril watching several troops firing at moving targets, with electronic guns—their equivalent of the tactical simulators for the Weapons and ECM officers.
"Captain Reese, welcome to the new and improved Scorpion area." He straightened only slightly, as he was used to me being in his area. Terril smiled.
"Are you bored, Captain? I could arrange some excitement."
"I'm saving myself for the Aliens. I hope but doubt they are the bring-home-to-mother types."
"Gunny's bored, Captain. She's having trouble finding fault with the fifty she picked for the Mnemosyne. Probably because they are the best of the best Scorpions."
"Normally, I'd like to avoid a battle, but in this case I'd like to see our adversary. I have a feeling this is a foreign navy, not forty or fifty ships."
"Cheery thought. That maybe more excitement than even Scorpions want. But I guess that's the price of sailing with the notorious Captain Reese." Terril snorted.
"And you volunteered."
"I understand the troops are allowed on level three. Are there any restrictions?"
"No, Colonel Seng, other than the ones you impose." Seng walked me around the area, stopping to talk with the Scorpions. Like the Shark personnel, everyone seems happy to be on the Mnemosyne, and I had the feeling they felt a sense of pride at being the first. I decided I should visit the medical unit. I had nothing else to do, and it took my mind off the upcoming confrontation.
Doctor Dayton looked up from the Regen unit she was examining with a young nurse, when she saw me standing in the entrance. "Captain, I've been expecting you to visit our facility. You've a reputation as a very involved person," Dayton said as she stuck out her hand. "How's your fun loving Thalia doing?"
"Still the same. She finds everything amusing, even when we're tied up in a shuttle rocketing into space with no emergency beacon or functioning engine for someone to locate us."
"I'll bet that's an interesting story. Would you like a tour of our facilities?"
"Yes, and you'll need to work with the Riss to determine which equipment is safe to use on them and which may not."
"I understand from Doctor Echart that you seriously restricted the drugs and equipment he could use to treat you. Will that be true for the Riss?"
"I doubt it, but that is your area of expertise. The restrictions on me are because Thalia is attached to my nervous system. She can, therefore, control many of my functions and facilitate my recovery. Some drugs would preclude her helping me. As for your medical equipment, we believe some would permanently detach her from me. Mentally, that would kill me." The naked truth.
Dayton stood there appraising me for a long time. She was a tall woman with a long thin face and penetrating blue eyes. We had first met at Hephaestus when I had asked if she could make a tattoo like my Rh and remove it. She h
ad assumed I had meant on my face, whereas, I had meant it for the students of Commander Weller's People Dynamics class to demonstrate prejudices against people who are different—like the Riss-humans.
"I can understand that. After we met at Hephaestus, I became fascinated with you and Thalia, and did some research on the Riss. They are remarkable. It's one of the reasons I volunteered for this assignment."
"I’ll make sure you have free access to the Riss for as much time as you need." The facility looked modern and up to date. Plimson had seen to it that we had the latest equipment as we were probably headed for a major battle. "Did you consider the consequence of being on a ship headed for war?"
"I've been there, Nadya. Thalia is a good role model. She isn't afraid of life. Following her lead, this is where I want to be."
"Thalia said you're a smart lady. Of course, that's because you agree with her." I couldn't help but smile. "Maybe living over two hundred years gives her an insight we don't have."
"Two hundred! How long do they live?" Dayton looked to be ready to run and grab the first Riss she could find and begin work.
"Four to five hundred or so."
"And you?" Now she looked ready to dissect me.
"Yet to be determined. As long as she can keep this body alive. Maybe more or maybe less than a Gorillai."
"Nadya, I need time with you, please." She sounded like I did at nine, asking to take apart one of my uncle's electronic gadgets.
"Of course. Both Jaelle and I will make time when we aren't on duty."
After a comprehensive tour of the facility and a discussion of what Doctor Echart and I had determined when we were on the same ship. Afterward, I returned to the Bridge.
* * *
For the next six hours we followed the Alien spaceship, designated A1, as it decelerated to a stop. There it remained stationary and silent for the next twenty-four hours.
<23.521, 8h 41m 32s, 2.11au> The VTM displayed the relative positions of the planet, A1, Bobcat and the Mnemosyne.
The Bobcat lit up and her systems went active. I don't know what message Pavao sent to A1, but its engines came online and it began accelerating at close to five gravities towards the entrance to the Wave heading back to Fools Landing.
Red lights flashed alerting personnel to Battle Stations but all systems to remain in passive mode. The alarm-speakers would have signaled Battle Station with all systems hot. Within two minutes, A1 was approaching four hundred gravities and showing no signs of slowing, with the Bobcat slowly falling behind. I had positioned the Mnemosyne between the planet and the entrance to the Wave, anticipating it would be the logical line of retreat.
"Commander Byer. Prepare to launch Sharks in ninety seconds." The duster would cover the Sharks launch and initial approach.
"Byer, launch on my command. Intercept vector one-zero-six by two-two-one. Disable unless under fire."
"Launch on your command. Vector one-zero-six by two-two-one. Disable if safe."
"Good hunting," I clicked off and smiled mentally. The sound of words seem to induce stress; whereas, the absence of words produced a silence that was relaxing, even during times like this.
"Launch Sharks."
"Sharks away, time to rendezvous, one hundred two seconds."
Based on the estimated acceleration of A1, the Sharks should be in place at least thirty seconds before A1 cleared the Duster's cloud of chaff and phosphorus material.
"Colonel Seng, prepare your boarding shuttles for launch."
"Boarding teams ready."
The seconds passed slowly as the Mnemosyne, Bobcat, Sharks, and A1 headed for a historic collision with unknown ramifications. Watching the VTM was of little value, since the Duster's debris was obscuring A1 and the tailing Bobcat. Finally, A1 broke through the debris and the fighters descended on it like a hive of angry bees.
"Captain, we've made contact. A1 has fired no missiles, but the Sharks are encountering heavy, ship-killing laser fire. Their tracking systems are extremely effective. We've lost two fighters, and two have damage. I've ordered Random Destroy."
The engagement rules had gone from "Caution" (approach with caution and fire only if fired upon) to "Random Disable" (Independent action—attempt to disable) to "Random Destroy" (Independent action—attempt to destroy).
"Captain, Commander Williamson reports A1 disabled. All systems down."
"Colonel Seng, launch your boarding teams."
"Boarding shuttles, launched. Time to A1, two minutes."
I, along with every human, Riss-human, and Riss, held my breath, waiting to find out what the Aliens looked like. Were they long lost humans, parasites like the Riss, or something entirely different? Were they basically aggressive like humans, gentle like the Riss, or psychopaths without feelings? Did they believe in a God or Gods, if so, were they fanatics, or were they atheists?
"Captain, Gunny reports the ship has only robots. Nothing organic."
* * *
Later that evening, I held a debriefing in my conference room with Captain Pavao, Commander Byer, Colonel Seng, Commander Iglis, Jaelle, and Master Gunnery Sergeant Terril.
"Byer?"
"We lost two fighters. They launched no missiles as we approached, so we assumed, fatally, they would surrender. Then they opened fire with fifty-centimeter lasers. And they were deadly accurate. We were lucky to have lost only two and have two damaged. One of the pilots in the damaged fighter was seriously injured. The other had minor injuries. Whatever we hit, it shut down their power plant." He looked to Seng.
"That proved very fortunate for us. Gunny?" He nodded to Terril.
"The corridors were lined with lasers activated by heat sensing detectors. Since the power failed, the lasers didn't work. If they had, any warm-blooded animal would’ve been a target. Something we would not have expected. But since there were only robots on the ship, it was an excellent strategy. We found twenty robots. Each shut down without resistant when they saw us. By the smell, I suspect they destroyed their circuit boards."
"Pavao?"
"I sent the ridiculous message someone devised years ago for first contact with Aliens," Pavao said, shaking her head.
"When we did, A1 took off. Since they didn't fire on us, we held our fire and took chase. Bu
t their acceleration was greater than ours, and we fell behind. By the time we were in a position to help, the fighting was over."
"Whoever or whatever the Aliens are, they are technologically more advanced than us," I said, thinking out loud.
"Why? Because they have robots?" Byer asked. A few heads nodded.
"Because they could send robots to follow a ship through the Wave, collect the information they needed for an attack, and find their way back. That implies robots with human-like intelligence. We have machines run by artificial intelligence, but they aren't capable of independent decision making to that degree. Pavao, do you think these were semi-stupid robots?"
"No. I tend to agree. Since you found nothing but robots, they were controlling the spacecraft and the mission. We may be capable of reproducing them in time but not today nor in the near future." She sat quietly before speaking again. "I think we were very lucky. Somehow we disabled the robots ability to detonate explosives to destroy the ship."
"Why?" Seng asked.
"I think they had a three phase defense. First military grade lasers to defend against fighters and warships. The absence of missiles would encourage most Captains to approach the ship. Second, they had internal lasers to kill intruders and boarding parties. And, finally, a switch to leave nothing of value behind."
"I agree. I doubt they will send any more scout ships here, and if they do, it will not be soon, since they don't know where it went. When it doesn't return, they’ll probably release another merchant, but there’s no guarantee it will come here. I think we should take A1 back to Freeland for a detailed inspection. The Mnemosyne's tractors aren't powerful enough to tow A1 but the Bobcat's are."
"I agree, but I think we should put a team on board to begin looking for such a switch or the possibility there is a tracking device that can be used to locate it," Pavao said.
"You're right. Either of those scenarios would be appropriate for an invading force." I looked around the table. "Let’s put together a team to ride on A1 during our return trip. Iglis, send over some of your computer folks to look at the robots and systems. Pavao, navy types to examine the ship's components."
