by C. R. Daems
After some small talk about how strange it was to encounter robots and not some kind of organic thing, I headed for the Shark area. The fighter pilots were unusually subdued. The task force fighters had taken heavy losses. Commander Byer perceptively pointed out the squadron felt guilty they hadn't been there to help." I understood. Our total involvement had been one salvo of missiles. If we hadn't been at battle stations, no one would have known we had engaged the enemy. I saved Intel for last. Iglis was waiting for me when I cleared security.
"Commander Iglis, do you have some kaffa?" I said. She stared at me opened mouthed for several seconds, then smiled.
"Yes, Captain Reese. Us spooks always have kaffa available." She smiled and led me to her office. "I'm confused and scared. The feedback is tentative, but there is no clue as to what the Aliens look like. All we can do is conjecture they are technologically superior to us if they can send robots to quarantine a planet. And if those small cruisers can cause so much damage, what about their equivalent to our Hunters and Heavies … " Her voice rose and changed octaves as she talked.
"Iglis, take a deep breath. Your speculating based on too little information. They may have to use robots because there are too few of them—like the Riss nation. Those small cruisers maybe all they have. Their invading force maybe small and, therefore, they have to rely on surprise. They may have bitten off more than their invading force can chew. We've learned more about them during this engagement, but not enough to see the whole picture. Like a puzzle, we are missing too many pieces to know what the picture will look like."
"You’re right. But you have to admit it's scary."
"Yes, but those of us in leadership positions must be careful not to create panic. We all perform better when we're relaxed."
"Yes, deep breaths." Iglis smiled as she took several exaggerated breaths. "I forgot this is a Riss ship."
* * *
The rumors ran wild when we returned to Freeland. They ranged from, we had turned back the Aliens invasion to we were defeated at Zigzag by three mini-cruisers. It forced Admiral Wattson to call a meeting of all the Captains, XOs, and Shark and Scorpion commanders. The conference room was standing room only.
"Attention," Bradshaw called as Wattson entered.
"At ease," Wattson said as he walked to the front of the room. "I've called this meeting to give you the facts of … our engagement with the Aliens at Zigzag. We did not go to Zigzag to challenge the Aliens. We went to collect information: how did they quarantine a solar system and why, what kind of force did they use, and to engage the task force they sent. We had postulated it would be a reasonably small force as Zigzag has no defense systems or heavily armed mercenaries. In fact, the Aliens sent only three small cruisers. Small is not to be confused with defenseless. Part of what we wanted to determine was how well our cruisers would fair against their ships. So we had one of each: an unmodified older Light, an unmodified new Light, a modified Light, a Hunter, and a Heavy. The Riss cruisers were backup and never used. We destroyed the three cruisers and have brought two back for examination. We learned that the Aliens' cruisers are a match for our unmodified Lights, as were the Raiders Light cruisers. The modified Light did much better. It was destroyed only because the Aliens use kamikaze-like tactics." He stopped for a sip of water, while he looked around the room.
"Let me say again, we went there to collect information about the Aliens. If we must fight them, the more we know the better our chances of winning with minimum losses. We still have lots of questions, but we are smarter than we were. We learned they quarantine a planet by destroying their capability to leave: they destroy the space station, any spacecraft in the area, and the Comstat. They demonstrated a certain humanity when they gave civilians time to leave the station before they destroyed it. Any questions?"
"Yes, sir," the captain of the Peregrine said. "I understand the cruisers were manned entirely by robots."
"That’s correct. Their scout ship and the three cruisers. That may indicate many things: a master computer may direct their actions, each robot may be programmed to perform a specific function, they may not be programmed to seek a peaceful dialog, or … " He left other possibilities dangling. "It's why we need more information. Any of those possibilities could represent a weakness we can capitalize on if it comes to a war. It's your responsibility as senior officers to stick to the facts and not to speculate. We need to maintain morale and discipline. Unfounded rumors could be very disruptive."
"Sir, what about their Kamikaze fighters?"
"That's the kind of information we were after. Now that we know their tactics, we can develop an effective defense. Knowledge is power." Wattson actually smiled. The questions went on for another hour, mostly directed at the Captains of the Harris, Puma, Kestrel, and Golden Eagle.
* * *
The two Aliens spacecraft were put in orbit and two shuttles dedicated to taking people to one or the other. Iglis maintained a list of people permitted access to the ships. Only those with the required specialties were involved in examining the craft's functions, robots, or systems. No clan members were allowed during the initial evaluation.
After a week, Wattson called a meeting of the captains and the project leaders of the crews examining the spacecraft. As soon as everyone had taken a seat, Wattson began.
"Master Chief Roddman?"
Roddman was a short stocky built man, in his late forties. He stood ramrod straight.
"Sir, we examined each ship's general design and functions. My first observation was I had never seen a ship made with such precision. Every pipe, wire, and structural component was made and placed with perfection. The ship could be small because the robots were half our average size and didn't need an environmental section. At first I thought it strange there was no shuttle maintenance capability, until we determined they are more like manned missiles to be used only once." Roddman sat when there were no further questions.
"That explains the Kamikaze tactics. Who cares if a robot is destroyed? Master Chief Bobblin?"
In contrast, Bobblin was thin, curly, brown hair and a slight grin as he rose to speak. But he had that same Chief stamp about him.
"Admiral, Captains. Like Chief Roddman noted about the ship, the robots were beautifully made, every part and connection made with precision. It's hard to say with certainty without knowing the programming, which was destroyed when the robot turned off its power, but it appears each robot had one or more specific functions. Much like our specialties. And they received their instructions and/or operated equipment by plugging into panels throughout the ship. At the present time, it's impossible to determine if one of them was the captain or the cruiser's system functioned as the captain. We would naturally think there had to be a captain but who knows? They may all be interchangeable and there was no captain. I’m afraid I can't be more specific without knowing the function of one or more of the plug-in stations. We’re trying to trace the wiring, but it will take time and provide limited information, since it will all be connected to the ships system computer."
"Thank you, Master Chief. Yes, knowing how the robots functioned would be an important piece of information. Commander Critton, have you been able to learn anything about the system computer?"
Critton was young for a Lt. Commander and an expert on system computers. With his thinning sandy hair, round face, and slightly chubby build, he looked the typical bookworm. He looked a bit nervous as he rose.
"Sir, we were lucky. The computer system in A2 apparently failed to wipe itself clean for some unexplained reason, because the backup power pack was functioning. But the code is in symbols like the ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, or Chinese writing. But we don't have a Rosetta stone to help us decipher it. I have the Riss working on it, since it may have some resemblance to Symath. Making it more difficult, the system's storage does not work like our on/off bits. Sorry,
sir. That's all I can tell you at this point." Critton’s face flushed.
"Thank you, Commander. It would have been nice if the Aliens would've used our technology and standard language. As you said, we were lucky to find anything. The reports went on for hours with few concrete results, just more conjectures. The engines appeared to use a different technology, which we still hadn't figured out, the missiles, like ours, had multiple sensors, but without understanding the coding we could only guess at how they worked, etc.
"Now you know as much as I do, which although it isn't much, it's more than we knew two weeks ago. Remember, when you are discussing the Aliens, stick to the facts. We don't need any wild rumors racing through the fleet. The Captains, Commander Byer, and Colonel Seng will meet back here at nine hundred hours two days from now. That will give each of you time to talk with your direct reports about what we know so far and collect their observations, questions, and concerns before we meet again. I'd like them all present for our discussions, but several hundred persons in a meeting would be chaos. Dismissed."
I caught Pavao before she could leave. Without thinking, I used SV.
When I saw Bradshaw standing in a corner waiting for everyone to leave, I walked over to him.
"Lieutenant Commander, you look ... " I was going to say gorgeous, "Harassed."
"Captain Reese. Yes, Admiral Wattson has been going eighteen hours a day and when he goes, I go." He grinned in spite of the new lines around his eyes. "But working for Admiral Wattson has been interesting and educational. He's a brilliant man. You get a different perspective in the fleet's command center. You get to see the whole picture and the decisions affecting the fleet, not just the ship you're on."
"I'm hoping we'll get some free time soon. Maybe I can get the Admiral to assign you to me to work on a problem," I said and Terril snorted.
"I look forward to working with you, Captain Reese." His eyes were locked onto mine, and I almost jumped on him. Instead, I turned and strode out of the room before I made a scene and embarrassed him.
* * *
"You showed Master level control back there, Captain Reese," Terril said as the shuttle exited the Golden Eagle.
"I thought so," I said with a sharp nod of my head. "That man is gorgeous."
"He seems to think the same about you. You could have him assigned—"
I interrupted with a laugh. "Can you imagine me trying to function with him around? I'd need you and a detail of Scorpions to keep me away from him."
"That would be exciting. Yes, I understand. Your responsibilities come first, no matter how painful. I made a similar decision—kids or career. I don't regret my decision, but I can't help but wonder sometimes what life would have been like with him, planet-side, and a parcel of kids." After that, we lapsed into silence.
* * *
"It's strange being a Riss-human and high-Riss," Pavao said to me and the Riss-humans sitting around the conference room table. "I didn't feel that urge to rush into battle, I'd have previously felt. I didn't want to avoid it, but I was content to wait until the Eirene's involvement was necessary."
"Yes, the Riss are neither cowards nor heroes, they kill to defend the SAS, they do not seek revenge for the SAS or themselves, and they have nothing to prove or a desire to do so. And although we're human, we become more Riss than human. I believe it's because it's brings us closer to a state of peace, something like the state the ancient Buddhist monks sought to attain."
CHAPTER THIRTY
Discovering the true Aliens
Eighteen Captains along with Iglis, who looked a bit nervous, waited the arrival of Admiral Wattson. My eyes were drawn to Bradshaw standing off to the side. Then he braced to attention.
"Attention," he said in a loud baritone, which sounded so beautiful I almost failed to stand. It drove home why I couldn't have him on the same ship as me.
Wattson entered along with Admirals Stenberg and Zann, and to everyone's surprise Admiral Plimson, who had apparently arrived on the Harpy this morning. Wattson looked energized, Plimson tired, and Stenberg and Zann worn out. Wattson looked to Plimson, who motioned for him to begin.
"At ease. I called this meeting to explore what we've learned about our enemy and to decide on our next move. And the next move is ours. We cannot wait for the Aliens to find us, or one of our military bases, or Eden. And given enough time they will." He paused and looked to the three admirals as if awaiting comments. When none came, he continued.
"Let me summarize for Admiral Plimson, Stenberg, and Zann. Here is what we now know or think we know. They have cruisers. The one type of cruiser we've encountered is smaller than our Lights, possibly because the robots are smaller. If so, it's the equivalent of our Lights and has four missile tubes, which fire at a rate of every thirty seconds. Their ECM is either slightly better than ours or the robots have faster reflexes than humans. In either case, they are roughly equivalent to a Heavy. They have a fifty-centimeter laser defense, which is extremely effective against our Sharks and Strikers. Their hallways and compartments have heat-activated lasers. Their missiles have sophisticated sensors that aren't affected by chaff. And their missiles are significantly faster than ours." He paused as if waiting for questions. When none came, he continued. "They find inhabited planets by following merchant or other ships. When they do, they quarantine the planets by destroying the Comstat and the planet's ability for space travel. They demonstrated some concern for life, letting the people abandon the area and ships before they destroy them. Anyone like to add anything?"
"Why didn’t the Riss get involved?" One of the captains I didn't recognize asked in a harsh tone. Several others around the table nodded.
"Because I wanted to test the SAS ships, since they will be the predominant ship in any battle with the enemy. Testing the Riss made no sense, except to those who are prejudiced against them. I chose their assignment, so if someone has a problem it's with me." He paused to look around the room, "I positioned them to take care of any late arriving Aliens. In fact, a scout ship did accompany the Aliens' task force. If the Riss hadn't been there to take care of it, the Aliens would now know as much about us as we know about them, and they may have followed us back to Freeland."
"Admiral Wattson has explained the logic behind his decision. But understand, you cannot expect us to explain every decision, just as your people cannot expect you to explain every decision. You have to assume we are making the best decision we can, given the facts as we understand them at the time." Plimson paused to look at each man and woman in the room. Wattson continued after each person had nodded his or her understanding.
"Zigzag was not a battle to show the enemy how strong we are. It was intended to determine our strengths and weaknesses so there are no … fewer surprises when the real battles begin. Back to the reason we're here. What else do we know about the Aliens?"
"They must be very advanced if they can send robots to scout planets and robot task forces to quarantine a planet. The artificial intelligence required to accomplish those tasks would have to mimic human intelligence." Captain Fredlin of the Peregrine said.
"Zann, what's going on here? You three … Riss look to be hav
ing a separate discussion. Like to share?" Wattson asked, looking angry.
"The Riss believe the things in the Aliens' spacecraft may not be robots."
"That's ridiculous. They have been thoroughly examined," Captain Gardner of the Buteos, who looked to be the oldest one at the table, said with a look of disgust.
"Do they think they’re metal men?" Captain Merser, newly appointed to the Snow Owl said mimicking the jerky movement of a robot. Although robot movements weren't jerky, it elicited general smiles and laughs around the table. He was a middle-aged man, who I'd bet was the life of the party.
"Hosts," I said, looking at Wattson.
"Hosts? There was nothing organic … " Wattson sat staring at me as the minutes and silence dragged on.
"Hosts?" He looked to Pavao, who nodded, and then to Zann. "If that's true … " He stopped and took several sips of water, eyes turned down in thought. Eventually, he looked up. "I need time to think about this. This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow." He shook his head, eyes closed, before rising and exiting the room with Plimson, Stenberg, and Zann following. It happened so fast Bradshaw didn't call Attention until they were nearly out of the room.
The room erupted in chaos as the door closed behind the Admirals. Groups of two and three gathered, some whispering, others animated, and still others shouting. Obvious from the stares and glances in our direction, we were the main topic. I doubted most understood what we meant or its potential ramifications. Pavao and I were quiet on the way to the shuttle bay.
"Hosts?" Terril asked.
"Imagine, if I made a copy of your brain and placed it inside a combat robot."
"A copy, so I'm still alive somewhere, knocking back Twisters while my … clone is out fighting my enemies. WOW! Wattson must have one mother of a headache."
* * *
