Frontiers 07 - The Expanse

by Ryk Brown

  * * *

  “Thank you all for coming,” Nathan stated as he entered the command briefing room and took his seat. They had been underway for nearly five days now, and for a change, things had settled into a comfortable routine on board the Aurora. By now, his senior staff knew better than to come to attention when their captain entered, having been told by him time and again that he considered such formalities a waste of time in the briefing room. He wanted more informal discussions to take place in this room so his staff would feel more comfortable expressing their opinions openly. He had learned how to turn up the formality as needed, and his staff had learned how to read such cues as well.

  “Why don’t you start us off, Doctor, since this meeting is primarily about the jump drive.”

  “As you know, sir, we began increasing our range by one light year per jump back with jump ten, carefully analyzing the data after each jump. We completed jump fifteen a few hours ago, and I’m happy to report that we have seen no problems with either the performance or the accuracy of the jumps, even during the last jump of fifteen light years.”

  “How are the mini-ZPEDs working out?” Nathan wondered.

  “They are amazing devices,” Vladimir exclaimed. “Thanks to Lieutenant Montgomery and his team, interfacing them with the jump drive’s energy storage banks was not a problem.”

  “We have been running the ZPEDs at twenty-five percent of their maximum output in order to recharge the energy banks more quickly,” Abby explained. “We estimate it will take just over seven hours to fully recharge after a fifteen light year jump.”

  “That’s good news, Doctor,” Nathan declared.

  “Have there been any problems noted with the use of the ZPEDs?” Cameron wondered. “I mean, have they had any noticeable effect on the jump drive’s performance?”

  “None that we could detect,” Abby stated. “However, we have been taking the ZPEDs completely offline prior to jumping, just to be safe.”

  “Any chance we can squeeze a few more light years out of the drive?” Nathan asked.

  “Doubtful, Captain. We are going to try to overcharge the energy banks during this recharge cycle in the hopes that we will have at least enough power left for a short-range escape jump, maybe a light day or so. I do not believe that the energy banks can store any more power than that.”

  “Pity,” Nathan mumbled, taking a deep breath.

  “Something wrong, sir?” Cameron asked.

  “I was secretly hoping for a bit more range; that’s all.”

  “Perhaps now would be a good time to begin replacing the secondary jump field emitters,” Vladimir suggested.

  Nathan looked at Abby. “Doctor?”

  “Before we commit to the idea, I would like to try running the ZPEDs at low levels during a standard jump being fed by the energy banks.”

  “How low?” Cameron wondered.

  “Less than ten percent.”

  “How about less than one percent?” Nathan suggested. “And work your way up with each jump, as long as nothing goes wrong.”

  “It would take at least five percent output from a pair of mini-ZPEDs to power a ten light year jump without using the energy banks, Captain.”

  “I understand that, Doctor. However, I’m not convinced that it is safe to run them at all, at least not during a jump. Start with one percent and work your way up from there.”

  “As you wish, Captain.”

  “There’s no reason we can’t start manufacturing the new emitters while she is testing the effects of ZPEDs on the jump drive field generators,” Vladimir stated.

  “What if we don’t end up using them?” Cameron asked.

  “We will just make a handful for testing and validation. We won’t start a full production run until we are sure that the hybrid drive project is approved.”

  “How long does it take to fabricate an emitter?” Nathan asked.

  “About four hours using a single fabricator, and we have four of them,” Vladimir explained.

  “What about raw materials?”

  “We have plenty of them in the hold, sir,” Cameron told him. “In fact, we still have most of the ore from our time in the rings of Haven as well.”

  “Very well. Go ahead and start fabrication for now. How many jumps will you need to collect enough data, Doctor?”

  “Five jumps should suffice.”

  “What are you going to do with the additional power being generated by the ZPEDs?” Cameron asked.

  “We will feed it into the ship’s power grid,” Vladimir explained. “It is not a problem.”

  “Will five jumps give you enough time to fully validate the new emitter design?” Nathan asked Vladimir.

  “It should be plenty,” Vladimir assured him.

  “Very well, Doctor. You may begin the next phase of testing.”

  “Anything else we need to talk about?” Nathan looked around the room. “Very well, dismissed.”

  * * *

  “Lieutenant Commander,” Major Waddell greeted as he entered the security office.

  Jessica turned away from her display to face Waddell from behind her desk. “Major Waddell.”

  “You asked to see me?”

  “Yes, take a seat, Major.” She waited as the major pulled up a chair and sat down on the opposite side of the desk from her. “Commander Taylor has asked me to deal with a particular problem.”

  “What problem might that be?”

  “It seems that there is friction between some of the Corinairans and the Takaran specialists on board.”

  “That’s to be expected, is it not? We were at war with them only a month ago.”

  “Perhaps, but not with any of these men. They are all civilians.”

  “Not all of them,” Major Waddell corrected.

  “Lieutenant Montgomery’s rank was administrative. He was never a combatant.”

  “He wears the uniform of the Ta’Akar…”

  “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Major,” Jessica interrupted, “but the patch has changed. It’s not the uniform of the Ta’Akar he wears; it’s the Takaran Defense Force.”

  “Same military, different name.”

  “No, it’s not. Not even close. Different agenda, different philosophy, different leaders…”

  “Same colors, same arrogance, same…”

  “Perhaps I’m not making myself clear, Major,” Jessica stated, the tone of her voice becoming more formal. “You are to treat the Takarans no differently than you would treat any Corinairan, or Terran for that matter. Is that clear?”

  “Forgive me, Lieutenant Commander. I haven’t had the time to study up on the ranking system of the Terran military, or how it compares with that of the Corinari…”

  “Then let me make it crystal clear for you, Major. I’m the head of security on this ship. Your unit is attached to my command. You are under my command. That makes me your commanding officer. It doesn’t matter if I’m an ensign or an admiral; I’m still your boss. Is that clear enough for you?”

  “Yes, sir,” the major responded smartly.

  “Now knock the stupid, childish shit off and act your rank, Major, or you’ll be relieved of your command, and you’ll spend the rest of the voyage confined to your quarters. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” There was no emotion in the major’s response.

  Jessica stared at the major for several seconds. She could see in his eyes that her threats made little difference.

  “Will there be anything else, sir?”

  “No, Major. You’re dismissed.”

  Major Waddell rose from his chair, came to attention, and raised his hand in salute, a gesture meant to demonstrate his understanding of his commanding officer’s authority over him.

  Jessica returned the major’s salute and watched him depart in proper Corinari fashion, pivoting perfectly on his heel and toe. She knew that, although his behavior would probably change, his hatred of the Takarans would remain. She only hoped it wouldn’t be a problem.
>
  * * *

  “Analysis of jump twenty is complete,” Commander Taylor said as she entered the captain’s ready room.

  “And?” the captain asked from behind his desk.

  “Everything looks good. According to Doctor Sorenson, running the ZPEDs at up to five percent during jumps did not result in any abnormalities.”

  “No changes in accuracy noted?”

  “No, sir,” Cameron assured him. “Abby is confident that it is safe to begin installing the upgraded emitters. She would like to continue jumping fifteen light years at a time with the ZPEDs running at five percent while we upgrade the secondary emitter array.”

  “Did she say why?”

  “The more data the better, as I understood it. I think she would just feel more comfortable if she saw consistently positive results before attempting a ZPED-powered jump.”

  “Can’t argue with that, can we?”

  “No, sir.”

  “I talked to Vlad at breakfast this morning. He finished validating the new emitters last night.”

  “Then I guess we’re all set,” Cameron stated.

  Nathan could hear the lack of commitment in her voice. “Something tells me you’re less than enthusiastic about the idea.”

  “I’m just not sure it’s really worth the risk, Nathan.”

  “I don’t think there’s as much risk as you think,” he argued. “Abby’s not the type to take chances, especially now that we’re finally on our way home.”

  “Perhaps, but we’re already jumping fifteen light years at a time. That’s a fifty percent increase in range. As we are now, we could be home in just over two weeks without the additional risk.”

  “It’s not just about the time it takes to get home, Cam. It’s much more than that.”

  “Like making sure the benefits of the alliance are enough to keep you out of prison?”

  “Funny, Cam. Very funny. Think of it… jumping twenty or more light years at a time without recharging. You could cross the galaxy in a matter of weeks. You could strike the Jung home world—wherever that is—in a few jumps, return to Earth, reload, then jump back, and strike again. You could deliver as much ordnance on a target as an entire fleet using just one ship. I think that’s well worth the risk of a few test jumps along the way.”

  “I’m not disagreeing with you, Nathan. I’m just saying I wish we didn’t have to take the risk, at least not now.”

  “Then you don’t mind if I give Vlad the green light?”

  “What are you asking me for? You’re the captain.”

  “Yes, I am. But I depend on you to keep me from going off the deep end, remember?”

  “Hey, I was in a coma when you started that whole Na-Tan thing.”

  “I’ll let Vlad know,” he told her with a smile.

  “I’ll start organizing work crews,” she told him as she headed for the exit.

  “Hey, you don’t really think they’re going to toss me in the brig, do you?”

  “Probably not,” she admitted, “not with all the cool tech the Takarans are contributing.” She paused at the hatch for a moment, then turned back to face him. “Still, for once, I’m glad you’re the captain and not me.”

  * * *

  “What are we having?” Jessica asked as she entered the captain’s mess.

  “I have no idea,” Nathan admitted. “I stopped asking a week ago. I can never remember how to pronounce the names anyway.”

  “I don’t care as long as it’s meat and lots of it,” Vladimir declared. “I have not eaten since breakfast.”

  “You skipped lunch?” Cameron asked in disbelief. “You?”

  “We are very busy installing and testing the new emitters,” Vladimir defended. “I am definitely earning my pay this week.”

  “I was watching those spidery-looking things you’re using,” Nathan said. “What do you call them?”

  “We call them ‘crawlers,’” Lieutenant Montgomery stated.

  “That makes sense,” Nathan agreed.

  “They are used by exterior work crews on all Takaran warships. They are very efficient.”

  “And a lot more comfortable than wearing a pressure suit,” Vladimir added as he watched the captain’s chef place dishes of food onto the table in front of him. “They are safer as well.”

  “Yes, they offer significantly better protection against cosmic radiation than even the best pressure suits,” Lieutenant Montgomery agreed.

  “I haven’t seen them yet,” Major Prechitt stated with curiosity. “What do they look like?”

  “Well, like spiders,” Nathan stated.

  “Spiders?” Major Prechitt was unfamiliar with the word.

  “They have an oval pod in the middle of an oval ring. The pod holds the worker who can reach out using arms to perform work on the exterior of the ship. They move around using these long, articulated legs like a spider.” Vladimir placed his hand on the table, walking his fingers around to mimic a spider walking.

  “Ah, ‘prycopa,’” the major declared. “Interesting. I would like to see them.”

  “They are operating from the starboard cargo airlock,” Vladimir explained. “Both of them are in use during the recharge cycle, but they come in to be recharged for about an hour during each jump.”

  “We use something similar in the orbital assembly facility over Earth,” Nathan explained, “except ours sit on the end of a single, long, articulated arm that connects to a trolley on a track that runs the length of the assembly structure. Workers could spend an entire shift inside one of those things.”

  “How is the refit progressing?” Major Prechitt wondered.

  “Slightly behind schedule,” Lieutenant Montgomery admitted. “After all, this would best be done in port. However, I am confident that we will finish in a few days.”

  “It would be faster if we had a few more crawlers,” Vladimir admitted.

  “Why don’t you just fabricate more?” Jessica suggested as she loaded her plate.

  “All the fabricators are busy making emitters,” Vladimir told her as he began eating.

  “Crawlers are rather complex machines,” Lieutenant Montgomery explained. “Fabricating them would take considerable time and would tie up all four fabricators. Perhaps later, when there is room in the fabrication schedule.”

  “Sounds like we should fabricate some more fabricators,” Nathan stated.

  “Are any of these dishes meat-free?” Cameron asked.

  “Yes, sir,” the cook answered. “I prepared these two especially for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I guess there are vegetarians on Corinair as well,” Nathan commented as he began eating.

  “How can you not eat meat?” Jessica wondered.

  “How can you eat it?” Cameron responded.

  “Like this,” Jessica stated, placing a chunk of meat in her mouth.

  “Classy. It’s my great-grandmother’s fault, really. She grew up in northern Europe during the bovine plagues. So many died from tainted beef that people just stopped eating meat period. No beef, no fowl, no fish. Her parents organized a neighborhood farm where everyone helped cultivate their own food, so they could be sure it was safe.”

  “Seems a bit drastic,” Major Prechitt commented.

  “Perhaps to you and me,” Cameron admitted. “However, there were people dying by the thousands then. It was nearly one hundred years ago, and the knowledge from the Data Ark had yet to reach everyone, especially the smaller villages.”

  “It seems so impossible,” Lieutenant Montgomery admitted. “There has not been a case of tainted food products of any kind on Takara for centuries.”

  “A hundred years ago, our people were just reinventing propeller-driven aircraft,” Nathan explained. “After the bio-digital plague nearly destroyed humanity, we had to relearn everything. We had to reinvent things that had been used for hundreds of years.”

  “I’m confused,” Major Prechitt stated. “How did you get from airplanes to starship
s in only one hundred years?”

  “The Data Ark,” Nathan stated.

  “What is a Data Ark?” Lieutenant Montgomery asked.

  “Someone more than a millennia ago, before the great plague, decided to create a database to contain all the history, science, culture, and religion of humanity. When the bio-digital plague hit, the Ark was closed down to protect its contents. In the chaos of the following decades, the Ark was forgotten. It was discovered nearly nine hundred years later in a sealed facility in the Swiss Alps. Once the people of Earth figured out how to get it running again, we had access to all the information stored inside. Because of that information, we were able to jump ahead technologically more than three hundred years in only a century.”

  “Amazing,” the lieutenant muttered. “What type of information did it contain?”

  “Everything.”

  “A sudden influx of such scientific knowledge seems like it would be dangerous,” Major Prechitt observed.

  “Very true,” Nathan agreed. “Luckily, the people that discovered the Ark realized this early on. An international commission was formed in order to prevent just such a mistake from being made. It was quickly realized that the application of the knowledge had to be carefully chosen and monitored to prevent another catastrophe like the bio-digital plague. In fact, many people objected to accessing any of the data, claiming we weren’t ready.”

  “Seems a valid argument,” the major said. “Odd that you chose to develop a space program over preventing tainted foods from reaching the population.”

  “It didn’t go quite that way,” Nathan chuckled. “Once we learned that humanity had once colonized other worlds, we were curious to learn if they, too, had recovered. When we discovered that an empire known as the Jung had risen up and conquered most of the core and fringe worlds, we became concerned and decided we needed to be able to protect our world. Hence, we needed to be in space.”

  “But to go from airplanes to starships in a single century,” Lieutenant Montgomery stated in awe, “it seems impossible, even with fabricators.”

  “Funny you should mention fabricators,” Nathan said. “We use a similar technology called 3D printing. It is nowhere near as advanced as your fabricators, but it was a lot better than the old methods of die-casting.”