“Cerro, Bennett, Reeder, Terry Inman, and Boris Stockman please meet me in the conference room” Inman requested.
“Bennett, Reeder, I am sorry, but we have no choice, we have to protect ourselves with or without your cooperation, we must weaponize our technology” claimed Inman.
“People would still be alive if we would have given you what you wanted, to begin with” replied Bennett to which Reeder nodded in agreement. “This cuts to the core; I have blood on my hands.”
“Nonsense, if anyone has blood on his hands it is me, I should have forced the issue, none of us could foresee the future, we had no idea this could happen” replied Inman.
“Boris, I would like you to take a military role as the weapons logistics officer. You will oversee the development and implementation of weapon systems starting immediately. You will work with Doctors Bennett and Reeder to develop technology for defensive weapons and shields and offensive weapons based on the dimensional transporter, shell generator, and the warp and displacement drive technology.”
“Bennett is there any possibility we could reduce the size of the shell generators to the point they could be made to create a body armor; the shell seemed to protect us well from the weapons the Silirc’s used against us. Do you think we can build personal shields out of them, something we can carry with us as we encounter other species” queried Inman?
“I would not say it is impossible, but it’s a tall order. I do have a couple of sharp new graduates I can ask to work on the math while we are working on the weapons” Bennett replied.
“Evelyn, how long before we can test the phase displacement drives and get them into production, I want to be able to outrun someone we do not have to fight” stated Inman.
“The drive is ready to test; we just have to attach the drive and a shell generator to an asteroid and engage it. We can set the point it jumps to, and then a ship can pick it up and read the diagnostics. It is not as big a deal as you might think now that we have the baseline data from our warp travel” responded Reeder.
“Bo, can you get a crew working with Dr. Reeder to pick out and equip one of the asteroids for the test,” asked Inman.
“Consider it done sir” Bo replied.
Will Inman was starting to realize Bo was not only a valuable new member of his leadership team; he was becoming a trusted friend.
“Cerro, we need security around everything we do, and what I mean is no one, not me, not you, no one except those working directly on technology is to know how anything works. I want all documents divided up, all specifications stored in two places where only one-half of the knowledge is available to anyone. If they capture one of our people or one of our ships, we do not need our most valuable assets falling into the hands of a potential enemy” commanded Inman.
“Aye, sir” Cerro replied.
Cerro was not happy about his new assignment. It left him feeling as though he was not trusted, but then even Inman himself did not want access to the plans, the engineering specs or drawings.
“I will get one of the propeller heads in tech to split all the data up somehow so no one can get at it without dual access codes.”
“Perfect” exclaimed Inman.
“I don’t have anything else, any questions or comments before we break it up?”
“How long are we going to stay here” queried Reeder.
“Just long enough to get some weapons online and test and implement your new drive.”
Reeder nodded and headed toward the door.
“Please stay for a moment” Inman requested.
“I want you to know we will never use any weapons unless we have to. I refrained from even considering weapons of any sort and would not have forced the issue if it had not been for the Silirc’s unprovoked attack.”
“I understand . . . I do” exclaimed Reeder, “actually I have an idea for a weapon I believe could even the score with anyone if we need to.”
“Do tell!”
“I think we can use the Dimensional Transporter to send a weaponized shell generator to a point in space, engage it and then return it to the ship once it completes its mission.”
“How quickly could it be sent, set off and retrieved?”
“Just a matter of milliseconds, the real challenge is engaging the shell generator from a distance. We have to be able to get signals to it, but we have not been able to get signals out of one shell and into another. So we are going to have to instantaneously calculate the distance, plot the direction, distance and order of magnitude of the destruction and then load it into an onboard system to execute. It all has to happen in real time and within a fraction of a second. It is an old-school problem, but it is a significant one.”
“I hate to keep asking, but how long will it take to have a prototype ready to test?”
“A prototype will be easier because we can set up a demo with all the time in the world. Once we test the technology, we will have to get navigation and communication team members to work things out with a couple of Bennett’s guys.”
“Good enough, let’s get a test ready as soon as you can; by the way will the target be disintegrated or just pulverized?”
“We can break it up, pulverize it or disintegrate it, you choose.”
“Let’s make it all optional at the point of firing with the default being the disintegrate mode if we have to fire without warning, make sure the systems target with maximum effect.”
“We can do it the way you want without any issues. What are you thinking about?”
“I think this might be a way to help our mining crews pulverize the ore and start the process quicker.”
“Good idea, it would be easy and save weeks of work if not months.”
Life smoothed out over the years as everyone worked furiously developing, testing and deploying new ships, equipment, and weapon systems. The weapons captured from the Silirc’s were proving very helpful in the development of weapons arrays now deployed in the brand new battlecruiser built to defend the fleet. At her coronation, the crew named the new cruiser the “Eagle” and Cerro given command of the ship.
Bo’s teams installed upgraded technologies and weapons aboard the new cruiser, the UB, the Connie, the original shuttle and in the ten new multipurpose space vehicles (MSV’s) developed for rapid response defense and personnel deployment.
The mining operation, now orders of magnitude more efficient, allowed the storage of massive quantities of precious metals, titanium, and steel. Bennett’s matter duplicating technologies coupled with the precision 3D printing technologies helped develop and produce the more sophisticated electronics and small parts for the production of spacecraft, life support, and weapon systems.
Everything seemed to take much longer than expected but almost ten years after arriving at their remote asteroid base the final testing of three of the more important technologies was ready to begin.
“Sir, we are ready to begin final testing” announced Bo over the visor comlink.
The wearable body armor shell generator, the phase displacement drive and the transdimensional firing array were the last remaining systems to be implemented in the fleet before Inman felt he could allow the fleet in harm’s way.
“On my way” Inman reported as he made his way to the Eagle aboard one of the brand new MSV’s designated the MSV-3.
“Commander on deck” shouted the Eagles duty officer as Inman walked aboard.
Inman did not care for the new designation Cerro, and his team had given him, but it gave Cerro’s newly trained and commissioned force a lift knowing the newly commissioned fighting force has the highest ranking officer commanding the fleet.
“Hello, Will” welcomed Evelyn Reeder as he walked toward her and Bennett stationed at the weapons consoles on the Eagles Bridge.
The Eagle had a very masculine ruggedness built into her from the ground up which was purposely deployed at every stage from the original plans through final inspection. In every way, the Eagle was a battleship, and the gr
owing fleet was proud of their accomplishments, but none more than Inman.
“Hello Leo,” Inman said as he approached Bennett with Reeder and Cero at his side. “Tell me what we are going to see here today.”
“I thought we would show you the TRay as we call the transdimensional firing array first” explained Bennett.
“Please pick any of the asteroids in front of you and give the firing command. You can just fire, and it will be in disintegrate mode and fire instantly at the target you have us set up in targeting. You can call for stun, and it will slam into the asteroid like a giant punch, or you can set to pulverize, and it will break up the target like a giant hammer” explained Bennett.
“Target the largest of the three asteroids and fire now!” Inman commanded. In less than a second, the first asteroid disappeared from the screen in a massive flash of light.
“Wow, did I just see a nuclear blast?”
“No sir, what you saw was the release of the energy contained within the matter making up the asteroid.”
“Can anything stand up to this weapon?”
“Given the intellect, we have seen in the questioning of the Silirc over the years we have no doubt they will counter with their technology” explained Reeder, “but for now this is the most massively destructive weapon we can conceive of.”
“Stun the smallest asteroid” commanded Inman
In less than a second, the asteroid was jarred in position as if struck by another asteroid.
“Hammer the last one” commanded Inman and the third asteroid broke into pieces before his eyes.
“Tell our luminous friends to come up to the bridge” Inman commanded, “I want to see their response to the TRay.”
The two Silirc’s captured at the battle of M1 have been made members of the crew now, not entirely trusted by Inman, Reeder or Bennett, but befriended by Cerro and some of his closest officers.
The Silirc’s entered the bridge command center and gazed out of the 360-degree portal surrounding the command center.
“Permission to come enter” requested the taller of the two Silirc’s.
“Welcome” replied Commander Inman. “We would like to get your evaluation of our new weapons system we call the TRay. It is important for us to know if you have seen weapons that could suppress or combat this weapon in your travels over the years.”
Inman and his team had learned the Silirc’s were an ancient race who did not die of natural causes and their religious belief system had them believing they were not born but created and abandoned at once.
They had been traveling the Milky Way Galaxy for a millennium and reported encountering many intelligent species, some as hostile as theirs and some very friendly species which quickly became indentured into slavery in the Silirc Empire.
“Please tell me more about the system” Rainman (as the crew nicknamed him) the shorter Silirc requested.
“At this point, we just want your impression, the details of what the weapon is and how it works are classified top secret” claimed Inman.
“Secrets, always secrets with you humans” claimed the taller Silirc nicknamed Buster because of his stout build and brash countenance.
“Target the largest asteroid in the set of six to the right and fire” commanded Inman.
A flash of light and the asteroid disappeared forever.
“Stunning” Buster sarcastically gargled.”
“Can you give us an evaluation of the effectiveness of this weapon compared to others you have seen queried Inman.
“An asteroid is one thing, a heavily armed battle cruiser, as you call them, is an entirely different thing. But based on the capabilities humans have shown I suspect this is a formidable weapon” reported the Silirc. “With the levels of energy released here, I expect you will have company arriving within a few weeks. You can test your new weapon on them in mere weeks.”
The Silirc’s voice was hard to listen to for extended periods of time; it is as if they are gargling something at the same time as the fluids circulating through their bodies pass by we only know to call vocal cords.
Buster and Rainman are escorted back to their quarters where they are under trusted but alert guard 24/7.
“They never tell us everything, but they always seem to tell us things to try and scare us, get us worried. I don’t like those guys” touted Bennett.
“All the same I want to get out of here as soon as we get done with this testing” replied Inman.
“What is up next” queried, Inman.
“Body armor” Reeder offered with a grin on her face.
“Body armor?” queried Inman, “You mean you have developed the personal armor we discussed years ago, I thought the project was all but forgotten.”
“No, it was just a young team, and it took them some time but the results are impressive, and the applications are endless for what they have developed” replied Reeder.
“Lightener, Cushman, report to the bridge please” requested, Cerro.
“Permission to enter” queried the two young scientists.
“Come in a gentleman, please activate your armor and give Commander Inman a demonstration” requested Cerro.
“As you will see” explained Cushman, “there are several modes the body suit operate in, the first mode is what we call full protect mode, the second is bounce mode, and the third is interaction mode. To demonstrate the third mode, I will shake hands with you sir” as he reached out to shake Inman’s hand.
“There was no visible reaction at all. In the second mode, I will ask Dr. Reeder to throw her pen at me.”
“Wow” exclaimed Inman as the pen came within a foot of the young Cushman and bounced off. “How about the protect mode.”
“Dr. Cerro, can you please fire your weapon at me, don’t worry sir, we have been testing these things for years now and did this all the time.”
Cerro fired a shot at Cushman aimed at his lower leg. The round flashed as it struck the armor and disintegrated.
“Outstanding job” Inman proclaimed. “Now if you would leave us to our work gentlemen” Inman requested as the young men turned to leave “and thank you for an amazing accomplishment, your work will save and enrich all of our lives.”
“What you did not get a chance to see is the sealing effect the armor has. If the armor is activated when its wearer enters an environment where the life support is below standard, the armor shell protects the wearer from harm by providing a seal around his immediate environment. The device is the size of a legal pad and worn like a ultrathin backpack. It has a CO2 scrubber built in so the suit's occupant can survive for quite some time” explained Reeder.
“Now for the last demo, this demonstration, by the way, will wrap up our stay at this location sir” explained Cerro.
Cerro gave the command and the asteroid they had been mining bolted from view.
“It is now one light year from our current position; it jumped to the spot we told it to go to programmatically” explained Reeder. “Instruments on board will tell us if we did our job when we put it in tow behind the UB.”
“So the barge system is ready to transport that large asteroid” queried Inman.
“Yes, sir” replied Reeder.
“Then get everyone on board, plot our course and let's go get our asteroid!” exclaimed Inman.
To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of
preserving peace. ~ George Washington
Chapter Six – Battle at Dulang
T he flights to the rendezvous point with the test asteroid was a three-month journey, and Reeder was excited and a little anxious to see the results.
The small three ship fleet was now fully armed and ready to protect themselves in the event they were attacked. Inman did not find comfort in the reassurances made by his security and science staff. You get an intuitive feel for things as a leader, and over time you either learn to trust your intuition, or you suffer the recompense of your ignorance, lessons Inman had learned on M1, and
he was not ready to repeat them.
“Reeder, Bennett, Stockman, Logan, Cerro, please meet me in the conference room” requested Inman speaking into his comlink visor.
“Welcome everyone,” Inman said, “We are coming to our rendezvous point with the asteroid test system, and I want to make sure we are ready to defend ourselves if necessary. We never want to be caught off guard again.”
“Agreed,” said Cerro in his agreement with the others.
“I want to make sure we have all the shells up and in place, the weapons armed and ready and our cruiser with its heavy armament and weaponry in the lead.”
“Aye, sir” responded Bo and Aaron. “Should we launch the shuttle vehicles, we have them armed also, and they can always lend support just in case we run into an emergency.”
Battle Group Titan: Beyond Warp ((Battle Group Titan Series Vol 1)) Page 7
