by Saxon Andrew
Jek nodded, “We ran some tests last night and determined that with the force field on, your warriors can withstand two hundred gravities of acceleration and deceleration.”
“What are you saying?”
“Step back and put your hands over your ears.” Josh and Prissy stepped away from the six suits of armor and Jek said, “In three, two, one, NOW!”
The six suits of armor disappeared from the floor and the thunderclap was deafening. Josh and Prissy didn’t see the armor as it disappeared and they looked up at the sled and saw the arms swing the suits of armor over the side. Josh shook his head, “What did you do?”
“We took your wife’s advice and put a matching magnetic field on each arm. The armor comes in at a speed close to seven hundred miles an hour but the like charge starts slowing it down a hundred feet away. Slowly at first and then it grows in strength with the square of distance. The final deceleration is twenty gravities. Once the armor comes to a stop, a relay is tripped on the arm and it moves them on board as the magnetic charge holding them to the arm turns off.”
Prissy looked up at the sled and said, “It’s a lot higher than yesterday. How high does this thing operate?”
“About two miles is the maximum effective height.”
Prissy stared at Jek, “I did an analysis of those creatures and they can’t fly that high in less than ninety seconds.”
Jek smiled, “You’re absolutely right. The warriors will be on their carriers before the Weg can try and attack them. It will be imperative that at the first sign of them, the system will have to be activated.”
Prissy looked up at the sled and said, “What happens if two warriors run into each other going up?”
Jek smiled, “That’s the beauty of being able to use thousands of different magnetic frequencies. Every warrior on a carrier will have a like charge on their force fields. It will keep the other warriors away as they move through the air.”
Josh thought for a moment, “Is there a possibility that a warrior from one carrier may be pulled up by a different carrier?”
“We have more than half a million frequencies to use. Each warrior’s armor will be assigned its own individual frequency that will be matched to the arm when he boards his carrier. The arms will be neutral until that warrior activates it.”
Josh shook his head in amazement, “This is incredible. When can you start building them?”
Jek shrugged, “We could start on them immediately but I thought you wanted them to be able to defend themselves in the event the Weg are able to get to them.”
Josh’s eyebrows came together, “I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
Jek shrugged, “You have a carrier full of warriors. Why don’t we give each of them a heavy blaster/sliver cannon to fire at the Weg as they fly up from the planet?”
Josh shook his head, “I don’t know about that, Jek. The numbers attacking the shuttles will be enormous.”
Prissy looked at the sled high above them and Josh saw the wheels in her head turning at high speed, “What are you thinking?”
Prissy looked at Jek, “How small can you make the magnets?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering what would happen if two Weg had magnets on them that would activate if they entered a magnetic field around the carrier.” She looked at Jek, “What would happen?”
Jek thought about it and said, “Give us a few minutes.”
Josh thought about what Prissy said and looked up at the sled. He looked at her and she smiled, “They might get to know each other rather quickly.”
Thirty minutes later, Jek had two suits of armor sitting in chairs out in the clearing between the buildings fifty yards from each other. He directed everyone to walk away from the armor and when they were a hundred yards away he said, “I didn’t activate the armor’s force fields. It’s my understanding that the Weg don’t use them.” Josh shrugged and nodded. Jek lifted a small device and said, “No countdown with this one.” He pressed the button activating a magnetic field and the two suits of armor smashed into each other so fast that everyone was pushed back by the concussion wave created by the impact.
Josh shook his head and walked over to what remained of the armor. He shook his head at the total obliteration of the two suits. He looked up at Jek, “This is something we can use but how do you get the magnets into the Weg?”
Prissy smiled, “Slivers is one way.” Everyone looked at her. “If the magnets are as sharp as needles with small barbs on them, and the Weg fly through a cloud of them…”
Jek nodded, “Some are bound to stick in their hide.” Jek looked at the other two engineers, “Can you think of another way to get the magnets on them?”
Ganol smiled, “Why not just spray the ground with a magnetized wet aerosol?” Jek’s eyes went wide as Ganol said, “That way, every one coming out of the soil will be covered.”
Jek shook his head, “But they would all have the same charge.”
Prissy smiled, “Then fire a huge magnet away from the carriers with an opposite charge. Have it on a gravity sled and when they arrive, turn on the magnetic field activating the magnets.”
Josh smiled, “And if the carriers have the same charge as the Weg flyers?”
Jek started nodding, “They will be repelled from the carriers.”
Josh shook his head, “What about the Weg that don’t come out of the soil covered with the aerosol?”
Ganol said, “That’s where the new heavy weapons on the carriers will be used.”
Josh looked at Jek, “How long before we have enough built to trial them on a Weg infested planet?”
Jek looked at the other engineers and said, “We’ll have two hundred ready in a month.”
“I want you to get them to me as soon as the first one is completed where I can start training our warriors on them.”
Jek shook his head, “Like I said, a month. Once we have the production molds completed, rolling off two hundred can be done in one run. The molds will not be ready before then.”
“Is there something you can give us to start them getting accustomed to the new jump?”
“I’ll send a team with a supply of arms. You can fasten them to gravity sleds and attach magnets to your warrior’s armor.”
“Tell me how that would work?”
“A hundred warriors will board the sled using the arms to lift them on board. That will program the arm to the magnet on their armor. Send the sled up and activate the arms.”
“When will you have the magnets ready to attach to their armor?”
“I’ll have the first run of twenty thousand ready in ten days.”
Josh nodded, “If you’ll send the arms to Sparta, I’ll have the sled ready in a week. Let’s get moving on this.”
Prissy looked at Josh, “Do you think you’re going down with the first group?”
“I am. My entire Division will be on it.”
Prissy sighed. “I don’t want our first child to never know their father.”
“Prissy, I won’t be firing a weapon. I’ll be in the center of our warriors controlling the jump system; I’ll pull the switch quickly.” Prissy could only shake her head and hope that Alex would prevent Josh from making the first drop. The first use of new technology was often fraught with snafus.
• • •
Private Yung shook his head as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his vision. He looked at Corporal Shumoud and saw his eyes were glazed over. “Hey Sarge, I think the Corporal has gone to La La Land.”
“You big babies grab your pacifiers and suck on them.”
“OK Sarge. I’ll start as soon as I find my lips.”
Krusiev grimaced from the aches at being snatched off a perfectly good planet to more than eight thousand feet in the air. He blinked hard and after several moments, his vision was back to normal. He took a deep breath and yelled, “Alright you crybabies, we’re going back down and we’ll be doing this again after the other three platoons have th
eir turn! Try not to embarrass me when you step off the sled by falling down.”
Private Marcia Dixon looked across the sled at Jessica, “I wonder how the Lieutenant is handling this?”
Jessica rolled her eyes, “You need to forget that crush you have on him and appreciate being a private, Mars.”
“Yeah, I guess, whhhoooooaaaaaa.”
The sled dropped out of the sky like a falling stone and stopped six inches off the ground. Jess looked up the aisle at Sargent Krusiev and saw him slowly stand up and stretch. Boy! It had to be hard to set an example when your body felt like it was borrowed from a noodle factory.
Second Platoon held on to the rails as they exited the sled and fell in formation behind the first platoon, who were either sitting on the ground or bent over throwing up. Yung said, “I’m really glad the Sarge delayed breakfast.” His remark was greeted with groans and agreement from the other forty warriors.
• • •
Josh watched the jump maneuvers taking place on the huge training field and saw the troops were really being beat up. If he had the engineers reduce the velocity, it would put them in danger. He took a breath and joined a group of Officers and fell into combat formation. He raised his shoulder blaster and a moment later was swung over the side of the sled with his ears ringing. However, he kept his senses. The others weren’t doing quite so well and Josh figured flying the Hogs in the war against the Gracken was making the difference. If doing this multiple times made it easier, then his units were going to do it until hell froze over. He took a quick breath as the shuttle fell to the surface and managed to walk off the sled without showing any disorientation.
All of his warriors, not in a sled, were watching the General as he came off the sled and were surprised at his composure. They looked at each other and vowed that if he could do it, so could they.
Twelve hours later a halt was called to the jumps and the sore and weary warriors of Third Division were air lifted to their barracks. Most forgot chow and immediately fell asleep. Josh was force fed by Prissy before he fell asleep.
She stared at him as he slept with a furrowed brow and knew his pains would wake him up later. He was so brave, almost to a fault. But that was one of the things that made her love him so much. She rubbed her large belly and knew the baby was doing fine. She hoped it arrived before Josh took those insane elevators out and attacked a Weg planet. She sighed and shook her head at the dangerous universe they inhabited. No matter what happened, Josh would have to be allowed freedom to act. Enclosing him in walls would only diminish his extraordinary sprit. It looked like Alex understood it as well. He initially refused sending Josh in with the first attack but Josh wore him down and Alex saw the pain in Josh’s soul at being refused. Prissy smiled, Alex actually apologized for allowing him to go but she told him she understood. And she did understand. No one should put walls around Joshua. She hated he was going on the first drop but to hold him back would diminish him. She rubbed his forehead and leaned down to gently kiss him. His groan stopped as soon as her lips touched his cheek. She was so incredibly lucky to have the love he gave her.
• • •
On the second day of jump training, Rumel arrived and found Josh at one of the sleds, “Now this looks entertaining.”
Josh laughed, “Would you like to give it a go?”
“Absolutely!”
“Did you bring your armor and does it have the gravity compensator installed.”
“I did and it does. I’ll have one of my crew bring it here.”
Josh waved the group of officers ahead and waited with Rumel, “How’s it going in Gracken Land?”
“Our warriors are depressed more than you can imagine. The High Council has forbidden any drops on the Weg until an answer to this new Weg flying species is found.” Rumel saw the group of officers behind Josh suddenly disappear in a thunderclap. His head went back and his eyes widened. “Where did they go?” Josh pointed over his head and Rumel squinted and saw the sled high in the atmosphere. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
“No, the magnetic field snatches them off the ground to the shuttle in less than three tenths of a second.”
Rumel bent back and looked up at the sled again as he said, “Three tenths of a second?”
“Yes.”
“And they’re not liquid when they arrived?”
“No, the magnetic field slows them down to twenty gravities as they arrive.”
Rumel looked at Josh and tilted his head, “You’re serious?”
“I am. Here comes your armor. Why don’t you put it on and I’ll go up with you.”
Rumel felt a blast of wind and suddenly saw a sled six inches off the ground behind Josh with the officers on board starting to stumble off it. His eyes went wide and Josh shrugged, “If one must get down to a planet’s surface…”
Rumel smiled, “Then the faster the better.” Josh laughed as Rumel went to the shuttle and dressed in his armor on board. He walked out and every warrior on the field watched the nine-foot tall Gracken walk over to Josh. Josh looked like a child next to him and the human warriors were stunned at Rumel’s size. Most of them had never seen a Gracken and Rumel left most of them open-mouthed.
Josh called an Alliance Engineer over and he took a round piece of metal out of a packet and pulled the adhesive off. Rumel watched him put it on his armor’s shoulder panel and he looked at Josh, “Is this what is pulled up?”
“It is.”
Rumel shook his head, “I guess there’s a lot I don’t know about your technology.”
Josh stepped forward and pulled an officer out of formation, “Our guest will be taking your place on this trip up.” The officer was glad to be chosen. Rumel took his place in ranks after imprinting his magnet with an arm on the shuttle. He looked around at the shorter humans around him. He started to comment on it but felt all his breath being blown out of his lungs.
Rumel arrived at the sled and as he was swung over the rail he said, “How about some warning next time!”
“Will you have a warning in combat?”
Rumel looked at Josh and shook his head, “No, I guess not. He looked over the rails at the training field far below and then looked at Josh, “I LIKE IT!”
Josh laughed, “It helps if you come from a high gravity planet.”
Rumel’s eyes went wide as the sled suddenly dropped. It stopped and his eyes were wide open. “I LIKE THIS EVEN MORE!”
Josh later told Alex that the Gracken’s response to the jump made an immediate impact on his warriors. If their ally could do it, then they were bound and determined to do it just as well. The Company Commanders asked for more time after training hours to prepare. Soon, the sleds were operating twenty-four hours a day as Spartan Warriors scheduled additional jumps. Within two weeks, they had their jump legs. Ten days later, the carriers arrived and the real training started.
• • •
Rumel contacted Josh, “When are you planning to use this new technology?”
“The troops are learning the weapon systems on the carriers at the moment. We’re not progressing as fast as I’d like but if I had to make a guess, I’d say in about three weeks. Why do you ask?”
“Have you selected a target?”
“I can’t see wasting time looking for a Weg planet with those flying warriors. We know they’re at the planet where you lost the Brigade; I was thinking we’d land on the planet where you discovered them.”
“I have a request.”
“You want to come with me.”
“I do but I want you to allow the Commander who lost his unit on that planet to go with you.”
“You can go as well.”
“Actually, if anyone other than him goes it would take away from his actions.”
Josh nodded slowly, “I understand. He’ll have a place on my carrier.”
“Thank you, General.” The display went dark and he could only imagine the nightmare that Commander must be living at having lost his entire command.
>
• • •
Yung looked at Shumoud to his right and shook his head, “It looks like the Lieutenant is slightly green.”
Private Dixon leaned forward and snapped, “You be quiet about the Lieutenant!”
Jess shook her head, “Mars, are you that blind? Look at him. He’s white as a sheet. I hope the Captain notices him before we make this drop.”
Marcia saw Lt. Cantwell was not looking normal. The platoon were all focused on their Platoon Leader and Krusiev pressed his communicator and sent a message. Two minutes later, Colonel Cheng came over to the carrier and said something to Cantwell. They stepped off the carrier and thirty minutes later, the General’s Executive Officer returned and called Sgt. Krusiev out. Krusiev came back in fifteen minutes and the warriors in second platoon saw he was wearing a Lieutenant’s Bar on his armor. He looked at the platoon and said, “I am your new Platoon Leader. Shumoud!”
“Yes Sir!”
“You are promoted to platoon Sargent and Private Cable will replace you as first squad’s Corporal.”
Jess raised her hand, “Sir, is it possible for me to decline the offer?”
“What do you think, Cable!?”
“Just checking, Sir!”
“It’s a little late in the game to find a replacement for Shumoud so General Adams has sent one from his sled.” A giant Gracken stepped over the rails of the carrier and Krusiev pointed to Shumoud’s former seat, “Sir, that will be your station.”
The warriors saw the Gracken had the markings of a Division Commander on his armor. The Gracken looked at Krusiev and said, “For the duration of this exercise, I am junior to you, Sir.”
Krusiev nodded, “Alright, we’ll be boarding our transport in another two hours. You may exit the carrier but don’t move more than ten seconds from it.”
Yung looked at the Gracken sitting next to him, “A little far from home aren’t you?”
The Gracken smiled, “Yes, I suppose I am.”
“Why are you here?”
“I lost a Brigade on the planet you’re going to attack. My Commander has allowed me to return to the place of their death.”
Marcia said, “To do what?”
