With that, he vacated his command chair and left the bridge, heading first for his cabin a dozen steps away. The cabin served alternatively as a sanctuary and an isolation cell with a bed, a desk, and a single cabinet. Looking around, he remembered the miniature quarters he had as a midshipman. These accommodations were almost as small. Conditions for his officers and crew were even tighter, and some of the crew had to “hot bunk”—one crew member used the bunk while another was on duty.
Over the ship’s address system he heard, “Now set the normal cruising watch; section one. Now set the normal cruising watch; section one.”
Gallant wandered through the Warrior. The ship was divided into three main compartments: bow, mid-ship, and aft. The bow compartment housed the ship’s sensor arrays, its weapons systems, and the stealth technology. The mid-ship compartment, also called the operations compartment, was composed of three decks. It included the bridge and CIC on the first deck, the wardroom on the second deck, and the crew’s living quarters on the third deck. The aft compartment housed the engineering spaces including the sub-light and FTL engines as well as the hangar bay. Running and maintaining an advanced ship was a huge job for such a small crew. Considerable automation was used throughout the ship, but controls could not be reliably left to AI and machines alone. It still required a human touch and human understanding.
“Good morning, sir,” said Chief Howard. Benjamin Howard was a seasoned veteran and the CPO of engineering. He was the only person aboard the Warrior with whom Gallant had previously served. While his brown-gray hair was thinning and he sported a slight potbelly, he wore an immaculate uniform. The jaunty way he walked had been developed while in many different gravitational environments.
“Good morning, chief. How’s your engine room?”
“Well,” Chief Howard said, “over the past week, just when I got everything exactly the way I like it, the XO would hold a surprise inspection and make me ‘clean it up’ all over again.”
Gallant smiled and said, “I’m sure it will find its way back to your satisfaction before long.”
“It's hard to admit,” Chief Howard said, “but I'm secretly glad the XO pays such close attention to detail. He might catch something I’ve missed.” Gallant said, “That’s his job, but I doubt he’ll discover that you’ve missed a trick.”
Howard nodded: “Thank you, sir. Engineering is gathering information on our initial startup now, but the issues seem to be mostly minor adjustments. A few pieces of equipment have failed, but they’re easily replaced.”
“Good. Good.”
Gallant returned to the bridge in time to see the ship reach her destination. The crew was chatting, anxious to begin the Warrior’s first drills.
“Request permission to conduct scheduled exercises, sir,” asked Roberts.
“Permission granted,” said Gallant.
Roberts ordered, “Helm, ahead, one third.”
The term ‘shakedown cruise’ started with seagoing ships conducting sea trials to shake-down a new ship’s many fixtures and fittings. It was a test of performance including speed trials, crash stops, endurance, and maneuverability. For the Warrior, it was also necessary to test the advanced on-board technology. There were three key pieces of equipment that needed testing: first, the sublight engines would require maneuvering drills; second, the stealth cloaking system would be tried and evaluated; and third, the weapon systems, including the FASER, laser, plasma, and antimissile batteries, would require target practice.
Having reached the operational area, the Warrior began maneuvering exercises. Day one of the shakedown cruise started with testing the sublight engine with man-overboard, loss of steering, loss of propulsion, loss of reactor control, fire, and hull rupture drills.
The sublight fusion engine consisted of simple antimatter fusion reactors using an ordinary plasma containment field to drive the ship during normal interplanetary travel. The antimatter engines shot antiprotons into the nucleus of deuterium atoms, which caused a release of fusion energy. The antiprotons had to be isolated in plasma bottles surrounded by powerful, superconducting magnetic coils.
The initial drills involved simple changes in course and speed under emergency conditions. After several hours, Gallant allowed the second series of more stressful tests to begin, including depressurizing and pressurizing of compartments to check the hull integrity of the ship.
They were not able to test the FTL drive while they were in the inner portion of the Solar System, so they ran performance and functional tests on its associated equipment. They intended to conduct an FTL test once the ship had traveled to the outer planets at the end of their mission.
Toward the end of the day, they evaluated the stealth technology and the Warrior’s ability to penetrate enemy defenses and evade detection. A drone was deployed with a sensor array to find and track the Warrior when she was in stealth mode. The stealth technology was based upon a dark matter superconductor that created a confinement field to cloak the ship. It required several minutes to energize and activate. The time required to enter and leave stealth mode was noted.
Finally, they began exercising the two small craft on board, an ordinary one-man Hummingbird flyer and a super-stealthy two-man Wasp.
Roberts had scheduled a full day of activities and the crew was exhausted by its end. The first day’s activities ended satisfactorily. They acquired a great deal of information about the ships performance and the crew's ability to handle it. When they were completed, Roberts turned to face his commanding officer.
Gallant said, “I would like to have officer’s call in the wardroom this evening to go over plans for tomorrow.”
“Aye aye, sir” Roberts responded.
CHAPTER 4
The Warriors
Located aft of the officers’ quarters, the wardroom of the Warrior was designed to accommodate the majority of the ship’s officers in one sitting. On the wall over the head of the central table was the ship’s plaque inscribed with a figure of the ship and the designation UP Warrior SS 519.
Gallant entered the crowded wardroom and took his seat at the head of the table. He said in a distracted manner, “At ease, gentlemen. Carry on while I get my notes organized.”
He settled into his chair and tapped his tablet in apparent concentration but all the while quietly observing his officers.
Roberts was seated between Lieutenant Andrew Clay, the weapons officer, and Lieutenant Thomas Walker, the ship’s engineer. Each had a mug of coffee in one hand and a tablet in the other. They were diligently looking over their department’s list of problems while sipping the piping hot beverage.
Sitting at the foot of the table was young, innocent-looking Midshipman Michael Gabriel.
“Go on, Gabriel,” said Roberts. “You were telling us about your decision to attend the academy.”
With a lively and good-natured grin, Gabriel said, “I was born in New Annapolis, so I was exposed to the traditions and values of the academy while I was growing up. I attended parades, award ceremonies, and some sporting events. When the midshipmen were on town liberty, they would tell me wild tales that I only half believed, but they made me yearn to be part of their world. When I became eligible, it seemed only natural to apply to the academy.”
He blushed before continuing: “The first year was challenging, as you know, but I thoroughly enjoyed my second year, and I was thrilled when my first deployment orders placed me on the Warrior. This is my first time away from home, and I hope to have some great stories of my own to tell when I return.”
There were a few good-natured chuckles around the table.
Clay chortled, his long legs barely fitting under the table. He pulled at his thick black hair hanging slightly over his ears. “I graduated from the academy in ‘67,” he said. “The nitty-gritty of that experience was that I learned to hate getting up at the crack of dawn.”
Again the officers guffawed.
“If you had been born on a farm like me,” said Roberts, “
you wouldn’t have suffered from that problem.”
Walker scoffed. “When I was growing up, I thought I’d be brave and bold like the knights of Camelot,” he laughed. “It seems childish now, but I was worried I might not be tough enough. I sometimes got into fights at the academy, though when I think back on them, I can never remember the reason they started.” Of average height and slightly overweight, Walker had a pleasant voice to match his dry sense of humor.
Gallant wretched his mind away from and the chatter and focused once more on the shakedown cruise: “Let’s discuss the Warrior’s performance. Gentlemen, please look at your tablets and find the issue list I’ve sent to your respective departments.”
Each officer had a long list of mechanical or electrical failures they were working to correct. The maneuvering drills had gone reasonably well, and the engines were close to meeting specs. Some of the stress tests had revealed deficiencies that would need recalibration at the shipyard.
Gallant ran through the reactions of his officers during the day’s drills to see if there were faults he needed to correct, but failing to identify anything significant, he resumed his scheduling of the next day’s activities.
When they were finished, a virtual readout of priorities showed up on their screen, and Roberts put together a memo to be distributed throughout the ship to give the crew a heads up for what was to come the next day.
Gallant asked, “Have we missed anything?”
“We need to make adjustments on some equipment in engineering and the sensor systems need to be realigned. I’ll take care of those, sir,” said Roberts.
“Good. I think we’ve covered everything. I'll leave the details in your hands.”
“Very good, sir,” said Roberts.
***
The next day, Gallant sat in his command chair reviewing the Warrior’s sleek characteristics and unique features. Her sophisticated weapons technology was to be the focus of the day’s activities. The ship’s heavy caliber weapon was the FASER that was capable of seriously damaging a battle cruiser with one hit. The four laser cannons and four plasma weapons were lighter caliber for close-range fire support. Just as the name LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, FASER stands for Fission Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser works by pulsing light through a crystal in such a way that the crystal releases a flood of identical electromagnetic waves simultaneously. The FASER cannon pulses light through a block of crystalline Uranium-235 so that all the atoms fission simultaneously to produce a beam of highly focused energy.
“Skipper,” Roberts said, “I’d like to suggest that we hold a shooting competition. We could award a marksmanship badge to the battery with the best firing score.”
Gallant smiled and said, “I like that idea, XO. Set it up. A little competition would be a great way to stimulate some friendly rivalry.”
When weapons’ personnel were stationed, the day’s drills began.
“Prepare to launch the target drone,” said Gallant.
“Aye aye, sir,” said Chief Howard at the bridge control console. A remote control drone was released. It pulled a large metal sheet that acted as a target.
As the drone began to tow the target, the FASER fired a direct hit, vaporizing it.
They brought the drone back and added another metal sheet.
Next they fired the AMM-3 Mongoose antimissile missile. A drone simulated an enemy missile, and the Mongoose’s on-board AI system directed it to the target, despite the drone’s countermeasures.
This was followed by a series of plasma and laser target exercises until suddenly a loud alarm sounded . . .
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A series of emergency messages blared from the AI system: “Explosion in the bow compartment! Loss of air in the bow compartment! Fire in the bow compartment! Damage control party, proceed immediately to the casualty!”
The ship’s emergency teams sprang into action.
Gallant turned to the junior officer of the watch: “Mr. Gabriel, take charge of the damage control party in the forward weapons compartment. Report the status of the casualty as soon as you get there.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
A few minutes later, Gabriel reported, “Bridge, DC; I’ve reached the bow compartment and my team is donning their fire protective gear and breathing apparatuses. Chief Howard has reported that the team is ready. We are entering the compartment.”
Gallant was gratified to hear Gabriel speak in a relaxed, confident voice.
The overhead fire suppressant system spewed out chemical material to dampen the fire while automatic hatch closures isolated various parts of the compartment to prevent widespread decompression from any hull breech.
Gabriel and the DC team entered the compartment and were immediately engulfed in smoke.
“Kill all the electrical panels on the port side!” Gabriel ordered, “Shut all the port side isolation valves!” He evacuated everyone else in the compartment and let the casualty team deal with the injured.
After several minutes of hazardous work, Gabriel reported, “Bridge, DC; the fire is out. Two men have been evacuated to sick bay with burns and smoke inhalation. One of the men is Lieutenant Clay.”
With the fire extinguished, Gabriel went on to deal with the leaking rupture from one hull discharge valve. Chief Howard was able to apply a temporary patch, and the compartment pressure was restored to standard density.
Gabriel returned to the bridge where Gallant acknowledged his performance with a frank, “Well done.”
Later in the wardroom, the officers jostled Gabriel good-naturedly. His popularity was due as much to his personality as to his actions that day.
***
The next day Gallant convened a board of inquiry in the wardroom. He sat at the head of the long wardroom table flanked on either side by the XO and the ship’s engineer. Midshipman Gabriel and Chief Howard were seated along the side of the table. They were to be called as witnesses. At the foot of the table, Lieutenant Clay stood with his arm bandaged. His grimace was as much from embarrassment as from pain.
“This inquiry is to investigate the explosion that occurred in the bow compartment yesterday,” Gallant began. “It will be used as the basis of our accident report to Fleet Command.” He paused and looked around the room. Then he said, “Lieutenant Clay, please explain how the explosion occurred.”
Clay frowned and said, “I was working with a tech on plasma battery number one. The weapon had misfired during target practice, and we were trying to determine the cause of the malfunction. While we were conducting signal transmission tests within the trigger circuit, a fire was started by a short in a faulty electro-pneumatic switch on the plasma charging tank. The tech was overcome by fumes.” He stopped and rubbed his bandaged arm. He looked confused.
Gallant waited patiently, all the while evaluating Clay’s behavior.
After a moment, Clay recovered his focus and continued, “I immediately hit the emergency alarm, and the fire suppressant chemical flooded the area, but it wasn’t quick enough to stop a fuel tank from exploding and sending metal fragments through the bulkhead and surrounding pipes. The shards ruptured a hull discharge pipe that leaked oxygen out of the ship. At no time was the hull itself penetrated. The hull’s armor is much tougher than that.”
“Why didn’t you pre-station a damage control team before working on such a dangerous repair?” Gallant asked.
Clay looked angry and barked, “I didn’t want to slow down the exercises for what looked like a quick fix.”
Gallant glared at him and Clay continued, “It shouldn’t have been a problem if the shipyard had installed and calibrated the equipment properly.”
Gallant was quiet for several minutes while he considered the possibility of other shipyard failures that could plague his ship. “Please let the record show that the injured tech will make a full recovery in a few days and that Lieutenant Clay suffered burns on his left arm that will leave hi
m on restricted duty for at least a week.”
Clay shifted his feet slightly but remained silent.
Gabriel and Howard reported on their actions during the damage control team’s effort to put out the fire and stop the air leak.
Gallant conferred with the XO and then reported the inquiry’s findings: “Mr. Clay, for failure to follow safe repair procedure, you will receive a Letter of Reprimand in your file. In addition, you will be required to undergo additional training on correct repair and maintenance requirements while working on live weapons.”
“Yes, sir,” said a distraught Clay.
“I will complete my accident report for Fleet Command this evening. That’s all. This board of inquiry is closed.”
Gallant left the wardroom unhappy about issuing a letter of reprimand but feeling greatly relieved that the injured men would recover. He also made note of the dark cloud on Clay’s face.
***
Gallant sent an accident report to UP command. That night the damaged Warrior left her operating area and headed back to Mars Station. When she returned, he prepared a list of needed repairs and upgrades. Once the Warrior returned to its berth in the shipyard, a work schedule was set up, but before anything was accomplished, Gallant said, “Roberts, I’m going planet-side. I won’t be available until tomorrow.” Roberts’ face showed his surprise that the captain would leave with so much activity about to begin on the Warrior, but Gallant just shrugged as he thought,
I have a very personal matter to attend to.
CHAPTER 5
Vows
It wasn’t that Kelsey Mitchel was stunningly beautiful, though her smooth white skin and dazzling green eyes complemented the hazelnut hair that cascaded down her shoulders, nor was her poise and demeanor overtly eye-catching, though her manner was such that you would be curiously drawn to her. No, what seemed to attract the most attention was her bubbling personality. Her heritage and genetic birthright were clearly superior and set her apart from the women in the church crowding around her. And on this special day, her veil and flowing white gown doubly marked her. She was a mere twenty-three, and she radiated an appealing youthful vitality. You could imagine that once she captured a man’s attention, he would find her hard to let go, let alone be willing to give her up entirely. But that was not the end of her allure, for upon knowing her, you discovered her intelligence, courage, and perseverance. She was a unique and desirable woman—an outstanding exemplar of her family and the times in which she lived—a woman any man would be honored to marry.
Henry Gallant and the Warrior (The Henry Gallant Saga Book 3) Page 3
