“Damn! Is that still a dilemma for you? Natural versus genetics?”
She said, “The ability of early super-intelligence to create greater abilities, and then produce next generation super-intelligence, means we must monitor burgeoning breakout types—like you. The onset of a more powerful intelligence could be swift and unstoppable. We have no understanding of the ethics or motivations of such beings. The question is: Do we aid the emergence or hinder it? We don’t know.”
It was an appalling thought for Gallant.
She said, “Collective super-intelligence is a system composed of a large number of small intellects such that the system's overall performance vastly outstrips current systems. That’s our worry over the Titans.”
“It’s such a great concern that you won’t even entertain the possibility of negotiating with them?”
McCall furrowed her brows before replying, “You are outside the parameters of your authority and your orders.”
“Perhaps, but speaking of orders, your orders were not signed by Collingsworth. The high command sent you. With some prodding from Neumann, I’ll bet, to spy on me even while I spy on the Titans. Was that with a consideration to gather court martial material against me?”
McCall stood and frowned again as she said, “He has nothing but the best interests of our people.”
It was natural for her to argue such a point since it was to her own advantage.
“Is that how you’re justifying spying on me? That’s your cover story?” It pained him to hear his own words. He restrained himself from saying more that would further inflame the situation.
Her reaction surprised him.
“My orders are to evaluate the Titan information you collect. But, yes, I was also told to watch you and report on your performance. That was merely to understand the capabilities of a Natural, not to undermine you.”
He failed to see anything incongruous in her words.
“I’m not here to play at genetic prejudices,” she said. The furious look she projected at him, hit him as hard as an actual slap.
He rose and shifted his weight self-consciously from one foot to the other while remaining quiet.
She stared at him, but stifled any regrets about what she had said. After standing face to face with him for several moments, she settled back into her chair.
Gallant felt a silent rage against the uncontrolled fools who imperiled his mission for the sake of their own biases and self-interest.
While he was curious about her thinking process in pursuing this form of interaction, he wondered if this was a test of his character, or something deeper in her evaluation of his abilities.
He watched as her expression changed and she took a different tack. She said, “When people meet me, they see a pretty face and attractive figure. They never try to look past my appearance to learn about my abilities and character.”
She waited to see if Gallant would object to that characterization. When he didn’t, she continued, “I’ve learned to use my physical assets to become an SAI interrogation officer.”
She complained peevishly. “I wish that weren’t the case.”
Her comments surprised Gallant.
She leaned forward as she said with relish, “And I’m good at it. I have a career that I have worked hard to develop. Yes I’m watching you, but you have my word that I will not subvert you or your command.”
Gallant recalled her careful handling of him and the tact she had employed to garner knowledge of his personal feelings. He remained silent, but he was swayed by her argument.
Struggling mightily to regain her detached composure, she said, “Despite our personal difference, my data analysis of your recent message translations remains disturbing. It is now more evident that we should go directly to Saturn.”
“I will consider your recommendation,” he said rising to leave.
“By the way, Gallant,” she said, causing him to halt beside the door, “we should talk once we learn more about the Titan’s true intentions.”
Gallant stared at her for a moment,
I wish I could discover your true intensions.
CHAPTER 21
Mine Field
The captain of the Warrior was once more pacing along the limited space at the back of the bridge—as if he would discover something new each time he turned around, but he pretty much reached the same conclusion over and over again. The movement of the Titan armada into the asteroid belt was disturbing. After several bugging excursions to the moons orbiting Jupiter, they had gleaned a great deal of information and formed some important conjectures, but they still had no hard evidence about enemy fleet operations.
They could continue to operate around Jupiter and hope to find important information, or move to Saturn’s strategic bases where it was more likely they could discover military secrets. It was Roberts’ suggestion that they leave the recording devices in place and depart for Saturn immediately, leaving small nuclear mines with delayed fuses planted in strategic locations, such as high-traffic shipping lanes, so they wouldn’t activate until the Warrior was well on her way to Saturn.
Gallant was curious to see what the enemy would do once the mines started to explode. How would they assess the danger? Would they guess the UP had stealth technology? Or would they assume the mines were the product of a minimum profile unmanned drone operation? Would they react aggressively and redirect all shipping or passively accept the losses? He made no attempt to enunciate any doubts that crossed his mind or how he would discuss the task in his reports.
The time was short for him to reach a decision. Mars needed fleet operations intelligence, but so far his reports lacked any hint of coordinated enemy fleet movements. This could all be quickly reversed with one significant message intercept, but the progress to date was not encouraging. Gallant sought order and discipline, but he was constantly faced with uncertainty instead. It was a horrible nuisance to deal with makeshift situations on a continuous basis. There was nothing intrinsically wrong in Roberts’s suggestion, yet the burden fell on Gallant to make it happen.
The chatter on the bridge interrupted his thoughts and focused his attention back on the ship around him. For a moment he stood perplexed. Then he turned to his navigation team and asked them to check the ship’s position. It was a full five minutes before he spoke again. He cursed the circumstances that had put him in this position.
Later that afternoon, Gallant held officers’ call in the wardroom, but before he entered, he spent a minute fussing over his unsightly uniform. He didn’t like setting such a bad example, but he had grown lazy about sleeping in his uniform. Once he entered, he took his place at the head of the wardroom table.
“The latest CIC assessment is that we’ve extracted operational information about Titan ships and facilities in the Jupiter system,” Gallant explained, “and we have transmitted a complete report to Fleet Command, including Commander McCall’s analysis. Unfortunately, though we’ve seen the armada in motion, we’ve uncovered no operational details about a major fleet attack.”
“We’ve conducted over a dozen bugging operations here,” said Roberts. “CIC agrees with my suggestion that it’s time we close our Jupiter ops and move on to Saturn.”
“We shouldn’t be leaving until we’ve mined the Titan facilities,” Clay said. “Let’s get our priorities right. We need to do as much damage as we can.” He then looked searchingly at Gallant.
Gallant probed the faces of his officers, trying to gauge their dispositions. Roberts displayed mental toughness and Walker was smart and eager, but both men lacked significant combat experience. There was raw tension in Clay as if he was a kettle on slow boil, impatient to strike the enemy. While morale was good throughout the ship, the crew was also anxious to move on to the next part of their mission.
“What’s the status of weapon readiness?” Gallant asked.
“Sir, all mines are ready for deployment,” said Clay. “My team is charging the battery and it will be at full capac
ity in an hour.”
Gallant nodded. “Walker, what’s the status of the ship’s engines?”
The ship’s engineer reported, “The sublight reactors are functioning nominally, thanks in large part to the efforts of Chief Howard to meet our maintenance requirements.”
“Very well,” said Gallant, coming to a decision. “We’ll begin seeding mines today.”
“Great,” said Clay showing a smile for the first time.
A chorus of agreement followed from the other officers.
“Are there any other questions?” asked Gallant.
The officers remained quiet shaking their heads.
“Very well, gentlemen. Prepare your departments.”
“I’ve been looking for some payback,” said Clay showing his eagerness.
That afternoon the Warrior reached a position to carry out the mining operation. The captain was on the bridge, ready to go. He spared no one, including himself, driving as hard as he could to ensure the operation went off without incident. Since they were leaving the Jupiter area, it was no longer necessary to minimize attention to their operations. Having collected as much intelligence as he could around Jupiter, Gallant set about completing this sabotage before proceeding to Saturn. He decided to plant the mine field close to the Titan base and the high-traffic shipping lanes.
One of the problems of planting a mine field under the enemy’s nose was that they would remove the mines if they became exposed. Another problem was that they might not detonate if poorly planted. The detections and detonation algorithm set into the mines had to be calibrated precisely for the area in which they were to be placed.
The Warrior moved into the traffic lane under stealth mode. It moved toward a picket ship and began the process of laying small AI-controlled mines. The men watched warily as the patrolling destroyers passed them on either beam without noticing the Warrior or the newly discharged mines.
The mines were set to activate in twenty-four hours, which would give the Warrior time to get far away. Gallant imagined the enemy would increase security once the explosions started. The civilian population might become alarmed as well, but that would be good.
There was always the temptation to linger to observe the first victim. That was always a mistake because once the area would become flooded with enemy military ships getting away undetected would become all but impossible.
Gallant thought,
It’s time to move to Saturn and learn why the armada is moving.
CHAPTER 22
Between Planets
Gallant tugged at his collar, letting perspiration trickle down his neck. His cabin was like an oven despite the herculean efforts of the ship’s one remaining air conditioner to remove the residual heat coming from the many machines working within the Warrior.
He asked with resignation, “How much longer?”
With sweat dripping off his chin, Roberts replied, “Another hour, maybe two at the outside, sir.” He wiped his streaming face with his sleeve, but in a minute it was wet again. The room continued to get stuffier and hotter.
The air conditioning system’s maintenance should have been completed already, but a careless mistake by one of the men in engineering had damaged an essential piece of equipment and delayed matters. The ship’s heat burden was now much worse than they had originally envisioned when Chief Howard had first proposed the procedure.
Roberts read Gallant’s questioning face and said, “I’ve already double checked, sir. We’ve shutdown everything that we reasonably can.” He shrugged: “Engines make heat.”
Gallant said, “OK. OK. Let’s try to forget the temperature. We still have ten days before we reach Saturn. We’re behind in our maintenance upkeep and calibration tests, but I want you to choose projects more carefully, in order to avoid further delays.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I expect you to prioritize the work so that stealth technology gets priority.”
“Yes, sir,” said Roberts. “While I’m here, do you still wish to review personnel records?”
Gallant nodded and turned his eyes to the tablet detailing personnel records. They started by checking beneficiary and next of kin information. They discussed their performance and set up meetings with individuals who could use guidance.
“Another thing I’d like to discuss, skipper, is the personnel lessons we’ve learned from our Jupiter operations.”
"Such as?”
“Such as, men staying on watch for six hours continuously at one station, sir. I’d like the bridge crew to rotate between stations during their six hour cycle. It will help with cross-training and keep them alert.”
“I like that.”
They set up a new rotation for the watch schedule to give the men some fresh experience.
“What else?”
Roberts said, “There is a newly qualified engine room PO. I knew I had seen him before, but couldn’t place him. It turns out he was one of the weapons techs who trained me when I was a midshipman. He remembers me and my habit of overshooting the target. He razzed me back then and now he’s apprehensive that I wouldn’t be so forgiving. We had a good laugh. Anyway, I want to add him to the engineering rotation, and there are two more men close to finishing weapons qualifications.”
“Very well.”
“Also, sir, I think we need to get on the men about physical fitness. I’ve notice a few waistlines growing as well as a few tails dragging. Exercise would do them good.”
“You’re kidding?” asked Gallant. “How can they put on weight while living on a diet of synthetic rations?”
“Well, sir, I suspect there is a stash of special treats that was hidden away by a few individuals. They’re enjoying them while they can. If you keep your eye open you can catch them nibbling away in the dark corners of the operations compartment.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“If there’s a will there’s a way,” chuckled Roberts with a grin.
Before long they set up a physical activity schedule and hoped the crew would begin stretching their muscles accordingly. The four-man gym, over the reactor compartment, would be kept busy with calisthenics and weights exercises. Oddly, racquetball was expected to become a favorite in the confined box-like space.
The average age of the crew was twenty-one with only a few senior chiefs, like Howard, tipping the scale a bit. Men like Howard were respected for their experience and expertise. It was the senior ranks that provided the continuity and steadfastness for the crew. But the age of the crew also had a lot to do with their chosen activities.
Gallant asked, “What do you think of our crew’s overall performance?”
Roberts replied, “Well, skipper, my family is from Earth, but many on board were brought here from a variety of towns, drawn from the planets and colonies throughout the Solar System. The families of the crew reflect all walks of life and education. Everyone was a volunteer with a strong sense of pride and a respect for authority. As a result, these men possess a special value system.”
“I would agree.”
Roberts continued, “They may prefer to be home romancing their sweethearts, but they’ve accepted that they are caught up in this war. They know serving is more than just a job. While many of them have never served together, I believe they are, for the most part, idealists seeking a sense of ‘family’ within an elite outfit.”
“Well,” Gallant said, “the Warrior can provide that sense of an elite unit, but it’s up to us to train and harden these men. In the end, they will develop a bond from shared experiences and learn to trust the shipmate next to them.”
Roberts nodded with the satisfaction of having reached an understanding with his captain.
Together they scheduled exercises for stealth operations and target practice for the weapons batteries.
Gallant reviewed the Jupiter message data they had stolen from the aliens in the hope that there was some gem of information that he had missed earlier. In addition, he took time away from his
study of Titan communications to train Gabriel on Wasp maneuvers and operations.
In the meantime, the crew’s transition from conducting dangerous operations to routine travel was surprisingly quick. The first few days were filled with the housework of cleaning bodies, uniforms, and personal spaces. Then they found time for a good deal of relaxation from games, movies, and sleep.
Two days later, Gallant commented to Roberts, “I’ve noticed Gabriel was late for several training sessions recently and he has also fallen behind in his qualification program. He was supposed to take the AI administered exams on the schedule it laid out in order to qualify as a duty officer on the ship.”
“I think the problem is the competition he’s had along with several members of the crew,” said Roberts.
“Competition?”
“A simulation game tournament. It turns out that he’s a wiz at it and he’s taking on all comers. You know the fast reflexes of youth versus the hard experience of veterans.”
Gamers often enjoyed competing aboard ships, and many put their money where their mouths were when tournaments were involved. Flying and shooting simulations enjoyed special attention. The Warrior’s techs had a long history of local tournaments for points, or plain bragging rights, but now more gamers were battling head to head on some ships for prize money. Gabriel was considered an expert with AI cyber games. He competed in several formats, but the most common was single or double elimination. The popularity of fighting games included first-person shooters. Some games included a wide variety of military battles. These genres maintained a devoted fan base within the fleet. In addition to allowing players to participate in a given game, there were observing features for spectators. This offered others a chance to watch the game unfold from the competitors’ point of view. It included a highly modified interface for the spectators to access information even the players didn’t have.
“Gambling?” Gallant asked, speculatively.
“Oh, no, sir,” said Roberts, and then backtracking, “Well, I don’t think so, at least nothing beyond a few tokens.” Then shaking his head, “No, I doubt there is anything beyond that."
Henry Gallant and the Warrior (The Henry Gallant Saga Book 3) Page 12
