by Paul Phipps
The General’s eyes bugged out at that pronouncement, “Ah yes, handy that.”
Tufuga continued on blithely, “My rail-gun,” he indicated the weapon on his right hip in a mirror finished black holster, “fires a two millimeter capacitor dart. It is capable of a stunning setting up to an Armor piercing setting. Armor piercing is really quite amazing to see in action. When the Capacitor-Dart impacts it releases an electrical charge that when combined with the kinetic energy of the CD gives the effect of a plasma flame burning right through.
With a variable fire setting from Semi-Automatic to five hundred rounds per minute in the full-auto mode and a magazine of two hundred rounds it is very effective in most situations.” He finished with a smile.
“I can imagine so, it sounds very effective. May I see a demonstration later?” General Cappielo asked.
“Certainly Sir. I will arrange for that.”
At that point everyone was on board and in a seat. Recruit Tufuga announced to all at that time. “Attention! We are now Enroute to the Mentor. Please do not leave your seats until authorized after we are on board.”
The four MARS units rose as one and flashed across the sky to the Mentor. Five minutes later they were in their assigned spots on the Hanger Deck and the U.S. Military personnel were lining up to disembark. Once everyone was on the Hanger Deck of the Mentor Ansel announced, “Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen welcome aboard the TSN Mentor, flagship of the First Training Division. It will take us about forty-five minutes to reach Camp Heinlein. Now because your time is limited today and we have much to show you in that time we’re going to have to ‘cheat’ a little bit. Please follow me through the Trans-portal over here, “at which point he indicated the ubiquitous Green and Gold patterned device rising from the deck to his left, “that will take us to the briefing room.”
Lending action to his words he then went to the Trans-Portal and touched it, the force field visibly surrounded him and he was sucked into it and disappeared from view. The remaining three TSN Recruits guided the visitors through and then brought up the rear leaving no one on the Hanger Deck.
Mentor/Comm Mode: “Commander Webster, as you requested all visitors were scanned while in the Trans-Portal system. Five of them are Quarn-Slaves or at least Quarn-parasitized. One of them is carrying two sealed bags marked as Gummy-O’s. These each contain what appears to be a Q-Mot. Or at least what I have been told a Q-Mot might be.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Who are they?”
Mentor/Comm Mode: “Brigadier General Johns, U.S. Army, He is currently their S-7 or Training Command Director. Colonel Joann Hamm, Also in the Training Command, I’m not sure of her function there. Captain Wilhelm Dieter, he is in the U.S. Navy’s Operations Section. I’m not positive but I think he is a Navy Seal trainer.
The next two are Civil Service, Susan Harris is the Office Manager for Admiral Stevens, and she is also the one who is transporting the Two Q-Mots. And last is Harold Williams, he is listed as the Office Manager for General Owens.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Can your fabricators create a reasonable facsimile of the packaging and contents of the Gummy-O’s?”
Mentor/Comm Mode: “Probably Sir, but they won’t be alive in any sense of the word. Let me check and see if there is an alternative we can come up with in a reasonable time.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Thank You Mentor, please keep them under close surveillance. If they try to parasitize anyone, stop them… Non Lethally if possible.”
Mentor/ Comm Mode: “Aye Aye, Commander!”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Chief Cavendish, according to Mentor we have five Quarn-Slaves intermixed with our visitor’s. All of the recruits with me and I are already occupying our Telefactors, I need you to use your own and babysit these five if they are unable to use the virtual reality headsets.”
Command Master Chief Cavendish/ Comm Mode: “Affirmative Commander, how do feel about using the port Observation Room?”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Certainly! That’s a very good location and the view is impressive. Also I want Recruit Harrison to not use a Telefactor and remain at the helm. Seeker’s database indicates that the Quarn have impressive mental capabilities when in a mass mind mode. If they attempt any mind games I want us to be prepared for it. Well… at least as prepared as we can be.”
Command Master Chief Cavendish/ Comm Mode: “Ansel?”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Yes, Sarah?”
Command Master Chief Cavendish/ Comm Mode: “Are you expecting trouble from the Quarn?” She asked hesitantly.
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Well… not really. But I’ve been surprised too many time lately and on the one hand there are five of them in one location and they are fully conscious not like they are on the Comfort. We don’t know how many it takes to make a mass mind… So let’s just assume the worst and try to prepare for it.”
Command Master Chief Cavendish/ Comm Mode: “Yes Sir, I understand I think. And they do work for Secretary Anderson’s organization and he at least has been ordered to get the President-for-Life out of the IUR no matter what.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “I hadn’t thought that through consciously, but yes that thought is in there too. “
While they had been communicating Ansel moved toward the front of the large room he was in. Once there he turned around to greet his guests. “Please take a seat in one of the loungers and put the helmet on. We use systems like this in our training and for long briefings.
Once you put on the helmet you should see and hear nothing for a little bit and then a display of sparks like static will become visible to you. This indicates that the system is ‘tuning’ itself to your unique brain patterns. Once that process is complete you will seem to appear in a normal theatre type setting where you will receive the briefing.”
* * *
Evana looked out at the close to five-hundred Astronomers and Scientists in the auditorium in front of her. It had been surprisingly easy to gather them together to discuss the Heliopause based astronomical observation stations. Getting them to the Comfort had also been easier than she expected now that TSN Ambulances were being seen more and more at hospitals around the world. Sending in some discreet transportation had proven easier than she had once worried about.
She smiled cynically at that thought, everyone wanted access to advanced medicine. Especially if they didn’t have to pay for it, at least the TSN only demanded “sweat equity” for their services. Soon though it would be time for the next stage.
She turned her attention to the speaker at the lectern; Academician Lermontov of the Moscow Institute for Astronomical Studies was an interesting man, intense, passionate about the things he cared about. Like his science, his family and his world. Also he was brilliant; he had approached Evana shortly after the project had been announced by Fleet Admiral Webster.
He had wanted in on the ground floor and was willing to do most anything to see it come together. After speaking with him Evana had also been convinced that he was the right man to spearhead the first project. Now if she could only get him to ask about joining the TSN. That would solve many problems that she could already see cropping up in the near future.
“None of us have ever thought that we could stand in the interstellar void and observe the cosmos around our home planet but thanks to the Terran Space Navy and this ‘Hero’ project we will soon be there!” He spoke bombastically as many Russians do when enthused over something, Evana observed.
At least this time when she and Dawn Seeker had requested a flight clearance to the Moscow headquarters of the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences she had received no impediments to her mission from the Russian Government. ‘Amazing what a show of force in one part of the world could do for you in another part,’ she mused quietly.
“And now please join me in welcoming our hostess, Captain Evana Thomas of the Terran Space Navy!” He started to clap his hands enthusias
tically and the others in the audience were swept up in his enthusiasm and joined along.
She arose from her chair on the dais and went quickly to the lectern, “Thank you Academician Lermontov,” She said looking at him and then turned to face the audience, “and thank you ladies and gentlemen for answering the call to come and discuss this project. I’m not one for empty speeches and platitudes, so let’s get into the meat of our proposal to you.”
The lights in the Auditorium dimmed down significantly, in the empty space to Evana’s left Henri the Comfort’s Command AI displayed a hologram view of the proposed Deep Space Observation platform #1, tentatively called Galileo City. It was a typical Globular TSN city Structure with the addition of six one-hundred by one hundred mile constructs attached to the upper third of the city. It looked very much like a basketball with hexagonal plates attached to it.
“This is Deep Space Observation Platform #1, that’s a bit long winded so we just call it Galileo City. Galileo Galilee was noted for using one of the first crude telescopes to observe the moons of Jupiter. His theories resulting from that put him at odds with the rulers of his day, in his case the Catholic Church.
We fortunately don’t have to worry about that. What we do worry about is unfortunately all too real. I know you have all seen or heard Commander Webster’s briefing to the news media about the Terran Space Navy and how we came to be.
I’m also pretty positive that most of you discounted the threat to humanity and its continued existence. Don’t worry about it, I won’t be surprised or upset if you do think that way. Unfortunately for you and your beliefs if you swing that way… it’s all true. Over fifteen thousand analogues of Earth were explored before we were discovered. And in each and every one of them the Human race was wiped out or never came into existence.” Evana paused for emphasis and glared out at the audience.
“Galileo City and the other Deep Space Observation platforms that will be built on its proven model are there to explore the Cosmos around us and to be our first line of warning against extra-Solar threats to our existence. BUT!” And she raised her right hand in a commanding gesture, “Just because they have that reason as the impetus to their construction doesn’t mean that they can’t also be used for the peaceful exploration of the universe via observation.
That’s where you come in, we are asking you if you are interested in using the highest level of military hardware to do your observations of the Universe. Why you might ask?” She paused and looked around the auditorium at the people raptly watching her.
“The primary directive of the Terran Space Navy is to ‘Nurture and Protect the human race’, Galileo City and its sisters will be used to accomplish both of those directives. In addition to providing you these tools and through your observations into the Universe we will nurture the imagination of the Human Race. A major portion of Galileo City will be devoted to a University. Scholarships will be offered to deserving young people from all of the nations of the Earth with the sole exception of the Iranian Unified Republic. And even that restriction will be rescinded when the shield wall around that nation is removed.
Galileo City will have the population capacity of around four million humans. What does that mean to you? Simple really… If you decide to go there to work, your extended family is also invited to come too. Mind you that isn’t an unqualified invitation, we… that is the Terran Space Navy holds the right to disallow or even declare anyone persona-non-grata on any of our installations.”
She paused once again and drank from the glass of iced tea at the lectern. “Now onto specifics, Galileo City is currently under construction, it will be complete in four months or so. The first six observation platforms will be complete at that time too. She will be available for the initial crew in two weeks from now. That can include you and your families if you so desire. In time Galileo City will become a city for humans and it will be exciting to see that.
Now then, we have decided to place Galileo City and the other Deep Space Observation Platforms around two light minutes outside of the boundary area of the Heliopause. This will permit you to make your observations as free of interference as we can provide. We will not hinder or obstruct any publishing of your findings here on Earth. Unless!” She paused once again for emphasis, “Unless there is a definite military value derived from your observations.” She smiled at that point, “That includes, Alien Space Fleets, rogue planets or other such things. I know it seems silly to say that, but it HAS happened before in different analogues of the solar system. We feel it’s better to be prepared and not use those preparations, than to not have them when they are sorely needed.
Faster than light communications with Earth will be provided free of charge. As civilians you will be paid reasonable salaries and reasonable charges for living quarters and sustenance will be deducted from those salaries. Work will be provided for any of your family members that are old enough to do so. We recommend that by the way. Although we provide entertainment, parks and recreation areas, people do tend to get bored without something to keep their hands and minds occupied. We will do what we can to alleviate any boredom that might arise.
Transportation to and from Galileo City will be provided free of charge, it will be some time though before a regular shuttle schedule is established.” Evana paused again and turned to look at the hologram of Galileo City. She admired it for a moment and then turned her attention back to the audience.
”The observation platforms are of new and radical designs. Three of them are using what we call a Micro-Macro Telescopic Array. Each is approximately one hundred miles in diameter and it is covered in smaller one mile hexes each containing around fifteen million one square foot telescopes each with a mega-mega pixel digital RGB photon collector. This roughly comes out to around fifteen billion visible light data collectors per array” She paused and grinned at the stunned looks on the faces before her. She then continued, “And the three other Arrays will be a mix of gravity, x-ray, Gamma-ray, Infra-red and radio frequency detectors.” If these prove to be inadequate for the job we are prepared to keep expanding the observational array grid until it does prove adequate.”
At that point she paused and then said, “Ok, enough of the gee-wow stuff, you’ve been sitting there for close to three hours, let’s take a break. Discuss things amongst yourselves and with Academician Lermontov. I’ll be back in an hour or so and I’ll answer what questions I can.”
* * *
Command Master Chief Sarah Cavendish was chatting with the five Quarn-parasitized Officers and DOD Civil Servants, they all watched through the observation ‘window’ as the Mentor pulled away from Earth orbit and rushed toward Camp Heinlein.
“I do apologize that you aren’t able to use the VR technology to participate in the same briefing as the others. It has happened to others besides you and I am sorry to say this indicates that you personally would not be able to join the TSN in the future if you decided to try out for it.”
“Why is that?” asked General Johns inquired.
“Much of our technology is directly controlled through communication implants. Your brains happen to be ‘wired’ in such a way as to preclude their usage. It’s not that there is something wrong with you, you are just wired a bit differently.” She answered with a pleasant smile.
She watched the five Quarn-parasitized humans closely. She blinked her eyes quickly as she thought she saw something strange. They were reaching out to hold hands and there was a haze around Ms. Harris. Chief Cavendish tried to speak and found herself immobile.
With an effort that seemed sooo slooww she attempted to contact Commander Webster. Command Chief Cavendish/ Comm mode: “Commander Webster the Quarn are doing something! Alert! Alert!”
Ansel was on the bridge with Recruit Harrison and Recruit Marsh only Recruit Harrison was not using a telefactor as Ansel had directed earlier on. What Ansel heard through his Comm Implant was “-der W-ster – d-ng –ing –lert! A-“
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: �
��Chief! What’s happening!” He got nothing back in return. As he turned toward Recruit Harrison he lost control of his body and fell to the deck of the bridge.
Recruit Harrison was occupied with his helm station when he heard Ansel fall to the deck, he whipped his head around and saw the strange sight of the Commander’s Telefactor body held rigidly in walking posture and face down on the deck. He turned to look at Recruit Marsh at the Navigation console that was adjacent to his Helm station. She was also rigid with her right hand outstretched toward the emergency console disconnect.
He watched in amazement as the navigation console slowly started to run through the menu system. It was strange… as though someone was totally unfamiliar with the TSN system and was picking through it carefully. He watched as the destination for Shah-Rud in the Iran Province of the IUR came up and was selected for the new destination of the Mentor. Then his own helm station started to follow the new course that was laid in by the Navigation console.
