“This star HD 86523, our sigil CC4213, how do you know it was visited by the Dragoneaux biped and that it was used for isotope refueling?”
Rak’s facial fur stiffened with eagerness. “My search for hidden databases in the office of the Human governor of planet Morrigan held a datafile secured within its database of civil government records!” The pink-eyed gaze of the dryland creature grew larger as it moved closer to the tachlink receptor. “This was the personal archive of the Human leader! It resisted my first efforts to decrypt its encoded datafiles. Then I discovered the waist-hand access point sometimes encoded by programmers, so they can bypass the user’s password algorithm. There was a week-long personal record of the visit by this Dragoneaux. It included the Human male’s mention that they had arrived from refueling at this star.”
Sytoon tilted all four eyestalks toward the holo of Rak alk-thorn. “Could this data be fabricated? Is there a quantum time-stamp on it?”
“Yes!” said Rak in hurried Belizel. “The file contains much of what is in the civil archive on the Human’s visit with his personal starship, sigil-name Mata Hari. And this star lies between the Vela shipyard star and the Dagda star of Morrigan.”
Sytoon recalled the recent Observer Globe vidcast of the deadly battles between eight ships of the Human’s personal fleet and the 32 battleglobes of Sector Captain Running Leader. At system CC9342. The Dolmat had used new weapons to damage several T’Chak ships, while one T’Chak vessel had been destroyed by two antimatter beams that hit the damaged ship in areas with no Alcubierre shielding. While the separate report sent to him by his Dolmat partner had been glowing in its report on the battle, Sytoon believed in numbers. And the remnant of Sector 14’s battleglobe fleet had lost 18 battleglobes in exchange for a single T’Chak ship. At that rate, the Anarchate would have to give up 9,000 battleglobes in order to demolish the 500 ships of the Dragoneaux fleet. Not a good exchange ratio.
“So this spatial record indicates,” Sytoon clicked slowly in calm Belizel. “But how real is this data file? Could it be fabricated? And what of your interviews of the Humans who traveled to Morrigan inside this starship Mata Hari? Any evidence of planetary help by Morrigan?”
Rak alk-thorn stepped back from the tachlink receptor, as if realizing how informal he had become when speaking to his superior. “Excellent questions, High Commander. To the second question, there is no evidence from my survey interviews that this Dragoneaux creature has returned to this system, or that the local Human colony is assisting the renegade,” it growled in basic Belizel that lacked the refinements of click-speech Belizel. “On the first query, my access to the planetary militia files required the use of an Omega level algorithm to decrypt and allow me access to the military records of this militia.” The Meligun paused, licked its sharp white teeth, then crossed both arm pairs over its chest in the sign of Devotion To Duty. “Access to the personal archive of this world’s governor was difficult but only required use of a Gamma level algorithm. My use of Intel Base decryption algorithms did not cause any database to shut down on me. Therefore I conclude the use of this star as a fleet refueling base is authentic.”
Sytoon knew well the software algorithms used by Rak in his raid on planetary databases. Their use said this Human colony world had made better than average efforts to sequester vital databases. But nothing that was a digital record could withstand the decrypt algorithms developed by the Anarchate over the last two million years. This news from his spy, added to the battle news from the Hootnai colony world, gave him some options for finding and defeating this arrogant biped. With perhaps a chance to impress his sponsor Sooteen on the Council of Sixteen.
“Well done, Rak alk-thorn,” he clicked slowly in basic Belizel. “Continue with your survey interviews on Morrigan. When completed, take your Courier to the next Human colony on your list and repeat your efforts. I am certain that a Human colony somewhere is assisting this dangerous biped!”
“As you order, High Commander! Until my next report.”
The holo from his Sagittarius Arm spy vanished, to be replaced by the warm orange light and salty breeze that replicated his birth world deep in Norma Arm. Sytoon pincer-touched a holo pedestal and began a report to his naval colleague.
“Greetings Sector Captain Running Leader,” he clicked in formal high-tone Belizel. “Congratulations on the success of your recent battle that destroyed a T’Chak ship of the Dragoneaux biped. My spy Rak alk-thorn, on Intel survey duty on the Human colony world of Morrigan, has uncovered data from the Human’s visit to this world nearly a Belizel year ago.” Sytoon paused, inhaled water into his gills, then passed a pincer over a holo control sensor. “Attached is the recent report of my spy that says the Human fleet regularly visits star CC4213, Human sigil HD 86523, to rest and refuel from an isotope refinery in the upper clouds of the system’s gas giant. Perhaps you could arrange a visit by one of your Corvettes to confirm the system was used by this Human?”
Matt looked soberly at the Battle Council that included the seven ships remaining from Hexagon Prime fleet, including every pilot and T’Chak AI present on those ships. The purple metal globe of Eliana’s ship Altuna, and Eliana herself, were present in the tachlink mind communion that bonded everyone into a common mental conversation. As was their habit, the colored mind clouds of the AIs and the images of each organic pilot sat, stood or floated above the green meadow of his ship’s Park habitat. Their ships, meanwhile, floated in normal space-time a light year out from the Sector 14 naval shipyard in Orion Arm. The shipyard was listed in the memory crystal record Matt retrieved from the star CC29351, or SAO 47250, site of the Intelligence Dome that he had raided more than a year ago. They had Translated the Ariadne into the protoplanetary disk to spread Remotes and give them a real-time picture of what lay there. Two construct groupings showed the Dolmat captain was already there with his fleet remnants.
Suzanne of the golden sun hair began their war council with a simple question. “Matthew, have you and Mata Hari figured out how this Black Hole Ejector weapon works? And how the Alcubierre Bubble shield works? Those weapons make it a nearly equal fight between us and the Anarchate.”
Keeping his mental expression stoic and sober, he answered. “Yes. First, the vidrecord review that Mata Hari and I did showed that each of the 32 battleglobes we faced in system CC9342 was able to project a bubble field. Only half of the battleglobes shot out black holes. As for how this could be done, I invite Mata Hari to explain.”
Mata Hari stood on the meadow in her frilly white late Victorian dress, her long black hair braided atop her head, her bare arms showing an amber tone, while her classically formed face held a dusky tan the original Mata Hari had acquired while working in southeast Asia as a stage entertainer. Her expression was not playful. She too had grown weary of losing ships and AI minds to the Anarchate.
“Mindmates, the Black Hole Ejector is a metal tube that circles the equator of each battleglobe. It is a super-powerful particle accelerator that moves heavy protons to the speed of light,” she said, lifting one hand to bring into their mental view a holo of a battleglobe showing the new addition to the standard design. “Those protons smash into each other and produce large hadrons. When the hadrons are pressed closer together through endless cycling in the accelerator, they produce pinpoint black holes. The accelerator englobes the tiny black holes in a magfield, which is then ejected out a firing tube that determines the final vector of the magfield-held black hole.”
“Damn,” cursed George loudly. “Too bad we don’t have a weapon like that!”
“We do!” Mata Hari said sharply. “It is called the Graviton Beamer. But our weapon shrinks external matter into a black hole. Which has been quite effective in past battles.”
Suzanne reached out to grip George’s hand. “George, we all share your frustration at this new weapon. But let Mata Hari continue with how this thing works to hurt us.”
Matt’s AI partner gave Suzanne a brief nod, then scanned them all. “When
the magfield touches our Alcubierre space-time shield, the magfield dies, the black hole touches the outer surface of the shield, and the black hole sucks into its singularity every bit of energy embodied in the Alcubierre shield until the shield node burns out.” She closed her hand and the battleglobe holo vanished. “Movement of our ships takes us away from being penetrated by the black hole, but the damage is done. Our flexhull is exposed to weapons fire.”
Toktaleen bent his two antennae forward. “Excellent explanation of the process and our vulnerability, Spy Mata Hari. What about their other new weapon? The Alcubierre Bubble? How is that accomplished?”
Mata Hari clasped her hands together at her waist. Her dark eyes gathered in their attention. “It is a simpler weapon design. This shipyard we will visit has produced extra Alcubierre Drive engine modules beyond the single module at the center of every battleglobe.” She paused, nodded to a spot in front of her, and a new battleglobe holo took shape. “This new drive module is placed next to the ship’s outer skin, just above the equatorial accelerator tube. The drive module creates the Alcubierre space-time modulus but projects it to just beyond the ship skin. A large Alcubierre Bubble is created that is twice the size of the battleglobe.” She blinked and the ship holo vanished. “In short, it is creating a second drive bubble, but one which does not move the battleglobe. Instead, like our flat shields, this bubble absorbs all matter and energy directed at the ship and sends it to Elsewhere-Elsewhen.”
“So how do we fight these new weapons?” Eliana snapped, her irritation at the weapon that had killed her ship obvious.
Matt wondered if Mata Hari’s transfer of her Memory Pillars into her new purple geodesic globe, like the one that held Altuna, was making her feel irritable. Something for sure was bothering his AI partner beyond the loss of a ship. Her partner Gatekeeper walked up to Mata Hari and bent over to give her a kiss on an amber cheek. She blushed, but seemed pleased. To Matt it said something was afoot between those two.
“There are ways,” said the purple globe of Altuna as it moved to float beside Mata Hari’s Spy persona. “I shared my ship sense perceptions of the impact of this Black Hole weapon with our Mata Hari. We have worked together to offer possible options.” The male voice of an elder T’Chak dragon focused its powerful mind on Matt. “Leader of our Task, do you wish to describe our battle options?”
“Yes,” Matt said, making his mental form grow larger so he took center stage, whatever that ancient phrase once meant. “First, firing two Sun Glow beams at the Alcubierre Bubble of any battleglobe will overload its drive module. Just as our projector nodes are burned out by contact with a small black hole.” Matt gestured with his right hand and a battleglobe holo appeared in their mental communion space. “Second, making a Translation jump to behind the battleglobe and then firing an antimatter beam will destroy the unprotected side of the enemy ship.” The floating holo showed a T’Chak ship doing just as he described. The battleglobe blew up in a blue-white puff of plasma. A snap of his fingers brought a new ship holo into mind view. “Third, making a Translation jump into the hollow middle of the defense globe deployment allows a single T’Chak ship to destroy many ships using its six antimatter cannons, the Sun Glow weapon and the Graviton Beamer.”
Eliana grimaced. “But our ship cannot have any motion vector or it will crash into one of the surrounding battleglobes, right Matt?”
“Correct, pilot Eliana,” he said softly, reassuring her that he still saw her as an active combatant even with the loss of her ship. “This is our version of what the Anarchate fleet has tried to do with Translating an Assault Asteroid or Supply Tube into the middle of any ship’s Alcubierre space-time shields.” Matt waved and a T’Chak ship appeared facing the battleglobe, its belly skin showing the protrusion of the Bethe Inducer tube. “Fourth, we can use the Bethe Inducer to shrink any battleglobe to a teaspoon of neutron star particles. If we get a shot to one side of the Alcubierre Bubble.”
BattleMind moved its giant form into the center of the meadow, forcing the mind shapes of Mata Hari and Altuna to one side. Its long tail lifted up its spike, while the purple spike-scales atop its spine glowed with internal energy. The crocodile snout opened slightly to show massive white teeth similar to a sharks teeth, then it snorted from its four nostrils, the sound buffeting the minds of every organic in the Battle Council circle.
“One weapon which penetrates any shield is the Bogean Stasis Beam which my small ally Matthew obtained for us on our return trip to this galaxy, along the Magellanic Stream,” BattleMind said in a voice so powerful that the AI of each co-pilot immediately slide their mind senses into service as a buffer. Matt still winced, internally and externally. “That weapon is what my Vigilante used to destroy six battleglobes in his solo attack on the enemy fleet.” The giant black wings of the dragon flared out to either side. Its large red eyes, the size of tables, fixed on Matt. “Your choice to attack without the protective Alcubierre shields was perfect! It was the act any perfect master of the T’Chak would perform when faced with an enemy!”
Matt knew Mata Hari and Eliana both disagreed with his battle choice. But he never forgot every space battle was being recorded by an Anarchate Observer Globe somewhere in the system. He knew the power of agit-propaganda. And seeing the ferocious animal shape of his starship diving in on the battleglobe cluster would disturb any future ship captain.
“Thank you, my ally BattleMind,” he said with a mind tone of true appreciation. He scanned them all, fixing on those who had not said anything. “Ben, Sarah, Rafael, any thoughts on how to fight these weapons? Or how to approach the five factories, worker habitat globe and fourteen battleglobes on patrol in the system?”
Ben, dressed in brown shorts, a khaki shirt and his brown bush hat, was sitting cross-legged on the meadow. He smiled aside to Sarah as she sat next to him, then focused on Matt. “Vigilante, the battles have become harder, yes. But my memory of the desert around Alice Springs, and my bush training by my Anangu elders, taught me that the survivor of hard times is not the person who runs fastest, shoots best or gets in the first blow.”
Matt smiled, unable to resist Ben’s tempting pause. “Well, Ben, what makes one a survivor in the Aussie bush?”
Ben gave him a wry smile. “Endurance.”
Matt knew the young man would stick with Sarah no matter what. And he would fight his ship as part of their fleet to the utmost of his abilities. The daring he had shown while being interviewed at the Intel Base by Commander Chai, with its neurowhip punishment, was present in the man’s single word reply. And Matt agreed with him. He focused on Rafael of the long black mustache and swarthy skin, a man who liked his flamenco music and adored the holo pictures of his wife and family.
“Rafael?”
His South American battle ally stood up from his squat. He pushed thumbs into his jeans and looked everyone over before returning to Matt. “Seems to me our tachlink mindlinks are gonna be vital to a battle that will be very dangerous. I suggest we each take advantage as solo ships, taking shots as they happen. And Translating to gain a shooting angle at an exposed battleglobe. Staying together in the Hub-and-Wheel pattern makes us a concentrated target for a spread of black holes.”
Matt nodded, then looked to brown-skinned Sarah, the fifty-something corporate manager at Omega Casino who had spoken for her fellow managers during the trip from Omega Casino to Morrigan. Her blue eyes fixed on him with a no nonsense look.
“Matthew, we attack in multiple vectors,” she said, reaching out to point to a new holo of the construction zone in the middle of the protoplanetary disk of dust, pebbles, rock and small asteroids. “The factories and habitat are concentrated in this sector, where metal rich dust clouds are thick. The fleet of the Dolmat captain is elsewhere, in this mined out open space zone.” As she spoke each zone glowed with green light. “Matt, you and ship Mata Hari should exit Translation at a right angle to the ecliptic plane, just north of the hollow shell of the fleet. As your ship races by, use your Stasis
Beam to take out three or four battleglobes at the central equator zone of the fleet shell.” A third area in the cluster of fourteen battleglobes glowed green. “As they explode per the computer program installed in every battleglobe, the six of us should approach on the plane of the ecliptic like a spearhead aimed at the dead ship hole you just created. We fire all our antimatter beams through the hole you create into the undefended backs of the battleglobes on the opposite side from our approach. That’s thirty-six AM beams. We should be able to reduce their fleet by half with that single barrage.” Sarah looked at him. “Matthew, you Translate back into the interior of their globe with a heading aimed along the path we take incoming. That allows you to exit Translation at speed, fire while you are inside the globe, then move at speed into the protoplanetary clouds. With your pressor shields up to deflect Remotes, sensorBeads, dust, KKVs and anything else in your path that is solid.”
Matt nodded. “And the rest of the fleet goes where? After the initial AM barrage.”
Sarah smiled slowly. “We Translate the quarter light-second over to the factories and habitat, hit them with antimatter and proton beams, then jump back to this place where we now float.”
Matt felt everyone’s approval of Sarah’s mix of solo and fleet action. He approved of it too. It made maximum use of their strengths, exposed them minimally to in place weapons, and resulted in the destruction of the factories, the worker habitat and the near destruction of the Dolmat’s fleet.
Anarchate Vigilante (Vigilante Series 4) Page 25
