“We’ll see on that one,” Isaac said slowly. “I’m considering other options—including simply giving your ships to the Vistans and taking your crews home aboard one of the two-fifty-six ships.”
“The doctors say that the two-fifty-six ships are even easier on the crews?” she asked.
“Probably more due to the fact that they were designed from the keel out for the new drives than anything else,” he told her. “From what Reinhardt has told me, the two-fifty-sixers will be our standard for a while. There may be an unexpected breakthrough, but right now he’s not seeing how to make the next jump in speed.”
“Though if it keeps doubling, I can see the value in refitting the entire fleet once he gets it,” Giannovi replied. “But seriously, sir? Giving the Vistans our ships?”
“We’re already planning to start standing down ships once Watchtower commissions,” he pointed out. “We’re building six strike cruisers to each battlecruiser now. All of those ships are two-fifty-sixers and, well, the strike cruisers need the same crew as an older destroyer.”
“I feel like I brought the rusty old truck to the party,” she said drily. “So appreciated.”
“Five extra hulls and seventeen extra particle cannons?” Isaac snorted. “I’m ecstatic to have you. But I don’t think leaving your ships here will be a particularly big cost compared to the benefit we’ll get from handing them over to the Vistans.”
“You’re thinking in terms of long-term alliance, I’m guessing?”
“Three battlecruisers, twenty-four strike cruisers,” Isaac told her. “That’s it. That’s all Exilium can support long-term by my math. For at least a generation, since most of the restriction is crew.”
Like all colonies ever, there was pressure to have and expand families on Exilium. Unlike a lot of past colonists, the citizens of the Republic of Exilium had access to state-funded artificial gestation technology. Everyone who wanted to could have kids without losing time or health to pregnancy.
Raising the children was still a time- and energy-consuming endeavor—that was why Isaac and Amelie didn’t have them. Yet, at least. But they could at least make sure they weren’t losing mothers or damaging their health along the way—and make sure that any family unit who wanted kids could have them.
Regardless of whether or not any member of that unit had a womb of their own.
“So, what, we borrow Vistan crew?” she asked.
“It won’t work. Not long-term, not without some form of political unification rendered impossible by distance and the population imbalance alike,” he told her. “If we combined into a democratic state, the only type we would consider, well…four million versus a billion.
“We need them separate, if not necessarily at arm’s length. We need a Vistan state that regards us as their most precious friends and allies, one that’s willing to commit warships to our fights…and can build warships worth committing to our fights.”
“That’s a hell of an objective, sir,” Giannovi told him. She glanced at Alstairs. “And from Cameron’s shocked expression, this is the first you’ve told your flag Captain about this.”
Isaac chuckled.
“He knew well enough,” he said. “So does Connor. Just because I haven’t said anything doesn’t mean either of you haven’t figured it out.”
“Still a shock to hear it said out loud, sir,” Alstairs told him. “But you’re right. We need the Vistans on our side and relatively close to our weight class if they’re to make a difference against the Matrices.”
“Is it really fair to pull them into this war?” Giannovi asked. “Not arguing sir, just…poking holes.”
“That’s the job, isn’t it? And no, it wouldn’t be…except that the Matrices already did it,” Isaac said. “We’re facing potentially hundreds of Rogue Regional Matrices. Each of those will have dozens of warships and Sub-Regional Matrices.
“If we can find the firepower, the ships and the crews…we need to end them all.”
“That’s a tall order, sir. Both halves of that,” his senior subordinate told him. “I agree that we don’t have a choice, but that’s…”
“That’s the grand crusade the Cabinet is afraid I’m going to try and launch,” Isaac said with a laugh. “I could tell them exactly what’s on my mind, and I think it might actually reassure them—at least with the recognition that I don’t plan on trying to take on all the Matrices with just the ESF.”
“The Vistans won’t be enough, sirs,” Alstairs murmured. “We’ll need to find more allies.”
“We will,” Isaac confirmed. “Right now, we keep the Vistans and we get them up to speed while Captain Catalan and the Matrices work out what’s going on with that slowboat.”
“Slowboat,” Giannovi echoed, shaking her head. “I understand the term, but it is going at over ninety-nine percent of the speed of light.”
Isaac shared in the amusement, then was distracted by the steward bringing in glasses.
“What…what is this?” he asked Parminder Singh. He trusted the man—Singh had been his steward since he’d become Vigil’s Captain a very long time ago—but green beer was new.
“A tradition of Captain Alstairs’ people,” Singh told him. “March seventeenth is a saint’s day for his culture, and green beer is traditional. Yes?”
Alstairs was staring at the liquid in surprise, then started laughing.
“I’ve heard of the concept,” he admitted. “But you mixed it up, Steward Singh. I’m Scottish…and the green beer is Irish. Worse, I think it’s not even native Irish.”
The Captain grabbed one anyway.
“Hopefully, it doesn’t affect the taste!”
50
Amelie knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the Cabinet meeting. Her Cabinet was a mixed bunch, rarely in agreement on much of anything and usually busy arguing with each other.
The silence present when she entered the room and took her seat meant that someone had just dropped a bombshell—and the fact that it had been dropped before she arrived meant that it was aimed at her.
“All right, people,” she said as the silence stretched on, her ministers staring at her. “You are all looking at me like I’ve grown a second head. I have enough confidence in my makeup abilities to be sure that even if I had, you’d have problems telling.
“So, just what is going on?”
The room remained silent, but enough glances were directed at Carlos Rodriguez to make it clear who had dropped the bombshell.
“Well, Carlos?” she said, directing her gaze at him. In many ways, she’d expected Carlos to be the main opposition in her Cabinet, and he tried to be. Unfortunately for him, though, Father Petrov James was much better at making allies—and fortunately for Amelie, Father James rarely raised anything she could completely disagree with.
“Do you know what your husband is up to?” Rodriguez finally asked. “I’ve been going over the reports about the Hearthfire defenses, and I found more than a few points of concern.”
“I spoke to Isaac last night,” Amelie pointed out. “About twelve hours ago. With Vista having kicked past the point of being easily habitable, he’s rather focused on getting people off that ice ball.
“He didn’t mention any concerns to me.”
“I don’t mean concerns with what Admiral Lestroud is facing,” Rodriguez told her. “I mean concerns with what he is doing. Did you know, Ms. President, that the six guardships currently under construction in the Hearthfire System are being built with engines based on our technology?”
“We were supplying engines, yes,” Amelie agreed. She suspected she knew what Rodriguez meant, though. Oh, Isaac, why didn’t you warn me?
“That was what I thought as well,” the Minister confirmed. “Except it appears that we have instead helped the Vistans set up production facilities for both high impulse micro-thrusters and the artificial-gravity systems necessary for using them.
“Going over the reports in more detail, it appears that there i
s also a mass-production facility in the Hearthfire System for modern rapid-fire pulse guns. Admiral Lestroud has apparently handed over multiple restricted military technologies to the Vistans, along with the technology to manufacture them.”
“This Cabinet voted to give first Captain Catalan and then Admiral Lestroud full plenipotentiary authority,” James pointed out, the old priest’s voice quiet. “In fact, as Prime Minister Nyong’o can confirm, the Senate validated both those appointments.
“While I am far from comfortable with handing over weapons technology to a species several centuries behind us technologically, I see the logic and it is certainly within the scope of the authority given to Admiral Lestroud.”
“This Cabinet had limitations that were discussed with Admiral Lestroud,” Linton pointed out. “We don’t want to create our own destruction. We’ve already seen that particular story play out around us.”
“I don’t see the Vistans as a threat, people,” Amelie stated. “We may have discussed this with Isaac, but he has the authority to make these decisions. What exactly are we afraid of here?”
“A Vistan state armed with comparable weapons and starships to us that sees us as vulnerable,” Rodriguez said bluntly. “They outnumber us two hundred and fifty to one, Ms. President.”
“And we are in the process of saving their entire species, Carlos,” Amelie replied. “You might be willing to turn around and bite the hand that saved you, but most aren’t.”
“What exactly has Admiral Lestroud provided?” Nyong’o asked calmly. She didn’t have a vote in this room—though it wasn’t like anyone in the room had any authority except what Amelie gave them.
“I’m not certain beyond the engine and weapon technology already mentioned,” Rodriguez admitted. “Just the fabrication capacity to build those, though, is a powerful tool.”
“We already gave the Vistans the schematics for the two-fifty-six warp drive,” Nyong’o pointed out.
“That requires exotic matter to produce,” Rodriguez replied. “We control that.”
“So do the artificial gravity plates, Minister Rodriguez,” James pointed out. “I’m very minimally involved in the technology side of our affairs, but I know that. Do the pulse guns or engines require exotic matter?”
“No, but our modern particle cannons do,” Linton said slowly. “And the impulse thrusters are only so useful without the ability to counteract their acceleration. While the Vistans may be able to set up a particle accelerator–based facility to produce exotic matter, especially if we provide them particle-cannon technology, they do not have a facility of the scale we do.
“Construction of such a facility is beyond them and will be for some time. Admiral Lestroud is providing a potential ally with powerful technology, yes, but much of it depends on a key resource that only we can provide them.”
“And we need allies,” Amelie reminded her Cabinet. “If we are even to secure the space around our worlds, we need ships with the engines to cross the stars in weeks instead of months and the weapons to engage the Matrices.
“It is in our interests for the Vistans to have a fleet that is capable of standing at our side.” She shook her head. “I agreed when we had this discussion before, but now I wonder. All evidence from Hearthfire suggests we have badly underestimated the resources even a single Regional Matrix can bring against us.
“We face an enemy that can continuously replenish its losses. The destruction of a Sub-Regional Matrix has bought us time at Hearthfire, but the other cost of that time is that when they do return, they will do so with immense force.
“We must prepare to stand off that force, and ships we build here cannot be sent to Hearthfire in time. Ships built there are the Vistans’ only hope—and so, we all succeed better if the Vistans build and crew their own warships.”
“And everyone is better off if they’re building ships equivalent to our refitted cruisers than if they’re strapping guns to an asteroid,” Linton cut in.
“You’re right to raise this with the Cabinet, Carlos,” the Minister for Orbital Affairs continued, “but I think the Admiral was right to ignore us this time.” He smiled. “I’ll confess that my girlfriend being in the Matrices’ line of fire certainly helps focus my thoughts.”
“Many of our people now have family or lovers in that line of fire,” Amelie agreed. “I’d ask for votes, Ministers, but I think we’re past that. I was not aware of what Isaac was doing, and I’m not a huge fan of that, but I believe he has made the right choice.
“That is my decision. The authority given to the Admiral by the Senate includes what he is doing, which means only I can censure him for it. I choose not to,” she concluded.
“I suggest we begin considering just what kind of alliances we want to form—with the Vistans, yes, but also with whoever else we find out here.” Amelie Lestroud smiled. She’d once formed an alliance of disparate resistance factions across dozens of worlds. She knew how daunting the task she was suggesting was.
It had been hard enough then—and those worlds had all been human.
“There are as many as two hundred Rogue Regional Matrices out there. We cannot defeat them alone. If we are to survive—if the galaxy is to survive—their expansion must be stopped. Their murders and genocides must be stopped.
“We can’t do it alone, so we have tried to ignore the fact that it needed to be done. I do believe that my husband, annoying as his method may have been, is showing us the way.”
51
“We have a problem, Captain Octavio Catalan.”
“What kind of problem, D?” Octavio asked. After thirty-three days, Specialty Matrix XR-13-9-D had a recognizable voice to him now, which he thought was interesting. He’d worked with Matrices before, and they’d all used the exact same monotone translation that tended to fool humans into thinking they were emotionless.
D was clearly trying to avoid that, layering in pitch and tone to its voice. The Matrix hadn’t got to anything resembling a normal voice yet—even the translations human computers ran of Vistan language sounded more normal—but it was closer than any other.
And that meant he could recognize D instantly when the Matrix spoke to him…and pick up that the Matrix was concerned.
“Two recon nodes under Recon and Security Matrix KCX-DD-61 have been using tachyon punches to achieve closer visuals and sensor data of the Creator colony ship,” D told him. “They were being careful to avoid the known tachyon-punch signatures that appear to be following the Creator vessel.
“They were insufficiently careful.”
Octavio closed his eyes. That did not sound good.
“How bad?” he asked.
“All three nodes were destroyed within two point six seconds of contact.”
There were no ships currently in the Refuge System capable of engaging and destroying a single recon and security unit, let alone doing so in under three seconds. Assuming the right engagement range, Vigil might have managed to obliterate the three ships that fast.
Maybe.
“Do we have any data on what attacked DD-61?” Octavio finally asked. “Anything they got us might help us avoid their fate—and keep their deaths from being in vain.”
“See projector two.”
Octavio’s office aboard the shipyard was cramped and lacking in amenities such as cushions. It did have three holographic projectors, though, and a direct link to XR-13-9-D’s core aboard Interceptor. The big ship was D’s body, but D was fully in control of the shipyard as well.
The projector turned on with the image of a standard ESF tactical display. That was probably a translation on D’s part, but it did make Octavio’s life easier. He could read this display and pick out the three Matrices.
“KCX-DD-61 and the recon nodes punched in approximately thirty light-minutes ahead of the Creator vessel, two hundred and forty thousand kilometers away from the direct vector as a safety precaution.”
A blurred line appeared on the display, marking the approach of the s
lowboat.
“At five minutes plus/minus eleven seconds from closest approach, multiple tachyon punches were detected around the region. Six unknown vessels arrived. KCX-DD-61 decided on a retreat. The decision was not made fast enough.”
Six icons appeared on the hologram. They probably hadn’t been expecting the Matrices, but they moved fast. If Octavio had blinked, he would have missed their arrival and attack entirely.
“Any identification on the ships?” he asked.
“Negative. Hull material appears to be based on the same principles as Matrix construction. Reaction time suggests either fully automated units similar to the Matrices or a defensive AI protocol similar to the ESF’s Guardian Protocols.
“Weapons systems are unknown to us. What sensor data we received suggests coherent radiation beams based around zettahertz frequency radiation.”
“That’s impossible,” Octavio objected. That was orders of magnitude more powerful than the gamma ray lasers used by the Matrices—and zettahertz frequency radiation didn’t occur naturally that he was aware of.
D was talking about a coherent beam of an entirely artificial radiation that carried energy at an insane level. A zettahertz laser…
“It is clearly possible. The mechanisms for such are beyond the technology databases possessed by Regional Construction Matrix XR-13-9, but this Matrix must note that our gamma ray lasers utilize artificial sources of radiation.
“It seems improbable, but the most likely conclusion is that these weapons systems are an advancement of Matrix coherent-radiation weapons systems. Such a system would be more powerful than the ESF’s current spinal accelerated-particle weapon, though by not as significant a margin, given the additional kinetic impact of the particle weaponry.”
“That’s reassuring, I think,” Octavio muttered. It was hard to tell, but it looked like the six ships had been identical. Each had fired three of these…zetta-lasers. Hopefully, that was all they could fire.
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