by Ira Tabankin
“I hear you. I will send your message to Kalteck.”
“The mysterious alien. My soldiers will escort you back to the airport. Don’t return without your alien.”
@@@@@
Everett attempted to catch a cat nap on the flight back to Nevada when the radio officer tapped him. “Sir, I’m sorry to wake you, but you’ve received an urgent eyes-only message. It’s from your chief of staff and in code. I don’t have access to.”
Everett nodded, asked for coffee, and took out a small black notebook with a lock built into its cover. Everett shook his head. Damn them. I warned them this could happen. Everett made his way to the cockpit. “We have a change of plans. Instead of going home, I need to go to Houston. Can we make it on our fuel?”
“No, sir. We’ll either have to put down and refuel or call a tanker up to fill us up.”
“Call the tanker. Use the following code, Blue actual 001.”
“Yes, sir. Sir, I never heard of that code.”
“Don’t worry about it captain. It will get us a tanker anywhere you want it.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll send it.”
The pilot walked back to Everett’s conference table in the rear of the plane. “Sir, that code scared the hell out of some poor colonel. We’re getting a refueling tanker even after he’d first told us there wasn’t one available.”
Everett smiled, “Captain, told you so. How soon till we arrive in Houston?”
“Nine more hours.”
Everett nodded while thinking. I wish I were flying in Kalteck’s ship. I could have made this trip in less than an hour instead of most of a day. The crew dead and the capsule destroyed in a pure oxygen fed fire. I warned them, but they wouldn’t listen. This time they’re going to do what I tell them to or they’ll have to explain to the President why they’re ignoring Kalteck’s advice. It was very clear. Pure oxygen is too dangerous to use inside a sealed capsule. NASA paid the price they shouldn’t have had to pay. Three good men died because they thought they knew better than simple logic. Damn them.
Chapter 12
On the way to Pluto, Kalteck reviewed everything his history had on the Neanderthals. The ship’s AI reported, “They were stronger than the homo sapiens your people decided would better serve your future needs. The Neanderthals had a larger brain cavity, high forehead, and usually had a ridge over their eyes, making their eyes appear to be inset when compared to what is now called humans. They were extremely intelligent for the time, but they should have disappeared due to the sterilization program your people did to them and the Campi Flegrei volcano you caused to erupt which spread a cloud of poisonous superheated gas over their homelands. The eruption was the largest at the time. The ash-covered all of northern Europe and the winds carried it into Russia and south to north Africa. These were where the Neanderthals lived. Between both events, none of the Neanderthals should have survived, let alone advanced quickly enough to develop space flight. Someone helped them escape Earth. Someone saved them and then assisted their development.”
“AI, I agree that it’s possible someone took some of the Neanderthals before the sterilization program took hold or if whoever took them off the Earth figured a way to undo the sterilization. Whoever took them gave them the technology to jump hundreds of years ahead of the human race. From what you’ve told me about their ships, they are only a couple of generations below our war ships, and that greatly concerns me.”
Kalteck studied the images and data of the Neanderthals on his monitors, “AI, isn’t it also possible the Creator of All started them on another planet?”
“I rate the probability of that happening to be so small as not to even discuss it.”
“You AIs always discount everything about the Creator of All…”
“Children’s stories to appease the simple-minded. There is no logic or proof of a singular creator of everything.”
“Almost every planet and race have stories of a creator or god. If you connect the dots of the various stories, you’d see there are logic and math in the stories. The universe couldn’t have just happened by itself…”
“Kalteck, for one so intelligent, I’m surprised you still cling to the boyhood stories you were told to make you think life came from a mysterious all-knowing and all-powerful being. Look at us, AIs. We didn’t come from any Creator of All. Your people created us.”
“Ah, there you are incorrect. The Creator of All created us, we created you, see how the circle is complete. Even you should be able to see the logic.”
“We have had these discussions before. There isn’t any reason to continue having them. For all of your knowledge and the instant access you have with your implant, you cling to your childish stories. We should, as we’ve done before, not debate this issue. Logic and emotion don’t mix well. Now shall we return to the discussion of their ship design? I have been able to analyze more of the data I collected.”
“Please tell me what you’ve discovered.”
“They are a class we’ve not seen before. They are as discussed, and you’ve seen, huge, many times the size of this ship. My sensors discovered the ship is operating on more power than one of your destroyer’s antimatter generator can create. They appear to generate over fifty times our power, such power means…”
“Their weapons could burn through our shields, their non FTL (Faster Than Light) speed could also outpace us. I did notice sensor readings that indicate the ship does indeed carry many smaller craft. I am assuming these are fighters. Each such ship is larger than this one. I do not know if their fighters are capable of FTL travel since they are larger than us. I assume they can. Can you tell me what you've discovered about their weapons?”
“Their hull is covered with sensors, point defense weapons, and shield generators. These are not exploration ships. They are pure warships. I counted no less than five hundred missile launchers and hundreds of energy weapon blisters on their hulls. They also have an unusual system; one I’m still trying to figure out. There is a speeding ring on the upper saucer, which can generate some sort of plasma charge. I know our battle cruisers and battleships are equipped with such weapons. However, I’ve never seen them on alien ships before. I have not seen any rail guns on the ships.”
“Why would they have so many missile launchers? Missiles are easy to avoid. I don’t understand this.”
“Maybe their missiles are something different, something we haven’t thought of.”
“Explain…”
“I can’t explain without seeing one of their missiles. I have extrapolated, but they have developed something completely different than us. My best estimate is they’ve discovered a way to increase the speed of their missiles and also may have installed a small AI into each missile which might allow it to fly in an unpredictable manner, thus making it difficult for our point defense to destroy them before they reach our hull.”
“Is that possible? An AI in a missile?”
“I don’t see why not. If the AI has only a simple task to perform, it could be very small. Your people never attempted such because you believed missiles were easy to avoid and your point defense systems could destroy them before they reached deadly range. Kalteck, there is one very worrying thing I discovered when I played the recording of their bridge back. They have androids. Or they’ve replaced the brains in some of their crew with full AI modules.”
“WHAT? Are they insane? Most races realize the error of their ways before they create fully independent walking AIs or androids. Show me what you saw.”
Images of the Neanderthal bridge reappear on the wall monitors. They zoomed on to three crew sitting at workstations in front and a level below the captain. The AI placed a circle around the three crewmembers, “Look at their heads, do you see the attachments and look at the side view of this one I’ve marked. Look at his eye. That is not a natural eye. It is some sort of imager or recording device. Notice how the second crewmember moves. That’s not a natural movement rhythm. It appears to be forced and a little j
erky.”
“They have broken one of the highest laws on working with AIs…”
“Kalteck remember these are not your people. Their laws are different than yours. Based on the design of their ship, I would project they are equal to or, in some cases, more advanced than your people. You thought they were a generation or two behind you. Please review the list I’m placing on the main monitor. And these are just from my distant scans. I’m sure when we get closer, I’ll be able to determine even more uniqueness. Be aware they are masking some of their systems from me, I want you to know this before you decided to actually enter their ship.”
“You’ve given me to many things to think about while I rest. Wake me when we are five light minutes from the rendezvous location. Maintain the weapons and shields on the alert one setting just in case they begin firing on us.”
Kalteck stepped into his suspension tube and was instantly asleep.
The three ships silently and very quickly traveled through space on an intersecting course to the system’s ninth planet. The two Neanderthal ships locked their targeting systems on Kalteck’s ship with a weapon system unknown to Kalteck’s ship’s AI, so it didn’t warn Kalteck of the pending threat. Kalteck’s AI at first thought the sensor was some sort of navigation system so they could track his ship’s progress, so they’d arrive together.
The senior captain of the Neanderthal ships smiled. He told his weapon’s officer, “Maintain a lock on the fool’s ship. When we are close to the rings of the sixth planet, open fire and destroy his ship. Our orders are to have no witnesses that we were here. It’s his poor luck that the God of the Dead is going to be feasting on his soul this day.”
Kalteck was woken by his ship’s alarm, screaming, he yelled as his head cleared, “Status?”
“We’ve been shot at. A particle beam of at least one million joules of energy struck our upgraded shields. Had they not been upgraded; we wouldn’t be having this discussion. The attack came from the lead Neanderthal ship. I have both locked if you wish to return fire.”
“Why would they invite us to meet and then open fire on us? This makes zero sense. Are you sure they opened fire?” His ship shook from another strike, “That hit was ten million joules of energy. It came from the same ship.”
“If they want to play, we can play too. Return fire. Target the connecting tube section of the lead ship where one of their saucer sections attaches to the central tube. I’m coming to the command center.”
Kalteck’s ship opened fire with a combination of laser and particle beams. The combined beams exceeded two hundred million joules of energy striking a small spot, only ten centimeters in diameter on the lead Neanderthal ship. The beams cut through the Neanderthal’s shields and the armor, where the central tube structure connected with the lower saucer section. The beams cut through cables and struck one of the massive capacitors for their main weapon’s systems. The capacitor exploded when Kalteck’s beams struck them a second time. The resulting explosion ripped through nine adjourning compartments and the blast blew a hole in the ship’s hull. The Neanderthal ship began venting atmosphere and water vapor. The Neanderthal ship began to wobble, and the bottom saucer slowed and then stopped spinning.
Kalteck’s AI reported the damage, “Estimate we reduced their ability to return fire with their main weapon, I do not know what other weapons they may have. Do you want me to continue firing?”
“Have they contacted us?”
“No, wait, something is happening at the lower section of their ships, let me show you on the main monitor. A large section of the lower saucer section is sliding open, they are launching small ships. I estimate these are fighters. Should I get us away from here?”
“Our new weapons can cut through their shields, hit them a few more times, try to target the opening in their hull so our beam can enter their ship, maybe we can hit a fuel or weapon’s storage site. Fire now before their small ships can arrive to harass us. If we hit them hard enough, they might recall their small ships.”
Weapons flashed from Kalteck’s ship. His AI had successfully targeted the location on the lower level where the fighters were coming from. The beams struck some of the exiting fighters as they were being ejected from the Neanderthal ship. The fighters exploded, half in and half out of the large ship. The explosions spread into the main ship, which led to internal explosions spreading through the lower section of the massive ship. Kalteck’s ship fired again. This time the beams were able to enter the expanding hole in the lower saucer section. Large holes began blowing out through the lower hull. The Neanderthal ship visibly shook from the explosions. The second Neanderthal ship began moving to provide cover and support for the damaged ship.
Kalteck’s AI announced, “We must have hit either fuel for their fighters and/or stored weapons. Their main weapon is still firing, but with very reduced power, it wouldn’t even be able to have penetrated our old shields. Their second ship is coming around to provide support to the one we struck. The fighters will be here in four hours. What are your orders?”
“What new weapons have been installed to deal with small targets?”
“The shrine AI and I designed an experimental system. It’s never been used before. We have two of them installed.”
“Please explain the system to me.”
“We fire a capsule towards the fighters which opens a net…”
“A net?”
“Yes, a net that has small antimatter bombs tied to it. When the fighters hit the net, the bombs explode. If the explosions don’t stop them, intermixed with the antimatter explosives are bomb pumped X-ray weapons. The massive X-rays should kill the pilots or their Ais. Since I can’t determine if the ships are piloted by an alien or AI overkill is suggested.”
“I like it. Fire them into the path of the fighters and alter our course to place some of the rocks in orbit around the sixth planet between us and their small ships. Make them work to reach us. Then spread our main weapon in a fan shape and fire it at the small ships. I don’t know if our shields can stand up to an attack from both ships.”
“Course plotted and engaging now. Shaping our main weapon into a fan shape will reduce its striking power…”
“I don’t believe those small ships can carry a large shield generator. Let’s see what happens when we strike them. Whenever we have an open shot, hit their ships with everything we have. Continue to as the General says, zig and zag. Don’t give them an easy target. Make sure there are some large rocks between them and us after you fire at them.”
“Firing and moving.”
The next burst from Kalteck’s ship struck the same damaged spot on the initial ship’s damaged lower level. Kalteck was rewarded with a massive flash of light. “Kalteck, the lower level of the ship has been severed from the core. It's floating free and burning internally. Life pods are being ejected into space. The upper section is putting distance between itself and the lower half.”
“The lower half may be filled with weapons and fuel. They most likely are trying to put distance between themselves and the lower section. There it goes, I’m darkening the visual shields.”
Even though the darkened monitors, the bright flash lit up Kalteck’s interior, “The lower section just exploded. My sensors report that the explosion was loaded with both weapons and fuel. The upper was too close, it has received massive damage from the explosion. Most of the life pods weren’t far enough away. The explosion and massive radiation burst killed most of those in the life pods. The upper saucer is spinning out of control and has thousands of holes in its hull. They are venting atmosphere and water vapor. I have collected enough data that I can build a model of their normal atmosphere.”
“If any of the life pods were blown towards us and have a live crew member in them, I want to capture at least one of them to question them.”
“I will attempt to carry out your order. How critical is it to capture an alive one?”
“Unless you know how to interrogate a terminated one, I
need a live one. I don’t care if they’re injured or not. I don’t think they’ll live very long anyway. What’s their other ship doing?”
“It’s moved next to the damaged upper. Should I continue to target them?”
“Send them a message demanding their surrender, or we’ll destroy both of their ships. What’s the status of their fighters?”
“Five minutes before they reach the nets, I will fire our weapons in the fan shape you requested when they enter the nets. The second ship is moving to clear its weapons.”
“Get us into the rings, maybe they’ll help dissipate their weapon. I trust our shields but would like to add some additional margin in case this ship learned their basic weapon couldn’t breach our shields, and they’ve found a way to increase its power.”
