Real time starcommander.., p.16
Real-Time Starcommander: A Strategy Gamelit Novel, page 16
The placement of the underspace disruption satellites generating the dam in an asteroid belt wasn't a mistake, the devices were also keeping ships from entering real space and colliding directly with a floating hunk of rock. It was an unlikely event, but the Hegemony was so vast and so long-lived that it had happened a handful of times in its history. Tolax had opined that it was better to prepare and not need something than risk catastrophe, no matter how unlikely.
Preparation. Evan wrote the word on the board. That’s what would matter in the coming battle. If the Yuushan could get there first, it could get ready. Even minutes would make a difference. A plan was forming in Evan’s mind, one that drew from everything he had learnt. There was a way to stop the enemy. There was a way to win. All Evan needed, was to get there first.
***
Light danced through the room as the repair drone went about its work. The central strut of the ship hadn’t been a prioritised repair, so the machines were only now getting around to patching the holes in the hull and repairing the damage done during the battle. The room was dark, only the blue glow of the drone’s hand providing scant light. The great shaft that connected the front end of the ship to the back was rarely lit up, living crew didn’t need to access it except in the direst of circumstance.
The drone was focused on its work. A section of wiring had been burnt out during the battle and needed replacing. It wasn't a major issue, the ship was designed with fail-safes for its fail-safes, but without access to the exterior of the ship, there was little else for it to do. Its processor was running at full capacity, repairing wiring at the atomic level was difficult work.
That was why when a warning message from its sensors reached the processor, the code sat there, unworked as the drone died, its chest impaled with a curved metal spike that gleamed in the dying light of the drone’s hands.
Chapter Thirteen
Evan handed the disc back to Tolax, the holographic projection still floating above it. There were only three days left before the Yuushan would arrive in the Ropaxicore system, and Evan was trying to get everything in order ready for their arrival.
“I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking at here.”
“It’s a damage report. The fourth drone found destroyed in as many days,” Tolax said. “I thought you should know about it.”
“Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“Well, one drone could be an accident. Four is a pattern.”
“No,” Evan said turning back to his board. It was full to the brim with words and drawings. Plans laid out atop plans. It was all starting to come together. “What I mean is why did you wait until four of them got destroyed? Even if it was just one destroyed accidentally, I want to know about it. I’m supposed to be in charge of this ship, for the time being at least. If I’m supposed to be you know, commanding the Yuushan, I should at least be treated like I am.”
“Understood, Lieutenant,” Tolax said, taking care to stress the rank. “I’ll try to keep you better apprised in the future. What do you want me to do about the drones?”
“Well, I mean, when you say destroyed, what exactly do you mean?”
“Ceased to function. Shut down. Unable to perform its duties.”
“No, I…I understand what destroyed means. That translated across fine. I mean how were they destroyed? Where were they destroyed? You need to give me something to go on.”
“Ah,” Tolax said. His cheeks turned a shade of brilliant purple, the Kirran equivalent of a blush. “Right. I understand now. The damaged drones have been deposited in one of the ships spare storage bays for the time being. Drone’s are at the bottom of the repair priority list. We have plenty left. It is worrying though. It’s not like the drones to be this careless. We’ll have to find whatever is giving them an issue and prioritise its repair.”
“You think its something wrong with the ship that's doing this?” Evan put down the holoboard's pen and turned to face Tolax. “That the drones are what, running into the same piece of broken girder over and over?”
“It wouldn't be the first time. They're somewhat single-minded.”
“Were they found in the same place?”
Tolax scrolled through the information on the hologram. “Oh, right, yes they were found in different places of the ship. The first was in the rear of the main strut, the part of the ship that connects the engines to the main hull. The second was near the front of the strut, whilst the third and fourth were found in the lower regions of the hull, near where the work is ongoing to restore those decks.”
“So, whatever it is, is moving around inside the Yuushan. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine it’s something wrong with the ship,” Evan said.
“Yes, you’re right of course, Evan. Sorry, Lieutenant. I should have realised.”
Evan shook his head. “No, you shouldn't. You're a scientist. You're supposed to be teaching us, humans, how to use the holotanks and recording the results. You're just like the rest of us, working it out as we go along. Mistakes are to be expected.” Evan tapped the alien on the shoulder, before quickly realising the gesture might not translate. “We need to get this sorted before we arrive in Ropaxicore. A boarder could do untold damage to us by then.”
“I’m sorry I don’t follow.”
“Well, they could sabotage engines, communications systems, anything really. You name it I'm sure they could break it. Maybe even destroy the ship outright, if that's possible.”
“Ah yes. That makes sense. Sorry, I am familiar with the concept of boarding, though the only examples in history I am aware of feature crews that have already surrendered. There’s always been theories about having to board hostile ships, but it’s never come up, and we’ve always assumed it would involve numbers on both sides. I think it’s safe to say that we’re dealing with rather less than theory would suggest, possibly a single individual.”
“Probably. It's a bit strange though, why bother sending someone aboard if you think the ship is dead? The enemy fleet has just abandoned them, basically.” It didn’t sit right with Evan. The thought that an enemy agent was lose on the ship was bad enough, but it didn’t make sense, and Evan knew that just meant he didn’t have all the information.
“Well, it's no good asking me. Trying to understand the enemy was why you needed me if you remember. Why would you do something like this?”
Evan thought for a moment. It was a good question. The heel of his sneakers squeaked as he tapped his foot against the floor. The Yuushan wasn’t totally silent yet, the repairs were still ongoing, but it was a lot quieter than it had been a week ago. The repair systems were impressive, at least whilst they weren’t being destroyed.
“Because the Yuushan isn’t the target. Or at least it wasn’t initially. Think about it, you put an agent on an enemy ship, presumably another one will come looking for them. You can have them hop aboard that, and who knows where they end up eventually.”
“That’s a difficult proposition, having someone wait until a ship arrives. What if they run out of oxygen? Or food? Who knows how long it would take for someone to come by.”
“Not if they're not…” Evan wanted to say human, but the word didn't seem right, “a person. Seems like the ideal job for a robot of some kind. We know they can build automated ships as the Hegemony can. Makes sense they can build drones too.”
“An interesting hypothesis.”
“Well, it’s one we’ll have to prove. We can’t have something, or someone, wandering around the ship. We better gather everyone together.”
***
The drone was a mess. Something had punched clear through its torso, leaving a hole big enough for Evan to put his arm through. With its guts exposed like this, it was clear that the repair drones were reasonably armoured. That made sense for machines designed to operate under dangerous conditions, but it was hardly reassuring. Whatever being had inflicted this damage had to be incredibly dangerous.
“I not entirely sure what I’m looking at here,” Byeol said, staring down at the remnants of the robot.
“You know it’s funny, that’s exactly what I said. This is robot number four to meet this fate. Something keeps doing this to them,” Evan said, kicking the side of the inactive drone. “And that means we need to find that something and deal with it.”
“Oh no, I’ve seen that movie. That sounds like one of us getting stuck to a wall and filled with eggs,” Sandeep said. “Do we not have like, guard robots, or anything like that?”
“The Hegemony doesn’t think planetary defences are necessary. Why would they have guard robots?” Byeol had her hands on her hips as she berated Sandeep. “Come on, think it through.”
“We’ll add it to the list of our recommendations,” Evan said. “For now, it’s up to us. Thankfully the Hegemony didn’t leave us totally undefended. We do have these.”
He gestured to the selection of rifles laying on the floor next to the broken robot. Evan had collected them from the armoury before meeting the others in the storage bay the damaged machines had been placed in. The room was a large empty space, a massive set of doors on the far side allowing access to space beyond. It had been designed to be loaded with cargo, though it was empty at the moment, the ability only a minor function of the Yuushan.
“Are these guns?” Sandeep said, picking up a rifle. He examined the weapon, taking care not to press the obvious trigger.
“Yes, be careful with them though, they can do some serious damage,” Evan said from experience.
“You did the same thing you did with the torch didn’t you?” Byeol picked up the rifle by the tip of its barrel like she was lifting a dirty nappy. “Is this a good idea? I don't think it'll be quite as bad as Sandeep's eggs thing, but whatever is doing this we know is dangerous. Punching through a drone like that means it has a weapon of some kind, either that or it's incredibly strong.”
“We don’t really have much choice,” Evan said, taking a weapon for himself. “We can’t let whatever did this just wander around the ship doing what it likes. We have to take care of it, and we have to do so before we get to Ropaxicore.” Evan bent down and picked up another rifle, offering the weapon to Tolax. The alien had so far been silent, standing behind Byeol and Sandeep with his hands clasped nervously. “You too, Tolax.”
“I do think perhaps Nira might be better suited to assisting with the…”
“Nira is currently sitting locked in the command room, with one of these across her lap. Someone has to keep an eye on everything up there, and you lost the coin flip.” There had been no flip. Evan liked to think he had picked Tolax at random, but deep down they both knew it was a punishment for not bringing the issue to Evan sooner. “Come on, quicker it’s done, the quicker it’s over with.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Not sure I quite follow what a coin flip is,” Tolax said as he took the rifle. “But I do understand what you’re saying.”
“Good. Ok, we’ll pair off. Tolax is with me, Sandeep and Byeol you two stick together. We’ll start at the lowest deck; you start at the highest. Sweep room by room and we'll meet in the middle. Whatever this is has been working its way towards the main hull, so it's safe to say it's in here somewhere.”
“Is it really safe to say when we’re hunting something deadly in the halls of a half wrecked ship?” Sandeep said, taking care to point the rifle at the floor. “It feels like almost the opposite of safe.”
“Welcome to our lives now,” Byeol said. “This is going to be…interesting, at least.”
“Keep in contact, communications channels open on your discs. Nanoskins on as well, please. I don't want anyone being caught out if they blow a hole in the hull by accident,” Evan said, activating his suit to make his point. The tide of silver spread out from within his stud, covering his body.
“If you do encounter a hull breach, it is extremely important that you do not leave the ship,” Tolax said.
Evan slipped his disc into a pocket that had formed in his nanoskin. “Well, I would have thought that was obvious.”
“No, what I mean is underspace isn't like regular space. It's filled with currents and eddies, swirling energies that can and will sweep you away if they strike you. Going outside will send you spinning off beyond our ability to reach you.”
“Oh, well, when you put it like that. Listen to Tolax then, no going outside the ship. What about near gaps in the hull?”
“It would be inadvisable to go near those as well. The ship will do its best to absorb the energy striking it into its buffer, but there’s a chance some might get inside. Your nanoskin will protect you for some time, but if a wave of force hits you, it isn’t the gentlest thing in the universe. Definitely some bruises the day after for most species.”
“Great, anything else dangerous we need to look out for, aside from the mystery attacker and the…angry space?” Sandeep’s face was awash with concern.
“No, I do believe that’s it. For now, at least, I suppose it depends on what it is we’re actually facing.” Tolax put his hand on his chin, trying to think about anything he could have missed. “I’m afraid hunting for enemies is as new to me as it is to you. This will make for a rather interesting addition to my research paper though. Then again, this entire experiment is one of unexpected outcomes.”
“Well,” Evan said, tucking the rifle to his arm, “let's hope there aren't too many more surprises.”
***
Evan could feel sweat beading on his forehead as he stepped out of the elevator, rifle held to his chest. Tolax was following close behind, but the presence of the alien wasn't reassuring in the slightest. The Kirran was struggling to hold his weapon, his long fingers ill-suited to gripping it. That was strange to Evan. It was, after all, the Kirran Hegemony, named for its founders and most populous member species. That they hadn't designed their weapons to be used for their own kind spoke volumes. For the first time, Evan wondered how equal the member species of the Hegemony really were.
“Stay close. We don’t want to get separated,” Evan said. He swept the room with his rifle. The bottom deck of the Yuushan was a single empty room, an endless swath of dull white. “What is this place?”
“Most Hegemony ships are designed to be modular. The majority of the decks are empty like this. That way should something be required for a mission; the drones can assemble it. Say, additional sleeping space, a specialist laboratory, manufacturing systems of some kind. Anything that might be needed.” Tolax’s steps were slow and purposeful, the nerves getting the better of him. He needn’t have worried, hiding in the vast open chamber would have been impossible.
“That makes sense. We’ll walk to the other side to make sure, but it looks like there’s nothing here. I’m assuming that this area stretches hull to hull?”
“It does, yes. It can be portioned off into smaller areas, of course.”
“Of course.” That had been obvious to Evan, but he excused Tolax. Whilst hunting for a potential enemy with a weapon in hand was as new to Evan as it was to the blue-skinned alien, Evan had at least been paintballing before. Holding a weapon didn't repulse him to the core the same way it did a member of the Hegemony. “You want to hold it tighter to your shoulder, the rifle. It'll keep it steady if you have to fire it.” When Evan had fired one accidentally the weapon had kicked back with recoil despite launching a bolt of energy.
“Oh, right, of course. Sorry, I’ve only ever seen one of these on video before.”
“Really? I wouldn’t have thought guns made it into your entertainment. Considering the whole…attitude of your people.”
“A firearm is a useful tool beyond just killing people. Some planets teem with hostile animal life, for example. Lots of popular stories involve the heroes fighting against some beast or the other. It’s violence against sentient life we have an issue with,” Tolax said, adjusting the rifle as Evan had suggested.
“Who gets to decide what’s sentient or not?”
“A somewhat thornier question.” Tolax turned as he moved, sweeping his vision around the room. “You know, it has been rather impressive how well you've adapted to commanding this vessel. It bodes well for the experiment as a whole. Despite our setbacks you've risen to the occasion.”
“Haven’t had much of a choice,” Evan said. “Besides, in truth, I'm barely holding it together. It's the human way really, pretend like you have everything all together even when you don't. Of course, everyone else is doing the same, so it’s really just a contest to see who can pretend to cope the best. Some people struggle with it, not every human is going to be suitable for this…program.”
“We are aware. I can assure you, that feeling that you’re just barely hiding your problems isn’t unique to humans. Neither is the nagging thought that you have somehow lucked your way into a position you are ill-suited for.” There was a tremor in Tolax’s voice, one that signalled he was speaking from experience.
“Well, that second feeling is new to me. My last job, back on Earth, was doing data entry.”
“I’m not familiar with that concept.
“Well,” Evan said, coming to a halt and holding out a hand to signal Tolax to do the same. “My job was taking records that had been written down on paper and entering them into a national database, so they could be accessed by computer. I think we can say this area is clear.”
Tolax turned around to begin the walk back towards the elevator. “Why were these records not simply entered into the computer system, to begin with? That feels like an awful waste of time and effort.”
