Peacekeeper- God Complex Page 8
The tip of Lashpa’s tail wiggled up and down. “I spent a great deal of time looking at this exact same map,” she said. “I came to the same conclusion you did. We should be able to ascertain the condition of the crew from orbit. I suggest we take only one ship down to the surface leaving the other in a fixed orbit several thousand kilometers above the surface.”
Tom smiled and shook his head. “It’s damn creepy how we think alike. Your plan and mine are almost identical. I was thinking the second ship should be in stealth mode.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like the thought of having our only means of long-range communication destroyed,” he replied.
Lashpa nodded her head, agreeing to his reasoning, then countered by saying, “We have no idea how good the sensors are of the people we are dealing with. If their level of technology is similar to that of the Kyrra, they might be able to detect our ship even in stealth mode. We also don’t know how long we’ll be on the planet and our ships can only sink so much heat. If it’s forced out of stealth, our deception will be revealed.”
“Good point,” Tom admitted. “We’ll use your plan especially since I think we’re dealing with someone more advanced than the Kyrra.”
“What makes you believe that?”
“Did you look at the technical analysis of the weapon used against the Paranuth?”
“I did. Way beyond anything we are capable of.”
“The weapon that disabled the Paranuth was encased in a faster than light drive field and it appeared to be more compact than the one used by the Kyrra.”
“In other words, a more advanced version.”
“Exactly. I’m worried,” Tom admitted. “If the fleet decides or is forced to attack, there’s going to be a massive loss of life.”
“I know that tone of voice,” she replied. “What are you proposing?”
“We need a ship that can take on Kyrra-style weapons and there’s only one ship I’m aware of in the entire Alliance that meets that specification.”
“The Komodo Dragon.” Lashpa replied. “Krish, where is the Komodo Dragon currently located?”
“The Komodo Dragon is assigned to the Almaranus defense force and is on patrol in that area.”
“ETA to L103-021 at maximum speed?” Tom asked.
“Twenty-four days.”
“No need to have them rush,” Lashpa said. “Krish, send a priority message to the Komodo Dragon. Give them the coordinates of the fleet near L103-021 and tell them to be there a day before we arrive.”
“Acknowledged.”
Lashpa turned the map slightly and ran her finger along a path between their intended point of landing, through where the crew of the Paranuth were being held, then to the base that was their ultimate destination. “It’s going to take several days to travel this distance. We’ll need to carry a lot of equipment. I think we’re going to have to use our combat armor.”
Tom reached back and scratched the back of his neck. In the real world, it was part of his armored headpiece instead of skin but it was a long-time habit he had never been able to break. “Um, I might have a solution, but you might not like it.”
“Tell me and I’ll let you know.”
“I started making a list of things we would need to carry with us,” Tom explained. “Our cybernetics will require recharging and that means we’ll need to carry a portable power generator as well as extra fuel. We’ll need food and water for at least a week. We shouldn’t have to sleep out in the open so … well, the list started getting pretty long. I also don’t like the idea of being without at least one combat suit.”
“So, we use our suits to carry our equipment. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
“Do you think we should show up with our combat armor? That might present the wrong impression of our intentions. What about disguising your combat armor as a worker drone. Your armor is far stronger than mine and can carry a much heavier load. With you inside, it would appear as if I was the only peacekeeper sent to investigate. It might give us an advantage later on.”
“You want me to pretend to be a worker drone?” Lashpa asked, a wave running down her tail. Tom was about to explain further but stopped as she nodded her head and said, “I like the idea.”
“You do?”
“I do. It makes perfect sense. But that means we will have to take my ship down to the surface. There isn’t enough room in your ship for my armor to maneuver through the passageways.”
“We’ll load my armor onto your ship as well, just in case.”
Tom picked up the map, rolled it up, and tossed it into the air. It transformed itself into a bird which then flew over to join the others still happily poking around in the grass. “Nice touch Orion!” he said, sitting down with his back against Lashpa.
Relaxing, he swore he could feel the warmth of her body against his back even though he knew they were separated by several hundred kilometers of vacuum. Lashpa lowered her head until it was resting on the grass next to Tom’s leg and closed her eyes.
“Our target area is 17.4 degrees south of the equator,” Lashpa said. “Based on the planet’s axial tilt and its current orbital position, Krish is of the opinion that the temperatures will be relatively mild but there’s an increased chance of rains.”
“Wonderful,” Tom replied. “I hope the storms there are milder than the one’s on Roulda.”
Now that they had a plan in mind, it was time to rest and just enjoy the presence of each other’s company. No words were needed. Tom lost track of time and eventually fell asleep.
An hour later, he woke up still sitting in his command chair. One of the advantages of having a cybernetic body was the ability to go to sleep in virtually any position and never having to worry about waking up feeling sore because of the position he had slept in. He’d been dreaming about something but the memory of what it was hovered just beyond his ability to remember. Whatever it was though, it was important, because he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
He got up, used the bathroom, and wandered into the kitchen to grab himself something to eat. He was pulling a out frozen turkey sandwich when it hit him. “Orion, is Lashpa awake?”
“She is.”
“Give us an audio connection.”
There was a brief delay then, “I’m here Tom.”
“I just thought of something,” Tom began, popping the sandwich into the microwave. “Were those backpacks the crew of the Paranuth carrying standard Alliance survival packs?”
“I believe so,” she replied. “They probably pulled them out of the escape pods and shuttles. Why?”
“Don’t they have emergency radios?”
“Yes they do!”
“That means we might have a way to communicate with them,” Tom said. “The fleet was probably ordered out of the system before anyone had a chance to try to use them.”
“We’ll have to give it a try when we are within range,” she suggested.
Chapter 11
During the trip to L103-021, Tom spent a significant amount of his time immersed in the Stargate universe. He had planned on trying to make it through the entire Stargate saga during the trip but he seriously underestimated the number of episodes of the once-popular television series. Things became complicated when his ship informed him that in order to keep the storyline intact, he would have to begin interleaving two of the television series after several seasons of the first series—Stargate SG1.
The Orion’s AI dutifully put the shows in the correct order then calmly informed him that it was a statistical impossibility that he would be able to watch all 586 hours of shows and movies during their trip. Undeterred, he started at the beginning and began watching. In between the shows, he and Lashpa played chess, often doing so in a virtual world filled with the quiet sounds of nature.
Tom had attained the status of grandmaster before he joined the academy and had introduced the game to Lashpa shortly after they had met. She had quickly mastered the basics and then
went on to become a superb player herself. Although she had reached the level of a grandmaster several years ago, it wasn’t until just this year that she had actually received her official rating from the United Chess Federation. She was slightly better than Tom and won a bit more than 60% of the games they played.
Tom slid a bishop through four squares. Keeping his finger on it, he evaluated the new arrangement for a moment, then finalized the move by removing his finger.
Lashpa’s tail looked like a snake that was trying to push its way under her but was not making any headway. “You saw what I was doing, didn’t you?”
Tom leaned back and locked his hands behind his head. “I almost missed it. Bold and sneaky.”
Lashpa reached out and moved a rook halfway across the board. Tom looked at the new configuration and scowled. After a full minute of concentration, he said, “How the hell do you manage to do it?”
Her tail lifted off the ground then slowly returned as she calmed herself down. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about.”
Tom waved his hand over the board. “This!” he said. “You’re a master at multiple deception. You set up a complex attack that will win you the game. You hide it inside another one that will also work but you make it just obvious enough for me to see it. When I finally figure it out and move to counter, you spring your hidden trap.” Tom reached over and tipped his King on its side. “Brilliant!”
“Thank you! I learned the technique from you though.”
“Maybe,” Tom admitted. “But you’re far better at it than I. Good- - -no, great game.”
“We have located the fleet,” the voice of the Orion said in Tom’s ears. “Thirty-seven ships have been detected. ETA, 68 minutes.”
“Is the Dragon there?” Tom asked.
“It is.”
“If you don’t mind,” Tom began, “I’m going to dock with the Dragon, I’ll fill Captain Scarboro in on why he’s here.”
The chess game vanished with a wave of Lashpa’s hand. “I will contact the Fleet Admiral and set up a short conference with him and his advisers.”
“Great,” Tom replied. “I’ll join via vid-link.”
The simulated world ended and Tom found himself back aboard his ship.
* * * * *
Fleet Admiral Shurvith and a handful of others were already assembled in the Tharveth’s main conference room when Lashpa arrived. Thirty-six ship captains, all Rouldian except a single, red-haired Terran, were also present via video link, their patiently waiting faces appearing on the monitors mounted on the walls surrounding a large, oval table. Tom was sharing the same monitor as the red-headed Captain Doug Scarboro.
Lashpa sat (or more correctly laid) down on a chair. Admiral Shurvith waited until everyone was settled and the room was quiet then began the meeting. After the introductions were complete, she turned the floor over to Lashpa.
“We hope this fleet will not be tasked with rescuing the crew of the Paranuth or us if we fail in our mission,” she began. “The inhabitants of L103-026 have demonstrated a level of technology that appears to be on par or greater than that of the Kyrra. After discussing the situation, Tom and I decided to call in the Komodo Dragon. Captain Scarboro, would you be so kind as to give us a quick summary of your ship’s armament?”
“Thanks to the Hess, our main guns are two Kyrra matter/anti-matter particle beam cannons. Our shield is integrated into our Kyrra stardrive which is capable of speeds in excess of 11,000c. The Dragon is also equipped with four state of the art sledgehammers as well as a wide array of secondary weapons and defense systems.”
“In case nobody has noticed,” Lashpa pointed out, “the Komodo Dragon is a heavy cruiser but its formidable Kyrra weapons and shield has enabled it to go head to head against a Chroniech battleship and win. Because of its Kyrra shield, it’s also probably the only ship in the entire Alliance fleet that might be capable of withstanding a hit from the weapon used against the Paranuth.”
“My Chief Engineer has looked at the data concerning that weapon,” Scarboro said. “Although we don’t fully understand how the Kyrra shield works, he’s confident it will adequately protect us against that weapon.”
“Thank you Captain. The Komodo Dragon is here in case this fleet is forced to act. Its unique capabilities means we will be relying on it as the lead attack vessel.”
“My fleet was forced to leave the system because we had no defense against the weapon used to disable the Paranuth,” Fleet Admiral Shurvith said. “The ship that attacked the Paranuth was not much larger than a cargo shuttle, yet it easily crippled a heavy cruiser with a single shot.”
“Tom and I discussed our options during our trip here and have come up with what we believe is a viable plan. As soon as our ships are refueled, we will board my ship, the Krish, and head for L103-021. Tom’s ship, the Orion will follow.”
“The inhabitants have threatened to destroy any ship that approaches the planet,” Admiral Shurvith said.
“We are aware of this,” Lashpa replied. “We believe the threat only applies to military vessels or ships and drones from such vessels. Given the fact that we have gone to the extreme precaution of disarming our vessels, we believe we will be allowed to approach.”
“And what if you’re wrong?” one of the captains asked.
“Our options are limited,” Lashpa replied. “We can abandon the crew of the Paranuth—an option nobody wants to accept. We can attempt to rescue them by force—an option that will most likely guarantee the loss of additional vessels and might even result in the unintentional death of the entire crew. Or, we can attempt to establish contact with the inhabitants and negotiate a peaceful release of our people. We were sent here by peacekeeper command to attempt to negotiate.”
“My apologies Peacekeeper Krish,” the Captain said, bowing his head slightly.
Lashpa looked around the room then continued. “Tom’s ship will remain in orbit while we descend to the surface in the Krish. During our approach, we will make an attempt to establish contact with the crew of the Paranuth using the emergency radios we believe they have in their possession.”
“We also thought about those radios,” the Fleet Admiral said. “I almost ordered a probe to be sent into the system to see if it could establish contact with the crew. But, I feared it would be regarded as an act of aggression.”
“A probe from this fleet could very well have been viewed as a violation of the inhabitant’s order for you to leave the system,” Lashpa replied. “Our peacekeeper ships are easily identified and our lack of armament should indicate our peaceful intentions. If the crew managed to take even one emergency radio with them, we should be able to make contact with them. In the event we can’t, we will plan our approach so as to make a high-level pass over the last known location of the crew of the Paranuth. If this fails, we have a contingency plan after we land to contact the crew if possible before we head for the base.”
“The inhabitants have refused to communicate with us,” Captain Harth said. “Are you planning on trying to talk to them before you land?”
“We’ve decided against making the attempt. We will not try to communication with them during our approach. Our goal is to meet them face-to-face and discuss the release of the crew.”
“Our thinking on this is quite simple,” Tom added. “If we broadcast our intent and the inhabitants reply and refuse us permission to land, then doing so could be viewed as an act of aggression. If we don’t ask to land, they can’t tell us no.”
“They might say no anyway,” Fleet Admiral Shurvith said.
“That’s a chance we’re willing to take,” Lashpa replied. “Both of our ships will maintain an open channel with the fleet so you can view our progress. We have contingency plans in place in case the inhabitants choose to employ aggressive measures against us. If communication is lost with both our ships, we ask that you do nothing for at least three days. If we are still alive, it will give us time to resolve the situation.”
“Then you can assume our mission has failed and you are free to do as you wish. If the crew are being taken care of, I would advise against attempting a rescue.”
“Why?”
“Two reasons,” Lashpa replied. “The foremost is the potential cost in lives and ships. This might seem harsh, but we must ask ourselves, how many are we willing to sacrifice to rescue 295 people? How many ships are we willing to lose? Are we willing to risk starting a war with a more advanced civilization? The other reason is even more dire—no matter how careful we are, there is always the possibility the inhabitants will retaliate by killing the crew.”
Fleet Admiral Shurvith looked around the room. “Are there any additional questions for Peacekeeper Lashpa?” After a moment of silence, he said, “Then this meeting is adjourned.”
Captain Harth approached Lashpa as the meeting was breaking up. “We should finish manufacturing the items you requested in another hour or so. Can you tell me what they’re for?”
“We are expecting to have a long trek from our chosen landing spot to the inhabitant’s base of operations,” Lashpa explained. “We will be using the items we requested to disguise the combat armor as being less than what it actually is. I will be pretending to be nothing more than a drone being used to carry Tom’s supplies. The suit’s weapons are still present and might come in handy.”
“Ah! That explains the material you specified. It will shield the weapons from discovery.”
“We hope it will do so. We are taking a risk that the adversary’s sensors will not be able to penetrate the shell. If they discover our deception, they might decide not to negotiate with us.”
* * * * *
“I’m worried Tom,” Captain Scarboro said, as soon as the video-link was terminated. “I’m worried about what we might be getting ourselves into.”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked, taking a sip of water.
“The weapon deployed against the Paranuth is designed to be as nondestructive and as nonlethal as possible. It’s obvious they wanted to preserve the ship and the crew otherwise they would have destroyed it. The question is why? More importantly, what other weapons do they have available?”