Chapter 16
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We followed the captain to a long viewport hallway that ran the length of Dock-77. The Daunte was there, covered in scaffolding, with her exterior plating removed.
The captain said, “You can see right along there on the right and left sides of the fuselage, they're reinforcing the framework to support the two ion cannons that will be installed. They're the newest models, an order of magnitude more powerful than what was on that destroyer the Free Alliance destroyed.
“Over here, you can see them adding a second reactor/generator. Your ion drive is being upgraded to military grade, as is your nav system. Your commercial main computer is faster than our mil one, so it will remain as it was, with a second, redundant unit installed. If you look at the new hull plating they're uncrating on the end down there, you can see the difference in thickness from these old stacks over here. You should be able to take several direct hits from our best cannon before she cracks.
“You'll be losing about two cubic meters of interior space. They removed several of your galley cabinets. Other than that, you shouldn’t notice any difference. One last improvement that you'll notice is with your steering thrusters. You should have top-notch maneuverability while in atmosphere. When they get her back together, she'll be one impressive ship. Most of us veterans here are a bit jealous.”
I said, “Those cannon pods—will they be visible from the exterior? Will we look like a gunship?”
The captain shook his head. “Fully integrated into the hull. The amplifier tips are even hidden until they are armed. From the outside, you'll look like any other ship of that model, only slightly larger because of the thicker plating. Unless you're sitting side by side with another ship of your class, no one will know the difference.”
We thanked the captain and continued to the cafeteria for our evening meal. Joni had a plate of leafy vegetables, something Humans called a salad. I had a plate of steamed Perrion lizards.
My last meal of Perrions had been several years before. I complimented the military cook on his preparation and presentation. Joni scowled at what she considered a disgusting sight as I peeled the skin from each lizard before dipping them in a spicy hot oil and then letting them slide down my throat.
Joni said, “I have had dinners with many species at family political functions, but I have never been witness to something so revolting. They almost look like they're still alive.”
I laughed. “They are alive. The steam blanching only stuns them so they are easier to handle. They are wiggling in my gullet as they go down. It is a delightful sensation.”
Joni shook her head as she was repulsed. “Please don’t tell me any more, or I’ll be spewing my salad all over this table.”
I nodded.
The following morning, I met Joni in the hall. We walked the five hundred meters to the simulator room. The captain was waiting as we came through the door.
“Great. Come right over here and have a seat. In front of your chairs you'll see an immersion helmet. Put it on and fasten the strap. Other than having a slight bobble-headed feel, you should be ready to start your training. And Knog, sorry about your helmet. I know it’s not the best fit, but it was the biggest we had. Almost every pilot we have had through here has been Human. Other than a handful of Igari, I haven’t seen any other species. Your helmet was made for a Human with a really big head.”
Joni laughed.
As the helmet powered on, an image of the captain and the room in front of us lit up. The helmet was a snug fit, but fully functional.
The captain said, “Strap yourselves into your chairs. They'll be moving as we go. It will add a bit of realism to the simulation. Now, for your helmet controls, you can adjust focus, brightness, and audio volume. Take a few minutes to find the settings you're comfortable with.”
After fiddling with the controls, we were ready. The captain powered up a small box in front of us and donned a helmet of his own. A switch was flipped.
“First, we'll take a quick virtual tour around the ship. Just lean your head slightly forward to move forward and back to stop or move backward. Side to side will give similar results. Slowly lower yourself and gently spring up in your chair to simulate a jump in the air. I want you to walk around, jump up on top, crawl, get in as many movements as you can until you get a good feel for maneuvering while in the virtual environment.
“We won’t be using movement for much of the training, but it does come into play during several scenarios. So, unless you want to be flopping around during some rather heated missions, you'll want to have good control of the environment.”
We moved around, over, and under the Daunte for twenty minutes before the captain waved us around and up the ramp-way.
“Walk around inside, get familiar with the new layout of your galley, and finish up by sitting in your chairs. We’ll power up the ship’s systems and take her out of the dock for a little run. After that, we start the training scenarios.”
The first day’s scenarios were simple recon runs. Fly out, gather intel, and fly back. On the second day, we got into a minor skirmish with two small enemy ships. Even though the ships outmaneuvered us, our defenses and firepower were superior. I managed to disable their engines as Joni kept us in the fight. On a similar scenario, we switched positions, resulting in the same outcome.
On each successive day, the forces we encountered grew in number and capability. By the end of the week, we were scheduled for a run-in with an enemy battleship.
After flying out to meet our adversary, I spoke as the immense ship came up on our nav screen. “Captain, I’m not a military man, but that ship looks a lot like one of our own. How are we to distinguish our ships from theirs?”
“Unfortunately, in the early part of the war, they captured many of our ships intact. There were many who surrendered without a fight. In much of this war, we've been fighting against our own. You'll find some modifications, but most will be largely intact. The enemy doesn’t like to put their own ships on the line. And this issue makes friendly fire a much bigger problem.”
Joni said, “So, how are we supposed to know if a ship is ours or theirs?”
“All we have to go by is the transponder code and their intent. I will say this up front: you will encounter friendlies in some of these scenarios, so you have to be doubly sure of who they are before you rip into them.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t sound like a good scenario for our troops out there in Andromeda, Captain.”
The captain sighed. “You have no idea, Mr. Beutcher. We get told very little about the fights from there, but what we have heard is disheartening at times. We've had at least one instance where two of our own fleets fought each other. Eight thousand men and thirty-six ships were lost before the fighting was stopped. We can’t afford those losses when we're already losing battle after battle.
“As I said, though, we hear very little from the front lines, as there's only one gate going out to Andromeda, and only the occasional command ship comes back through. It’s been six months without a ship returning at all. The portal itself is only open for the transfer, as it consumes a tremendous amount of cesium to power a wormhole of that size for that distance.”
Joni said, “Why don’t we just build more portals?”
The captain replied, “I wish we could. It seems the founders of the AMP created all the portals we have in existence today. Their designs were hidden away or destroyed, and the guts of what makes them work are sealed and protected against tampering. Should a seal be broken, some sort of blast happens that takes out the entire gate complex. It’s not really a blast, so to speak, as what really happens nobody knows. The complex will disappear, leaving a massive hole where it once was. The original creators didn’t want us messing with them or creating our own.”
Joni flipped several controls on her holo-display. “If you think about it, if the bad guys had access to their own portals, they could bypass all authority with impunit
y. There would be a complete lack of order. They could pop in, take what they wanted, and leave, without you ever knowing what happened. There are just too many bad possibilities that could happen under such a scenario. I know my uncle has researchers working on portal generators, but they are far from any solutions.”
The captain said, “While that may be true on a civilian front, we sure could use ’em in our fight. Having that control would turn the tide of this war and end all the death that comes with it. It would also bring the conscription we have going now to an end.”
Our fights in the simulators continued to increase in scope and complexity. The enemy attacks became stronger and more frequent. Our tactics turned from those of primarily assault to almost nothing but defense. We were becoming proficient in dodging ion pulses and running from a fight that was beyond our ability.
On our final day of simulations, the captain powered on the equipment and said, “I've taught you everything I know to teach. Miss Salton, I would like to say that you are as good as any pilot we have had through here. You always keep your cool, and your decision making has been some of the best I have ever witnessed.
“Mr. Beutcher, you've been just slightly better than average, which is a good thing. You show a boldness and willingness to do whatever it takes to come out on top. Miss Salton can fly, but you have a great command of tactics. That's something that comes to only a few pilots naturally. I think the two of you will make a formidable team out there in the Daunte.
“In this last scenario we're about to undertake, you'll be placed into a simulation of an actual battle that took place only eight months ago. Your ship will be taking the place of one of the last ships to survive. Of the one hundred thirty-two ships in the fleet, only seventeen of our ships made it out. I’m sad to say, this battle is one of our best showings against this enemy.”
When the simulation began, a star system with four planets came into view on the nav screen. We received the order to follow nine other ships to the last planet in the system. It was distant from the star and offered a blue-green color due to the high amount of methane in its atmosphere.
Our squadron was commanded by a Captain Dale Rogers. It was his third engagement, making him one of the most experienced captains in the New Alliance fleet.
Captain Rogers barked out a command. “Freeton and Daunte, I want you crossing the top of that planet in high orbit. Harford, you'll be rounding the port side in an attempt to flush out any ships that might be behind there. Our job is to secure this planet and then work our way back toward to the others. We finally have a fight where we outnumber the enemy two to one. Let’s take advantage of it!”
Joni replied, sending the Daunte in just behind the Freeton. As we came into high orbit, Joni slowed the Daunte’s speed.
I asked, “What are you doing?”
Joni flipped on a deep scan of the planet below. “I don’t trust that murky atmosphere down there. We only see sixty or so ships out there; there must be others, and if they're not behind this planet, they may be sitting on it.”
As we reached the topmost region, word came from the other ships in our squadron. “No ships on the back side, Captain.”
Our orders were to proceed to the third planet to rejoin the next squadron in the fleet. Joni pulled the stick to port and the Daunte quickly circled back. In a second move that was out of character, Joni pushed the Daunte down into the high atmosphere for another scan.
I again asked, “And what are we doing now?”
Joni shook her head. “Back in the detective simulations, I came across a scenario where a pirate vessel was hiding deep in the methane clouds of a planet similar to this. Unless you got right down on it, you wouldn’t pick up a signal. Something about the ionization of the methane that retards the detector’s ability to distinguish signals. I missed the pickup and failed the mission. It was one of only two that I didn’t complete.”
“I wasn’t aware methane could cause such an issue.”
“According to my father, most people don’t know, and they try hard not to advertise it. It’s one of those dirty little secrets that the manufacturers think they can keep hidden from the buyers. It’s insane to not tell your own forces they have a flaw. My father says it’s because they don’t want that secret leaking out to the enemy.”
A buzzing sound emanated from the audio interface of the holo-display. Thirty-six fuzzy signals showed on the screen as the Daunte screamed overhead. A dozen high-energy bolts rose up through the atmosphere toward our position as Joni pushed the throttle to full and rolled to starboard.
Joni yelled into the comm, “I have thirty-six bogies stuffed down in the atmosphere of planet four! We're taking heavy fire! Repeat, we're taking heavy fire.”
I pulled up the weapons screen and punched in several parameters.
Joni turned and yelled, “What are you doing already! Try to get off some shots before we're dead!”
I flipped the weapons enable to on and fired several pulses at the point where the enemy ships were just beginning to emerge. A bright flash reflected through our view portals as Joni completed her starboard roll.
I barked out a command of my own. “Take us down into that atmosphere, now!”
Joni pushed the stick over as she screeched a reply. “Why? What are we doing?”
As we hit the atmosphere, I said, “Now, just fly at this level. If they choose to follow, I'm going to light them up. I adjusted the ion pulse so it should ignite that methane out there. That should add a big kick to anything we get lucky enough to hit!”
The first ship to pull in behind us was a destroyer. It was easily fifty times our size. The ion cannon pulses that struck our hull were diminished when fired through the ionized atmosphere of the planet. My first shot back scored a devastating hit on the destroyer, blowing a hole in its forward hull. The rush of igniting methane that passed inside was like an immense blowtorch. The decks of the destroyer burned heavily, as the forward bridge was one of the first decks to be consumed by the flame. The destroyer dropped back and was quickly pulled in by the gravity of the planet. Two smaller frigates soon took its place.
Joni’s flying technique left me in awe. At almost every point of vulnerability, she turned or dodged or shot deeper into the planet’s gaseous layers. I managed a solid hit on the second frigate, and it soon dropped from its pursuit. The remaining captain was as skilled in flight as Joni.
Our fight continued for twenty-two minutes before I scored a direct hit. At the same moment, an ion bolt found its way into our engine nacelle, causing the ion stream that powered it to compress, voiding the energy amplification that gave us our thrust.
We found ourselves sinking into the intense gravity field of the planet as our single engine failed to restart. Our comm with the remainder of the fleet was cut off by the dense layer of ionized methane that now surrounded the ship. Fifteen minutes later, the scenario ended as the gravitational pressure exerted on the Daunte’s hull caused a massive failure in one of the newly installed external plates.
The captain sat with his jaw dropped. “How did you know to do that? Scan the atmosphere, I mean?”
Joni said, “By chance I picked an odd scenario during my detective’s training for this ship. Our sensors have difficulty with ionized methane. I only found that out because my father toured the plant my uncle owns where the sensors are manufactured. He said it was a known deficiency that is not talked about, because it might reach our enemies. They don’t have a fix for it yet.”
The captain replied, “We've had teams of analysts going over the data from that battle for months. Scans of that planet had been done, but no hostiles were found. The extra ships seemed to come out of nowhere when the main fleet engaged. Even though it’s a simulation, the admiralty insisted that we not know where they came from. The sixty-odd ships that were initially visible turned out to be more than three hundred. We got our asses kicked.”
The captain pulled up the stats for the scenario. “Not bad. Your discover
y netted thirty-eight kills on forty-two losses for us. The rest of the ships were able to back out of the engagement and safely flee.”
The captain sat down and opened a direct comm to his command. “Admiral Simmons, I think we just unlocked the secret of the Danilus engagement. It seems our sensors have a deficiency.”
The Admiral replied, “Well done, Captain. Now forget what you just found out. We can’t let that information fall into enemy hands.”
When the comm closed, I said, “It looks to me like the enemy may already have that information.”
The captain shrugged. His job was to follow orders. The seemingly crucial information would remain with us.
With our combat training ended, we thanked the captain and boarded the Daunte. After we lifted out of Dock-77, it was a short ride back to SS22, and several minutes, and several sweeps later, we found ourselves settling into Bay-17 on SS5.