Jesse's Starship 3: Joshua's Walls (13 page)

Josh looked at Prissy and nodded. She pressed a button on a small controller she was holding and the huge wall monitor on the front wall illuminated. It showed the massive cloud of flying Weg that burst out of the ground after the composite balls had killed the Weg attacking Josh’s Division. She looked around the room and said, “This is what happened after the Weg attacking our Warriors were defeated. Please notice that they are coming out of the soil all over the continent.” Pricilla nodded toward the monitor, “I want you to notice that none of those Weg have been coated with the aerosol. If our warriors continue to fight until this cloud arrives, the carriers will be hit before the warriors can escape.”

Josh nodded, “The Weg are a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of them. I’m reasonably sure they’ve collected samples of the aerosol and analyzed it. They won’t be coming through it next time.”

Rumel stared at Josh and then Pricilla said something that got his attention, “The Weg have also dug some defensive tunnels.”

Alex said, “What do you mean by defensive tunnels?”

“They have dug tunnels at every mountain range on the planet and the seismic sensors tell us that millions of them are staying at those sites. To land next to any mountain on the planet will have the Weg coming out of the ground as soon as your Warriors put a boot on the ground.”

Prissy sighed, “If you stay long enough to fire at the waves of Flying Weg coming in on you, the carriers will be hit at the same moment your troops are attacked.”

Rumel didn’t like what he was hearing, “But the carriers are armed to defend themselves?”

Prissy nodded at the giant cloud of Weg that covered the continent, “Not against those kind of numbers.”

Rumel looked across the table at the Alliance Engineers and Scientists, “Do you have anything to use against this?”

Jek looked at Rumel and said, “Possibly.” Every military leader in the room looked toward him. Even Prissy was surprised by his remark. Jek saw them staring at him and he said, “Colonel Adams, may I use the monitor?” Prissy nodded and Jek pressed the controller he was holding. The image changed and they saw a giant green and orange colored cloud of Weg flying below the carriers. Jek started the video and the attendees saw the Weg were struggling to reach the carriers. Many were flapping their huge wings as fast as possible but they weren’t moving any closer.

Tindel said, “I remember that. The air was too thin for them to move higher.”

Jek nodded, “Yes, it was. The carriers were at seven miles above the planet when that happened.”

Josh shook his head, “Are you going to suggest that the carriers pull the warriors off the planet to that altitude?”

Jek looked at Josh, “Yes.”

Tindel started laughing and everyone looked at him. He shook his head as he said, “Now that will be quite a ride.” He collected himself and then said, “What do you think will happen the second time you use this escape method?”

Jek’s tilted his head, “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say?”

“The Weg won’t keep trying to go after carriers they can’t reach. What they’ll do, and I say this because it’s what I’d do if I were in their place, is stack up a layer of Flying Weg five miles thick above our warriors on the ground.”

Alex liked this new Gracken. He looked at Jek, “If they were to do that, what would happen?”

Jek smiled, “I see his point. We have some more work to do.”

Prissy said, “Is there any way to magnetize the area under the carriers?”

Jek looked at Ganol, “You’re the magnet expert. What do you think?”

“The aerosol won’t work in this application. We have to develop a means of magnetizing every Weg below the carriers.”

Prissy looked at Ganol, “Why?”

Ganol was surprised by her comment and said, “To get them out of the path of the escaping warriors.”

Prissy shrugged, “It’s a shame to waste such a great opportunity to kill that many Weg.”

Josh looked at her, “What are you saying?”

She looked at Josh and said, “Can you imagine firing ten thousand Gracken sized bullets into that cloud of Weg?”

The room was silent and Josh looked at Jek and Ganol, “Would our escaping warriors be able to penetrate through that cloud of Weg?”

Ganol shook his head as he said, “Oh they would penetrate it because the magnets on their armor would not stop being pulled to the carrier. I’m just not sure what shape they’d arrive in after that many high speed collisions with the Weg.”

Prissy’s eyes narrowed and Josh knew her mind was really working. He watched her as the engineers continued to discuss the dilemma. Then he saw her smile and he knew she was about to say something dramatic.

Prissy said, “Our warriors will be moving toward their carriers at what speed?”

The room grew silent and Jek said, “Two miles a second.”

“Isn’t that faster than any conventional round fired out of any weapon we have in our inventory?” Jek nodded. “What would happen if we could change the shape of the warrior’s force fields to a sharp point and have it spinning around them?”

Alex looked at Jek, “Is that possible?”

Jek looked at the scientists and Uginoth shrugged. Jek said, “Is it?”

“It would require the field projectors to realign. I also think two more projectors would be needed to change the basic shape from an oval.”

Alex lowered his eyes, “How much weight would that add to their armor?”

Uginoth shrugged again, “The weight would be negligible. The weight of the power units is what makes the armor so heavy and they won’t be changed.”

The room started talking but Prissy kept her eyes on the old scientist. She saw his eyes and knew there was something he wasn’t saying. She said, “What are you not saying?”

The old scientist flinched at her question and the room immediately grew silent. Uginoth looked around the room and said, “I’ve been accused in the past of making things too complicated and I don’t want to make that mistake with this development you’re asking for us to put together.”

Prissy smiled, “But you have an idea?”

The old Alliance Scientist held up his hands and shrugged, “I was just thinking that if you really want to do some damage, why not shape the force field to have sharp edges that are spinning around our warriors? I imagine they would do a rather nasty job on any Weg they hit.” The entire room was struck silent. The old scientist looked around and said, “I don’t mean to complicate things.”

Alex smiled, “That doesn’t sound like a complication if it can be done.”

Uginoth titled his head, “If we’re going to spin the force field, it shouldn’t require much more to shape it with spiral force blades surrounding the warrior.”

Josh looked at Prissy and never loved her more than in that moment. She was incredible.

Alex said, “Start working on this immediately but before we go any further, I want to know about this Energy Eater that destroyed one of our most advanced Q ships.”

Uginoth looked at Jek, who nodded for him to go ahead, “It is a life form that was at the Weg’s home world when it was first discovered by the Gracken. It is able to move in space by using a tiny energy emission on its rear.” He lifted his controller and the monitor changed images again to a bright yellow colored creature.

General Young said, “That looks like a spot of light.”

Uginoth nodded, “It’s not much more than that. However, if it finds a source of energy, it will attack it and consume it, growing continuously as it feeds.”

Alex said, “What’s the actual size of that creature?”

Jek said, “We measured it at a thousandth of an inch. It will grow to half an inch if it finds an energy source large enough for it to feed.”

Alex shook his head, “How small?”

Prissy said, “Half the size of a period on your word processor.”

Alex shook his head, “Show me the Weg home world.” The Image on the monitor changed and the attendees saw a planet surrounded by a glowing yellow band above the atmosphere that extended fifty miles out in space.

Uginoth nodded, “There are more Energy Eaters around that planet than we’re capable of counting. The number is so huge as to be beyond our ability to visualize.”

Josh stared at the image and said, “Are those things at any of the infested planets?”

Rumel shook his head, “No, they’re only at the home world.”

Josh looked at Rumel, “Why?”

“What?”

“Why are they only there? That is the perfect planetary defense system.”

Rumel looked at Tindel for a moment and said, “I really don’t know.”

Alex looked at the Alliance scientists and said, “We need to find out why. If they start using these at infected worlds…”

Rumel said, “We’ve been fighting the Weg for a hundred years and other civilizations fought them before we entered the fight. If they could use them elsewhere, don’t you think they would?”

“Maybe they didn’t think the risk of moving them to other worlds was worth the danger before now.”

Rumel looked at Prissy and could only shake his head. Tindel said, “I know where you can get some to study.”

Everyone turned to him and he said, “Melegna.”

Alex looked at him, “Where is that?”

“It’s a planet in the outer regions of my home world’s planetary system. The planet rotates once a year so one side of it always faces the sun and the other remains perpetually dark. The Energy Eaters that were blown off the two surviving Q ships were pulled down to its airless surface after the Q ships jumped away.”

Josh smiled, “That’s why you went there; there’s no source of energy for them to feed on.”

Tindel nodded, “We left a probe there and the glow the Energy Eaters give off has disappeared. They have either died or gone into some sort of hibernation.”

Alex looked at Uginoth, “Will you collect some and tell us what you discover?” Uginoth nodded. Alex looked at the Military Leaders, “I request the next drop to be a combined drop with the Gracken and Spartan working together.” He looked at Rumel, “Will you coordinate that with General Adams.”

General Young said, “Sir, shouldn’t we use another unit?”

Alex looked at Young and didn’t like his orders to be challenged, “Name a unit that has gone through jump training with the carriers.”

Alex stared at Young and he wilted, “I’m sorry, Sir. You’re right.”

“You should get with the Alliance and have them deliver the carriers and devices you’ll need to get one of your divisions ready.”

“Yes Sir.”

Alex looked around the table and said, “Keep me informed on your progress.”

He stood up and his Executive Officer yelled, “Atennnshun!” All the officers including the Gracken stood and remained at attention until Alex left the conference room.

Rumel waked over to Tindel and said, “It’s my understanding that your division needs more warriors.”

“Yes Commander, that is true.” Tindel expected Gremel to take the next drop with is division.

“Well I’m going to let it be known that your division will be making the next drop. I don’t think it will take long for volunteers to show up.”

Tindel stared at Rumel, “Thank you, Sir. I expected you to take the next drop.”

“Commander, you’ve demonstrated your talent and ability to me recently. I need you to have a unit ready to support me. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have at my back.”

Tindel smiled, “Thank you, Sir. You can count on me to protect your back.”

Rumel nodded and walked over to Josh. Tindel stared at his Commanding officer and knew he had learned something valuable in that moment. He wouldn’t forget it.

• • •

Sgt. Yung looked at the engineer taking the magnets off his armor as he leaned in over him. The engineer pulled a magnet out of a pouch and Yung said, “What are you doing putting that hubcap on my armor?”

The engineer smiled, “You will be having to go much higher on your next mission.”

Yung’s eyes went wide and he said, “Exactly how much higher?”

The engineer attached the new magnet and smiled, “About four more miles. Where is your other armor?”

Yung stared at the engineer, “Did you say four miles higher?”

“About six miles total. Now where is your other suit of armor?”

Yung pointed at the suit behind him as Lt. Cable walked up, “What’s going on?”

The engineer just told me our next jump was going to be six miles high.”

Jess stared at Yung, “Say what?”

“Six miles.”

Jess stared at Yung and said, “Excuse me.”

Yung nodded as she walked away and yelled, “Let me know if he was kidding.” An hour later he discovered the engineer was wrong…it was seven miles. “Oh my aching backside!”

Captain Krusiev heard him and smiled. Josh had lost many of his officers and non-coms to other units. They were needed to train other divisions in the new fighting tools being brought on line by the Alliance. He agreed with Yung. Wait until he learned they would be making the jump through five miles of flying Weg.

• • •

Tindel and Josh watched the recordings of the last drop and Tindel shook his head, “Have you looked at the tunnels the Weg have dug close to the mountains?”

“I have.”

“I don’t see any way we can use the topography in our next drop.”

Josh nodded, “I’ve pretty much come to the same conclusion.”

“Do you have a suggestion?”

“I think it’s time we took them on out in the open.”

“Do we have a choice?”

“There’s always a choice. We could land on a mountain and fight them as they climb toward us.”

Tindel nodded, “I didn’t consider that.”

Josh shrugged, “There are millions of places on the planet that don’t have a tunnel directly under them. I really think they’ll forego the diggers and just come at us through the air in multi-layers of flyers.”

Tindel nodded, “I see a problem with using our two divisions together.”

Josh nodded, “Prissy and I discussed that issue after watching all the previous recordings of battles.”

“And?”

“It does appear that the best formation to take on the Weg is a single file. Two ranks actually offers smaller fields of fire.”

“I agree; however, your troops don’t have the heavy weapons my warriors carry and your lines would be weaker.”