Starbound (8 page)

The technical schematics on the screen dissolved and were replaced by a three-dimensional representation of parts in an exploded view. There were perhaps two dozen. Then just as suddenly they swarmed together and formed a completed unit. It looked for all the world like a small, flat, metal box with serrated edges and what I could only describe as a toilet plunger sticking out of one end. After a few more finger swipes by Serosian, the projection of the device started rotating.

“What am I looking at here?” I repeated. Serosian leaned back in his couch and looked at me pensively, one hand to his face, as if trying to decide if I was worthy to receive the Knowledge of the Gods or not.

“In the simplest terms,” he finally said, “it's a gravity accelerator.”

“A what?”

He sat up. “A gravity accelerator. As in, a device that increases the gravitic energy within a specified harmonic field. It can be used in a variety of ways. One use would be to slow down or redirect an enemy by increasing the gravity field around a specific moving object, such as a ship. Another would be to use the field to push objects in a specific direction by projecting a higher gravitic field toward it, like a wave of gravity moving an object. A third use would be as an enveloping plasma that essentially increases the weight of an object, eventually crushing it,” he said.

“Impressive,” I replied. “How do you propose we use it in this instance?”

Instead of answering he swept his fingers across the board again.
A second later, a thin filament of plasma raised up on the console in front of me. I took in the small object; it felt like a thin slip of paper with a laminated surface between my fingers. I swept my hand across it, and it grew in size concurrent with my motion. Then it lit up with letters and illustrations. I recognized the forward coil cannon array.

“Installation instructions?” I asked. He nodded.

“I'd like your help. It should take no more than thirty minutes for each of the two cannon ports,” he said.

I swept the sheet back down to its original size and then stuck it in my jacket pocket.

“Let's get started,” I said. He nodded to me and we were off.

It was actually about twenty minutes to install the units for each of the two side-mounted coil cannon consoles, port and starboard. It seemed like it took us more time to walk between the stations on either side of the ship than it did to do the actual installations.

I was shocked by how small the units were, and how light. Serosian wouldn't tell me if they were Founder technology or Imperial, but the units were clearly more advanced than anything we in the Union could produce. Once they were installed we headed for the bridge and I took up my station under the longscope.

“Check your displays,” came the Historian's baritone voice. “You should find a new icon for the gravity weapon.” I found the icon quickly in my menu and dragged it onto my main display with a finger. The display popped up with three options, two of which were dark. The one that was available for me to select was entitled “Gravity Projector.” I tapped it and it opened a full set of options on the right hand side of my display.

“So we're going to be using the gravity projector?” I said, as casually as I could.

“Obviously,” he replied in my ear com. “Now activate the system and let me know when it reaches nominal for use.” I did as instructed. It took less than ten seconds to fully power up.

“That was fast,” I said into my com. To my surprise, he replied.

“One of the advantages of pulling in energy from a higher dimension,” he deadpanned. I opened my mouth to ask him another question about that subject, but then decided against it. This was ship's business. I could satisfy my curiosity later.

“Time to conference with the captain. Lock down your display and join us in the command staff room,” Serosian said. I did as instructed, arriving just a few seconds after Maclintock, Serosian, and Dobrina.

“Report,” said the captain as I sat down in the chair nearest the door. He was anxious. Serosian responded.

“The weapon I've authorized for our use in this circumstance is a gravity projector. Using the forward coil cannon ports, we will be able to activate a field of gravimetric energy and project it onto the station, essentially bombarding it with a field of heavy gravitic energy that will push the station down to the surface of Jenarus 4. The station will be destroyed and as a result the entire Jenarus system should be safe again for the Union Navy to explore,” he said.

“And what if the robots on the station protest?” asked Dobrina. Serosian shook his head dismissively.

“That shouldn't be a problem. That much G-force would render an energy weapon useless. It will be completely enveloped by the field. There is virtually no chance of a retaliatory strike from the base.”

Maclintock looked to me. “Are you comfortable using this technology?” he asked. I shook my head no.

“Of course not, sir. You're putting the power of the Gods in my hands. But I know my longscope, sir, and I know Mr. Serosian will effectively guide me through its use,” I replied respectfully.

Maclintock nodded at this. “How long until we can be ready?” he asked the Historian.

“We're ready now,” replied Serosian.

“Very well,” said the captain. He turned to Dobrina. “Set ship's status on yellow alert, be prepared for anything that might throw a curveball into this.”

“Aye, sir,” she replied, then got up to leave. Maclintock looked to Serosian and me.

“The XO and I will be monitoring your com link. Let us know the minute there's any sign of a problem,” he said.

“Aye, sir,” I answered. Serosian merely nodded. With that, Maclintock and Dobrina were gone back across the hallway to the bridge. I stood next to Serosian.

“Ready when you are,” I said. He only nodded in response.

Five minutes later and Serosian signaled our readiness to the captain. At his signal Dobrina abruptly stood and called
Starbound
to yellow alert. There was a flurry of activity as individual officers and combat teams moved into place, activating weapons and defense systems that had previously been dormant. The crew of
Starbound
was ready to go to battle at a moment's notice.

Maclintock stood and gave the orders. “Set all displays, scanners, and telemetry systems to monitor the station. Be prepared to go to battle stations at my command,” he let that sink in as the main viewing plasma display switched to a real-time view of the space station in orbit over Jenarus 4, a good thousand clicks away from us. “Mr. Serosian,” said Maclintock, turning to the Historian after he was satisfied with preparations, “will you need us to move closer?”

Serosian shook his head. “We're well within this weapon's range,” he replied. Maclintock sat back down in his chair.

“Then you have the bridge, sir,” he said. Serosian nodded to me and I took up residence under the longscope hood, activating my
stealth protocols so the bridge crew would not overhear my conversation with the Earth Historian.

“Power up the projectors,” came the first command from the Historian through my ear com. That was simple enough, I hit the “POWER” icon and watched it fully charge again.

“Set your 'scope monitor to long range and calibrate for the station,” came the next. I did as instructed. Nearly a thousand kilometers distant, the image of the space station appeared in my viewer, crystal clear. I made a mental note to one day ask my tall friend how this device actually worked.

“Now begin the power transfer to the projector system. Bring the power up gradually, no more than ten percent every five seconds,” he commanded.

I did as I was told, sliding my finger from left to right on the display, a virtual power bar moving with my motion. I monitored my pace as the power output increased, taking slightly less than a minute to reach full capacity. I watched on my viewer as a glittering wave of plasma shot out and impacted the station. It began an almost imperceptible movement on my screen, slowly accelerating as my viewer tracked it.

“It's moving,” I announced.

“Affirmative,” interjected Dobrina. “We're monitoring it out here as well. Telemetry makes the acceleration five hundred meters per second.”

My telemetry told me the same thing, but I chose not to acknowledge it verbally. The acceleration continued on an ever-increasing curve. After two minutes it had doubled its pace. Another minute and it had doubled again, and so on.

Five minutes in and the station, still as big as ever in my longscope viewer, was showing signs of distress, her outer members curling in at the force being exerted on her. One thing was for sure, whatever was inside that station now knew they were in imminent peril.

“You may begin the countdown to impact,” came Serosian's calm voice in my ear. On my display a counter popped up, rolling down rapidly.

“Two minutes to impact,” I announced. Dobrina repeated the same to the crew. This proceeded apace until the one-minute mark. The station was starting to glow.

“Is that atmospheric contact on the station?” asked Maclintock.

“No,” came Serosian's quick reply in my ear, and the warning in it was evident. “Jenarus 4 has no atmosphere.”

When I looked down on my screen I was alarmed. The telemetry showed me something familiar, a wave pattern I had seen once before, at Levant. “There's a hyperdimensional displacement wave building from within the station!” I said urgently.

“Red alert!” called out Dobrina. “Screens and shields! Activate the Hoagland Field!” she commanded.

“What is it?” demanded Maclintock.

“That wave is not a weapon, Captain,” said Serosian in a concerned voice. “It is far more dangerous. I believe the station has a hyperdimensional jump point generator spooling up for activation. At the rate it's generating, it will be active before the station hits the surface.”

“Do we care if they jump away?” asked the captain.

“We care because we're gravitationally locked with that station. If she jumps, we could get drawn away with her as well!” said Serosian urgently.

“Can't we just cut off the gravity projector?” asked Maclintock.

“Not with the Hoagland Field operating.”

“But if we're unprotected—”

“Yes, Captain, the resulting displacement wave could hit us unshielded.”

“Thirty seconds,” I said into my com.
Starbound
's command crew had that much time to make a life-or-death decision. I knew
from my experience at Levant what an HD displacement wave could do to an unshielded Lightship.

“How long to reactivate the Hoagland Field if we shut it down?” demanded Maclintock of Serosian.

“Eight to ten seconds,” replied the Historian.

“And to shut down the gravity projectors?”

“Five to seven seconds.”

“Disengage the Hoagland Field!” demanded the captain, rising from his chair.

I did as ordered. “Hoagland Field shutting down. Twenty seconds,” I reported. We couldn't guarantee that there was enough time left to shut down the gravity projector
and
spool up the Hoagland Field. I looked down at my display for options . . .

“Shut off the projector!” shouted Serosian in my ears. I hit the cutoff switch to the coil cannon array and the power levels dropped achingly, second by second, to zero. The link to the station was broken.

“Ten seconds, gravity projector at zero,” I reported.

“Refire the Hoagland Field!” ordered Maclintock. It was going to be close . . .

“Peter—” It was Serosian's voice, but I would probably never know what he was going to say, as his voice was cut out by blaring static in my ear com. On my viewer the space station blinked out of our dimension, traveling to parts unknown. The displacement wave was visible as a flash of white light, all-encompassing, and potentially destructive even for a fully shielded Lightship. For an unshielded one . . .