The Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles #1, Inception (26 page)

The technology deployed in the satellites, utilized a trick of the Heshe math, which allowed the quick calculation of hyper field coordinates, as well as to also generate a field that effectively reversed momentum. As with any technology, it was subject to minute inefficiencies. Unfortunately when dealing with relativistic energies in the petajoule range, even these minute inefficiencies resulted in the release of tremendous amounts of heat.

The shields deployed by these satellites could instantaneously reverse 99.999% of the mass that stuck them, but they would be destroyed by the remaining one one thousandth of the impacting mass of a ship or missile. Cat's shield satellites had a secret trick that would help them overcome this functional deficiency. They were infused with repair and replication nanites. In essence, they automatically replaced and augmented their numbers. Given enough time, they would automatically form an impenetrable kinetic energy shield.

Unfortunately there were two problems to this defense. First, the D'lralu had powerful energy weapons at their disposal, and second, time was something they could not count on. To deal with the first, a second set of satellites was launched. They provided a limited energy deflection capability. Again, these defenses were imbued with replication and repair technologies. There was nothing to be done for the time issue other than to hurry.

***

The sound of an alarm klaxon pulled Cat out of a deep, soul regenerating sleep. The past several days had left her with precious little sleep and, although her nanite enhanced body could function indefinitely without it, the human mind needed the downtime to fully integrate memories and emotions. These last few days had provided a painful abundance of both.

It took Cat a moment to remember she was on Orbital One and not on the Yorktown. She tied her comlink into the Yorktown.

"Kimbridge here, we've got some type of alarm klaxon here on Orbital One... Anything on the Yorktown's sensors?"

"Captain, Lieutenant Zimmerman here. We have four big D'lralu ships in Mars orbit acting very strange..."

"Define strange," Cat said.

"Ma'am, they are in equidistant geostationary orbits firing their beam weapons into space."

Puzzled, Cat asked the logical question. "What are they firing at?"

"That's just it, Ma'am, as far as anyone can tell they are firing at nothing... and our monitoring probes show they are firing at minimal intensity. You could almost walk in front of them and not be hurt... It makes no sense."

Cat paused to consider what her newly promoted Lieutenant was telling her. "Ziggy, get our science teams, that aren't engaged in defense projects, to take a look at this. Also tie in the xenobiology team. I'm going to follow up with the Admiral and Ben to see if they have any thoughts."

"Roger that, Captain. Yorktown out"

Cat quickly dressed in her duty uniform, and left the officers billet she was using on the orbiting space station. As she walked down the corridor, she attempted to contact Ben via the entangled quantum communications link built into their respective Heshe encounter units. To her dismay he did not respond. She tried a different tack.

"Cal?"

"
Yes, Captain?
"

"Do you still have an active link with Ben? Is he alright?"

"
Affirmative, Captain. Ben is in command of four D'lralu light cruisers currently in orbit around Mars.
"

"He's not responding to my hails. Those ships have a lot of people very worried here."

"
He cannot respond. He and his crews are engaged in an honor vigil for a fallen foe. For the next 19.4 hours they will not eat or sleep or converse in any fashion. They cannot bring back the dead of Mars, but in their culture they can send them off, to what they understand of heaven, with full honor. They will not even defend themselves at this point. Were an Earth vessel to fire on them, they would allow themselves to be destroyed
."

"Why in the world would he throw himself out there like that?"

"
He is counting on your compassion to make a point.
"

"Cal, override any lockouts necessary... Get me connected to Admiral Faragon, ASAP!"

"Cat? I'm sure you've heard the station alarms. We've got a situation up here... Why don't you make your way to the CIC" the Admiral said when Cal established the link.

"Yes, Sir, I'm on my way now. But, Sir, it's very important you don't engage those D'lralu vessels orbiting Mars."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you already have a handle on the situation. Brief me when you get here."

The Second of the First reviewed the status of his fleet. They were 4961 ships strong. He had organized them into eight wings of roughly seven hundred each. With the passing of the First of the First he had effective operational control of the armada.

He folded his paws on his upper lap. The time had come. Humanity would cease to exist this day, and his people's continued survival would be insured for yet a while longer. The universe required balance, and the D'lralu provided that balance. The strong survived. The weak fell. Such was the way of the world.

"First talon, begin your run... Good hunting. Bring honor to your families and report back to me when your run is complete."

***

Cat sat in the captain's chair on the bridge of the Yorktown. Her ship stood vigil with the four D'lralu ships orbiting Mars. If Cal's assessment was correct, they would come out of their self-imposed period of silence in a few minutes.

She rubbed her hand across the black synthetic leather. Her mind was not on the leather beneath her fingers. The Admiralty Board was still debating her recommendation, made several days ago, to take the fight to D'lralu space. She knew the time for debating was rapidly reaching an end. The D'lralu fleet would be beginning their attack soon. Once that happened people would begin to die.

"Captain..." Ken said.

She looked over toward the station her First Officer was seated at. He met her eyes, and nodded towards the view screen. "Their weapon systems have gone offline. If Cal was right, the vigil will be over, and Ben should be willing to communicate again."

Cat toggled her comlink. "Ben?"

"Greetings, Catherine."

"That was quite a stunt you just pulled."

"A necessary one for many reasons I'm afraid. I have learned that it was my personal failure many years ago that placed my people on this path. If my death could serve to undo the damage done... not just to humanity but to countless others whose lives my people have taken... I would gladly offer it. That said, I am convinced that I serve a greater purpose, working towards a future where all can flourish. I believe that to be a future where the so-called 'Masters' are not driving others into genocide on their behalf."

Cat listened to her friend and believed him but unfortunately she knew time was not on their side, and she had important matters to discuss immediately. "Ben... There are things we must talk about... Things that cannot wait... Can you shuttle over?"

"I can and I will. I too must ask you to make a very hard choice... One that will, I suspect tear at your soul but for which I believe there is no practical recourse... I believe Earth must attack my people."

***

Ben sat on the special couch, which Cat had had installed in her Ready room. Cat and her senior staff sat in the other seats. The Admiral was still on Orbital One in Earth orbit, debating with the Admiralty Board on the relative merits of pursuing Cat's plan. It seemed the six member board was evenly split.

Ben spoke up... "If I am to convince our fleet not to continue to attack, I must first prove to my people that I trust you, and that you are a force to be respected. The first was accomplished when I held a mourning vigil. Many an adversary has died in my planet's history when the trust of the vigil was violated. Humanity gained much favor in my people's eyes, when those holding the vigil were allowed to honor your fallen dead. Every member of my crew now owes you their lives, not once but twice. "

Cat looked at her friend, and even if he could not have read the pain on her face he would have heard it in her voice. "Ben... We are facing almost five thousand of your ships. We are doing our best to fortify our defenses, but I don't think we will be able to do enough... Ben, I may have to ask you to trust me... I may need to threaten your home worlds... To induce a defensive redeployment..."

Ben placed his front paws on the conference table, and interlaced his digits in a manner that reminded her of her father. "Cat... This is the very thing I came here to recommend. All I ask, is that you do what you can to minimize the loss of life on both sides."

"That was always..." Cat was interrupted by the blaring of the alarm klaxons.

"Red Alert... All stations Red Alert. Man your Battle Stations... This is not a drill!"

Cat dashed out of the Ready room and onto the bridge. "Shields up... Report!" she yelled as she took her command chair.

"Ma'am..." Chief Wroblewski said from tactical. "We have seven hundred and six D'lralu ships traveling at .39c eight minutes out... Heading directly at Earth."

"Not the full armada then..." Cat mused.

Ben walked up beside her chair and sat on his haunches, while casually laying his forward most right arm on the side rest of her chair. "They will attack in waves about nine or ten minutes apart captain. The first wing will report back to the second so they can adjust their targets and so on... They will not stop until they or your world are destroyed. I am sorry Captain... We are too late."

"Captain... Earth's defense shields are taking fire... Multiple coherent energy beams..." Ken reported from his station. "Cat these numbers are off the scale!"

"Ma'am..." Wroblewski interrupted... "Their kinetic weapons are impacting the forward most momentum deflectors... Oh my God...  The first few got stopped but they are shredding them like paper... Other satellites are redeploying to cover the gaps, but two of those energy beams just shot through a hole made by a kinetic missile... They hit the water about a hundred kilometers off of Tokyo... Ma'am... Those beams vaporized the surrounding ocean clear down to the seabed... Tsunamis and concussive tornadoes are going to slam into Japan in the next couple of minutes..."   

"That's it..." Ken said in an emotionally exhausted voice... The first wave is by us. We have maybe eight or nine minutes until they hit again."

"Dan, what’s the status of the Earth's defense network?"

Chief Wroblewski checked his panel. "About eighty percent intact ma'am... They are regenerating... But they will not be back to full strength by the time the next wave hits... It's not going to take them long to wipe out our defenses."

Cat slammed her fist into the arm of her chair... "Then we are not going to give them the time... Chief I want you to deploy a full spread of Dusties along the flight path those attackers just took."

Turning to her communications officer she continued... "Ziggy, inform the admiralty board that we are proceeding with Operation Home World... They can court martial me when we get back"