Star Soldier (22 page)

She dropped Earthward in an attack pod. The pod peeled away and she floated on chutes. Two hundred meters above the ground the lines detached and she plummeted and landed in a crouch. Experiencing events within the simulator as if they were reality, she bounded in hundred meter leaps at the enemy, her thermonuclear slug-thrower chugging in controlled bursts. Within the simulator she target-practiced with dart guns, lasers, regular carbines, knives, spears; hurled grenades at super tanks, manned a laser battery and more. The events played until they became second nature. Within those events command words, obedience conditioning, how to use inner nanonics and other sundry cyborg functions were drilled into her.

At last, the data processing ended. Her brain emerged very different from when it had entered. Something of the old Osadar Di remained, but it lay submerged in the new cyborg personality, or the lack of it.

The reattachment of her brain to a new and improved spinal column was a delicate operation. The scientists and technicians on the secret Neptune habitat had learned to marry genetic human material to machinery like seamless cloth. An armored brainpan was only the beginning of it. She now had power-graphite bones, artificial muscles, millions of micro-nanonics in her bloodstream, an armor-plated body and eyes that could never be mistaken for human. Little was left of the old Osadar Di. And to make sure that that little part could never rebel, obedience chips were liberally sprinkled throughout her nervous system. A tiny powerful governing computer was linked to her brain and embedded within the central mass.

The process from Suspend-dead human to cyborg took two weeks. Training her to use her new body would take another three. Then Cyborg Osadar Di— better known as OD12—would enter the first ultra-stealth pod to make the many-months long journey from Neptune to Earth.

Then maybe Social Unity could finally regain the initiative against the Highborn.

Soldier

1.

13 April 2350

Emergency military conference, Day Two of the Invasion of Japan Sector: 1.19 P.M.

Participants
: Enkov, Hawthorne, Kitamura (Field Marshal, Japan Sector) Ulrich (Air Marshal, Strategic Command East), O’Connor (Admiral, Pacific Fleet) Green (Colonel-General, Replacement Army East).

Enkov: You misjudged them again.

Hawthorne: I don’t think that’s the correct analysis, Director. Strategically this invasion makes no sense. From Australia, they launched the Papua/New Guinea Campaign, which, I might add, has bogged down in the treacherous mountain terrain.

Green: Even Highborn have their limits, it seems.

Hawthorne: Exactly. But to address your question, Director, let me point out that they’ve captured twenty percent of the small Pacific Islands from Japan to the Hawaiian Islands to Australia. It seemed clear until two days ago that they planned to build a Pacific Basin Stronghold. Now their supply lines from Australia to Japan stretches past Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

O’Connor: Over four thousand kilometers.

Hawthorne: Granted they rush supplies and troops in well-armed convoys, but our ability to intercept and destroy them has now—what are those numbers again?

O’Connor: Their transports are thousand-ton Vickers Hovercraft, a rugged prefab design that we believe is already in mass production, with Destroyer Class Hovers serving as escort. Fast V-Boats range as perimeter guards, while VTOL Hover Carriers provide fighters, bombers and their dreaded HK-Leopards. Those search out our submersibles with uncanny accuracy.

Hawthorne: Yes, thank you, Admiral. But what are the improved odds regarding our ability to sink them along this four thousand kilometer route?

O’Connor: A sixty-percent increase.

Enkov: I’m delighted to hear it. As will be the other directors. How much tonnage have you destroyed since the Japanese Invasion?

O’Connor: Ah… none yet, Director. It’s still early in the invasion and we have only a few boats along the route. But we believe a pattern has emerged, one that indicates—

Enkov: Here we go again. It’s always about holding back to study their pattern, to make sense of these swift moves that seems to paralyze my military men. Yet you just said, General Hawthorne, that attacking Japan lacked strategic sense. What you really mean is that the Highborn have upset your precious pattern concerning their intended behavior.

Hawthorne: They are unpredictable.

Enkov: Or perhaps they are simply more subtle that you, General.

Hawthorne: I take that as a given, Director. Yet I believe they’ve finally overstepped themselves.

Enkov: Not in terms of sea-borne supply, it seems.

O’Connor: It takes time to reposition our fleets, Director. The bulk of our submarine squadrons lie in Java Strait and the South China Sea, in the southern region off Malaysia. It was anticipated that the Indonesian Islands were their next target. We could have bloodied them well there. The surprises we had in store for them…. Well, it’s moot now. Presently, the Highborn supply-line from Australia to Japan brushes near the extreme west of the Philippine Sea but not quite over the Mariana Trench.

Enkov: I fail to see your point.

O’Connor: We must move our submarines carefully, Director. Highborn detection devices are incredibly sensitive. But if we could slip into the Mariana Trench—

Enkov: What difference does that make?

O’Connor: Depth, Director. If we can slip deep enough even their detection devices can’t spot our subs, or if they do spot them, short of nuclear depth charges we’re safe from attack.

Enkov: Safe, yes, but neither can you attack from the great depths.

Hawthorne: We’ve developed a new pop-up buoy that will be able to—

Enkov: Correct me if I’m wrong, General Hawthorne, but
developed
means on the planning screen, not yet aboard the submarines.

Hawthorne: Yes, Director. And therein is our chief problem. The former Directorate agreed to the creation of the Highborn because Earth seemed incapable of producing proficient soldiers. This new breed of warrior was supposed to do all of Social Unity’s soldiering. Because of it, Earth defenses were allowed to deteriorate. We are the heirs of their errors.

Enkov: More history, General?

Hawthorne: Sir, the truth is large military vehicles such as submarines and spacecraft take several years to construct, at least under peacetime conditions. Planes also have a lag time, but not as great. As you know we’ve accelerated production, but as of now, our space and water-borne fleets are only as large as we had at the beginning of hostilities. Fifty-three percent of our submarines were targeted and destroyed the day Geneva and the old Directorate was destroyed. Since then, Admiral O’Connor has only lost eighteen submarines.

Enkov: And shown little for it.

Hawthorne: I’m not certain I can agree with that analysis, Director. Premature moves only hand the Highborn further chances to complete their original destruction. We must husband our forces until an opportunity of enough worth and one that we can win presents itself. I believe the Invasion of Japan is just such an opportunity. Admiral O’Connor has moved his fleets into position or is in the process of moving them. Yet we must not allow the Highborn the free destruction of our fleets. Rather, I am timing for one sudden swoop upon every aspect of the invasion. Admiral O’Connor will cut their supply lines. Air Marshal Ulrich, who repositions his fighters and bombers along China’s coast and slips replacement fighters when he can onto Japan, will sweep the sky of enemy craft. Colonel-General Green has already ordered a mass transshipment of replacement troops from Vietnam to Korea. Once in Korea the bulk of them will be shipped onto Japan and there provide needed ground forces to sweep and destroy the trapped enemy units. It’s a bold and audacious plan, Director—Operation Togo.

Kitamura: Named in honor of the Japanese Admiral who destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet over four centuries ago in a surprise attack in the Tsushima Strait.

Hawthorne: Yes, thank you, Field Marshal. The Highborn have once more struck with surprise. But we’re reacting faster than ever and have a plan that has every chance of blooding them much more than
they’ve
planned for. This, Director, is why we’ve been husbanding our irreplaceable fleet units.

Enkov: What about the troop build-up in Indonesia?

Hawthorne: We’ll leave them there for the moment.

Enkov: A week ago, you said they were our best men.

Hawthorne: Second only to Field Marshal Kitamura’s soldiers.

Enkov: Report on that, Field Marshal.

Kitamura: Honored Director, Japan will never fall. Our soldiers have dedicated their lives to Social Unity and promise to hurl back these Supremacist invaders. Three assaults have struck the home islands, at Kobi, at Tokyo and at Sendai in the north. Battle rages hottest in Tokyo—

Enkov: I’ve received reports they dropped nuclear bombs.

Kitamura: Tactical nuclear explosions of one and two kilotons, yes, Honored One—Precision nuclear strikes that destroyed our “deep-space” laser batteries.

Hawthorne: Beam weapons, Director, capable of hitting spacecraft in near-Earth orbit.

Enkov: Yes, thank you so much, General. I had assumed that’s what the “deep space” appellation meant.

Kitamura: Honored One, although they destroyed the laser batteries, they failed to destroy our Merculite missile battery. Six orbital fighters have fallen to our launches.

Enkov: Why didn’t they strike that with nuclear fire?

Hawthorne: They did after we scored the kills. But because of our new clamshell shielding—four thousand tons of blast-concrete—the nuclear strikes were shrugged off. Incidentally, several cities have the new Merculite missile bases, Tokyo among them. They were installed six months before the civil war and are among the few innovations the Highborn lack.

Enkov: They’ve attacked with nuclear weapons. Now we must retaliate likewise.

Hawthorne: I’m not convinced—

Enkov: You’ve wavered from the first, General. But now I insist we launch nuclear strikes at their main concentrations.

Hawthorne: Dedicated orbital laser stations protect their main troop concentrations, at least if they’re true to form. Any missiles or cruise missiles fired at those formations will surely be intercepted. Besides, as long as we refrain from nuclear launches we maintain the moral high ground or at least we’ll keep the propaganda value in our court. Most Outer Planets governments have stressed their wish for each of us to refrain from nuclear strikes. If we wish to woo Outer Planets—

Enkov: Meaningless if we’re defeated before then. In any case, that’s a political decision and well beyond your scope, General.

Hawthorne: Understood, sir.

Enkov: Now a moment ago you said something very interesting, Admiral. You said that the fleets will not be in position for a week. Is that correct?

O’Connor: It could take longer than a week, Director.

Enkov: Then we must strike their convoys with nuclear missiles now. I don’t believe they have dedicated orbital stations protecting all four thousand kilometers.

Hawthorne: Perhaps to initiate Operation Togo a few selected targets might be—

Enkov: No, General Hawthorne, before Operation Togo. These nuclear strikes will be made before. I want their supplies and troops stopped now.

Hawthorne: What you suggest is risky, Director.

Enkov: How do you mean risky? They’ve already struck with nuclear weapons.

Hawthorne: I wish to point out with very limited nuclear strikes. With clean, as far as radiation is concerned, weapons. Large nuclear exchanges between us could easily lead to an irradiated planet.

Enkov: Better that than fall to the Supremacists.

Hawthorne: We are not yet defeated, Director. So I beg you to reconsider this most dangerous process.

Enkov: Field Marshal Kitamura, please continue your report.

Kitamura: Most Honored Director, if you would look at the map. The fiercest fighting takes place here, in Greater Tokyo. Samurai Divisions have hurled the enemy from the nearest underground entrances and advanced a thousand meters. Tokyo volunteers even now stream into battle as Kamikaze squads.

Enkov: Explain that.

Kitamura: Brave men and women and even children are strapped with high explosives. They crawl near or among the enemy and detonate.

Enkov: Incredible! Such dedication must be rewarded. I want lists of all volunteers. Mark them down as Heroes of Earth.

Kitamura: A wise decision, Director.

Enkov: Please, continue with the report, Field Marshal. This is fascinating.

Kitamura: Our casualties are heavy, but our blood flows to oil the path for the rest. Social harmony fills their hearts and others sup at their selfless dedication to the future. In the north, Sendai fell after an hour’s battle, but the lines have stiffened here and here. My commanders have assured me that the arrogant invaders will not get past our Fukushima strongholds without massive losses. In the south, Kobi residents have begged my commanders to arm them and let them enter battle. My air fleets have taken sixty-percent losses, but we have destroyed five troop carriers and ten V-Boats. Give me more fighters, Honored Director, and Japanese pilots will score even more victories. Our deaths do not matter, just that we may save our social unity.

Enkov: Splendid, yes, inspiring. Air Marshal, have you rated success by nationality?

Ulrich: We have, Director. Japanese pilots have scored twenty-eight percent of all known successes. Next are the Germans, at twenty-five percent. American and Israeli pilots each accounted for ten percent. A word of caution is in order, however. While the Field Marshal is correct at the heroics and ability of his former pilots, they were also his best rated. It would be a mistake to ship too many fighters into Japan until the beginning of Operation Togo.

Kitamura: I am sorry, but I cannot agree, Air Marshal.

Enkov: General Hawthorne, has a troop’s nationality shown any difference in terms of ground performance?