The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) (5 page)

“See what Ed?”

At those words the older men wearing a naval uniform stood up.

“The Long Shot project and it’s applications in this situation.”

“What applications?”

“As you well know the ship that was supposed to go to Beta Centauri had to have an engine and energy output that would last for years. Several applications of current technologies were dropped because we can’t sustain the systems for a hundred years. But those systems gentlemen can be used here. Because the trip won’t last a hundred years and it won’t need a reactor like the one you envisioned. “

“What systems?”

“A space ship with nuclear reactors and an ion drive. We will use both the VASIMR system and a hydrogen powered thrusters.”

The scientist looked at the engineers.

“The power requirements for that are possible but the trust will be to low and it will take months, even years to accelerate it to the required speed.”

Edward looked at the older scientist and smiled. He picked up a sheet of paper and unfolded on the table before the surprised scientists. On it they could see the drawings of a ship.

As he did that the engineer smiled.

“Not with the nuclear powered generators gentlemen. Your estimates are connected with the VASIMR concept used at ten megawatts of power. Imagine the power output with four nuclear reactors with total power output of two thousand megawatts.

It won’t reach the speed the Long Shot project envisioned but it will reach half that speed. And that is enough to make it to your dwarf planet and back in two months.”

As he listened Paterson smiled for the first time in a month. As he smiled the engineer looked at him.

“I suppose you like it Christian.”

The scientist looked at the engineer.

“I like it. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the hardest to think of. But we both know that the costs will be enormous and the environmentalist will scream “bloody murder”.”

The younger engineer smiled.

“They can scream all they like, and as for the costs I believe someone mentioned unlimited budget.”

That brought a smile on everyone’s face.

“Then we have a plan. All we have to do now is finish the design and we can start with the work.”

As he said that the engineers stood up.

“You take a look at that design and start working from that. We’ll be waiting on your call.”

After that they left. The rest of the scientists slowly stood up and started going on a brake. When everyone left, Paterson picked up the phone.

After a minute he got an answer. On the other side the phone was in the hands of the NASA chief administrator.

“Charles you can inform the president and tell him that project DEADALUS is a go.”

He though he heard a smile on the other side. Then he put down the phone and smiling he left the office. It was time to go home. Now with the engine project decided the real work could begin and that was out of his hands. He could finally relax.

“
I think Kate would love a little family vacation.”

Couple of minutes later he left the NASA building with a smile on his face.

                                     
CHAPTER THREE

"How do you explain what we went through?                                                                   
                                        
How do you tell them the horrors we've seen.

They see you and demand answers,

Want to know how was it, why we fought, what gave us hope.

And the truth is that they will never understand.

They will never know the pain of a lost friend,

The pains of watching him die in front of your eyes,

And the knowing that nothing you do would save him.

How to explain that for us death won’t be a burden, something

That we fear. That it will be a welcomed sight,

Friend we know so well.

They will never believe that we have seen,

That we’ve gone through hell… And walked away alive.

When we went no one cared,

They said why bother, why wake up a sleeping giant that missed its chance.

They never thought of the hundred million dead,

They were just an accident, something that came and went.

I still remember the talks before I went away, the names they were calling us...

We came back to our homes

But our hearts will never be full again like they were before."

Lt. Michael T. Ellis   21 September 2030.

16 September 2017 14:55 hours

Mediterranean Sea 

Admiral Johnson looked at the large fleet that was surrounding his carrier. The Abraham Lincoln was the command ship of this fleet. The joint exercises between NATO and Russia were common after the crash of the Soviet Union.

It was a glorious sight, so many ships in one place. The command super carrier, his flagship was the most magnificent ship but the sight of so many cruisers, destroyers and frigates on one place was simply breathtaking. It was something that was not possible till couple of years ago.

The exercises were in their final day. For the past seven days they were doing exercises all around the Mediterranean Sea. Today was the last exercise and it was also a rescue mission after the report of a plane crash that happened an hour before somewhere in this area. A Boeing 747 was reported missing after hitting something in the air. There was a reported crash of a large object in the sea in front of him and now the ships were spread out in a search pattern and the planes were searching the sea for survivors.

Several submarines were searching the sea floor as well.

It was going to be a long day and he was not looking forward to the rest of it. The news weren’t likely to be good. The exercises were already over and he knew it. He looked at his second in command.

“Kirkpatrick take over the command I will be in my quarters. Call me if there is any news.”

The young officer looked at him.

“Yes sir.”

The Admiral walked with steady steps and retreated in to his quarters. He was tired and it was time to take a little brake. He knew that he could trust in his second. The young boy was his special choice five years ago. He had a good instinct and always did his job the right way. And he was a good student. There was a carrier for him on the navy if he could stay like that in the coming years. The situation with the plane would be a good experience for him.

“
And he can handle it just fine
.” a thought crossed his mind.

What he didn’t know was that this was a day that will change the fate of all mankind and his life forever.

*                                                *                                            *    

Ristarion looked at the display that was showing the human fleet and its disposition.

They were slowly coming closer to the cruiser that crushed two of the cursed human hours ago. He knew that it was a mistake of his commanding officer, that idiot Mran.

He had to get lower. And then that commercial airplane came out of nowhere. He couldn’t really blame the humans. With the experimental invisibility field on there was no way that they could really see the large cruiser. The plane was vaporized almost instantly but as luck would go the hit damaged the cruisers engines and shields. The cruiser was now under water hiding from the large human fleet. But with the human ships coming closer it was inevitable that they would find the large ship soon. And these ships were military ships. They might be a little primitive compared with the ships that he had under his command but they could still damage them even with a lucky strike destroy them.

“
And their radar systems are a lot better than the commercial ones.
”

He turned to one of the members of his crew.

“Contact commander Mran and tell him that in half an hour maybe sooner he will be discovered. Ask him how far the repairs are.”

The officer turned to the task instantly. They all knew the risks. This was a scout mission for the coming invasion fleet. They were on a mission to discover the perfect landing sites for the fleet and to make an evaluation of their enemy. They were nearly done and this had to happen. The mission was going excellently so far. His clan was close to a great discovery. The empire needed more slaves and the descendants of the cursed Alterans were perfect for that. They were fairly advanced and the battle was going to be tough. After all the race was a race that had great warriors that every legionary respected. But with no space weapons and planetary defense platforms they were easy pickings for the dreadnoughts and the cruisers that were escorting the troop carriers. The mission was done in secret from the other clans in the empire. He didn’t agree with that policy considering the terrible history that his race had with their ancestors in the past. But he was young and no one paid much attention on his warnings and suggestions. And now with this accident there was a chance that they might be discovered.

Mran slammed his hand on the armpit of the chair. Things were not looking good.

Actually they were rather desperate. The crush and that airplane damaged the shields and the engines. The repairs were going as fast as they can but he knew that he had no time with the human fleet fast approaching. Even with the cloak the ships were appearing like ghosts on the radars that the humans used and now without them and without shields he knew that soon they will notice his ship. He looked at the communications officer who was talking with one of the commanders of the frigates.

“
It must be Ristarion.”

That thought made him even angrier. He knew deep inside that the younger underling was right when he said that this might be risky. And he knew what he was asking now. As the commander of the mission he had a duty to do everything he can to protect the secrecy of the mission, even to destroy any ship that endangers the mission, including his own. And it looked that that might be the only exit from this situation. He knew that every officer on this ship knows his duty and is ready to die on his command. Every legionary was taught on that holy duty from the day he was born, it was the Dacarian way. They would never question a command from him not when it protects the mission.

He was angry because he didn’t listen to his warnings and he knew that his own arrogance led to this situation. He took a deep breath and turned to the officer who was watching the display that was showing the human fleet that was fast approaching.

“How long do we have until they are able to detect us?”

The soldier looked at the display and then answered.

“We have ten, fifteen arns maximum, my lord.”

Mran looked at the display and smiled showing his sharp teeth. He pressed the button and took over the communication.

“Ristarion the time is too short for the repairs on the drive and the cloak to be finished before they reach us. You will take command of the mission and carry on to the best of your ability. I will activate the self destruct after seven arns if the repairs are not finished. After that you will take command. May the gods be with you young one.”

“It shall be as you command my lord. And may your journey to the afterlife be fruitful.”

The com went dead and every one of the legionnaires on the ship was now making his last prayers. Everyone bowed their heads. There were no cries, no disrespect. After a second the work continued. The working crews all around the ship were making the repairs as fast as they could although they all knew that it won’t do any good. But it was their duty and they were going to die doing it.

Mran knew that he can be only proud of his crew.

“
It is a shame that a combination of bad luck and my own arrogance will lead them all to their deaths.
”