This is the last section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
“I’d say we just got hit with one of those relativistic drones. Con! Emergency acceleration, get us out of here.”
“The fighters Sir?”
“We haven't deployed them yet” the Captain said this glancing at the operations screen seeing a group of identified fighters heading towards their current position “I see, why aren’t we moving?”
“Most of the Ks were shut down to save stress on the radiators. The ones that were running were the ones that exploded, it’s a good job the others were shut down or from the looks of it we’d have lost those as well”
“I see, how long before we can get the AM drive deployed”
“Not before those fighters get here”
“Belay the AM drive extension then until those fighters are down. Can we deploy our own fighters in time?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Then why aren’t they out there? Go.” he screamed.
The CO barked off a string of orders to get the fighters mobilised “We’ve been caught with our pants down kids, let’s show them what we’re carrying.” He barked a series of order to mobilise the marines into local ship defense
“Now we wait” commented the Captain”
“And if they’re carrying nukes?” asked the XO
“Then we don’t wait very long.”
Showing posts with label chapter 9. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chapter 9. Show all posts
19 September, 2011
16 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:10
This is the tenth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
This section was supposed to be part of a much larger subplot that I would expand to flesh out the ideas of how money works in a post scarcity society. Unfortunately I have never had the chance to do it, so please imagine I had, I guess if I was getting more hits I might have spent the effort but...
Martin stumbled out of the bar, he’d tried a few drinks, tried to get a conversation out of that woman that wasn’t headed down a single track and given up. In the end even when he’d had enough to drink that he could convince himself that he wouldn’t be taking advantage of her, quite the opposite in fact, he still was told that suggesting that they needed to ‘go home or even to just some sort of private room’ was a ‘bit old and fuddy duddy’ and at that point had just given up and stumbled out into the night.
On his way out of the bar he’d grabbed a sober up pill, but it had yet to have its effect as he wandered down the street bumping off the walls and various other pieces of street furniture. Wait, he told himself, street? Shouldn’t this be a corridor? No this area had been explicitly decorated to look like a street. Even the roof was decorated to look almost but not entirely unlike a late night scene possibly near the docks somewhere. Was that supposed to be simulated Fog? Or was the climate control just not working very well. That was probably unlikely.
Martin realised he was now walking along relatively straight without bumping into anything. He’d heard the sober pills were good, but hadn’t anticipated the speed at which they would work. This would have taken something significant out of his university years he mused.
Surprisingly alert he walked into another random door, this time opening up to reveal a hallway decorated in metallic golden colours, harsh colours and bright lights
“Oh” said Martin out loud “A casino.”
Martin had first come across the concepts of casinos on the Habitat only relatively recently. He noticed that certain individuals that had been powerful on Earth were still supported by ranks of servants here too. Every person had the option of ranks of robotic servants but these were people serving others by choice. Some people even had the occasional drone to tend to their needs, although that might have been the Habitat’s way of keeping track of certain characters.
At first he had thought it had been perhaps the pull of celebrity, or perhaps blackmail, but while that might be an effect gambling was responsible for a whole lot more.
“Ah, Sir welcome” came a voice from the corner.
Martin looked at the man before him decked out in some sort of costume, although what that pink monstrosity was supposed to do except make the punter feel superior was beyond him.
“No, no I’m sure it’s not me you’re after” replied Martin “you don’t need me for anything”
“We welcome all new visitors” with this the pink greeter put his arm behind Martin and ushered him into the main hall.
It was like many that Martin had heard of or seen in videos before but noisier and strangely enough more humid than he had pictured. The place was quite quiet so he felt all the more need to get out of there. “No seriously” he said “I have no GamCreds or whatever the hell you call your money in these circles. I have nothing to give.”
“You insult us Sir, we always welcome new people with open arms”
“Until the second time they visit I’m sure, then you want to get something from them. A favour here, a help out there, then before you know it they’re addicted and you have a new servant. I know someone has to wait tables in your restaurants and you have to ensnare celebrities for your punters, but no, count me out of this.”
“There are whose for who it does become a way of life, a whole community shall we say, but communities are always a welcome addition”
“As in Cults,” Martin swiped his hand at the man and turned around to storm out “Now let me go and good day”
The next section is here.
This section was supposed to be part of a much larger subplot that I would expand to flesh out the ideas of how money works in a post scarcity society. Unfortunately I have never had the chance to do it, so please imagine I had, I guess if I was getting more hits I might have spent the effort but...
Martin stumbled out of the bar, he’d tried a few drinks, tried to get a conversation out of that woman that wasn’t headed down a single track and given up. In the end even when he’d had enough to drink that he could convince himself that he wouldn’t be taking advantage of her, quite the opposite in fact, he still was told that suggesting that they needed to ‘go home or even to just some sort of private room’ was a ‘bit old and fuddy duddy’ and at that point had just given up and stumbled out into the night.
On his way out of the bar he’d grabbed a sober up pill, but it had yet to have its effect as he wandered down the street bumping off the walls and various other pieces of street furniture. Wait, he told himself, street? Shouldn’t this be a corridor? No this area had been explicitly decorated to look like a street. Even the roof was decorated to look almost but not entirely unlike a late night scene possibly near the docks somewhere. Was that supposed to be simulated Fog? Or was the climate control just not working very well. That was probably unlikely.
Martin realised he was now walking along relatively straight without bumping into anything. He’d heard the sober pills were good, but hadn’t anticipated the speed at which they would work. This would have taken something significant out of his university years he mused.
Surprisingly alert he walked into another random door, this time opening up to reveal a hallway decorated in metallic golden colours, harsh colours and bright lights
“Oh” said Martin out loud “A casino.”
Martin had first come across the concepts of casinos on the Habitat only relatively recently. He noticed that certain individuals that had been powerful on Earth were still supported by ranks of servants here too. Every person had the option of ranks of robotic servants but these were people serving others by choice. Some people even had the occasional drone to tend to their needs, although that might have been the Habitat’s way of keeping track of certain characters.
At first he had thought it had been perhaps the pull of celebrity, or perhaps blackmail, but while that might be an effect gambling was responsible for a whole lot more.
“Ah, Sir welcome” came a voice from the corner.
Martin looked at the man before him decked out in some sort of costume, although what that pink monstrosity was supposed to do except make the punter feel superior was beyond him.
“No, no I’m sure it’s not me you’re after” replied Martin “you don’t need me for anything”
“We welcome all new visitors” with this the pink greeter put his arm behind Martin and ushered him into the main hall.
It was like many that Martin had heard of or seen in videos before but noisier and strangely enough more humid than he had pictured. The place was quite quiet so he felt all the more need to get out of there. “No seriously” he said “I have no GamCreds or whatever the hell you call your money in these circles. I have nothing to give.”
“You insult us Sir, we always welcome new people with open arms”
“Until the second time they visit I’m sure, then you want to get something from them. A favour here, a help out there, then before you know it they’re addicted and you have a new servant. I know someone has to wait tables in your restaurants and you have to ensnare celebrities for your punters, but no, count me out of this.”
“There are whose for who it does become a way of life, a whole community shall we say, but communities are always a welcome addition”
“As in Cults,” Martin swiped his hand at the man and turned around to storm out “Now let me go and good day”
15 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:9
This is the ninth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
The captain sat in his command chair casting a tired eye over the screen. he was trying to free up forces from the clean up crew to allow them to move the schedule ahead for taking the enemy base, but as usual prudence held back his lieutenants. He went back to the display in the middle of the room depicting the Freedom at the centre, the potential targets, potential mines and the cleanup drones moving around the local area. The initial strike had done much to clear the area, but the space that enemies could have resources hidden in was vast so this was a slow project. He’d first been worried that things were too quiet but as the scale of the securing operation took on its hour by hour monotony his fears dropped. Now there were hundreds of drones out there investigating what could be mines and could be just hunks of rock. Or they could be rocks with mines deeply embedded in them. It was a slow process.
“Sir” came the voice of a Commander at a console “We’ve lost a drone”
“Any flash of an explosion”
“It’s not a nuke no. Could have been chemical”
“Could be. Anything in the area pick up what happened.”
“No, there were no engine trails either” he paused a second “We’ve lost another” a brief pause “And another I think we’re under attack”
“Any idea by what or where from?”
“No they’re just disappearing from contact”
“Jammers?”
“No sign of their scramble. It’s as if someone just pulled the plug from three drones”
“Unlikely, unless we’re looking for the wrong thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not missiles, it’s not lasers, it’s not ships. What have we left?”
“Nothing we know of”
“Okay few options. We have point to point communications lasers on the drones, try getting into contact with them that way, if it’s just jamming then we’ll be able to work around it with those. With the point to point lasers at least check for the albedo of the drones. If they’ve been destroyed or disabled we should be able to detect that from the reflection. What about drones, we know the ‘roids robotics is very advanced, could they have sent in micro drones to disable them? Get on it.”
The bridge came alive with activity and before long one of the Lieutenants spoke up “Sir we’ve got something.”
“Yes?” asked the Captain.
“Cloud of dust approximately twice the rest mass of drone moving away from the drone’s expected position at nearly half c.”
The Captain whistled his appreciation “How is that even possible?”
“Unknown but closer examination of the drones we’ve lost since then implies that they’re being hit by an object of similar mass travelling a good fraction of the speed of light that is hitting them and taking them out of the picture”
“We’ve lost more since then?” asked the Captain
“Another two”
“No we know where they’re coming from?”
“They’re all disappearing in the same direction so we can assume the projectiles are being launched from this vector” she indication a line on the central display.
“There’s nothing along there”
“Nothing known for a few light years no.”
“Get all scopes looking on that region I want to know before anything hit the ships and who to fire on.Con start up the engines and direct the engine exhaust in that direction. If anything is out there I want it to come head on into a storm of accelerated particles and start extending the AM drive I want whoever is out there chewing on a lance of relativistic particles themselves. With any luck we might be able to light them up. Marines prepare...” The Captain never finished the last sentence as the ship rang with the sound of a massive explosion followed by a series of smaller but still deafening thumps.
“Report!” barked the CO
“Unknown damage, over half the ship is either missing or out of contact with the AI, Engines are mostly intact, but secondary explosions have taken out four of the Ks.”
The next section is here.
The captain sat in his command chair casting a tired eye over the screen. he was trying to free up forces from the clean up crew to allow them to move the schedule ahead for taking the enemy base, but as usual prudence held back his lieutenants. He went back to the display in the middle of the room depicting the Freedom at the centre, the potential targets, potential mines and the cleanup drones moving around the local area. The initial strike had done much to clear the area, but the space that enemies could have resources hidden in was vast so this was a slow project. He’d first been worried that things were too quiet but as the scale of the securing operation took on its hour by hour monotony his fears dropped. Now there were hundreds of drones out there investigating what could be mines and could be just hunks of rock. Or they could be rocks with mines deeply embedded in them. It was a slow process.
“Sir” came the voice of a Commander at a console “We’ve lost a drone”
“Any flash of an explosion”
“It’s not a nuke no. Could have been chemical”
“Could be. Anything in the area pick up what happened.”
“No, there were no engine trails either” he paused a second “We’ve lost another” a brief pause “And another I think we’re under attack”
“Any idea by what or where from?”
“No they’re just disappearing from contact”
“Jammers?”
“No sign of their scramble. It’s as if someone just pulled the plug from three drones”
“Unlikely, unless we’re looking for the wrong thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not missiles, it’s not lasers, it’s not ships. What have we left?”
“Nothing we know of”
“Okay few options. We have point to point communications lasers on the drones, try getting into contact with them that way, if it’s just jamming then we’ll be able to work around it with those. With the point to point lasers at least check for the albedo of the drones. If they’ve been destroyed or disabled we should be able to detect that from the reflection. What about drones, we know the ‘roids robotics is very advanced, could they have sent in micro drones to disable them? Get on it.”
The bridge came alive with activity and before long one of the Lieutenants spoke up “Sir we’ve got something.”
“Yes?” asked the Captain.
“Cloud of dust approximately twice the rest mass of drone moving away from the drone’s expected position at nearly half c.”
The Captain whistled his appreciation “How is that even possible?”
“Unknown but closer examination of the drones we’ve lost since then implies that they’re being hit by an object of similar mass travelling a good fraction of the speed of light that is hitting them and taking them out of the picture”
“We’ve lost more since then?” asked the Captain
“Another two”
“No we know where they’re coming from?”
“They’re all disappearing in the same direction so we can assume the projectiles are being launched from this vector” she indication a line on the central display.
“There’s nothing along there”
“Nothing known for a few light years no.”
“Get all scopes looking on that region I want to know before anything hit the ships and who to fire on.Con start up the engines and direct the engine exhaust in that direction. If anything is out there I want it to come head on into a storm of accelerated particles and start extending the AM drive I want whoever is out there chewing on a lance of relativistic particles themselves. With any luck we might be able to light them up. Marines prepare...” The Captain never finished the last sentence as the ship rang with the sound of a massive explosion followed by a series of smaller but still deafening thumps.
“Report!” barked the CO
“Unknown damage, over half the ship is either missing or out of contact with the AI, Engines are mostly intact, but secondary explosions have taken out four of the Ks.”
14 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:8
This is the eighth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Hi Jane
Hope this letter finds you well. The Freedom arrived in the target zone and found it clear of any combatants, looks like this actually has been a case of overkill leading to military prudence. Radiation levels were much lower than had been planned for it appears that all the blasts had produced fine particles of radioactive material which the blast from the fusion drive’s exhaust had cleared quite efficiently. A few remaining mines that hadn’t been detonated by the chaff strike were located and triggered in a planned fashion and the cleanup operation began.
Nothing more here to really report, assuming things carry on as planned the marines go in to capture the suspected base tomorrow but we’re still securing the location to the Captain’s satisfaction.
Missing you, Laurence.
The next section is here.
Hi Jane
Hope this letter finds you well. The Freedom arrived in the target zone and found it clear of any combatants, looks like this actually has been a case of overkill leading to military prudence. Radiation levels were much lower than had been planned for it appears that all the blasts had produced fine particles of radioactive material which the blast from the fusion drive’s exhaust had cleared quite efficiently. A few remaining mines that hadn’t been detonated by the chaff strike were located and triggered in a planned fashion and the cleanup operation began.
Nothing more here to really report, assuming things carry on as planned the marines go in to capture the suspected base tomorrow but we’re still securing the location to the Captain’s satisfaction.
Missing you, Laurence.
[SFAP] Chapter 9:7
This is the seventh section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Martin was fed up with being stuck in. He remembered that some of the city never slept. Good for an explore he thought. The trendy areas are still busy, those who seek out the bright lights of companionship always seem to be drawn together. Wouldn’t work otherwise.
This really wasn’t the prime time for exploration but that was probably for the best, if it was too busy it would be all the more obvious he didn’t fit in. After a brief look around he picked a random bar and watched the scene around him. Some people slumped in their drinks, some trying to fill the almost empty dance floor by themselves. Somewhat annoyed he noticed a couple over in the corner having sex. From the sounds of the two of them they’re trying to get others to join in.
For all the decadence that Martin had seen this was still something that surprised him when it became fashionable. At first it was all kind of predictable. Remove all risks associated with sex and what else was going to happen? Certain parts of society would start to push the boundaries.
What had been a small almost underground movement spread like wildfire when people realised that what few laws existed on the Habitat had no problem whatsoever with any form of public exhibitionism. For a while it became fashionable to fornicate in public and it was almost impossible to walk down the street without someone somewhere, or towards the beginning even have large groups vocally and enthusiastically having public orgies.
As with all fashions it was both fleeting amongst the masses and permanent among a few hard-core supporters. The realisation by some that the eternal ever search-able records of the Habitat made such events potential stains on your record removed some of the carefree nature. Of course for others this just added to it. One way or another there was still now no shortage of such people who except for the occasional shock value kept their activities to places where they would be likely to get the interest they desired. Bars and nightspots were such a hotspot.
“Man you look out of place.” the woman who Martin had just been watching and had started this train of thought was looking down at him.
Martin looked up briefly to see the woman’s face. Standing before him was either a young woman or one who had had enough surgery to pass as such “yes sorry” he stumbled “Just feel the need to be around people.” he cast his eyes down again to break eye contact and saw the man’s discharge running down her leg. Panicking he reached for his drink and regretted ordering a white russian.
Laughter came from above him “Boy you just don’t know where to look do you” she laughed again as she raised one leg onto the table in front of him giving him nowhere to look that didn’t bother him
“Yes I’m an old man hot and bothered by what I see before me, unable to do anything about it and getting exactly what he came in here for, a distraction.” Martin had tried this tactic before and had heard that it was sometimes successful at giving people the hint that he was actually uncomfortable and could they please stop.
She put her leg down “Old school, nice”
Actually thought Martin, that was probably the first time it had worked.
The next section is here.
Martin was fed up with being stuck in. He remembered that some of the city never slept. Good for an explore he thought. The trendy areas are still busy, those who seek out the bright lights of companionship always seem to be drawn together. Wouldn’t work otherwise.
This really wasn’t the prime time for exploration but that was probably for the best, if it was too busy it would be all the more obvious he didn’t fit in. After a brief look around he picked a random bar and watched the scene around him. Some people slumped in their drinks, some trying to fill the almost empty dance floor by themselves. Somewhat annoyed he noticed a couple over in the corner having sex. From the sounds of the two of them they’re trying to get others to join in.
For all the decadence that Martin had seen this was still something that surprised him when it became fashionable. At first it was all kind of predictable. Remove all risks associated with sex and what else was going to happen? Certain parts of society would start to push the boundaries.
What had been a small almost underground movement spread like wildfire when people realised that what few laws existed on the Habitat had no problem whatsoever with any form of public exhibitionism. For a while it became fashionable to fornicate in public and it was almost impossible to walk down the street without someone somewhere, or towards the beginning even have large groups vocally and enthusiastically having public orgies.
As with all fashions it was both fleeting amongst the masses and permanent among a few hard-core supporters. The realisation by some that the eternal ever search-able records of the Habitat made such events potential stains on your record removed some of the carefree nature. Of course for others this just added to it. One way or another there was still now no shortage of such people who except for the occasional shock value kept their activities to places where they would be likely to get the interest they desired. Bars and nightspots were such a hotspot.
“Man you look out of place.” the woman who Martin had just been watching and had started this train of thought was looking down at him.
Martin looked up briefly to see the woman’s face. Standing before him was either a young woman or one who had had enough surgery to pass as such “yes sorry” he stumbled “Just feel the need to be around people.” he cast his eyes down again to break eye contact and saw the man’s discharge running down her leg. Panicking he reached for his drink and regretted ordering a white russian.
Laughter came from above him “Boy you just don’t know where to look do you” she laughed again as she raised one leg onto the table in front of him giving him nowhere to look that didn’t bother him
“Yes I’m an old man hot and bothered by what I see before me, unable to do anything about it and getting exactly what he came in here for, a distraction.” Martin had tried this tactic before and had heard that it was sometimes successful at giving people the hint that he was actually uncomfortable and could they please stop.
She put her leg down “Old school, nice”
Actually thought Martin, that was probably the first time it had worked.
[SFAP] Chapter 9:6
This is the sixth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Apologies for a few days without a post, here's a few at once to catch up.
The Captain watched the screens as the images of the chaff that they had released earlier arrived at the anticipated mine field. As expected the proximity triggers on the mines were triggered and the area around the predicted location lit up as the screen’s filters activated to protect the viewers.
“Well” said the Captain “If they weren’t guilty of stealing those engines they certainly had something to protect” he pressed a few buttons on his console “How long before we turn on the Ks?”
“About three hours Sir” replied a junior officer
“Refrigeration laser firing” rattled off another.
“Captain, may I have a word” asked Laurence.
The Captain waved over Laurence to his private room at the side. “Go on”
“You want me to look after the engines on this ship, what the hell are you doing with the Ks?”
“Sterilizing the area.” replied the captain “Look you told me the AM drive was a bit flaky and delicate well the Ks are tried and tested, stick them onto full power and angle them at around the insertion area. It should be enough to clear out any combatants that could have moved in waiting for us and any dust left over from our little strike back there”
“I see” said Laurence “I wish you’d let me know these things”
“Why? Normal military drives well within their parameters”
“You’re using AM injection, nothing proven about that.”
“Well maybe, still it gets the job done. Just worry about your drives and leave the rest to me” The captain turned to leave
“One more question,” asked Laurence “I trust you’re not relying on the AM drive once we get there are you?”
“Best particle weapon ever invented why wouldn’t I use it”
“Because it’s also stupendously vulnerable.”
“What are you talking about”
“Come on Captain it’s a delicate tube stretching out in front of us, we’re supposed to be moving with that thing not sat here like a sitting duck. If it was the proper one we could fold it up, but for now it’s there like a christmas tree that a single shot to would kill us and we can’t even turn properly with it there.”
“Shit”
“Yeah good luck trying to manoeuvre with a five mile long line sticking out the front”
“You designed this into a battleship?” the Captain asked incredulously.
“No I designed this for a colony ship, whichever bright spark dragged a prototype into a warzone designed this. You can use the exhaust of the AM drive as a weapon and a hell of a weapon it’ll be, but if you come to a stop the enemy will be able to pick us off no trouble.” The Captain tried to interrupt but Laurence spoke over the top of him “Before you worry the AI is fully aware of this, it’s been worrying about it for a good time now. Come to a stop and we’re dead and even if they don’t hit us we can’t manoeuvre fast enough to use the output of that drive as a thermal lance.”
“I was kind of counting on that.”
“Yeah well tough no forty terrawatt laser for you.”
“Hang on couldn’t you just keep the reaction chamber and point that”
“If we’d have had time to install things properly then yes. If we’d have had built engines specifically for this ship yes. Can we do so with a gerry-rigged drive unit cobbled together and hastily adapted from an experimental prototype in the few hours remaining to us. No. What were you planning to do with a forty terrawatt laser anyway”
“I think the better question is what couldn’t you do?” smirked the Captain.
“Aim it at the moment. Well regardless. we have to stop this deceleration, drop off our landing craft and then accelerate away”
“I’m not leaving men behind.”
“You won’t be with the relative positioning of Venus and the speed of this boat we’ll be able to pick them up in a matter of hours. You’re still thinking in terms of what the old ships could do. This thing is very very fast if you push it.”
“No I’m not leaving men without cover.”
“Captain they are supposed to provide cover to you under hostiles not the other way around, they are expendable, this ship isn’t.”
“You’re giving these jumped up rats too much credit”
“No you don’t realise who you’re up against or how vulnerable you could be.”
“You are not a military strategist”
Laurence bit his lip, “I don’t think you’re aware of all the facts.”
“And thanks to you I now am, now if you’ll excuse me I have a battleship to command.” the Captain walked off.
“Now why” Laurence asked himself walking out. “Did I decide that lifeboats in space were pointless. Sure I’d be just as dead later but at least my remains wouldn’t be mixed up with that idiot.”
The next section is here.
Apologies for a few days without a post, here's a few at once to catch up.
The Captain watched the screens as the images of the chaff that they had released earlier arrived at the anticipated mine field. As expected the proximity triggers on the mines were triggered and the area around the predicted location lit up as the screen’s filters activated to protect the viewers.
“Well” said the Captain “If they weren’t guilty of stealing those engines they certainly had something to protect” he pressed a few buttons on his console “How long before we turn on the Ks?”
“About three hours Sir” replied a junior officer
“Refrigeration laser firing” rattled off another.
“Captain, may I have a word” asked Laurence.
The Captain waved over Laurence to his private room at the side. “Go on”
“You want me to look after the engines on this ship, what the hell are you doing with the Ks?”
“Sterilizing the area.” replied the captain “Look you told me the AM drive was a bit flaky and delicate well the Ks are tried and tested, stick them onto full power and angle them at around the insertion area. It should be enough to clear out any combatants that could have moved in waiting for us and any dust left over from our little strike back there”
“I see” said Laurence “I wish you’d let me know these things”
“Why? Normal military drives well within their parameters”
“You’re using AM injection, nothing proven about that.”
“Well maybe, still it gets the job done. Just worry about your drives and leave the rest to me” The captain turned to leave
“One more question,” asked Laurence “I trust you’re not relying on the AM drive once we get there are you?”
“Best particle weapon ever invented why wouldn’t I use it”
“Because it’s also stupendously vulnerable.”
“What are you talking about”
“Come on Captain it’s a delicate tube stretching out in front of us, we’re supposed to be moving with that thing not sat here like a sitting duck. If it was the proper one we could fold it up, but for now it’s there like a christmas tree that a single shot to would kill us and we can’t even turn properly with it there.”
“Shit”
“Yeah good luck trying to manoeuvre with a five mile long line sticking out the front”
“You designed this into a battleship?” the Captain asked incredulously.
“No I designed this for a colony ship, whichever bright spark dragged a prototype into a warzone designed this. You can use the exhaust of the AM drive as a weapon and a hell of a weapon it’ll be, but if you come to a stop the enemy will be able to pick us off no trouble.” The Captain tried to interrupt but Laurence spoke over the top of him “Before you worry the AI is fully aware of this, it’s been worrying about it for a good time now. Come to a stop and we’re dead and even if they don’t hit us we can’t manoeuvre fast enough to use the output of that drive as a thermal lance.”
“I was kind of counting on that.”
“Yeah well tough no forty terrawatt laser for you.”
“Hang on couldn’t you just keep the reaction chamber and point that”
“If we’d have had time to install things properly then yes. If we’d have had built engines specifically for this ship yes. Can we do so with a gerry-rigged drive unit cobbled together and hastily adapted from an experimental prototype in the few hours remaining to us. No. What were you planning to do with a forty terrawatt laser anyway”
“I think the better question is what couldn’t you do?” smirked the Captain.
“Aim it at the moment. Well regardless. we have to stop this deceleration, drop off our landing craft and then accelerate away”
“I’m not leaving men behind.”
“You won’t be with the relative positioning of Venus and the speed of this boat we’ll be able to pick them up in a matter of hours. You’re still thinking in terms of what the old ships could do. This thing is very very fast if you push it.”
“No I’m not leaving men without cover.”
“Captain they are supposed to provide cover to you under hostiles not the other way around, they are expendable, this ship isn’t.”
“You’re giving these jumped up rats too much credit”
“No you don’t realise who you’re up against or how vulnerable you could be.”
“You are not a military strategist”
Laurence bit his lip, “I don’t think you’re aware of all the facts.”
“And thanks to you I now am, now if you’ll excuse me I have a battleship to command.” the Captain walked off.
“Now why” Laurence asked himself walking out. “Did I decide that lifeboats in space were pointless. Sure I’d be just as dead later but at least my remains wouldn’t be mixed up with that idiot.”
09 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:5
This is the fifth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Iz tried to retrace her steps down the maze of hallways, an occasional glance at her Pad gave her the route out. Hearing footsteps behind her she tried to quicken her pace but her muscles refused to respond.
“Sorry” came the memory “your body is barely holding together after earlier, That bust of speed and strength was very damaging, you were supposed to spend more time talking to the Queen, you need more time before you can run. I’m doing the best I can to suppress the other problems your body is complaining about.”
Cursing as best she could she at least tried to lengthen her strides. She rounded a corner to find a group three people waiting for her. She noticed their weapons drawn. She slowly raised her hands.
“I guess the Queen thought I was a bit rude?”
“Just walk” came the response from the middle guard.
Iz turned around expecting the shield to intervene again.
“Sorry” came the memory as the world went dark from the hood placed over Iz’s head
The next section is here.
Iz tried to retrace her steps down the maze of hallways, an occasional glance at her Pad gave her the route out. Hearing footsteps behind her she tried to quicken her pace but her muscles refused to respond.
“Sorry” came the memory “your body is barely holding together after earlier, That bust of speed and strength was very damaging, you were supposed to spend more time talking to the Queen, you need more time before you can run. I’m doing the best I can to suppress the other problems your body is complaining about.”
Cursing as best she could she at least tried to lengthen her strides. She rounded a corner to find a group three people waiting for her. She noticed their weapons drawn. She slowly raised her hands.
“I guess the Queen thought I was a bit rude?”
“Just walk” came the response from the middle guard.
Iz turned around expecting the shield to intervene again.
“Sorry” came the memory as the world went dark from the hood placed over Iz’s head
08 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:4
This is the fourth section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
“They’re coming then?” asked Alice
“We’re set, don’t worry” replied Jo
“How aggressive do you think they’ll be in their first strike?”
“It shouldn’t matter”
“Yes but what if they strike the asteroids themselves?”
“And wipe out the evidence for their justification? Oh no they’ll want us captured, alive and as evidence to show the might of their new military. Otherwise they wouldn’t send a ship, just missiles.”
“No reason they can’t alter the records, it’s been done before”
“And who would care?” replied Alice “Their only reason to not do that is because someone will care and I’m not sure anyone would.”
“No I have faith on this one, these guys will at least try to do it by the book.” Jo paused “To begin with anyway.”
The next section is here.
“They’re coming then?” asked Alice
“We’re set, don’t worry” replied Jo
“How aggressive do you think they’ll be in their first strike?”
“It shouldn’t matter”
“Yes but what if they strike the asteroids themselves?”
“And wipe out the evidence for their justification? Oh no they’ll want us captured, alive and as evidence to show the might of their new military. Otherwise they wouldn’t send a ship, just missiles.”
“No reason they can’t alter the records, it’s been done before”
“And who would care?” replied Alice “Their only reason to not do that is because someone will care and I’m not sure anyone would.”
“No I have faith on this one, these guys will at least try to do it by the book.” Jo paused “To begin with anyway.”
07 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:3
This is the third section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Alarms sounded throughout the ship warning all to find a grapple point. The journey had reached just under its halfway point and it was time to turn the ship around to begin the braking procedure. The one and a half G that most people had now grown accustomed to very quickly disappeared as the massive ship slowly rotated about its centre of gravity. The journey so far had lasted just over three days and the end was already in sight. Over the course of the couple of hours of freefall the ship turned around and with another klaxon sound the familiar weight of gravity resumed as the engines were brought up to full strength slowly enough to allow bodies to adapt to their resumed weight.
The next section is here.
Alarms sounded throughout the ship warning all to find a grapple point. The journey had reached just under its halfway point and it was time to turn the ship around to begin the braking procedure. The one and a half G that most people had now grown accustomed to very quickly disappeared as the massive ship slowly rotated about its centre of gravity. The journey so far had lasted just over three days and the end was already in sight. Over the course of the couple of hours of freefall the ship turned around and with another klaxon sound the familiar weight of gravity resumed as the engines were brought up to full strength slowly enough to allow bodies to adapt to their resumed weight.
06 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:2
This is the second section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
“So your entertainment is watching an amateur get torn up by your local thug?”
The Queen laughed again “Oh that’s not the way to start charming Quentin by calling him a thug, looks like you’ve lost your chance to charm him.”
Iz still felt the muzzle against the back of her head “Look, can we talk about this?”
“We already did.” replied the Queen
Iz was almost starting to shake “Not you, Quentin.”
“Just doing my job.” She wasn’t sure what she expected from Quentin’s voice, but this wasn’t it.
“I’m sure I can do something to change your mind” she pleaded.
“Not really” came that slightly high pitched voice “The Queen isn’t the only one who’s bored.”
Iz felt the muzzle rasp slightly, probably the trigger being pulled she thought. Any second now the shield would kick in. Yes any second she’d be safe and a rescue drone would come through the door. No, the shield wasn’t activating. Maybe it clung to the skin in some way, no that’s not how the drone’s shield worked. Maybe it was faulty. Maybe it needed some threat to first be activated and it just didn’t recognise a vibrating muzzle as a threat. What else could she do? Snatch it from his hand? No she had never had combat training. What could she do? She couldn’t have long left now in a panic her head twisted backwards to deflect the muzzle. It was true, in life or death situations time really did slow down. She dived for a gap behind a local chair she wasn’t sure if she saw a flash of the muzzle but she certainly hadn’t heard the gun fire, why hadn’t he fired yet? As she felt herself fly through the air she knocked an ornate candle over that had been on a table next to that chair.
At that moment she realised that the room had slowed down to a halt. the candle she had knocked over in her dive for cover fell to the ground in slow motion. What the hell is going on she thought. She’d once been in a car accident and for that half second she had remembered time stretching out, this feeling was like this, but somehow more intense.
“Sorry about that,” remembered Iz “I just had to speed up your thought to allow you to survive this.”
What the hell, thought Iz, I don’t remember that conversation with the drone. In fact why am I just remembering a conversation that I never had as if I’m talking to the drone.
“Quickest way for your brain to process the information” she remembered the drone saying “If it is put in your brain as if you already have it in there then there’s more processing power for what you need to do.”
And what exactly is that thought Iz. No response came, she noticed that the ground was approaching but her arms weren’t responding to cushion her fall. In fact they didn’t totally seem to be under her control, or could they just not move as fast as she could now think.
“Survive. That shield pack will protect you in a force bubble but it’s a last resort. This is far more efficient, if we can use your body to do the work” it was as if the memory was of the drone calmly sitting pondering, almost aloof as if contemplating a fine sprig of tobacco, or contemplating a well painted canvas. “why do you think you were able to think so quickly and move so fast in the time it took him to pull the trigger” the memory continued “it took a while for the drugs the shield pack injected to act.”
Iz realised where her hand was going, quicker than she thought possible it grabbed the still falling candle and hurled it at her attacker.
“It’s not just the brain we can speed up with the right chemicals. I can’t use that hand again for about another second or so” this time the memory had more clarity the drone wasn’t sitting which is how she first imagined it, which was blatantly impossible given that it was a hovering sphere - how could it sit or for that matter not sit any more? Nevertheless it gave off a reassuring serene quality.
Iz felt her shoulder start to land on the floor and her whole body start to roll. The beginnings of pain starting in a spot and slowly spreading. She tried to move her arm to cushion the blow, it wouldn’t move it was out of her control.
“Sorry about that I kind of need that arm elsewhere,” Iz wasn’t pleased with how her own body had been taken over but at the moment she had no control over what was happening, then came another memory “don’t worry your shoulder muscles should survive the impact.”
Her arm was heading down towards her boot even in this sped up viewpoint she was surprised at the speed the boot came off and was thrown to knock the gun out of he guard’s hand.
“Not long left now, the drugs are about to wear off. Maybe a second or so left. Get ready to pretend this was all your own doing and the result of good training. If you play it right you should be able to run the joint.”
Does everyone get this little shield pack then? Have others done this before me she thought
“No” came the memory “you’re the first to ask the right questions. You didn’t know you were asking them mind. Others just want to get in to prove their superiority. Most are killed though, so would you be too if you weren’t cautious and asked for the right things.”
Again in what felt like a reflex action her head flicked around and in a feeling almost like being drunk watched as her eye focused on the new arrival at the scene. It was a strange sensation to see the effect of her eye building up the detail of the new part of the scene. Whilst the rest of her brain was operating at an accelerated speed to see the process of her eye focusing and building up a new picture of the world was fascinating from her detached viewpoint. She wasn’t sure if this was the so called shield unit reacting to a threat it had detected itself or if it was using only her senses to detect this, but a new threat had appeared and was in the process of aiming his gun at her. She felt her legs bunch and hurl her at this new attacker. As she approached her right arm shot out and knocked the still aiming gun out of his hand. Her momentum should have been enough to knock the attacker over but whoever it was must have had some hand to hand combat training as they spun her and used her momentum to swing her back so that it slammed her into the wall. Iz watched almost as a passenger in the event as her hands flew towards the attacker in a series of chops and attacks. A few got through when a new memory appeared.
“That’s it I can’t keep your brain and body going at this speed any longer. Sorry you’re on your own now.”
Halfway through a chop Iz realised that the world was speeding up approaching normal speed. As her hand still in flight connected with the neck of her attacker she felt for the first time pain from her hand as it smacked against his windpipe. Pain started to creep in from her back and all of her limbs like a tidal wave washing over her. Suddenly weary, suddenly in agony she took her last gram of strength bunched up her hand into a fist and threw her entire weight behind a single punch to the man’s jaw that knocked both of them off their feet.
Normality came rushing back to full speed like a diver surfacing for breath.
Iz suddenly realised she was short of breath and almost dizzy from lack of air it was as if she hadn’t breathed at all in the time she had been fighting. Well her body had been fighting. She sagged onto her knees and drew in a full lungful of breath that seemed to scorch like fire through her lungs.
She heard distant applause from what she guessed was the Queen “Well done!” the voice confirmed it “Quite a demonstration.”
Iz forced herself to stand. “Well I’m not sure I had much to spare.” she felt her legs giving way underneath her, the burning of lactic acid sensation had reached her like a blast, but she waited for her blood to wash the sensation away.
“No, but who would?” the Queen moved out of the recesses and Iz saw her for the first time. An older woman than she imagined from her voice, she looked in her late forties and moderately well fed, but certainly not someone you would cross “When you’re ready do come join me. I can see that took it out of you.”
“Yeah well falling on your arse like that enough times will do that to you.”
“Quite elegant I thought.” the Queen indicated to one of the chairs for Iz to sit on “always a pleasure to see the movements of a well practised professional”
Iz stumbled over to the first guard she had taken out and retrieved her boot. “Not really my forte, but enough to survive I like to think”
“No doubt” with this the queen noticed Iz striding over the still downed guard got up herself and walked over to the downed guard “I’m certainly interested what else you have to offer” with this she placed two hands on the unconscious guard’s neck and in a swift twist snapped it.
Iz flinched at the crack “Was that really necessary, I’d heard what it was like here, but really?”
“You’ve got to punish failure even if it was at the hands of a worthy adversary.”
“So what now?”
“What now is I ask what you want, I had dismissed you as just another disposable inconvenience, but never let it be said I turn away a new ally.”
“You should have thought of that before you set your guards on me.”
“Then we’d never know each other would we. You’ve seen what I have, I have seen you.”
“But what’s to stop me using them against you”
“Because I can see that fight took a lot out of you and I’m still fresh. Don’t worry I am a lady of honour. My power is nothing if I didn’t have pride.”
“Then in that case” said Iz forcing herself to stand “I feel I must withdraw”
“Why? We were just getting started”
“No disrespect to you, but a life of pride and power may be interesting but are not me.”
“How do you know until you try?”
Iz paused for a moment, the Queen was reclined in her chair looking like she was only missing a cat and cocktail to complete the picture “No I think I’ve seen all I came to see.”
“We don’t appreciate being turned down you will not receive the same welcome should you return”
“Then I shall not return” with this Iz left the room.
The next section is here.
“So your entertainment is watching an amateur get torn up by your local thug?”
The Queen laughed again “Oh that’s not the way to start charming Quentin by calling him a thug, looks like you’ve lost your chance to charm him.”
Iz still felt the muzzle against the back of her head “Look, can we talk about this?”
“We already did.” replied the Queen
Iz was almost starting to shake “Not you, Quentin.”
“Just doing my job.” She wasn’t sure what she expected from Quentin’s voice, but this wasn’t it.
“I’m sure I can do something to change your mind” she pleaded.
“Not really” came that slightly high pitched voice “The Queen isn’t the only one who’s bored.”
Iz felt the muzzle rasp slightly, probably the trigger being pulled she thought. Any second now the shield would kick in. Yes any second she’d be safe and a rescue drone would come through the door. No, the shield wasn’t activating. Maybe it clung to the skin in some way, no that’s not how the drone’s shield worked. Maybe it was faulty. Maybe it needed some threat to first be activated and it just didn’t recognise a vibrating muzzle as a threat. What else could she do? Snatch it from his hand? No she had never had combat training. What could she do? She couldn’t have long left now in a panic her head twisted backwards to deflect the muzzle. It was true, in life or death situations time really did slow down. She dived for a gap behind a local chair she wasn’t sure if she saw a flash of the muzzle but she certainly hadn’t heard the gun fire, why hadn’t he fired yet? As she felt herself fly through the air she knocked an ornate candle over that had been on a table next to that chair.
At that moment she realised that the room had slowed down to a halt. the candle she had knocked over in her dive for cover fell to the ground in slow motion. What the hell is going on she thought. She’d once been in a car accident and for that half second she had remembered time stretching out, this feeling was like this, but somehow more intense.
“Sorry about that,” remembered Iz “I just had to speed up your thought to allow you to survive this.”
What the hell, thought Iz, I don’t remember that conversation with the drone. In fact why am I just remembering a conversation that I never had as if I’m talking to the drone.
“Quickest way for your brain to process the information” she remembered the drone saying “If it is put in your brain as if you already have it in there then there’s more processing power for what you need to do.”
And what exactly is that thought Iz. No response came, she noticed that the ground was approaching but her arms weren’t responding to cushion her fall. In fact they didn’t totally seem to be under her control, or could they just not move as fast as she could now think.
“Survive. That shield pack will protect you in a force bubble but it’s a last resort. This is far more efficient, if we can use your body to do the work” it was as if the memory was of the drone calmly sitting pondering, almost aloof as if contemplating a fine sprig of tobacco, or contemplating a well painted canvas. “why do you think you were able to think so quickly and move so fast in the time it took him to pull the trigger” the memory continued “it took a while for the drugs the shield pack injected to act.”
Iz realised where her hand was going, quicker than she thought possible it grabbed the still falling candle and hurled it at her attacker.
“It’s not just the brain we can speed up with the right chemicals. I can’t use that hand again for about another second or so” this time the memory had more clarity the drone wasn’t sitting which is how she first imagined it, which was blatantly impossible given that it was a hovering sphere - how could it sit or for that matter not sit any more? Nevertheless it gave off a reassuring serene quality.
Iz felt her shoulder start to land on the floor and her whole body start to roll. The beginnings of pain starting in a spot and slowly spreading. She tried to move her arm to cushion the blow, it wouldn’t move it was out of her control.
“Sorry about that I kind of need that arm elsewhere,” Iz wasn’t pleased with how her own body had been taken over but at the moment she had no control over what was happening, then came another memory “don’t worry your shoulder muscles should survive the impact.”
Her arm was heading down towards her boot even in this sped up viewpoint she was surprised at the speed the boot came off and was thrown to knock the gun out of he guard’s hand.
“Not long left now, the drugs are about to wear off. Maybe a second or so left. Get ready to pretend this was all your own doing and the result of good training. If you play it right you should be able to run the joint.”
Does everyone get this little shield pack then? Have others done this before me she thought
“No” came the memory “you’re the first to ask the right questions. You didn’t know you were asking them mind. Others just want to get in to prove their superiority. Most are killed though, so would you be too if you weren’t cautious and asked for the right things.”
Again in what felt like a reflex action her head flicked around and in a feeling almost like being drunk watched as her eye focused on the new arrival at the scene. It was a strange sensation to see the effect of her eye building up the detail of the new part of the scene. Whilst the rest of her brain was operating at an accelerated speed to see the process of her eye focusing and building up a new picture of the world was fascinating from her detached viewpoint. She wasn’t sure if this was the so called shield unit reacting to a threat it had detected itself or if it was using only her senses to detect this, but a new threat had appeared and was in the process of aiming his gun at her. She felt her legs bunch and hurl her at this new attacker. As she approached her right arm shot out and knocked the still aiming gun out of his hand. Her momentum should have been enough to knock the attacker over but whoever it was must have had some hand to hand combat training as they spun her and used her momentum to swing her back so that it slammed her into the wall. Iz watched almost as a passenger in the event as her hands flew towards the attacker in a series of chops and attacks. A few got through when a new memory appeared.
“That’s it I can’t keep your brain and body going at this speed any longer. Sorry you’re on your own now.”
Halfway through a chop Iz realised that the world was speeding up approaching normal speed. As her hand still in flight connected with the neck of her attacker she felt for the first time pain from her hand as it smacked against his windpipe. Pain started to creep in from her back and all of her limbs like a tidal wave washing over her. Suddenly weary, suddenly in agony she took her last gram of strength bunched up her hand into a fist and threw her entire weight behind a single punch to the man’s jaw that knocked both of them off their feet.
Normality came rushing back to full speed like a diver surfacing for breath.
Iz suddenly realised she was short of breath and almost dizzy from lack of air it was as if she hadn’t breathed at all in the time she had been fighting. Well her body had been fighting. She sagged onto her knees and drew in a full lungful of breath that seemed to scorch like fire through her lungs.
She heard distant applause from what she guessed was the Queen “Well done!” the voice confirmed it “Quite a demonstration.”
Iz forced herself to stand. “Well I’m not sure I had much to spare.” she felt her legs giving way underneath her, the burning of lactic acid sensation had reached her like a blast, but she waited for her blood to wash the sensation away.
“No, but who would?” the Queen moved out of the recesses and Iz saw her for the first time. An older woman than she imagined from her voice, she looked in her late forties and moderately well fed, but certainly not someone you would cross “When you’re ready do come join me. I can see that took it out of you.”
“Yeah well falling on your arse like that enough times will do that to you.”
“Quite elegant I thought.” the Queen indicated to one of the chairs for Iz to sit on “always a pleasure to see the movements of a well practised professional”
Iz stumbled over to the first guard she had taken out and retrieved her boot. “Not really my forte, but enough to survive I like to think”
“No doubt” with this the queen noticed Iz striding over the still downed guard got up herself and walked over to the downed guard “I’m certainly interested what else you have to offer” with this she placed two hands on the unconscious guard’s neck and in a swift twist snapped it.
Iz flinched at the crack “Was that really necessary, I’d heard what it was like here, but really?”
“You’ve got to punish failure even if it was at the hands of a worthy adversary.”
“So what now?”
“What now is I ask what you want, I had dismissed you as just another disposable inconvenience, but never let it be said I turn away a new ally.”
“You should have thought of that before you set your guards on me.”
“Then we’d never know each other would we. You’ve seen what I have, I have seen you.”
“But what’s to stop me using them against you”
“Because I can see that fight took a lot out of you and I’m still fresh. Don’t worry I am a lady of honour. My power is nothing if I didn’t have pride.”
“Then in that case” said Iz forcing herself to stand “I feel I must withdraw”
“Why? We were just getting started”
“No disrespect to you, but a life of pride and power may be interesting but are not me.”
“How do you know until you try?”
Iz paused for a moment, the Queen was reclined in her chair looking like she was only missing a cat and cocktail to complete the picture “No I think I’ve seen all I came to see.”
“We don’t appreciate being turned down you will not receive the same welcome should you return”
“Then I shall not return” with this Iz left the room.
05 September, 2011
[SFAP] Chapter 9:1
This is the first section of the ninth chapter of Sonnets from a Proton. The novel starts here.
The next section is here.
Laurence sat poking at the food in front of him in a dejected manner. He might have been getting used to the food on the Contrafibularity, but without the ocean for fresh food supplies the food here was a big let down. Eating at a poorly staffed cafe in the transfer station had been a let down from earth, but a sheet metal table in the mess area was a step as low as Laurence wanted to go in his life. Well given the captain’s reaction to his worries the journey into near certain death was more of a concern, but there was nothing he could do about that at the moment.
An anonymous crewman sat opposite him “Sir” exclaimed the crewman as he sat down.
Laurence looked for an insignia on the crewman and noticed what he thought was the rank of Yeoman “I’ve heard a Yeoman will say sir to anyone”
The man looked annoyed “That may be Sir, but I’m not a Yeoman. I’m a Petty Officer Sir”
“I see, sorry.” apologised Laurence “I guess I’m out of date with the ranks on the space corps. You could have been a Lieutenant for all I knew”
“Lieutenant” corrected the crewman
“Oh I see, sorry again” apologised Laurence “I guess that’s just how I know it pronounced.”
“Matter of tradition Sir.” he continued to wolf down the food in front of him, Laurence was almost disgusted to see the speed at which this petty officer’s food was disappearing.
Laurence ate in silence for a few moments then continued “Look can I ask you, is it always this bad, always this cramped. This Freedom seems to possess very little of what it calls itself.”
“I don’t know Sir, served on a submarine before this and it’s about the same. More room in the corridors so I can’t complain.”
“It just seems harsh to spend so much time in such cramped conditions when space is so vast”
“It was certainly supposed to be better, we were promised recreational areas in inflatable sections, but they can’t be expanded under battle conditions. Besides they haven’t been installed yet we’ve been told not an urgent mission priority because of the short term nature of this posting”
“How many of you are there to a cabin” asked Laurence
“Six Sir,” replied the crewman “Same as the boomer” at this he took the last mouthful from his plate, stood up rattled of a salute a “Sir!” and left
“Goodbye petty officer Sir!” said Laurence to the retreating back.
The next section is here.
Laurence sat poking at the food in front of him in a dejected manner. He might have been getting used to the food on the Contrafibularity, but without the ocean for fresh food supplies the food here was a big let down. Eating at a poorly staffed cafe in the transfer station had been a let down from earth, but a sheet metal table in the mess area was a step as low as Laurence wanted to go in his life. Well given the captain’s reaction to his worries the journey into near certain death was more of a concern, but there was nothing he could do about that at the moment.
An anonymous crewman sat opposite him “Sir” exclaimed the crewman as he sat down.
Laurence looked for an insignia on the crewman and noticed what he thought was the rank of Yeoman “I’ve heard a Yeoman will say sir to anyone”
The man looked annoyed “That may be Sir, but I’m not a Yeoman. I’m a Petty Officer Sir”
“I see, sorry.” apologised Laurence “I guess I’m out of date with the ranks on the space corps. You could have been a Lieutenant for all I knew”
“Lieutenant” corrected the crewman
“Oh I see, sorry again” apologised Laurence “I guess that’s just how I know it pronounced.”
“Matter of tradition Sir.” he continued to wolf down the food in front of him, Laurence was almost disgusted to see the speed at which this petty officer’s food was disappearing.
Laurence ate in silence for a few moments then continued “Look can I ask you, is it always this bad, always this cramped. This Freedom seems to possess very little of what it calls itself.”
“I don’t know Sir, served on a submarine before this and it’s about the same. More room in the corridors so I can’t complain.”
“It just seems harsh to spend so much time in such cramped conditions when space is so vast”
“It was certainly supposed to be better, we were promised recreational areas in inflatable sections, but they can’t be expanded under battle conditions. Besides they haven’t been installed yet we’ve been told not an urgent mission priority because of the short term nature of this posting”
“How many of you are there to a cabin” asked Laurence
“Six Sir,” replied the crewman “Same as the boomer” at this he took the last mouthful from his plate, stood up rattled of a salute a “Sir!” and left
“Goodbye petty officer Sir!” said Laurence to the retreating back.
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