Audacity (Warner's World Book 5) (43 page)

But both Julian and Gunter were convinced they could do it. They had the conviction of zealots. They also had the volume of zealots and their discussion could be heard above all other conversations at the breakfast tables. Dave was trying to have a conversation of his own with Ivan when finally he raised his voice “Mr Rapperberg and Mr Smythe we don’t all need to hear so loudly how you’re going to pull off the synthetic system of the millennium!”

Gunter felt the reproach but it was Julian who responded. “Of course Sir and thank you for reminding us that we will need to handle a wide volume range on the parser.” Julian then lowered his own volume but hardly took breath between one idea and the next.

Dave shook his head at first in annoyance but then with a smile and went back to his own conversation. But before too long Julian’s volume increased back to its previous level. Dave rolled his eyes, downed the rest of his orange juice and suggested to Ivan that they continue their discussion back in his office. Dave left without further ado but Ivan made his way to Julian’s and Gunter’s table and bent down so his head was level with theirs. They stopped talking. Ivan said in a quiet voice “This had better work Julian otherwise I fear the boss will see you leading the first charge. You’ve got to learn to take a hint! Now get out of here.” Ivan waited for a response but Julian was, for the first time since he woke, lost for words. So Ivan added “Now!”

Julian and Gunter rose and left and it was Ivan’s turn to smile.

Chapter 37. Aspliar to Nilsun2 0745, 25 August

Arras regained conscience slowly. Through the grogginess he finally recalled why he was strapped into the medbay table. The left side of his face felt like someone had scraped a razor over it peeling away the skin. It was a pretty close assessment. He tried to get his eyes to focus on the screen on the ceiling. There was a yellow flashing light that begged for his attention. He tried hard to focus but couldn’t make it out clearly enough. Exhausted by the exertion, he closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

Again he awoke. He remembered. ‘Yes the light’ he thought. His head felt a little clearer. He thought it must have been ages ago that he had first regained conscience but in fact it was only forty minutes earlier. He opened his eyes and gradually focussed on the screen above him. The yellow flashing light proclaimed that the operation had been successfully concluded. He breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to scan the stats also displayed on the screen but it took too much effort. He closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

An hour later he woke up again. This time he asked for the removal of the restraints. “Further rest is recommended” said the AI.

“To hell with it” said Arras “release now.” The restraints were duly released and Arras gingerly sat up. As he did so he realised that he had a bandage covering the better part of the left side of his face. He raised his left hand to feel it. It was an instinctive thing to do but it was a bad idea. His own touch sent a huge spike of pain from his cheek right up into his head. He grimaced and swore he would not do that again.

“Procedure details?” he queried. The AI displayed them on the screen above and the other one on the wall. He lowered his feet onto the floor and took his weight gently. He was reassured enough to stand erect and then to walk to the screen.

He read the diagnosis first. As he suspected the stress he had undergone had caused his body to reject the plastic surgery he had received and in particular the skin replacement he had undergone to the left side of his face. “But why just the left side?” he queried.

“Unsure” came back the AI.

“Well that’s not bloody helpful” said Arras. The AI ignored his statement and felt none the worse for doing so. In fact it never felt anything at all. And that fact slowly dawned on Arras as he watched the AI present the procedure steps. “So you have essentially stripped away all the skin that has been rejected and replaced it with new skin produced from my own stem cells?”

“Correct.”

Arras read further and could see that over the next few days his new skin would progressively take to his facial structure and stabilise.

“And what will I look like?”

“Exactly as you did” replied the AI.

“Exactly as I did when?”

“Your skin is based on your DNA and will be exactly as proscribed in your DNA.”

“Oh terrific” said Arras as he realised that this meant his left side would be like his old self prior to his surgery back on Cheklin. “And what about the right side?”

“Your right side is stable at present. It does not warrant any procedures.”

“So you say. I’m going to look like some deformed monster. I want the procedure done on the right side too.”

“That is not recommended.”

“I don’t care.”

“You have undergone considerable trauma and my protocols dictate that you must wait at least 48 hours before undergoing any further trauma.”

“Damm your protocols. Just do it.”

“The probability of permanent disability would be 60%. Probability of death would be 12%. Do you still wish to proceed?”

Confronted with this assessment all Arras could do was scream “Why don’t you just fuck off.”

“Procedure schedules for 0900 27 August” responded the AI in its usual matter of fact expression.

Chapter 38. Neeblo 0930, 25 August

“He’s a good rogan” assured Bakun. “Anyway, we’ll know for sure this time tomorrow.”

Felis adjusted his posture in the chair next to Bakun. They were sitting in a large warehouse on the outskirts of Neeblo. Neeblo was a small city some 200km from Lewista. It had once been much bigger but with the collapse of its manufacturing industry large tracts of industrial land had fallen into disuse.

Bakun had pulled out all stops once he had been advised of Yomoto’s timetable. He leased the current complex through a broker and brought Felis here this morning to show him what would become the Resistance command centre.

To this end he had recruited a former employee, Soma Casus. Soma was a fixer. He got things done. Bakun was hoping he could arrange for the relocation of the equipment from a command centre facility at an old decommissioned fleet base.

“Even if he pulls this off” said Felis “we won’t be able to test any active sensors. We’d be detected in no time flat.”

“I know. But we can use the passive sensors to tell us when Yomoto’s fleet arrives. Then we can decide to go active or not.”

“OK fair enough. What about getting those plans?” asked Felis referring to the space station.

“I have plans for the main cargo docks but that’s it” said Bakun. “That was all we were trusted with. However, I do know where you can get a copy.”

“Yes” responded Felis with mild enthusiasm.

“I think I can get access through a contact but you’ll need to go and get them and it won’t be easy.”

“Why can’t your contact do that?”

“Well they could but they won’t. There’s too much risk of detection for them and it won’t be just them that suffers. You know that.”

“Where is it?” asked Felis without acknowledging the truth of what Bakun had just said.

“At the Mintoslum B9 complex in Lewista. They have the contract for the command systems.”

Felis shook his head. “And I was hoping it would be at the Fleet base” he replied sarcastically.

“That would be easier” said Bakun with a smile.

Chapter 39. Washington 1040, 26 August

“Oh Adrian” said Malissa out loud to herself as she read the report from her Foreign Minister “you have done wonders.” She sat back in her chair and felt the tension in her body relax. She picked up the cup from her desk and sipped the coffee, lingering over the aroma.

She reflected on the spate of good news from Yomoto and now Adrian. ‘Maybe we can do this without nuking those bastards’ she thought. “Belinda” she yelled to her Senior Political Advisor, Beinda Klondike, who was in the adjacent office. “Have those boffins made any progress?” she asked.

Belinda did not respond immediately. Her rather large frame appeared in the doorway a good minute later with an annoyed expression on her face. “Which boffins do you mean?” asked Belinda.

“You know the one working on the PME tech.”

“Yeah but which ones? The ones working to reacquire the capability or the others trying to develop the counter?”

“The latter of course Belinda. Please keep up.”

“Yes Maam” said Belinda drawing out the Maam to let her boss know that she was displeased with her. After a pause she added “Leave it with me and I’ll get you an answer later today.”

“Ring them now. No wait, ring them straight after you’ve prepared that message for Yomoto.”

“Yes Maam” said Belinda, still drawing out the Maam but with ‘tired’ emphasis.

Chapter 40. Resolute over Chelora 1430, 26 August

“Well Julian” said Dave “are we going to see it work now?”

“Nearly, Sir, nearly” replied Julian without a pause in his typing. “Just about to compile now. Gunter is that parser reset?”

“In a moment” said a stressed Gunter. The demo hadn’t exactly gone according to plan. Buster’s team were integrated with a platoon of droids in a mock battle to secure a space down on H deck. While Buster’s commands had been received OK initially and the droids executed the first ‘clear’ order he issued, once the simulated firing started and Buster raised his voice from physical exertion and stress the parser failed to function correctly and the droids didn’t execute his second set of orders.

It had been Buster who suggested that until they get the parser working properly there should at least be a fall back protocol whereby the droids defended in place pending new orders. Julian was implementing this right now while Gunter was tweaking the parser yet again.

“Let’s give ‘em some space Sir” suggested Jim and with a wave of his hand beckoned Dave to come outside of Julian’s office. Jim more than anyone wanted this to work and he feared Dave’s frustration was adversely affecting Julian and Gunter.

Out of the office Dave cast an eye around the big cavernous hold where the droids stood motionless and the marines took a breather. Dave could tell from the expression on Jim’s face that Jim wasn’t all that happy with the effect he was having on them. “Sorry Jim. So much is riding on this. If it’s not going to work I want to focus on our plan B. We’ve only got two days.”

“I know Sir but let’s not write ‘em off just yet.”

Dave nodded and they both fell into silence as each pondered the coming battle and what it would mean for the troops under their command.

The silence was broken when Julian called out loudly “We’re good to go.”

“Right” said Jim. “Take it away Buster.”

“Roger that Sir” said Buster “OK everyone suit up. Positions.” He waited till his marines were in their start positions. “Activate Training protocol. Two Delta One (first droid team) clear corridor left side. Two Delta Two (second droid team) clear corridor right side. Two Delta Three (third droid team) in reserve current position. Two Bravo One (group one of marine team) support Two Delta One. Two Bravo Two (group two of marine team) support Two Delta Two. Go now!”

The two droid teams leading cleared the first rooms on either side of the corridor. The marines moved in bounds behind each of them. All went as planned, just as it had last time. As the droids exited the first rooms and made their way using bounding overwatch they came under simulated fire from Two Alpha team, who were the exercise enemy. The noise level rose with pulse fire and grenade explosions as the lead droids broke into the next set of rooms. Smoke filled the entire space. The enemy within these rooms had scored simulated hits on the droids and these were deactivated automatically by the exercise simulation control.

Buster now had to commit his reserve while he was taking cover out in the corridor itself behind one of the structural bulkheads all the time while automatic quanto fire ripped past nearby. He tried to steady his voice but it was difficult under the circumstances. “Two Delta Three assault enemy gun at end of corridor. Two Delta One and Two Delta Two support Two Delta Three.”

This was the moment of truth where previously Two Delta One and Two Delta Two had failed to support Two Delta Three. But this time it all worked. Jim turned to Dave and smiled. Dave was smiling too. “That’s more like it” said Dave. He felt the tension in his neck muscles ease.

“I think we have something here” said Jim. “I’ll keep ‘em at it all afternoon. But it’s looking good.”

Dave nodded and poked his head back into Julian’s office. “Good work everyone.”

Chapter 41. Kiev over Chelora 1700, 26 August

Rihan was about to head down to catch a shuttle over to the Resolute when she was called into the Admiral’s office. Phil’s inner circle, comprising Alex, Rihan, Greta and Jock left little extra room in the office.

“Greta” said Phil when they all were seated.

“We just got this report in from Q2” said Greta. “They have been attacked by two frigates. The spaceport’s been badly damaged by a bombardment. A small ground assault was mounted and destroyed. But the two enemy frigates are still overhead. It’s no longer possible to launch or receive shuttles. All support droids destroyed.”

“What about Sue?” asked Rihan anxiously.

“She’s OK” replied Greta “All our people are ok but the Resistance suffered heavy casualties in the battle. The short of it is the enemy control the space above and the Resistance the space below.”

“When are Spectre and Raptor due in?” asked Alex.

“29
^th
” replied Rihan. But her mind had already moved on. She turned to the Admiral. “Do you want to send the Resolute now?”

Phil had already thought about this option. It was the first thing that had come into his mind. “No I don’t think so. Brice and Songa should be capable of defeating those two frigates…provided they team up. They’ll have the element of surprise. Besides, the integration with the marines and droids is not complete.”

“Perhaps the Resolute should go straight after the demo on the 28
^th
Sir” recommended Rihan. “Our two frigates will most likely need a resup after the engagement.”