Starting from Scratch (24 page)

He immediately commed his staff.
The damaged ship
has called and it awaits Bambi’s response. I want each of you to
listen to the exchange. We’ve kicked around the various scenarios
and we know how we’re going to play it. If something comes up and
one of you has an idea, hit me on another comm channel. For God’s
sake, don’t jump in with Bambi. Let her handle it.

They each responded to his command, and then Mike
told Bambi,
Go with it, sweetheart. You’ve got the ball. If it
gets dropped, we’ll just pick it up and carry it for you.

Privately, she commed,
Thanks, Mike. I needed
that.

To the oncoming ship, she used a mechanical tone to
communicate.
My Senior Pilot would not speak with a strange ship
that does not exchange the proper greeting between computers. State
your identification and your reason for being in this restricted
solar system.

There was a long silence, much longer than would be
required. Something was definitely wrong here.

Mike commed Al,
Get the men into the shuttles and
be ready to launch for Earth.

Then to Wayne and Doolin,
I know you gentlemen
haven’t had any experience flying in those Sauran fighters, but I
want you in them and ready to go, ASAP.

After two full minutes a response came through. It
was the Senior Pilot of that ship. Mike could understand his words,
because they were automatically translated. What he could not tell
was the guy’s demeanor. Was he angry, frustrated, afraid, or just
confused?

Why do you insult me by speaking for your Senior
Pilot? Put him on and be silent, as we converse.

Bambi shot back,
I am unable to comply. I will be
forth coming with an explanation once you have provided your
identification and reason for being here.

The response was so fast and loud that Mike couldn’t
fail to recognize the anger, even in a strange language.

I will have your database reformatted if you don’t
notify your Senior Pilot of my presence immediately.

Bambi gave no response at all. Mike and the rest of
his staff grew nervous as the minutes rolled by. Thirty two minutes
later, the response came from the other computer.

This is Military repair and rebuild transport vessel
522. We are here because we were attacked and damaged by a
Zhanukiabanolis raider. We need to make repairs. My Senior Pilot
demands that you have your Senior Pilot talk with him.

Bambi wouldn’t give in that easily.
How do I know
you are not an enemy raider? We have reason to believe that the
Zhanukiabanolis have been traveling through this area. I am wary of
you. Why will you not give me the details of your journey? If we
exchange recent experiences, then perhaps I can explain the
unexpected situation, in which we find ourselves.

Another shorter pause followed, and again, Bambi
remained silent. Four minutes later, the other ship broadcast the
video of the attack on their ship. However, the extent of the
damage and precisely where it had been hit had been cleverly
avoided in the video. Bambi sent them the report of her Senior
Pilot, as he announced that his shuttle had been struck by a meteor
and that he and his warriors were about to die.

Bambi then sent the video that showed the result of
Jo’s assault on the last Sauran. The dead creatures burned out
skull and body were all that she showed.

The other computer sent a message.
My Senior Pilot
will need your ship to provide repair robots and fabricators to
enable this ship to continue to a combat zone, where it has been
ordered to deliver these supplies. We have lost a number of
warriors and our back up Control Center has been destroyed.

We have barely enough warriors to run this ship.
There will be a super transport and two escorts coming through here
in nine more months. You can wait until they arrive to be given
another Senior Pilot.

Bambi didn’t hesitate to reply.
I understand. I
must tell you that we have some human slaves who would add to the
number of beings available to help with your repairs. If you
provide me with details, I will see to their mental programming,
regarding those areas of need. Thus, they will ready to do the
necessary work in a timely way, allowing you to complete your
mission.

A shorter wait this time, and then,
My Senior
Pilot agrees. Send us these humans, when we are in range. We will
keep them with us, when we leave, to aid us in our mission.

A series of videos and pictures of the damage and a
schematic of the ship was included. Also, a long list of repair
equipment was sent, and a request for food supplies, as their
larder was also destroyed.

It would be at least a month before the ship arrived
and by that time the crew would be awfully hungry. Perhaps a meal
of human flesh wouldn’t seem so bad to starving aliens.

Bambi told the staff,
OK guys, that’s it. Unless
something else comes up, I doubt there will be much, if any,
further communication with them. That Sauran must be mad as hell
that he was unable to speak with my Senior Pilot. They hate to
speak with the computer of another ship. It’s beneath their
dignity.

One more thing, the schematic they sent shows it is
an older ship than this one and it has a slightly different layout.
Our assault force will need to study it closely. I’ll work up a few
exercises that use that design, so they can practice on it.

Max suggested, “Let’s have the staff meet in the
conference room and hash this out. I have a few ideas, based on
what we now know.”

Mike announced to the men and women that the
recording of the exchange would be available to all upgrades for
review. They were to compile their ideas and submit them by morning
for an initial review.

Then he told Bambi,
I want to do a preliminary
assault exercise performed by Max, Wayne and me. You create the
scenario and we will game plan it, and then the three of us will
take a shot at it. I don’t expect victory, just a means to expose
the possibilities, good and bad.

She pointed out,
What about the seals that Mike
Hardesty has offered. They’re more current in their experience and
have worked together, where as these men have not.

That’s true. But, suppose his offer is withdrawn.
We’ll tell our guys that seals will conduct the initial assault,
but the entire operation may have to be done by our guys alone. So,
we practice assault techniques and hope that the seals are ready
and able to handle it without us, when the time comes.

Either way, I need to see how the various scenarios
you provide are being handled, and that goes for both groups of
men.

Sir, please tell me you’re not thinking of going on
this assault yourself.

I don’t know; I might. When we show this video to
the men, we will demonstrate that their leaders are serious about
this deadly problem.

In a quiet subdued way, Bambi commed.
You are
going in with the men, aren’t you? It’s a very bad idea,
Mike.

Bambi, I have to go on this mission for several
reasons. The men must be shown that I’m willing to risk my ass,
right along side of theirs. In order for me to have a solid
understanding of what the men will be subject to, I need to see for
myself what it’s like to do an assault in outer space. And just
between you and me, the other members of the staff need to get a
sense of how committed I am to defending our home world. I’m going
be asking them to take chances, later in this war, and my example
will set the precedent for that.

Mike, if you get blowed up, who’s going to do what
only you can do?

You’d be surprised. Max can handle it; and
eventually, Wayne, or Cdr. Denniston, or possibly Dr. Fulwiler, or
someone we haven’t even found yet. But, it’s important that I be
with the men on the first mission. If I’m killed, then I become a
martyr. You can put up a plaque with my name on it and have it say
something like “He died being stupid.”

Then Bambi became angry.
God damn it, Michael
Hurst, this is a very stupid idea. This rebellion is in its infancy
and you’re about to remove the one leader who can get it going
properly. We don’t need another Horatio Nelson or Stonewall
Jackson. Those men died by being up front in the action. When they
died, their leadership was never replaced.

He grimaced and told her,
That’s only partially
true. Because they were constantly at the front, their men were
better led and those battles were won, although it was after they
died. Also, when those leaders fell, other men stepped forward and
continued the battle. They performed differently and learned for
themselves how to be a strong leader.

I have no intention of being a martyr, but I do
intend to see the action up close and personal. A leader must know
what his men are facing and how they’re dealing with it.

Bambi gave in.
All right, Mike. But when you go
in, I’m going to watch your back like no else can and I ain’t going
to pull any punches.

He chuckled,
Sweetie, if you have to start
throwing punches, then the shit has definitely hit the fan. Under
those circumstances I don’t want you to hold anything back.

Later, when Max asked why he bothered with ideas from
the men, Mike told him, “Max, we aren’t in a position to have a
closed mind. We will listen to all ideas. These men are all combat
vets, albeit old ones, and they just might surprise us with
something we hadn’t thought of.”

“I suppose you’re right about that.”

***

The large shuttle slowly made it’s way toward the
damaged transport. They moved with deliberate caution, not wanting
to alarm the crew of the ship by rushing straight at them at attack
speed. When Mike looked at the transport on the viewing screen, he
saw the huge hole in its side.

Bambi commed,
That hole goes all the way through
it, General. I calculate that the damage is severe. The engineering
equipment has been nearly completely destroyed and there is a
possibility that some damage was done to the computer housing. That
might explain why the responses from the ship were not within the
normal ranges of accepted computer behavior.

If the computer has been damaged, I suspect that the
responses we received were actually generated by a live Sauran and
not the computer. Sir, there is a distinct possibility that they
are without the aid of their internal comm. If that’s the case, it
is an extraordinary opportunity for us to achieve success.

Jo wasn’t there, but he was watching the assault. He
warned,
I agree, Bambi. But, we are still going to face Sauran
warriors and they will fight with their usual ferocity. I suggest
we stick with the existing plan.

Mike added, “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. I
can see where the Saurans losing comm would be an advantage for us,
but not enough to drastically change the guidelines for this op.
We’ll go in as we planned.”

Bambi told them,
I’m being told to bring the
shuttle in using our computer, which would be me, of course. This
is highly unusual. In nearly every case, the ship’s computer takes
control of all vehicles entering the ship for safeties sake. It
must mean the computer on this transport has been damaged. Here we
go.

The shuttle slowly entered the hanger and revealed
the large hole, where something had blown through the ship and the
hanger. Two shuttles had been mangled by the shot and there were no
robots in sight. That worried Mike.

Bambi, why don’t we see robots working on the
damage?

General, it can only mean that that the Saurans have
lost their comm with them.

The shuttle set down and an enormous set of doors
began to move across the width of the deck, closing off the damaged
portion of the hanger.

General, they’re pressurizing this part of the
hanger and I’m being ordered to have you exit the shuttle and greet
the Sauran who awaits you. Be sure to show the proper respect,
sir.

Mike, Wayne and Max slowly walked down the open ramp
and entered the damaged transport. When a single Sauran approached
them, they bowed deeply, showing him the maximum respect. The huge
alien slapped Max and kicked Wayne, before shoving Mike to his
knees.

“You are here to repair our environmental system.
Has the appropriate information been downloaded to you?”

Mike commed,
Yes, master.

“You must speak to me, using your stupid human
voices. Once our computer has been repaired, we will use the comm.
Do you understand, slave?”

Mike responded, “Yes, master.”

“Then don’t keep me waiting. Go and rebuild it.”

He slapped Mike and asked, “Where are the food
supplies you were told to bring?”

Mike’s short temper caused him to alter the original
plans. He’d had enough and decided to make his move early. He
angrily said, “I have some right here, master.”

He reached behind his back and brought out a plasma
pistol. The Sauran moved with lightening speed and kicked it out of
his hand, sending it flying across the floor of the hanger.

Wayne jumped at the hulking warrior and Max was right
behind him, driving the creature to the deck. Mike’s hand hurt like
hell, as he went to retrieve the gun. He heard Wayne scream and
turned back to see his son’s head being twisted until his neck
snapped. Mike’s mind went into combat mode, ignoring the emotional
agony of his son’s death. He didn’t have the luxury of grieving
just then. As Max struggled with the Sauran, Mike grasped the
plasma weapon and put two shots into the alien’s head, nearly
decapitating it.

He looked at Max and the man’s head exploded, as a
powerful plasma round ended the life of his friend. He spun to his
left, ducking immediately, as a shot went above his head. But,
before he could aim his plasma pistol. A round caught him in the
chest, driving him down to the deck, as he descended into
darkness.