The Monkey and Squirrel fight for freedom. (28 page)

“I'm sure that's not the reason, just checking their chain of command knows they are following orders of a superior officer, essential to avoid confusion, no disrespect intended or taken I hope.” John said reassuringly.  

“Of course not sir, I'm sure that as the chain of command now has complete confidence in me that will peculate down to the men, and they'll stop checking their watches when I tell them the time.” Harry Glover said in an aggrieved fashion.

“Your reputation proceeded you, did you really want to ditch the air in the main hold to get your fighters out?” John asked, with a quizzical expression. 

“Yes! I forgot we couldn't replace it, I thought we were going to be attacked and needed to get some defence out sir.” explained Harry.

“So your desire to get to grips with the enemy, driving everything else out of your mind, you never thought it would be interpreted as panic?” asked John.

“Not before now sir. It never crossed my mind it could be seen like that.” answered Harry.

“Well guess how it was reported, by your subordinates and the Chinese. I know we have to make some allowances, you were transferred from a water borne aircraft carrier, as a last minute replacement CO for the resupply mission. The previous incumbent unexpectedly deceased in the flesh pots of New Orleans. Your instincts, I think betrayed you there, air is the most important thing in space, followed by water, food and sanitation in that order.

I think you are now schooled in space thinking for the most part, I know you couldn't understand why the RAF ranks are used. Europe is the forces biggest contributor and they handed the job to the English to organise.

We English get all the crap jobs, as part of paying off the massive bailout we needed, after the disaster of the UKIP government, privileged deluded idiots every one of them.” explained Group Captain John Hampton.

“That explains a lot, I knew it couldn't be anti-Americanism, as a high percentage of the men are patriotic Americans themselves. They believe I don't know what I'm doing, and am likely to panic when it hits the fan, my determination to win is seen as bluster to cover a cavern of incompetence, is that the picture sir?” asked an aggrieved Harry.

“In short yes, but now the command team has confidence in you the lower ranks will pick that up surprisingly rapidly, don't worry Harry when the time comes they'll obey without needing a nod from their line officer.”

“You knew all about this issue before I raised it sir?”

“I couldn't replace you for political reasons! If you proved to be as incompetent as your reputation my plan was at times of criss you would have been bypassed. Cut out the loop and ignored by every one including the men you brought with you from your old command.” replied Group Captain John Hampton.

“It's a wonder they didn't give themselves away, I've known some of them for years but they doubted me too?” asked an incredulous Harry.

“Not as much as the rest of us did, they said you were still adapting, but would have followed my orders. But it turns out they were right about you, just needing time to adapt, they were the only ones who offered any mitigation for you, saying they also had found the adjustment hard.” explained Group Captain John Hampton.

“So their loyalty is first to the CO, then me, I can live with that, I have to.” said a grim faced Wing Commander Harry Glover.

Chapter 26

Knowledge’s hundredth birthday

Interstellar experiment six, called Luyten, had launched on schedule. Making its close pass of Earth on the night of Knowledge's hundredth birthday party, the prototype fusion drive was working as predicted. To guarantee a good show, fluorescent gasses would be injected into the exhaust plume, and were expected to give a bright colourful illumination of the night sky. Lasting for about an hour fading as the gases' energisation declined.

Knowledge's party was in full swing when the time approached. Luyten came within a thousand miles of Earth, dogging round the space infrastructure and junk. Changing and mixing the gasses to produce a colourful changing pattern in the night sky, one pass and it left Earth behind very quickly.

Luyten's armoured shield had been almost totally abraded away by the junk too small to doge, the shield had done its job, and the display was visible for almost the full hour Tman planned for. The party had moved outside at the appointed hour, even with the sky slightly overcast, they did get to see most of the show, and were delighted. They had shared the news of the intended show with the world and a lot of people on that hemisphere of the globe watched it with them.

Security had felt duty bound to shoot at it, after all it didn't have permission, by the time they identified the target it had passed out of range. The rate of acceleration given by the fusion engine resulting in far higher velocity crossing Earth orbit, than the previous five. If the fusion drive held together, it should be the first one out of the Oort cloud and up to ten percent light speed.

Every one at the party had agreed it had been an excellent way of marking Knowledge's day. A grand finale that Knowledge loved, shouting happily,

'Lad got it to work, he's made a working fusion drive, I just knew he'd do great things and he saved it for my birthday',

then he had to have a lie-down, even his great grand kids had been impressed with the show.

Major Johnson, evaluated the reports, total damage had been small a couple of micro satellites vaporised, an unscheduled shuttle's pilots had been given a fright. Luyten had passed only three miles ahead of them, half the transports alarms had gone off, but the danger was passed in a fraction of a second.

The shear quantity of small bits of space junk, that had been vaporised in passing was probably a net benefit, the display had been very impressive too he had quite enjoyed it. His thoughts drifted back to that night, Daisy's boyfriend Daniel had nearly managed to spoil it. Daniel Lloyd-Benton, Daisy's boyfriend had criticised the display, saying,

“It was in the bold primitive style, a shame he had expected more!”

It had just provoked Carl. so he had let rip,

“You steaming idiot they have only been in existence fifty years, but have labelled your type of art as excluding, divisive and undesirable. What you have just witnessed apart from being a beautiful present from one old friend to another, is an outstanding technical achievement. That has touched more people in a single night than two thousand years of your type of art. We in turn are sending them a carrier overflowing with all the means of death and destruction we can scrape together; it is high art indeed that they don't return the favour in kind.”

“You misunderstand me Carl, I was most impressed with their abstract work on the space stations particularly, the difficulty of their chosen method of delivery, paint ball art is considered one of the most challenging emerging forms of this century.”

“I didn't know you thought of it like that, it's an unusual way of thinking of that event.” was all a gob-smacked Carl could say, as he thought, he's even thicker than I believed possible. Noticing Daisy and Rose pretending they hadn't heard a thing, looking intently at the sky.

The idiot spoke again,

“I like to think I am open to all forms of art, as you say this was a personal gift, as such was probably tailored to the recipients personal taste. So I can hardly expect it to be tailored to my expectations.” managing to sound even more patronising than before.

“That I think we can agree on, I need another beer.”

As Carl was getting a beer out the fridge, Daisy popped in to freshen her drink, seeing she was alone he pleaded,

“Daisy dear, whatever you do don't have kids with this one they'll be retarded.”

“Don't worry dad, after this summer he's toast, I start work in October, I'll be buying a small house though the company’s subsidised purchase scheme, I've saved up the deposit from my allowance, you have been really generous, thanks.” said Daisy giving him a hug.

“I didn't want you to become dependant on that idiot boyfriend of yours.” Carl said defensively.

“He was just a temporary convenience, better change the subject he's coming in.” said Daisy.

“Where are you spending the summer this year?” Carl asked.

“Touring the historical sights of China, they have a very different philosophy of art over there that Daniel really needs to see for himself. Me I just enjoy the beautiful objects and everything.” said Daisy using her best dumb blonde voice.

The idiot started explaining about the art philosophy differences, Carl excused himself and said he had to get back to Rose, when he did he said,

“You were exactly right about the relationship, I'm so very happy you were. Did you know about her house ?”

“I helped her pick the design! Once she has completed three months work, to the company's satisfaction, she switches from renting to the assisted purchase scheme. She pays the deposit, and the company deduct the mortgage payments straight from her salary. She will have no problems, the company set the syllabus for her degrees, paid all her tuition and exam fees, and have access to all her course work and test results. Daisy's course projects have all been part of real company projects, work they needed done, and scored as to how well they worked in practice.” explained Rose to an open mouthed Carl still trying to take it all in.

“So you're saying she has been effectively employed by them from when she started university?” Carl eventually asked.

“Yes, do you know how rare her intelligence and aptitudes are, several high tech. companies were fighting to offer her the best deal, in the contract she is described as a key principle asset.” said Rose enlightening him.

“If they are that eager I'm surprised they didn't try to do a deal with the monkeys.” said a bemused Carl, coming to terms with recent revelations. 

“It is rumoured that they did try, their answer was noway! The Monkeys also told them their system wouldn't work in a gravity well anyway, come back when we have a civilised relationship with humanity.”

“How come everyone else knows more about what's going on than military intelligence?” Carl asked knowing the sort of answer to expect.

“Just as they have always said military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.” explained his wife Rose.

“I see now how the land lies, well I either have to go on to the whisky, or have a cuddle.” said Carl not really wanting a whisky.

“Lets go to bed, I think I can sooth your fevered brow and boost your self-esteem.” laughed his wife who did understand him very well.

“Now you're talking to where the real me lives.” said Carl brightly.

“I know love, I got to know the real you well before we married, Daisy lock up will you, us old folk need to go to bed.” Rose shouted as they went through the kitchen.

“OK right, you're to old for that sort of thing, you shocking oldies.” Daisy answered with a knowing smile.

He came back to the present, and the insanity that was his job, he sighed going back to work.

“That went very well” signed Chatty to Tman.

“Yes it was spectacular, and almost exactly as planed, not only did the party enjoy it, it got a lot of favourable mentions in news reports, so that is all good.

The collision avoidance system didn't work as well as expected but was good enough, we can use the telemetry feed to optimise the system for next time. The drive system is also within parameters, if it doesn’t blow up inside the solar system it should get to it's destination Luyten 726-8. A binary dwarf flare star, it's brightness can increase seventy five fold in seconds, so it won't be getting that close, very little is know about it, this is genuine research just for the joy of knowing.” enthused Tman.

“Where has Centauri one got to ?” enquired Chatty.

“Its about a year way maybe less from the Oort cloud, the boundary is vague to the point of non-existence, we'll know more in time.” replied Tman.

“The distances are vast, it has been accelerating all this time, its still in our solar system and not up to a tenth of light speed yet?” asked a surprised Chatty.

“Not far off now, it may have to coast through, if the Oort cloud proves to be denser than expected.” replied Tman.

“We already know far more about our outer system than the humans, on the other hand we have claimed it as our territory. We are well on the way to being established as a people out here.” exclaimed Chatty.

“It's been a slow process attaining the skills we lacked in the critical areas, medical and genetics have always been our weakest, but even there we are making progress. Even  starting to venture beyond human knowledge in areas key to our needs, taking it slow and careful, documenting every step.” explained Tman.

“How are the preparations for the big reception coming along?” asked Chatty who just couldn't get rid of that little kernel of doubt at the back of her mind.

“Production of our fighters and drones has been automated. It just got too boring building them, we have five hundred fighters now and we'll build fifty a year from now on until we get to a thousand. After that its just maintenance, the same goes for the drones just the numbers are different.

By the time the human carrier gets here, we should have twelve carriers of our own. The last three being bigger, harder and nastier, carrying one hundred fighters, ten thousand drones and a nice little habitat so we don't go mad on extended operations.” answered Tman understanding his friends fears.

“A Completely new design, I assume they got bored making the old type?” asked a surprised Chatty.

“Partly that, but mostly psychology, the humans have a tendency to under estimate our carriers as they're smaller than the one they have. Building something bigger will create more of the right impression, the danger it represents will be more real to them, big equates to power, it's one of the reasons they didn't design us to be larger.” explained Tman.

“Are we going to keep up the pressure, on them ?” Chatty asked.

“Not at the same level, just enough to remind them we're watching and will be waiting to deliver the lesson whichever one they chose.”

“Are you going to use the fusion drive for the latest carriers?”

“Maybe, if we have got it right only the long term results will reveal, but the design will start life with our super hot ion engine.” replied Tman.

“How are you getting on with your young rivals for the engineering crown?” asked Chatty with a mischievous smile.

“Quite well actually, there is not a lot left for me teach them, they have some excellent ideas and occasionally have things to teach me.” confessed Tman.

“Just like me and our young programmers, with me focussing on programming I have been overtaken by youngsters in the electronics field.” admitted Chatty.

“It was always going to happen, I just started out with more knowledge than most, and I am just about holding my own in my principle discipline. The further I move from that, the more run of the mill I am. But I can still contribute though my broad based insights and organisational skills, my occasional brainstorms still producing workable solutions to our problems. In a way it works towards my contentment, that I will still be contributing even when I have been overtaken in my principle field.” rationalised Tman.

“Now you have the new processors, you shouldn't have any problem with self-esteem.” commented Chatty.

“I don't , I just need to feel I'm contributing to our society to be truly contented.” answered Tman.

“No worries there, those feelings are an inherent part of our culture, instilled by the example we set, anyway time to get on, later.” signed Chatty.

“Later.”

Jimmy and his team had watched the display too, partly to see the monkeys engine in operation. When it came though it was a big surprise, no one had been expecting a fusion engine, it had never been mentioned.

“Don't expect me to build one of those any time soon.” exclaimed a shocked Sheila Jones to Dodgy Dave.

“Looks like they are planing to use a fusion engine on that interstellar vessel of theirs after all.” Dave said to Jimmy, both of them smiling.

“Probably a prototype I expect, they must of decided to use the fusion engine so it couldn't be shot down, they had to announce the time and where in the sky it would be. That proved almost too fast to track! Securities lasers would have to been already on target before that probe got there to stand a chance of hitting it, and the way it was dodging all the junk in its way, hitting it was a none starter. How long until that first new ion engine is built Sheila?” asked Jimmy getting back to business.