Crusade chapter 2 (standard:science fiction, 2254 words) [2/11] show all parts
Author: St George	Added: Mar 11 2003	Views/Reads: 2991/1908	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The first part of the tale.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

need it, he grabbed the pole at the very last moment and then stepped 
out onto what was called the quarterdeck, a generous balcony 
overlooking a large room with its floor on deck 2. Next to the bridge 
door a midshipwoman saluted, he walked to the door returning the 
salute. 

As he entered, one of the junior officers sprang to attention and
shouted something in French, immediately Alecto's translation came 
through his earpiece, “Captain on deck!” “At ease,” said Carver as the 
rest of the bridge crew stood. For those whose first language was not 
English, Alecto instantly translated his instruction and relayed it to 
the earpieces that everyone wore. Carver sat down in his chair and took 
a moment to survey his bridge, he had designed it and he liked it. It 
was a two level room, oblong and about forty feet from front to back. 
The centre of the room was a sunken area about 25 feet long and 15 wide 
and around the inside edge of ‘the pit' as it was called were the 
combat stations, one station for each torpedo room (four), one for each 
EP (Etheric pulse) canon turret (eight), two EPDAR stations, one shield 
station, one damage control station and one internal defence control 
station. Each station had its own dedicated rooms in other parts of the 
ship, but it was still necessary to be able to co-ordinate them 
directly. The upper level of the bridge on which Carver now stood had 
the non-combat stations, engineering (three), navigation (four), helm 
(two), communication (two), one visual sensor, one auxiliary sensor, 
one space traffic control and four unassigned stations that could be 
used if any other stations were damaged. The Captains chair was at the 
back of the upper level and in front of it, suspended above the pit, 
was a 3-D holographic projection of either the battlefield, 
navigational map or any other information that was required. “Alecto, 
has the crew finished boarding yet?” he asked. “Not yet Captain, 312 of 
400 are on board, I estimate another 52 minutes 12 seconds before we 
are ready to depart.” “Thank you, Alecto.” 

Of course 400 people were just the skeleton crew, once they reached Mars
the rest of the crew, some 2300 people would board, everyone from cooks 
to engineers. As well as fighting other capital ships Crusader would 
carry infantry for boarding enemy vessels and capturing ground 
installations, and tanks for ground assault. Once she had picked up the 
rest of her crew the ship was scheduled for six weeks shakedown, after 
which it would return to Mars and pick up 100 Rhino main battle tanks 
and 100 five man tank crews, 600 infantry soldiers and their equipment, 
150 Super Hurricane vacuum/atmospheric fighters and 150 two man fighter 
crews, 20 Black Widow torpedo bombers and 20 two-man bomber crews and 
40 dropships and 40 dropship pilots. 1480 people all told, giving her a 
full complement of 4280. 

“Coms, get me the construction chief,'' said Carver, addressing the
crewman at the communication terminal. “Yes Sir,.... through Sir,” came 
the response. A 3-D image of an Anduril appeared in mid air, she was 
speaking but it was Alecto's voice that was heard, translating the 
Chief's words, “Yes Captain, how can I help you?” “I wanted to thank 
you, you've built me a fine ship,'' responded Carver. “Yes we have,” 
(false modesty is an alien concept to the Andurils) “ However I must 
say we were impressed by the design, there were some amongst us who 
doubted that your race could conceive any viable starships but you have 
created a powerful weapon, in simulation it actually outperformed our 
own warships of comparable size and armament. You should be proud.” “We 
are.” “What time do you expect to depart?” inquired the Chief. “About 
an hours time, depending on clearances.” “Thank you Captain,... if you 
will excuse me I have another communication to make.” 

“Alecto, is that true?” “Yes Captain, it seems that because humans
suddenly acquired the technology without having to build ships you were 
not restrained by what the Andurils consider to be the normal rules of 
starship construction, some of the more radical concepts used in the 
design of this vessel are already being considered for inclusion in the 
next generation of Anduril ships. 

“All hands prepare for departure,” Carver announced over the intercom.
With final boarding complete they were ready to head for home. “Helm, 
ahead, 10 metres per second.” 

Deep in the ship atoms of anti-iron were magnetically manipulated out of
their force-field pods and delivered to the matter/anti-matter 
reactors, the energy produced by the reactors raced down 
superconducting power net lines where several gigawatts were directed 
to the ion furnace, this energy converted hydrogen atoms into super 
high energy ions which were ejected from powerful vents at nearly the 
speed of light, in the bow the Bussard ramscoop activated, it created 
an invisible cone of electromagnetic radiation in front of the ship, 
funnelling interstellar hydrogen into a collector for use in the ion 
furnace. On the bridge the only clue that such titanic forces were 
being put to work was a low rumble as the colossal ion drive strained 
to propel 140'000 tons of starship into motion, when the correct speed 
was achieved the noise died. There was no need to use the ships 
hyperdrive to open a portal as there was a stationary portal projector 
as part of the shipyard complex. “Helm, steer 138 by 000 degrees.” That 
would put them on course for the portal station; Carver knew that 
Anduril space traffic control had re-directed every ship within 70 
klicks in order to allow such a large vessel the manoeuvring space it 
required. As they passed through the portal Carver felt the slight 
blurring of vision that always accompanied a hyperjump. There were no 
windows on the bridge, or anywhere else for that matter, they weaken 
the hull and serve no useful purpose, but if there had been then the 
bridge would have been bathed in the electric blue light which 
permeated everywhere in hyperspace. 

It was a four week journey to Mars (running at one fifth speed) and
throughout the journey the crew would be running tests on all systems, 
Carver stood up and walked to a door in the rear wall of the bridge, it 
opened and he entered the Captains study. “Alecto,” he said as he sat 
on the grey sofa that was against the far wall. “Yes Captain,” came her 
voice, at the same moment a three dimensional form of Alecto's image 
appeared in front of him; the bridge and several other key parts of the 
ship were equipped with holo-projectors to allow Alecto to appear as a 
physical entity or avatar. The holograph was created by forming a force 
field in the shape of the object, and then ‘painting' it with coloured 
lasers. Normally when Alecto appeared on a monitor it was only her face 
that was shown, so it was only now Carver saw how much she had changed 
her avatar, normally computer avatars ‘wear' the standard officers 
uniform but Alecto was now sporting a British naval officers uniform 
circa 1800. Taken slightly aback Carver began, “Captains log, first 
entry, April 4th 2004. A few minor teething troubles apart, the ship is 
better than I dared hope, the Andurils have constructed her to their 
own exacting standards and I feel confident that I am in command of a 
fearsome fighting machine. We are on route to Mars-space where we will 
take on the remainder of the non-fighting crew. As we are not yet 
capable of combat the Anduril have provided an escort in the shape of 
the Kerray-win, an Anduril battle cruiser under the command of one 
Harrit Arwen Tennit and once we reach Mars Tennit's crew will help in 
the training of my own officers. The Anduril plan is to ‘strengthen a 
newer weaker ally in order to weaken an older stronger foe.' I use here 
the words of Niccolo Machiavelli, a man whose stratagems are as 
applicable in twenty first century deep space as they were in fifteenth 
century Italy. Because this is the Flagship of the Stellar navy it is 
being staffed with the most capable crew available, however it goes 
without saying that almost none of them will have set foot on board a 
starship apart from the one which transported them to Hellas station. 
Add the navigational log and save that Alecto.” “Yes Captain.” 


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