“This seems…” Baelak had stopped and was running her hand down a pipe.
“That’s a waste pipe,” Miriam said. “You can’t see the coding on it but it tells the engineers what it’s carrying and which way it’s going. You were going to say ‘primitive’ I think.”
“How it is joined,” Baelak said, running her hands over a joint. “I am not a technician as you are…”
“I saw the unreality generator wing,” Miriam said. “We join material, this type, by melting metal into the joints. It’s called welding.”
“We join metal to metal,” Baelak said, taking her hand away from the pipe. “I know of welding. It is a technology… we rarely use anymore.”
“And we’re very interested in learning how you join metals,” Miriam said.
“I don’t actually know,” Baelak admitted.
“Well, when we get you settled perhaps your scientists can explain it to ours,” Miriam said. “What else do you want to see?”
“These humans are insane,” Rimmild said, stripping off the hated respirator. “Insane.”
“The linguist is certainly… interesting,” Baelak said. “And very knowledgeable. She even works as a technologist in the ship, which I’ll admit I cannot do.”
“Oh, they are all knowledgeable,” Rimmild said. “Of their paltry technology. Chemical rockets. What good are those going to do?”
“They are willing to go into space with that paltry technology,” Dugilant said. “They know that they are practically unarmed. Yet they are trying to find out how to help us.”
“Because they want our technology,” Rimmild said.
“There is more,” Baelak said. “They have many cultures on their planet, as we once did. The culture that has created this paltry technology is… very giving. It can be found most strongly in the linguist. They see people who need help and try to help them, often to their detriment. I have also been accessing their information net. Primitive, yes, but functional. I hope that we make it to this Earth. It seems a very vital place.”
“They do battle,” Dugilant said approvingly. “Even the culture that this ship comes from, yes? This is a battle ship. Although for under water, which I find surprising and somewhat amusing.”
“Yes,” Baelak said, with a note of distaste. “It was created by a tribe called the Americans. They are more giving, and more battling, than any other culture on their planet. It is a strange dichotomy. We only began to explore it.”
“Rimmild, you spoke of a chaos generator,” Dugilant said. “You said, if they can power it. They are enormous and require more power than I think this ship can generate.”
“Are you sure they are not listening?” Rimmild asked.
“No,” Dugilant said. “But I also don’t care. Nor should you. The Dreen are practically on our backs and clawing. The Caurorgorngoth is our last Chaos Destroyer and it is badly damaged. Who knows if it will survive another battle. If the humans can not help us, we are assuredly doomed. So tell me what you were talking about.”
“There is an experimental model,” Rimmild said. “We have one prototype with us. It was never put into production because it has less range than plasma guns. But it’s much more powerful. And the energy budget is lower. But I’m still not sure it would be effective. They would have to warp in quite close, fire, then warp out. As fast as they are going in warp, differentials, their primitive systems, no armor to speak of…”
“Get me the weapon,” Dugilant replied. “Figure out how to install it. Find a place for a fusion reactor if you must. That is your job. My job is to figure out how to use it.”
20
“Fleet Master, incoming transmission from the Caurorgorngoth. They are still fifteen treek out so there is a significant lag.”
“Glad news anyway,” Lurca said. “Put it on.”
“Fleet Master Lurca, Ship Master Kond,” Kond said. “If you have encountered the humans, then you have most of our news. The Klingoddar was destroyed, we ran into fighters before our transit and sustained damage to our unreality generator. Another race, the humans, helped us to repair it. The only news is that we began to pick up emissions from a Dreen ship before we translated. It was one of their destroyers. It is likely that it will be right behind us. We are moving towards the fleet rendezvous but request a collier be sent to us so we can stand off and engage the destroyer away from the fleet.”
“We’ll need to dispatch corvettes or the destroyer will be able to go around him to us,” Matulain said.
“As you advise, Strategy Master,” Lurca said. “Kond, we are sending a collier and corvettes to protect your flank. We are in contact with the humans. We are trying to see what we can trade with them. They are eager but primitive. However, we have received all the intelligence they sent us. Be aware, our estimates are that we will be unable to avoid the Dreen this time. We simply have to refuel; if the dreadnought stays on schedule we will still only be halfway done. You may have to hold them off as the fleet escapes, may have to hold them for kleng. We will do whatever we can to improve the human ship so that it will be able to assist you. When you are close enough, we will set up a joint conference. There is much to discuss.”
“We have a weapon you might be able to use,” Rimmild said.
The humans and Hexosehr had gathered in the science section meeting room. It was larger than the wardroom and had better communications equipment.
“It is an experimental small chaos generator,” Rimmild continued. “It only has a range of less than one of your light-seconds. But its effects would be better than even one of your ardune warheads. A chaos ball creates chaotic quantum events in any matter it touches. Since the matter tends to disintegrate, even detonate, when it comes into contact with the chaos ball, the weapon continues in a straight course until the effect dissipates. On smaller ships, such as the Dreen destroyers, a ball generated by a destroyer will often go entirely through them.”
“Ouch,” Spectre said.
“This system is, of course, smaller,” Rimmild said. “It will create a half-meter hole in whatever it strikes and will probably only penetrate a deck or two. It will not destroy them in one shot.”
“An ardune warhead will do more than that,” Bill pointed out.
“Only in contact,” Dugilant replied. “If there is even a few tens of meters separation, the vessel is likely to fly through unscathed. Dreen armor is immensely tough and the armor on the new ship looks to be as good as one of our own Chaos Destroyers. Those would shrug off your weapon unless it was in contact. And, frankly, getting any physical weapon through the defenses of Dreen ships is unlikely, absent an enormous number of much faster missiles. However, there is no way to shoot down a chaos ball. Light is transmuted, slugs are absorbed and rendered. This is the power of a chaos ball. Once fired it is impossible to escape damage unless you evade it.”
“And there may be a way for you to use it,” Dugilant continued. “But it will require precision piloting, probably computerized, and nerves of steel. All ships are designed to intercept weapons a long way out…”
“Come in really close,” Weaver said. “Really really close.”
“Yes,” Dugilant said. “Use the power of your most excellent drive system. Exit warp, fire the ball, then go back into warp. I would recommend that the systems be interlocked. You will also need to match course and speed with the target before you attempt your intercept. Even if some shots miss, if you repeat over and over…”